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the inventors of the present invention have found that significant improvements in antenna performance may be achieved , compared with a standard pifa , by introducing an additional ground plane between the ground plane 1 of fig1 a and the conducting sheet 2 . in general , if two or more ground connections are made between a conducting plate and ground , then the plate will act as an additional ground plane rather than as a parasitic resonator such as that shown as 25 in the prior art structure illustrated in fig2 . as discussed further below , the positions of the ground connections affect the frequency at which the additional ground plane will provide resonance . an exemplary arrangement is shown in fig4 a , where a circuit board ( for example , a printed wiring board ) 5 acts as the antenna &# 39 ; s main ground plane . alternatively , an rf shielding can or any metal part of mobile handset may be used in place of the printed wiring board ( pwb ) as the antenna &# 39 ; s ground plane . positioned above the pwb 5 of fig4 a is an additional plane 7 , which is connected to the pwb 5 by means of conducting pins 10 b . the structure of the plane 7 need not be a pifa since , as in the embodiment shown in fig4 a , it could be connected to the pwb at multiple points . using multiple ground connections 10 b provides the advantage that the current distribution across the pwb can be controlled . conversely , the known double pifa has just one ground connection ( 24 in fig2 ), and this could result in very high current concentrated in some areas . with multiple ground connections spread around the plane 7 , the plane would not act as a quarter wave structure , but rather as a half wave structure , and to obtain resonance at the frequencies of interest the size of the plane would need to be doubled . due to size constraints associated with mobile handsets , doubling the area of an antenna structure would not be desirable . instead , the inventors of the present invention have realised that if the plane 7 is connected to the “ source −” of a feed cable , the plane 7 will act as an extra ground plane in addition to the main ground plane 5 , thereby providing the advantages discussed below . the extra ground plane 7 will not be resonant in its own right , but the combined structure of resonators 6 a and 6 b ( described in detail below ) together with the ground plane 7 acts as a resonator structure which can produce up to four resonant frequencies . by varying the position and number of the connecting pins 10 b the resonances produced by the combined structure may be tuned to desired frequencies . the extra ground plane 7 may also have slots 9 cut into it in order to modify the frequency band ( s ) of these resonances . positioned above the ground plane 7 is a conducting antenna track 6 a whose shape determines the frequency band ( s ) at which the antenna track 6 a resonates . in a preferred embodiment of the invention , the antenna track 6 a comprises one or more resonators ( which may , for example , be conventional pifas ), each exhibiting one or more resonances . the resonances generated are dependent upon the antenna track geometry . the track 6 a is electrically connected to the ground plane resonator 7 by means of a connecting element 10 a . a coaxial cable could suitably be used to feed the antenna 20 . as in the antenna of fig3 , strip 8 a could conveniently be connected to the inner conductor of the coaxial cable ( source +), and 8 b could be connected to the outer conductor ( source −), thus connecting the antenna to transmitter and receiver circuitry . a further resonator , parasitic element 6 b may be positioned adjacent to the antenna track 6 a , and in substantially the same plane . this parasitic resonator is connected directly to the ground plane 7 and acts as a pifa without a feeding pin . it is excited indirectly by the main resonator 6 a rather than by a feeding cable . its resonant frequency is determined by its dimensions . fig4 b shows a detailed view of the feed connections of the antenna shown in fig4 a . conveniently , the track 6 a and the parasitic element 6 b can be mounted on an insulating substrate 40 , as shown in fig4 b . suitably , the track 6 a and element 6 b can comprise conductive layers applied to the substrate and subsequently etched to define the resonator geometries . in one embodiment , the antenna is made up of a dual band resonator ( antenna track 6 a ) which comprises one part 27 for providing a resonance at one of the lower gsm bands ( usgsm850 or egsm900 ) and one part 26 for providing a resonance at one of the upper gsm bands ( dcs1800 or pcs1900 ), and a parasitic resonator 6 b which provides a third resonance at a third gsm band ( either dcs1800 or pcs1900 ). the antenna described so far is a conventional tri - band antenna , suitably covering either the usgsm850 , dcs1800 and pcs1900 bands or egsm900 , dcs1800 and pcs1900 . however , by adding a ground plane resonator 7 in accordance with the present invention , a further low band resonance can be created , such that the conventional tri - band antenna combined with the ground plane resonator can provide performance over all four gsm bands ( usgsm850 , egsm900 , dcs1800 and pcs1900 ). as discussed above , the ground plane alone does not add a further resonance , but rather it acts as a part of the whole resonator comprising 6 a , 6 b and 7 in order to add an extra resonance . the size of the ground plane is typically too small for a usgsm850 or egsm900 resonance to be created by the ground plane alone , but the combined structure comprising 6 a , 6 b and 7 allows a lower band resonance within either usgsm850 or egsm900 to be produced . thus , in a preferred embodiment of the present invention , the antenna shown in fig4 can provide resonance at each of the four gsm bands . this arrangement is advantageous compared with a conventional double - pifa configuration in that the volume of antennas in accordance with embodiments of the invention can be smaller due to the use of a ground plane positioned below the main resonators ( 6 a , 6 b ) to contribute to the obtainable frequency bands . as an alternative to the embodiment shown in fig4 a in which several connecting pins are provided between the plate 7 and the main ground plane 5 , the plate 7 would also act as a ground plane if a single connecting pin were provided between the plate 7 and the main ground plane 5 and additionally the “ source −”, or ground , of a feeding cable were connected to the plate 7 . in this alternative embodiment , the plate 7 would have two ground connections — one directly to the main ground plane 5 and one via the feeding cable — and it would thus function as a ground plane . the inventors of the present invention have found that an arrangement such as that shown in fig4 can provide performance in each of the four gsm bands even within a metal mobile terminal . whereas a known slotted pifa pair provides bandwidths reduced by 30 - 40 % when used in a metal handset as opposed to a conventional plastic handset , antennas in accordance with embodiments of the present invention can achieve wide bandwidths for quad - band performance . the antenna 20 of fig4 is less sensitive to metallic blocks surrounding the antenna compared with conventional , slotted pifa pair antennas , and thus has improved performance in metal handsets compared with other quad - band antenna structures . the antenna of embodiments of the present invention could suitably be used in a communications handset whose cover consists substantially of metal . the cover could suitably comprise at least 80 %, at least 50 % or at least 20 % metal . alternatively , embodiments of the present invention could be used in handsets having entirely plastic covers . in an exemplary embodiment of the present invention , an antenna has the following configuration : the pwb is 35 mm × 105 mm ; the ground plane 7 and the antenna track 6 a have length 35 mm and width 20 mm , and the antenna track 6 a is positioned 10 mm above the ground plane resonator 7 . it should be noted that various functional components of a mobile communications terminal may be placed between the ground plane and the pwb , and thus the relevant height of the antenna is the distance between the ground plane 7 and the track 6 a . in the exemplary embodiment , no slots are cut in the antenna &# 39 ; s ground plane , and only two conducting pins are used to connect the ground plane and the pwb for simplicity of discussion . the tuning of the resonant frequencies and their bandwidth is affected by adjusting the number and positions of connecting pins . the current distribution across the handset can also be controlled with careful selection of the pin positions to provide an even current distribution as opposed to high current concentrations . this can yield better antenna performance . preferred numbers and positions of connecting pins can be determined by means of trial and error by simulating antennas having particular configurations of pins . tests carried out by the inventors suggest that the optimum configuration is to use a single pin at the centre of each of the two side edges of the ground plane 7 , and optionally further pins along the two side edges . fig5 shows various locations of conducting pins 10 for connecting the ground plane 7 to the pwb 5 . four specific cases are considered , in each of which different pin locations are used . these cases are not intended to be limiting , and it will be clear to the skilled person that any position or combinations of positions in addition to those discussed may be used within the scope of the invention . fig6 shows a simulated return loss against frequency for each of the four considered cases . the return loss data was obtained using an ie3d simulator . in case one , pin locations c and d are used . the simulated return loss for this case is shown as 11 in fig6 . in case two , pin locations b and d are used , and the resulting simulated return loss is shown as 12 in fig6 . in case three , pin locations f and g are used , and the resulting simulated return loss is shown as 13 in fig6 . in case four , pin locations b and c are used , and the resulting simulated return loss is shown as 14 in fig6 . in fig6 , the frequencies at which the antenna radiates are denoted by dips in the graphs . thus , the number of dips in a graph indicates the number of obtainable frequencies with the respective antenna , and the greater the width of the dips , the wider the frequency ranges at which the antenna radiates . it can be seen that for each of cases two , three and four an additional resonance is generated at the lower gsm band ( usgsm850 and egsm900 ). the bandwidths generated can be seen to be wide enough to allow performance at both these bands . fig7 shows the simulated radiation efficiency for case two . it is desirable to obtain high efficiency across the frequency bands of interest , and it is not surprising that the additional resonance generated can be seen from the graph to produce strong radiation . it should be appreciated that resonances at different frequency bands may be generated by adjusting the number , the shape and the location of the conducting pins 10 in conjunction with the slots 9 cut out of the antennas ground plane . thus , the antenna shown in fig4 can in general achieve multi - band and / or wide bandwidth performance , with high radiation efficiency and with controllable current distribution on the pwb . embodiments of the invention provide antennas that are less affected by metal blocks compared with known antennas , and provide a more flexible feeding structure compared with slotted pifa pairs , as discussed further below . the structure of the known slotted pifa pair antenna requires the feed to be positioned at or near the central line of the antenna so as to excite both elements of the pifa pair ( as shown in fig3 b ). however , there is no such restriction on the feeding structure of the antenna of the present invention . the feed could potentially be moved to any points of the antenna track 6 a if an appropriate modification were made to the shape of the antenna track . it can be appreciated that antennas of embodiments of the present invention are suitable not only for gsm frequencies but also for any other frequencies desired for mobile communications . the applicant draws attention to the fact that the present invention may include any feature or combination of features disclosed herein either implicitly or explicitly or any generalisation thereof , without limitation to the scope of any definitions set out above . in view of the foregoing description it will be evident to a person skilled in the art that various modifications may be made within the scope of the invention . | 7 |
fig1 is a top view of a catheter apparatus 100 for use in hemodialysis treatment in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure . as illustrated , the apparatus 100 can include a main body portion 105 , a venous obturator 130 , and an arterial obturator 170 . turning first to the main body portion 105 , an arterial conduit 150 is provided for receiving blood from a patient through one or more apertures at an open distal end 154 of the conduit 150 , and passing the blood to dialysis equipment ( not shown ) through a proximal end 152 of the conduit 150 . a venous conduit 110 is provided for receiving blood from the dialysis equipment through proximal end 112 of the conduit 110 and passing the blood back to the patient through one or more apertures at an open distal end 114 of the conduit 110 . in one embodiment , conduits 10 and 150 can be implemented using transparent pvc material . the proximal end 112 of venous conduit 110 can be provided with a venous connector 145 for connecting the conduit 110 to dialysis equipment and for receiving a venous obturator 130 , as further described herein . similarly , the proximal end 152 of arterial conduit 150 can be provided with an arterial connector 185 for connecting the conduit 150 to dialysis equipment and for receiving an arterial obturator 170 , as further described herein . in one embodiment , venous connector 145 can be blue in color and arterial connector 185 can be red in color . as illustrated , the distal end 114 of conduit 110 extends beyond the distal end 154 of conduit 150 in order to reduce recirculation of blood processed by the dialysis equipment from the venous conduit 110 back into the arterial conduit 150 . conduits 110 and 150 are physically separated into separate shafts at distal ends 112 and 152 . as the conduits 110 and 150 pass through anchor 190 , they are joined by a shared common wall and comprise a substantially cylindrical elongate body extending from anchor 190 to distal end 154 . anchor 192 also comprises a plurality of suturing tabs 192 useful for securing the main body portion 105 when in use . main body portion 105 further comprises a cuff 195 encircling the body 105 for providing frictional resistance to prevent inadvertent removal of the body 105 from a patient . fig2 is a top view of distal ends 114 and 154 of venous and arterial conduits 110 and 150 , respectively , of a catheter apparatus 100 taken at line 2 - 2 of fig1 . venous conduit 110 and arterial conduit 150 include side walls 115 and 155 , respectively , as well as shared wall 197 . side wall 115 and shared wall 197 of the venous conduit 110 define a venous lumen 120 for passing blood through the conduit 110 . similarly , side wall 155 and shared wall 197 of the arterial conduit 150 define an arterial lumen 160 for passing blood through the conduit 150 . apertures in side walls 115 and 155 of the conduits are also provided , as further described herein . fig3 is a cross - sectional view of catheter apparatus 100 taken at line 3 - 3 of fig1 . as illustrated , each of the conduits 110 and 150 and lumens 120 and 160 exhibit substantially semi - circular cross - sections . in one embodiment , the dimensions d 0 ( outside diameter of body 105 ), d 1 ( thickness of shared wall 197 ), d 2 ( first lumen dimension ), d 3 ( second lumen dimension ), r 1 ( first radius ), and r 2 ( second radius ) can be implemented as 4 . 83 mm , 0 . 64 mm , 1 . 46 mm , 3 . 18 mm , 0 . 38 mm , and 1 . 78 mm , respectively . in addition , each of lumens 120 and 160 can be implemented having a cross - sectional area of 3 . 69 mm 2 . however , it will be appreciated that such dimensions can vary in other embodiments . fig4 is a side view of a distal end of a venous conduit 110 taken at line 4 - 4 of fig2 . a plurality of apertures 125 ( i . e . fenestrations ) are provided in side wall 115 of conduit 110 . the apertures 125 serve to expel blood from the venous lumen 120 back to the patient during hemodialysis treatment . as illustrated , the apertures 125 can be offset from each other in a staggered orientation in order to reduce the likelihood of blockage of the apertures 125 during hemodialysis treatment . for example , if the side wall 115 of the catheter apparatus 100 is positioned against an internal wall of a patient &# 39 ; s vascular structure , such as an artery or vein , the staggered orientation can prevent at least some of the apertures 125 from being blocked by the internal wall . although the apertures 125 are illustrated as being elliptical , it will be appreciated that alternative shapes can be used for the apertures 125 including but not limited to non - elliptical or circular shapes . in addition , although three apertures 125 are illustrated in fig4 , it will be appreciated that catheter apparatus 100 can be implemented with any number of apertures 125 . in various embodiments , some or all of the apertures 125 can be sized to exhibit a cross - sectional area equal or greater than a cross - sectional area of the venous lumen 120 . such sizing can significantly improve blood flow over prior catheters having smaller apertures , moreover , blood clotting incident to the apertures 125 can be substantially eliminated through operation of obturator 130 as further described herein . in one embodiment , dimensions d 4 , d 5 , and d 6 of the apertures 125 can be implemented as 3 . 05 mm , 1 . 53 mm , and 25 . 4 mm , respectively , with each aperture 125 having a cross - sectional area of 3 . 69 mm 2 . however , it will be appreciated that such dimensions can vary in other embodiments . additionally , it is also contemplated that the size of apertures 125 can be implemented with the same or different sizes , such as with the size of each aperture 125 being larger in size than an aperture 125 immediately to its left , resulting in increasing sizes for apertures 125 closer to the distal end 114 of venous conduit 110 . such a configuration , in which the size of apertures 125 decreases toward the distal end 114 of venous conduit 110 , recirculation of blood processed by the dialysis equipment from the venous conduit 110 back into the arterial conduit 150 . fig5 is a side view of a distal end 154 of an arterial conduit 150 taken at line 5 - 5 of fig2 . a plurality of apertures 165 ( i . e . fenestrations ) are provided in side wall 155 of conduit 150 . the apertures 165 serve to receive blood into the arterial lumen 160 from the patient during hemodialysis treatment . similar to the discussion above with respect to fig4 , the apertures 165 of fig5 can also be offset from each other in a staggered orientation in order to reduce the likelihood of blockage of the apertures 165 during hemodialysis treatment . although the apertures 165 are illustrated as being elliptical , it will be appreciated that alternative shapes can be used for the apertures 165 including but not limited to non - elliptical or circular shapes . in addition , although four apertures 165 are illustrated in fig5 it will be appreciated that catheter apparatus 100 can be implemented with any number of apertures 165 . in various embodiments , some or all of the apertures 165 can be sized to define a cross - sectional area equal or greater than a cross - sectional area of the arterial lumen 160 . such sizing can significantly improve blood flow over prior catheters having smaller apertures . moreover , blood clotting incident to the apertures 165 can be substantially eliminated through operation of obturator 170 as further described herein . as discussed above with respect to the size of apertures 125 , other embodiments may be implemented with the size of apertures 165 being of the same or different sizes , such as with the size of each aperture 165 being smaller in size than an aperture 165 immediately to its left , resulting in decreasing sizes for apertures 165 closer to the distal end 154 of conduit 150 . alternatively , the size of apertures 165 can also be implemented with different sizes , with the size of each aperture 165 being smaller in size than an aperture 165 immediately to its right . however , it is contemplated that a configuration in which the size of apertures 165 decreases toward the distal end 154 of conduit 150 may tend to reduce recirculation of blood processed by the dialysis equipment from the venous conduit 10 back into the arterial conduit 150 . furthermore , with respect to the apertures 1251165 , the apertures 125 / 165 may each include a plurality of apertures , as shown in fig4 and 5 . for example , as shown in fig4 , apertures 125 may include at least two apertures of different sizes . further , as shown in fig5 , the apertures 165 may also include at least two apertures of different sizes . furthermore , the size of each of the apertures 125 may successively increase upon approaching the distal end 114 of the conduit 110 , and the size of each of the apertures 165 may successively increase upon approaching the distal end 154 of the conduit 150 . thus , if three or more apertures 125 / 165 are used , each aperture 125 / 165 may have a different size than the other respective apertures 125 / 165 , such as to allow the apertures 125 / 165 to respectively increase and decrease in size with each successive aperture 125 / 165 . other such configurations and modifications may be implemented using the teachings herein in order to reduce recirculation of blood processed by the dialysis equipment from the venous conduit 110 back into the arterial conduit 150 . therefore , the recirculation of blood processed by the dialysis equipment may tend to be further reduced when : 1 ) the size of each aperture 125 is larger in size than an aperture 125 immediately to its left , resulting in increasing sizes for apertures 125 closer to the distal end 114 of venous conduit 110 ; and 2 ) the size of each aperture 165 is smaller in size than an aperture 165 immediately to its left , resulting in decreasing sizes for apertures 165 closer to the distal end 154 of conduit 150 . as illustrated , apertures 165 can be distributed along a portion of side wall 155 denoted by dimension d 7 . in one embodiment , dimension d 7 can be implemented as 10 cm . however , it will be appreciated that such dimension can vary in other embodiments . returning to fig1 , as discussed , catheter apparatus 100 can comprise a pair of obturators 130 and 170 . distal ends 134 and 174 of the obturators can be axially inserted into the proximal ends 112 and 152 of respective ones of conduits 110 and 150 . obturators 130 and 170 each comprise flexible elongate sheathes 135 and 175 , respectively , each having substantially semi - circular cross - sections . sheathes 135 and 175 can be sized so as to completely fill lumens 120 and 160 and occlude apertures 125 and 165 while inserted into conduits 110 and 150 . caps 140 and 180 attached to sheathes 135 and 175 can be provided at the proximal ends 132 and 172 of the obturators for securing the obturators 130 and 170 to connectors 145 and 185 of conduits 110 and 150 while the obturators 130 and 170 are inserted . the insertion of obturator 130 into conduit 110 can be further understood with reference to fig6 and 7 . fig6 and 7 provide cross - sectional views of an obturator 130 partially ( fig6 ) and fully ( fig7 ) inserted into a conduit 110 of a catheter apparatus 100 in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure . referring to fig6 , obturator 130 comprises an elongate sheath 135 attached to a cap 140 at the proximal end 132 of the obturator 130 . as illustrated , cap 140 comprises a ring portion 141 having a plurality of locking members 149 . the ring portion 141 is connected to a male luer tapered portion 142 . venous connector 145 comprises a plurality of locking members 148 and a female luer portion 146 . as illustrated , the female luer portion 146 can receive the male luer portion 141 of cap 140 . venous connector 145 further comprises recessed lead - in portions 147 for facilitating the receiving of the proximal end 134 of obturator 130 into conduit 110 . referring now to fig7 , obturator 130 is illustrated as being fully inserted into conduit 110 . while inserted , the male luer portion 142 of cap 140 completely fills the female luer portion 146 of venous connector 145 , with locking members 148 and 149 engaging each other . in addition , as illustrated at distal end 114 , the sheath 135 of obturator 130 occludes apertures 125 while inserted into the conduit 110 . accordingly , it will be appreciated that obturator 130 can be inserted into conduit 110 after hemodialysis treatment has been completed and while the main body 105 of the catheter apparatus 100 remains inserted in a patient . due to the occlusion of the apertures 125 by the obturator 130 , blood clotting at the apertures 125 can be substantially eliminated . when it is desired to perform dialysis treatment , obturator 130 can be removed from conduit 110 . upon such removal , a wiping action between the obturator 130 and apertures 125 additionally removes any minor clotting incident at the apertures 125 . furthermore , subsequent flow of blood through the apertures 125 may also tend to remove any minor clotting incident at apertures 125 . it will be appreciated that the insertion and removal of obturator 170 with respect to conduit 150 can be performed in substantially the same manner as described above with respect to obturator 130 and conduit 110 . as such , obturator 170 can occlude apertures 165 and also perform a wiping action therewith to remove clotting incident at the apertures 165 . thus , the novel features discussed above with respect to obturator 130 and conduit 110 may also apply for the obturator 170 and conduit 150 . as discussed , catheter apparatus 100 is adapted for use in hemodialysis treatment . in operation , a substantial portion of the main body 105 of the apparatus can be initially inserted into a patient . in particular , the distal ends 114 and 154 of conduits 110 and 150 may be inserted into a patient &# 39 ; s vascular structure . if it is desired that hemodialysis treatment not be performed immediately , then obturators 130 and 170 can be inserted into respective ones of conduits 110 and 150 , and secured to connectors 145 and 185 through locking members 148 and 149 . the presence of the obturators in the conduits 110 / 150 prevents the accumulation of blood clots within the lumens 120 / 150 as well as on apertures 125 / 165 and open distal ends 114 / 154 of the conduits 110 / 150 . when it is desired to perform hemodialysis treatment , then obturators 130 / 170 can be removed from conduits 110 / 150 , causing a wiping action between the obturators 130 / 170 and apertures 125 / 165 to remove clotting incident at the apertures 125 / 165 . appropriate hemodialysis equipment can then be connected to connectors 145 and 185 , thereby providing a fluid path for the patient &# 39 ; s blood to pass through lumens 120 and 150 of the conduits . during hemodialysis treatment , the sizing and placement of apertures 125 / 165 , as well as the removal of blood clots incident thereto , allow for a high blood flow rate through the catheter apparatus 100 . with particular regard to the wiping action between the obturators 130 / 170 and apertures 125 / 165 , the obturators may be formed to include a variable surface texture that enhances the wiping action . for example , the surface texture may be configured to include raised hair - like bristles . thus , as the obturators 130 / 170 are removed , the bristles may contact the apertures 125 / 165 and jostle loose any clotting incident at the apertures 125 / 165 . the surface texture may be formed in a variety of manufacturing processes and is not limited to bristles , but may include other shapes and types of surface textures . in particular , the surface texture should be designed and configured to provide sufficient frictional contact with the apertures 125 / 165 in order to provide proper removal of clotting . further , the surface texture may be formed continuously along the length of the obturators 130 / 170 or selectively along the lengths thereof , such as one or more rings , a helical pattern , etc . thus , upon removing the obturators 130 / 170 , the surface texture of the obturators 130 / 170 may further facilitate wiping action between the obturators 130 / 170 and the apertures 125 / 165 to remove clotting incident at the apertures 125 / 165 . in addition to removing the obturators 130 / 170 with a single extraction stroke , the obturators 125 / 165 may be selectively moved axially back and forth or rotated past the apertures 125 / 165 in order to enhance the removal of clotting from the apertures 125 / 165 . after hemodialysis treatment is finished , a new set of sterile obturators 130 / 170 can be inserted into the respective ones of the conduits 110 and 150 and secured to connectors 145 and 185 through locking members 148 and 149 . in this regard , it will be appreciated that obturators 130 / 170 can be implemented as sterile , disposable items that are replaced after each hemodialysis treatment . while inserted , the presence of the obturators 130 / 170 in the conduits 110 / 150 prevents the accumulation of blood clots within the lumens 120 / 150 as well as on apertures 125 / 165 and open distal ends 114 / 154 of the conduits 110 / 150 between successive hemodialysis treatments . when it is desired to commence hemodialysis treatment again , the new obturators 130 / 170 can be removed in the manner previously discussed . it will be appreciated that various aspects of the present disclosure provide significant advantages over prior approaches to hemodialysis catheters . the use of obturators 130 / 170 to reduce blood clotting removes the need for costly repetitive applications of heparin to the catheter apparatus 100 before or after hemodialysis treatment . in addition , the reduced blood clotting at the apertures 125 / 165 allows for the apertures to be sized with large cross - sectional areas , thereby improving blood flow rates through the apparatus 100 . the foregoing disclosure is not intended to limit the present disclosure to the precise forms or particular fields of use disclosed . it is contemplated that various alternate embodiments and / or modifications to the present disclosure , whether explicitly described or implied herein , are possible in light of the disclosure . where applicable , the ordering of various steps described herein can be changed , combined into composite steps , and / or dissected into sub - steps to provide features described herein . | 0 |
hereinafter , the preferred embodiment of a high - purity standard particles production apparatus according to the present invention is described in details with reference to fig1 through 6 . fig1 shows one example of the whole structure of the high - purity standard particles production apparatus according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention , which apparatus comprises a particles generation chamber 101 to generate fine particles , a particles classification chamber 102 to classify the fine particle as generated according to the diameter thereof , a standard particles heating section 103 to heat the fine particles as classified and a particles collecting chamber 104 to collect the high - purity standard particles as heated . here , the basic structure of the particles generation chamber 101 is shown in fig2 . fig2 is a sectional view of the generation chamber 101 to show the basic structure thereof . as shown in the drawing , the particles generation chamber 101 comprises a gas introduction system to introduce a carrier gas 202 , e . g . a helium gas with the purity of 99 . 9999 % into a high - purity particles generation chamber 101 through a gas ejection outlet disposed in ring shape at the constant mass flow rate of qa , e . g . at the rate of 1 . 0 l / min via a gas refining means 211 and a mass flow controller 201 , a target 207 , e . g . the target made from tantalum ( ta ) with the purity of 99 . 5 % and the diameter of 50 mm and the thickness of 5 mm that is fixed on a target holder 206 provided with a rotational mechanism , which target is excited by a pulse laser beam 205 , e . g . q - switch nd : yag laser to generate the secondary higher harmonic with the wavelength of 532 nm , the pulse width of 7 ns and the pulse energy of 0 . 5 j , which laser beam is condensed at a condenser 203 disposed at the angle of 45 degrees with regard to the carriage course of the high - purity particles and is introduced into a particles generation chamber 101 through a laser beam introduction window 204 , a particles intake pipe 209 disposed in the same growth direction as the carriage course of the high - purity particles of an ablation plume 208 that is excited with the energy density of 177 j / cm 2 by the pulse laser beam 205 and a super - high vacuum exacuation system 210 essentially consisting of a turbopump that evacuates the particles generation chamber 101 prior to the production of the high - purity particles so as to put the chamber 101 under the super - high vacuum condition of lower than 1 × 10 − 9 torr . according to this arrangement , the high - purity particles are generated by laser ablation in an ambient gas . then , the basic structure of the particles classification chamber 102 is shown in fig3 . fig3 is a partly sectional side view of the classification chamber 102 to show the basic structure thereof . as shown in the drawing , the particles classification chamber 102 comprises a charge chamber 301 to charge univalent by use of a radioactive isotope , e . g . americium ( am ), the high - purity particles generated at the particles generation chamber 101 and carried at the mass flow rate of qa , a particles inflow pipe 302 that is disposed linearly from the particles generation chamber 101 towards the particles collecting chamber 104 , which pipe is equidistantly separated into four divisions , for instance , a differential mobility analyzer 303 of a double cylindrical structure into which the charged high - purity particles are flowed from the particles inflow pipe 302 and that classifies the particles into the diameters as required , a mass flow controller 305 to introduce a sheath gas 304 , e . g . a helium gas with the purity of 99 . 9999 %, which gas is intended for causing a flow at the constant mass flow rate of qc , e . g . at the rate of 5 . 0 l / min inside the differential mobility analyzer 303 , into the same analyzer 303 , a direct current power source 306 to form an electrostatic field between the double cylinders thereof and a sheath gas evacuate system 308 to evacuate the sheath gas at the constant mass flow rate of qc by means of a helical pump and as such through a high conductance evacuate pipe , which gas is controlled by a mass flow meter 307 disposed upstream to the pump . this arrangement allows the high - purity particles generated at the particles generation chamber 101 to be classified into the diameters as required . here , the high - purity particles may be charged by such vacuum ultraviolet light source as ar 2 excimer lamp with the wavelength of 126 nm or be charged by both a radioactive isotope and a vacuum ultraviolet light source . in addition , it is arranged that only one differential mobility analyzer is exemplified , a series of which analyzers may be disposed for further narrowing the distribution width of the particles diameters . further , the impurities contained in the sheath gas may be removed by 0 . 5 ppb or below so as to abate the contamination of the particles by setting up a gas refining means to the upstream of the mass flow controller 305 . moreover , the basic structure of the particles collecting chamber 104 is shown in fig4 and 5 . fig4 is a sectional view of the collecting chamber 104 to show the basic structure thereof while fig5 is a sectional view to show the arrangement thereof in the neiborhood of its substrate . as shown in the drawings , the particles collecting chamber 104 comprises a nozzle 402 , into which the carrier gas containing the high - purity standard particles as classified into the sole diameter at the particles classification chamber 102 through the generation chamber 101 is flowed and from an orifice 401 of which with the diameter of e . g . 4 mm the gas is emitted , which orifice is provided at the tip end of the nozzle , a collecting substrate 404 to collect the high - purity particles , which substrate is fixed onto a substrate holder 403 , a super - high vacuum evacuation system 405 essentially consisting of a turbopump that evacuates the collecting chamber 104 prior to the production of the high - purity standard particles to put the same chamber into the super - high vacuum condition of lower than 1 × 10 − 9 torr , a gas evacuation system 406 essentially consisting of a helical pump to perform the differential evacuation of the carrier gas such that the particles generation chamber 101 is kept under the constant pressure of e . g . 10 torr , a fine current measuring terminal 409 to collect the high - purity particles charged univalent so as to measure the concentration of the particles as collected as a current and an ammeter 410 to display the fine current as measured , wherein the high - purity standard particles are collected onto the substrate 404 . here , the production of the high - purity standard particles of the sole diameter and uniform structure is described below with reference to fig2 through 6 . first , prior to the production thereof , in order to prevent the particles from being contaminated and damaged , a valve 309 as shown in fig3 is closed and the particles generation chamber 101 is evacuated by the super - high vacuum evacuation system 210 as shown in fig2 which system essentially consists of a turbopump so as to put the same chamber into the super - high vacuum condition of lower than 1 × 10 − 9 torr , after which the system 210 is closed . at the same time , the particles classification chamber 102 and the particles collecting chamber 104 are evacuated by the super - high vacuum evacuation system 405 essentially consisting of a turbopump as shown in fig4 so as to put the same chamber into the super - high vacuum condition of lower than 1 × 10 − 9 torr , after which the system 405 is closed . then , the carrier gas 202 , the concentration of the impurities of which gas is lowered by 0 . 5 ppb or below through the gas refining means 211 , is introduced into the particles generation chamber 101 at the mass flow rate of qa or 0 . 5 l / min in this embodiment by means of the mass flow controller 201 as shown in fig2 . then , the valves 310 and 311 are opened , and the gas evacuation system 406 essentially consisting of a helical pump is controlled on the basis of the pressure applied in the particles generation chamber 101 , which pump performs the differential evacuation of the carrier gas , so as to keep the chamber 101 at the constant pressure of p 1 , e . g . 10 torr . here , the surface of the target 207 is excited by the pulse laser beam 205 that is condensed as shown in fig2 so as to cause ablation reaction thereon , which allows natural oxide formed on the surface thereof and such impurities as metallic or carbon compounds attached thereon to be completely removed , after which the system 406 is closed . at this moment , the oscillation of the pulse laser beam 205 comes to a halt . as described above , the removal of the natural oxide formed on the surface of the target 207 and the impurities attached thereon prevents them from being mixed into the high - purity particles in production stage . then , the adjustment of the mass flow controller 201 permits the carrier gas 202 , the concentration of the impurities of which gas is lowered by 0 . 5 ppb or below through the gas refining means 211 , to be introduced into the particles generation chamber 101 at the constant mass flow rate of qa or at the rate of 1 . 0 l / min under normal condition . at the same time , the sheath gas 304 or a high - purity rare gas , e . g . a helium gas with the purity of 99 . 9999 % is introduced into the differential mobility analyzer 303 at the mass flow rate of 5 . 0 l / min under normal condition by means of the mass flow controller 305 as shown in fig3 . here , the gas evacuation system 406 essentially consisting of a helical pump is opened for the differential evacuation of the carrier gas such that the inside of the high - purity particles generation chamber 101 is kept under the constant pressure of p 1 , e . g . 10 torr . simultaneously , the sheath gas evacuation system 308 essentially consisting of a helical pump provided in the particles classification chamber 102 is opened , and the system 308 is controlled on the basis of the indication value of the mass flow meter 307 so that the value becomes 5 . 0 l / min so as to evacuate the sheath gas at the constant mass flow rate of qc . the pressure loss of a conductance variable valve provided in the orifice 401 and the gas evacuation system 406 allows the inside of the particles collecting chamber 104 to be kept under the constant pressure of p 2 , e . g . 1 . 0 torr . the sheath and carrier gases evacuation as mentioned above permits the internal pressure p 1 of the generation chamber 101 , that p 2 of the collecting chamber and the mass flow rate qc of the evacuated sheath gas to be precisely controlled . further , the alteration of the aperture in diameter of the orifice 401 to 2 mm allows the difference between the internal pressures pn of the nozzle 402 and p 2 to enlarge such that the pn amounts to 7 . 4 torr while the p 2 amounts to 0 . 1 torr . then , the introduction of the pulse laser beam 205 into the particles generation chamber 101 follows the oscillation thereof . at this moment , the materials excited by the pulse laser beam 205 so as to be desorbed and ejected from the target 207 under ablation reaction dissipate away their kinetic energy to the molecules of the ambient gas so as to promote the aerial condensation and growth thereof , with the result that they grow into several tens to decimal nanometer - sized high - purity particles . after the particles generation chamber is evacuated under super - high vacuum condition as described above , the high - purity gas , the concentration of the impurities in which gas is lowered by 0 . 5 ppb or below , is introduced into the generation chamber and kept at the constant pressure of p 1 under precise control , which allows nanometer - sized particles to cohere and grow while keeping their high purity intact . then , the local excitation with higher energy by the pulse laser beam of short pulse width permits even such high melting point metal as tantalum ( ta ) with the fusing point of 2172 degrees centigrade and such materials as palladium ( pd ) and platinum ( pt ) that are prone to form an alloy with an evaporating pot made from e . g . tungsten ( w ) by means of an ordinary evaporating method to be generated into nanometer - sized high - purity particles by laser ablation within the ambient gas . subsequently , the high - purity particles generated at the particles generation chamber 101 together with the carrier gas supplied at the constant mass flow rate of qa are carried into a charge chamber 301 , at which chamber the particles are charged univalent by the α rays of the radioactive isotope americium ( am ). the high - purity particles charged univalent in the charge chamber 301 flow into the differential mobility analyzer 303 through the particles inflow pipe 302 , which pipe is equidistantly separated into four divisions , which divisions are disposed with 90 degrees apart from each other . the high - purity particles flowed into the differential mobility analyzer 303 of double cylindrical structure are classified into the sole diameter as required , e . g . 3 . 0 nm by the electrostatic field between the double cylinders , which field is formed by the direct current power source 306 charged with the voltage of e . g . − 21 . 5 v . controlling the mass inflow rate of the carrier and sheath gases to be introduced as mentioned above and the mass outflow rate thereof such that those rates become equal permits the classification precision of the differential mobility analyzer 303 to approach to a theoretical value . because the high - purity standard particle of a comparatively large diameter , e . g . of 20 nm happen to be a cohesion mass 504 of the particles of smaller diameter , e . g . of 5 nm or below so that it is not necessarily of spherical uniform structure , it can be reshaped into a spherical particle 505 by irradiating to it infrared rays 502 radiated from a source 501 at a standard particles heating section 103 as shown in fig6 through a synthetic quartz window 503 so as to subject it to heating treatment under the temperature of 1000 degrees centigrade or above . then , the high - purity standard particles as classified in the differential mobility analyzer 303 together with the carrier gas are carried through the nozzle 402 into the particles collecting chamber 104 and emitted from the orifice 401 so as to be collected onto the substrate 404 . here , the high - purity standard particles as classified and charged univalent immediately before being collected onto the substrate are collected at the fine current measuring terminal 409 and the transfer of electrons carried out upon the collection thereof is measured as an electric current by the ammeter 410 , which allows the amount of the collected high - purity particles per unit time , e . g . circa 8 × 10 4 particles / cm 3 at 20 pa to be confirmed , which in turn controlling the collecting time thereof permits the number of the collected particles to be estimated . again , the alteration of the aperture in diameter of the orifice 401 to 2 mm so as to enlarge the difference between the internal pressure pn of the nozzle 402 and that p 2 of the collecting chamber where pn amounts to 7 . 4 torr while p 2 amounts to 0 . 1 torr allows the emitting speed of the carrier gas to the collecting chamber to increase as well as the mobility of the particles at the downstream of the nozzle to increase according to the lowering of the pressure p 2 , which improves the efficiency of collecting the standard particles onto the substrate by virtue of inertial force inherent in themselves . in addition , the application of a bias voltage , e . g . 100 v onto the substrate 404 by means of the direct current power source 407 and the refrigeration , e . g . at − 100 degrees centigrade of the substrate , 404 with the introduction of liquefied nitrogen into a chamber 408 allow the efficiency of collecting the standard particles to further improve . as described above , nanometer - sized high - purity standard particles of wide selectivity in material and monodispersive uniform structure are efficiently produced with the abatement of contamination and damage thereon by means of the high - purity standard particles production apparatus according to the present invention , which apparatus comprises a particles generation chamber to generate high - purity particles by laser ablation in an ambient gas , a particles classification chamber to classify high - purity standard particles of a diameter as required from the high - purity particles as generated in the generation chamber and a particles collecting chamber to collect the high - purity standard particles as classified . the present invention is disclosed with the above preferred embodiment as shown in the accompanying drawings , but it should be appreciated that it can be modified or altered into various manners within the scope and spirits of the accompanying | 2 |
one embodiment of the present invention provides a method of treatment for one or more tissue in an individual , comprising positioning an alternating magnetic field in proximity of the tissue , inducing heat therein , and thereby effecting treatment . the invention consists of a source of radiofrequency ( rf ) electrical energy , normally a radiofrequency generator such as sold by comdel , inc . ( e . g . cv1000 or cv500 , 40 . 68 mhz ; gloucester , mass .). the electrical output of the generator is coupled to an applicator consisting of an inductor in the form of a coil ( for the generation of a magnetic field ), which is further part of an impedance matching network that may additionally comprise a capacitor . in some cases applicator may include an antenna ( for the production of an electrical field ). the source of energy used may be a constant current or a constant voltage power supply or may be a modulated current or a modulated voltage power supply . the power - supply is able to produce radiofrequency energy with a power in the range 10 - 10 , 000 w and , depending on the application , may be more preferably in the range of about 100 to about 1000 w . the power - supply may typically operate at frequencies of 100 khz to 2 . 4 ghz . preferably the frequency range is about 100 khz to about 5 . 8 ghz and , more preferably , the frequency range is at or near , or between 415 khz to 4 mhz , 13 . 56 mhz , 27 . 12 mhz , 40 . 68 , 67 . 8 mhz , 95 mhz , 433 . 92 , 915 mhz , 2 . 4 ghz . the power - supply may optionally be one used in electrosurgery . beneficially , the radiofrequency generator should be frequency - agile ; that is , as the impedance of the load changes somewhat , the frequency output of the radiofrequency generator changes slightly to provide a better impedance match between the load and generator and so to maintain the output power within a controllable tolerance . fig1 is a sectional view of an applicator used to produce a magnetic field . a center copper tube 2220 , which serves to conduct the radiofrequency electricity but also as an input for refrigerant , is surrounded by a teflon ® cylinder 2240 . endcaps 2230 and 2270 serve to position and hold the copper tube within the teflon ® cylinder . the center copper tube 2220 is formed at the distal end of the applicator into a coil , 2280 , which then is fixed parallel 2320 with the center copper tube and directed to an exit 2210 out of the applicator ; the coolant is directed out through exit 2210 . in order to provide impedance matching between the radiofrequency generator and applicator , a ceramic insulator 2310 is positioned around the teflon ® cylinder 2240 . the ceramic insulator has two capacitor rings , 2330 and 2260 , made up of copper pipe . the pipe 2320 is in electrical contact with the capacitor rings . by adjusting the spacing 2250 between the two capacitor rings , the impedance match between the radiofrequency generator and applicator can be effected . the applicator is encased in a copper cylinder 2450 attached to the ground shield of the coaxial wire in order to shield any stray radiated radiofrequency . fig2 shows a view of one design for a hand piece 3300 , which is made of an electrically non - conductive material such as plastic , which surrounds the applicator . the main housing 3500 is optionally attached to a disposable shield 3350 , which serves to maintain cleanliness of the part of the handpiece which comes into contact with the skin 4300 . optionally , the handpiece incorporates a coolant ( for example , r - 134a ) contained in a housing 3520 and directed through a solenoid and pipe 3560 to an exit nozzle 3600 . this coolant can be controllable directed to the treated tissue before , during and / or after the treatment in order to limit the heating of the very superficial skin . fig3 shows a view of an endplate 3550 on the distal end of the hand piece housing 3500 . the endplate is in intimate thermal contact with the coil 2280 , which has circulating refrigerant within , and so the endplate is cooled . this coolant may optionally be supplied from a circulating chiller utilizing water and antifreeze . alternatively , gas such as air , nitrogen , freon , r - 12 , r - 134a , and carbon dioxide could serve the purpose of cooling . keeping in mind that the disposable shield 3350 is very thin and / or is highly thermally conductive , it serves to cool the skin before , during and / or after the treatment in order to limit the heating of the very superficial skin and increase comfort for the subject . fig3 also shows an optional faraday shield 3450 , which is a conductive element intended to reduce capacitive coupling of coil to the subject , and so to minimize any stray electric field . note that the cooling endplate may be in intimate contact with the coil in order to provide optimal thermal conduction . this may be accomplished by molding or by forming the plate around the coil . as shown in fig2 , cooling of the skin may be realized by spraying the skin with a coolant before , during or after treatment . fig4 shows a partial view of an applicator incorporating a two - turn solenoid coil 4150 , the bore of which surround tissue 4260 which extrudes from the skin 4300 up into the bore as a result of negative pneumatic pressure within the housing 3500 . as the magnetic field within the turns of a solenoid is very much stronger than the field outside of a pancake coil , and the geometry of the tissue within the bore is different than illustrated in fig2 , the power required to obtain an effect is reduced and the effect on tissue can be more beneficial . in some aspects of this embodiment , the treatment may be inductive , or conductively or radiatively applied in combination with the use of an alternating magnetic field . additionally , the energy may be pulsed in order to improve the thermal kinetics of the tissue heating . examples of applied energy are radiofrequency energy , radiant energy , or vibrational energy . the radiofrequency energy may have a frequency from about 20 khz to about 40 ghz , and may be applied using coils , electrodes or one or more antennae . the radiant energy may have a wavelength from about 600 nm to 11 m . the vibrational energy may be sonic or ultrasonic with a frequency from about 20 hz to 80 mhz . in the case of inductive heating , the energy may not be incident on the target , but may be induced in the target to be converted from one form to another . in certain aspects , combined devices , using induction plus an energy source ( e . g . laser or ultrasound ) may enhance the effects or be used to combine certain treatments . because the interaction of laser energy and ultrasound waves with tissue is physically different than the present invention , it is anticipated that a different effect can be elicited . an applicator of radiant energy may consist of an optical assembly , which focuses the radiant energy on the relevant target or below the target surface , to get a sub - surface effect sparing the superior surface . a pressure - wave applicator may consist of a focused ultrasound transducer , which is coupled to the target tissue with an acoustic impedance matching material , such as gelatin , mineral oil or glycerin . in its preferred embodiment ( fig1 ), where a magnetic field is produced , the heating effect in tissue tends to change the electrical properties of the tissue . as the tissue alters the electrical impedance that the radiofrequency generator sees , it is possible to use this change to monitor the heating process . for example , as the impedance of the skin changes , the impedance mismatch between the radiofrequency generator and the tissue / applicator increases and so the power reflected back into the radiofrequency generator increases . it is this increase in power that can be used as a signal to eventually halt the application of energy . alternatively , the change in tissue can be detected using ultrasound or by detecting changes in eddy current formation . as the tissue treatment process is initiated , the applicator ( fig1 ) and most notably the coil 2280 , endplate ( fig3 , 3550 ), and tissue heat up ; when the radiofrequency energy ceases , they cool down . such temperature changes can easily be monitored by devices such as thermocouples or thermistors . as such devices can behave erratically in the presence of strong electromagnetic fields , devices such as infrared thermometers may be more suitable to monitor the temperatures . transducers monitoring the temperature and power output of the radiofrequency generator , the reflected power into the generator , the presence of water flow into the applicator ( and generator , if it is required ), and the presence of a short - circuit anywhere ( indicted by a rapid rise in current in the generator and / or applicator , are an important safety feature in the present invention . other optional safety interlocks include mechanical or electrical transducers between the disposable shield ( fig3 , 3350 ) and the housing of the hand piece ; if a shield is not present , the rf generator would not engage . encoding of the interlock in the shield would ensure that a particular shield is only used on a particular patient . thermal switches are incorporated within the device to shut it down if overheating occurs . fast breakers quickly cut off the output if a power - output transient occurs . multiple interlocks are incorporated within the device , which prevents running the device with the cover removed . a foot pedal optionally is incorporated in order to minimize the possibility of unintentional activation of the device . the induced magnetic field may also be actuated upon detection of a load . a relatively small current may be applied to the device while the device is not in proximity to a tissue target . as the device becomes proximal to the target , the change in impedance is detectable , and this may be used as a signal to increase power to the device . this safety feature minimizes the exposure of the handpiece components to significant power load when the device is not applied to tissue , thus potentially reducing wear of the device . the device may be used to induce changes in tissue by applying alternating magnetic fields to the tissue such that currents are induced within the tissue ( eddy currents ). these currents encounter resistance and the result is the generation of heat . these eddy currents form most efficiently where there is a moist , polar environment , thus enabling electron displacement or ion flow within the target . thus , for example , in skin , the generation of eddy currents in the moist underlying dermis is favored over the superficial dehydrated epidermis and stratum corneum layers , and the underlying , more non - polar adipose layer . this results in preferable heating of conductive tissues over non - or weakly - conductive tissues . variations in cooling of the skin surface may be achieved by increasing the volume of coolant to the device , or surface of the skin . these variations may be optimized to provide additional protection of the tissue proximal to the device from the effects of heating . a scaffold or lattice structure may be placed within tissues to provide support . the structure may be fixed or fused in place using methods described herein . for example , localizing a scaffold made of polylactic acid , or a similar polymer in proximity to fat layers found in or under skin could prove beneficial in the treatment of cellulite fat . cellulite produces an unattractive profile on the surface of skin due to the fat being squeezed between tissue structures resulting in upwelling of “ fingers ” of fat , which then distend the skin surface . cellulite &# 39 ; s cause is unclear , although it may result from fatty distension of the superficial fascia , which connects the dermis to the deep fascia . attachment points to the dermis may be patent while surrounding areas lose structure and bulge , producing the “ cobblestone ” appearance on the surface of the skin . by increasing the number of attachment points , or by fixing a mesh - like substrate in place to minimize bulge , or by heating the fat to achieve melting and flowing into the scaffold , cosmesis may conceivably be improved . the devices and methods described herein may be used to heat and melt fat layers . another embodiment of the present invention allows for treatment of acne , hair removal or treatment of varicose veins . it has been determined that the production of a critical amount of heat in tissue can lead to a cascade of events that results in a therapeutic effect . acne can be treated by causing thermal damage in the affected skin , and hair removal can result from thermal damage to the hair follicles . the exact biologic mechanism behind these treatments is unclear , but tissue tightening may play a role . alternatively , sublethal damage to the hair follicles can actually result in stimulating hair growth . sublethal damage leads to a cascade of wound - response events such as the production of cytokines , interleukins and heat - shock proteins . these endogenous events can be beneficial and probably underly the salient events in , for example , stimulating hair - growth . in any case , the instant invention can induce all of these events . treatment of skin wrinkles can sometimes employ botulism toxin , whereupon an injection of toxin in or around the nerves associated with the wrinkle temporarily relax the muscle leading to reduction in the appearance of the wrinkle . recently , electrosurgical ablation of the nerve has been shown to result in a good cosmetic effect and may benefit from being permanent . the problem with electrosurgical ablation of the nerves are the same as the problems associated with electrosurgical generators in other procedures . the present invention provides a means with which to ablate the nerve in a non - contact mode . coagulation is a very important technique in surgery as it provides a means to kill tissue without dissection , thus eliminating potentially toxic smoke and char , and by not removing tissue , allowing for mechanical integrity to be maintained for a period of time . standard electrosurgical and electrocautery devices usually produce smoke when used to coagulate tissue ( smoke is a potential source of carcinogens or viruses ), and dry tissue tends to stick to the electrosurgical electrode which then results in re - bleeding when the electrode is removed from the treatment site . a non - contact way of coagulating tissue , using the instant invention , would be or paramount importance in surgery . the instant invention exhibits the benefit and when the tissue is heated and dessicates , coupling between the magnetic field and tissue decreases thus limiting the heating and eliminating the possibility of smoke or charring . as described below , the invention provides a number of therapeutic advantages and uses , but such advantages and uses are not limited by such description . embodiments of the present invention are better illustrated with reference to the fig1 - 10 , however , such reference is not meant to limit the present invention in any fashion . the embodiments and variations described in detail herein are to be interpreted by the appended claims and equivalents thereof . the following examples are given for the purpose of illustrating various embodiments of the invention and are not meant to limit the present invention in any fashion . the pancake coil is made from 3 . 5 turns of 0 . 125 ″ od copper refrigeration tubing and has a diameter of 1 . 4 ″. the coil must be hollow tubing to allow water or other cooling fluid to flow through it and dissipate the ˜ 500 w of heat generated . the main capacitor ( fig1 , 2260 ) has a value of ˜ 70 pf which resonates with the coil at 40 . 68 mhz ( fig5 ). earlier prototypes were made with a teflon ® dielectric ( er = 2 . 2 ), but the size of the capacitor became too unwieldy to use in a handheld device . capacitance can be calculated using the formula for a cylindrical capacitor : c =( 2 * p * er * ev )/( in ( b / a )), where , c = capacitance in pf per unit length , er = dielectric constant ( 9 . 8 ), ev = permittivity of free space = 8 . 85e − 12 f / m , b = outer diameter , a = inner diameter the length of the capacitor is inversely proportional to the er of the dielectric used , so alumina was chosen for its high er and its other desirable properties : good thermal conductivity — 30 w / m * k ; high dielectric strength — 220 acv / mil ; high dielectric constant — 9 . 8 ; available in tube form at low cost ; dimensions compatible with available copper pipe sizes . the particular alumina tube used is 3 . 5 ″ long , 0 . 625 ″ od , 0 . 500 ″ id , 99 . 8 % alumina ( coorstek part # 65677 ). the inner and outer “ plates ” of the cylindrical capacitor are copper pipes that fit closely to the inner and outer diameters of the alumina tube . it is critical that the copper tubes fit the alumina as closely as possible , as any air gaps will act as low value series capacitors and offset the advantage of the high er material . since it is impossible to completely eliminate the air gaps , the entire capacitor assembly is potted in silicone with a er of 2 . 7 to regain some of the capacitance lost by the gaps , and also to help prevent the high voltage rf arcs which are bound to occur at these high voltages . the silicone , through vacuum encapsulation , completely surrounds all high voltage points on the device . the tuning capacitor ( fig1 , 2330 ), is formed in the same way as the main capacitor , although much smaller in value and size . shielding was found to be an important part of the design to reduce circuit detuning caused by the operator &# 39 ; s hand , as well as reduce stray radiation from the connecting coax and radiofrequency generator . the shield encloses all the internal workings of the device , and is made from 1 ″ copper pipe and an end cap . the shield also serves as a liquid tight container to hold the silicone ( momentive rtv615 ) during the vacuum encapsulation process . water - cooling is used to effectively cool both the coil and the coaxial capacitor assembly . water flows in series through the center capacitor pipe , then the coil , and back through the copper tubing soldered to the outer capacitor pipe . at a power level of 500 w and 0 . 75 liters / min flow , the water temperature rise is about 9 ° c . a resonant circuit was the topology chosen to maximize the current in the coil because this type of circuit has the property that the circulating current is approximately q times the applied current , and the q of this circuit is about 60 . the primary goals of the circuit are to maximize the current in the coil as well as provide a good impedance match to the 50 ohm rf generator driving it . the alumina tube is cut to length using a wet cutting diamond saw . the inner pipe is then prepared by turning it down on a lathe to a size that just slides into the ceramic without forcing it . copper disks and short lengths of 0 . 125 ″ copper tubing are soldered into the ends of the pipe , one going to the flexible silicone water tubing , and the other to the pancake coil . a small batch of rtv615 is mixed up and de - aired in a vacuum chamber using a welch 1400 vacuum pump . the mixture is considered de - aired after it foams up and then recedes (˜ 30 minutes ). about 1 ml of the rtv615 is poured into one end of the vertically held inner pipe / ceramic assembly and cured at 100 deg c . for one hour , forming a silicone “ plug ” in that end to prevent the liquid rtv615 from running out during the next step . after cooling , the assembly is inverted and more rtv615 is poured into the other end and allowed to sink in and fill the gaps between the inner pipe and ceramic under vacuum . after sufficient time in the vacuum ( no more rising air bubbles visible ), the assembly is removed from the vacuum and again cured at 100 deg c . for one hour . adhesive backed copper foil tape is tightly wrapped on the outer diameter of the ceramic assembly over a distance slightly shorter than the outer capacitor pipe . the purpose of the tape is to get a tight fitting conductor around the ceramic with minimal air gaps . the tape is mechanically weak and not thick enough to adequately conduct the heat generated , so copper pipe couplers are then bored out to slide over the layer of copper tape , and will be soldered in place once the initial tuning is completed . the “ ring ” pipe is bored out to tightly fit the ceramic at this time as well . about 0 . 4 ″ of free ceramic is left on the end for high voltage insulation and spacing . next , the pancake coil is wound from the 0 . 125 ″ refrigeration tubing , and the short end of the tubing from the center is coupled and soldered to the tubing stub on the capacitor assembly . the other ( long / grounded ) end of the tubing is positioned parallel and against the outer pipe ( ground ), and is temporarily held in place with copper tape for tuning . a length of test coaxial cable from a network analyzer is temporarily soldered between ground and the ring . the outer pipe and ring are slid back and forth to obtain an impedance match at a frequency higher than the final operating frequency , knowing that the frequency will drop after encapsulation with silicone . once the correct position is found , the grounded tubing of the pancake coil is soldered along the outer pipe and the gap between the copper foil and outer pipe is flooded with solder . the silicone water tubing is now attached to the other stub of 0 . 125 ″ tube on the inner pipe with a bus wire “ hose clamp ” and the connection covered with heatshrink . the teflon ® sleeve is then slipped over this connection for high voltage insulation . at this point the 1 ″ copper shield pipe is positioned over the inner workings , with the grounded end of the coil &# 39 ; s copper tubing exiting the shield through a slot in the side . the flexible silicone water hose and coaxial cable are fed through holes in the pipe cap ; the coaxial braid is soldered to the inner wall of the shield , and the coax center conductor to the ring on the ceramic assembly . after pressing the pipe cap in place , and centering the ceramic assembly in the shield , the ground tubing is soldered to the shield and the slot filled with solder for a liquid tight seal . a final tuning check is made with a network analyzer with the shield in position , and any necessary pre - encapsulation adjustments are made . next , another (˜ 80 g ) batch of rtv615 is prepared and de - aired in the vacuum chamber as before . with the device held vertically and open at the top , the assembly is slowly filled with rtv615 and then vacuum pumped for about an hour to remove all air bubbles . the vacuum process is complete when air bubbles stop rising to the surface . the device is then removed from the vacuum and cured for 4 hours at 65 ° c . the longer , lower temperature curing cycle is used because it is below the coaxial cable &# 39 ; s maximum temperature rating . after curing and cooling , the second silicone water hose is attached to the copper ground tubing with a bus wire “ hose clamp ” and the connection covered with heat shrink . ovine and human tissue samples were cut into 2 cm × 2 cm sections and inductively treated using 400 w power generated from a an eni 6b power supply operating at 13 . 6 mhz . the coil was 2 cm in diameter and placed 2 mm from the tissue . exposure was for 20 - 30 seconds . samples of lung , artery , and skin demonstrated macroscopic shrinkage of approximately 5 - 20 % depending on length of exposure . skin and lung samples were placed in formalin and evaluated by thin section histology . examination of mason - trichome stained sections demonstrated that collagen fibrils were packed more closely together in the treated versus untreated sections . fig6 shows measurements taken at 27 mhz and 600 w . bovine muscle , bovine fat , ovine skin , and human blood were used for comparison . the tissues were cut to 2 × 2 × 5 cm samples . each sample was placed directly on the cap of the 27 mhz device and imaged from above with a raytek ir thermometer . the device was activated and the time to heat was recorded , ( n = 3 for each tissue type ). fig7 shows porcine fat , muscle and skin were used for comparison . the tissue samples were measured for thickness to ensure consistency between samples . the samples were between 1 . 5 - 2 . 0 mm in thickness . the samples were placed on the faceplate which is 4 mm thick pvc and imaged from above with a raytek ir thermometer . the device was turned on and the time for the sample to reach 70 ° c . was recorded . the ir thermometer is limited to recording the tissue surface opposite that which is in contact with the device . therefore , it is believe that the actual temperature of the tissue was greater than indicated on the graph . rat skin was treated with the magnetic field coil device at 40 mhz and 350 w power delivery . the device was held juxtaposed to the skin of anesthetized rats until visible shrinkage was evident without cooling ( treatment time tt = 24 seconds ), with cooling ( that is , with the refrigerant circulating through the coil and endplate , tt = 29 seconds ) and at tt = 27 seconds . a grid was drawn on the back of the animal prior to treatment and was photographed before and after treatment and post - treatment day one . the image was digitized and the grids were compared down to the pixel for acute shrinkage . the treatment site was biopsied on post - treatment day two for acute wound response and on post - treatment day 21 to ascertain collagen deposition . temperature of the epidermis was also measured following treatment . after treatment , the temperature of the surface of the skin was at or around 42 ° c . by measuring the distance between the gridlines on the skin , it was possible to determine that acute shrinkage of 5 % with cooling and 8 . 5 % without cooling occurred . after 1 day , the skin exhibited a sustained shrinkage of 2 . 5 % with cooling and an increase to 15 . 9 % without cooling . consistent results were obtained with guinea pig skin , which is known to better mimic human dermal tissue . treated guinea pig skin shrunk 10 . 9 % with cooling and 11 . 6 % without cooling immediately following treatment . the dorsa of four sprague - dawley rats were shaved , then the skin was inductively treated using 600 w power generated from a 27 . 2 mhz power supply . the two - turn pancake coil was 1 . 5 cm in diameter , and placed against the tissue using a 2 mm spacer composed of teflon ®. exposure was from 5 to 10 seconds and cooling of the coil was used . contraction of the tissue was noted after several seconds of treatment . biopsies were taken at 21 or 28 days , and histologically stained using eosin or mason trichome . biopised samples at each time point showed a thickening of the dermis as compared to untreated controls , ( fig8 ) as well as production of neo - collagen ( fig9 ). fig1 shows a model of the expected mode of action produced by this inductive heating using alternating magnetic field energy on the collagen within the treated tissues . any patents or publications mentioned in this specification are indicative of the levels of those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains . these patents and publications are herein incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each individual publication was specifically and individually incorporated by reference . one skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the present invention is well adapted to carry out the objects and obtain the ends and advantages mentioned , as well as those inherent therein . it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in practicing the present invention without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention . changes therein and other uses will occur to those skilled in the art which are encompassed within the spirit of the invention as defined by the scope of the claims . welch et al ., neodymium - yag laser in medicine , stephen n . joffe editor , 1983 . | 0 |
referring now in detail to the drawings , there is shown in fig1 a simplified block diagram of an improved output buffer circuit 110 which is constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention . the output buffer circuit 110 provides the capability of preconditioning the output signal at an output node by early driving the output signal slowly to a threshold point prior to the arrival of the actual data input signals for the output buffer . this is achieved by the use of precondition signals which can be generated in a number of ways such as from either a clock signal in synchronous components , or address transition detection signals in memory components , or any other signals which can be obtained earlier than the actual data input signals . preferably , these precondition signals are generated approximately 3 to 4 nanoseconds prior to the arrival of the actual data input signals for the output buffer . since the output signal is being slowly driven to the threshold point , then the ground bounce noise can be efficiently and effectively controlled . with the output signal at the output node being preconditioned at the threshold point , the output signal can then be triggered into the desired logic state with minimum propagation delay . as a result , the output buffer circuit of the present invention can be operated with a higher speed of operation and less ground bounce noise . the output buffer circuit 110 includes an output buffer stage 10 , a predriver circuit 12 , a tri - state control circuit 13 , a precondition feedback circuit 14 , and an output state retention circuit 15 . as can be seen from the detailed schematic circuit diagram of fig2 the output buffer stage 10 is formed of a large p - channel mos pull - up transistor pd and a large n - channel mos pull - down transistor nd . the pull - up transistor pd has its source connected to a positive supply potential or voltage vdd , which is about + 3 . 3 volts or lower in low voltage logic integrated circuits , and is typically at + 3 . 0 volts or lower . the pull - down transistor nd has its source connected to a ground potential vss , which is typically at 0 volts . the drains of the transistors pd and nd are connected together at an internal node a which is coupled to an output node iopad . the predriver circuit 12 receives data input or differential sense signals s1 and s1 on respective input terminals 16 and 18 , equalization signals eq and eq on respective input terminals 20 and 22 , and a power control signal sap on input terminal 24 and generates an output predriver signal ps on line 26 defining the output of the predriver circuit . the predriver circuit 12 includes a first p - channel drive transistor p2 and a second p - channel drive transistor p3 . the drive transistor p2 has its source connected to the supply potential vdd and its gate connected to receive the sense signal s1 . the drive transistor p3 has its source also connected to the supply potential vdd and its drain connected to the line 26 . the gate of the transistor p3 is connected to receive the sense signal s1 . a first n - channel load transistor n2 has its drain connected to the drain of the transistor p2 and its source connected to the ground potential vss . a second n - channel load transistor n3 has its drain connected to the drain of the transistor p3 and the line 26 and its source connected to the ground potential . the drive transistors p2 , p3 and the load transistors n2 , n3 are connected together so as to form a current mirror arrangement . the predriver circuit 12 also includes an n - channel power control transistor n4 , a first leaker transistor n5 , and a second leaker transistor n6 . the control transistor n4 has its drain connected to the drain of the transistor n2 and its source connected to the gate of the transistor n2 . the gate of the transistor n4 is connected to receive the power control signal sap . the leaker transistor n5 has its drain connected to the gate of the transistor n2 and its source connected to the ground potential . the second leaker transistor n6 has its drain connected to the drains of the transistors p2 and n2 and to the gate of the transistor n3 . the source of the transistor n6 is connected also to the ground potential . the gates of the transistors n5 and n6 are connected together and to the supply potential vdd . a first cmos transmission gate is formed by a p - channel mos transistor pq1 and an n - channel mos transistor nq1 . the conduction paths of the transistors pq1 and nq1 are joined between the input terminals 16 and 18 . the gate of the transistor nq1 is connected to receive the equalization signal eq , and the gate of the transistor pq1 is connected to receive the complementary equalization signal eq . the n - channel mos transistor nq1 may be omitted without significantly affecting the equalization function . the tri - state control circuit 13 receives enable signals de and de on respective input terminals 21 , 23 for switching the output buffer stage 10 between a high impedance state ( inactive ) or an active state . the control circuit 13 includes a second cmos transmission gate tg2 , a first switching transistor p4 , a third cmos transmission gate tg3 , and a second switching transistor n9 . the second transmission gate tg2 is formed of a p - channel mos transistor p5 and an n - channel mos transistor n7 , and the third transmission gate tg3 is formed of p - channel mos transistor p6 and an n - channel mos transistor n8 . when the enable signal de is at a low logic level and the complementary enable signal de is at a high logic level , the transmission gates tg2 and tg3 are both turned off and the transistors p4 and n9 are both turned on so as to turn off the respective pull - up transistor pd and the pull - down transistor nd of the output buffer stage 10 . thus , the output node iopad will be in the high impedance state . on the other hand , when the enable signal de is at the high logic level and the complementary enable signal de is at the low logic level , the transmission gates tg2 and tg3 will be both turned on and the transistors p4 and n9 will be turned off . as a result , the output predriver signal ps on the line 26 will be passed to the gate of the pull - up transistor pd on line 28 and to the gate of the pull - down transistor nd on line 30 . the precondition feedback circuit 14 is comprised of two series - connected cmos transmission gates tg4 and tg5 interconnected between the output node iopad and the line 26 from the output of the predriver circuit 12 . the transmission gate tg4 is formed of a p - channel mos transistor p7 and an n - channel mos transistor n10 whose sources are connected to the line 26 and whose drains are connected to the line 32 . the gate of the transistor n10 is connected to an input terminal 34 for receiving a pre - condition signal pc , and the gate of the transistor p7 is connected to an input terminal 36 for receiving a complementary precondition signal pc . the transmission gate tg5 is formed of a p - channel mos transistor p8 and an n - channel mos transistor n11 whose sources are connected to the line 32 and whose drains are coupled to the output node iopad via the internal node a . the gate of the transistor n11 is coupled to the input terminal 21 for receiving the enable signal de , and the gate of the transistor p8 is coupled to the terminal 23 for receiving the complementary enable signal de . the transmission gate tg5 is disabled or turned off by the enable signals when the output stage 10 is in the high impedance state . the output state retention circuit receives the pre - condition signals pc and pc on its respective input terminals 38 and 40 , and receives the output predriver signal ps from the line 26 on its input line 42 . the retention circuit 15 provides a first retention signal on line 44 which is coupled to the gate of the pull - up transistor pd and a second retention signal on line 46 which is coupled to the gate of the pull - down transistor nd . the retention circuit serves to retain the previous state of the output buffer stage 10 until the arrival of the actual data input signals . the retention circuit 15 includes a sixth cmos transmission gate tg6 , a latch 47 , and four pass transistors p12 , p13 , n15 , and n16 . the transmission gate tg6 is formed of a p - channel mos transistor p11 and an n - channel mos transistor n14 whose sources are connected to the line 26 from the predriver circuit 12 and whose drains are connected to a node b defining the input of the latch 47 . the gate of the transistor p11 is connected to the input terminal 38 for receiving the precondition signal pc , and the gate of the transistor n14 is connected to the input terminal 40 for receiving the complementary precondition signal pc . when the precondition signal pc is high and the complementary precondition signal pc is low , the transmission gate tg6 is turned off ( precondition is enabled ). when the precondition signal pc is low and the complementary precondition signal pc is high , the transmission gate tg6 is turned on ( precondition is disabled ). the latch 47 is formed of two inverters i1 and i2 . the inverter i1 is formed by a p - channel mos transistor p10 and an n - channel mos transistor n13 whose gates are connected together and to the node b and whose drains are connected together and to a node c defining the output of the latch . the inverter i2 is formed by a p - channel mos transistor p9 and an n - channel mos transistor n12 whose gates are connected together and to the node c and whose drains are connected together and to the node b . the sources of the transistors p10 and p9 are connected to the supply potential vdd , and the sources of the transistors n13 and n12 are connected the ground potential . the pass transistor p12 has its source connected to the supply potential vdd and its drain connected to the source of the pass transistor p13 . the drain of the transistor p13 is connected to the line 44 . the gate of the transistor p12 is connected to the output of the latch at the node c , and the gate of the transistor p13 is connected to the terminal 40 for receiving the complementary precondition signal pc . the pass transistor n15 has its drain connected to the drain of the transistor n16 . the source of the transistor n16 is connected to the line 46 . the gate of the transistor n15 is also connected to the node c , and the gate of the transistor n16 is connected to the terminal 38 for receiving the precondition signal pc . when the precondition is disabled , the transistors p13 and n16 are rendered non - conductive and thus the retention circuit is also disabled . however , since the transmission gate tg6 will be on at this time the output predriver signal ps on the line 26 is passed into the latch 47 and stored therein . when the precondition is enabled , the transmission gate tg6 will be turned off and the transistors p13 and p16 will be both turned on and the previously stored signal in the latch will be passed through either the series transistors p12 and p13 or the series transistors n15 and n16 . if the previously stored signal was at a low logic level , then it will be passed to the gate of the pull - up transistor pd via the transistors p12 and p13 and the line 44 . if the previously stored signal was at a high logic level , then it will be passed to the gate of the pull - down transistor nd through the transistors n15 and n16 and the line 46 . fig3 ( a ) shows the waveform of the data input or differential sense signal s1 and s1 which are from sense amplifiers ( not shown ) and are the actual input signals for the output buffer circuit . it can be seen that these sense signals occur at time t3 . fig3 ( b ) shows the waveforms of precondition signals pc and pc which are generated at time t2 , which is approximately 3 to 4 nanoseconds prior to the arrival of the input signals s1 and s1 at the time t3 . the equalization signals eq and eq are shown in fig3 ( c ) which are also enabled at the time t2 and are disabled at the time t3 . the power control signal sap is illustrated in fig3 ( d ) and is generated at time t1 which is before the arrival of the input signals at the time t3 . the time t1 is preferably made to occur before or about the same time as the precondition signals arrive at the time t2 so that the predriver circuit is fully powered up during the precondition and the signal amplification period . after the arrival of the input signals s1 and s1 at the time t3 , the equalization signals eq and eq are disabled so as to allow the input predriver to start amplifying the input signals . it will be noted that after the arrival of the actual input signals s1 and s1 at the time t3 the precondition signals pc and pc are also disabled at the time t4 . further , it can be seen that the power control signal goes low at time t5 after the actual input signals have been sent to the output buffer circuit . in this manner , the predriver circuit 12 is switched from a fully powered differential amplifier to a low powered amplifier in order to reduce power consumption . in order to provide an understanding of the operation of the output buffer circuit 110 of fig2 of the present invention , the pull - down action will now be explained with reference to fig4 and 3 ( a )- 3 ( d ). initially , it will be assumed that the output predriver signal ps on the line 26 is at a low or logic &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; level and that the enable signal de is high and the complementary enable signal de is low . further , it will be assumed that the pull - up transistor pd is turned on and that the pull - down transistor nd is turned off so that the output node iopad will be at the high level . when the equalization signals eq and eq and the power control signal sap are enabled at the respective times t2 and t1 as shown in fig3 ( c ) and 3 ( d ), the predriver circuit 12 will be powered up and its inputs on the terminals 16 and 18 are equalized so as to cause the predriver signal ps on the line 26 to be driven and settle at about one - half of the supply potential vdd =+ 3 . 0 volts or + 1 . 5 volts . when the precondition signals pc and pc are enabled at the time t2 as shown in fig3 ( b ), there will be a feedback path created between the output node iopad and the output of the predriver circuit at the line 26 . as a result , the predriver signal ps will drive the output node towards the threshold level of + 1 . 5 volts , which is conventionally the transition level between an output high and an output low . for ttl levels , the output high level is a voltage which is higher than + 2 . 2 volts and the output low level is a voltage which is lower than + 0 . 8 volts . as can be seen from the curve 50 of fig4 the output level will move to point 52 . it should be noted that the transistors pd and nd of the output buffer stage 10 are also designed to have the threshold voltage of + 1 . 5 volts . this threshold voltage is obtained by ratioing the size of the transistor pd to the size of the transistor nd . thus , when the output node iopad is fed back to the input of the output buffer stage on the line 26 via the transmission gates tg5 and tg4 , the output node and the line 26 are driven to settle at the threshold voltage of + 1 . 5 volts . consequently , the precondition signals pc and pc serve to not only lower the output slew rate , which will in turn reduce the ground bounce noise , but also will earlier drive the output node to the transition point and to then wait for the occurrence of the actual data input signals ( differential sense signals s1 and s1 ). it should also be noted that , if the threshold voltage is not at + 1 . 5 volts on the input threshold voltage of the logic device driven by the output buffer , the output buffer will be designed to have a threshold voltage which is the same as the input threshold voltage of the logic device to be driven by this output buffer . in this way the devices to be driven can receive the signal from the previous output buffer and respond with little delay . upon the arrival of the actual data input signals , the output of the predriver circuit and the output node will both already be preconditioned at the threshold point and will be switched to the low or logic &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; state at point 54 along the curve 50 in fig4 . it will also be noted that when the actual input data signals s1 and s1 arrive at the time t3 , as shown in fig3 ( a ) and 3 ( b ), the precondition signals pc and pc are simultaneously disabled . therefore , the output signal at the output node iopad will then settle to the low state as soon as the data input signals s1 and s1 arrive . by comparing the high - to - low transition curve 50 of the present invention to the dotted curve 56 for a conventional single stage buffer or to the dotted curve 58 for a conventional multiple stage buffer , it can be seen that the curve 50 makes a faster high - to - low transition with smaller amounts of delay . in order to effect a pull - up action , it is assumed initially that the pull - up transistor pd is turned off and that the pull - down transistor nd is turned on so that the output node iopad will be at the low level . similarly , the precondition signals pc and pc will cause both the output of the predriver circuit and the output node to be preconditioned again at the threshold point of + 1 . 5 volts . as depicted in the curve 60 of fig5 the output level will be moved to point 62 . when the actual data input signal arrives , the output level will move to point 64 along the curve 60 . the dotted curve 66 represents the low - to - high transition for the conventional single stage output buffer , and the dotted line 68 represents the low - to - high output transition for the conventional multiple stage output buffer . it can be likewise seen that the curve 60 makes a faster low - to - high transition with smaller amounts of delay . when the output level makes a high - to - high transition or a low - to - low transition , the output level will move to the transition point first and then return back to the previous state . this may cause glitches to occur in the output node . the curve 70 in fig6 shows the output level when a high - to - high transition is made . the curve 70 in fig6 shows the output transition when a low - to - low transition is made . the output retention circuit 15 serves to reduce the output glitches by preventing the output node from crossing over to the opposite state . from the foregoing detailed description , it can thus be seen that the present invention provides an improved output buffer circuit for preconditioning an output signal at an output node so as to provide a higher speed of operation and less ground bounce noise . the output buffer circuit of the present invention includes means for preconditioning the output signal at the output node by early driving the output signal slowly to a threshold point prior to the arrival of the actual input data signals for the output buffer . while there has been illustrated and described what is at present considered to be a preferred embodiment of the present invention , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made , and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the true scope of the invention . in addition , many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from the central scope thereof . therefore , it is intended that this invention not be limited to the particular embodiment disclosed as the best mode contemplated for carrying out the invention , but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims . | 7 |
angiogenesis - related diseases are those involving angiogenesis in their onset or progression and include neovascularization - induced ocular diseases , such as diabetic retinopathy , macular degeneration , proliferative vitreoretinopathy , glaucoma , atherosclerotic processes and tumors , such as carcinomas , lymphomas , leukemia , sarcomas , melanomas , gliomas , neuroblastomas and other solid tumors . in a particularly preferred embodiment , the invention provides a method for treating a tumor disease selected from lymphoma and leukemia in a subject in need thereof , comprising administering to said subject an effective amount of adenosine - 5 ′- triphosphate - 2 ′, 3 ′- dialdehyde . for therapeutical use , o - atp can be formulated with pharmaceutically acceptable carriers and excipients , and administered through the oral , topical or parenteral route . pharmaceutical forms suitable for the different administration routes comprise tablets , pills , capsules , granulates , powders , suppositories , syrups , solutions , suspensions , creams , ointments , gels , pastes , lotions , emulsions , sprays . pharmaceutical compositions can be prepared as described in remington &# 39 ; s pharmaceutical sciences handbook , mack pub . co ., ny , usa , xvii ed . the amount of active substance per dose unit ranges from 0 . 01 to 100 mg per kg of body weight , to be administered once a day or more according to the type and severity of the pathology . in general the daily dose will range from 1 to 300 mg , preferably from 10 to 100 mg . in another embodiment , the invention refers to combined preparations of o - atp and other biologically active substances for the treatment of angiogenesis - mediated pathologies . according to a preferred embodiment , o - atp is used in combination with antitumor substances such as alkaloids , antibiotics , cytotoxic or cytostatic compounds , antimetabolites , antihormonal agents , alkylating agents , peptides , biological response modulators , cytokines . alternatively , oatp is used in combination with antiatherosclerotic substances , preferably with lipid lowering drugs or statins . the different active substances can be administered either simultaneously or separately . the choice of the specific combination of active substances , their dosage and way of administration depend on the specific disease , its resistance to pharmacological treatments , patient &# 39 ; s tolerance and other variables to be determined on a case by case basis . human endothelial cells ( huvec ) were isolated from umbilical vein , counted and seeded in a constant number in a 96 - well plate . the cells were cultured as described ( jaffe , e . a . ( 1984 ) biology of endothelial cells , martinus nighoff publisher , boston , usa , pp . 1 - 260 ), with or without ( control ) vegf ( 50 ng / ml ), in the presence of o - atp ( 100 μm ), and o - atp + vegf . after 24 hours cultivation with or without stimulus , the cells were washed and counted with an optical microscope using a burker chamber . the results are reported in fig1 and represent the mean ± sd of 10 experiments . transwell chambers for cell cultures ( polycarbonate filters 0 . 4 μm , costar ) were used . in short , confluent endothelial cells , in monolayer , were exposed to vegf , o - atp , atp ( 300 μm ), atp + o - atp , o - atp + vegf ( at the previously indicated concentrations ) for 1 hr and thoroughly washed . albumin marked with 125 i ( nen , boston , mass .) was added to the upper compartment ; cold albumin ( 1 . 5 mg / ml ) was added to the culture medium to minimize transcytosis . one hour after the addition of 125 i - labelled albumin to each well , samples were taken from the lower compartment . the radioactivity of the samples was measured with a gamma counter ( packard , sterling , va .). the results , reported in fig2 , represent the mean ± sd of 10 independent experiments and are expressed as percentage of migrated endothelial cells . huvec were isolated from human umbilical cord by collagenase treatment and cultured in 1 % gelatine - coated flasks using endotoxin - free medium 199 , containing 20 % heat - inactivated fetal bovine serum , 1 % bovine retinal - derived growth factor , 90 microg / ml heparin , 100 iu / ml penicillin and 100 microg / ml streptomycin . all experiments were carried out with huvec at the passage 1 - 4 . we used oatp at the concentration of 500 microm . huvec were treated with oatp over night , washed and fixed with glutaraldeide 2 % in pbs . the cells were colored with crystal violet 0 . 1 %, washed and dried . the dye solubilization was performed with acetic acid 10 % and the absorbance was measured spectrophotometrically at 595 nm , using a microplate reader . the optical density was proportional to the number of cells . as reported in the fig3 , cell growing number is significantly reduced by 500 microm oatp treatment ( mean ± sem of 7 experiments ). vegf is a prototypic angiogenetic factor which induces endothelial cell proliferation , angiogenesis and capillary permeability . the latter is evidenced by the assay of transendothelial migration . it is known that vegf increases transendothelial migration . migration assay was performed using a transwell double chamber system ( 5 micrometer polycarbonate membrane ). huvec ( 5 × 10 4 cells / well ) were seeded on the filter , in the presence or absence of tnfα ( 200 u / ml ) and oatp 500 microm . freshly obtained pmbc ( peripheral blood mononuclear cells ) by means of fycoll from buffy - coat were added in the upper compartment and allowed to migrate over night to the lower chamber which contained rpmi and 10 % fetal calf serum . at the end of the culture , migrated cells were recovered from the lower chamber and counted fig4 shows the transendothelial migration assay . the measure of migrated pbmc through a huvec monolayer indicates that the addition of tnfα ( 200 u / ml ) significantly increases the number of migrated pbmc , expressed as percentage over basal , whereas the addition of 500 microm oatp significantly reduces the tnfα - induced transendothelial migration . data represent mean ± sem of 7 experiments . in another series of experiments , we tested the possible direct effect of oatp on tumor cell growth . we used , both in vitro and in vivo , the rma cells . rma cells were derived from the rausher leukemia virus - induced mouse t - cell lymphoma rbl - 5 of b6 origin . rma wild type ( wt ) murine lymphoma t cell line ( atcc ) was grown in rpmi 1640 supplemented with 10 % heat inactivated fetal bovine serum , 100 u / ml penicillin , 100 microg / ml streptomycin . lymphocytes were obtained from a buffy - coat by a fycoll gradient and depleted from monocytes by adherence . apoptosis was evaluated by facs analysis , after staining with annexin - v fitc - conjugate to show the exposure of phosphatidyl serine on the external side of plasma membranes , and with propidium iodide ( pi ). two thousand rma wt cells and lymphocytes were treated with or without different concentrations of oatp for 24 and 48 hours . the cells were then washed with pbs with ca ++ and mg ++ and stained . ten thousand cell / sample were analysed and the percentage of annexin v / pi positive cells was calculated with fcs - express software ( de novo software ). rma wt cells were treated with different concentrations of oatp for 24 and 48 hours , then fixed for at least four hours in ice - cold 70 % ethanol . cells were stained with a solution containing np - 40 , rnase and pi and cell cycle distribution was detected using facscan ( becton dickinson , san jose , calif .) and analyzed with fcs - express software . the obtained results indicate that oatp , at high concentrations , is able to induce apoptosis of rma cells and not of lymphocytes . sensitivity of rma wild type cell line to different concentrations of oatp evaluated as percentage of annexinv - pi positive cells at 24 and 48 hours of treatment ( fig5 ). sensitivity of lymphocytes from buffy - coat ( pmbc ), activated or not with pha , at different concentrations of oatp , evaluated as percentage of annexinv - pi positive cells at 24 hours of treatment ( fig6 ). the values of the cell cycle progression are reported in the table . cell cycle progression of rma wt cell line treated with different concentrations of oatp for 24 or 48 hours . at high doses of oatp , there is a high mortality of rma wt cells by apoptotic mechanism , as demonstrated by sub g1 peak , in accordance with the percentage of annexinv / pi positive cells ( fig5 ). concomitantly , surviving cells loss partially the capacity to entry in s and / or g2 / m phases of the cell cycle , mainly at 24 hours of treatment . when the concentration of the oatp decreases , cells display a trend similar with the control one . at high dose of oatp ( 1 mm ) and 48 hours of treatment , there is a paradoxical decrease in the percentage of cell death , assessed by sub g1 peak , at variance with the percentage of annexinv / pi positive cells which strongly increases ( fig5 ). this could depend on the proliferation of cells escaped from the treatment . to note that , at low doses , there is increase of the percentage of cells in the g2 / m phase of the cell cycle . rma cells were derived from the rausher leukemia virus - induced mouse t - cell lymphoma rbl - 5 of b6 origin and maintained in rpmi 1640 medium , supplemented with fetal bovine serum , 1 % penicillin / streptomycin and 1 % glutamine ( complete medium ). c57bl / 6 female mice weighing about 18 - 20 g ( 8 week old ) were used . the cells were washed twice with 0 . 9 % nacl and subcutaneously injected in each mouse in a volume of 100 microliters containing 7 × 10 4 cells . after 10 days from rma cell injection , we treated the mice with oatp . five groups of mice were studied ( each of 7 mice ): 1 ) controls , untreated ; 2 ) locally ( subcutaneously ) ( sc ) treated with 0 . 5 mg of oatp ; 3 ) locally ( sc ) treated with 1 mg oatp ; 4 ) intraperitoneally treated with 1 mg oatp ; 5 ) locally ( sc ) treated with 1 mg oatp for 3 days only . the mice were observed until the 20 th day from the tumor inoculation : they were weighed daily and the size of the tumor mass was daily measured . the tumor mass ( measured by arbitrary units ) did not significantly grow in the groups 3 and 5 for three days from the beginning of the treatment ( e . g . until the 14 th day ). successively , the control of the tumor growing is mainly exerted until the number of the tumor cells is not exponentially expanded . however , at 20 days from rma cell injection , in the group 3 the tumor growth was less evident than that observed in the other groups ( fig7 ); in addition , the tumor mass obtained in 20 days in the mice from groups 3 was less solid than the tumor mass obtained in the other groups . no significant differences were observed between the body weights of the mice measured during the different treatments . our data show that the local continuous treatment with 1 mg oatp is efficient in significantly slowing the tumor growth . it is possible that more elevated doses of oatp necessitate to control the tumor growth in the time . our in vitro data suggest that elevated concentrations of oatp ( 1 mg for about 70 , 000 rma cells ) are able to induce the apoptosis of these cells . we compared the effects of oatp to that of two known compounds able to antagonize the p2x7 receptors : 1 ) the pyridoxal phosphate - 6 - azophenil - 2 ′, 4 ′- disulphonic acid ( ppads ), a non - specific p2x7 antagonist , and 2 ) 1 -( n , o - bis [ 5 - isoquinolinesulphonyl ]- n - methyl - l - tyrosyl )- 4 - phenylpiperazine ( kn62 ), a potent p2x7 antagonist ( especially at the human receptor ). we used atp ( able to increase the p2x7 receptor expression on the cells ), and the p2x7 inhibitors , oatp , ppads and kn62 at the concentrations reported in the literature , e . g . : atp 3 mm , oatp 300 microm , ppads 50 microm and kn62 10 microm . in the first series of experiments we studied the proliferation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells ( huvec ), obtained as previously described ( 1 ). the huvec were treated with each of the compounds for 36 hours , washed and fixed with glutaraldeide 2 % in pbs . the cells were colored with crystal violet 0 . 1 %, washed and dried . the dye solubilization was performed with acetic acid 10 % and the absorbance was measured spectrophotometrically at 595 nm , using a microplate reader . the optical density was proportional to the number of cells . as reported in the fig8 , cell growing number is significantly reduced by all the treatments ( mean ± sem of 7 experiments ), but the maximal reduction of the proliferation has been induced by oatp . it is possible that the inhibition of the atp - dependent pathway can induce the shift to another metabolic activity , as the glycolysis . we studied if the compounds were able to induce apoptosis or necrosis of the huvec , by staining the cells with annexin v and propidium iodide ( see the following description ). the block of the huvec proliferation is further evidenced by the absence of cell apoptosis due to the treatment of the cells with the tested compounds , as reported in the fig9 ( the results are representative of 5 experiments ). only the treatment with atp was able to induce about 4 . 5 % pi positive , e . g . necrotic cells . in addition , oatp was cytofluorometrically assayed for its ability to modulate the expression of tnfalpha receptors on endothelial cells . as reported in the fig9 a , the use of human tnfalpha ( 100 u / ml ) improved the expression of the tnfalpha receptor 1 ( tnfr1 ) on huvec . the addition of oatp alone did not modify such expression . however , oatp was able to downregulate the tnfalpha - induced increased expression of tnfr1 . in the second series of experiments , we studied the differences in the apoptosis induction on human promyelocytic leukemia hl60 cells by atp and by the inhibitors of the p2x7 receptors . apoptotic cells and necrotic cells were analyzed by staining the cells with annexin v and propidium iodide ( pi ) ( bd pharmingen apoptosis kit , san diego , calif .). briefly , an aliquot of 10 5 cells was incubated with annexin v - fluorescein isothiocyanate ( fitc ) and pi for 15 minutes at room temperature in the dark . the cells were immediately analyzed by facscalibur ( becton dickinson , heidelberg , germany ). the emission / excitation wavelengths were 530 / 488 nm for annexin v fitc ( fl1 ) and 640 nm / 488 nm for pi ( fl2 ). the necrotic cells were annexin v - and pi - positive , whereas apoptotic cells were annexin v - positive and pi - negative . the percentage of cells stained in each quadrant was quantified using the cellquest software ( bd bioscience , san josew , calif .). the data , reported in the fig1 , and representative of 5 experiments , show that oatp was able to induce cell apoptosis at better extent with respect to ppads and kn62 and such effect was dependent on the concentration of oatp . the combined use of atp with one of the p2x7 inhibitors increased the number of necrotic cells . fig1 summarizes the effects of the different treatments on the apoptosis / necrosis induction in the hl60 cells . | 0 |
the principle of a high strength , undiffused brushless machine has been previously disclosed in the hsu , u . s . pat . no . 6 , 573 , 634 , issued jun . 3 , 2003 , hsu , u . s . patent application ser . no . 10 / 688 , 586 filed sep . 23 , 2003 , and hsu u . s . patent application ser . no . 10 / 848 , 450 filed may 18 , 2004 , the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference . for a conventional pm machine the air - gap flux density is about 0 . 6 to 0 . 8 teslas and cannot be weakened without the aid of some sophisticated power electronics . both the stationary excitation coil and the pm material in the rotor maximize rotor flux in the pm machine of the present invention . it can produce two to three times the air gap flux density of a conventional pm machine . because the pm torque produced by an electric machine is directly proportional to the air gap pm flux density , a higher torque , more powerful machine is provided with only small additions to size and weight . fig1 shows a longitudinal section view of a radial gap , high strength undiffused machine 10 with eight side poles 12 a , 12 b in a rotor assembly 11 . fig2 and 3 each show the eight side poles 12 a and 12 b attached to the sides of the rotor core to an area bounded by eight sets of flux - guiding magnets 14 that consists of three pieces of magnets for guiding flux towards the radial air gap 20 for the sample eight - pole machine . the eight side magnets 16 helps to prevent leakage flux at the rotor sides . optionally , reluctance side poles 15 are provided by the portions of the rotor positioned in between the side magnet 16 and side pole 12 a and 12 b and between the flux - guiding magnets 14 without contacting the flux - guiding magnets 14 . the reluctance side poles 15 allow the flux produced by a stator 17 to go through these reluctance side poles 15 easier than the path going through the side poles 12 a and 12 b . the rotor assembly 11 is preferably made as described in the disclosures cited above , namely , the rotor has a hub 11 a and a plurality of laminations 11 b of ferromagnetic material are mounted and stacked on the hub 11 a and clamped by non - magnetic end plates 12 c . the rotor laminations 11 b and ferromagnetic end plates 11 c have keyed projections 11 d for insertion in keyways in the rotor hub 11 a . the ferromagnetic end plates 11 c can be made of solid mild steel or stacked laminations . the side poles 12 a , 12 b are made of ferromagnetic material . the flux - guiding magnets 14 can be pre - formed pieces or the injected type . between pieces of flux - guiding magnets 14 , an epoxy material can be used to fill gaps . side magnets 16 are separate pieces attached to the ends of the rotor assembly 11 . bolts ( not shown ) are used to hold the side poles 12 a , 12 b and ferromagnetic end plates 11 c in position . ring band 37 can hold the side poles 12 a , 12 b , side magnets 16 , and ferromagnetic end plate 11 c in place to withstand the centrifugal force . the machine 10 optionally has brushless excitation as shown in fig1 and 4 . brushless excitation of fig1 is provided by stationary coils 23 and 24 and stationary flux collectors 25 and 26 . no brushless excitation is used in fig4 wherein the machine 10 is absent stationary coils and stationary flux collectors . the rotor assembly 11 rotates with a main drive shaft 19 around an axis of rotation 19 a . the stator 17 is disposed around the rotor 11 and has a laminated core 17 a and windings 17 b as seen in a conventional ac machine . the rotor assembly 11 is separated from the stator 17 by a radial air gap 20 , which is also referred to herein as the primary air gap . ac flux is produced in this air gap 20 by the stator field . with brushless excitation , the rotor assembly 11 is separated from the stationary flux collectors 25 and 26 by axial air gaps 21 and 22 , respectively . these air gaps 21 , 22 are oriented perpendicular to the axis 19 a of the rotor 11 . dc flux will be produced in these air gaps 21 , 22 by excitation coils 23 and 24 . stationary flux collectors 25 and 26 are disposed at the axial air gaps 21 , 22 . the laminated option of stationary flux collector can further smooth the dc flux component and reduce the possible occurrence of eddy currents . the drive shaft 19 is supported by bearings 31 and 32 . a short internal shaft 30 is also coupled to the rotor 11 . a shaft encoder 33 and a pump 34 for lubricant for the motor 10 are situated inside a passageway 35 through the hollow center of the excitation coil 24 . a housing cover 36 closes the passageway 33 . referring to fig2 , the dc flux produced by the excitation coils 23 , 24 is conducted into the rotor from one set of the ferromagnetic side poles 12 a that attached to the n polarity of the rotor , and then turns to flow radially outward across the main air gap 20 into the stator core 17 a , then loops and returns radially inward and is conducted axially outward through adjacent side poles 12 b that attached to the s polarity at the other end of the rotor 11 ( fig3 ). the dc flux produced by the excitation coils does not pass through the reluctance side poles 15 . the dc flux return path 38 ( labeled in fig1 ) goes through the frame 39 that is made of magnetically conducting material . referring to fig2 and 3 , the flux - guiding magnets 14 together with the excitation current going through the excitation coils 23 and 24 produce the north ( n ) and south ( s ) poles on the exterior of rotor 11 that faces the stator 17 and the radial air gap 20 . this rotor flux in the radial air gap 20 can be either enhanced or weakened according to the polarity of the dc excitation in the excitation assemblies 23 , 24 that face the ends the rotor 11 . subsequently , the radial air gap 20 receives the rotor flux from the rotor 11 , which interacts with the primary flux induced by the stator windings 17 b to produce a torque . fig7 and 8 show the flux - guiding magnets 14 inside the rotor lamination 11 b . as an option , a strong flux guiding magnet set 14 a and a weak magnet 14 b can be chosen . fig8 a shows a rotor assembly 11 ′ illustrating that the flux - guiding magnets 14 can be modified to consist of multiple sets of magnets for each pole disposed in multiple grooves to increase the reluctance torque value . fig9 and 10 show the rotor with and without reluctance side poles 15 installed , respectively . fig1 , 12 and 13 illustrate an embodiment of the improvements of the current invention . the functions of each optional improvement are described as follows . the flux - guiding magnets 14 and side magnets 16 are used to conduct the axial fluxes and to block the unwanted axial leakage flux during field enhancement . the flux - guiding magnets 14 are typically thin with respect to the width of the grooves that they are situated in . a thinner magnet can reduce the cost of permanent magnets . during field enhancement the higher air - gap flux density is produced by the brushless field excitation . therefore , a weaker and thinner pm can do the job as part of the flux - guiding barriers to discourage the flux going across the grooves . the ferromagnetic end plate 11 c smoothes the axial flux and produces a return path for the side magnets 16 . the ring band 37 prevents the side poles , side magnets and end pieces from flying apart from the centrifugal force . the hsub technology is for electric vehicle and hybrid electric vehicle applications . however , the hsub technology certainly can be used for other applications where the use of electricity to produce torque and motion is involved . the invention is applicable to both ac synchronous and dc brushless machines and to both motors and generators . this has been a description of the preferred embodiments of the invention . the present invention is intended to encompass additional embodiments including modifications to the details described above which would nevertheless come within the scope of the following claims . | 7 |
with reference to fig1 and 3 , an exemplary embodiment of the probe station of the present invention comprises a base 10 ( shown partially ) which supports a platen 12 through a number of jacks 14 a , 14 b , 14 c , 14 d which selectively raise and lower the platen vertically relative to the base by a small increment ( approximately one - tenth of an inch ) for purposes to be described hereafter . also supported by the base 10 of the probe station is a motorized positioner 16 having a rectangular plunger 18 which supports a movable chuck assembly 20 for supporting a wafer or other test device . the chuck assembly 20 passes freely through a large aperture 22 in the platen 12 which permits the chuck assembly to be moved independently of the platen by the positioner 16 along x , y and z axes , i . e . horizontally along two mutually - perpendicular axes x and y , and vertically along the z axis . likewise , the platen 12 , when moved vertically by the jacks 14 , moves independently of the chuck assembly 20 and the positioner 16 . mounted atop the platen 12 are multiple individual probe positioners such as 24 ( only one of which is shown ), each having an extending member 26 to which is mounted a probe holder 28 which in turn supports a respective probe 30 for contacting wafers and other test devices mounted atop the chuck assembly 20 . the probe positioner 24 has micrometer adjustments 34 , 36 and 38 for adjusting the position of the probe holder 28 , and thus the probe 30 , along the x , y and z axes respectively , relative to the chuck assembly 20 . the z axis is exemplary of what is referred to herein loosely as the “ axis of approach ” between the probe holder 28 and the chuck assembly 20 , although directions of approach which are neither vertical nor linear , along which the probe tip and wafer or other test device are brought into contact with each other , are also intended to be included within the meaning of the term “ axis of approach .” a further micrometer adjustment 40 adjustably tilts the probe holder 28 to adjust planarity of the probe with respect to the wafer or other test device supported by the chuck assembly 20 . as many as twelve individual probe positioners 24 , each supporting a respective probe , may be arranged on the platen 12 around the chuck assembly 20 so as to converge radially toward the chuck assembly similarly to the spokes of a wheel . with such an arrangement , each individual positioner 24 can independently adjust its respective probe in the x , y and z directions , while the jacks 14 can be actuated to raise or lower the platen 12 and thus all of the positioners 24 and their respective probes in unison . an environment control enclosure is composed of an upper box portion 42 rigidly attached to the platen 12 , and a lower box portion 44 rigidly attached to the base 10 . both portions are made of steel or other suitable electrically conductive material to provide emi shielding . to accommodate the small vertical movement between the two box portions 42 and 44 when the jacks 14 are actuated to raise or lower the platen 12 , an electrically conductive resilient foam gasket 46 , preferably composed of silver or carbon - impregnated silicone , is interposed peripherally at their mating juncture at the front of the enclosure and between the lower portion 44 and the platen 12 so that an emi , substantially hermetic , and light seal are all maintained despite relative vertical movement between the two box portions 42 and 44 . even though the upper box portion 42 is rigidly attached to the platen 12 , a similar gasket 47 is preferably interposed between the portion 42 and the top of the platen to maximize sealing . with reference to fig5 a and 5b , the top of the upper box portion 42 comprises an octagonal steel box 48 having eight side panels such as 49 a and 49 b through which the extending members 26 of the respective probe positioners 24 can penetrate movably . each panel comprises a hollow housing in which a respective sheet 50 of resilient foam , which may be similar to the above - identified gasket material , is placed . slits such as 52 are partially cut vertically in the foam in alignment with slots 54 formed in the inner and outer surfaces of each panel housing , through which a respective extending member 26 of a respective probe positioner 24 can pass movably . the slitted foam permits x , y and z movement of the extending members 26 of each probe positioner , while maintaining the emi , substantially hermetic , and light seal provided by the enclosure . in four of the panels , to enable a greater range of x and y movement , the foam sheet 50 is sandwiched between a pair of steel plates 55 having slots 54 therein , such plates being slidable transversely within the panel housing through a range of movement encompassed by larger slots 56 in the inner and outer surfaces of the panel housing . atop the octagonal box 48 , a circular viewing aperture 58 is provided , having a recessed circular transparent sealing window 60 therein . a bracket 62 holds an apertured sliding shutter 64 to selectively permit or prevent the passage of light through the window . a stereoscope ( not shown ) connected to a crt monitor can be placed above the window to provide a magnified display of the wafer or other test device and the probe tip for proper probe placement during set - up or operation . alternatively , the window 60 can be removed and a microscope lens ( not shown ) surrounded by a foam gasket can be inserted through the viewing aperture 58 with the foam providing emi , hermetic and light sealing . the upper box portion 42 of the environment control enclosure also includes a hinged steel door 68 which pivots outwardly about the pivot axis of a hinge 70 as shown in fig2 a . the hinge biases the door downwardly toward the top of the upper box portion 42 so that it forms a tight , overlapping , sliding peripheral seal 68 a with the top of the upper box portion . when the door is open , and the chuck assembly 20 is moved by the positioner 16 beneath the door opening as shown in fig2 a , the chuck assembly is accessible for loading and unloading . with reference to fig3 and 4 , the sealing integrity of the enclosure is likewise maintained throughout positioning movements by the motorized positioner 16 due to the provision of a series of four sealing plates 72 , 74 , 76 and 78 stacked slidably atop one another . the sizes of the plates progress increasingly from the top to the bottom one , as do the respective sizes of the central apertures 72 a , 74 a , 76 a and 78 a formed in the respective plates 72 , 74 , 76 and 78 , and the aperture 79 a formed in the bottom 44 a of the lower box portion 44 . the central aperture 72 a in the top plate 72 mates closely around the bearing housing 18 a of the vertically - movable plunger 18 . the next plate in the downward progression , plate 74 , has an upwardly - projecting peripheral margin 74 b which limits the extent to which the plate 72 can slide across the top of the plate 74 . the central aperture 74 a in the plate 74 is of a size to permit the positioner 16 to move the plunger 18 and its bearing housing 18 a transversely along the x and y axes until the edge of the top plate 72 abuts against the margin 74 b of the plate 74 . the size of the aperture 74 a is , however , too small to be uncovered by the top plate 72 when such abutment occurs , and therefore a seal is maintained between the plates 72 and 74 regardless of the movement of the plunger 18 and its bearing housing along the x and y axes . further movement of the plunger 18 and bearing housing in the direction of abutment of the plate 72 with the margin 74 b results in the sliding of the plate 74 toward the peripheral margin 76 b of the next underlying plate 76 . again , the central aperture 76 a in the plate 76 is large enough to permit abutment of the plate 74 with the margin 76 b , but small enough to prevent the plate 74 from uncovering the aperture 76 a , thereby likewise maintaining the seal between the plates 74 and 76 . still further movement of the plunger 18 and bearing housing in the same direction causes similar sliding of the plates 76 and 78 relative to their underlying plates into abutment with the margin 78 b and the side of the box portion 44 , respectively , without the apertures 78 a and 79 a becoming uncovered . this combination of sliding plates and central apertures of progressively increasing size permits a full range of movement of the plunger 18 along the x and y axes by the positioner 16 , while maintaining the enclosure in a sealed condition despite such positioning movement . the emi sealing provided by this structure is effective even with respect to the electric motors of the positioner 16 , since they are located below the sliding plates . with particular reference to fig3 and 7 , the chuck assembly 20 is of a unique modular construction usable either with or without an environment control enclosure . the plunger 18 supports an adjustment plate 79 which in turn supports first , second and third chuck assembly elements 80 , 81 and 83 , respectively , positioned at progressively greater distances from the probe ( s ) along the axis of approach . element 83 is a conductive rectangular stage or shield 83 which detachably mounts conductive elements 80 and 81 of circular shape . the element 80 has a planar upwardly - facing wafer - supporting surface 82 having an array of vertical apertures 84 therein . these apertures communicate with respective chambers separated by o - rings 88 , the chambers in turn being connected separately to different vacuum lines 90 a , 90 b , 90 c ( fig6 ) communicating through separately - controlled vacuum valves ( not shown ) with a source of vacuum . the respective vacuum lines selectively connect the respective chambers and their apertures to the source of vacuum to hold the wafer , or alternatively isolate the apertures from the source of vacuum to release the wafer , in a conventional manner . the separate operability of the respective chambers and their corresponding apertures enables the chuck to hold wafers of different diameters . in addition to the circular elements 80 and 81 , auxiliary chucks such as 92 and 94 are detachably mounted on the corners of the element 83 by screws ( not shown ) independently of the elements 80 and 81 for the purpose of supporting contact substrates and calibration substrates while a wafer or other test device is simultaneously supported by the element 80 . each auxiliary chuck 92 , 94 has its own separate upwardly - facing planar surface 100 , 102 respectively , in parallel relationship to the surface 82 of the element 80 . vacuum apertures 104 protrude through the surfaces 100 and 102 from communication with respective chambers within the body of each auxiliary chuck . each of these chambers in turn communicates through a separate vacuum line and a separate independently - actuated vacuum valve ( not shown ) with a source of vacuum , each such valve selectively connecting or isolating the respective sets of apertures 104 with respect to the source of vacuum independently of the operation of the apertures 84 of the element 80 , so as to selectively hold or release a contact substrate or calibration substrate located on the respective surfaces 100 and 102 independently of the wafer or other test device . an optional metal shield 106 may protrude upwardly from the edges of the element 83 to surround the other elements 80 , 81 and the auxiliary chucks 92 , 94 . all of the chuck assembly elements 80 , 81 and 83 , as well as the additional chuck assembly element 79 , are electrically insulated from one another even though they are constructed of electrically conductive metal and interconnected detachably by metallic screws such as 96 . with reference to fig3 and 3a , the electrical insulation results from the fact that , in addition to the resilient dielectric o - rings 88 , dielectric spacers 85 and dielectric washers 86 are provided . these , coupled with the fact that the screws 96 pass through oversized apertures in the lower one of the two elements which each screw joins together thereby preventing electrical contact between the shank of the screw and the lower element , provide the desired insulation . as is apparent in fig3 the dielectric spacers 85 extend over only minor portions of the opposing surface areas of the interconnected chuck assembly elements , thereby leaving air gaps between the opposing surfaces over major portions of their respective areas . such air gaps minimize the dielectric constant in the spaces between the respective chuck assembly elements , thereby correspondingly minimizing the capacitance between them and the ability for electrical current to leak from one element to another . preferably the spacers and washers 85 and 86 , respectively , are constructed of a material having the lowest possible dielectric constant consistent with high dimensional stability and high volume resistivity . a suitable material for the spacers and washers is glass epoxy , or acetal homopolymer marketed under the trademark delrin by e . i . dupont . with reference to fig6 and 7 , the chuck assembly 20 also includes a pair of detachable electrical connector assemblies designated generally as 108 and 110 , each having at least two conductive connector elements 108 a , 108 b and 110 a , 110 b , respectively , electrically insulated from each other , with the connector elements 108 b and 110 b preferably coaxially surrounding the connector elements 108 a and 110 a as guards therefor . if desired , the connector assemblies 108 and 110 can be triaxial in configuration so as to include respective outer shields 108 c , 110 c surrounding the respective connector elements 108 b and 110 b , as shown in fig7 . the outer shields 108 c and 110 c may , if desired , be connected electrically through a shielding box 112 and a connector supporting bracket 113 to the chuck assembly element 83 , although such electrical connection is optional particularly in view of the surrounding emi shielding enclosure 42 , 44 . in any case , the respective connector elements 108 a and 110 a are electrically connected in parallel to a connector plate 114 matingly and detachably connected along a curved contact surface 114 a by screws 114 b and 114 c to the curved edge of the chuck assembly element 80 . conversely , the connector elements 108 b and 110 b are connected in parallel to a connector plate 116 similarly matingly connected detachably to element 81 . the connector elements pass freely through a rectangular opening 112 a in the box 112 , being electrically insulated from the box 112 and therefore from the element 83 , as well as being electrically insulated from each other . set screws such as 118 detachably fasten the connector elements to the respective connector plates 114 and 116 . either coaxial or , as shown , triaxial cables 118 and 120 form portions of the respective detachable electrical connector assemblies 108 and 110 , as do their respective triaxial detachable connectors 122 and 124 which penetrate a wall of the lower portion 44 of the environment control enclosure so that the outer shields of the triaxial connectors 122 , 124 are electrically connected to the enclosure . further triaxial cables 122 a , 124 a are detachably connectable to the connectors 122 and 124 from suitable test equipment such as a hewlett - packard 4142b modular dc source / monitor or a hewlett - packard 4284a precision lcr meter , depending upon the test application . if the cables 118 and 120 are merely coaxial cables or other types of cables having only two conductors , one conductor interconnects the inner ( signal ) connector element of a respective connector 122 or 124 with a respective connector element 108 a or 110 a , while the other conductor connects the intermediate ( guard ) connector element of a respective connector 122 or 124 with a respective connector element 108 b , 110 b . in any case , the detachable connector assemblies 108 , 110 , due to their interconnections with the two connector plates 114 , 116 , provide immediately ready - to - use signal and guard connections to the chuck assembly elements 80 and 81 , respectively , as well as ready - to - use guarded kelvin connections thereto . for applications requiring only guarding of the chuck assembly , as for example the measurement of low - current leakage from a test device through the element 80 , it is necessary only that the operator connect a single guarded cable 122 a from a test instrument such as a hewlett - packard 4142b modular dc source / monitor to the detachable connector 122 so that a signal line is provided to the chuck assembly element 80 through the connector element 108 a and connector plate 114 , and a guard line is provided to the element 81 through the connector element 108 b and connector plate 116 . alternatively , if a kelvin connection to the chuck assembly is desired for low - voltage measurements , such as those needed for measurements of low capacitance , the operator need merely attach a pair of cables 122 a and 124 a to the respective connectors 122 , 124 from a suitable test instrument such as a hewlett - packard 4284a precision lcr meter , thereby providing both source and measurement lines to the element 80 through the connector elements 108 a and 110 a and connector plate 114 , and guarding lines to the element 81 through the connector elements 108 b and 110 b and connector plate 116 . with reference to fig5 b , 8 and 9 , respective individually movable probes 30 comprising pairs of probe elements 30 a are supported by respective probe holders 28 which in turn are supported by respective extending portions 26 of different probe positioners such as 24 . atop each probe positioner 24 is a shield box 126 having a pair of triaxial connectors 128 , 130 mounted thereon with respective triaxial cables 132 entering each triaxial connector from a suitable test instrument as mentioned previously . each triaxial connector includes a respective inner connector element 128 a , 130 a , an intermediate connector element 128 b , 130 b , and an outer connector element 128 c , 130 c in concentric arrangement . each outer connector element 128 c , 130 c terminates by connection with the shield box 126 . conversely , the inner connector elements 128 a , 130 a , and the intermediate connector elements 128 b , 130 b , are connected respectively to the inner and outer conductors of a pair of coaxial cables 134 , 136 which therefore are guarded cables . each cable 134 , 136 terminates through a respective coaxial connector 138 , 140 with a respective probe element 30 a having a center conductor 142 surrounded by a guard 144 . in order to provide adequate shielding for the coaxial cables 134 , 136 , especially in the region outside of the octagonal box 48 , an electrically - conductive shield tube 146 is provided around the cables 134 , 136 and electrically connected through the shield box 126 with the outer connector element 128 c , 130 c of the respective triaxial connectors 128 , 130 . the shield tube 146 passes through the same slit in the foam 50 as does the underlying extending member 26 of the probe positioner 24 . thus , each individually movable probe 30 has not only its own separate individually movable probe holder 28 but also its own individually movable shield 146 for its guarded coaxial cables , which shield is movable in unison with the probe holder independently of the movement of any other probe holder by any other positioning mechanism 24 . this feature is particularly advantageous because such individually movable probes are normally not equipped for both shielded and guarded connections , which deficiency is solved by the described structure . accordingly , the probes 30 are capable of being used with the same guarding and kelvin connection techniques in a ready - to - use manner as is the chuck assembly 20 , consistently with full shielding despite the individual positioning capability of each probe 30 . the terms and expressions which have been employed in the foregoing specification are used therein as terms of description and not of limitation , and there is no intention , in the use of such terms and expressions , of excluding equivalents of the features shown and described or portions thereof , it being recognized that the scope of the invention is defined and limited only by the claims which follow . | 6 |
all of the following disclosed embodiments of the medical retrieval device according to the invention generally have at least one thing in common , and that is that the tip of a multi - wire retrieval basket is releasable when an amount of tensile force that is less than the amount of force required to cause failure of components of the retrieval device other than the tip joint , for example , the traction member , is applied to the wires of the basket . failure of one or more components of the retrieval device means that the component is no longer useful for its intended purpose , because of , for example , permanent deformation or breakage of the component . the retrieval basket of the invention is used to retrieve one or more stones and / or other calculi , objects , or other material from a body tract such as biliary and pancreatic ducts , hepatic ducts , cystic duct , common bile duct , ureters , urinary bladder , urethra , and kidney . referring to fig1 a - 1c , the medical device 10 , according to the invention , includes a handle 30 , a catheter , such as a sheath 12 , and a retrieval basket 20 slideably moveable in the sheath 12 . alternatively , the retrieval basket 20 can be fixed in a stationary position with the sheath 12 configured to be slideably moveable to expose ( fig1 a - 1b ) and cover / collapse ( fig1 c ) the basket 20 . the retrieval basket 20 is flexibly connected to one or more elongated traction members 40 by a proximal connector 16 . alternatively , the retrieval basket 20 and one or more traction members 40 can be made from a single piece of material . the retrieval basket 20 is of a type that can be collapsed within a sheath 12 for entry into the body . in general , the handle 30 , sheath 12 , and retrieval basket 20 illustrated in fig1 a - 1c are not necessarily shown in their correct size or proportion to each other . in one embodiment , the handle 30 is detachable from the rest of device 10 without disassembly of the entire device 10 , and a new handle 30 may be attached . in one embodiment , the handle and catheter assembly must be compatible with and attachable to a handle system , such as alliance ii ™ inflation system , manufactured by boston scientific corporation of natick , mass ., without disassembly . in another embodiment , the basket and the traction member must be compatible with and attachable to a mechanical lithotripsy system by removing the handle 30 and the sheath 12 , and attaching the traction member 40 to the handle of the lithotripsy system . the size of the entire sheath 12 is dimensioned to fit the requirements of the application of the sheath 12 in the body . for example , for most biliary type applications , the working length of the device 10 from the distal end 15 of the sheath 12 to the distal end 17 of the handle 30 ranges from about 60 inches ( 150 cm ) to about 120 inches ( 300 cm ), preferably about 70 . 9 inches ( 180 +/− 0 . 5 cm ). in one embodiment , the size of the basket 20 and sheath 12 is dimensioned to fit in a 3 . 2 mm diameter or larger working channel of an endoscope , such as duodenoscope . referring to fig1 b - 1c , the sheath 12 has at least one lumen 14 therein that extends from the handle 30 to the distal end of the sheath 15 . in one embodiment of the invention , the sheath 12 includes a wire coil reinforced tube terminated distally by a reinforcement ring , such as a stainless steel reinforcement ring 13 illustrated in fig1 b and 1c . in a particular embodiment of the invention , the reinforcement ring is made of 303 stainless steel . the wire coil is made of stainless steel , for example , 304 stainless steel , and is coated with polytetrafluoroethylene ( ptfe ) to provide a low friction surface . as one of ordinary skill would appreciate , the 300 series stainless steels are nickel - chromium austenitic steels with low carbon content . particularly , 303 stainless steel to typically contains 17 - 19 % chromium , 8 - 10 % nickel , 0 . 15 - 0 . 45 % sulfur , no more than 0 . 15 % carbon , no more than 2 % manganese , no more than 0 . 02 % phosphorus , no more than 0 . 6 % molybdenum , and no more than 1 % silicone with balance iron . further , 304 stainless steel typically contains 18 - 20 % chromium , 8 - 10 . 5 % nickel , no more than 0 . 03 % sulfur , no more than 0 . 08 % carbon , no more than 2 % manganese , no more than 0 . 45 % phosphorus , and no more than 1 % silicone with balance iron . the device 10 can be used in conjunction with a guidewire , such as , for example , a 0 . 035 jagwire ™ guidewire available from boston scientific corporation of natick , mass . in such embodiment , the sheath 12 also includes a sidecar 19 located at the distal end 15 of the sheath 12 extending proximally therefrom . the sidecar 19 has a lumen 19 a therein adapted to receive a guidewire . the lumen 19 a may be lined with polytetrafluoroethylene ( ptfe ), perfluoroethylenepropylene ( fep ), or similar coating . the ends of the sidecar 19 are tapered to promote cannulation and withdrawal and to avoid inflicting trauma to surrounding tissues . in a particular embodiment of the invention , the diameter of the lumen 19 a of the sidecar 19 is in the range of about 0 . 035 inches to 0 . 040 inches , preferably 0 . 038 inches ; and the length of the sidecar is in the range of about 7 inches to about 10 inches , preferably 8 . 25 inches . an elongated traction member 40 can be a cable , coil , shaft , guidewire or mandril wire 40 and extends within the lumen 14 of the sheath 12 from the handle 30 . in a particular embodiment , the traction member 40 is a 304 stainless steel wire . in one embodiment , the traction member 40 is joined at its proximal end 9 to at least one actuating mechanism 32 at the device handle 30 . in another embodiment , the traction member 40 can be joined at its distal end 18 to the base 11 of the retrieval basket by a proximal connector 16 . in yet another embodiment , the traction member 40 and the basket wires 21 are formed from a single piece of material . referring now to fig1 a , 1 b and 1 c , operation of one or more actuating mechanisms 32 on the handle 30 by an operator causes the traction member 40 to slideably move in the sheath 12 causing the retrieval basket 20 to move in and out of the sheath 12 . alternatively , the mechanism 32 can cause movement of the sheath 12 to advance the sheath 12 over the stationary retrieval basket 20 and traction member 40 combination to thereby collapse the retrieval basket 20 within the sheath 12 , and the to mechanism 32 can slide the moveable sheath 12 back to expose the stationary retrieval basket 20 and allow it to open / expand . in general , both types of retrieval basket / sheath movement configurations and related handle mechanisms are known , and can be seen in existing product designs available from , for example , boston scientific corporation of natick , mass . with the retrieval basket 20 collapsed within the sheath 12 as shown in fig1 c , the sheath 12 can be inserted into the body by an operator to a site in the body where the stone or stones to be retrieved are located ( e . g ., a stone in the common bile duct ). by placing the retrieval basket 20 into its expanded position , as illustrated in fig1 a , 1 b , and 2 , the retrieval basket 20 can be manipulated by the operator to entrap or capture a stone within the retrieval basket 20 . in some clinical situations it is desirable to fragment the captured stone ( s ). for example , when the combination of the stone and basket 20 is too large to be withdrawn atraumatically from the body tract , the stone may be fragmented by , for example , mechanical lithotripsy . referring now to fig2 and 3 , according to the invention , the stone 50 is fragmented by applying traction on the traction member 40 in a proximal direction indicated by arrow a in fig2 . referring to fig3 , as traction is applied to traction member 40 , the basket wires 21 tend to collapse around the stone 50 as the retrieval basket 20 enters the sheath 12 . as an increasing amount of traction is applied to the traction member 40 , the basket wires 21 tighten around the stone 50 until the tension generated in the wires 21 is sufficient to crush or fragment the stone 50 . referring to fig4 , in one embodiment , the retrieval basket 20 is composed of a plurality of wires 21 , such as four wires 21 a , 21 b , 21 c , 21 d spaced at 90 degree angle apart from each other that are bent or formed to provide the desired basket shape . the basket wires 21 in one embodiment are round , or alternatively , rectangular in cross section . other cross - sectional wire shapes are also contemplated by the invention , such as d - shaped or v - shaped . in one embodiment , each of wires 21 is formed with four bends so that the width of the basket 20 in its expanded position is greater at the distal end 24 of the wires 21 than at the proximal end 11 of the retrieval basket 20 to ease effective capture of stones 50 . the basket wires 21 may be manufactured from stainless steel , nickel titanium , other metal alloys , or other materials or combinations of materials known in the art suitable for basket wires . in a particular embodiment of the invention , the basket wires are manufactured from a nickel - titanium alloy containing between 54 % and 57 . 5 % nickel with balance titanium . in one embodiment of the invention , the radial stiffness of the basket wires 21 is greater than 0 . 7 g / mm . in another embodiment of the invention the radial stiffness of the basket wires 21 is greater than 1 . 0 g / mm . other numbers of basket wires and other wire shapes are also contemplated by the invention other than the four bent wires illustrated in fig4 . the typical dimensions for a retrieval basket 20 for biliary applications , according to the invention , range from about 0 . 6 inches ( 1 . 5 cm ) in diameter by about 1 . 8 inches ( 3 cm ) in length to about 1 . 8 inches ( 3 cm ) in diameter by about 2 . 36 inches ( 6 . 0 cm ) in length . preferably , the basket dimensions in one embodiment are about 0 . 6 inches ( 1 . 5 cm ) in diameter by about 1 . 18 inches ( 3 . 0 cm ) in length , in another embodiment , about 0 . 79 inches ( 2 . 0 cm ) in diameter by about 1 . 58 inches ( 4 . 0 cm ) in length , in another embodiment , about 1 . 0 inch ( 2 . 5 cm ) in diameter by about 1 . 97 inches ( 5 . 0 cm ) in length , and in yet another embodiment , 1 . 18 inches ( 3 . 0 cm ) in diameter by about 2 . 36 inches ( 6 . 0 cm ) in length . the dimensions of the retrieval basket 20 may be smaller or larger depending on the application of the retrieval basket 20 in the body . for example , the dimensions of the retrieval basket 20 used for typical urinary tract applications may be smaller than the basket used for biliary applications . in one embodiment , illustrated in fig5 a and 5b , for example , each of the basket wires 21 are manufactured from three filaments 51 a , 51 b , and 51 c of 0 . 0085 inch precursor nickel titanium alloy twisted together into a single stranded cable 21 . the stones 50 that may be fragmented by the retrieval basket 20 according to the invention may vary in size from about 0 . 2 inches ( 0 . 5 cm ) in diameter up to about 1 . 18 inches ( 3 . 0 cm ) in diameter and vary in physical characteristics as soft , such as cholesterol stones 50 , to hard , such as bilirubin stones 50 . in one embodiment of the invention , the retrieval basket 20 is a four - wire basket capable of capturing up to five separate stones 50 for simple extraction without fragmenting the stones 50 . in one embodiment , the retrieval basket 20 is capable of capturing up to five separate stones 50 for simple extraction without fragmenting the stones 50 where the force applied to the retrieval basket 20 does not exceed 20 pounds . in another embodiment , the retrieval basket 20 is capable of capturing up to five separate stones 50 for simple extraction without fragmenting the stones 50 where the force applied to the handle during each stone capture is a minimum of 15 pounds . in one embodiment , the retrieval basket 20 is capable of fragmenting at least two separate stones 50 where the force applied to the handle during each capture does not exceed the range of 25 - 50 pounds . in a particular embodiment , the retrieval basket 20 is capable of fragmenting at least two stones at a force that does not exceed 35 pounds for either stone . in another embodiment , the retrieval basket 20 is capable of fragmenting at least two separate stones 50 where the force applied to the handle during fragmenting of a first stone is at least 36 pounds , and the force applied to the handle during fragmenting of a second stone is at least 25 pounds . following fragmentation of one or more stones 50 , the retrieval basket 20 is fully capable of being fully collapsed in the lumen 14 of the sheath 12 . referring again to fig4 , in one embodiment of the invention , the basket wires 21 a , 21 b , 21 c , 21 d of the retrieval basket 20 are joined at their proximal ends at the base 11 of the retrieval basket 20 by , for example , a proximal connector 16 . in one embodiment , the proximal connector 16 comprises a tube having a lumen extending longitudinally therethrough . the proximal connector 16 is swaged to hold the wires 21 a , 21 b , 21 c , 21 d together tightly . other methods of joining the wires 21 a , 21 b , 21 c , 21 d known in the art such as adhesives , solder , welding , binding , or overmolding , or by any of their combination with or without proximal connector 16 may be used to join or gather together the proximal ends 52 of basket wires 21 at the basket base 11 . in one embodiment of the invention , the proximal connector 16 is made of 303 stainless steel and is joined to a 304 stainless steel traction member 40 . referring now to fig6 a , according to the invention , the distal ends 24 of the basket wires 21 are gathered together and held in place by a tip joint 25 . in one embodiment of the invention , tip joint 25 is a tubular tip member , for example , as illustrated in fig6 a and 6b . the tubular tip member 25 comprises a tube having a lumen 27 extending longitudinally through the tube . the tubular tip member 25 may be manufactured from materials such as sterling silver , coin silver or other silver - based alloys , pure silver , gold , platinum , stainless steel , nickel titanium , other metal alloys , or plastics . the material for the tubular tip member is chosen to fit the requirements of the application of the retrieval basket in the body . for example , if the tubular tip member 25 is manufactured from a silver - based alloy , for example silver / copper alloy , a higher percentage of silver would result in a softer alloy . as a result , the tubular tip member 25 will release from the basket wires 21 at a release force that is lower than that of the tubular tip member of identical dimensions made from an alloy with a lower percentage of silver . in one embodiment , the tubular tip member 25 is sealed at its distal end 53 . in a particular embodiment of a biliary - type retrieval basket 20 illustrated in fig1 a , the tubular tip member 25 is releasable at a predetermined force from the distal ends 24 of the basket wires 21 . referring to fig6 b , the tubular tip member 25 may be manufactured from sterling silver . the overall length of the tubular tip member 25 is 0 . 123 inches and the diameter at the narrowest region 25 a is 0 . 0510 to 0 . 0520 inches . the inside diameter of the lumen 27 is 0 . 0352 to 0 . 0358 inches . the length of the lumen 27 is about 0 . 086 inches . the distal ends 24 of the basket wires 21 are inserted 0 . 0545 to 0 . 688 inches into the lumen 27 of the tubular tip member 25 . the diameter of the tubular tip member at the widest region 25 b is 0 . 085 inches . the distal end 53 of the tubular tip member 25 has a spherico - conical shape to ease cannulation and reduce the risk of trauma to surrounding tissue . the radius of the distal end 53 of the tubular tip member 25 is 0 . 030 inches . referring again to fig6 a , in one embodiment of the tip joint 25 of the invention , the distal ends 24 of the basket wires 21 are gripped by the tubular member 25 because the tip member 25 is reduced in diameter , i . e ., swaged , to cause the wire ends 24 to be compressed together . in other embodiments of the invention , the distal ends 24 of the wires 21 may be joined by adhesives , solder , welding , over - molding , or other means of binding , or by any combination of joining methods , with or without a tubular tip member 25 . all of the embodiments of the distal ends 24 of the wires 21 have in common the feature that the distal ends 24 are releasable when a predetermined force is applied to the tip joint 25 causing the tip joint 25 to become disengaged from the wires 21 . referring to fig7 a , 7 b , 7 c , and 7 d , in order to overcome the problems caused when a component of a medical retrieval device 10 breaks during retrieval of the stone 50 from a body tract , the tip joint 25 , according to the invention has an interface which is releasable . by releasing the tip joint 25 , the distal ends 24 of the basket wires 21 are freed , i . e ., no longer joined together . with the distal ends 24 of the basket wires 21 free , the distal end of the retrieval basket 20 is open , as shown in fig7 c . to illustrate this point more clearly , referring to fig7 a , the retrieval basket 20 with captured stone 50 is shown extended beyond the distal end 15 of the sheath 12 in its expanded configuration . the retrieval basket 20 has a releasable tubular member 25 according to the invention . referring now to fig7 b , as traction is applied to traction member 40 , the basket wires 21 tend to collapse around the stone 50 as the retrieval basket 20 enters the sheath 12 . as an increasing amount of traction is applied to the traction member 40 , the basket wires 21 tighten around the stone 50 . referring to fig7 c , to release the stone 50 , an operator applies tension to traction member 40 by pulling on traction member 40 in the proximal direction indicated by the arrow a . as basket wires 21 enter the distal end 15 of the sheath 12 , a load is generated at the tip joint 25 of the retrieval basket 20 that is less than the load that would cause one or more basket wires 21 to fail or break , but sufficient to cause deformation of the tubular tip member 25 . when the tubular tip member 25 deforms , it loosens the grip of the basket wires 21 thereby allowing the distal ends 24 of the basket wires 21 to slide out of the tubular member 25 . in one embodiment , the load required to cause the retrieval basket 20 to fail at the tip joint 25 is in the range of about 20 to 50 pounds at the basket tip . in a particular embodiment , the load required to cause the retrieval basket 20 to fail at the tip joint 25 is about 42 pounds . thus , as illustrated in fig7 c , the distal ends 24 of the basket wires 21 , slide out of tubular member 25 as the retrieval basket 20 is withdrawn further into the sheath 12 . the stone 50 , illustrated in fig7 c , is released from the retrieval basket 20 through the basket distal end . referring to fig7 d , the retrieval basket 20 is withdrawn further into sheath 12 until the distal ends 24 of the basket wires 21 are retained within the sheath 12 . with the basket wires 21 retained by sheath 12 , the medical retrieval device 10 can be safely withdrawn from the body tract . to ensure safe release of the stone 50 in overload conditions during stone retrieval , the retrieval basket distal tip joint 25 fails at a load that is less than the load which would cause any other component in the device 10 , such as the traction member 40 , to fail . the tip joint 25 is strong enough to perform the task for which the device 10 is intended , i . e ., stone retrieval or reducing the size of the stone . the design of the device 10 must take the variation in strength of each component and joint of the retrieval device 10 into consideration to ensure that the tip joint 25 will fail at a lower load than will any other component or joint of the device 10 . fig8 illustrates distribution of forces acting on the distal end 24 of the basket wires 21 restrained by a tip joint such as the tubular tip member 25 . tension , indicated by arrow a , on basket wires 21 is resolved into a force component b , indicated by arrow b that is aligned with the long axis 26 of the tubular tip member 25 and a force component c indicated by arrow c that is at an angle nearly perpendicular to the long axis 26 of the tubular tip member 25 . the force component indicated by arrow b that is aligned with the long axis 26 of tip member 25 is resisted by the retention force e indicated by arrow e generated by the tubular tip member 25 on the basket wires 21 . if the force component b aligned with the long axis 26 of the tubular tip member 25 exceeds the available retention force e , the basket wires 21 will slide out of the tubular tip member 25 and release the stone 50 . retention force e , indicated by arrow e in fig8 , is a result of friction between the basket wires 21 and the tubular tip member 25 . the friction between the basket wires 21 and the tubular tip member 25 is influenced by the pressure exerted on the distal ends 24 of the wires 21 by the tubular tip member 25 , the surface form of the interior of the tubular tip member 25 , the exterior of the basket wires 21 , the physical dimensions of the tubular tip member 25 , and the distance the distal ends 24 of the basket wires 21 are inserted within the tubular tip member 25 . the force component c indicated by arrow c that is at an angle nearly perpendicular to the long axis 26 of the tubular tip member 25 , acts upon the tubular tip member 25 to reduce the pressure exerted upon the basket wires 21 , which reduces the friction and resulting retention force e indicated by arrow e in fig8 . as the tension a increases , the tubular tip member 25 begins to deform and , as a result , retention force e reduces . if the combined components of the basket wire tension cause the retention force e to be exceeded by the aligned force b , and the total tensile load on the basket wires 21 is less than their failure load , the basket wires 21 will be is released from the tip joint 25 . the amount of force required to cause tubular tip member 25 to release may also be changed , for example , by varying the crimp length of the tip , varying the thickness of the wall of the tubular region of the tip comprising the crimp , or by scoring the distal ends 24 of the basket wires 21 . although the description above describes the action of basket wire tension upon a tubular tip member 25 , a similar effect can be produced with other methods of joining the basket wires 21 where the forces acting upon the tip joint 25 exceed the strength of the tip joint 25 without exceeding the strength of the basket wires 21 . for example , if the basket wires 21 are joined by welding , the weld joint 25 can be designed to fail at a load that is less than the load required to cause the basket wires 21 to fail . because welding typically causes a localized reduction in the strength of the welded material , such a tip joint 25 can be readily produced . alternatively , the basket wires 21 may be joined by an adhesive or solder where the mechanical properties of the adhesive or solder material will allow failure of the tip joint 25 at a load that is lower than the failure load of basket wire 21 . alternatively yet , the basket wires 21 may be joined by forming a tip joint 25 around the distal ends 24 of the wires by molding or casting a meltable material such as metal or thermoplastic , or by molding a curable liquid , such as a thermosetting polymer or epoxy around the distal ends 24 of the basket wires 21 . the joining method and materials used are dictated largely by the loading requirements of the medical device 10 . for example , with respect to medical devices intended for simple stone retrieval without lithotripsy , the sheath 12 and retrieval basket 20 are constructed of lighter and more flexible materials to allow easier capture of the stone 50 . because the strength of components comprising such a device is low as compared to devices intended for lithotripsy , the basket wire 21 could be joined at the distal tip joint 25 by adhesive , which would allow release of the stone 50 at a more modest load . fig9 illustrates the design rationale of the medical retrieval device according to the invention including a retrieval basket 20 with a releasable tip joint 25 . curve a illustrates the distribution of basket tip joint 25 failure forces and curve b illustrates the distribution of the failure forces of all other components of the medical retrieval device 10 . the distribution of failure forces for basket tip joint 25 is sufficiently lower than the distribution of failure forces for all other components of device 10 . thus , the probability that the basket tip joint 25 strength exceeds the strength of any other component of the device 10 is exceedingly small . in another aspect of the invention , the medical device 10 , including the retrieval basket 20 according to the invention , is used in a method for removing stones 50 from a body tract . the body tract may be any cavity in the body including but not limited to pancreatic ducts , biliary ducts including the hepatic ducts , cystic duct , and common bile duct , ureter , urethra , urinary bladder and kidney . referring again to fig1 a - 1c and 7 a - 7 d , in this aspect of the invention , in general , an operator inserts the medical device 10 according to the invention including retrieval basket 20 into the working channel of an endoscope with the retrieval basket 20 in the closed position within sheath 12 as illustrated in fig1 a . the medical device 10 alternatively may be passed over a 0 . 035 - inch guidewire , such as a jagwire ™ guidewire , manufactured by boston scientific corporation of natick , mass ., using a sidecar 19 , through the working channel of the endoscope . once the device has accessed the body tract of interest , typically an injection of contrast material is made for fluoroscopic visualization . when the retrieval basket 20 approaches the stone or stones 50 to be captured and fragmented , the traction member 40 is advanced distally ( in the direction away from the operator ) advancing retrieval basket 20 into its expanded configuration where the retrieval basket 20 is no longer restrained by sheath 12 . the retrieval basket 20 assumes its expanded configuration outside the distal end 15 of the sheath 12 . then , the operator maneuvers the expanded retrieval basket 20 around stone 50 until stone 50 passes between the basket wires 21 into the retrieval basket 20 . generally , after a stone 50 is captured in the retrieval basket 20 , the medical retrieval device 10 including the retrieval basket 20 and captured stone 50 is withdrawn through the body tract . if the combination of the stone 50 and retrieval basket 20 is too large to be withdrawn from the body tract , the stone 50 must be reduced in size or released from the basket 20 . to reduce the size of the stone 50 according to the invention , the stone 50 is fragmented by applying traction in the proximal direction to traction member 40 by actuating mechanism 32 forcing basket wires 21 to tighten around stone 50 . the degree of force applied to traction member 40 is increased to generate sufficient tension within basket wires 21 to cause the stone 50 to fragment . if additional tension is required to facilitate lithotripsy , the handle 30 may be attached to an alliance ii ™ inflation system , manufactured by boston scientific corporation of natick , mass ., or to a mechanical lithotripsy system by removing the handle 30 and the sheath 12 , and attaching the traction member 40 to the handle of the lithotripsy system . additional tension may be required when the actuating mechanism 32 in the handle 30 is unable to generate sufficient tension in the basket wires 21 , where , for example , the retrieval basket 20 is in almost collapsed position when the stone 50 is captured because of the small size of the stone 50 . according to the invention , when the tension needed to fragment the stone 50 approaches the force that would cause any component of the device 10 to fail , the tip joint 25 fails first . in some cases , however , the traction member 40 may fail at the distal end 17 of the handle 30 , where , for example , a particular path of the catheter in the patient &# 39 ; s body tract results in an increased friction at the proximal end 9 of the traction member 40 . if the traction member 40 so fails , a mechanical lithotripsy system can be attached to the traction member 40 by removing the handle 30 and the sheath 12 , and attaching the traction member 40 to the handle of the lithotripsy system to provide tension to the basket wires 21 to fragment the stone 50 or achieve the release of the tip joint 25 when the tension needed to fragment the stone 50 approaches the force that would cause any component of the medical device 10 to fail . according to one embodiment of the invention , the tip joint 25 fails when the distal ends 24 of basket wires 21 are freed by releasing tubular tip member 25 as illustrated in fig7 c - 7d . as the operator applies traction in the proximal direction on the traction member 40 , the tubular tip member 25 is released from the distal ends 24 of the basket wires 21 when the force applied to the basket wires 21 through the traction member 40 is less than the force required to cause the basket wires 21 to break , but great enough to cause tubular tip member 25 to deform thereby allowing basket wires 21 to slide out of tubular tip member 25 . in one embodiment of the invention , the force required to cause tip member 25 to be released from the distal ends 24 of the basket wires 21 is in the range of about 20 to 50 pounds at the basket tip . it will be apparent to those skilled in the art of medical stone retrieval that various modifications and variations can be made to the above - described structure and methodology without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention . | 0 |
the preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings . identical elements in the various figures are identified with the same reference numerals . reference will now be made in detail to each embodiment of the present invention . such embodiments are provided by way of explanation of the present invention , which is not intended to be limited thereto . in fact , those of ordinary skill in the art may appreciate upon reading the present specification and viewing the present drawings that various modifications and variations can be made thereto . referring now to fig1 a and 1b , there is a length of material 100 in the form of a section of an article of clothing or garment . the length of material has a first longitudinal edge 102 and a second longitudinal edge 104 . a button strip or area 108 is provided down the middle of the length of material 100 . the button strip 108 has a number of buttons 110 attached thereto . on one end of the length of material 100 there is a collar structure 106 attached thereto . the collar structure 106 may be removable from the length of material 100 and further has a plurality of fastening mechanisms 112 attached thereto . on one side of the length of material 100 , there are a plurality of fastening mechanisms 112 disposed thereon as shown in fig1 b . these fastening mechanisms 112 may take a variety of forms including hooks , zippers , snaps , buttons , hook and loop fasteners , and the like or any combination thereof . the fastening mechanism 112 enables the length of material 100 to be coupled to any garment capable of receiving the length of material 100 thereon ( see fig2 ). the length of material 100 may bear any color , style , pattern , insignia , logo , characters and the like or any combination thereof . the horizontal distance , that is , the length from the first longitudinal edge 102 to the second longitudinal edge 104 is sized to cover the distance between the lapels of a suit coat , sport coat , or other similarly situated item ( see fig6 ). this distance may vary depending on the intended usage and the garment to be worn over the garment the length of material is coupled to . fig2 shows a garment 200 adapted to receive a length of material as shown in fig1 a and 1b as well as a cuff structure as shown in fig4 . the garment 200 has a body area 118 to fit around the chest / torso of a person . preferably , the garment has two sleeves 114 , although the sleeves 114 are not imperative for use with the components described herein . on the body area 118 of the garment 200 there are fastening mechanisms 112 . these fastening mechanisms should be complementary to those on the length of material 100 shown in fig1 b . the fastening mechanisms 112 may be disposed on the surface of the garment 200 in a number of orientations and these orientations may be dependent on the orientation of the fastening mechanisms 112 of the length of material . a collar 107 may be present around the neck area 119 of the garment 200 . the collar 107 may be a raised or have a height in relation to the garment 200 to provide a surface for supporting the collar structure 106 as shown in fig4 . alternatively , the collar 107 may be substantially flat and have a number of fastening mechanisms 112 attached thereto . these fastening mechanisms 112 are used to couple the collar 107 to the collar structure 106 ( see fig1 b ). the sleeves 114 terminate in a cuff area 116 . the cuff area 116 may have a fastening mechanism disposed thereon for attachment of a cuff structure 116 as shown in fig3 to be attached thereto . referring now to fig3 , there is an example of a cuff structure 122 adhered to a sleeve 114 of a garment . the cuff structure 122 may have a cuff strip 121 attached thereto . the cuff structure 122 is attached to the garment via a fastening mechanism 112 which may be a hook and loop fastener . the fastening mechanism 112 may be disposed on both the cuff structure 122 and the sleeve 114 of the garment . in some instances , there may be no sleeve for attachment and the cuff structure 122 may need to attach directly to an outer garment . further , buttons 110 enhance the look of the cuff structure 122 lending towards its natural appearance on a typical cuff bearing garment . in fig4 , there is a garment 200 with the length of material 100 and cuff structures 122 attached thereto . the length of material 100 is centrally located on the garment 200 and adhered via a fastening mechanism 112 . the first longitudinal edge 102 and the second longitudinal edge 104 are spaced to provide sufficient space to cover a substantial portion of the garment 200 . a button down area 108 has a number of buttons 110 . the buttons 110 may be functional ( i . e . can be buttoned or unbuttoned ) to increase the versatility of the length of material 100 . alternatively , the buttons 110 may be merely decorative . a partial pocket 120 may appear on part of the length of material 100 to present the illusion of a pocket 120 . the pocket 120 may be removable . the collar structure 106 is positioned at one end of the length of material and may be attached via a fastening mechanism or may be integral with the length of material . referring now to fig5 and 6 , there are two examples of how the length of material 100 may be adhered to a garment 200 and worn under an outer garment 300 . alternatively , as shown , the garment 200 and the length of material 100 may be permanently adhered to one another and require no fastening mechanism as described in fig4 . in each instance , the length of material 100 is partially obscured by the outer garment 300 . since the length of material 100 is partially obscured by the outer garment 300 , the dimensions of the length of material 100 can vary . in fig5 , for example , the length of material 100 is partially exposed by the unzipped area 128 . this exposes only the roughly top third of the length of material 100 . the first longitudinal edge 102 and the second longitudinal edge 104 are obscured by the outer garment 300 . as such , the length of material 100 may have a bottom edge 124 a that extends down to the waist area of a wearer or may have a bottom edge 124 b as denoted . this further decreases the amount of fabric or fastening mechanism required for a particular style . in this case , the first longitudinal edge 102 and the second longitudinal edge 104 are permanently coupled to the garment 200 . this coupling may be done with stitching , glues and other permanent adhesives , and the like or any combination thereof . in such an embodiment , the collar 106 may also be permanently coupled to the length of material 100 . a tie 126 may be worn with the ensemble and positioned around the collar structure 106 . the tie 126 may be a full length tie or may be shortened in conjunction with the length of material 100 . the actual length of the tie 126 can vary , the determinative measure for the length of the tie is to be the amount ( length ) of the tie that is to be exposed . as the outer garment 300 , is a zip up sweater style of clothing , less of the length of material 100 and any associated structures are seen . in fig6 , the outer garment 300 takes the form of what may be commonly referred to as a sport coat or suit coat . the first longitudinal edge 102 and the second longitudinal edge 104 are shown in a dashed format underneath the outer garment 300 . there should be some distance of the garment 200 covered by the length of material 100 in excess in relation to the outer garment 300 . this prevents inadvertent shifting of the outer garment 300 thereby exposing the garment 200 rather than the length of material 100 . the button area 108 and buttons 110 lend credence to the actual wearing of a button down or similarly situated shirt underneath the outer garment 300 when in reality there is only the length of material 100 primarily defined by the first longitudinal edge 102 and the second longitudinal edge 104 . additionally , in this configuration the cuff structures 122 are visible . the cuff structures 122 , being removable , may be worn or removed with any particular style of clothing being worn at any particular time . as such , the cuff structures 122 are not being worn in fig5 , but are prominent in fig6 . the cuff structures 122 may also be permanently coupled to the garment 200 in the manner described above pertaining to the length of material 100 . while this does provide for some decreased flexibility in mixing and matching of items , it does prevent the separation of items ( i . e . cuff from garment ) during the course of use . the outer garment 300 has been shown for exemplary purposes only , and any number , type , size , and so forth of garment may be worn in conjunction with the present invention . the length of material 100 , collar structure 106 , and cuff structures 122 may generally comprise any number of textiles including woven or unwoven fabric , cloth , terrycloth , woven or woven fibers of wool , flax , cotton , and / or yarn , mineral textiles , and synthetic textile including but not limited to nylon , polyester , and / or acrylic , or any combinations thereof . the material may be the same or different between the individual components of the present invention and further so when paired with other articles of clothing to create an ensemble or particular fashion statement . as noted , there may be other items to be included within the scope of this invention to further complete a particular appearance including ties , tie tacks , cuff links , buttons , snaps , clips , and the like or any combination thereof . further , any of the above is not relegated to formal wear , but may comprise any article ( s ) of clothing employing the concepts described herein . for example , if a particular garment 200 is worn with a suit coat the appearance is different than if it is worn with a sweater . it may be practical to have a long sleeve t - shirt and have a light jacket or windbreaker that fits over the long sleeve t - shirt . the possibilities are virtually innumerable . although this invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity , it is to be understood that the present disclosure has been made only by way of illustration and that numerous changes in the details of construction and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention . | 0 |
fig1 is a sectional view illustrating a first embodiment of the present invention . numeral 30 denotes a case body internally accommodating a watch display section and having an outwardly facing annular step 30a formed at a lower portion thereof . numeral 32 denotes a back cover fitted into a lower opening 30b of the case body 30 by being screwed into the opening 30b . numeral 34 denotes a retaining ring having a mounting portion 34c clamped between the step 30a of case body 30 and a peripheral portion 32a of the back cover 32 . the outer circumferential portion of the retaning ring 34 is provided with a outwardly facing annular step 34a . numeral 36 denotes a ring - shaped band attaching base having a band 38 attached thereto . the band attaching base 36 has an engaging portion 36a formed on an inner circumferential side thereof and rotatably sandwiched between the step 34a of the retaining ring 34 and a horizontal surface 30c of the case body 30 . the band attaching base 36 also has an annular groove 36b formed at an inner circumferential surface 36c thereof . numeral 40 denotes a polygonal spring as shown in fig2 . the polygonal spring 40 is disposed in the annular groove 36b and comes in contact with a vertical surface 34b of the step 34a and an inner surface of the annular recess 36b . numeral 42 denotes a packing compressed by the case body 30 , back cover 32 and retaining ring 34 , thereby improving the watertightness of the interior of the watch case . when the user holds the case body 30 and rotates that , the back cover 32 and retaining ring 34 are rotated together with the case body 30 . then , the rotation of the retaining ring 34 is suppressed and controlled by the spring 40 stretching between the retaining ring 34 and band attaching base 36 . in this embodiment , the case body 30 and band attaching base 36 are fitted together in a freely rotatable manner by the retaining ring 34 . this makes it possible to simplify the structure of the back cover 32 and to employ a back cover which is commonly used . fig3 shows a modification of the structure shown in fig1 . like elements corresponding to those of fig1 are indicated by like numerals . in this modification , the case body 30 has an annular groove 30d formed at the horizontal surface 30c of the step 30a , and also an annular groove 34c is provided with the vertical surface 34b of the retaining ring 34 together with omitting the annular groove 36b of the band attaching base 36 . further , packings 44 ans 46 are employed . the packing 44 is received in the annular groove 30d of the case body 30 and is compressed between the case body 30 and an upper surface 34d of the retaining ring 34 . the packing 46 is received in the annular groove 34c of the retaining ring 34 and is compressed betweeen the retaining ring 34 and the inner circumferential surface 36c of the band attaching base 36 . in this modification , the packing 44 produces a large frictional force between the case body 30 and retaining ring 34 , thereby acting substantially integrate the case body 30 and retaining ring 34 . further , a frictional force is produced between the packing 46 and band attaching base 36 , so that the packing 46 acts to suitably suppress rotation . it is of course possible to use the polygonal spring 40 in place of the packing 46 . furthermore , besides using an o - ring such as shown in fig3 as the packing 46 , it is able to use a packing having a bead - shaped or c - shaped cross section , as shown in fig4 and 5 , respectively . in the present modification , the rotation of the case body 30 is controlled by the packing 46 which is provided on the side of the rotating ring 36 . fig6 is a sectional view illustrating a second embodiment of the present invention . numeral 50 denotes a case body the lower circumferential porti on of which is provided with a step 50a having a vertical surface 50b provided with an annular groove 50c . the case body 50 also has an annular recess 50d formed at the lower surface thereof and has an inwardly facing step 50e formed on its lower , inner circumference . numeral 52 denotes a back cover fitted into a lower opening 50f of the case body 50 as being screwed into the opening . numeral 54 denotes a retaining ring of generally z - shaped cross section suitable for the annular recess 50d of case body 50 and having a mounting portion 54a fixedly clamped between the peripheral portion 52a of back cover 52 and the case body 50 and having an engaging portion 54b projecting below the step 50a of case body 50 . numeral 56 denotes a ring - shaped band attaching base having a band 58 attached thereto . the band attaching base 56 has an engaging portion 56a fitted into the step 50a of case body 50 and sandwiched between a horizontal surface 50g of the case body 50 and the engaging portion 54b of retaining ring 54 , whereby the band attaching base 56 is rotatably attached to the case body 50 . numeral 60 , 62 designate packings . the packing 60 is received in the step 50e of case body 50 and is compressed between the case body 50 and the peripheral portion 52a of back cover 52 to assure the waterproof property of the interior of the case . the packing 62 is received in the annular groove 50c of case body 50 and acts to produce a suitable frictional force between the case body 50 and the inner circumferential surface 56b of the band attaching base 56 . as shown in fig7 the step 50e of case body 50 may be modified into a surface 50h continuous with the recess 50d , and the packing 60 may be so arranged as to be compressed by the surface 50h , the peripheral portion 52a of the back cover 52 and the inner circumferential surfaace 54c of the retaining ring 54 . it is also possible to use the polygonal spring 40 in place of the packing 46 . the case body 50 of the present embodiment is also attached as illustrated in the foregoing arrangement so as to be freely rotatable with respect to the band attached base 56 . rotation of the case body 50 is controlled by the packing 62 which is provided on the side of the case body 50 . fig8 is a sectional view illustrating a third embodiment of the present invention . numeral 70 denotes a case body having an outwardly facing first annular step 70a provided at the lower circumferential portion . the case body 70 also has an outwardly facing second annular step 70c underlying the step 70a , and a screw hole 70e is formed at the horizontal surface 70d of the second annular step 70c . the lower circumferential portion of the case body 70 is also provided with an inwardly facing third annular step 70f . numeral 72 denotes a back cover fitted into a lower opening of the case body 70 with its peripheral portion 72a compressing a packing 80 received in the step 70f of the case body 70 . numeral 74 designates a retaining ring of generally l - shaped cross section having an outwardly facing step 74a formed at the lower part of the outer circumference thereof . the step 74a has a vertical surface 74b provided with an annular groove 74c accommodating a packing 82 . the retaining ring 74 also has an engaging portion 74d in contact with the horizontal surface 70d of the case body 70 . the engaging portion 74d has a through - hole 74e formed at a position corresponding to the screw hole 70e of case body 70 . numeral 76 denotes a ring - shaped band attaching base having a band 78 attached thereto . an engaging portion 76a thereof is clamped between the horizontal surface 70b of case body 70 and the step 74a of retaining ring 74 , whereby the band attaching base 76 is attached to the case body 70 in such a manner that the packing 82 is pressured by an inner circumferential surface 76b of the band attaching base 76 . numeral 84 denotes a screw that is screwed into the screw hole 70e of the case body 70 via the through - hole 74e of retaininf ring 74 . since the retaining ring 74 in the present embodiment is attached to the case body 70 by the screw 84 , the arrangement is such that the case body 70 can be detached from the band attaching base 76 without removing the back cover 72 . fig9 is a plan view of a band attaching base according to a modification of each of above - mentioned embodiments of the present invention , and fig1 is a bottom view of a case body according to this modification , with like parts bearing the same reference numerals as those used in fig1 . the present modification includes adding a click groove structure to the case body rotating structure such as structures shown in fig1 to 8 . accordingly , the modification based on the first embodiment shown in fig1 is only described as an example . the band attaching base 36 illustrated in fig9 has a generally ring - shaped configuration and is provided with band attaching portions 36d , 36e at the 12 : 00 and 6 : 00 positions , respectively . the case body 30 shown in fig1 also has a ring - shaped configuration . the band attaching base 36 and case body 30 are fitted together by the retaining ring 34 , described above , so as to be freely rotatable . the band attaching base 36 has an upper surface 36f which opposes the case body 30 when the band attaching base 36 and case body 30 are fitted together . the band attaching base 36 also has a plurality of radially extending click grooves 36g and a rotation limiting groove 36h provided at the 12 : 00 and 6 : 00 positions , respectively , and formed along the contour of the band attaching base 36 . as shown in fig9 the click grooves 36g and rotation limiting groove 36h are provided over a range extendig 30 ° to either side of the 12 : 00 position and 6 : 00 position . a pivot 90 and a pin 92 are implanted in the lower surface 30f of the case body 30 opposing the band attaching base 36 and fitted into the click grooves 36g and rotation limiting 36h of the band attaching base 36 when the case body 30 and band attaching base 36 are assembled . fig1 and 12 are partial sectional views illustrating the 12 : 00 position 6 : 00 position , respectively , when the band attaching base 36 and case body 30 are fitted together . a hole 30e which opens to the side of the lower surface 30c is provided in the case body 30 . the pivot 90 is press - fitted into the hole 30e . the pivot 90 is composed of a pipe 90a , a spring 90b accommodated in the pipe 90a , and a ball 90c pushed by the spring 90b . the ball 90c projects from the opening of the hole 30e in case body 30 . accordingly , when the case body 30 is rotated , the ball 90c pushed by the spring 90b falls into the click grooves 36g and rises up pn the surface 36f of the band attaching base 36 to produce the feeling of a click operation . as shown in fig1 , a hole 30f opening to the side of the lower surface 30c is provided in the case body 30 at the 6 : 00 position . the pin 92 is pressfitted into the hole 30f and projects into the rotation limiting groove 36h provided in the band attaching base 36 . when the case body 30 is rotated and the angle of rotation reaches a limit value , the pin 92 comes into abutting contact with the edge of the rotation limiting groove 36h at one end thereof . in this modification , it is possible to set the case body to the optimum position very easily during the driving of a vehicle or the like without visually confirming position . furthermore , the region in the vicinity of the band attaching portions of the band attaching base is only utilized for providig the click groove , thus it is possible to reduce a thickness of the portion other than the band attaching portions . fig1 is a plan view of the band attaching base according to another modification of at least first embodiment , and fig1 is a bottom view of a case body according to this modification . like elements corresponding to those of fig9 and 10 are indicated by like numerals . as in the above - mentioned modification , the band attaching base 30 shown in fig1 has band attaching portions 36d , 36e and click grooves 36g . a rotation limiting groove 36i , which acts in the same manner as the rotation limiting groove 36h shown in fig9 is provided along the periphery of the click grooves 36g of the present modification and is shallower in depth than the click grooves 36g . a case body 30 shown in fig1 is provided only with a pivot 90 at the 12 : 00 position . as shown in fig1 , in this modification , the ball 90c and the end portion of the pipe 90a project from the opening of the hole 30e . as a result , when the case body 30 is rotated , the ball 90c falls into the click grooves 36g of the band attaching base 36 and rises up onto the floor surface of the rotation limiting groove 36i to produce the feeling of a click operation . when the angle of rotation of case body 30 reaches a limit value , the end portion of pipe 90a of pivot 90 projecting from the hole 30e comes into abutting contact with the edge of the rotation limiting groove 36i , thereby limiting rotation . fig1 is a partial sectional view illustrating still another modification of at least first embodiment shown in fig1 . in this modification , a surface such as an outer circumferential surface 30g or lower surface 30h of a case body 30 that opposes a band attaching base 36 is provided with click grooves 30i that extend over an angle of rotation having a maximum value of 60 °. further , a rotation limiting groove is formed on the outer circumferential surface 30g or lower surface 30h , just as in above - mentioned modifications . in this modification , the pivot 90 is press - fitted into a hole 36j formed in the band attaching base 36 . then , the feeling of a click operation is produced by the pivot 90 . according to all of the above - mentioned embodiments , it is possible to employ a back cover which is used for the other watch case . therefore , it is possible to employ a specific back cover as described hereinbelow . fig1 is a sectional view illustrating a back cover which can be used for the structure of the present invention . a back cover body 100 has an upper surface 100a to which a piezoelectric element 102 is affixed to provide the back cover with a piezoelectric buzzer function . the back cover body 100 also has a recess 100b formed on a lower surface thereof . a sound diaphragm 104 made of metal and having a sounf emitting hole 104a is attached to the back cover body 100 by being press - fitted into the back cover so as to cover the recess 100b . it is possible to attach the sound diaphragm 104 to the back cover by bonding , brazing or welding . fig1 showa the sound diaphragm 110 attached via a waterproof packing 112 to the back cover body 106 having the piezoelectric element 108 affixed thereto . accordig to the present invention , the case body and band attaching base are fitted together in a freely rotatable manner by the retaining ring . this makes it possible to simplify the structure of the back cover and to employ a back cover which is used for the other watch case . in addition , the retaining ring can also be mounted on a band attaching base having different specifications merely by modifying the retaining rig without altering the case body or back cover . | 6 |
this invention is useful in a multiprocessor integrated circuit such as illustrated in fig1 . example multiprocessor integrated circuit 100 includes : six central processing units 111 , 112 , 113 , 114 , 115 and 116 ; a shared memory controller 120 including six local shared memory controllers 121 , 122 , 123 , 124 , 125 and 126 connected to corresponding central processing units and central shared memory controller 129 ; and shared memory 130 including separately energizable memory banks 131 , 132 , 133 and 134 . multiprocessor integrated circuit 100 includes plural central processing units sharing a common memory . note number of central processing units and memory bank shown in fig1 is exemplary only . this architecture creates problems solved by this invention . each of the central processing units 111 to 116 is a stand - alone programmable data processor . in the preferred embodiment these have the same instruction set architecture ( isa ). this is known as homogenous multiprocessing . however , this invention is also applicable to heterogeneous multiprocessing in which the central processing unit employ two or more isas . each central processor preferably includes a processing core for data processing operations , a data register file for temporary storage of operand data and results data and instruction and data cache . each central processing unit operates under its own program . each central processing unit uses shared memory controller 120 to access programs and data in shared memory 130 . shared memory controller ( smc ) 120 interfaces central processing units 111 , 112 , 113 , 114 , 115 and 116 to shared memory 130 . in the preferred embodiment shared memory 130 is at the same level in the memory hierarchy as second level ( l2 ) cache in central processing units 111 , 112 , 113 , 114 , 115 and 116 . smc 120 includes : local smc ( lsmc ) and central smc ( csmc ). this partition is done to keep the gem specific logic in the lsmc and the memory bank specific logic in the csmc . fig2 illustrates an exemplary local shared memory controller 121 . lsmc 121 includes : request manager 201 ; read controller 202 ; prefetch access generation logic ( pagl ) 203 ; request pending table 204 ; prefetch buffers 205 ; lsmc buffer 206 ; write controller 207 ; power down controller 208 ; and read datapath 209 . request manager 201 interfaces with the corresponding cpu interface . request manager 201 decodes the requests from cpu 111 and controls the different blocks with in lsmc 121 . request manager 201 handles the lookup of the prefetch buffers and figures out if a cpu 111 access hits or misses the prefetch buffers . request manager 201 generates a system cready signal taking individual components of cready from read controller 202 and write controller 209 . request manager 210 controls read datapath 209 to cpu 111 . request manager 121 submits the read requests and prefetch requests to csmc 129 . read controller 202 manages all the read requests that go to memory banks 131 , 132 , 133 and 134 . read controller 202 contains per bank state machines that submit read requests to csmc 129 . read controller 202 contains logic to stall cpu 111 using the cready signal . prefetch access generation logic 203 generates the prefetch requests to csmc 129 to fill prefetch buffers 205 . pagl 203 calculates the addresses to be prefetched based on the type of access by cpu 111 . request manager 201 controls pagl 203 when killing or aborting a prefetch request . request pending table 204 maintains the status of access requests and prefetch requests . request pending table 204 splits incoming acknowledge signals from csmc 129 for requests sent from lsmc 121 into real access and prefetch acknowledgments . real access acknowledgments are routed to cpu 111 and read controller 202 . prefetch acknowledgments are routed to prefetch buffers 205 . request pending table 204 includes a number of entries direct mapping the number of logical memory banks 131 , 132 , 133 and 134 . prefetch buffers 205 include data buffers with each logical memory bank 131 , 132 , 133 and 134 . thus the preferred embodiment includes four data buffers . prefetch buffers 205 store prefetched data and address tags . whenever a stored address tag matches the address of an access on the cpu interface and the prefetch data is valid , this data is directly forwarded from prefetch buffers 205 to cpu 111 without fetching from memory . lsmc buffer 206 is a per - cpu command register which buffers the address and control signals on every access from the cpu . in the case of a write access , lsmc buffer 206 also buffers the write data . write controller 207 handles write requests from cpu 111 . writes use a token - based protocol . csmc 129 has 4 per - bank write buffers . writes from all cpus arbitrate for a write token to write into the per - bank write buffers . write controller 207 handles the token request interface with csmc 129 . power down controller 208 with its counterpart in csmc 129 . whenever the csmc 129 power down controller requests a sleep or wakeup , power down controller 208 ensures that lsmc 121 is in a clean state before allowing the csmc 129 power down controller to proceed . read datapath 209 receives control signals from request manager 201 corresponding to the type of access . read datapath 209 multiplexes data from either prefetch buffer 205 or the memory data from csmc 129 which is registered and forwarded to cpu 111 . central shared memory controller ( csmc ) 129 includes : request manager 301 ; arbiter 302 ; write buffer manager 303 ; datapath 304 ; register interface 305 ; and power down controller 306 . request manager 301 receives requests from all cpus 111 to 116 . request manager 301 submits these requests to a corresponding per - bank arbiter . request manager 310 generates the memory control signals based on the signals from the cpu which won the arbitration . request manager 301 contains the atomic access monitors which manage atomic operations initiated by a cpu . arbiter 302 is a least recently used ( lru ) based arbiter . arbiter 302 arbitrates among requests from all six cpus for each memory bank 131 , 132 , 133 and 134 . arbitration uses the following priority . write requests have the highest priority . only one write request will be pending to any particular bank at a time . real read requests have the next lower priority . a real read request is selected only if there are no pending write requests from any cpu . prefetch requests have the lowest priority . prefetch requests are selected only if there are no write requests or real read requests from any cpu . among cpus requesting access at the same priority level , arbiter 302 implements a standard lru scheme . arbiter 302 has a 6 bit queue with one entry per cpu in each queue . the head of the queue is always the lru . if the requester is the lru , then it automatically wins the arbitration . if the requester is not the lru , then the next in the queue is checked and so on . the winner of a current arbitration is pushed to the end of the queue becoming the most recently used . all other queue entries are pushed up accordingly . write buffer manager 303 contains per - bank write buffers . write buffer manager 303 interfaces with the token requests from a write controller 207 of one of the lsmcs 121 to 126 . token arbitration uses a lru scheme . each per - bank write buffer of write buffer manager includes six finite state machines , one for each cpu . these finite state machines control generation of token requests to arbiter 302 . write buffer manager 303 registers and forwards the token grant from arbiter 302 to the corresponding cpu . upon receiving the token grant the cpu has control of the per - bank write buffer and proceeds with the write . datapath 304 multiplexes between data from different memory pages and forwards data to the lsmc of the cpu which won the arbitration . register interface 305 supports a vbusp interface through which software can program several registers . these registers control the operation of shared memory controller 120 . signals are exported from the register interface to different blocks in lsmcs 121 , 122 , 123 , 124 , 125 and 126 and csmc 129 . power down controller 306 interfaces with the programmable registers through which software can request a sleep mode or wakeup of memory banks 131 , 132 , 133 and 134 . power down controller 306 interfaces with the power down controller 208 of each lsmc 121 , 122 , 123 , 124 , 125 and 126 , and memory wrappers to put the memory banks 131 , 132 , 1332 and 134 into sleep mode and wakeup . fig4 illustrates in block diagram form the circuits of an implementation of this invention . in fig4 circuits to the left of the dashed line are in a corresponding lsmc . circuits to the right of the dashed line are in csmc 129 . pending prefetch address register 401 stores the access address of a pending prefetch . comparator 402 compares this pending prefetch address with the address of a cpu read access request . comparator 402 generates a match signal if the addresses are identical . upgrade prefetch to read request block 403 recognizes a match signal and signals csmc 129 for the corresponding memory bank to upgrade the prefetch request to a read request . as noted above read requests have higher priority in arbitration than prefetch requests . this upgrade thus typically decreases the time to win arbitration and be granted access . this is advantageous over the two techniques of the prior art . ignoring real request results in delay because the prefetch has a lower priority than the read request . terminating the prefetch request and issuing a new real request to the per - memory bank logic does not take advantage of any progress already made by the prefetch request . upgrading the prefetch request as in this invention reduces the delay for arbitration grant and takes advantage of any progress of the prefetch . | 8 |
unless defined otherwise , all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the disclosure belongs . although any methods and materials similar to or equivalent to those described herein may be used in the practice or testing of the present disclosure , example methods and materials are described below . example embodiments of a batter &# 39 ; s eye apparatus 100 of the present disclosure is shown in fig1 - 7 . in various embodiments , batter &# 39 ; s eye apparatus 100 includes a screen , sheet or panel 110 and at least one support beam 120 . in various embodiments , support beam 120 includes a flange 125 . in various embodiments , batter &# 39 ; s eye apparatus 100 includes a first or upper batten 130 and a second or lower batten 140 . in various embodiments , batter &# 39 ; s eye apparatus 100 includes one or more intermediate battens 150 , provided between first batten 130 and second batten 140 ( e . g ., in a spaced relationship ). in various embodiments , first batten 130 , second batten 140 and / or any intermediate battens 150 are provided in batten channels , rings , pockets , or other batten apertures 160 defined by or otherwise coupled to panel 110 . in various embodiments , first batten 130 , second batten 140 , and / or intermediate battens 150 reside or are provided within batten apertures 160 formed in and / or part of panel 110 . in various embodiments , and as shown in the drawings , one or more batten apertures 160 are spaced ( e . g ., vertically ) from about a head edge 162 of panel 110 to about a foot edge 164 of panel 110 . while first batten 130 , second batten 140 , and two intermediate battens 150 in batten apertures 160 are shown in fig1 , it should be appreciated , that any number of the battens and / or batten apertures may be utilized within the spirit and scope of the disclosure . for example , and as shown in fig2 , batter &# 39 ; s eye 100 may include first batten 130 , second batten 140 , and more than two ( e . g ., four ) intermediate battens 150 , and corresponding batten apertures 160 . in addition , while the battens and batten apertures are shown as being continuous , the battens and / or batten apertures may be discontinuous or unconnected . in various embodiments , first batten 130 and second batten 140 are releasably , slidably or otherwise operatively coupled to support beam 120 by at least a first batten car or member 170 and a second batten car or member 180 , respectively . in various embodiments , intermediate battens 150 are releasably , slidably or otherwise operatively coupled to support beam 120 by intermediate batten cars or members 190 . in various embodiments , intermediate batten cars 190 are coupled , connected , or otherwise operatively coupled , to first batten car 170 , for example , by panel 110 and / or other member such as a cable . in various embodiments , first , second , and / or intermediate batten cars 170 / 180 / 190 are adapted and / or configured to releasably or slidebly grip a face portion , section and / or flange 125 of support beam 120 . fig4 - 6 help illustrate how , in various embodiments , first , second , and / or intermediate batten cars 170 / 180 / 190 slideably or releasedly engages flange 125 of support beam 120 . for example , in various embodiments , a multi - piece batten stack 200 is fastened or otherwise coupled ( e . g ., bolted ) into a car tube or cross tube 210 and cross tube 210 is fastened or otherwise coupled ( e . g ., bolted ) to glide blocks 220 that are adapted to receive flange 125 of support beam 120 . referring more specifically to fig6 - 7 , in various embodiments , a portion or section of support beam 120 or flange 125 includes or defines one or more notches , slots , or recesses 230 to allow first , second , and / or intermediate batten cars 170 / 180 / 190 to be provided or fed onto support beam 120 and / or removed or disengaged ( e . g ., for seasonal storage ) from support beam 120 , as desired . in various embodiments , a down haul member or bracket 240 is coupled or operatively coupled to flange 125 and second batten car 180 on other components of batter &# 39 ; s eye apparatus 100 ( e . g ., by a chain or linkage 250 ). in various embodiments , one or more removable or moveable pins 260 are provided above one or more notches , slots , or recesses 230 to help prevent a batten car ( e . g ., second batten car 180 ) from dropping to or into slot 230 , unless so desired . in various embodiments , batter &# 39 ; s eye apparatus 100 includes a lifting system 270 . in various embodiments , batter &# 39 ; s eye apparatus 100 includes a winch - operated lifting system 270 . in various embodiments , lifting system 270 and batter &# 39 ; s eye apparatus 100 includes a halyard 280 coupled or operatively coupled to a winch 290 . it should be appreciated that the lifting system and / or the winch may be motorized and / or manually operated . in various embodiments , halyard 280 is coupled or operatively coupled to one or more batten cars ( e . g ., first batten car 170 ). in various embodiments , halyard 280 runs above , to , or near a top or first end of support beam 120 and across two or guide blocks or members 300 . in various embodiments , halyard 280 is coupled or operatively coupled , for example , by way of a shackle 310 , to first batten car 170 . the halyard may also be coupled or operatively coupled to second batten car 180 and any intermediate batten cars 190 . in various embodiments , panel 110 is made of fabric . the panel may be a continuous material or pieced ( e . g ., stitched ) together . in various embodiments , panel 110 is made of a sewn fabric rectangle . while the panel may be made of any type of fabric , in various embodiments , panel 110 is made out of 100 % woven polypropylene . it should be appreciated that while the fabric count of the fabric may be within any suitable ranges for the purpose of the disclosure , an example fabric count is 60 warp by 50 fill . while a variety of fabric visibility blockage may work satisfactorily in connection with the present disclosure , in various embodiments , the fabric utilized has a visibility blockage of approximately 94 %. while the fabric of the panel may be any suitable thickness , in various embodiments , the thickness of the fabric of panel 110 is approximately 20 mil , based upon astm d - 17777 . while various fabric weights may be utilized in connection with this present disclosure , in various embodiments , the weight of the fabric of panel 110 is approximately 7 . 7 ounces per yard squared , based upon astm d - 3776 - 85 . while the fabric utilized by the present invention may be of any suitable tensile strength , in various embodiments , the warp tensile strength of the fabric is approximately 445 pounds , and the fill tensile strength of the fabric is approximately 375 pounds , based upon astm d - 5034 . in various embodiments , first batten 130 , second batten 140 and / or intermediate battens 150 are made of a flexible or resilient material . in various embodiments , first , second and / or intermediate battens 130 / 140 / 150 are made of fiberglass . it should be appreciated , however , that the battens may be made of any suitable material . the halyard may also be made any suitable material including metal or fabric , and may take a variety of forms including a line , a rope , a cable , etc . the support beam may be made of any suitable metal or other material . in various embodiments , support beam 120 is made of a structural steel alloy such as astm 992 steel . in various embodiments , the material of support beam 120 is finished with a primer such as sherwin williams ease - 00025 zinc - rich primer and a powder coat such as sherwin williams fbs6 - c2476 black . it should be appreciated , however , that any suitable finish and / or powdered coat may be utilized within this period of scope of the disclosure . in various embodiments , and referring more specifically to fig1 - 2 , support beam 120 is or is adapted to be provided in a footing 320 ( e . g ., an in - ground footing ). the dimensions and / or placement of the footing may depend at least in part on batter &# 39 ; s eye apparatus size and soil conditions , including local soil load - bearing values . by way of example , the footing for a 20 - foot tall batter &# 39 ; s eye apparatus may have a nominal depth of approximately seven feet six inches ( 7 ′ 6 ″) and a nominal diameter of approximately twenty - four inches . the footing for a 30 - foot tall batter &# 39 ; s eye apparatus may have a nominal depth of approximately ten feet ( 10 ′) and a nominal diameter of approximately twenty - four inches . footing 320 , in various embodiments , is made of 3 , 500 psi minimum concrete . while support beam 120 is shown as extending into footing 320 in a direct - bury method , in various embodiments , the support beam may be made up of multiple pieces , sections , or lengths . for example , the support beam may include multiple sections with mating plates ( e . g ., provided between the footing and the panel ). in various embodiments , the support beam may couple to a base plate anchored into the footing . in various embodiments , and as shown in the figures , support beam 120 is an i - beam , the cross section of which may be based on various factors including the overall height of the beam above the surface of the ground , local wind speed requirements , etc . the support beam can , however , take a variety of cross - sectional shapes including a t - shape , an h - shape , or c - shape , tube - shaped , etc . referring to fig6 , slots 230 in flange 125 of support beam 120 allow first , second , and any intermediate batten cars 170 / 180 / 190 to be inserted and then lifted to engage flange 125 of support beam 120 . slots or notches 230 allow assembled batten / batten cars 170 / 180 / 190 to be fed onto support beam 120 ( e . g ., as head edge 162 of panel 110 is raised ). in various embodiments , in operation , when lifting system 270 and / or winch 290 is operated ( e . g ., in one direction ), halyard 280 lifts or raises first batten car 170 thereby lifting or otherwise carrying first batten 130 and head edge 162 of panel 110 up or along support beam 120 toward end 295 of support beam 120 , or any guide blocks 300 . in various embodiments , halyard 280 lifting or moving first batten car 170 also operatively pulls , raises , carries , or moves second batten car 180 , and / or intermediate batten cars 190 to or toward a desired and / or pre - determined spacing . in various embodiments , any intermediate batten cars 190 and / or second batten car 180 , and the associated battens , help provide downward tension on panel 110 to help smooth , flatten , or otherwise tension panel 110 . once panel 110 is raised , hoisted , or deployed , or all batten cars 170 / 180 / 190 are otherwise engaging support beam 120 above one or more pinholes provided above slots 230 and defined in support beam 120 , one or more car stop pins 260 may be inserted into the pinholes to prevent second batten car 180 from reaching , re - entering , or exiting slots 230 ( e . g ., when panel 110 and / or one or more battens 170 / 180 / 190 are lowered or allowed to move toward slots 230 ). car stop pins 260 are also provided to help the batten cars stack into a lowered and / or storage position as panel 110 and / or one or more battens ( e . g ., first batten 170 ) are lowered or allowed to move toward slots 230 . in various embodiments , reversal of lifting system 270 and / or winch 290 operation may lower at least head edge 162 of panel 110 toward slots 230 and / or the ground . in various embodiments , second batten car 180 drops or is allowed to drop to rest on one or more car stop pins 260 . in various embodiments , one or more intermediate batten cars 190 and / or first batten car 170 may drop or drop to rest on or near an adjacent or other batten car nearer slots 230 . in various embodiments , panel 110 folds , curls , or collapses between various batten cars 170 / 180 / 190 during reversal of lifting system 270 and / or winch 290 operation ( see , e . g ., fig1 ). panel 110 , batten cars 170 / 180 / 190 , and any other assemblies may be removed from support beam 120 by removing one or more car stop pins 260 and allowing each batten car 170 / 180 / 190 to drop to or into slots 230 and otherwise disengage from support beam 120 . referring now to fig8 - 14 , in various embodiments , a first batter &# 39 ; s eye apparatus 330 and a second batter &# 39 ; s eye apparatus 340 ( and / or a third batter &# 39 ; s eye apparatus 350 ) may be used or provided to create a system 360 of batter &# 39 ; s eye apparatus with a collective and / or combined wider or larger visual backdrop area ( e . g ., from a home plate and / or batter &# 39 ; s perspective ). for example , as shown in these figures , first , second , and third batter &# 39 ; s eye apparatus 330 / 340 / 350 may be provided to create the system 360 or a larger batter &# 39 ; s eye or backdrop ( e . g ., from the perspective of the batter or home plate ). it should be appreciated , however , that while first , second , and third three batter &# 39 ; s eye apparatus 330 / 340 / 350 are shown in fig8 - 14 , any number of the batter &# 39 ; s eye apparatus ( such as the five batter &# 39 ; s eye apparatus shown in fig9 ) may be provided or utilized as desired , to create system 360 . in various embodiments , second batter &# 39 ; s eye apparatus 340 ( and / or third batter &# 39 ; s eye apparatus 350 ) are provided in an overlapping and / or staggered position relative to first batter &# 39 ; s eye apparatus 330 ( e . g ., from a plan and front view ). as shown in the figures , first batter &# 39 ; s eye apparatus 330 may be provided in one location , and second and / or third batter &# 39 ; s eye apparatus 340 / 350 may be provided adjacent but partially behind first batter &# 39 ; s eye 330 relative to a batter or home plate , or further from a batter or home plate . in various embodiments , second and / or third batter &# 39 ; s eye apparatus 340 / 350 are set back from first batter &# 39 ; s eye apparatus 330 . such a staggered , overlapped or setback position may allow the panel of each apparatus to move between the panels of the other batter &# 39 ; s eye apparatus of system 330 . in various embodiments , however , the overlap between the panels of first , second , and / or third batter &# 39 ; s eye apparatus 330 / 340 / 350 of system 360 helps allow , as illustrated in fig1 and 14 , movement of the panels , and wind and / or airflow 370 between the panels of first , second , and / or third batter &# 39 ; s eye apparatus 330 / 340 / 350 of system 360 , while reducing the chances or period of time that a visual light seam or hole will develop in the batter &# 39 ; s eye system 360 or backdrop , from the batter &# 39 ; s or home plate perspective that may reduce the effectiveness of system 360 ( e . g ., by making it more difficult for the batter to see a pitched ball , or otherwise create a distraction for the batter ). for example , and referring to fig1 , the panels of first , second , and / or third batter &# 39 ; s eye apparatus 330 / 340 / 350 may be able to adjust , move , re - shape , re - orient , etc ., from first illustrative panel position and orientation 110 a , to a second illustration panel position and orientation 110 b , to a third illustrative panel position and orientation , as well as any multitude of other panel positions , orientations , and combinations thereof , to help allow apparatus 330 / 340 / 350 / and / or system 360 spill or otherwise adjust to wind and airflow 370 . the adjustment , movement , re - shaping and / or re - orientation helps the apparatus and system to tolerate wind loads and / or design maximum gusts . it can also reduce the complexity and cost of a support structure for the batter &# 39 ; s eye and the batter &# 39 ; s eye system as a whole . as utilized herein , the terms “ approximately ,” “ about ,” “ substantially ”, and similar terms are intended to have a broad meaning in harmony with the common and accepted usage by those of ordinary skill in the art to which the subject matter of this disclosure pertains . it should be understood by those of skill in the art who review this disclosure that these terms are intended to allow a description of certain features described and claimed without restricting the scope of these features to the precise numerical ranges provided . accordingly , these terms should be interpreted as indicating that insubstantial or inconsequential modifications or alterations of the subject matter described and claimed are considered to be within the scope of the invention as recited in the appended claims . it should be noted that references to relative positions ( e . g ., “ top ” and “ bottom ”) in this description are merely used to identify various elements as are oriented in the figures . it should be recognized that the orientation of particular components may vary greatly depending on the application in which they are used . for the purpose of this disclosure , the term “ coupled ” means the joining of two members directly or indirectly to one another . such joining may be stationary in nature or moveable in nature . such joining may be achieved with the two members or the two members and any additional intermediate members being integrally formed as a single unitary body with one another or with the two members or the two members and any additional intermediate members being attached to one another . such joining may be permanent in nature or may be removable or releasable in nature . it is also important to note that the construction and arrangement of the system , methods , and devices as shown in the various examples of embodiments is illustrative only . although only a few embodiments have been described in detail in this disclosure , those skilled in the art who review this disclosure will readily appreciate that many modifications are possible ( e . g ., variations in sizes , dimensions , structures , shapes and proportions of the various elements , values of parameters , mounting arrangements , use of materials , colors , orientations , etc .) without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of the subject matter recited . for example , elements shown as integrally formed may be constructed of multiple parts or elements show as multiple parts may be integrally formed , the operation of the interfaces may be reversed or otherwise varied , the length or width of the structures and / or members or connector or other elements of the system may be varied , the nature or number of adjustment positions provided between the elements may be varied ( e . g . by variations in the number of engagement slots or size of the engagement slots or type of engagement ). the order or sequence of any process or method steps may be varied or re - sequenced according to alternative embodiments . other substitutions , modifications , changes and omissions may be made in the design , operating conditions and arrangement of the various examples of embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the present inventions . while this invention has been described in conjunction with the examples of embodiments outlined above , various alternatives , modifications , variations , improvements and / or substantial equivalents , whether known or that are or may be presently foreseen , may become apparent to those having at least ordinary skill in the art . accordingly , the examples of embodiments of the invention , as set forth above , are intended to be illustrative , not limiting . various changes may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention . therefore , the invention is intended to embrace all known or earlier developed alternatives , modifications , variations , improvements and / or substantial equivalents . the technical effects and technical problems in the specification are exemplary and are not limiting . it should be noted that the embodiments described in the specification may have other technical effects and can solve other technical problems . | 0 |
referring now to the figures of the drawing in detail and first , particularly , to fig1 thereof , there is shown a side view of an air mass sensor 10 . the air mass sensor 10 is inserted into an intake line 12 . a main direction of flow of air is indicated by arrow a . one portion of the air mass stream enters a bypass channel of a bypass element 16 by way of an inlet opening ( see fig3 ). in the channel 16 , the air is directed past two sensors 18 and 20 ( fig4 ). the sensors 18 , 20 take the form for example of temperature - dependent resistors with resistance layers , so - called hot - film resistors , for measuring the mass of the air flowing past . the measuring principles for determining an air mass flowing past in the bypass channel 16 are known and do not require further description here . on its upstream facing side the bypass channel 16 is provided with an electronics housing 22 . the housing 22 is connected to the bypass channel 16 , as illustrated in fig3 which is described in detail below . the electronics housing 22 is in turn connected to a connector element 24 . the connector element 24 is inserted into an opening in the line 12 and holds both the electronics housing 22 and also the bypass channel 16 . the connector element 24 is used as an insertion element . [ 0029 ] fig2 shows a perspective view of the connector element 24 in more detail . the connector element 24 has a cover 26 that is provided with an orientation arrow for indicating the main direction of flow . a body 28 of the connector element 24 has a slotted hole 30 containing electrical contacts 32 . a connector terminal 34 leads away from the connector body 28 for forwarding the measurement signals to a non - illustrated engine control unit . the connector body 28 is additionally provided with a temperature sensor 36 . the temperature sensor takes the form of a so - called negative temperature coefficient ( ntc ) temperature sensor . when the measuring device is in the assembled state , the temperature sensor 36 is situated laterally beside the bypass channel 16 and downstream of the electronics housing 22 . as illustrated in fig3 the electronics housing 22 is provided with the contact pins 38 which when inserted establish an electrical connection between evaluation electronics 48 and the connector element 24 . [ 0032 ] fig4 shows the bypass element 16 with its opening 14 for the bypass channel . the bypass channel has a first section for the inflowing air and a second section that is connected to the first section by way of a deflection section . in the area of the deflection section , the first and second sections are separated from one another by a wall 40 . the sensor carriers bearing the sensors 18 and 20 are disposed in the bypass channel . the channel element 16 has a flange 42 running around it , onto which a housing base element 44 is placed . the housing base element 44 is provided with the contact pins 38 . the contact pins 38 project from a pedestal 46 . disposed in the base element 44 is the flat electronics substrate 48 that evaluates the measurement signals from the sensors 18 and 20 and forwards its results by way of the contact pins 38 . mounted onto the base element 44 is a housing cover 50 that is provided laterally with cross - pieces 52 . the cross - pieces 52 are each disposed on longitudinal sides of the housing cover 50 close to the corners . in order to connect the housing element 22 to the channel element 16 , the electronics substrate 48 is inserted into the base element 44 , as described in detail in the following with reference to fig5 . the cover 50 is put in place and the cross - pieces 52 are guided laterally past the base element 44 through recesses 54 . on the flange 42 of the channel element 16 the cross - pieces 52 are connected to the latter for example by an adhesive or welding . the unit formed in this manner is inserted into the connector element 24 and the projection 46 is stuck or welded in the slotted hole 30 . subsequently , an . electrically conducting connection is established between the contact pins 38 and 32 , by soldering for example . [ 0034 ] fig5 illustrates the mounting of the electronics substrate 48 in the base element 44 . the base element 44 has a non - illustrated spray - coated metal insert . a shaped adhesive part 56 with an adhesive on both sides is inserted into the base element 44 . the shaped adhesive part 56 is provided with an opening 58 . in the area of the opening 58 , two solder tags 60 and 62 are provided for each of the sensor elements 18 , 20 . only one of each pair of the two pairs of solder tags 60 , 62 is visible in fig5 . the opening 58 is disposed such that the measuring sensors can be soldered to the solder tags 60 and 62 through the opening . the electronics substrate 48 mounted on the shaped adhesive part 56 seals an opening in the base element 44 and thus also the measuring channel element . [ 0035 ] fig1 additionally shows a drainage recess 64 running crosswise with respect to the direction of flow a which collects any water splashes occurring and drains the water off to the side in order to prevent it entering the inlet opening . | 6 |
now the present invention will be explained in detail by an embodiment thereof illustrated in the attached drawings . in the following description , as an example , an electronic typewriter utilizing a so - called daisy wheel typefont wheel will be explained . fig1 shows the outline of the control circuit for use in the electronic printing apparatus of the present invention , wherein a keyboard 1 for entering characters , numerals and symbols to be printed is composed of a key matrix and is provided with character keys a - z , numerals keys 0 - 9 and other function keys . the signals entered from said keyboard are supplied to a microprocessor ( mpu ) 2 , which controls , through a printer driver 4 , the amount of rotation of the daisy wheel typefont element provided in a printer 5 and the pressure of a printing hammer in order to achieve desired printing . the microprocessor 2 comprises a read - only memory rom storing information for sequential control and a typing style table for converting the information relative to the species of the typefont element 9 to be entered from a typing style sensor 3 into information representing the typing style . the element 9 and sensor 3 are shown in at least one of fig2 a and 2b . the microprocessor 2 also comprises a processing unit for data processing according to the information to be supplied from the read - only memory , registers for storing numerical data , adders for effecting the data processing and a control unit for effecting other controls . in addition to the microprocessor 2 , there is also is provided with a display control system composed of a character generator unit 6 and a display driver 7 , whereby the character information entered from the keyboard 1 and transmitted by the microprocessor 2 is converted into dot information in a character generator of said character generator unit 6 and is displayed through the display driver 7 on a display unit 8 composed for example of a cathode ray tube or a liquid crystal display unit . furthermore the microprocessor 2 is connected to a sensor system provided with a typing style sensor 3 ( fig2 b ) for detecting the species of the typefont element and to cover a switch 14 ( fig3 ) for detecting the opening and closing of a cover that is opened and closed at the exchange of the typefont element as will be explained later . fig2 a and 2b show the daisy wheel typefont element 9 mentioned in the foregoing explanation and the method of element identification by the typing style sensor 3 . as shown in fig2 a the typefont element or unit 9 has a so - called daisy wheel structure in which a circular rim is provided with plural radial spokes made of a flexible material such as plastic material , and a printing type 9 &# 39 ; is integrally provided on the outer end of each of the spokes . on the rim of the typefont element 9 there is adhered a non - reflecting black tape 10 or the like , which is provided with cut - off portions mutually separated by an angle α representing the typing style or species of the typefont element 9 . the angle α and the species of the typefont element may for example be related to each other in a manner shown in the following table 1 : table 1______________________________________angle ( α ) typing style______________________________________ 45 ° pica 90 ° elite135 ° greek characters180 ° italic . .. .. . ______________________________________ in the above - described example the angle α is selected as a multiple of 45 ° corresponding to each typing style , and the cut - off portions are detected , as shown in fig2 b , by a light emitted from a light source 3 &# 39 ; and received by a typing style sensor 3 composed for example of a cds sensor . the above - explained table is stored , in the form of digital information , in the read - only memory of the microprocessor processor 2 , whereby the microprocessor is capable of detecting the species of the typefont element 9 . fig3 shows the structure of the cover switch 14 fig3 is a schematic cross - sectional view of the electronic printing apparatus of the present invention , wherein the keyboard 1 is provided on an inclined upper face positioned at left closer to the operator . beyond the keyboard there is provided a cover 12 which can be opened and closed for exchanging the typefont wheel 9 which is positioned facing a platen 16 , and the cover switch 14 is provided inside the printing apparatus in such a manner as to be actuated by a projection 13 provided at the front end of said cover 12 . in the present embodiment it is assumed that the switch 14 is closed when said cover is closed . the function of the above - described embodiment will now be explained with reference to fig4 . after the start of power supply to the apparatus , the microprocessor 2 reads , in a step s1 , the angle α of the cut - off portions 10 &# 39 ; of the typefont wheel 9 and , in a step s2 , identifies the species of the mounted typefont wheel 9 from the typing style table and supplies the obtained information to the character generator unit 6 . in a step s3 the microprocessor 2 checks the state of the cover switch 14 , and , if it is turned on by the closed cover 12 , enables key entry from the keyboard 1 in a step s5 . in a subsequent step s6 the microprocessor 2 transmits the character information entered by the operator from the keyboard 1 to the character generator unit 6 , which causes the display unit 8 , which may be such as a cathode ray tube , to display the entered characters through the display drier 7 in a typing style such as pica or elite according to the typing style information previously sent from the microprocessor 2 . consequently the operator can easily confirm the species of the mounted typefont element from the display on the display unit 8 . in case step s3 identifies the opened state of the over 12 indicating that the operator is exchanging the typefont element 9 , key entry is not enabled and the program returns to the step s1 after the cover switch 14 is turned on by the closing of the cover 12 in a step s4 . in the foregoing embodiment there is employed a display unit of a high resolving power such as a cathode ray tube , but in the case where a display unit is employed having a lower resolving power , not sufficient for displaying the typing style , such as a liquid crystal display unit , it is also possible to display the typing style of the mounted typefont wheel . this indication may be related to the number of dots displayed as shown in fig5 a and 5b , wherein one dot on the displayed character indicates pica style while two dots on the displayed character indicated elite style . it is also possible , instead of changing the typing style displayed on the display unit , to indicate the typing style in a corner of the display unit or to display the typing style for example by indicator means provided on the keyboard . although the typefont element in the foregoing description is assumed to be of a so - called daisy wheel type , the present invention is naturally applicable also to other types of the typefont elements . as explained in the foregoing , the present invention is featured by detecting means for detecting the species of the mounted typefont element and by changing the typing style or display mode on the display means to indicate the typing style of the mounted typefont element . the electronic printing apparatus of the present invention can therefore reliably inform the operator of the typing style of the mounted typefont element , thereby eliminating erroneous operation or trial printing operation which has been necessary with conventional electronic printing apparatus with interchangeable typefont elements . | 1 |
in determining the operating parameters allowable and desirable for the practice of the present invention for the production of a controlled release fertilizer , it has been found that said method can be operated over a rather wide , but nevertheless critical range of variables . for instance , urea , urea phosphate , ammonium phosphate , potassium chloride , and a variety of commercially prepared blended fertilizers which contain a plethora of fertilizer nutrients have been utilized as fertilizer nutrients . it has been found that urea is the best source for nitrogen due to its ease of extrusion and high nutrient content . when urea is the only fertilizer material dispersed in the matrix , the practice of the instant invention is operable over a range of 10 to 90 percent urea , but preferably over a range of 50 to 80 percent , and is most preferred within a concentration of 75 to 80 percent . likewise , for matrix materials , polymers which include polyethylene , propylene , and polybutene of various molecular weights and different degrees of branching within the polymer structure have been used . it has now been determined that the matrix materials which are preferred in the practice of the instant invention are linear and nonlinear polyethylene of molecular weights ranging from about 3 , 000 to about 18 , 000 . within this operating range , if the molecular weight of the polyethylene is properly selected , it will have only a minimal effect on the final product , but only if the proper proportion thereof is blended with the wax . in this vein and in this range , it has now been discovered that there exists a direct , but inversely proportional relationship , between the molecular weight of the polyethylene and the proportion thereof blended with the wax . for example , potyethylenes of high molecular weight are blended in relatively low proportions with waxes , whereas polyethylenes of low molecular weight are blended in relatively high proportions with waxes . for the matrix wax - polymer blend , it has now been determined that concentrations of polymers from about 8 to 50 percent ( 2 to 12 . 5 percent in the final product ) and more specifically 25 to 40 percent are preferred . since polyethylene is soluble in practically all waxes and oils , essentially all waxes and oils including petroleum , animal , and vegetable sources are suitable for use in combination with polyethylene for the wax - polyethylene matrix material . paraffin wax with a melting point of 110 °- 165 ° f . and slack wax ( a partially refined wax consisting of about 80 to 90 percent paraffin wax and about 10 to 20 percent paraffin oil ) with a melting point of about 100 °- 155 ° f . are preferred for formulating the wax - polyethylene matrix blend . in efforts to utilize waste materials whenever possible , a waste wax derived from die cast molding is ideal for use in conjunction with waste polyethylene from wire stripping . this wax is a high grade wax with a melting point of about 150 ° f . and contains no environmentally hazardous materials . most of this wax is currently being remanded to landfills for disposal . considering the increasing cost of landfills , in addition to the negative environmental impact , the use of this wax in the practice of the present invention will serve both industry and agriculture . the overcoating material may comprise materials from two categories : ( 1 ) blends of polymers dissolved or suspended in waxes or oils , with such blends having melting points ranging from about 80 ° c . to about 130 ° c ., may be heated to their melting point and coated , as by granulating , onto the preformed heterogeneous fertilizer pellets ; practice of the present invention with blends of paraffin wax of 50 to 90 percent , polyethylene of 5 to 25 percent , and hydrocarbon resin of 5 to 25 percent have been found to be best suited for the overcoat material ; ( 2 ) liquids containing polymers may be sprayed onto the preformed heterogeneous fertilizer pellets and the solvent therein evaporated . such liquids may comprise , for example , aqueous solutions of polyester resin and polyvinyl alcohol , aqueous suspensions of polyethylene resins , hexane solutions of vinyl acetate , and ethyl acetate solutions of polystyrene . any of three commonly practiced methods of application can be employed for the overcoat : 1 . the overcoat is applied by hot melt coating a bed of heterogeneous particles , said particles previously formed by incorporating a water - soluble material in a matrix of water - insoluble material , is caused to rotate in a drum or pan and said bed is heated to a temperature slightly above the melting point of the overcoating material . the overcoating material is then added to the bed by means of spraying or pouring and the material mixed until an even distribution of the coating material on the fertilizer pellets is achieved . the bed is then cooled to solidify the coating material and a conditioner is normally added to prevent sticking during the cooling period . 2 . the overcoat is applied by spraying a solvent polymer onto a moving bed of such heterogeneous fertilizer pellets as , for example , in a drum / granulator . heat is applied to the bed during spraying sufficient to dry the spray but not to melt the applied polymer . 3 . the overcoating material , usually a low melting polymer (& lt ; 130 ° c .) or a higher melting polymer dispersed or dissolved in a lower melting wax or oil in such proportion as to result in a material having a melting point below 130 ° c . but above about 80 ° c ., is sprayed directly onto a cascading or fluidized bed of such heterogeneous pelletized material with the temperature of the bed being controlled to achieve hardening of the polymer or wax - polymer upon contact with the heterogeneous pelletized material . for a fertilizer with the added property of having flotation characteristics , ammonium carbonate , ( nh 4 ) 2 co 3 , is added during pellet formation of the heterogeneous material . subsequent heating thereof decomposes the ammonium carbonate into both ( 1 ) ammonia which is absorbed in situ , and ( 2 ) carbon dioxide which forms small bubbles in the product and results in attendant expansion of the material . in the practice of the instant invention , the concentration of the ammonium carbonate , in terms of weight percent normally added , is in the range of 0 . 5 percent to 2 percent , but preferably in the range of 0 . 7 percent to 1 . 3 percent , and ideally at 1 . 0 percent . if it is known ahead of time that the floating fertilizer is to be used for oil spillage on sea water , rather than on fresh water , less expansion of the product is required due to the higher density of the sea water . in this event , 0 . 5 percent ammonium carbonate is adequate for the expansion of the product . a minimum temperature of 65 ° c . is critical for the expansion of the pellet . in the practice of this second principal embodiment of the instant invention , it has been found that the processing temperatures are indeed critical . for example , it has been determined that temperatures below 65 ° c . are inadequate for the decomposition of the ammonium carbonate and temperatures even slightly above 65 ° c . result in a product too soft to contain the small bubbles of carbon dioxide produced by decomposition of the ammonium carbonate . consequently , the processing temperature should be maintained between about 65 ° c . and about 70 ° c . for practice of the third principal embodiment of the instant invention , and in particular in the production of an iron micronutrient containing fertilizer ( and / or soil amendment material ), wherein said particular micronutrient is maintained for substantial periods of time in a form readily available to the growing plant , it has now been found that poultry litter and more specifically , composted chicken litter is ideally suited to substitute for the more conventional , but significantly more expensive , chelating agent . it has now been found that when ferrous sulfate is combined , as by mixing , with the litter and thereafter pelletized , the aggregate release of the iron therefrom was unexpectedly delayed over substantial periods of time . in addition to an unexpectably long period for release , the iron was protected from oxidation and consequently released in the preferred ferrous state . for a more detailed disclosure of such preference for making the iron available in the ferrous state see u . s . pat . no . 5 , 221 , 313 , mortvedt , et al ., jun . 22 , 1993 , the disclosures of which are herewith and hereby incorporated herein by this reference thereto . added benefits derived from the use of the chicken litter , over and above those resulting from the now observed and heretofore unexpectedly chelating characteristics thereof , include gaining from such litter the extra fertilizer values contained therein such as phosphorus , potassium , organic and inorganic nitrogen , but probably the greatest added benefit is derived from the ability to make good use of a heretofore environmentally undesirable waste material . although it appears that almost any source of iron can be incorporated into the new iron containing fertilizer of the instant invention , the use of iron containing waste products such as those from the steel or galvanizing industry are preferred since these materials , which are currently being disposed of by deep well injection or by landfill after pretreatment , are available at very low ( sometime negative ) costs and are quite compatible with practice of the instant process . in order that those skilled in the art may better understand how the present invention can be practiced , the following examples are given by way of illustration only and not necessarily by way of limitation . it should be understood that the examples herein presented were selected for the purpose of illustrating the new and novel process of the instant new invention when practiced with a variety of matrix - formulated materials in combination with various coatings . accordingly , in many , but not all of these examples , virgin polymers or waxes were used in order to determine the full range of material feedstock . accordingly , it should be appreciated that most , if not all of the many waste materials herein referenced could have been substituted for the virgin material . example i illustrates the formulation of a matrix material ( fertilizer dispersed in wax - polymer sealant ). this product , produced from material including a waste polyethylene , had a release profile and release rate typical of currently available materials which are simply not very suitable for use on many crops ( soluble fertilizer nutrient is leached at a relatively constant rate from the formulation following a large initial release ). examples ii and iii illustrate a modification of the matrix formulated material prepared according to example i , wherein was added an outer coating . the selection and use of various outer coatings was for purposes of illustrating various methods and means used for the coatings as well as the different release profiles obtained for each . example iv illustrates the use of a relatively inexpensive by - product polymer and a production - type facility to produce a controlled release material suitable for commercial scale usage . example v illustrates a unique combination of materials and processing used to produce a controlled release fertilizer suitable for use on a commercial scale and which has been modified so that it floats on water . example vi illustrates the production of a material primarily from feedstocks comprised of waste or by - product materials and which has the quite unexpected property of controlled release of certain micronutrients incorporated therein , particularly iron in the preferred ferrous state . example vii illustrates the clear advantage , in the practice of the instant invention , that wax - polymer mixes have over waxes or polymers alone . example viii illustrates the use of both waste wax and waste polymer for the matrix in controlled release formulations of the type taught herein . for the purpose of evaluating such products , some or all of the following nutrient leaching tests were performed : leaching test number 1 : method number 2 . 074 of the aoac ( association of official analytical chemist ) official methods of analysis , 14th ed ., also called the katz test , requires that a 3 - gram sample of the unground fertilizer be leached with 250 ml of water over a period of 2 hours . the water - insoluble nitrogen ( win ) in the material is expressed as a percent of the total nitrogen . water - soluble nitrogen is calculated as the difference between the total nitrogen and the water - insoluble nitrogen . most u . s . states require that a minimum of 15 percent of the nitrogen be present as win for the product to be labeled as a slow release fertilizer . leaching test number 2 : the differential dissolution rate or ddr test is a continuing dissolution test first used for the testing of drugs by the pharmaceutical industry . in this test a 10 - gram sample is suspended in water for a designated length of time . after the desired time period , the sample is removed from the water and placed into a second container of water . this leaching process is repeated as often as desired and continued for as long as desired . at no time is the concentration of the soluble fertilizer nutrient allowed to exceed 10 percent of its potential solubility in the water extract . the amount of dissolved nutrient is determined in each extracting solution . the comparison of the total dissolved nutrient with leaching time is used to determine the leaching profile of the product . leaching test number 3 : the &# 34 ; rain simulation &# 34 ; test is designed to determine the dissolution rate and dissolution profile of a controlled release material when the material is subjected to alternate wetting and drying . for this test , 20 grams of sample is spread evenly on a sieve with an area of 50 square centimeters . water is then sprayed onto the sample at a rate of about 5 ml per minute and continued until 50 ml of leachate is collected . the sample is then dried for a minimum of 24 hours and the water leach repeated . the alternate wetting and drying is continued for the duration of the test . soluble nutrients are determined on both the leachates and the insoluble matter at the end of the test . note : any references made herein to materials and / or apparatus which are identified by means of trademarks , trade names , etc ., are included solely for the convenience of the reader and are not intended as , or to be construed , an endorsement of said materials and / or apparatus . the results from this example demonstrate that a fertilizer with delayed and controlled nutrient release can be produced simply and relatively inexpensively by use of the system and process herein described . the product produced in this example has a relatively high initial release rate , followed by a substantial linear release rate . one possible use for this type of release profile would be warm - season turf which requires a relatively large amount of starter fertilizer in the early spring then a constant release rate for the remainder of the active growing period . a 25 - gram sample of polyethylene waste material , comprised primarily of linear , low density polyethylene recovered from the recycling of electrical wire , with a softening point of about 180 ° c ., was dissolved in 75 grams of molten slack wax ( commercially available mix of about 85 % paraffin wax and 15 % paraffin oil ) with a melting point of about 45 ° c . the resulting mixture has a rubber - like texture when cooled and softened at about 100 ° c . the resulting 100 - gram mixture of polyethylene and slack wax ( at a temperature of about 100 ° c .) was added to 300 grams of urea which had been ground sufficiently to pass a 20 mesh ( u . s . standard ) sieve . the resulting three - component mixture of urea , wax , and polymer was extruded under the following conditions : extruder : brabender twin screw extruder , research model temperature : 115 ° c ., all ports die : 1 / 4 inch extruder speed : 20 rpm the resulting rods of extruded fertilizer were cooled and broken into approximately 1 / 2 inch lengths , a size suitable for direct application or blending with other fertilizer materials . at this point the fertilizer material is minimally acceptable as a control release fertilizer with a water - insoluble nitrogen ( katz test ) of 51 percent . for the purpose of this example , the product was further processed into a controlled release product with a non - linear release profile . for this additional processing , 90 grams of the extruded , broken material was placed in a rotating drum and heated to about 100 ° c . while 10 grams of powdered talc was added , thus resulting in 10 percent additional coating of talc . the talc served as an anticaking conditioner as well as an extender / hardener for the wax - polymer mix at the surface of the fertilizer pellet . when a minimum release rate for the product is desired , a water - insoluble and nonbiodegradable material such as talc may be used . if a faster or gradually increasing release rate is desired , a slightly soluble additive such as ureaform or magnesium ammonium phosphate may be used . leaching results are given below : ______________________________________katz test : 3 % water - soluble nitrogenddr test : ______________________________________time ( days ) 3 6 9 12 19 26 33 40 47 54 61 68n released 29 41 46 50 55 60 63 65 68 70 72 74 (% of total ) ______________________________________ the release profile as determined with the ddr test is illustrated in fig2 supra . this release profile is , of course , typical of products currently available and indicates a release of a portion of the nutrients rapidly enough to supply adequate nitrogen ( urea ), for rapid growth of a crop such as turf , but at a rate which would not cause &# 34 ; burning &# 34 ; ( high salt toxicity ) to the turf . following the initial release , the nutrients are released at a sufficient rate to maintain the growth of the turf over an extended period of time . a portion of the product produced in example i supra , was further processed to yield a product with a linear , extended nutrient release profile . this type product is ideal for turf grown in areas warm enough for the entire year or in more temperate climates where summer turf is overseeded with cool - season grasses to provide actively growing turf for the entire year . fifty grams of the final product ( excluding talc ) produced in example i supra , were removed for purposes of conducting this test and thereafter coated with an additional 8 percent coating by dipping the fertilizer pellets into a molten mix maintained at about 130 ° c . and comprising generally 80 percent paraffin wax , 10 percent polyethylene ( n10 , eastman chemical co .) and 10 percent hydrocarbon resin ( h100 , eastman chemical co . ), then allowing the applied coating to cool and harden . the resulting product was of sufficient hardness to be used as a fertilizer or blended with other fertilizers . the solubility of the product in water is indicated below and illustrated in fig3 supra : ______________________________________katz test : less than 1 % water - soluble nitrogenddr test : ______________________________________time ( days ) 3 6 9 12 19 26 33 40 47 54 61 68 n released 3 7 11 16 24 31 35 38 42 45 49 52 5 (% of total ) ______________________________________ the release profile of the product as indicated by the ddr test indicates that the material has a constant release rate over an extended period of time . this release property makes the product ideal for plants which require a continuous supply of nutrients . most field crops ( corn , cotton , wheat , grain sorghum ), as well as most vegetable crops ( lettuce , tomatoes , cucumbers ) have an uptake profile for nitrogen , wherein in the early stages of growth little or no supplemental nitrogen is required . when the crop reaches the rapid growth stage , a large amount of nitrogen is required . the only significant differences between the uptake profile for nitrogen in the major crops are the length of time from planting to rapid growth stage , and the rate of consumption of nitrogen during this stage . it is desirable for all nitrogen to be released at least 30 days prior to crop maturity to reduce the amount of residual nitrogen in the soil . with the product produced in this example , it is clearly shown that a product can be produced to meet the needs of major agricultural crops . the initial delay of nutrient release is easily controlled by the nature and thickness of the outermost coating . the release rate during the rapid growth stage of the crop is easily controlled by the matrix material ( type and concentration ). rice grown in the unites states is normally seeded into prepared soil . the rice seedling is allowed to grow for about 30 days then the field &# 34 ; flooded &# 34 ; with water to a depth of about 6 inches . at the time of flooding , essentially all the nitrogen in the soil is volatilized as the type of active soil bacteria changes from predominately aerobic to anaerobic . accordingly , a fertilizer suited for such rice cultivation would have a low or nil nitrogen release rate for about the first 30 days after application to the soil situs (&# 34 ; starter &# 34 ; fertilizer is economically supplied with water - soluble commercial fertilizers ), and then have a release rate wherein the nutrient values therein , including nitrogen , would continuously release at a rather constant rate for about the next 60 days . as may be appreciated from the results of this example , the product produced herein ideally attains these release rates to meet the nutrient needs of such cropping practice . twenty - four and one - half grams of the final product produced in example ii , supra , were removed for the purpose of this test and coated with 0 . 5 grams ( dried weight ) of a water - dispersed polyethylene , supplied by eastman chemical co ., and comprised 25 percent epolene e - 10 polyethylene ; 4 . 5 percent oleic acid ; 4 . 0 percent morpholine surfactant ; and 66 . 5 percent water . the coating was applied by alternately spraying a portion of the coating material , then drying the coating by tumbling and blowing warm air over the fertilizer bed . the slowly soluble top coating serves as a barrier to water penetration until its dissolution , at which time the fertilizer nutrients are released in a fashion similar to the product of example ii . dissolution rate tests are given below : ______________________________________katz test : less than 1 % water - soluble nitrogenddrtest : ______________________________________time 3 6 9 12 15 22 29 36 43 50 57 64 71 ( days ) n 0 0 1 2 4 11 20 30 39 50 56 61 64 released (% of total ) ______________________________________ it is clear from the ddr test that a considerable delay in the release of the nitrogen is realized by the material produced in the conduct of this test . essentially no nitrogen is released in water for a period of about 12 days . under field conditions the amount of water in contact with the fertilizer would be considerably less than in the ddr test and would likely result in a longer delay of initial release of the nutrients . these release properties meet the requirements of a product eminently suitable for major crop fertilization . unlike currently available products , the product produced in this example can be altered during its production to control both the release rate of the fertilizer and the time at which release begins . fig5 illustrates the release rate of the nitrogen with respect to time and clearly shows that the release profile for this product closely parallels the release profile for grain sorghum , a major agricultural crop . as with the instant product , it is desirable for the release of the nitrogen from a product to occur 1 to 2 weeks prior to its uptake to allow for mineralization and distribution in the root zone . fig5 also illustrates typical release profiles for sulfur - and polymer - coated urea . as with all coated materials produced by currently practiced commercial methods the release rate ( slope ) can be controlled but not the time that release begins . fig6 illustrates the product &# 39 ; s suitability for mechanical rice cultivation . the product , when blended with 5 percent of readily soluble nitrogen source ( starter ), has a release profile which parallels that for rice uptake . again , release profiles for sulfur - and polymer - coated urea are superimposed to illustrate their undesirability for this crop . low cost is of paramount importance to the economic success and general acceptance in the marketplace . consequently , both feedstock and production cost must be considered during production . in the following example , a waste polyethylene is used as a feedstock in the production of the instant product . in addition , the pelletizing of the final product is performed by a california pellet mill . those skilled in the art of pelletizing are aware that this procedure and equipment utilization offer a viable means of achieving large quantity production of the instant product at relatively low costs . some 237 . 5 grams of waste polyethylene ( primarily linear , low density polyethylene from the recycling of electrical wire ) with a softening point of about 180 ° c ., and 75 grams of a commercially available polyethylene ( n10 , eastman chemical co .) with a softening point of about 110 ° c . was dissolved in molten slack wax ( a commercially available mix of about 15 percent paraffin oil and 85 percent paraffin wax ). the resulting molten mix of paraffin oil , paraffin wax and polyethylenes was then mixed with 3750 grams of urea which had been previously crushed to pass 16 mesh screen . the mix was cooled , crushed and then pelletized into 3 / 16 inch by 3 / 16 pellets in a california pellet mill . subsequently , some 900 grams of the resulting heterogeneous pellets were placed in a rotating drum such that the temperature thereof was raised to about 90 ° c . after which about 100 grams of powdered talc was added to the bed of pellets being subjected to the normal alternately rising and falling action resulting from operation of an inclined rotating drum of the type typically used in many production facilities , particularly those employed to produce fertilizer materials . the talc serves as an anticaking conditioner as well an extender for the wax - polymer mix at the surface of the pellets . resulting pellets were sufficiently hard for direct application to the soil , topdressing of established crops , or for blending with other fertilizer materials . leaching results are given below and illustrated in fig7 . ______________________________________katz test : 19 % water - soluble nitrogen (% of total nitrogen ) rain simulation test : ______________________________________leach number 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8nitrogen released 2 7 16 26 33 42 51 59 (% of total n ) ______________________________________ in the following example a controlled release fertilizer is produced by the present invention which has an added embellishment , namely , the property of exhibiting flotation . a floating controlled release fertilizer has usefulness in its application to the fertilization of microorganisms which are or may be introduced in juxtaposition with floating oil such as may result from an oil spill . it has been determined that the addition of nutrients , particularly nitrogen , to floating oil aids in the bacterial decomposition of the oil . the application of a floating controlled release fertilizer to oil - contaminated beaches increases the decomposition of the oil in the same manner . during the production of a floating fertilizer the product is expanded ( blown ) in the following manner : just prior to extrusion , ammonium carbonate and urea are added to the fertilizer mix . upon extrusion , the fertilizer mix is caused to reach a temperature of about 65 ° c . at this temperature the ammonium carbonate spontaneously decomposes to yield carbon dioxide and gaseous ammonia . the gaseous ammonia is immediately reacted in situ with urea phosphate to form solid ammonium phosphate and urea , both useful fertilizer nutrient sources . the carbon dioxide , also a gas , is caused to disperse in small bubbles into the softened fertilizer material resulting in lower product density necessary for said product to float . for the production of this product , 35 grams of polyethylene ( epolene n - 10 , eastman chemical co .) was dissolved in 105 grams of paraffin wax with a melting point of about 65 ° c . this molten mix was added to a mix comprised of 236 grams of urea and 20 grams of urea phosphate and blended to achieve homogeneity . the mix was then cooled and crushed to a particle size of less than 1 / 4 inch to facilitate its introduction into the extruder . just prior to extrusion , 4 grams of ammonium carbonate was added and thoroughly mixed therewith . the resulting mix was extruded under the following conditions : extruder : same as in example i temperature : port 1 -- 50 ° c . ; port 2 -- 55 ° c . ; port 3 -- 60 ° c . ; port 4 -- 65 ° c . die : 1 / 4 inch speed : 20 rpm the extruded rods were broken into about 1 / 2 inch pellets . these pellets were subjected to an additional coating in the following manner : a 100 - gram batch of the pellets was caused to cascade in a rotating drum granulator . a molten mix comprised of paraffin wax ( 80 %), polyethylene , epolene ® n - 10 , eastman chemical co ., ( 10 %) and hydrocarbon resin , eastotac ® h - 100 , eastman chemical co ., ( 10 %) was then sprayed onto the cascading bed until a coating of about 5 percent was achieved . the product was cooled and required no additional treatment prior to use . evaluation of the product follows : ______________________________________katz test : less than 1 % water - soluble nitrogenddr test : ______________________________________time ( days ) 1 2 3 4 7 10 % dissolved ( of total n ) 10 25 40 52 75 83______________________________________ a plot of time ( in days ) versus percent of nitrogen dissolved indicates that the release of the nitrogen is approximately linear over the first 7 days when about 75 percent of this nutrient is released . vegetation grown in certain soils , for example , calcarious soils of the great plains , usually suffers from iron deficiency or iron chlorosis . this is due primarily to the fact that the iron contained in the soil is unavailable to the plants . when iron is added to the soil , it too , is bound by the soil so quickly and tightly as to be available for a very short period of time , resulting in a very small portion of the added iron being available for plant usage . in the following example , a fertilizer is produced by practice of the third principal embodiment of the present invention which provides for the controlled release of iron . it has now been determined that iron from a ferrous sulfate source can acquire slow release properties when dispersed in a certain organic matrix . this dispersed iron is released very slowly from the mix , thus providing a constant supply of iron for plants growing at such situs . in addition , as herein postulated , it appears that the reduced state of the decomposing organic matter helps to prevent oxidation of the ferrous iron to ferric iron , thus , maintaining the iron in the more desirable state . thirty - one grams of linear , low polyethylene ( waste product derived from wire reclamation process ) was dissolved in 94 grams of slack wax ( an impure paraffin wax consisting of about 85 percent paraffin wax and 15 percent paraffin oil ). this molten mix was added to a mix containing 300 grams of composted chicken litter , 25 grams of cotton seed meal ( added for odor control ), and 50 grams of iron sulfate / zinc sulfate ( by - product from galvanizer industry ). the resulting mix was then pressed into 3 / 16 inch pellets on a tablet press . the release rate for the iron in the product ( about 2 % as fe ) is given below : ______________________________________ddr test : ______________________________________time ( days ) 1 3 7 14 21fe released (% of total ) 6 8 12 16 19______________________________________ it is clear from the results of this test that the iron in the product ( present as soluble iron sulfate ) is released continuously and slowly . a release plot of the above is linear ; however , if desired or preferred , it can be further modified as in the other embodiments by application of a homogenous overcoat on each heterogeneous particle . also , if desired , or required , the chicken litter can be utilized to replace all or only some of the nitrogenous constituent , i . e ., the urea ( in the most preferred embodiment ). accordingly , the chicken litter can supply from about 40 to about 90 percent of the nutrients thereof , or can completely replace all of same to account for 100 percent of the fertilizer material . likewise , the iron sulfate can range from about 10 to about 30 percent by weight based on the weight of the chicken litter . if more than about 30 percent iron sulfate is used , it appears to dilute or override the effects of the litter material in effectively chelating same . the period of continued release or effectiveness of the embodiment can be realized for times ranging upwards of several months if the proportion of said litter or iron are maintained as noted , supra . possibly of far greater importance , is the fact that this product is produced almost entirely from waste materials , which materials are not currently disposed of in an environmentally acceptable manner . the results from this example demonstrate that a combination of paraffin wax and polyethylene is superior to either wax or polyethylene alone for use in the formulation of matrix fertilizers of the type herein taught . for purposes of this test , five samples were prepared by admixing 300 grams of urea with 100 grams of different matrix materials . for each test a different matrix material ( sample ) was used . thus , in this test , each of the five samples used had ratios of wax / polyethylene as shown below : ______________________________________ sample 1 2 3 4 5______________________________________ % wax 100 75 50 25 0 % polyethylene 0 25 so 75 100 ( eastman n - 10 ) ______________________________________ for each sample , the matrix material was heated to a temperature about 20 degrees above its softening point . the urea was then added and the resulting product thoroughly mixed . the mix was cooled , crumbled , and pelletized in a pellet press , this being the only machine which would effectively pelletize the samples containing all ratios of wax / polyethylene . following pelletization , each sample of pellets was then coated with an additional 70 grams ( 15 %) of the same wax / polyethylene material initially used in the particular sample formulation , except for sample 5 which was too soft for continued testing . the release rates for the contained nitrogen are given below : ______________________________________results from ddr test : sample % released : 1 2 3 4 5______________________________________2 hours 6 . 1 0 . 7 0 . 9 6 . 5 sample too1 day 85 . 4 22 . 7 13 . 2 45 . 2 soft for2 days 99 . 1 63 . 9 42 . 7 69 . 8 coating and5 days 99 . 9 98 . 3 88 . 2 95 . 5 testing______________________________________ it is clear that the products produced with wax / polymer mixes , in the ratios recommended for this process , are superior to products formulated with wax or with polyethylene alone . of paramount importance in the practice of the instant invention , is the provision for utilization of waste materials , particularly in the preparation of the matrix material , to thereby ensure low production costs and to realize the objects of the instant invention as they relate to waste reduction . the following example illustrates the use of waste wax and waste polyethylene . twenty - four grams of waste polyethylene ( primarily linear , low density polyethylene derived from the recycling of electrical wire ) was dissolved in 136 grams of molten wax ( waste material derived from investment casting ). two hundred forty grams of crushed (- 16 mesh ) urea was added to the resulting molten polyethylene / wax mix and then blended together . the resulting blend was cooled slightly , crushed , and then extruded into 1 / 4 inch rods . the rods were cooled and broken into 1 / 2 inch pellets . extruder : brabender twin screw extruder , research model temperature : 100 ° c ., all ports die : 1 / 4 inch extruder speed : 20 rpm product analysis : katz test : water - soluble nitrogen -- 25 % a portion of the broken pieces of extruded product was placed in rotating drum and heated to about 60 ° c ., while molten ( waste ) wax was added to yield an average additional coating of 2 percent . another portion of pieces of the extruded product was dipped into molten ( waste ) wax maintained at 115 ° c . the dipping resulted in an average additional coating of 10 percent . as may be well appreciated from the results of this and other tests herein reported , such production of a controlled release fertilizer from waste materials and urea results in a relatively inexpensive product while at the same time decreasing the amount of waste material requiring alternate disposal treatment . after sifting and winnowing through the data supra , as well as other results of tests and operations of our new , novel , and improved method for the production of matrix - formulated , controlled release fertilizers utilizing waste and by - product materials , we now present the acceptable and preferred parameters and variables as shown below . for the practice of the first embodiment of the instant process , urea dispersed in a matrix of wax and polyethylene is preferred and the same wax and polyethylene for the overcoat layer is preferred . although any fertilizer nutrient may be used in the instant process , urea is preferred because of its relatively low cost and high nitrogen content . all waxes ( animal , vegetable , and petroleum ) will suffice for the dissolution and dilution of the polyethylene , however , petroleum waxes are preferred primarily due to their relative abundance and low cost . the most preferred waxes include paraffin wax , microcrystalline wax , and slack wax . we have discovered a source of waste wax ( primarily paraffin and microcrystalline wax ) from investment molding processing . this wax is most preferred due to its low cost . any polymer which will dissolve in wax will suffice for the matrix formulation and / or the overcoat . of the polymers tested , polyethylene , polypropylene , and polybutene are preferred . polyethylene is the most preferred due to its ease of dissolution in waxes as well as its availability as a low cost waste material . the ratio of wax to polymer is critical , although variable , depending upon the softening point of the polymer . since urea is used in most formulations for the first embodiment , the processing temperature must not exceed the melting point of the urea ( 132 ° c .). to achieve the proper blend of wax and polymer , first the polymer and wax are selected , then the temperature at which the pelletization is to occur . the wax and polymer are then blended to achieve a mix which is sufficiently soft to be pelletized at the desired temperature ( higher wax content will result in a lower softening temperature , higher polymer content will result in higher softening temperature ). for the practice of the first embodiment of the instant process it was found that most polyethylenes , polypropylenes , and polybutenes will suffice for the matrix material . preferred polymers are polyethylenes with molecular weights between about 3 , 000 to about 18 , 000 . with polyethylenes of this molecular weight range ( includes waste polyethylene ) the preferred concentration of polyethylene is from about 20 percent to about 30 percent in wax and most preferred at 25 percent polyethylene and 75 percent wax . for the overcoating material , blends of petroleum wax , polyethylene , hydrocarbon resin , and or polypropylene may be applied by hot bed coating , hot melt spraying or dipping , and spraying of solutions or emulsions of polyethylene , polypropylene , polyester , polystyrene , polyvinyl , polyurethane and / or hydrocarbon resin . for the practice of the instant process , the use of polyethylene / wax mixes is preferred , similar to the matrix mix for products in which linear release profiles are desired . for practice of the instant process the preferred coatings are from about 1 percent to about 10 percent , depending upon the desired release rate of the nutrient and most preferred is a coating of about 5 percent for most products produced for agricultural and turf use . for materials which require an initial delay of nutrients , it has been found that emulsions of polyethylene are preferred and at coating levels of about 1 percent to 5 percent and most preferred at about 3 percent . for the practice of the second embodiment of the instant process , the selection of wax and polymer was the same as with the first embodiment , except that the processing must be performed at a temperature of 65 ° c . to 70 ° c . the nutrients for the floating fertilizer were selected from a wide range of nutrients including urea , ammonium salts , phosphates , and micronutrients . the preferred nutrient will be determined by the intended use of the fertilizer . with the practice of the instant process , essentially all nutrients can be used in desired formulations . since linear release profiles are usually desirable for floating fertilizers , the preferred ( optional ) overcoating is of the same composition as the matrix and its level of application determined by the desired release rate of the product but normally preferred in the range of 0 to 10 percent and most preferred at a level of 5 percent . for the practice of the third embodiment of the instant process , the selection of wax and polymer was the same as with the first embodiment . the temperature range of pelletization is not critical for the third embodiment . products can be produced from about 30 ° c . to about 160 ° c ., however , temperatures in the range of about 75 ° c . to about 105 ° c . are preferred , with the most preferred being about 90 ° c . for the ferrous iron source , almost any source of iron can be incorporated into the new iron - containing fertilizer of the instant process . due to low costs and environmental advantages , utilization of iron - containing waste products , such as those from the steel or galvanizing industry , are preferred and the most preferred is ferrous sulfate from the galvanizing industry . while we have shown and described particular embodiments of our invention , modifications and variations thereof will occur to those skilled in the art . we wish it to be understood therefore that the appended claims are intended to cover such modifications and variations which are within the true spirit and scope of our invention . | 2 |
referring now to fig1 an overview of the invention is shown . the figure depicts the system components and the method steps the components execute in an exemplary sequential flow diagram . the major steps performed by the method are numbered and labeled to indicate the general order of operations and transfer of information between the system components . the system components of a preferred embodiment include a client , at least one server , a communications link between the client and the server , and a java applet . only one instance of a server is shown for clarity , but multiple servers may be employed to enhance the reliability and scalability of the system . any type of communications link between the client and the server will suffice , but the invention is quite amenable to use with the world wide web and its associated communications protocols as are well known in the art . the client and the server are preferably capable of performing their tasks with sufficient speed that a user of the invention would perceive the invention as operating in substantially real time . the client is preferably a web browser having a built - in run - time java environment ( java virtual machine or jvm ); such browsers are well known in the art . the client may execute on a user &# 39 ; s computer for example or on any remote computer to which a user has electronic access . the remote sites shown in fig1 are data sources accessible by the client ; the remote sites may include for example auction sites or vendor web pages described by urls ( essentially www addresses ), or may include nodes or directories in a non - internet network . the method of the invention begins when a user originates at least one data request and submits it to the client , shown as event number 1 in fig1 . the user &# 39 ; s input may include for example query terms or combinations of query terms , keywords describing remote sites likely to have data satisfying the data request , and specific remote sites to be searched . the client then transmits the user &# 39 ; s input to the server along with user metadata , which generally is information that will enable the applet to identify itself as a specific user when acquiring data so that remote sites will not be able to determine that the user is not accessing their information directly . many remote sites can detect automated anonymous access attempts and specifically limit or refuse access to web crawlers or user agent programs behind the attempts . the present invention is intended to bypass such access limitations . user metadata can include userids , passwords , account numbers , email addresses , and urls . the client then preferably directly transmits the data request to the server via the communication link , shown as event number 2 in fig1 . a typical data request might be for stock market data or accounting data described in periodic reports filed by public companies and mutual funds . for example , a user might want to know the annual revenue for the ibm corporation for the year 2001 . company reports are good data sources for such requests . other data requests might require database queries , as for example are used in travel reservation systems for airlines and hotels . a user might want purchasing data for a potential transaction , for example , to determine the price of an item given a description or part number and shipping preferences for a number of vendors . vendor catalogs are good data sources for these requests . electronic parts vendors are likely to be interested in making vast amounts of data on their components available in a readily manageable form , so that not only price but other information types are distinguished and considered by purchasers . some vendors might employ the invention to fulfill data requests designed to identify other vendors &# 39 ; remote sites , the data provided on those sites , and the format of that data . next , the server processes the data request to select a set of fetch rules and a set of extraction rules from its storage corresponding to remote sites that are likely to have data that will satisfy the data request , as shown in event 3 in fig1 . fetch rules are a set of declarative rules that allow the applet to mimic the interaction that users would have with remote sites if they were to interact directly with the remote sites in order to navigate the result pages containing useful data . for example , the fetch rules may specify a particular navigation trajectory through a series of web pages or file directories , particular data entries to be made or other interface actions required , and to then select the newest or largest file found at a particular location . extraction rules are a set of declarative rules that allow relevant information to be extracted from data acquired from the remote sites . such acquired data is often in the form of target web pages . the server typically stores a set of fetch rules and a set of extraction rules for all remote sites with which it interacts , and may perform supervised learning based on the content a user wants in order to develop rules on its own without having to do this manually . the server is in some sense an expert system for facilitating querying across heterogeneous data sources . the server then creates an applet based on the data request , the fetch rules , the extraction rules , and user metadata . the server preferably signs the applet with a digital x . 509 certificate and transmits the applet back to the client . an x . 509 certificate is a type of public key certificate , which is a digitally signed statement from one entity , saying that the public key ( and some other information ) of another entity has some specific value . more information about x . 509 certificates can be found on the world wide web at java . sun . com / products / jdk / 1 . 2 / docs / guide / security / cert3 . html which is hereby incorporated by reference . java applets can have multiple levels of security : “ high ”, “ medium ”, “ low ” and “ untrusted ”. more information about applet security can be found on the world wide web at java . sun . com / products / jdk / 1 . 2 / docs / guide / security / index . html which is hereby incorporated by reference . the default is for an applet to be “ untrusted ”; such an applet is not allowed to read or write files on a user &# 39 ; s computer , open sockets to machines other than where it was downloaded from , or read or write system properties . however , by granting a signed applet various access privileges , the user is in effect allowing the code to work as if it were a program that was installed explicitly on the user &# 39 ; s machine , without the hassle of actually installing the application . the present invention enables remote querying by use of such a signed applet . the client authenticates the applet from the server . the user then indicates to the client that the signed applet is allowed to open connections to the remote sites ( the exact granularity of the security level requested is determined by the java security model that the browser implements ). this indication is required only once per session . once the applet is running in secure mode , preferably on the client , it communicates with the remote sites as shown in events 4 of fig1 . the server acquires data from at least one remote site using the query strings describing the data request , and user metadata and fetch rules that enable it to access the remote site just as the user would . any number of remote sites may be accessed concurrently by the applet in the preferred embodiment , substantially in real time . the acquired data may be particular web pages or the results of queries , for example . to the remote site , the queries , navigation commands , and other inputs appear as if they were generated by a user who is navigating the site directly . the remote site therefore cannot shut out or limit access by the applet . next , the applet employs the extraction rules from the server to extract information relevant to the data request from the acquired data . this step is shown as event 5 in fig1 . note that the client that preferably executes the applet is doing nearly all the computational work ; the server provides the rules describing how to get data and digest it , but does not necessarily process the data itself the server can therefore be very ‘ thin ’, and consequently can handle many data requests from many different clients reliably since each is not terribly computationally intensive . the server may charge each client a fee for the information it provides , e . g . the fetch rules and the extraction rules , along with other expertise it may develop . there are other advantages of having the client performing most of the computational work of the invention . for example , when the users ( data requesters ) know they are in charge of the operation , their trust in the invention and its ability to process queries over heterogeneous data sources increases . also , by providing focused user interaction and ‘ instant gratification ’ in terms of satisfying data requests in substantially real time , the invention can increase immediate sales for those vendors who choose to make their data available . once the applet has extracted information relevant to the data request from all the remote sites , the applet consolidates the information and presents the information to the user , typically using a web browser &# 39 ; s graphical user interface . generation of the response to the data request is shown as event 6 in fig1 . consolidation may include for example assembling answers to a purchasing related inquiry from multiple vendors into a single column or table . alternately , responses to queries from different search engines may be ranked according to known ranking algorithms . the applet may apply a set of presentation rules associated with a data request , so that consolidated information is presented to the user in accordance with desired formatting . the invention may also perform some additional steps . for example , the applet can gather information about the various remote sites it contacts as it tries to satisfy data requests . if a remote site is unavailable for example because of network outages or obsolete address information , the server operator would probably like to know this , therefore the applet could transmit such information to the server . the server ( or client ) would then determine if alternate remote site addresses are available for that particular data supplier , and alter or update its fetch rules accordingly . similarly , if a remote site is available but is providing data very slowly for some reason , this level of responsiveness is also information that would be valuable to the server . the applet could transmit acquired data to the server for use in providing cached versions of the data to other originators of data requests . in another example , if the applet determines that the extraction rules needed to glean relevant information from such data are ineffective , the applet can inform the server that the extraction rules are obsolete and in need of updating . if the server has no fetch rules or extraction rules for a given remote site , the client may provide these for a fee . similarly , the client can provide extracted information , consolidated extracted information , and presentation rules to the server for a fee . the client therefore could become a reseller of any information acquired by the applet . exchange of information facilitating distributed heterogeneous querying could thus form the basis of a method of conducting electronic commerce . the server and client may charge each other or provide discounts to their regular charges in return for exchanged data . alternately , the server or the client could resell such information to third parties as a business method . for example , one vendor might be willing to pay to be informed when a competing vendor &# 39 ; s remote site crashes or when a major change in a competitor &# 39 ; s pricing strategy is detected . a general purpose computer is programmed according to the inventive steps herein . the invention can also be embodied as an article of manufacture — a machine component — that is used by a digital processing apparatus to execute the present logic . this invention is realized in a critical machine component that causes a digital processing apparatus to perform the inventive method steps herein . the invention may be embodied by a computer program that is executed by a processor within a computer as a series of computer - executable instructions . these instructions may reside , for example , in ram of a computer or on a hard drive or optical drive of the computer , or the instructions may be stored on a dasd array , magnetic tape , electronic read - only memory , or other appropriate data storage device . while the invention has been described with respect to illustrative embodiments thereof , it will be understood that various changes may be made in the apparatus and means herein described without departing from the scope and teaching of the invention . accordingly , the described embodiment is to be considered merely exemplary and the invention is not to be limited except as specified in the attached claims . | 6 |
while holograms and holographic techniques have been applied in a variety of fields , the melding of holography with lights and ornaments , such as used in christmas trees , is lacking in the art . with the advent of the active diffractive hoe of the &# 39 ; 022 patent which can be constructed to change colors with its movement , a variety of possibilities now become available to the designed of lights and ornaments . in a passive mode , the use of diffractive hoes can be used to advantage to give simple holiday ornaments new life . thus , in its simplest terms , the present invention includes the use of diffractive hoes , as at 10 , to coat an ornament , such as ornament 12 in fig1 which has loop 14 for a hanger ( not shown ) for hanging ornament 12 on a christmas tree , for example . diffractive hoes 10 can be thought of as “ glitter ” because of their small size , say from about 0 . 1 to 10 mm , and because they diffract light into brilliant colors depending upon the spacing of the diffractive grating from which their holographic optical element was prepared . at least a portion of ornament 12 is coated with hoes 10 , for example , to spell a word or in a graphic . alternatively , the entire surface ( outer or inner ) of ornament 12 can be coated , such as by use of a transparent adhesive , with hoes 10 . either the outside or the inside surface of ornament 12 can be coated with hoes 10 . a different effect will be realized by coating the inside surface of ornament 12 which is transparent . truly , a unique ornament has been created . even in this simple form , the manufacturer typically will make the hoes in planar form for application to a curved surface element . in order to minimize , if not eliminate , distortions that occur by application of a planar diffraction grating onto a curved surface , the planar hoe must be made with a wavefront that is the conjugate of the wavefront caused by the distorting surface . the resulting hologram would correct for the distortion caused by the curved surface when placed around the curved surface . ordinary ruling engines cannot be used to prepare such “ distorted ” planar diffraction gratings to the degree nor accuracy that holographic diffraction manufacturing techniques permit . thus , even if the curved surface diffraction grating is being etched into a curved surface , holographic diffraction gratings permit the manufacturer to eliminate virtually all distortions evident by the non - linearity and non - planarity of the surface receiving the holographic diffraction grating . this is true for all embodiments of the present invention disclosed herein . it should be understood that ornament 12 can rely on diffracting incident light or on a light source housed within ornament 12 to back - light hoes 10 to create even a more brilliant display of color when non - aluminized ( transparent ) glitter 10 has its focal point at the filament . hoes 10 can be manufactured to exhibit the same color or a mixture of colors , random or in the form of a pattern , can be used to coat ornament 12 . importantly , use of very small holographic optical elements offers unique advantages over conventional holographic glitter which is plane grating based . it should be appreciated that , while spherical ornaments are shown in the drawings , other configurations of ornaments can be equally used according to the precepts of the present invention so long as such ornaments contain a curved surface ( non - planar , curvilinear surface ) to which the holographic optical element ( s ) is applied in accordance with the precepts of the present invention . in this regard , such geometric shapes can include , inter alia , spheres , cylinders , ellipsoids , elliptic paraboloids , hyperbolic paraboloids , hyperboloids , and the like surfaces of revolution . [ 0044 ] fig2 takes the lighted ornament concept one step further by defining the bulb forming ornament 12 as the bulb of a conventional light bulb , such as light bulb 16 , which is inserted in socket 18 wherein bulb 16 , formed of plastic or glass , bears holographic diffractive optics which diffract light from filament 22 to generate a color corresponding to the grating spacing of the holographic diffractive optics . the holographic diffractive optics could be applied to the exterior of bulb 20 via a film or by a variety of techniques which will detailed below . of particular note , is the ability to mold diffractive optics into bulb 20 to make an unlit transparent bulb emit color when illuminated by filament 22 . by making the actual bulb envelope ( usually glass ) carry the holographic pattern , the light source ( which serves as the reference beam for the applied hologram ) is fixed relative to the holographic diffraction pattern grating which means that if it is designed for light source 16 , it will always be at maximum efficiency and require no angle adjustment . such a light bulb would be efficient because the light is dispersed by the grating on the surface of bulb 16 and , thus , does not have to pass through multiple optical elements , such as fold mirrors and lenses , all of which incur absorption losses on the light . such a bulb would be compact and inexpensive . once the mold used to form bulb 16 was modified , no other expense would be incurred in producing as many bulbs as the mold is designed to produce . to amplify on techniques for accomplishing the foregoing , bulb 20 can be heated up to the point where the glass ( or plastic ) is in a plastic state at which time a spherical nickel master can be pressed into the glass . the relief grating on the spherical nickel would be transferred into the glass and become permanent as glass bulb 20 cools . alternatively , bulb 20 could be covered with a photoresist which then is exposed with a laser in such a way as to create a holographic diffraction pattern in the photoresist . upon development of the diffraction grating , a relief pattern of the grating would be formed ( places where the light constructively interfered creates a peak or valley depending upon whether a positive or negative photoresist was used ). after a photoresist pattern has been formed , the glass exposed areas can be ion beam milled into the glass or chemically etched , for example , with perchloric acid or another suitable glass etchant to render the grating permanently into glass bulb 20 . a silver halide ( light sensitive ) emulsion also could be deposited onto the glass bulb ( in a manner similar to the way silver halide emulsions are put onto glass plates ), so that , after being exposed with a laser in such a way as to create a holographic diffraction grating , the emulsion could be developed and then would reconstruct when light bulb 16 was turned on . in order to enhance the color generated by light bulb 16 , aluminized reflector strips 21 a - c could be applied to bulb 20 as depicted in fig3 . while 3 such reflector strips are shown , it is apparent that a lesser or greater number of such reflector strips could be used as is necessary , desirable , or convenient . a burst of rainbow colors , for example , would then project out of the remaining three non - aluminized reflector slits . the effect of this configuration is that light would be dispersed off of the grating in front of aluminized reflector strips 21 a - c and again as the light passes through the non - aluminized slits . thus , twice the color dispersion is created by this configuration . as an alternative configuration , reference is made to fig4 where larger transparent light bulb 17 with base 19 contains aluminized reflector area 23 on top of the bulb . the area of bulb 17 underneath reflector area 23 carries a diffraction grating . this bulb configuration would cast normal white light around a room ; however , a rainbow of colors would project downwardly from reflector area 23 , as at arrows 25 and 27 , caused by the diffraction grating . the resulting affect would be stunning on a white carpet . doubtless , the skilled artisan would be able to evolve a variety of additional configurations of light bulbs based on the precepts of the present invention . regardless of the technique used to form the holograph diffraction pattern into bulb 16 or 17 , a truly novel light bulb has been disclosed . referring to fig5 transparent bulb 24 generates holographic image 26 by a hologram that is deposited on the external side of bulb 24 via embossing techniques , or internally via photographic techniques , for example . light or filament 28 mounted in stem 30 ( or within bulb 24 itself ) would illuminate the hologram to generate image 26 . in fact , multiple holograms could be deposited on bulb 24 to generate different images depending upon which side of bulb 24 is viewed . in fact , by mounting a motor in stem 30 , bulb 24 could rotate to reveal the multiple images carried by the deposited holograms in order to yield a dynamic display . it should be understood that the reconstructed image , image 26 , could appear to be inside bulb 24 , straddle bulb 24 , or project outside of bulb 24 . alternatively , if the bulb filament , e . g ., light or filament 28 , illuminates the hologram such that is in the conjugate direction of the originally exposed hologram , then a “ real ” image would project out of the light and onto a wall or a lampshade , for example . referring to fig6 and 7 , a christmas tree topper in the form of star 32 has annular stem 34 to fit over a christmas tree branch and as an outlet for electrical line cord 36 for illuminating a , say , halogen lamp 38 ( see fig7 ). the front surface of star 32 is holographic diffraction grating 40 which has been adhesively bound to , say polymeric sheet 42 , which can be made of kaptone polymer which has been fitted with a multitude of magnetic coils on both sides of sheet 42 . magnets 44 a - d are spaced - apart from sheet 42 . finally , random noise oscillator 46 exhibits time delays to each coil on sheet 42 . as an oscillating voltage is applied to sets of coils . that area of the star where the coils are charged changes color due to the change in effective grating spacing from , say , red to green to blue . if the frequency is fast enough , the coil will be white in color ( all colors combined ). alternatively , the movement of the diffraction grating could be accomplished with a piezoelectric bimorph material made of piezoelectric film , such as kynar ® film ( pennwalt corp .). a grating applied to the surface of the bimorph moves to create different colors when a voltage is applied to the bimorph material . it should be appreciated that drive mechanisms other than magnetic could be used , e . g ., mechanical , bimorph , etc . referring to fig8 star 48 bears an array of pixels of diffractive hoes as shown , for example , in the &# 39 ; 022 patent . by selective energizing of various coils to activate a color change of a pixel , alphanumeric messages , such as message 50 , merry christmas , graphics can be displayed by star 48 . for example , blue colored star 48 could have the pixels change color to , say , red upon coil activation to display a red message on a , say , blue background . upon cessation of the voltage to the coils , the entire star would revert to a blue color . either star 32 or 48 also could be fitted with the drive assembly shown in fig9 where the kapton ® double coil sheet 52 ( e . i . du pont de nemours & amp ; co .) would be adhesively bound to holographic diffraction grating 54 with sheet magnets 56 a and b spaced - apart therefrom . the grating - coil assembly moves back and forth in the air space between the grating - coil unit and the magnet pair to produce color . if audio is applied to the coils , then they become a speaker ( see &# 39 ; 022 patent in this regard ) so that both color and audio is being generated by the star fitted with such assembly . the pattern could be , for example , concentric stars so that it would appear as if star 32 or 48 would be moving in and out as , for example , christmas music is playing . again , it should be appreciated that drive mechanisms other than magnetic could be used , e . g ., mechanical , bimorph , etc . another curved surface amenable to the precepts of the present invention is a fiber optic strand or flexible plastic ( polymeric ) tube . the fiber or flexible plastic strand should be large enough in diameter to permit multiple modes to pass through the fiber , e . g ., greater than about 5 microns in diameter , so that when a white light source is injected into one end of the fiber , a diffraction grating on the curved surface of the outside of the fiber will cause a portion of the light which passes through the fiber to be diffracted into a rainbow of colors along the length of the fiber . the effect is a strand of rainbow color which extends along the length of the fiber . such a strand could be used , for example , to decorate a christmas tree , as general indoor or outdoor decoration where colors are desired , or as signage . the preferred configuration has the grating covering only a portion of the outside of the fiber so that , while part of the light is diffracted out of the fiber , a larger portion of the light continues to propagate down the fiber to be diffracted out of the fiber at a later point along its length . referring to fig1 , white light source 58 is connected to flexible fiber optic cable 60 . grating 62 has been embossed onto light pipe 60 , for example , directly after the extruder with a wheel which has the grating on the outside of it . diffraction grating 62 can be continuous the length of cable 60 or can be discontinuous . in fig1 , grating 66 can be incorporated into the extruder die to be a portion of the inside of the die for transfer to light pipe 60 . the most dramatic effect may be achieved with large diameter light pipes , say , from about 6 mm to 10 mm solid plastic flexible pipes . alternatively , a similarly large diameter pipe could be cast in a solid acrylic mold where the grating is incorporated into the mold to make dramatic signage to , perhaps , replace neon signs . key to the light pipe embodiment of the present invention is the application of a diffraction grating ( mechanical or holographic ) to a curved surface ( glass or plastic ). from the foregoing description , it will be appreciated that a wide variety of additional embodiments of the present invention are possible based upon the precepts of the present invention disclosed herein . all citations are expressly incorporated by reference herein . | 8 |
various embodiments of the invention can also be used in situations where the wakeup information includes wakeup ies that are located in the fcch , rather than wakeup pdus that are located in the sbch . in particular , if the mt discerns that the bcch contains an indication that dl data is pending at the ap for the mt , then the mt will analyze the content of the fcch in the mac frame for an information element ( ie ) or wakeup pdu indicating downlink data is scheduled or pending for the mt . fig5 shows the case where an mt analyzes the content of the fcch in the mac frame for an information element ( ie ) having the mac - id of the mt , thus indicating that downlink data is pending for the mt . as shown in fig5 when an mt sleep time expires at time 520 , the mt first examines the bcch 510 to determine whether the bcch 510 contains a pending data indicator such as that described with respect to fig4 indicating that the mac frame 506 contains data for an mt . if a pending data indicator in the bcch 510 does indicate that the mac frame 506 contains data for an as yet unspecified mt , then the mt seeks to determine whether the mac frame 506 contains data for it . it does so by analyzing the fcch 512 to determine if the fcch 512 contains a wake - up announcement ie , such as the wakeup ie 514 , that includes the mac - id of the mt . if yes , then the mt knows that there is pending downlink data for it , and it will stay active ( or in other words , awake ) in order to receive the pending downlink data . if no , then the mt knows that there is no pending downlink data for it , and it will re - enter the sleep mode automatically without announcement to the ap . since the fcch will always be present in the mac frame when data is scheduled in the frame , there is no extra cost incurred when the ap divides sleeping mts into different groups . for example , to awaken one sleeping mt , one ie in the fcch bearing the mac - id of the mt is necessary , and if two sleeping mts are to be awakened , then two ies are required in the fcch , and so forth . thus , overhead such as that associated with a preamble of an sbch is avoided . furthermore , the ie or wakeup pdu for a particular sleeping mt can simply be the same ie that would be used to signal the mt if it were awake , or in other words active , since the ie for an active mt will contain both the mac - id for the mt and will indicate which downlink channel in the mac frame the mt can find the downlink data that is scheduled for it to receive . the ie or wakeup pdu can also be of a type that indicates to the mt that the mt should send a predetermined acknowledge signal back to the ap in an allocated uplink channel within the mac frame , where the ie identifies the allocated uplink channel that the ap has set aside for the mt . thus , the ie can be used as a polling request from the ap to the mt . alternatively , the ie can instruct the mt to send the predetermined acknowledge signal back to the ap via the rach in the same mac frame , or in a subsequent mac frame when the rach first becomes available . since the fcch is located earlier in the mac frame than the sbch , locating the ie in the fcch instead of the sbch provides the mt with more time to awaken and prepare and send the predetermined acknowledge signal . the ie or wakeup pdu can also include a null pointer , or in other words a pointer in the ie that is set to a null value , where the null value indicates to the mt that the mac frame does not contain downlink data for the mt , and the mt should simply remain awake until further notice and decode each bcch and fcch that comes along , in order to receive downlink data that will be provided to it in the future . for example , this can provide a scheduler in the ap with a graceful way to handle a new mt in the same mac frame that the mt wakes up in . in accordance with a first exemplary embodiment of the invention , where a type of a wakeup announcement to an mt can indicate whether the mt is required to acknowledge the wakeup announcment , when the mt fails to decode a bcch , fcch or sbch that may contain a wakeup announcement for the mt , the mt decodes subsequent mac frames to look for the presence of a new wakeup announcement for the mt from the ap . in accordance with a second exemplary embodiment of the invention , depending on an amount of traffic present and on algorithms implemented in a scheduler and a sleep announcement entity in the ap , a second wakeup announcement directed to an mt can be included in a next mac frame following a mac frame that contained a first wakeup announcement for the mt . as traffic increases , a probability that the second wakeup announcement will be included in a mac frame subsequent to the next mac frame following the mac frame that contained the first wakeup announcement , also increases . in accordance with a third exemplary embodiment of the invention , after unsuccessfully decoding a bcch , fcch or sbch that may contain a wakeup announcement for the mt , the mt shall continue to monitor subsequent mac frames for the occurrence of a wakeup announcement for the mt , until either a predetermined number ( n frames ) of mac frames have transpired , or the mt successfully receives a wakeup announcement . when the mt successfully receives a wakeup announcement , it will remain awake . in accordance with a fourth exemplary embodiment of the invention , when the ap sends a wakeup announcement to an mt indicating that downlink data is pending for the mt , the ap shall proceed as if the mt were active , or in other words , awake . depending on whether the ap is polling the mt prior to sending data ( by , for example , sending a wakeup announcement indicating that the mt should send an acknowledge signal back to the mt ), the ap shall retransmit the polling request a configurable number of times , for example until a predetermined number of mac frames have transpired . if no polling is used , then the ap shall continue to transmit or retransmit data a configurable number of times until , for example , a predetermined number ( n frames ) of mac frames have transpired . the configurable number can be based on or limited by a maximum allowed number of retransmissions . fig6 generally illustrates the principles described above for exemplary embodiments of the invention , from the perspective of an mt . as shown in fig6 after beginning at step 602 , control proceeds to step 604 where an mt that has awakened to monitor a mac frame , determines that it has failed to properly decode a bcch , fcch or sbch in the mac frame that could have contained a wakeup announcement for the mt . from step 604 control proceeds to step 606 , where a counter n is set to zero . from step 606 , control proceeds to step 608 where the mt decodes a bcch and an fcch in a next mac frame . from step 608 , control proceeds to step 610 , where the counter n is incremented , and from step 610 control proceeds to step 612 . in step 612 , the mt determines whether the most recent mac frame contained a wakeup announcement directed to it . if yes , then control proceeds from step 612 to step 614 , where the mt processes the wakeup announcement appropriately , and then control proceeds from step 614 to step 620 where the process ends . if at step 612 the mt determines that the most recent mac frame did not include a wakeup announcement for the mt , then control flows from step 612 to step 616 , where n is compared with a predetermined value n frames . if n is greater than or equal to the predetermined value n frames , then control proceeds to step 618 , where the mt goes back to sleep . from step 618 control proceeds to step 620 . if at step 616 n is found to be less than the predetermined value n frames , then control returns to step 608 and the cycle repeats . fig7 generally illustrates the principles described above for exemplary embodiments of the invention , from the perspective of an ap . as shown in fig7 the process begins at step 702 , and then proceeds to step 704 where the ap sends a wakeup announcement to an mt in a mac frame . from step 704 control proceeds to step 706 , where a counter m is set to zero . from step 706 control proceeds to step 708 , where it is determined whether the wakeup announcement was a polling request to the mt . if yes , then control flows to step 710 , where the ap determines whether it has received a polling acknowledgment signal from the mt . if yes , then control proceeds from step 710 to step 718 , and the process ends . if no , then control proceeds from step 710 to step 712 , where the ap retransmits the polling request to the mt in a subsequent mac frame at a next available opportunity . from step 712 , control proceeds to step 714 where the counter m is incremented . from step 714 , control proceeds to step 716 , where m is compared with a predetermined value m retransmissions . if m is greater than or equal to the predetermined value m retransmissions , then control proceeds from step 716 to step 718 and the process ends . if m is less than the predetermined value m retransmission , then control returns from step 716 to step 710 . if in step 708 it is determined that the wakeup announcement was not a polling request , then control proceeds from step 708 to step 724 where the value of m is incremented . from step 724 , control proceeds step 726 , where the value of m is compared with a predetermined value r retransmssions . if the value of m is greater than or equal to the predetermined value r retransmissions , then control proceeds from step 726 to step 718 and the process ends . if the value of m is less than the predetermined value r retransmissions , then control proceeds from step 726 to step 720 , where the ap determines whether the mt has successfully received the wakeup announcement . the ap can generally determine whether the mt has successfully received the wakeup announcement , for example , using automatic repeat request ( arq ) principles well known in the art . when the mac layer operates in an unacknowledged mode , or when data is time sensitive and obsolete if not received when originally sent , the predetermined value r retransmissions can be set equal to 1 ( one ). if in step 720 the ap determines that the mt has successfully received the wakeup announcement , then control proceeds from step 720 to step 718 , and the process ends . if the mt did not successfully receive the wakeup announcement , then control proceeds from step 720 to step 722 , where the ap retransmits the wakeup announcement and any associated pending downlink data for the mt in a subsequent mac frame at a next available opportunity . from step 722 , control proceeds to step 718 , and the process ends . fig8 shows internal details of an exemplary ap in accordance with exemplary embodiments of the invention . in particular , an ap 800 can include a scheduler entity 802 and a sleep announcement entity 804 . those skilled in the art will appreciate that the features described above can be variously combined . copending and commonly owned application , entitled “ mobile terminal sleep phase assignment and announcement in a wireless local area network ” and identified with attorney docket no . 040000 - 528 and filed on the same day as the present application , is hereby incorporated by reference . those skilled in the art will recognize that the features and embodiments described in the copending and commonly owned application referenced above can be advantageously combined with the features and embodiments described in the present application . ericsson documents no . ervs - 99013 , ervs - 99021 and ervs - 99022 are hereby incorporated by reference , and are also filed herewith as appendices a , b , and c , respectively . an approved portion of the proposed etsi hiperlan type 2 standard that was published on apr . 7 , 1999 , is incorporated herein by reference , and is also filed herewith as appendix d . it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the present invention can be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof , and that the invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described herein . the presently disclosed embodiments are therefore considered in all respects to be illustrative and not restrictive . the scope of the invention is indicated by the appended claims rather than the foregoing description , and all changes that come within the meaning and range and equivalents thereof are intended to be embraced therein . | 8 |
the present invention comprises an improved rope and one that is particularly suited for water sports , and most particularly wake boarding . the rope is comprised of a blend of fibers , as shown in fig2 . the fibers include relatively low modulus relatively stretchable fibers of the type commonly used with water skiing ropes ( darker colored fibers in fig2 ), and high modulus low stretch fibers commonly used for wake boarding ( lighter fibers in fig2 ). each of the differing types of fiber is woven or extruded into a plurality of strands , each strand preferable being comprised of a homogenous group of fibers . multiple strands of each type of fiber are then woven together into a single rope that has the properties of a high modulus low stretch wake board rope . the fibers used for the low modulus strands can be comprised of polyethylene , propylene , nylon , polyester , and the like . the fibers used for the high modulus strands can be comprised of similar materials , but most preferably are comprised of no stretch or low stretch materials , such as those sold under the tradenames spectra ® or dyneema ®. the ratio of low to high modulus strands is believed to vary between about 1 : 3 to about 3 : 1 , preferably from about 1 : 2 to about 2 : 1 , and most preferably 1 : 1 . this produces a rope that is similar in characteristics to prior art wake board ropes , which exclusively rely on high modulus fibers , in terms of stiffness , stretch , and strength ( as shown in fig3 , which shows load on a rope of the present invention until the breaking point ). as compared to the performance characteristics of a polyethylene rope and a dynema ® rope , as shown in fig4 and 5 ( respectively ), the rope of the present invention clearly more closely matches in performance the dynema ® rope . in particular , fig4 shows the response of a polyethylene rope as the rope is loaded to the breaking point . the response is linear , which demonstrates that the rope will stretch relatively easily under normal use loads , which are at the lower end of the load profile . fig5 shows the response of a dynema ® rope . the response is not linear but exponential , which demonstrates that the rope does not stretch , or stretches very little , in the normal use range . the profile of the rope of the present invention shown in fig3 matches that of the dynema ® rope , and not that of the polyethylene rope . while the overall breaking point of the rope of the present invention is somewhat less than that of the rope shown in fig5 , this is considered less important than the stretch profile since the ropes described herein are never normally operated at loads near the breaking point . the rope is preferably braided using strands of the two fibers as described herein above . the actual construction of the rope can and will vary , but most preferably it would comprise 16 strands woven using any conventional weave , and preferably a 2 over 1 weave , and the like . the rope can be hollow in the center or include a center core as shown in fig1 , or in provided in any of the other arrangements as described in fig1 . the rope of the present invention has a number of advantages over the prior art . surprisingly combining the different fibers produces a rope that performs in all regard like high performance wake board ropes of the prior art . the rope , however , is substantially less expensive to produce since it is comprised in substantial portion of lower cost fibers . while the preferred embodiment of the invention has been described in reference to the figures , the invention is not so limited . also , the article , method , and apparatus of the present invention are not necessarily limited to any particular application or sport . unless otherwise defined , all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs . although methods and materials similar to or equivalent to those described herein can be used in the practice or testing of the present invention , suitable methods , and materials are described below . all publications , patent applications , patents , and other references mentioned herein are incorporated by reference in their entirety to the extent allowed by applicable law and regulations . in case of conflict , the present specification , including definitions , will control . the present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof , and it is therefore desired that the present embodiment be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive , reference being made to the appended claims rather than to the foregoing description to indicate the scope of the invention . those of ordinary skill in the art that have the disclosure before them will be able to make modifications and variations therein without departing from the scope of the invention . | 3 |
it has now been found that special cationic isocyanate prepolymers may be used for the preparation of highly filled , particulate , abrasion resistant , foam - containing polyurethane ( urea ) masses having exceptionally high water absorption capacities . the cationic isocyanate prepolymers to be used according to the invention , which serve as binders for the preparation of the polyurethane ( urea ) masses , have properties not hitherto obtainable by the single reaction stage method of preparation described in u . s . pat . nos . 4 , 608 , 397 , 4 , 734 , 439 , 4 , 801 , 621 and 4 , 855 , 052 . the present invention relates to a process for the preparation of foam - containing polyurethane ( urea ) masses from fillers , water , foams and isocyanate prepolymer binders containing cationic groups . the isocyanate used to prepare the prepolymer is a semi - isocyanate prepolymer containing cationic groups and prepared by reacting polyisocyanates with polyols containing partly or completely quaternized tertiary nitrogen propoxylated with 3 to 8 mol of propylene oxide per mol of nitrogen . the resultant semi - prepolymer is then reacted with at least one polyol to form a prepolymer which is then used to prepare the mass . it was surprisingly found that by using from 3 to 8 mol of propylene oxide per mol of tertiary nitrogen atoms , quaternizing and reacting with polyisocyanates to form semi - isocyanate prepolymers and then reacting with polyols , transparent , storage stable isocyanate prepolymers which bind the fillers in an abrasion resistant form are obtained over a wide temperature range and over a wide range of process conditions . the starting materials used for the process according to the invention are known and are described in u . s . pat . nos . 4 , 608 , 397 , 4 , 734 , 439 , 4 , 801 , 621 and 4 , 855 , 052 , the disclosures of which are herein incorporated by reference . the following cation group - containing compounds corresponding to the general formulae a to d are examples of compounds suitable for the process according to the invention : ## str1 ## wherein r 1 represents an alkyl group of from 1 to 25 carbon atoms , benzyl or an alkoxy or polyalkoxy group containing a total of from 2 to 24 carbon atoms , r 2 and r 3 each represent h or ch 3 , r 4 represents an alkyl group of from 1 to 25 carbon atoms or benzyl , a - represents an anion ( optionally with valency n where n is a value of one or more ), the following are examples of polyols containing tertiary amino groups used for propoxylation : n - methyl diethanolamine , n - methyl diisopropanolamine , n - methyl dipropanolamine , n , n - di - methylaminomethyl - propane - 1 , 3 - diol , bis ( hydroxyethyl ) piperazine as well as higher functional compounds such as triethanolamine . mixtures of compounds containing tertiary amino groups may , of course , also be used . conversion of the propoxylated polyols containing tertiary amino groups into the corresponding ammonium compounds is carried out by means of conventional alkylating agents . quaternization may , of course , be carried out before propoxylation . the following are examples of suitable alkylating agents : methyl chloride and bromide , ethyl chloride and bromide , propyl chloride and bromide , isopropyl chloride and bromide , n - butyl chloride and bromide , isobutyl chloride and bromide , cyclohexyl chloride and bromide , octyl , nonyl , decyl , undecyl and dodecyl chloride and bromide , benzyl chloride and bromide , allyl chloride and bromide , dimethyl sulphate , the methyl and ethyl esters of o , p - toluene sulphonic acid , ethyl chlorohydrin , ethylene bromohydrin and epichlorohydrin . mixtures of alkylating agents may , of course , also be used . the compounds preferably used are o , p - toluene sulphonic acid methyl ester and / or benzyl chloride . very advantageous results are obtained when a small proportion of o , p - toluene sulphonic acid methyl ester or other alkylating agent or mixture of alkylating agents of the quaternizing agent required for molar quaternization is replaced by an acid such as p - toluene sulphonic acid or phosphoric acid so that the aqueous solution of ammonium salt has a ph of , preferably , less than 7 ( 1 g of salt / 10 g of water ). the propoxylated polyols containing quaternary ammonium groups are then reacted with polyisocyanates to form cationically modified isocyanate prepolymers . the polyisocyanates used are di - and / or polyfunctional polyisocyanates such as , for example , hexane diisocyanate , dicyclohexyl methane diisocyanate or isophorone diisocyanate but preferably aromatic di - and polyisocyanates such as the toluene diisocyanate isomers , diphenyl methane - 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- and / or 2 , 4 &# 39 ;- and / or 2 , 2 &# 39 ;- isomers and optionally the relatively high molecular weight polyphenyl - polymethylene polyisocyanates obtained by the phosgenation of crude formaldehyde / aniline condensation products ( polyamine mixtures ) and optionally used as undistilled sump products . the polyisocyanates used for the reaction may also be any known polyisocyanates such as those described in detail in , for example , german offenlegungsschrift 2 , 832 , 253 . in the last step , the cationically modified isocyanate prepolymers are reacted with relatively high molecular weight polyhydroxyl compounds to form isocyanate prepolymers , which are the binders proper . the isocyanate prepolymers obtained generally have an isocyanate functionality of from 2 . 1 to 3 . 5 , preferably from 2 . 2 to 2 . 8 , and an isocyanate content of from 2 . 0 to 12 . 0 % by weight , preferably from 2 . 5 to 8 . 0 % by weight . the relatively high molecular weight polyhydroxyl compounds used are generally known in the polyurethane art . they typically have molecular weights of from 400 to 10 , 000 , and preferably from 800 to 8000 , and are typically difunctional and / or higher functional polyols having functionalities of ≦ 2 . 1 , preferably from 2 . 5 and up to about 5 , and most preferably from 2 . 1 to 3 . 5 . the polyhydroxyl compounds used may be polyesters , polycarbonates , polylactones or , most preferably , bifunctional and trifunctional polyether compounds which are more resistant to hydrolysis . the process according to the invention is generally carried out as follows : conversion of the polyol or polyol mixture containing tertiary amino groups propoxylated with 3 to 8 mol of propylene oxide into the corresponding ammonium compounds is carried out by a reaction with the alkylating agent or mixture of alkylating agents in solution or , preferably , solvent free at temperatures from 20 ° to 180 ° c ., preferably from 40 ° to 150 ° c ., and most preferably from 50 ° to 90 ° c . the quaternized , propoxylated polyols are reacted with polyisocyanates at temperatures from 40 ° to 120 ° c ., preferably from 60 ° to 100 ° c ., most preferably from 70 ° to 95 ° c ., to form the cationically modified isocyanate semi - prepolymers which have an isocyanate content of from 5 to 46 . 0 % by weight , preferably from 10 to 40 % by weight , most preferably from 30 to 40 % by weight . the cationically modified isocyanate semi - prepolymers are reacted with the relatively high molecular weight polyhydroxyl compounds by the usual methods , e . g . by heating the components together at temperatures from 50 ° to 100 ° c . to form the isocyanate prepolymer binder having an isocyanate content of from 2 to 12 % by weight , preferably from 2 . 5 to 8 . 0 % by weight and an isocyanate functionality of from 2 . 1 to 3 . 5 , preferably from 2 . 2 to 2 . 8 . the quantity of cationic groups built into the molecule is generally less than 2000 mmol / kg of polyurethane solids content , preferably from 30 to 1500 mmol / kg and most preferably from 50 to 500 mmol / kg of polyurethane solids content . it was surprising that only the three stage process described above carried out with the special propoxylated ammonium salts led to isocyanate prepolymer binders which were clear or only slightly cloudy . the process according to the invention therefore provides : a ) improved reproducibility of the preparation of the isocyanate prepolymer binder over a wide range of temperatures and process conditions , b ) the preparation of a transparent isocyanate prepolymer binder resistant to sedimentation , d ) in the preparation of polyurethane ( urea ) masses , prolonged pump life due to reduced risk of blockage since the isocyanate prepolymer binders are resistant to sedimentation and stable in storage , and e ) the maintenance of a constant level of properties of the polyurethane ( urea ) masses , in particular in that the fillers are bound in an abrasion resistant form . the process according to the invention is described in more detail below with the aid of the following examples ( parts denote parts by weight ). a mixture of 34 . 2 parts of a linear hydrophobic polyether of 1 , 2 - propane diol and propylene oxide ( oh number 56 ), 41 . 8 parts of a branched hydrophobic polyether ( started on trimethylol propane , reacted with 80 parts of propylene oxide and thereafter with 20 parts of ethylene oxide ; oh number 35 ) and 1 . 5 parts of n - methyl diethanolamine is cooled to about 60 ° c . after it has been dehydrated under vacuum at about 80 ° c . for 1 hour . the mixture is then reacted with 20 . 2 parts of tdi ( isomeric mixture 80 : 20 of 2 , 4 - and 2 , 6 - toluene diisocyanate ). 2 . 3 parts of o , p - toluene sulphonic acid methyl ester are immediately added as quaternizing agent after all of the tdi has been added . the reaction temperature rises to 70 °- 75 ° c . when the theoretical isocyanate value has been reached , a cloudy , white prepolymer is obtained . employing the process described above , n - methyl - diethanolamine was replaced by 1 . 85 g of n - methyl - di -( 2 - hydroxypropyl )- amine or by 4 . 13 g of n - methyl - diethanolamine propoxylated with 4 mol of po (&# 34 ; po - n - mda &# 34 ;) as tertiary amine . table 1______________________________________ viscosity *** viscosity after prep - ( mpa . s ) aration ground emulsi - at 25 ° c . aftertertiary ( mpa . s ) at settle - fiability storage atamine 75 ° c . ment * ( sec **) 80 ° c . *** ______________________________________n - methyl - 9800 present ≦ 20 -- diethanol - afteramine 24 hn - methyl - 14 , 000 none & lt ; 5 crossdiisopro - linkedpanolaminepo - n - mda 4000 none & lt ; 15 & gt ; 300 , 000______________________________________ * particles precipitated in the prepolymer ( for example , short chain hard segments ). ** emulsifiability : 100 g of isocyanate prepolymer and 200 g of water are mixed at room temperature for 30 seconds with vigorous stirring . the emulsifiability is the time in seconds after which phase separation or coagulation takes place . *** with exclusion of moisture . comparison example 2 : two stage process not according to the invention 39 . 5 parts of n - methyl - diethanolamine are heated to 80 ° c . in a vessel equipped with a stirrer and 60 . 5 parts of p - toulene sulphonic acid methyl ester are continuously added at such a rate that a temperature of 75 °- 85 ° c . is obtained in the highly exothermic reaction . 3 . 8 parts of the salt from stage 1 are dehydrated with 76 parts of the polyether mixture used in comparison example 1 at 80 ° c . and then reacted with 20 . 2 parts of tdi ( isomeric mixture 80 : 20 of 2 , 4 - and 2 , 6 - tolylene diisocyanate ) at about 60 ° to 70 ° c . until the theoretically calculated isocyanate content is obtained . the reaction temperature rises by about 5 ° to 10 ° c . when the theoretical isocyanate value is reached , a cloudy white prepolymer is obtained . n - methyl - diethanolamine is replaced in the process described above by 1 . 85 g of n - methyl - di -( 2 - hydroxypropyl )- amine or by 4 . 13 g of a n - methyl - diethanolamine propoxylated with 4 mol of po ( po - n - mda ) as tertiary amine . table 2______________________________________ viscosity *** after pre - ground emulsifi - tertiary paration settle - abilityamine ( mpa . s ) at 25 ° c . ment ( sec ) ______________________________________n - methyl - 4 , 100 after & lt ; 20diethanol - 24 haminen - methyl - 5 , 500 after & lt ; 5diisopro - 24 hpanolaminepo - n - mda 3 , 300 after 15 3 days______________________________________ stage 1 : preparation of salt : prepared as in comparison example 2 the salts based on n - methyl - diethanolamine and n - methyl - diisopropanolamine can no longer be worked up in the second stage . the reaction with tdi results in solid products . 14 . 2 parts of a salt from stage 1 consisting of 63 . 6 parts of po - n - mda and 36 . 4 parts of o , p - toluene sulphonic acid methyl ester are added to 85 . 8 parts of tdi at such a rate that the temperature of the reaction mixture does not exceed 100 ° c . the product obtained after termination of the reaction ( when the theoretical isocyanate content is reached ) is a liquid product which is clear at room temperature . 76 . 7 parts of the polyether mixture from comparison example 1 are reacted with 23 . 3 parts of the semi - nco - prepolymer from stage 2 at 60 ° to 70 ° c . until the theoretical isocyanate content is obtained . the transparent isocyanate prepolymer has a viscosity of about 6000 determined at 25 ° c . ( mpa . s ) and a viscosity ( 25 ° c .) of & lt ; 8000 ( mpa . s ) after 3 days storage at 80 ° c . emulsifiability : 90 ( s ). the apparatus used consisted of two double paddle screw troughs each having a volumetric capacity of about 180 liters and a length of 300 cm . the troughs were arranged in series and their paddle shafts were rotated in opposite directions . the reaction mixture was forced from the inlet opening in the direction of the outlet opening and was subjected to kneading and squeezing between the shafts . 72 kg / h of ma 2538 foam ( manufactured by metzeler )( average particle size & lt ; 10 mm ) are fed into the hopper from a belt weigher and 148 . 4 kg / h of lignite dust ( average particle size & lt ; 200 μm ) are fed in from a dosing screw . 62 . 4 kg / h of the isocyanate prepolymer of example 3 was mixed with 523 kg / h of water in a 1 . 5 liter porcupine mixer and also fed into the hopper . 27 . 6 kg / h of a second basic prepolymer with an nco - content of about 6 % by weight and stabilized with phosphoric acid ( u . s . pat . no . 4 , 855 , 052 ) are measured into the first third of the second paddle screw . the second prepolymer had been obtained by reaction of a polyether with a oh - number 26 ( obtained by conversion of propylene oxide and ethylene oxide at a ratio of 40 : 60 with trimethylol propane as the starter ) and n - methyl - diethanolamine and toluene diisocyanate ( 2 , 4 - and 2 , 6 - isomeric mixture 80 : 20 ). the prepolymers are introduced in measured quantities via a gear wheel pump and the water via a quantity control . the last third of the first paddle screw and the whole of the second screw are heated with a stream of steam ( 6 bar ). after a dwell time of about 5 . 5 minutes in both screws , the vigorously mixed product leaves at a temperature of about 42 ° c . and is mixed with 5000 l / h of water at 50 ° c . in a hopper and transferred via a pump and a stationary region ( diameter 100 mm , length 80 m ) to a perforated flow belt and into a perforated vessel . the dwell time is about 6 minutes . the product has completely reacted and may be filled into containers after the excess water has dripped off . total solids per liter of suspension was 95 - 120 g / l ; abrasion in the ball mill test : about 6 %, which corresponds to products produced according to u . s . pat . no . 4 , 855 , 052 . although the invention has been described in detail in the foregoing for the purpose of illustration , it is to be understood that such detail is solely for that purpose and that variations can be made therein by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention except as it may be limited by the claims . | 2 |
fig1 shows an example of a motor vehicle hydraulic pump 1 designed according to the invention , in an exploded view . the motor vehicle hydraulic pump 1 is preferably a single component that other elements or assemblies are attached to , in particular are flange - mounted to . the hydraulic pump 1 shown has a pump housing 2 , which is connected to a gerotor set 3 . an intake cover 4 sits on the gerotor set 3 . arranged in the intake cover 4 is an intake line 5 through which hydraulic fluid is drawn into the pump . the hydraulic fluid is filtered before entry into the hydraulic pump 1 . a filter 6 , which is preferably fastened directly to the intake cover 4 , is provided for this purpose . a pump housing 7 is in turn attached to the intake cover 4 . the pump housing 7 is located opposite the gerotor set 3 . a first outlet 99 and a second outlet 98 are provided in the pump housing 7 . the two outlets of the hydraulic pump 1 constitute the respective stages of the hydraulic pump 1 . the first outlet forms the first output stage , while the second outlet forms the second output stage . a high volume flow can be drawn from the hydraulic pump 1 through the first output stage , and thus the first outlet . in contrast , hydraulic fluid at high pressure is obtained from the second output stage , and thus through the second outlet . the hydraulic pump 1 is coupled to an electric motor 8 , wherein the gerotor 3 is preferably connected directly to the rotor of the electric motor . by this means , a speed - controlled motion of the rotor can be transmitted directly to the gerotor 3 . the electric motor 8 is preferably at least controlled , in particular regulated . to this end , a control unit 9 can be provided , either directly on the electric motor 8 or in its immediate vicinity . the control unit is connected to an engine control system of the motor vehicle , in particular by a bus system , preferably a can bus . in the discussion that follows , components that are identical or are of the same type are provided with like reference symbols . fig2 shows a schematic view of the structure of the hydraulic pump 1 in a two - stage design . a first output stage 10 is located ahead of a second output stage 11 . both stages 10 , 11 obtain hydraulic fluid from a common reservoir 12 . the reservoir 12 is , preferably , an oil sump . the filter 6 from fig1 can be set directly into this oil sump , for example . a lubrication circuit is preferably supplied by the first output stage 10 . an actuating device for a clutch of the motor vehicle is preferably supplied by the second output stage 11 . the electric motor 8 is directly coupled to the hydraulic pump 1 . fig3 shows a schematic view of a hydraulic circuit for a clutch of a motor vehicle with a lubrication circuit 13 and a clutch circuit 14 . the lubrication circuit 13 and clutch circuit 14 are each shown only in part . the hydraulic pump 1 pumps hydraulic fluid from the reservoir 12 . the hydraulic pump 1 is driven by the electric motor 8 for this purpose . the electric motor 8 is connected to a control unit 9 . this and other connections of the control unit are shown with dashed lines . the control unit 9 is also coupled to a first valve v 1 . the first valve v 1 is a 3 / 2 - port directional control valve that is operated by an electromagnet and can be moved to a neutral position by a spring . the first valve v 1 is a reversing valve between the lubrication circuit 13 and the clutch circuit 14 . when the electromagnet of the first valve v 1 is actuated by the control unit 9 , the volume flow originating from the first output stage 10 for the lubrication circuit 13 is fed to the clutch circuit 14 . the lubrication circuit 13 and the clutch circuit 14 are preferably designed in accordance with their respective tasks of lubrication and actuation of a clutch , in particular a friction clutch , as regards their respective delivery volumes and delivery pressures . however , it is possible to connect the two circuits 13 , 14 together by actuating the first valve v 1 . this is preferably done when actuating a clutch . the clutch preferably has an actuating piston that must overcome a clutch play . a relatively large quantity of fluid is needed for this purpose . in order to permit rapid actuation of the clutch , a large volume flow may be necessary . on the one hand , this large volume flow could be accomplished by appropriately designing the second output stage 11 of the hydraulic pump 1 . however , by appropriately interconnecting the two circuits 13 , 14 , the volume flow from the first output stage 10 is added to that of the second output stage . this makes it possible to more rapidly overcome plate play in a friction clutch . this permits faster actuation of the clutch . in the further course of the actuation of the clutch , the volume flow demand of the actuating piston drops sharply as pressure increases . at a predefinable pressure , chosen in particular as a function of the electric motor and hydraulic pump 1 used , the two hydraulic circuits 13 , 14 are separated again by the first valve v 1 . after this point in time , the actuating piston is subjected only to hydraulic fluid from the second output stage 11 , and thus is under higher pressure . to this end , the control unit 9 has a coupling to a pressure sensor ds . the pressure sensor ds is preferably located in the clutch circuit 14 or in a line connected thereto so as to be able to sense the pressure prevailing directly at or in the immediate vicinity of the actuating piston . the pressure signal from the pressure sensor ds is forwarded to the control unit 9 . the latter can actuate the first valve v 1 , either autonomously or in coordination with an engine control system that is not shown , and return it to an initial position to allow the circuits 13 , 14 to be separated again . the control unit 9 and the engine control system 115 are preferably connected through a bus system 15 . the control unit 9 can influence the speed of the electric motor 8 , either independently of the engine control device 15 or in coordination with the engine control device . the pressure behavior in the clutch circuit 14 is influenced by the second output stage 11 and also by a throttling device d . the throttling device d presents a flow resistance in the clutch circuit 14 , so that the fluid flowing out of the hydraulic pump 1 into the clutch circuit 14 can exert pressure on the actuating device of the clutch , while drainage into the reservoir 12 is also ensured . a circuit for the clutch circuit 14 is closed by this means , for example . fig4 shows another embodiment of the incorporation of the hydraulic pump 1 into a lubrication circuit 13 and a first clutch circuit 16 and a second clutch circuit 17 . the first valve v 1 again makes it possible to connect the lubrication circuit 13 with the clutch circuits 16 , 17 . a second valve v 2 makes it possible to apply pressure to the first clutch circuit 16 , while at the same time the second clutch circuit 17 can decrease the pressure that has been built up in the lubrication circuit 13 . moreover , the second valve v 2 can be switched such that both clutch circuits 16 , 17 can be actuated simultaneously . in addition , it is possible for the first clutch circuit 16 to be connected to the lubrication circuit 13 , while the second clutch circuit 17 is simultaneously provided with a volume flow to carry out actuation of a clutch . switching of the second valve v 2 is preferably accomplished through measurement of a characteristic parameter present in the line following the second output stage 11 , in particular using a measured pressure . a sensor system 18 , in particular a pressure sensor , can once again be provided for this purpose . although a variety of throttling devices d are contemplated , one embodiment contemplates an adjustable throttling device . two - port flow regulator or flow control valve , are also contemplated . preferably , this , too is likewise switched as a function of demand through the control system that is not shown , in particular by the control unit . fig5 shows another hydraulic circuit for multiple clutches . in contrast to the embodiment evident from fig4 , the further development shown in fig5 provides a proportional valve for pressure regulation as a third valve v 3 . pressure relief in the line connected to the second output stage 11 can be accomplished in a controlled or regulated manner with this third valve v 3 . for regulation , preferably the sensor system 18 is used , by means of which a pressure parameter in the line can be measured , for example . it is also possible for the electric motor 8 to be demand - controlled as a function of the requirements for the first clutch circuit 16 or the second clutch circuit 17 . on the other hand , it is possible in this way to switch the third valve v 3 in a timed manner . fig6 again shows a hydraulic circuit for multiple clutches . however , this differs from those in fig4 and fig5 . in this embodiment from fig6 , it is possible to switch the first clutch circuit 16 fully independently from the second clutch circuit 17 . in addition , through the use of two second valves v 2 , appropriate switching of the first valve v 1 can connect the first output stage 10 to the first clutch circuit 16 , or to the second clutch circuit 17 , or to both clutch circuits 16 , 17 at the same time , in order to actuate the clutches . in order to allow disconnection of the connected first output stage 10 by means of the first valve v 1 , a sensor system 18 is located in each clutch circuit 16 , 17 . when the clutch ( not shown in detail ) is to be brought from the pressurized state to the unpressurized state , the respective third valve v 3 in each clutch circuit 16 , 17 can be actuated . this allows drainage to the reservoir 12 . the hydraulic pump 1 thus permits a pressure level as well as a volume flow that is sufficient for at least two independently actuated clutches . in this regard , a control unit can be provided for each clutch . it is also possible for both clutches to be actuated by a common control unit . this control unit is preferably also capable of controlling the hydraulic pump 1 by means of the electric motor 8 . the structure proposed in fig6 also allows further utilization of stored hydraulic fluid . for example , if the first clutch circuit 16 is activated , which is to say supplied with hydraulic fluid through the second valve v 2 , and if the second clutch circuit 17 should now be activated while the first clutch circuit 16 is placed in an inactive state for the clutch , then instead of switching the third valve v 3 located in the first clutch circuit 16 , the second valve v 2 can be switched . the pressure present in the first clutch circuit 16 and the hydraulic fluid then flow into the second clutch circuit 17 . thus , in addition to the connected first output stage 10 , the stored pressure force in one of the clutch circuits 16 , 17 can also be exploited for faster activation of a clutch . fig7 is based on the embodiment from fig6 . in addition , an accumulator 19 is arranged in series with the hydraulic pump 1 . the accumulator 19 can be connected through a fourth valve v 4 . this makes it possible , for example , for the hydraulic pump 1 to fill the accumulator 19 with hydraulic fluid at times when neither the first clutch circuit 16 nor the second clutch circuit 17 need hydraulic fluid for actuating the respective connected clutches . for example , if a control unit requires both clutches of the clutch circuits 16 , 17 to be actuated simultaneously , it is possible to ensure that both clutch circuits 16 , 17 are supplied with an adequate volume flow of hydraulic fluid to activate the clutches by connecting the accumulator 19 through the fourth valve v 4 while simultaneously connecting the first output stage 10 to the second output stage 11 through the first valve v 1 . furthermore , it is possible for the accumulator 19 to be used to actuate a clutch with only the second output stage 11 , without connecting the first output stage 10 . moreover , filling of the accumulator 19 can also take place by means of a depressurization of a first clutch circuit 16 or a second clutch circuit 17 . the fluid flowing back out of these circuits 16 , 17 can be delivered to the accumulator 19 in addition to the hydraulic fluid from the second output stage 11 for appropriate settings of the second valve v 2 and the fourth valve v 4 . furthermore , the accumulator 19 permits a reduction in the actuation of the electric motor 8 and thus the hydraulic pump 1 . for example , the accumulator 19 can permit emergency lubrication , in particular an emergency supply of the lubrication circuit 13 . a 2 / 3 - port directional control valve can be used for this purpose , for example . fig8 shows an embodiment of a possible application of the hydraulic pump 1 on a clutch 20 of a differential 21 of a motor vehicle . power can be transmitted to the wheels 24 through a bevel gear 22 , which for example transmits drive power from a drive shaft to the differential 21 by means of , for example , a ring gear 23 . the clutch 20 is embodied as a friction plate clutch for this purpose . the differential 21 is an open differential . the coupling of the open differential to the clutch 20 produces a locking differential . by actuating the hydraulic pump 1 , outer plates 25 and inner plates 26 can be moved relative to one another . when the pressure in the clutch 20 is increased for this purpose by the hydraulic pump 1 through the delivery of hydraulic fluid , a frictional connection is established between the outer plates 25 and the inner plates 26 . for actuation of the clutch , the first output stage 10 can be connected to the second output stage 11 by appropriate valve settings of the various valves 27 . while the invention has been described in connection with one or more embodiments , the disclosure is not meant to be limiting . rather , the invention covers all alternatives , modifications and equivalents within the spirit and scope of the appended claims . | 5 |
in one embodiment , an iol may provide accommodating capability by forward movement in the eye , varying the distance of the iol or lens optic from the retina , and / or curvature change of the lens optic . to achieve these affects , the iol may make use of the forces of zonule tension from ciliary muscle contractions . in addition , vitreous forces may act upon the iol . vitreous forces are also reliant , at least in part , on ciliary muscle contractions wherein such contractions result in posterior bulking within the eye , which decreases the volume of the vitreous cavity . since the vitreous volume is fixed , the pressure on the contraction of the ciliary muscle cause vitreous movement wherein the peripheral vitreous is pushed back and the central vitreous moves oppositely and , therefore , forwardly . consequently , the movement of the vitreous may push the lens optic forward in the eye . it appears that forward movement of the lens optic must be significant in order to adjust the lens power for example to provide near vision . however , minor curvature changes on the lens optic appear to change the lens power significantly . an iol providing accommodation by forward movement in the eye and / or curvature change of the lens optic is shown in fig1 a and 1c to 1 e . in one embodiment , an iol 10 a includes a lens optic 12 a and a haptic 14 a . as is known , lens optic 12 a provides for the corrective refraction of light for focusing to the retina , while haptic 14 a is a supporting structure for mounting the optic in the capsular bag . haptic 14 a includes mounting points 18 a , which engage against the capsular bag . the lens optic is secured to the haptic through flexible , elastomeric membranes 16 a . membranes 16 a together at least substantially encircle optic 12 a . each membrane has a flexibility greater than that of the surrounding materials . in particular , each membrane 16 a has a flexibility greater than that of either lens optic 12 a or haptic 14 a . flexibility may be achieved by selection of materials or , as in the illustrated embodiment , by selection of the thickness of the membrane relative to the surrounding parts . for example , the membranes may be formed thinner and possibly much thinner than the haptic to render it more flexible than that part . while two membranes are shown , it is to be understood that one substantially circular membrane may be employed , if desired . alternately , further membranes may be positioned such that they together encircle optic 12 a . for example , with reference to fig1 b , an iol is shown including four membranes 16 b about optic 12 a . the membranes are able to flex to permit movement of optic 12 a relative to haptic 14 a , in response to the application of force to optic 12 a . the membranes , however , are resilient such that they are biased towards their original form as the application of force is diminished or discontinued . haptic 14 a may be formed in various ways to mount the iol in the posterior chamber or the anterior chamber of an eye and to support the membranes 16 a and therethrough lens optic 12 a . while other haptic forms can be used as desired , in the illustrated embodiment , haptic 14 a is a plate haptic including an upper half 20 a ′ and a lower half 20 a ″. the haptic includes a membrane support ring formed of segments 21 . in particular , each of the upper half and the lower half of the haptic includes a ring segment 21 that extends the haptic upwardly around the optic to support membranes 16 a . in the illustrated embodiment , ring segments 21 frame the membranes 16 a to offer support for the membranes at their outer edges . ring segments 21 may be formed as a part of the haptic or sepearately therefrom with a connection to the haptic . membranes 16 a may be mounted at or close to the optic &# 39 ; s largest diameter side edges 23 ( see fig4 ) and each membrane extends along a section of the circumference about the optic such that membranes 16 a together substantially encircle the optic . the membranes may be independent from each other , for example in one embodiment separated by slits or gaps 22 . in the illustrated embodiment , the iol includes two membranes 16 a about the optic , with each membrane being continuous between its ends and extending substantially about one half the optic circumference . the membranes are spaced apart at each of their ends to form gaps 22 therebetween . the gaps may , for example , be positioned on the sides of the iol between the haptic mounting points 18 a . haptic 14 a may also be discontinuous , for example by forming the upper half 20 a ′ separate from the lower half 20 a ″, for example , at a split or gap 24 adjacent to gaps 22 between membranes 16 a . gaps 22 and 24 reduce stiffness and resistance to bending for the iol wherein only the optic provides stiffness between the upper half and the lower half of the haptic . as such , when the ciliary muscle contracts to change the zonule tension and increase the vitreous pressure , the iol can easily bend between gaps 22 and 24 . furthermore , where gaps 22 , 24 are used that space the surrounding parts , the gaps can allow for greater range of motion to facilitate depth movement of the optic as the parts do not readily bear against each other . gaps 22 , 24 also permit dimensional expansion of the iol wherein the diameter d r of the iol at rest ( fig1 c ) may be extended to diameter d e wherein the iol is expanded about gaps 22 , 24 ( fig1 d ). the expansion to diameter d e facilitates travel of optic 12 a to thereby facilitate accommodation . in an iol having more than two membranes , as in fig1 b , gaps 22 a , 24 a may be formed between each membrane 16 b and between each ring segment 21 a . the ring segments 21 a may be extended about the membranes 16 b to support them on their outer edges . the surface area of optic 12 a and membranes 16 a also act to trap vitreous fluid as it is moved within the eye by ciliary muscle contractions . the form of membranes 16 a act to trap the fluid pressure and this creates a force , arrows f , that acts with the flexibility of membranes 16 a to drive forward movement of the optic . in operation , when the ciliary muscle contracts , vitreous pressure will increase and act on the posterior surface area of the lens optic and membranes 16 a to push the lens optic forward as shown progressively from fig1 c where the iol is at rest through the position of fig1 d to the position of fig1 e . in addition , such movement of optic 12 a and membranes 16 a changes the pressure exerted at side edges 23 of the optic by the membranes . this causes the optic curvature to be changed . when the ciliary muscle relaxes , the vitreous pressure is released and the lens optic will return to its original form ( fig1 c ) and position because of material elasticity . a combination of forward movement and lens optic curvature change may provide the eye with significant accommodating power to focus on near objects . the membranes can be formed at an angle to the optic to enhance their effect on optic curvature change when force is applied thereto . in one embodiment , the membranes together form a frustoconical surface formed at an angle α of 5 to 15 degrees or possibly 10 to 15 degrees from a plane defined through the optic side edges 23 . an increase in angle α increases the degree to which optic 12 a can travel . consequently , it may add more positive power for near vision . the iols can be made from various materials , as would be appreciated by a skilled person . for example , the materials for the optic and possibly for other parts are clear and compatible for use in the body . the materials are selected and formed to be sufficiently stiff to retain the iol form and position in the eye , but to be flexible to react to muscle contractions and vitreous fluid pressure . where a foldable lens is useful , foldable materials such as silicone , acrylic , hydrogel , etc . may be used . one - piece construction may also be useful . in the illustrated embodiment a one - piece construction is used wherein the haptic , ring segments , membranes and optic are formed integral . lens optics useful in the present invention may vary , as desired . for example , a liquid form optic , as shown in fig1 a and 2a , or a solid form optic 12 d , as shown in fig1 b , 2 b and 3 a can be selected for the lens optic . some useful optic forms are shown in fig4 . for example , as shown in fig4 a and 4b , a liquid lens optic 12 a may be used . such a lens optic may include an outer capsule 26 forming an inner chamber 28 that may be filled with liquid material such as silicone or other liquid and clear materials . the lens capsule may be thinned centrally with an increasing peripheral thickness , as shown in fig4 b . in other embodiments , a lens optic 12 b may be used wherein the lens capsule 26 a may be more uniformly thick ( fig4 c ), a lens optic 12 c may be used wherein the lens capsule 26 b can include one thicker side ( fig4 d ). capsule design can be selected to control lens optic shape change and thereby curvature changes resulting from application of pressure . a liquid lens tends to have greater flexibility of a solid lens . solid optics may include , for example , an optic 12 d ( fig4 e ) including a form generally symmetrical about its edges 23 or an optic 12 e ( fig4 f ) that is curved assymetrically on either side of its side edges 23 . if a solid optic is selected , soft and flexible materials may be used to construct the optic in order to facilitate curvature change . it is to be understood that while a particular haptic form is shown , other haptic forms may be used as desired such as , for example , as shown in fig2 a to 2d , a frog leg form haptic 14 b , such as is disclosed in applicant &# 39 ; s corresponding u . s . patent application ser . no . 10 / 248 , 917 or a running leg form , also disclosed in the aforementioned patent application . in another embodiment , an alternate plate form , known as a pie shaped haptic 14 d may be used such as is shown in fig3 a to 3d . in an iol having a pie shaped haptic , membranes 16 b are mounted along their outer edges to haptic 14 d . gaps 22 b may be provided between the membranes and gaps 25 may be formed in the haptic adjacent gaps 22 b to provide the flex about gaps described hereinabove . although not shown , a ring may be positioned or formed between membranes 16 b and haptic 14 d , if desired , for additional support of the membranes . it will be apparent that many other changes may be made to the illustrative embodiments , while falling within the scope of the invention and it is intended that all such changes be covered by the claims appended hereto . | 0 |
in accordance with this invention , there is provided a kit containing a plurality of pieces which are the components required for assembly of models of nucleic acid molecules . the individual pieces are helical in shape and are proportioned to the helical curvature and length of the individual nucleotides and have planar units formed integral therewith which model in size and shape the purine and pyrimidine base components . the individual pieces are preferably of a molded plastic which will retain the helical form of the dna or rna molecule when assembled . the individual pieces are preferably provided with a male connector at one end and have a female receptor at the other end . the purine and pyrimidine side groups are similarly provided with projections which provide for a male - female connection , each of which illustrates the hydrogen bonds joining the side bases together . the individual units are preferably made in a distinctive color or surface texture providing a ready identification for the individual nucleotides . thus , the color code used may be any suitable variety of colors , e . g . adenine - red , cytosine - yellow , thymine - blue , guanine - green , and uracil - violet . the individual pieces are accurately proportioned according to the known dimensions of the individual nucleotides and the helixes formed of the polynucleotide chains . a more complete description of the individual pieces and their proportions will be set forth in the description making reference to the individual drawings . referring now to the drawings , and more particularly to fig1 there is shown a model of dna molecule assembled from the components of the kit . the model is shown assembled in the form of a double helix corresponding to the actual configuration of the dna molecule . in the dna molecular model shown in fig1 there are two separate helixes 10 and 11 which are wound around a common axis , each being a right - hand helix . the helixes 10 and 11 are slightly asymmetric with the result that the two helixes define a minor helical groove c and a major helical groove d in the surface of the dna molecule . each of the helixes 10 and 11 is formed of a plurality of helical segments 12 having a planar side group 13 representing the purine or pyrimidine side group in the individual nucleotides which make up the helical molecule . the view shown in fig2 illustrates more clearly the connection between the amino acid side groups 13 which , in this view , are the side groups cytosine and guanine . in fig4 to 7 , the individual nucleotide segments are shown substantially enlarged in relation to fig1 and 2 . in fig3 there is shown an exploded view which illustrates more clearly the connection of the planar side units which represent the bases by which the helixes are bound together . the individual components of the model are preferably made of molded plastic as one piece units . the units have a helical curvature and length porportioned according to the published information available on the structure of the dna molecule . the actual molecular length of a full coil of one of the helixes , which is shown in fig1 as the dimension a is 3 . 4 nm . the diameter of the helix as indicated by dimension b in fig1 is 2 . 0 n . m . there are 10 nucleotides in a single turn of one of the helixes making up the dna molecule . the length of an individual nucleotide is 0 . 34 nm . the model is proportioned according to these dimensions . in fig4 there is shown a model of one of the nucleotide units consisting of a backbone in the form of a helical segment 12a and having a pyrimidine side group 13a formed integrally therewith , preferably of a molded plastic material . the backbone segment 12a represents the sugar - phosphate unit making up the helical backbone of the dna molecule . in the case of dna the sugar backbone is deoxyribose phosphate . in the case of the rna model the backbone is ribose phosphate . the helical segment 12a representing the sugar - phosphate backbone unit is provided with a male prong 13a at one end and female receptor 15a at the other end . in this unit , the side chain 13a illustrates the pyrimidine - cytosine which is shown to be hexagonal in shape and is in the form of a thin planar unit , as is seen in the isometric view shown in fig3 . the unit 13a is provided with 3 prongs 16a , 17a and 18a which are hollow tubular members representing the hydrogen bonds in the cytosine - guanine pairing in the dna molecule . in fig5 the unit shown in a helical segment illustrating a sugar - phosphate unit having a side group which is pyrimidine , thymine or uracil . in this portion of the molecular model the sugar phosphate backbone is illustrated by helical segment 12b having male prong 14b at one end and female receptor 15b at the other end . side group 13b illustrates the pyrimidine , thymine or uracil and is in the form of a regular hexagon which is formed as a thin planar unit proportioned somewhat as is shown in fig3 . this side unit 13b is provided with prongs 19b and 20b which are hollow tubes functioning as female receptors and illustrating the hydrogen bonding of thymine or uracil to adenine . in fig6 the unit shown consists of helical segment 12c having a male prong 14c at one end and female receptor 15c at the other end which illustrates the sugar - phosphate backbone . unit 13c which is formed integrally with backbone unit 12c is a planar unit illustrating the shape of the side group which is the purine - guanine . in this piece of the molecular model the side group 13c which illustrates the guanine group is provided with 3 prongs 16c , 17c and 18c which are male prongs adapted to fit the female prongs 16a , 17a and 18a on the unit shown in fig4 . this connection is also illustrated isometric view shown in fig3 . in fig7 the piece of the molecular model shown comprises helical segment 12d having male prong 14d and female receptor 15d and which illustrates the sugar - phosphate backbone portion of the nucleotide . the side group 13d is a planar unit shaped to represent the purine - adenine . this side group 13d has 2 prongs 19d and 2 d which are male prongs adapted to cooperate with female prongs 19b and 20b on the thymine or uracil side group illustrated in the embodiment shown in fig5 . the pieces making up the model are preferably proportioned as accurately as possible to the dimensions , spacing , shape , etc . of the components of the dna or rna molecules as is given in the literature . the backbone pieces representing the sugar - phosphate components of the individual nucleotides can be assembled in any order with the male prong of one fitting the female receptor of the other . when assembled in this manner , a model of the backbone is formed which is a helix proportioned according to the proportions of the molecular helix given in the literature . there are 10 of the backbone units assembled to make one complete turn of the helix , which corresponds to the arrangement of the backbone units in the dna or rna molecule . these units are proportioned to have a helical curvature such that each is an arcuate helical piece having 36 ° of arc and a transverse helical dimension which is one - tenth the distance , longitudinally , of one complete turn of the helix . the diameter of the helix and the length of a complete turn are preferably proportioned as closely as possible to the proportions for the dimensions a and b given above . while the individual backbone pieces 12a , 12b , 12c and 12d can be assembled in any order , the planar units 13a , 13b , 13c and 13d which represent the side groups are limited as to their interconnection . thus , uracil or thymine can be connected to adenine to illustrate the hydrogen bond of those two groups and cytosine can be connected to guanine to illustrate the hydrogen bonding of those groups . the lengths of the cooperating male and female prongs which establish the connection between the planar side groups are proportioned to the atom spacing in the molecule which represents the hydrogen bonds between the side groups in the individual nucleotides . it is thus seen that , while one of the helical strands of the dna molecule can be assembled with the various nucleotide backbone segments in any desired order , the order fixed for one of the helical strands dictates the order of the nucleotides in the other strand of the double helix . the size of the individual side groups and their respective angular orientation on the helical segments representing the sugar - phosphate backbone unit and the length of the prongs which connect pairs of amino acid groups together to illustrate the hydrogen bonding determine the spacing of the individual helixes relative to each other and establish the asymetric relationship of the individual helixes which produces a minor groove c and a major groove d in the surface of the molecule ( and the molecular model ) as illustrated in fig1 . the various pieces shown in fig4 to 7 , when assembled produce the double helix shown in fig1 which is a model of the dna molecule . the individual helical segments and planar side groups which illustrate the individual nucleotides are preferably color coded as described above so that a different color identifies each of the separate groups . this model can be assembled and disassembled and the parts rearranged to illustrate the replication of the dna molecule in the biochemical processes of cell formation and multiplication . the rna molecule is a single helix which is identical to one of the individual helixes of the dna molecule with minor structural changes . in rna the backbone unit in the nucleotide is ribose - phosphate instead of deoxyribose - phosphate . this does not involve any change in the individual pieces of the model . the side groups are the same as in the dna except that uracil is substituted for thymine . the model can therefore be assembled as a single helix to illustrate the rna molecule for educational or informational purposes . the rna model can be used to illustrate the functions of messenger - rna and transfer - rna in biochemical processes . according to present theory , each amino acid is associated with one or more three letter codes formed by the bases adenine uracil , guanine and cytosine . these bases arranged in a code will cause a specific amino acid to attach itself to the transfer - rna , and therefore , in the model , these bases fit together in the same way that this process takes place biochemically . transfer - rna assemblies may be constructed to illustrate the duplication of any desired structure . the following table illustrates the genetic code for each of the amino acids indicated therein . in this table , adenine is represented by the letter a , uracil by u , guanine by g , and cytosine by c . transfer - rna molecules containing these code words may be simulated by assembly of the backbone segments in the manner indicated . table i______________________________________ componentamino acid rna code words backbone segments______________________________________alanine ccg 12a , 12a , 12carginine cgc 12a , 12c , 12aasparagine aca 12d , 12a , 12daspartic acid gua 12c , 12b , 12dcystine uug 12b , 12b , 12cglutamic acid gaa 12c , 12d , 12dglutamine aca 12d , 12a , 12dglycine ugg 12b , 12c , 12chistidine acc 12d , 12a , 12aisoleucine uau 12b , 12d , 12bleucine uug 12b , 12b , 12clysine aaa 12d , 12d , 12dmethionine uga 12b , 12c , 12dphenylalanine uuu 12b , 12b , 12bproline ccc 12a , 12a , 12aserine ucu 12b , 12a , 12bthreonine cac 12a , 12d , 12atryptophan ggu 12c , 12c , 12btyrosine auu 12d , 12b , 12bvaline ugu 12b , 12c , 12b______________________________________ after the amino acids have attached themselves to the corresponding transfer - rna molecules , the transfer - rna molecules together with the associated amino acid , converge on the messenger - rna molecule and attached themselves in an order determined by the transfer and messenger rna base elements . the transfer - rna assemblies can be connected to the messenger - rna only in one way and therefore the amino acid blocks are arranged in the specific order required to simulate the polypeptide length spelled out by the genetic code in the messenger - rna . from the above description , it is seen that there is disclosed an improved molecular model for illustrating the dna and rna molecules . the individual pieces are helical segments with planar side groups formed integrally thereon proprotioned to illustrate the purine and pyrimidine side groups . the backbone portion of the segments illustrating the individual nucleotides are preferably of a solid rod - like molded plastic material having the desired helical configuration . it should be noted , however , that these pieces could be hollow and made of tubular material provided that they have the desired shape . the backbone pieces and the planar base side units are illustrated as being connected by male - female connectors . the relative positioning of the male - female connectors could obviously be reversed without changing the desired result . it should also be noted that the means for connecting the various pieces together could be varied so long as the desired proportions are maintained . thus , the pieces could have the male - female connectors eliminated and be made of material which is magnetic or carrying magnets in the end portions to provide for an end to end connection of the backbone pieces and a side to side connection of the planar base units . likewise , the planar base units could be made separate from the backbone pieces and sesecured by appropriate securing means . the particular materials of construction which may be used for the individual pieces of the molecular model can be of any suitable material . for purposes of economics of construction , it is preferred that the pieces be injection molded of a suitable thermoplastic . they could also be molded of thermosetting resins or could be made of metal or wood , but at a much higher cost . the particular structure shown in the drawings and described above is generally the preferred structure for this molecular model since the model , when assembled , is a self supporting structure ( even though a support may be used for display purposes ). the particular form shown and described above for the model is also preferred inasmuch as it approximates most closely the actual structure of the dna or rna molecule . the particular structure of the individual nucleotides and their base side groups and the manner of connection produces an assembled model in which the individual helixes have a configuration and spcing more nearly that of the actual dna or rna molecule and the side groups illustrate the position and mode of attachment of those groups both to the backbone of the molecule and the hydrogen bonding to the adjacent groups . | 6 |
referring now to fig1 a 4 bit microcomputer is constituted by a microprocessor 1 generally made up of mos transistors , and a read only memory device ( rom ) 2 for storing a program . the microprocessor 1 comprises a program counter ( pc ) 3 , an instruction register ( ir ) 4 , an instruction decoder ( inst dec ) 5 , a timing signal generator 6 , a data memory device ( ram ) 7 , an accumulator ( acc ) 8 , a register ( reg ) 9 , output gate circuits 10 , 11 and 12 , data bus lines 13 and and gate circuits 14 , 15 and 16 . the microprocessor 1 further comprises a checking circuit including gate circuits 17 , 18 and 19 , a synchronizing circuit ( sc ) 20 , and a gate circuit 21 . the output terminals of the program counter 3 are connected to the address input terminals of the rom 2 via address signal output terminals 22 so as to designate instruction addresses of the rom 2 in accordance with code signals outputted from the counter 3 . the register 4 takes the form of an instruction register provided with a reset terminal r and its input terminals are connected to the instruction output terminals inst of the rom 2 via instruction input terminals 23 so as to temporarily store instruction code signals outputted from rom 2 . the signal input terminals of the instruction decoder 5 are connected to the output terminals of the instruction register 4 . accordingly , the decoder 5 decodes instructions from the register 4 and then supplies control signals e &# 39 ; m , e &# 39 ; acc , e &# 39 ; reg and ( pc + 1 ) ( an increment signal ) to respective gate circuits . in response to a clock signal clk inputted to a reference clock signal input terminal 24 , the timing signal generator 6 supplies various timing signals t 01 , t 02 , t 03 and t 04 to various circuit elements of the microprocessor 1 . the bit lines of the data bus lines 13 are respectively connected to data bus output terminals 25 and to output terminals of output gate circuits 10 , 11 and 12 respectively . the output terminals of the ram 7 ( data memory device ) are selectively connected to the data bus lines 13 via output gate circuit 10 . the output terminals of the accumulator 8 and of the register 9 are selectively connected to the bus lines 13 through output gate circuits 11 and 12 respectively . three and gate circuits 14 , 15 and 16 respectively acting as control gate circuits output enable signals e m , e acc and e reg in accordance with control signals e &# 39 ; m , e &# 39 ; acc and e &# 39 ; reg from the instruction register 5 , which are in synchronism with timing signals t 01 , t 02 and t 03 generated by the timing signal generator 6 . the signal input terminal of the synchronizing circuit 20 is connected to signal input terminal 26 , while its signal output terminal is connected to the reset terminal r of the instruction register 4 for producing a control signal s d synchronous with the timing signal generated by the timing signal generator 6 . to the signal terminal 26 is applied a checking signal for testing a program stored in the rom 2 . two input terminals of the and gate circuit 21 are respectively connected to the increment signal output terminal of the instruction decoder 5 and the output terminal of the synchronizing circuit 20 , while the output of the and gate circuit 21 is supplied to the program counter 3 . as a consequence , when the control signal s d is applied to one input terminal of the and gate circuit 21 from the synchronizing circuit 20 , it inhibits the increment signal ( pc + 1 ) from being supplied to the program counter 3 . the gate circuit 17 is constituted by an and gate circuit 27 and an or gate circuit 28 . the two input terminals of the and gate circuit 27 are connected so as to receive a timing signal t 01 generated by the timing signal generator 6 and the control signal s d produced by the synchronizing circuit 20 . the input terminals of the or gate circuit 28 are connected to the output terminals of and gate circuits 14 and 27 respectively , while the output terminal of the or gate circuit 28 is connected to the control terminals of the output gate circuit 10 . the gate circuit 18 is constituted by an and gate circuit 29 and an or gate circuit 30 . the two input terminals of the and gate circuit 29 are supplied with the timing signal t 02 generated by the timing signal generator 6 and the output of the synchronizing circuit 20 and the two input terminals of the or gate circuit 30 are connected so as to receive the outputs of the and gate circuits 15 and 29 respectively , while the output terminal of the or gate circuit 30 is connected to the control terminals of the gate circuit 11 . the gate circuit 19 is constituted by an and gate circuit 31 and an or gate circuit 32 . the two input terminals of the and gate circuit 31 are supplied with the timing signal t 03 generated by the timing signal generator 6 and the output of the synchronizing circuit 20 . the two input terminals of the or gate circuit 32 are supplied with the output signals of the and gate circuits 16 and 31 , while the output of the or gate circuit 32 is supplied to the control terminals of the output gate circuits 12 . the operation of the embodiment shown in fig1 will now be described with reference to the timing chart shown in fig2 . a reference clock signal clk is applied to the reference clock signal input terminal 24 and the timing signal generator 6 produces timing signals t 01 - t 04 in the timing states t 1 - t 4 of respective operating cycles m1 , m2 , . . . . when the checking signal sin supplied to the signal terminal 26 is a logic &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ;, the microprocessor 1 operates normally as the microcomputer according to an instruction supplied from the rom 2 . more particularly , at the timing state t 1 of the operating cycle m1 shown in fig2 the instruction code from the rom 2 is latched in the instruction register 4 and the instruction decoder 5 decodes the instruction code to select predetermined circuit elements of the microprocessor 1 for outputting their output data onto the data bus lines 13 . for example , when the control signal e &# 39 ; m outputted by the instruction decoder 5 becomes a logic &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; ( the waveform shown by dotted lines of the waveform e &# 39 ; m shown in fig2 ), the enable signal e m outputted by the or gate circuit 28 becomes a logic &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; to enable the output gate circuit 10 to read out the data stored in ram 7 onto the data bus lines 13 . in the same manner , when the control signal e &# 39 ; acc or e &# 39 ; reg produced by the instruction decoder 5 becomes a logic &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ;, the accumulator 8 or register 9 is selected and their contents are selectively outputted onto the data bus lines 13 . at state t 4 , since the instruction decoder 5 outputs the increment signal ( pc + 1 ), the content of the program counter 3 would be incremented by 1 for producing the next instruction from the rom 2 . when an external checking signal sin of a logic &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; level is applied to the signal terminal 26 during the operating cycle m2 as shown in fig2 the operation is transferred to a mode of testing or checking the program stored in the rom 2 . while the checking signal is being inputted to the signal input terminal 26 , the control signal s d outputted by the synchronizing circuit 20 becomes &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; with the result that the and gate circuits 27 , 29 and 31 successively change the outputs of the or gate circuits 28 , 30 and 32 to a logic &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; in synchronism with the respective timing signals generated by the timing signal generator 6 . consequently , the gate circuits 10 , 11 and 12 will be successively enabled to sequentially read out the contents of ram 7 , accumulator 8 and the register 9 onto the data bus lines 13 so that the operating states of these elements can be checked by the outputs appearing at the output terminals 25 of the data bus lines 25 . since the control signal s d outputted by the synchronizing circuit 20 resets the instruction register 4 , a &# 34 ; no operation &# 34 ; instruction ( nop instruction ) is executed regardless of an instruction outputted from rom 2 . the nop instruction means an instruction for no operation so that the states in the processor do not change . the gate circuit 21 produces a signal inhibiting the incrementing operation of the program counter 3 in accordance with the control signal s d outputted by the synchronizing circuit 20 and the increment signal ( pc + 1 ) outputted from the instruction decoder 5 so that the content of the program counter 3 would not be changed . consequently , the contents of the memory device , the register and the other elements of the microprocessor can be sequentially read out on the data bus output terminals . to execute the next instruction , the checking signal applied to the signal terminal 26 is removed . then , the synchronizing circuit 20 does not produce control signal s d so that the instruction from the rom 2 is latched by the instruction register 4 and the increment signal ( pc + 1 ) from the instruction decoder 5 increments by one count the program counter 3 , whereby the normal operation of the microprocessor 1 acting as a microcomputer is resumed for executing consecutive programs . as above described , since the microprocessor of this invention is provided with a checking circuit the contents of the elements in the microprocessor are read out to the output terminals of the data bus lines thereby efficiently checking the program . furthermore , according to this invention the contents of the circuit elements are not changed during the checking operation ; upon completion of one instruction , the next instruction can be at once be executed . moreover , as the output signals of various circuit elements are sequentially outputted to the data bus lines no special output terminal is needed for checking . although in the foregoing embodiment a microprocessor was used , it can be replaced by a single chip microcomputer . according to this invention , since the program can be checked in a short time , the debugging operation can be made simply according to the result of the check , thus simplifying the design and application of a microcomputer . | 6 |
referring now to the drawing , wherein similar parts are designated by similar numerals , and particularly fig1 a computer assisted document forwarding system of the type contemplated to utilize the present invention , and generally designated by the numeral 20 , includes an integrated system of several modules , each of which in that system are interrelated with the other and mutually interdependent . however , certain of the modules in that system and particularly the feeder module contemplated by the present invention can operate independently or be integrated into other systems . forwarding systems , of the type shown in fig1 are designed to reduce the labor factor involved in updating a mailing list and also to accurately forward mail that has been erroneously deposited at a local post office . a forwarding system of the type contemplating the utilization of the present invention would include a feeder module 22 , a transport module 24 which has a plurality of observation means stations , a print module 26 , a labeler module 28 , a label cassette 30 , and a sorting and stacking module 32 . it is such a system , referred to earlier , that can be used by the local post offices where documents , i . e . mail envelopes of various sizes , have been stopped because a customer has entered a change of address order and hence existing documents are not properly addressed for delivery purposes . the forwarding correcting system is basically an ancillary arm to a master computer where all of the address changes are fed and maintained for a predetermined time frame . the information in the master computer is made available to the subsidiary or remote stations for use by an operator to update on a ready basis the address to which particular pieces of mail are to be forwarded . one form of prior art feeder means , as shown in fig2 ., includes a flat elongated base 34 having a flange - like rail 36 along at least one edge thereof . an angled moveable belt - means 38 carries stacks of edge supported envelopes toward the upper end , as seen in the drawing , and because of its angled disposition it tends to force the envelopes laterally against the rail 36 . the angled belt 38 moves the stack over the horizontal transversely disposed moving belt 39 moving in generally the same horizontal plane as belt 38 . a vertically disposed belt 40 moves transversely in the same direction and at about the same speed as belt 39 and was designed to move the first envelope laterally into the nip of rollers 42 - 43 . the angled wall 41 , an extension of the side rail 36 , was designed to direct the envelopes moved by belt 39 in the general direction of the nip of the rollers 42 - 43 , however , it has been found that this action by the horizontal belt 39 toward angled wall 41 tends to move more than one envelope out of the stack and causes bunching and jamming . thus , this feeder lacked the necessary consistency necessary for this type of operation . referring now to fig3 through 6 , and particularly fig3 the feeder module 22 of the present invention includes an elongated planar base 50 , which is shown as being transparent in fig3 for ease in observation of the mechanisms located below the base . the transparency is not a necessity in practical operation . along one edge there is provided an abutment or wall 52 carrying a slide or track means 54 . means 54 is adapted to accept a spring loaded back plate 56 for purposes of moving a stack 60 of envelopes standing upright on their elongated edges from one end of the base 50 to the other end . to assist in the movement of the stack 60 , the base 50 includes a plurality of spaced parallel slots . in this embodiment the slots are three in number and are indicated as 62 , 64 , and 66 . a plurality of belt - like members 68 , 70 , and 72 are disposed respectively in slots 62 , 64 , and 66 and project slightly above the plane of base 50 . each of the belt - like members in operation has a different rate of linear speed relative to each other . in the preferred embodiment the spaced movable means , or belts , each have a relatively progressive increase in velocity as measured transversely from one edge of the base to the opposite edge . as seen in fig3 the length of the arrows b 1 , b 2 , and b 3 indicate the relative velocities of these belt - like members . a single power source in the form of motor 44 is provided with an elongated shaft 45 having a plurality of spaced driving drums 46 , 47 and 48 with differing diameters and positioned in an ever increasing order of size along the shaft 45 . in this fashion a constant speed motor 44 will provide the belts with differing velocities due to the linear speed developed as the belts 68 - 72 pass over the differing sizes of driving drums 46 , 47 , and 48 . the opposite ends of the belts are supported on idler pulleys mounted on shaft 49 that is maintained in position by pillow blocks at its opposite ends . fig3 a discloses algebraically the relationship of the velocities of the belts in progressive increasing order as measured across the planar base 50 . when documents that are standing on their edge on the base 50 are moved forward by the differing velocities of these belts , and assisted by the back plate 56 , the end of the document edge contiguous to the belt having the highest velocity will tend to fan away from the stack and present one end canted and spaced from the stack for easy separation therefrom by suitable means such as a feeder wheel to move the document out of the stack and into the transporter module . as the stack is moved along the base 50 , to the right as viewed in fig3 the stack 60 will confront a plate - like member 74 that is pivoted at one end as at 76 . the plate 74 is spring loaded about pivot 76 and carries at its other end , opposite pivot 76 , a rotatable wheel means 78 spring loaded by spring 79 to confront and provide ease in movement of the first envelope in the stack 60 . when the plate 74 is confronted by excessive pressure from the stack the plate will rotate clockwise , as viewed in fig3 about the pivot 76 and will engage switch means 80 . when switch 80 is activated by the pivoted plate 74 it puts out a signal that stops motor 44 and the feeding motion of the belts until the excessive pressure is relieved by removal of documents from the stack whereupon switch 80 is deactivated and the motor turned back on . also located at the right hand end of base 50 is a feeder mechanism 86 having a plurality of pairs of spaced wheel means mounted on common shafts for gripping the envelopes at spaced vertical locations to provide a smooth unskewed movement of the envelopes serially from the feeder module to the transport module . the first pair of such wheels are the feed wheel means 90 which are adapted to extend through suitable slot means in the plate 74 to thereby permit engagement of the feed wheel means 90 with the first envelope in the stack . the wheels 90 are serrated for the purpose of providing increased friction or alternatively the wheels 90 can be provided with a decreased durometer so that they bite and can insure movement of the first envelope in the stack when contacted by the wheels 90 . the feed wheel means 90 are mounted on a common shaft carried by a movable arm 118 which permits the feed wheel means to move in and out of engagement with the first document on the stack for purposes set forth hereinafter . when the feed wheels 90 engage the document it is moved into position in the nip between the first pair of driven rollers 92 and spring loaded back - up rollers 94 . this first double pair of rollers are adapted to move the first document laterally away from the stack when the feed wheels 90 initiate envelope movement toward the nip of the first driven rollers 92 . the feeder module 86 then presents a second pair of vertically spaced driven rollers 94 opposed by spring loaded back - up rollers 96 in juxtaposed moveable opposition thereto and with the second pair of driven rollers being generally aligned with the first pair of driven rollers but spaced laterally therefrom and having a higher speed than the first pair of driven rollers . this is accomplished by having a common power source in the form of a motor 102 having a pulley 100 on its power shaft carrying a common belt 99 for driving rollers 92 and 94 . the pulley engages and passes over pulley 96 ( connected to first rollers 92 ) with pulley 96 having an override clutch means integrally built therein and with pulley 96 having a first predetermined diameter . the belt 99 then continues over a smaller diameter pulley 98 ( driving rollers 94 ) with the belt 99 driving rollers 94 at a higher speed than rollers 92 due to the constant linear movement of the belt 99 and the difference in the diametral measurement of the two pulleys . thus , with the driven rollers 94 moving at a higher speed than rollers 92 the document will be pulled from engagement with rollers 92 ( overriding the clutch in pulley 96 ) and moved into the transport module as will be explained hereafter . the facing or back - up rollers 104 and 106 are maintained in moveable engaging positions with the respective driven rollers by means of the springs 108 and 110 . the presence or absence of an envelope between the driven rollers 92 and 94 is detected by suitable means 120 i . e . an electric eye photocell or an infra red detector , or any other suitable detection means . the presence of an envelope in that position activates the solenoid 112 which through its spring loaded power arm 114 causes another connected arm 116 that is fixedly connected to arm 118 to move the feeder wheels 90 in the direction of arrow a , as seen in fig3 . in this fashion the feeder wheel 90 is disengaged and prevented from delivering another envelope out of the stack 60 . when the blocking document clears the detection means the power is de - energized and the feed wheel means then moves in a direction opposite to arrow a into engagement with the next document . it will be noted that a common belt 91 is used to drive the pulleys which connect the feed wheels 90 and the first pair of rollers 92 , said pulleys being of the same size . therefore , the velocities , as best seen in algebraic symbolism in fig3 b , of the feed wheels 90 and the first set of rollers 91 are designated velocity 4 and velocity 5 and are equal , but both are less than the velocity of the next pair of rollers 94 . rollers 94 , as was previously noted , are driven by pulley 98 having a smaller diameter than the pulley 96 to thereby provide a faster linear speed and which will literally pull an envelope out of the nip between the rollers 92 and the idler wheels 104 by permissive slippage of the overriding clutch in pulley 96 . fig4 discloses the stiff generally rigid cantilever construction extending forwardly from the oversize column 150 supported by suitable base means 152 . the cover 154 encloses the separation system 86 , the details of which are omitted from this figure . fig5 and 6 provide additional detail of the construction of the feeder module . an extrusion channel 160 provides the rigidity for the cantilever construction and serves to support the feed tray 50 as well as to provide internal support for the centrally disposed bearings 200 for the shafts 45 and 49 . the feed tray 50 has the parallel slots 62 , 64 , and 66 previously described . in certain instances , dependent upon the type of documents being handled , i . e . their relative size and weight , it may be desirable to provide a secondary support plate 51 to reinforce the feed tray 50 . to provide a universality to plate 51 it is provided with two extra wide parallel slots 63 and 65 that are adapted to accept not only the single belt 68 but also the double belts 70 and 72 , regardless of the orientation of plate 51 . other means for applying labels to envelopes or packages will be apparent to those skilled in the art and mechanical equivalents to those indicated above will be called to mind , however , it felt that this invention should be limited only by the claims attached hereto . | 1 |
the present invention relates to packages designed to hold pourable material , such as liquid or granular solid . such packages may take the form of pouches or bags . reclosable fastener assemblies are useful for sealing such bags . such fastener assemblies often include a plastic zipper with or without a slider . typically , the plastic zippers include a pair of interlockable profiled fastener elements that form a closure . in zippered bags with sliders , as the slider moves across the zipper , the zipper is opened or closed . the zipper profiles may take any form . for example , the zipper may comprise interlocking rib and groove elements or alternating hook - shaped closure elements . the profiles may be extruded separately and attached to the respective sides of the bag or the profiles may be extruded integrally with the sides of the bag . although the embodiments depicted in the drawings ( described in detail below ) each comprise a funnel bag inside an outer bag and a slider - operated zipper , the aspect of the invention wherein a portion of the funnel bag including a terminus is inverted and folded along a fold line to provide a pull - out flap can be employed in packages with or without sliders . the interlocking rib and groove elements are well known in the art and 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 . the rib and groove elements may be carefully formed of a soft flexible material in part thereof so that the contents of the package are in fact relatively hermetically sealed from the outside . it is common to use such flexible packages to hold a variety of substances , such as fine powders or the like . it has been discovered , however , that in removing only a portion of such powders from the package , the resealability of the package may be impeded by the presence of small granules of material in between the rib and groove elements . the rib and groove elements can be relatively small elements and it is important that granules of material from the contents of the package do not become trapped in the groove , for any such granules of material could easily prevent the rib from being pressed sufficiently deeply into the groove to become interlocked . the present invention provides a means for allowing the contents of such a zippered package to be readily removed from the package and to do so in such a way as to bypass the zipper elements . this is accomplished generally by providing a bag - within - a - bag type of arrangement wherein an inner bag is connected to the inner walls of an outer bag at an elevation below the interlockable profiled zipper elements . the contents of the package are contained in the volume between the inner and outer bags . in one embodiment of the invention , the inner bag comprises a funnel portion that can be opened at its distal end or apex . the funnel portion may have the shape of a triangle . when the apex is snipped with a pair of scissors or torn along a line of perforations , the contents may be controllably dispensed from the package by using the funnel portion of the inner bag as a spout . in one embodiment , the inner bag is made of the same type of flexible material as the outer bag and is secured to the inner surface of the walls of the outer bag just below or inwardly of the rib and groove elements . therefore , when the rib and groove elements are closed , the inner bag is directed inwardly of the outer bag and serves as a hermetic seal . however , when it is desired to remove the contents of the package , the zipper is opened and the funnel portion of the inner bag is merely inverted or turned inside out . the weight of the contents will force the funnel portion to extend outwardly of the package , past the rib and groove elements . in this way the contents of the package fall into the inverted funnel portion , never touching the rib and groove elements . alternatively , the inner and outer bags can be made of different materials . in its unopened state , the funnel gives extra protection to the contents of the bag in the event of accidental opening of the zipper and provides evidence of tampering . the inner bag may be heat sealed or fused to the inner walls of the package and preferably in such a fashion so that the funnel may be easily turned inside out to extend outwardly of the package . on the one hand , if the zipper profiles are extruded onto the outer bag walls , then the inner bag is heat sealed or fused to the walls of the outer bag . on the other hand , if the zipper is extruded , cooled and then applied to the outer bag , then each zipper element preferably comprises a profiled interlockable element and an extension flange . in the lafter case , the walls of the outer bag can be heat sealed or fused to the outer surfaces of the extension flanges , while the walls of the inner bag are heat sealed or fused to the inner surfaces of the extension flanges . after a desired quantity of material is dispensed from the package , the funnel portion is merely pushed and tucked back into the interior of the outer bag , resuming its uninverted configuration , and then the rib and groove elements of the zipper are closed in the normal manner . the powder or other contents that filled the funnel when the latter was turned inside out is then returned to the interior volume of the receptacle . because the powder or other material in the package has not come into contact with the rib and groove elements , a completely reliable resealing of the rib and groove elements is made possible . reference will now be made to the drawings , in which similar elements in different drawings bear the same reference numerals . a reclosable package or bag 10 having a flexible plastic zipper 12 operated by manipulation of a slider 14 is shown in fig1 . the bag 10 may be made from any suitable sheet material or plastic film and comprises opposing wall panels ( only the front panel 16 is visible in fig1 ), which may be secured together at opposite side edges of the bag by seams 18 and 20 ( indicated by dashed lines ). the opposing bottoms of the wall panels may be joined , for example , by means of a heat seal made in conventional fashion , e . g ., by application of heat and pressure or ultrasonic energy . typically , however , the bottom of the package is formed by a fold 22 in the original packaging film , as seen in fig1 . at its top end , the bag 10 has an openable mouth , on the inside of which an extruded plastic zipper 12 is attached . the zipper 12 comprises a pair of interlockable fastener strips or zipper halves 24 and 26 ( 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 zipper may comprise interlocking rib and groove elements or alternating hook - shaped closure elements . the preferred zipper material is polyethylene . the front and rear bag wall panels 16 , 32 ( seen in fig2 ) are respectively sealed to the zipper halves by heat fusion or welding . alternatively , the interlockable zipper halves can be attached to the wall panels by adhesive or bonding strips or the zipper profiles can be extruded integrally with the bag material . for the purpose of joinder , the zipper halves may be provided with respective extension flanges 28 , 30 , to which an upper portion of the respective bag wall panel is fused or welded . the walls of the bag may be formed of various types of thermoplastic material , such as low - density polyethylene , substantially linear copolymers of ethylene and a c3 - c8 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 bag material may be either transparent or opaque . the bottom edge of extension flange 28 is indicated by a dashed line in fig1 for the case where the bag wall panels are opaque . optionally , the bag 10 may be provided with an enclosed header 38 , indicated by dashed lines in fig1 which encompasses the zipper and the slider . alternatively , the header may be provided with openings in both the front and rear panels of the header at the closed position of the slider , with the openings being sized and shaped to allow the slider to protrude through the openings on both sides of the header . the header 38 may be a panel or strip formed from the same material as that comprising the walls of the package or from the same material as that comprising the zipper or from an entirely separate material . more specifically , the header may comprise a panel of thermoplastic material that is heat sealed or ultrasonically welded to either the zipper flanges or the package walls . alternatively , the header may be formed as an extension of the zipper flanges or the package walls . in zippered bags with sliders , 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 slider for opening or closing the reclosable zipper is generally shaped so that the slider straddles the zipper profiles . 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 bag shown in fig1 further comprises end stops 34 and 36 for preventing the slider from sliding off the end of the zipper when the slider reaches the 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 profiles themselves . the stomped end stops comprise sections of the profiles that have been fused together and flaftened proximate to the open and closed slider positions . 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 . the package 10 further comprises an inner bag 40 having a funnel shape , indicated by dashed lines in fig1 . in accordance with one aspect of the invention , the distal portion of the funnel - shaped inner bag 40 is inverted ( i . e ., turned upwards ) and folded to form a flap 41 that allows the user to pull out the funnel bag when the package is open . the flap 41 is sealed into position using any conventional joining means . in the embodiment shown in fig1 seals are made at respective spots 43 at opposite ends of the fold lines at the base of the pull - out flap . however , only one spot seal may be sufficient . alternatively , the entire fold line may be sealed . the fold lines at the base of the pull - out flap 41 are designated by reference numerals 62 and 64 in fig2 . as seen in fig2 the inner bag 40 is heat sealed or otherwise joined to the extension flanges 28 and 30 of the respective zipper parts 24 and 26 . likewise , the walls 16 and 32 of the outer bag are heat sealed or otherwise joined to the extension flanges . both the inner and outer bag walls may comprise a laminated film wherein the layer adjoining the extension flanges of the zipper ( i . e ., the outer layer of the inner bag and the inner layer of the outer bag ) is made of low - melting - point sealant material . the extension flanges themselves may also have a laminated structure with low - melting - point sealant material comprising the outer layers . as seen in fig2 the outer bag wall 32 is joined to the outer surface of extension flange 30 of the ribbed element 26 while inner bag wall 44 is joined to the inner surface of extension flange 30 , whereas outer bag wall 16 is joined to the outer surface of extension flange 28 of the grooved element 24 while inner bag wall 42 is joined to the inner surface of extension flange 28 . alternatively , the inner bag walls 42 and 44 could be joined directly to outer bag walls 16 and 32 respectively . the person skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the attachment of the bags to extension flanges is not necessary to practice of the invention . the interlockable profiles of the zipper could instead be extruded directly onto the outer bag film and then the inner bag could be joined to the outer bag . the configuration of the inner bag 24 is shown more clearly in fig3 . the inner bag 24 comprises a pair of walls 42 and 44 , each wall being in the shape of a five - sided polygon . walls 42 and 44 are heat sealed along side edges 46 and 48 to the sides of the outer bag ( and to each other ), and are heat sealed along diagonal edges 50 and 52 to each other but not to the outer bag walls . preferably , side edges 46 and 48 are mutually parallel . walls 42 and 44 respectively have top edges 54 and 56 that are preferably perpendicular to the parallel side edges 46 and 48 . in the embodiment shown in fig4 wall 42 of the inner bag comprises a rectangular area a and a triangular area b separated by the dashed line . preferably wall 44 has the identical shape and size . the areas a of walls 42 and 44 form a base portion 58 of the inner bag 24 , while the areas b of walls 42 and 44 form a funnel portion 60 of the inner bag 24 . portions of the rectangular areas a of walls 42 and 44 , e . g ., transverse strip - like areas c , are heat sealed or otherwise joined to either the respective extension flanges or the respective outer bag walls . in accordance with other embodiments , area b may have any non - triangular shape that would be suitable for use as a funnel when the closed tip is cut off , such as a trapezoid ; a peaked shape comprising a straight base and two inverted arcs that meet at the peak ; a truncated version of the aforementioned shape wherein inverted arcs meet at opposing ends of a straight base and a straight distal end ; and so forth . the height of the rectangular area a needs to be equal to or greater than the height of the joining zones c . the joining zones c preferably run continuously from one side edge 16 to the other side edge 18 of outer bag 20 , forming a continuous closed perimeter joining the inner bag to the zipper extension flanges ( or , in an alternative , to the outer bag ). thus the inner bag , prior to snipping off of the funnel apex , forms a tamper - evident membrane that blocks access to the package contents when the zipper is open . in fig2 the funnel portion is shown projecting inwardly of the outer bag , and the interlocking rib and groove elements 24 and 26 are shown in the locked position . when the funnel is made of the same material as the outer bag , the funnel provides a hermetic seal that prevents any air getting through the zipper and into the interior volume of the outer bag . in fig5 the package 10 is shown in the upside - down position with the truncated and open apex of the funnel portion extending outwardly of the zipper 12 . fig6 shows an enlarged view of a section of the package of fig5 showing the passageway that is provided within the inverted funnel portion of the inner bag 40 and that may carry contents from the interior 64 of the outer bag directly to the opening 66 of the snipped spout . also , the shielding effect of the walls 42 and 44 of the inner bag 40 is illustrated . when it is desired to reseal the package , the funnel portion of the inner bag 40 is merely tucked back into the package and the rib and groove elements of the zipper 12 are sealed by moving the slider in the closing direction ( c in fig1 ). [ 0049 ] fig8 demonstrates a feature whereby the size of the funnel opening can be controlled or adjusted by movement of the slider 14 . as compared to fig5 wherein the slider is in the fully open position and the funnel is fully open , in fig8 the slider 14 is shown displaced from the fully open position to a position whereat the funnel opening is partially closed . as the slider moves leftward , it engages the protruding the funnel bag and cams the abutting portion of the funnel bag inward towards the interior of the outer bag . the result is a decrease in the open cross - sectional area of the funnel bag at the zipper line . the resulting deformation of the inner bag also constricts the funnel opening . in this manner , the flow rate of the package contents through the funnel opening can be controlled by proper positioning of the slider . by providing a device as shown , an improved resealability for flexible packages having rib and groove elements is accomplished . in addition , an improved means of pouring the contents from the package is also achieved . also , the funnel provides a tamper - evident feature . additional security is provided for the package contents , up to the time it is first used , in the event of accidental opening of the zipper . in accordance with another embodiment of the invention , shown in fig7 a zippered funnel bag 66 can be formed by extruding the male and female zipper profiles 24 ′ and 26 ′ directly onto a web of film material , folding the web of film material , interlocking the zipper profiles , and then heat sealing the film material along a line to form a periphery of the funnel bag 40 ′. the tip of the bag 40 ′ is then inverted and spot sealed at the ends of the fold lines 62 and 64 to form a pull - out flap 41 . the opposing walls 16 and 32 of a second folded web of film material are then heat sealed to the funnel bag at an elevation below the zipper and then side sealed . the outer bag can be slit open and filled at the bottom . after filling , the bottom is resealed by heat sealing . alternatively the walls 16 and 32 can be formed by separate webs which are side sealed , leaving an opening at the bottom for filling the package . as will be appreciated by a person skilled in the art , the zipper profiles and funnel bag can be extruded as one piece , or the zipper profiles and the outer bag can be extruded as one piece , or zipper profiles with extension flanges can be extruded separately and then heat sealed to either the funnel bag or the outer bag . in accordance with yet another embodiment of the invention , shown in fig9 the funnel bag is formed by cutting overlapping webs of packaging film along a line corresponding to the funnel bag profile and then sealing the webs of film together at the sides and along the cutting line . the side seals will belong to the outer bag while the seals along the cutting lines will belong to the inner funnel bag . at this point in the process , the funnel bag is in the extended position , without a pull - out flap , and the bottom of the bag is open . the funnel bag is then inverted , i . e ., tucked inside the outer bag , as seen in fig9 . the funnel bag has walls 42 and 44 , while the outer bag has walls 16 and 32 . this is accomplished by folding the plastic film along fold lines 72 and 74 . then the distal portion of the funnel bag is inverted to form a pull - out flap 41 . next , the extension flanges 28 and 30 of the zipper halves 24 and 26 are joined to the outer bag walls 16 and 32 in the vicinity of the fold lines 74 and 72 , respectively , and a slider is inserted on the zipper . although not shown , the bag can then be filled from the bottom . after filling , the bottom of the package is cross sealed in conventional manner . while the invention has been described with reference to various 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 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 failing within the scope of the appended claims . as used in the claims , the term “ package ” means a container , bag , pouch or other receptacle for objects , material or stuff . a container , bag , pouch or other receptacle is deemed to be a package even if not yet packed with objects , material or stuff . as used in the specification and claims , the terms “ funnel ” and “ funnel portion ” include structures that narrow as the tip is approached . the term “ funnel ” is not used herein in the sense of a precisely conical utensil , as might be understood by persons not skilled in the art of reclosable packaging . in addition , the terms “ funnel ” and “ funnel portion ” should be construed broadly to include structures that are open at a terminal portion and structures that are closed at a terminal portion . in the latter case , the closed terminal portion must eventually be opened in order to dispense the package contents via the funnel . 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 . | 1 |
the detailed description set forth below in connection with the appended drawings is intended merely as a description of the presently preferred embodiments of the invention , and is not intended to represent the only form in which the present invention may be constructed or utilised ( e . g the use of fets or valves instead of bjt active devices ). the description describes the implementation of the invention only in connection with the illustrated embodiments . it is to be understood , however , that the implementation of the invention can be accomplished by different electronic embodiments and it is intended these be encompassed within the spirit and scope of the invention . in order to achieve the objective of efficient linear rf amplification an efficient but non - linear rf amplifier 6 has been utilised as the basis for this invention . this amplifier can be based on a range of active devices such as bjts ,. fets , and valves . typical examples of such amplifiers are shown in the prior art drawings of fig1 ( a ) and fig1 ( b ) showing a fet and bjt , respectively , along with associated elements . it can also be based on different classes of operation e . g class ab , b , c , d , e or f and others . the preferred embodiments described here are based on a bjt rf power amplifier with the operating class dependent on the base bias voltage . through the application of the described techniques contained in the description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention , the non - linear amplifier is linearized so that the amplifier retains its inherent efficiency yet its distortion is sufficiently minimised . other techniques have been employed to achieve a similar end . these techniques can be summarised as incorporating feedback , feedforward , or predistortion ( fixed or adaptive ) techniques . it has long been known that negative feedback can linearize non - linear systems . to linearize rf amplifiers , the negative feedback can be formed a number of ways , namely -- at rf or if , or at baseband in the form of polar representation or cartesian representation . polar feedback 14 utilises negative feedback of the baseband amplitude and phase of the signal to be amplified . the basic principle is shown in the prior art implementations of fig1 and fig2 . in fig1 the rf input signal is essentially broken up into two components , namely -- amplitude and phase . a hard limiter 1 obtains the phase information and an envelope detector 11 obtains the amplitude . these two signals then form the basis for the polar feedback loop . the phase is compared by a phase only sensitive detector formed by 1 , 2 , 3 . the resultant phase difference is then filtered by 4 and applied to a vco ( voltage controlled oscillator ) 5 . this vco signal ( after suitable amplification ) is large enough to drive the rf amplifier 6 to saturation thus ensuring efficient amplification . to complete the phase feedback loop some of the signal is tapped off by an rf coupler 7 and is fed - back to the phase detector 3 . this closed loop phase feedback is commonly referred to as a pll ( phase locked loop ). the envelope of the input obtained by 11 is compared with the output by a subtracter 10 . the resulting error signal is amplified and filtered by 12 which provides the necessary amplitude predistortion to the high level driver 13 . the high level driver 13 is normally intended to be highly efficient and usually incorporates switched - mode techniques . the amplitude feedback loop is closed by a signal obtained by envelope detector 9 which itself is driven by the rf coupler 7 . the means by which the envelope is obtained is not limited to simple envelope detection . synchronous detection can be achieved by homodyning the rf signals with their hard - limited equivalents . although the polar loop has the potential for high efficiency , the amplitude and phase signals have wide bandwidths ( except perhaps am systems ) as a result of the non - linear relationship between these signals and the actual rf signal channel spectrum . consequently , the polar loop components processing these signals must be capable of accommodating the larger bandwidths . failing to do so minimises the linearization efficacy . the weakest link in regards to bandwidth is the driver . if it is to accommodate high bandwidth signals effectively and utilises switch - mode techniques , the switching frequency must be made high . a high switching frequency however results in greater switching losses and imposes a limit as to how high the switching frequency can be made . as will be shown , the present invention relaxes the need for the driver signal to track the envelope exactly and so provides superior linearization performance . the second prior art example of fig2 demonstrates amplitude - only feedback . such a technique is applicable in systems where the am - pm distortion is low and is generally not suitable for amplifiers using bjt &# 39 ; s . in common with the previous prior art example of fig1 this system has a hard limiter 15 to enable the rf amplifier 6 to be hard driven and hence to operate at high efficiency . this envelope feedback circuitry is the same as that of fig1 . an envelope detector 11 obtains the envelope of the input which is compared to the output envelope by 10 . after suitable gain and filtering 12 the resulting predistort drive is high level modulated by driver 13 and applied to the rf amplifier 6 . the feedback is obtained by an rf coupler 7 which allows the detector 9 to provide the feedback envelope signal necessary to close the loop . the amplitude only feedback technique suffers from the same bandwidth expansion problem described for fig1 . amplitude - only . feedback is often used because of its simplicity . cartesian feedback which uses negative feedback of the baseband quadrature modulation has been shown to provide excellent reduction in intermodulation distortion with low complexity and cost . the basic principle of cartesian feedback 33 is depicted in the prior art drawing of fig3 . the baseband inputs to the system in quadrature format -- which are often termed i and q or cartesian components , form the reference signals for the loop . the forward path of the system consists of the main control loop gain and compensation filters 19 , 20 , a synchronous i - q modulator 21 , a non - linear rf power amplifier 6 and the antenna 8 acting as the output load . the conventional i - q modulator 21 is comprised of two mixers 22 , 24 , a 90 ° phase splitter 23 , and an rf combiner 25 . the feedback path obtains a portion of the transmitter output via an rf coupler 7 , the signal from which is then synchronously demodulated 26 . the resultant demodulated i - q baseband signals are used as the primary feedback signals and are subtracted 17 - 18 from the input . the resultant error signals become the necessary pre - distort drive to linearize the non - linear rf power amplifier . the conventional i - q demodulator 26 is comprised of an rf splitter 30 , two mixers 22 , 24 , and a 90 ° phase splitter 23 . synchronism between the modulator and demodulator is obtained by splitting a common rf carrier 32 . due to differences in the forward and feedback paths a phase adjustor 31 is necessary to maintain the correct relationship between the input signals and feedback signals . the cartesian feedback system when properly assembled can give power added efficiencies of around 50 % with a two - tone test coupled with excellent intermodulation distortion reduction . further , by applying techniques to be described in the preferred embodiments , additional efficiency improvements can be achieved . rf feedback 38 is shown in the prior art illustration of fig4 . this technique uses standard negative feedback of the actual rf signal . the input coupler 34 allows the feedback to be subtracted from the rf input . the resulting error signal is then amplified by an amplifier 35 . feedback compensation is by way of a bandpass filter 36 . the output coupler 7 couples some of the output back through the feedback loss circuit 37 to complete the feedback loop . the feedback loss 37 determines the overall gain of the linear amplifier and can actually be absorbed by the two couplers 34 and 7 . in general the difficulty associated with rf feedback is the practical implementation of the bandpass filter 36 which is usually extremely narrow at the rf operating frequency . if feedback 48 as shown in the prior art illustration of fig5 overcomes the difficulty associated with the rf filter of the previous case by bringing the filter down to an if frequency . the operation of if feedback is similar to rf feedback except if conversion is utilised within the loop . the rf input is first processed by a coupler 39 which provides the feedback connection from the output . the signal is then if converted by a mixer 40 and passed through the if bandpass compensation filter 41 and if loop gain 42 . the result from this process is an if equivalent of the necessary rf prodistortion . this if predistortion signal is reconverted to the rf frequency by a mixer 43 and rf bandpass filter 44 and then applied to the rf amplifier 6 . the output from the amplifier is coupled by coupler 7 and fed - back to the input coupler 39 via the feedback loss network 45 . the two remaining components in the figure provide the local oscillator 47 and phase alignment 46 components necessary for the if conversion process . an alternative to the feedback systems described is the rf feedforward system 55 of fig6 . in this prior art example the rf input is first split by a splitter 49 . one arm of the splitter provides the excitation signal for the rf amplifier 6 . the output from tiffs amplifier is coupled 50 to a subtracter 53 which compares the amplifier &# 39 ; s output with a time delayed 54 version of the input . the coupler 50 is designed such that it provides a coupled loss roughly equivalent to the amplifier 6 gain . the time delay 54 is also designed such that is roughly equivalent to the amplifier &# 39 ; s 6 time delay . the result from the comparison 53 represents the distortion generated by the amplifier 6 . this distortion is amplified by the auxiliary linear power amplifier 52 for power combining by 7 to a delayed 51 version of the amplifier output . the combination by 7 results in destructive cancellation of the rf amplifier 6 distortion provided the delay 51 matches the delay of the auxiliary amplifier 52 . the matching of delays and gains / losses is the main practical difficulty with this technique . the power consumption of the linear auxiliary amplifier 52 results in the efficiency of the feedforward to be reduced . as will be shown , application of the present invention and making the main rf amplifier 7 more linear will require a smaller auxiliary amplifier 52 and so improve the overall efficiency . the source of excess power consumption in the linearization systems of fig3 , 5 , and 6 discussed in this disclosure stems from the manner by which the desired rf envelope output level is achieved . since these linearization schemes can only drive the input of the rf amplifier 6 , it follows that the desired rf envelope output level is achieved by a change in the amplifier rf input drive level . since in general , rf amplifiers operate more efficiently in saturated mode , the reductions in amplifier rf input drive levels result in the amplifier not operating at its peak efficiency . this is especially true at low output levels in the power control range . it is therefore advantageous to maintain the amplifier rf input drive at a level which achieves the highest power added efficiency . with this constraint however , the necessary envelope level modulation must be obtained via other means . the means adopted in accordance with the present invention is by way of high level power supply modulation 57 of the rf amplifier 6 with or without base -( or gate ) bias modulation 58 or by having a fixed power supply voltage with a variable base or gate bias modulation 58 . fig7 is a drawing of the first preferred embodiment and illustrates how this invention functions as applied to cartesian feedback . the standard cartesian feedback loop is represented by 33 . 61 represents the additional components which give the added efficiency improvements to the cartesian feedback system . first the quadrature input signals are applied to an envelope determining circuit 56 . this circuit essentially determines the envelope &# 34 ; r &# 34 ; from i and q , from the simple pythagorean equation : ## equ1 ## the envelope determining circuit means 56 may range from a dsp circuit where &# 34 ; r &# 34 ; can be obtained via calculation or look - up table , to an analog computing circuit or even an rf envelope detecting circuit 62 ( fig1 - 14 ). once the &# 34 ; r &# 34 ; signal is obtained it is modified by functions 57 and 58 which select the optimum rf amplifier power supply voltage and dc bias voltage for the desired output rf envelope level . these functions were pre - computed and obtained from the measured characteristics of the amplifier . a computer program was then utilised to process the measured data and obtain the necessary functions shown as map c 57 and map b 58 . the results of such a process are shown in fig8 fig9 and fig1 . fig8 shows the optimum ( for the best power added efficiency , nadd ) collector voltage of a bjt based rf power amplifier with the base voltage fixed to zero . fig9 and 10 present the optimum ( for the best power added efficiency , nadd ) collector and base voltages when both are varied . the straight - line approximation given by these graphs form the basis of the maps . the circular dots are the actual measurement data showing the measurement uncertainty . these functions could again be built using dsp techniques ( and indeed included in the &# 34 ; r &# 34 ; calculating circuit ) or by a simple analog approximation . the &# 34 ; r &# 34 ; calculating circuit could also be simplified by calculating &# 34 ; r 2 &# 34 ; or some other function of r , and using this signal to drive the mapping functions 57 , 58 instead of &# 34 ; r &# 34 ;. the resultant signals from these functions is then applied to the rf power amplifier by power supply drivers 59 , 60 . these drivers used in accordance with the present invention may utilise a switched mode power supply for 59 , although other electronic embodiments such as resonant , semi - resonant , or multi - resonant supply converters , class d modulators etc . could be utilised , and a linear driver for 60 . it is also possible due to the toleration of the high level power supply modulation inexactness , to switch in different power supply rails for 59 . in general , the signal delay through the dynamic bias circuits is different to that of the linearization circuitry . consequently , it is possible to improve the operation of the dynamic bias circuits by introducing delay blocks 66a and 66b to equalise the difference in the signal paths . it must be stated that these delay blocks are optional and that the preferred embodiments of the invention described in this disclosure encompass both embodiments with the delay blocks of 66a and 66b and embodiments without the delay blocks of 66a and 66b . also , if delay is to be equalised , only one delay block is generally required . that delay block is added in the signal path which offers the smallest delay so that the overall delay in that signal path is brought up to the delay of the other larger delay signal path . the second preferred embodiment fig1 shows the application of the dynamic bias circuitry 61 to the rf feedback linearization 38 . the only difference between the operation of the cartesian system of fig7 is the manner by which &# 34 ; r &# 34 ; is obtained by an envelope detection circuit 62 . the improvements in efficiency obtained with this system stem from the same reasons as discussed previously -- that is , the dynamic bias circuitry 61 selects the best operating bias for a given output signal and the rf feedback adjusts the input predistortion to the amplifier to achieve exact linearization . fig1 is a block diagram which demonstrates the third embodiment as applied to if feedback . again the operation and efficiency improvements given by the dynamic bias circuitry 61 is the same as the previous embodiments . the fourth preferred embodiment of the invention as applied to an amplifier with feed forward is shown in fig1 . the dynamic bias circuitry 61 is applied to the rf amplifier 6 as with the previous embodiment . the advantage of the dynamic bias circuitry 61 as applied to feedforward linearization 85 stems both from the improvement in efficiency of the main rf amplifier 6 and also the linearization of the rf amplifier 6 . since the rf amplifier is made less non - linear by the application of 61 , the auxiliary linear amplifier 52 can be made smaller and so consume less power . consequently the efficiency of the overall feedforward system is improved . fig1 illustrates other embodiments according to the present invention . the linearization scheme is shown as a genetic block 63 which can utilise both feedback and feedforward control to linearize the rf amplifier 6 by application of a predistorting drive signal to the rf amplifier and / or by addition 65 of a distortion cancelling signal at the output . a coupling means 64 is provided by which the feedback signal can be obtained . as shown with the previous embodiments , the dynamic bias circuitry 61 is applied to the rf amplifier &# 39 ; s bias and supply lines . by forcing these lines to a level known to give the best operating efficiency by maps 57 , 58 the linearization automatically adopts the necessary state to maintain exact linearization . the advantages of this invention are demonstrated in fig1 , 16 and 17 . the x - axes of fig1 and 16 show two - tone output power in dbm . fig1 shows the improvement in power - added efficiency ( nadd ) compared to a fixed collector ( or drain ) voltage with ideal tracking of the mapping functions . both collector only and collector and base modulation show significant improvements in efficiency particularly at low power levels . fig1 shows the linearization effectiveness of the invention by plotting worst - case intermodulation distortion product ( imw ) versus two - tone output power . the introduction of collector only modulation actually results in a minor increase in intermodulation products . under collector and base control however , the improvement in intermodulation distortion indicates the techniques disclosed herein result in an improvement in the linearization efficacy in addition to a substantial improvement in the power - added efficiency of the amplifier . fig1 shows a typical closed - loop spectral plot of a two - tone test at a power output level of 25 . 25 dbm with both the collector and base being driven by mapping functions 57 , 58 . the improvement in intermodulation performance delivered by the present invention can be exchanged for extra bandwidth or stability in feedback linearization systems . since the power supply modulation is not used entirely for linearization purposes as in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 631 , 491 the modulation circuits 59 and 40 do not have to be exact . this is because the linearization scheme is able to modify the input drive signals slightly to achieve the exact desired output . the invention can therefore tolerate ripple in a switch - mode driver 59 which can also have in - band frequency components . the linearization correction applies to the ripple of the power supply driver in addition to the am - to - am and am - to - pm distortions of the non - linear amplifier 6 and hence is an improvement over other systems ( such as koch and fisher etc .) which utilise envelope feedback only . | 7 |
in the following description , numerous details are set forth to provide an understanding of the present invention . however , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without these details and that numerous variations or modifications from the described embodiments may be possible . the present invention relates to various apparatus , systems and methods for controlling position of one or more marine seismic components . one aspect of the present invention relates to apparatus for positioning seismic streamers . another aspect of the invention is a combination of two streamers connected using an apparatus of the invention and comprising a system . other aspects of the present invention , which are further explained below , relate to methods for remotely controlling position of marine seismic streamers . the terms “ orientation member ”, “ hydrodynamic flap ”, and “ flap ” are generally used interchangeably herein , although it will be recognized by those of skill in the art that a flap is a specialized device used in aviation to control lift of an airplane . in this sense , “ orientation member ” is deemed broader than “ flap ” in that the orientation members described herein are capable of movements that may result in any one or multiple straight line or curved path movements of the apparatus of the invention in 3 - dimensions , such as lateral , vertical up , vertical down , horizontal , and combinations thereof . the terms “ controlling position ”, “ position controllable ”, “ remotely controlling position ” and “ steering ” are generally used interchangeably herein , although it will be recognized by those of skill in the art that “ steering ” usually refers to following a defined path , while “ controlling position ”, “ position controllable ”, and “ remotely controlling position ” could mean steering , but also could mean merely maintaining a relative position , for example relative to one or more reference points , such as natural or man - made objects , or merely deflecting an object . as “ position controllable ” and “ controlling position ” are somewhat broader terms than “ steering ”, these terms are used herein , except when specific instances demand using more specific words . as an example , fig1 illustrates a perspective view of one apparatus embodiment 100 of the invention . identical reference numerals are used throughout the drawing figures when the same component or element is referred to in different figures . streamers 2 and 2 ′ are illustrated in over / under arrangement connected together by an elongate rigid or semi - rigid member 110 having first and second ends 112 and 114 and a central portion 113 , end 112 being connected with a first streamer coupler 140 , and second end 114 connected via a second streamer coupler 145 . the large arrow labeled “ f ” denotes the direction of travel of water past apparatus 100 when apparatus 100 is in use , being towed by a tow vessel ( not illustrated ). streamers 2 and 2 ′ may be positioned a desired distance apart , generally ranging from about 1 to about 50 meters , about 5 meters being typical , although the upper bound for the separation distance is only limited by the materials of construction and the surrounding environment , for example , depth of water , obstruction in the water , and the like . two independently moveable orientation members 130 and 135 , sometimes referred to herein as flaps , are illustrated mounted to and aft of elongate member 110 ( referenced to a flow direction , indicated by arrow “ f ” in fig1 ). alternatively , or in addition thereto , orientation members 130 and 135 may be mounted to streamer couplers 140 and 145 , as discussed in more detailed herein . orientation members may number more or less than two . an even or odd number may be employed , although with an odd number certain other parameters may need adjustment . ( for example , with three flaps , the size ( surface area ) of one flap might be twice the size of the two remaining flaps in order to achieve balanced forces .) also shown in phantom is an optional bird 116 , which may be employed in certain embodiments of the invention , as explained further below . fig2 illustrates a cross - sectional view along the section a - a of fig1 , illustrating the relative position of elongate member 110 and orientation member 130 when orientation member 130 is mounted on a hollow or solid shaft 131 , as more fully discussed in reference to fig1 and 15 . double - headed arrow “ s ” illustrates how orientation member 130 might swivel or pivot on shaft 131 in accordance with the invention . orientation member 135 is similarly moveable . orientation members 130 and 135 may either be retractable and extendable in the direction indicated by the double - headed arrow “ r ”, as in retractable airplane flaps , or may be in a fixed position , as illustrated . in any case , the movement s is allowed in at least one direction . in as much as the functions of elongate member 110 are primarily to connect streamers 2 and 2 ′, and serve in controlling distance between streamers 2 and 2 ′, member 110 may be any shape , cross - section , or material of construction as desired . for example , the cross - section of elongate member 110 could be oval or rectangular ; its material of construction may be metal , plastic , composite , and the like . one or more parallel , closely spaced elongate members are possible . as well , more than one elongate member may be employed , fit together or joined to form one elongate member , and shaft 131 may comprise more than one shaft , as illustrated in fig1 . elongate member 110 could comprise any number of alternative arrangements , including pipe - in - pipe , solid rod - in - pipe , solid rod - in - box arrangements , and the like , allowing sensors , transmitters , receivers , and the like to be carried by elongate member 110 . although orientation members 130 , 135 , and 116 are illustrated in fig1 and 2 positioned aft of elongate member 110 connecting streamers 2 and 2 ′, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that the orientation member or members may be positioned forward of elongate member 110 , as is known in the aerodynamics art . moreover , the use of both fore and aft flaps are deemed variants within the present invention . it is also considered within the invention for the orientation member to comprise one or more birds , for example , a combination of an elongate connection member and a bird attached to each streamer near the connecting points between the streamers and the elongate member . these embodiments may or may not include flaps 130 and 135 as illustrated in fig1 . an embodiment with no flaps is discussed in reference to fig8 herein . birds may be positioned fore or aft of elongate member 110 . very often water currents vary significantly with depth and the two streamers in a pair are easily brought out of the ideal position , which may be directly on top of each other in an “ over and under ” configuration . to correct for that , apparatus of the invention are adept at enforcing a moment on the streamer pair , as illustrated in fig3 a . as illustrated in fig3 a , a moment ( denoted by arrow “ m ”) may be accomplished by moving orientation members 130 and 135 in opposing directions . in other situations currents induce so - called “ feathering ” to the streamer pair , or the current may vary along the length of the streamer pair causing the streamer pair to “ snake .” in such situations , it may be desirable to induce a net force on the streamer pair , as illustrated by the arrow “ l ” in fig3 b , by moving all orientation members , in this case 130 and 135 , in the same direction . it is within the invention to provide for both movements exemplified by fig3 a and 3b , that is , both a moment and a translational force simultaneously . fig4 is a schematic diagram of a control scheme useful with the apparatus of fig1 - 3 . in fig4 , “ n ” refers to the nth apparatus , while n 1 , n 2 , on so on refer to an n 1 apparatus , an n 2 apparatus , and so forth . a positioning unit 16 , mounted on a float 8 ( not illustrated ) attached to apparatus 100 n ( fig1 ) transmits position of apparatus 100 n to a navigation system 17 located on the tow vessel ( not illustrated ). navigation system 17 provides the location information received from positioning unit 16 to an on - board supervisory controller 32 . on - board supervisory controller 32 may be a computer , a distributed control system , an analog control system or other control device known to those having ordinary skill in the art . on - board supervisory controller 32 may communicate with a local controller 29 n mounted in or on elongate member 110 n through a separate umbilical 27 n , or through a combination of an umbilical and streamer 2 or 2 ′, or may alternatively communicate through a wireless or optical transmission . local controller 29 n may also be positioned within or on one of the streamer couplers , 140 , 145 ( fig1 ). umbilical 27 n contains conductors for providing power and control signals to and from streamer 2 or 2 ′. local controller 29 n may send a signal to an electric motor 31 n that moves an actuator 21 n , which in turn moves orientation member 130 n . when orientation member 130 n moves , the lateral force imparted against it by the water directs streamers 2 and 2 ′ to the desired position . sensors 28 n may detect the angular position of orientation member 130 n and feedback information to local controller 29 n and , optionally , to on - board supervisory controller 32 where it may be displayed for an operator to read . sensor 28 n may also be used as a tilt sensor to sense the tilt angle between pairs of steamers . this is one of at least two alternatives of determining the tilt . an alternative method is illustrated in fig5 . difference signals , along with any feed - forward information received through an input 32 n , any information about other apparatus n 1 , n 2 , etc ., through input 33 n , and any supervisory control signals received from supervisory controller 32 through input 45 n may be used by local controller 29 n to calculate the roll angle of orientation member n and , optionally of any birds , which together will produce the necessary combination of vertical force ( upwardly or downwardly ) and lateral force ( left or right ) required to move apparatus n to a desired depth and lateral position . local controller 29 n then adjusts each orientation member n independently by means of the motor 31 n , so as to start to achieve the calculated roll angle and wing angular positions . information may also be sent to other apparatus n 1 , n 2 , etc ., through output 43 n , and information may be sent to on - board supervisory controller 32 , if any , through an output 41 n . numerous variations in the control scheme are possible . supervisory controllers , feed - forward controllers , and the like may be cascaded with local controller 29 n . other control schemes are possible , either alone , or cascaded with the feedback control . a control scheme may comprise a so - called feed - forward controller utilizing information about currents , wind , and other environmental conditions , in order to counteract for any deviations relative to the nominal that is predicted to take place , and do so before the deviation actually takes place or to do so in an early stage of the deviation . an adaptive control scheme may also be used . fig5 illustrates schematically methods for sensing tilt of a pair of streamers connected using an apparatus of the invention . streamers 2 and 2 ′ are illustrated connected via an apparatus of the invention 100 , while streamers 22 and 22 ′ are illustrated as connected using a second apparatus 100 ′ of the invention . apparatus 100 and 100 ′ may be identical , similar , or different in construction . for example , they may be of the same length ( same distance between streamers ) but have differing numbers or styles of orientation members , or they may have identical number and style of orientation members , but be of different lengths ( different separation distance between streamers ). one orientation member could be like embodiment 100 described in reference to fig1 - 3 , while the other might be like embodiment 200 of fig6 or embodiment 300 of fig8 - 9 . real time tilt angles , α and α ′, relative to vertical ( indicated by dashed lines marked “ v ”) may be sensed using one or more tilt sensors operatively coupled to one or more local controllers . the controllers and sensors are not illustrated for clarity . fig5 shows that tilt angles could also be sensed using acoustic ranges ( indicated by dotted lines ) between streamer 2 and steamer 22 ′, and between streamer 2 ′ and streamer 22 . the acoustic ranges may be used to calculate the real time tilt angles , α and α ′, of the streamer pairs . in either case , a non - zero tilt value indicates that the streamers are not located directly on top of each other . a human or computer may then make corrective action through a control scheme as discussed in reference to fig4 , by movement of one or more orientation members ( such as illustrated in fig3 ). using the orientation members to maintain the apparatus in the desired position and orientation may minimize tilt . fig6 a and b illustrate perspective and cross - sectional views , respectively , of a second apparatus 200 of the invention . streamers 2 and 2 ′ are illustrated connected together via an elongate member 202 comprising an elongate , cylindrical rod having ends 208 and 210 connected to steamers 2 and 2 ′, respectively , using couplers 140 and 145 . in as much as the functions of elongate member 202 are primarily to connect streamers 2 and 2 ′, and serve as an attachment or support for orientation members 204 and 206 , member 202 may be any shape , cross - section , or material of construction as desired . for example , the cross - section of elongate member 202 could be oval or rectangular ; its material of construction may be metal , plastic , composite , and the like . in apparatus 200 , orientation members 204 and 206 may be allowed to pivot freely , or they may be coupled to elongate member 202 and / or steamers 2 and 2 ′ and their movements controlled remotely . one or more orientation members are possible in this configuration . as well , more than one elongate member may be employed , attached together end - to - end . elongate member 202 could comprise a pipe - in - pipe arrangement , where orientation members 204 and 206 are mounted on their own respective outer pipes or conduits , which are allowed to move about an inner pipe or solid rod . fig6 b , which is taken along the cross - section indicated as b - b in fig6 a , illustrates schematically one way of moving orientation member 204 by remote control . a hollow , cylindrical rod 202 has a section 203 having teeth that mesh with teeth 207 on a wheel or gear 205 having a diameter smaller than that of rod 202 . wheel or gear 205 may be mounted on a shaft 209 that is in turn connected to a motor or other prime mover , not shown , housed inside hollow rod 202 or elsewhere inside orientation member 204 . a local controller , power supply , sensors , and the like , may also be housed inside hollow rod 202 . apparatus of the invention may connect to at least one streamer in such a way that it is able to communicate with the outside world , which may be a vessel , satellite , or land - based device . the way this may be accomplished varies in accordance with the amount of energy the apparatus requires and the amount of energy the apparatus is able to store locally in terms of batteries , fuel cells , and the like . if the local storage capacity for batteries , fuels cells , and the like is sufficient , the mount or coupling to the master streamer ( the streamer used for communication ) can be similar to the methods used to power so - called “ birds ” used for steering streamers . these birds may be clamped onto the streamer skin at locations where there is located an inductor inside the streamer skin . similarly , streamer couplers 140 and 145 ( fig1 ) may be clamped onto the streamer skin at such locations . then the apparatus and the streamer can communicate through the skin with electrical impulses . if , on the other hand , the apparatus needs charging power from the streamer a different approach is required . in this case the apparatus may be mounted between two streamer sections and as such comprise an insert between two streamer sections , as described below . depending on the handling procedure , apparatus of the invention may require the ability to release one of the streamers in the sense that one streamer is , for some time , allowed to slide inside one of the streamer couplers or mounts 140 , 145 ( fig1 ). this may be the streamer that is not the master streamer . this could be the scenario , for example , if for some reason it is not possible to operate the streamers in the desired parallel position , such as over - under position . this may be due to weather , obstructions , and the like , or because of desire to position streamers further fore or aft relative to the other or because the two streamers stretch differently under tension . in these cases the two streamers may have the capability to slide past each other inline relative to each other . an actuator allowing grasp and release of the streamer may be included in mounts 140 or 145 for this function . it is also within the invention to combine apparatus comprising elongate members , orientation members , and streamers as described with one or more other control devices , such as “ birds .” one type of bird useful in the invention is described in commonly assigned u . s . pat . no . 6 , 671 , 223 , describing a bird that is designed to be electrically and mechanically connected in series with a streamer . one embodiment of this bird , known under the trade designation “ q - fin ”, available from westerngeco l . l . c ., houston , tex ., has two opposed wings that are independently controllable in order to control a streamer &# 39 ; s lateral position as well as its depth . other birds useful in the invention include battery - powered birds suspended beneath the streamer and including a pair of laterally projecting wings , the combination of streamers , elongate member , orientation member , and birds being arranged to be neutrally buoyant . clamp - on birds , as discussed previously , may also be employed . birds useful in the invention , including suspended birds , in - line birds , and clamp - on birds may include on - board controllers and / or communications devices , which may be microprocessor - based , to receive control signals representative of desired depth , actual depth , desired lateral position , actual lateral position and roll angle of the bird . the bird on - board controllers may communicate with local controllers mounted on or in elongate members of apparatus 100 of fig1 , such as described in fig4 , and / or communicate with other local controllers an / or remote controllers , such as a supervisory controller . such a control system is discussed in reference to fig1 . optionally , one or more birds controlled by a controlled scheme as illustrated in fig1 may work in tandem with the controller and control scheme on - board apparatus 100 of fig1 , described in fig4 . for example , the control schemes could be cascaded . working independently of or with apparatus 100 , the bird control circuit may then adjust each of its wings independently by means of the stepper motors so as to start to achieve the calculated bird roll angle and wing angular positions . there may be instances where apparatus 100 is not operational and acting merely as a passive connector between streamers 2 and 2 ′, such as in embodiment 300 of fig8 - 9 , in which case birds attached to each streamer may function as orientation members to control relative position between streamers and / or steamer pairs . the wings may include quick release mechanisms . birds useful herein may include seismic receivers such as hydrophones , and in such instances may include an elongate , partly flexible body to house one or more receivers . as mentioned herein , materials of construction of apparatus of the invention may vary . however , there may be a need to balance the apparatus with the remainder of the seismic equipment so that the system is balanced to be neutrally buoyant in the water , or nearly so , to perform its intended function . polymeric composites , with appropriate fillers used to adjust buoyancy and mechanical properties as desired , may be employed . in use the position of a pair of streamers may be actively controlled by gps or other position detector sensing the position of the streamer pair , and tilt sensors , acoustic sensors , or other means may sense the orientation of one or more individual streamers and feed this data to navigation and control systems . alternatively , data may be fed - forward to local controllers on apparatus of the invention . gross positioning and local movement of the streamer pair may be controlled on board a tow vessel , on some other vessel , locally , or indeed a remote location . by using a communication system , either hardwire or wireless , information from the remote controller may be sent to one or more local controllers on apparatus of the invention , including connectors and , when present and when desired , one or more birds . the local controllers in turn are operatively connected to adjustment mechanisms comprising motors or other motive power means , and actuators and couplers connected to the orientation members ( flaps ), and , if present , birds , which function to move the apparatus as desired . this in turn adjusts the position of the streamer pair , causing it to move as desired . feedback control may be achieved using local sensors positioned as appropriate depending on the specific embodiment used , which may inform the local and remote controllers of the position of one or more orientation members , the tilt angle of a pair of streamers , distance between streamer pairs , a position of an actuator , the status of a motor or hydraulic cylinder , the status of a bird , and the like . a computer or human operator can thus access information and control the entire positioning effort , and thus obtain much better control over the seismic data acquisition process . over / under towing may improve the seismic image considerably as one may be able to separate the downward propagating acoustic wave field from the upward propagating wave field . among geophysicists this is called de - ghosting . by different means of configuring the towing system it is possible to place pairs of streamers at lateral spacings between the pairs to form an array so as to cover a rectangle . fig7 illustrates one arrangement employing apparatus or systems and methods of the invention . many variations are possible . a seismic vessel 702 is shown towing an array 240 of seismic hydrophones ( not shown ) hidden within the streamers 2 , 2 ′. the number of streamer pairs may exceed ten , but four to eight will probably be common . an example of a four - streamer pair configuration is shown in fig7 . in the embodiment illustrated , each streamer pair 2 , 2 ′ comprises one streamer 2 ′ placed as accurate as possible on top of the other streamer 2 . a seismic source 260 towed by tow members 261 ( only two source tow members are shown for clarity ) provides a pressure pulse that is reflected in the sub surface layers of the sea bottom and recorded by the seismic hydrophones . this signal is used to map the geological structure beneath the sea floor . one set of streamers 2 is towed deep and one set of streamers 2 ′ are towed shallower . streamers 2 and 2 ′ are deflected laterally with seismic deflectors 250 , 251 , 252 , and 253 , which may be passive or remotely controllable . eight streamers 2 and 2 ′ are illustrated towed by respective eight tow members 3 a - 3 h as indicated , with separation members 4 , 5 , 6 , and 7 provided between adjacent deep streamers 2 and adjacent shallow streamers 2 ′. passive or active tow members ( not shown ) may connect source 260 with one or more streamer tow members . the vertical distance between streamers 2 , 2 ′ in a streamer pair may range from 1 meter to 50 meters , and may be about 5 meters . a selected number of hydrophones , either mounted within the streamer or in / on equipment mounted onto the streamer , may be used as receivers in an acoustic ranging system and thereby provide knowledge of the horizontal and vertical position of streamers 2 and 2 ′. horizontal streamer separations may range from about 25 to about 180 meters . depth control of streamers 2 and 2 ′ in this embodiment may be optionally provided by so - called birds 116 which may be of any type , such as small hydrofoils that can provide forces in the vertical plane . one suitable depth control device is the previously described device known under the trade designation “ q - fin ”; another suitable device is that known under the trade designation “ digibird ”, available from input / output , inc ., stafford , tex . illustrated in fig7 is a plurality of connection apparatus 100 , which may be configured as more fully illustrated in fig1 , embodiment 200 of fig6 , embodiment 300 of fig8 , or some other configuration . there are many possibilities for the type , number and position of connection apparatus 100 , and this will also depend on whether birds 116 are employed . apparatus 100 may be equally spaced along the length of the streamers , with optional birds 116 in close proximity to connection apparatus 100 . birds 116 may be moved in close proximity to connection apparatus 100 and clamped to streamers 2 , 2 ′, hung from streamers 2 , 2 ′, or inserted inline in streamers 2 , 2 ′ to provide optional supplementary position control , while birds 117 , or other streamer positioning device , such as the devices described in u . s . pat . nos . 3 , 774 , 570 ; 3 , 560 , 912 ; 5 , 443 , 027 ; 3 , 605 , 674 ; 4 , 404 , 664 ; 6 , 525 , 992 and ep patent publication no . ep 0613025 , may be placed at intervals between connection apparatus 100 for supplemental position control , for example to reduce streamer “ sagging .” fig8 illustrates a perspective view of another embodiment 300 of the invention . streamers 2 and 2 ′ are illustrated connected together by an elongate rigid or semi - rigid member 110 ′ having first and second ends 112 ′ and 114 ′, end 112 ′ being connected with a first streamer coupler 140 , and second end 114 ′ connected via a second streamer coupler 145 . an orientation member 116 , such as a bird having a body 12 and two independently moveable control surfaces 24 , sometimes referred to herein as wings , is illustrated mounted to or attached inline in streamer 2 and aft of elongate member 110 ( referenced to flow direction , indicated by arrow “ f ” in fig8 ). a second orientation member 116 ′ is mounted to or attached inline in streamer 2 ′. while orientation members 116 and 116 ′ are depicted as substantially identical , they may be different , as long as they are able to function together to control orientation of the pair of streamers . alternatively , or in addition thereto , orientation members 116 and 116 ′ may be mounted on streamer couplers 140 and 145 , as discussed in more detailed herein . orientation members 116 and 116 ′ may number more than two . an even or odd number may be employed . fig9 illustrates a cross - sectional view along the section c - c of fig8 , illustrating one possible construction of elongate member 110 ′, here illustrated as a hollow , cylindrical conduit or pipe . elongate member 110 ′ may comprise more than one part or component , and may include communications components , sensors , and power components , all of which are not shown . in as much as the functions of elongate member 110 ′ are primarily to connect streamers 2 and 2 ′, and serve in controlling distance between streamers 2 and 2 ′, member 110 ′ may be any shape , cross - section , or material of construction as desired . for example , the cross - section of elongate member 110 could be oval or rectangular ; its material of construction may be metal , plastic , composite , and the like . one or more parallel , closely spaced elongate members are possible . more than one elongate member may be employed , for example attached together end - to - end . elongate member 110 ′ could comprise any number of alternative arrangements , including pipe - in - pipe , solid rod - in - pipe , solid rod - in - box arrangements , and the like , allowing sensors , transmitters , receivers , and the like to be carried by elongate member 110 ′. although orientation members 116 and 116 ′ are illustrated in fig8 positioned aft of elongate member 110 ′, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that the orientation member or members may be positioned forward of elongate member 110 . moreover , the use of both fore and aft orientation members are deemed variants within the present invention . very often , as mentioned earlier in reference to fig1 - 3 , water currents often vary significantly with depth and the two streamers in a pair are easily brought out of the ideal position , which may be directly on top of each other in an “ over and under ” configuration , or the streamers may “ snake ” or “ feather .” to correct for these movements , the apparatus and system of fig8 may enforce a moment on the streamer pair . a moment may be accomplished by moving wings 24 of orientation members 116 and 116 ′ in opposing directions , and translation force may be imposed by positioning wings 24 in identical directions . the orientation members , or “ birds ”, illustrated in fig8 generally at 116 and 116 ′, may comprise an elongate streamlined body 12 , 12 ′ adapted to be mechanically and electrically connected in series in a multi - section marine seismic streamer 2 or 2 ′ of the kind which is towed by a seismic survey vessel and which is used , in conjunction with a seismic source also towed by the vessel , to conduct seismic surveys , as briefly described hereinbefore . to permit such connection , each end of body 12 and body 12 ′ is provided with a respective mechanical and electrical connector , these connectors being complementary to , and designed to interconnect with , streamer end connectors that are normally used to join together adjacent sections of a streamer . birds 116 and 116 ′ may be provided with two opposed control surfaces , or wings , 24 , 24 ′, which may be molded from a fiber - reinforced plastics material , which project outwardly from body 12 , 12 ′ and which are independently rotatable about a common axis extending substantially perpendicularly through the longitudinal axis of the body . rotation of wings 24 , 24 ′ may be effected under the control of a control system sealingly housed within body 12 , 12 ′. wings 24 , 24 ′ may be generally rounded and swept back with respect to the direction of tow of streamers 2 and 2 ′ ( which direction is opposite of that indicated by the arrow f ), in order to reduce the possibility of debris becoming hooked on them . to facilitate their rapid removal and reattachment , wings 24 , 24 ′ may be secured to body 12 , 12 ′ by a quick - release attachment . as mentioned hereinbefore , streamers 2 and 2 ′ include hydrophones distributed along their length ; they also may include control and conversion circuitry for converting the outputs of the hydrophones into digital data signals , longitudinally extending control and data lines for conducting control and data signals to and from the control and conversion circuitry , and electrical power supply lines for supplying electrical power from the vessel to the circuitry . if birds or other like devices are employed , all these lines may be coupled together from one streamer section to another streamer section via respective corresponding lines which may extend through body 12 of bird 116 between coupler 140 and its nearest neighboring coupler 140 , and so on down the length of the streamer . alternatively or additionally , wireless and optical transmission signals may be generated and received by functional components in or on streamers 2 and 2 ′ and bird body 12 . fig1 to 12 illustrate the operation of bird 116 in the case where streamer 2 or 2 ′ is slightly heavy ( slightly negative buoyancy ), and bird 116 thus needs to produce lift to maintain the streamer at the desired depth . as streamers 2 and 2 ′ are connected by elongate member 110 ( fig8 ), another bird or other streamer positioning device may be required on or inline with streamer 2 ′ to help move streamer 2 ′, since bird 116 will not only have to overcome cross flow drag and gravity forces on streamer 2 , but cross flow drag produced by streamer 2 ′ and elongate member 110 . this lift is produced by the flow of the water over the wings 24 of the bird 116 , resulting from the desired towing speed of streamers 2 , 2 ′ through the water , and can be changed by changing the angle of attack of the wings with respect to the flow . the magnitude of the lift required for moving streamer 2 when by itself ( disconnected from a streamer pair ) is indicated by the length of the arrows 60 . these arrows may be incrementally higher or lower when streamers 2 and 2 ′ are connected with an elongate member 110 . if streamer 2 now needs to be moved laterally to the right ( as viewed in fig1 to 12 ), the angular position of left wing 24 of bird 116 may be first adjusted to increase its lift , while the angular position of right wing 24 is adjusted to decrease its lift , as represented by the length of the arrows 64 in fig1 , thus causing bird 116 to roll clockwise from the position shown in fig1 to the position shown in fig1 . this clockwise roll may continue until bird 116 reaches a steady state condition shown in fig1 , where it can be seen that the vertical component of the lift produced by wings 24 , indicated by arrows 66 , is equal to the lift represented by arrows 60 of fig1 required to maintain streamer 2 at the desired depth , while the much larger horizontal component , represented by the arrows 68 , moves streamer 2 to the right . fig1 is a schematic diagram of a control scheme useful with apparatus , systems and methods described in reference to fig8 - 12 . in fig1 , “ n ” refers to the nth orientation member , while n 1 , n 2 , on so on refer to an n 1 orientation member , an n 2 orientation member , and so forth . control system 26 n comprises a microprocessor - based control circuit 34 n having respective inputs 35 n to 39 n to receive control signals representative of desired depth , actual depth , desired lateral position , actual lateral position and roll angle of orientation member n ( i . e . the angular position of body 12 n in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of streamer 2 or 2 ′). control circuit 34 n may also receive information through input 33 n regarding the status or position of orientation members n 1 , n 2 , and the like . the desired depth signal can be either a fixed signal or an adjustable signal , while the actual depth signal is typically produced by a depth sensor 40 n mounted in or on orientation member n . the lateral position signals may be derived from a position determining system of the kind described in our u . s . pat . no . 4 , 992 , 990 or our international patent application no wo9621163 . the roll angle signal may be produced by an inclinometer 42 n mounted on or within orientation member n . control circuit 34 n may have control outputs 44 n , 46 n , connected to control respective electrical stepper motors 48 n , 50 n , each of which is drivingly connected to a respective one of wings 24 n . stepper motors 48 n , 50 n have respective outputs at which they produce signals representative of their respective current angular positions ( and therefore of the current angular positions of wings 24 n ), which outputs are connected to respective control inputs 52 n , 54 n of control circuit 34 n . in operation , control circuit 34 n may receive between its inputs 35 n and 36 n a signal indicative of the difference between the actual and desired depths of orientation member n , and may receive between its inputs 37 n and 38 n a signal indicative of the difference between the actual and desired lateral positions of orientation member n . these two difference signals , along with any feed - forward information received through input 32 n , any information about other orientation members n 1 , n 2 , etc ., through input 33 n , and any supervisory control signals received from a supervisory controller through input 45 n may be used by control circuit 34 n to calculate the roll angle of orientation member n and the respective angular positions of wings 24 n which together will produce the necessary combination of vertical force ( upwardly or downwardly ) and lateral force ( left or right ) required to move orientation member n to a desired depth and lateral position . control circuit 34 n then adjusts each of wings 24 n independently by means of the stepper motors 48 n , 50 n , so as to start to achieve the calculated roll angle and wing angular positions . information may also be sent to other orientation members n 1 , n 2 , etc ., through output 43 n , and information may be sent to the supervisory controller ( not shown ), if any , through an output 41 n . numerous variations in the control scheme are possible . supervisory controllers , feed - forward controllers , and the like may be cascaded with control system 26 . a feed - forward controller , as indicated by input 32 n in fig1 , may utilize information about currents , wind , and other environmental conditions , in order to counteract for any deviations relative to the nominal that may be predicted to take place , and do so before the deviation actually takes place or to do so in an early stage of the deviation . an adaptive control scheme may also be used . systems of the invention may become unstable due to geometry of the streamer pair , the point of application of , and direction of the applied forces . this may cause orientation members to generate undesirable torque on one or both streamers . to remove this undesirable effect , control system 26 n in fig1 may be programmed appropriately . while adjusting the angular positions of wings 24 n of orientation member n , control circuit 34 n may continuously receive signals representative of the actual angular positions of wings 24 n from the stepper motors 48 n , 50 n , as well as signals representative of the actual roll angles of orientation members n , n 1 , n 2 , etc ., from an inclinometer 42 n and input 33 n , to enable control circuit 34 n to determine and / or predict when the calculated wing angular positions and bird roll angle have been or should be reached . and as the aforementioned difference signals at the inputs 35 n to 38 n of the control circuit 34 reduce , control circuit 34 n may repeatedly recalculate the progressively changing values of the roll angle of orientation member n and the angular positions of the wings 24 n required for orientation member n and streamer to reach the desired depth and lateral position , until orientation member n and the streamer to which it is attached actually reach the desired depth and lateral position . body 12 of any particular orientation member may or may not rotate with respect to streamer 2 or 2 ′; if body 12 does not rotate it may then twist streamer 2 , and perhaps streamer 2 ′, as it rolls . streamers 2 and 2 ′ then resist this twisting motion , acting together as a kind of torsion spring that tends to return the orientation members to their normal position . however , this torsional action may or may not be beneficial and is not essential , and the orientation members may if desired be designed to rotate to a certain extent with respect to the axis of the streamer to which they are attached or a part of inline . fig1 a and 14b illustrate schematically , with some parts in phantom , two apparatus embodiments of the invention . in fig1 a , elongate member 110 comprises an elongate , hydrofoil - shaped body having ends 112 and 114 , and a central portion 113 . shown in phantom are two shafts 131 and 133 supported by bearings 132 , 134 , and 136 , also in phantom . shafts 131 and 133 , which may be any cross - sectional shape and may be hollow or solid , may rotate independently of one another in their respective bearings . bearings 132 , 134 , and 136 may be mounted inside elongate member 110 in any functional manner , such as welding , bolts , screws , or even molded as part of the structure of the elongate member , such as cast metal depressions made during the manufacture of elongate member 110 . in fig1 a , shaft 131 supports flap 130 , while shaft 133 supports flap 135 . as shafts 131 and 133 rotate , their respective flaps 130 and 135 also rotate . mechanisms responsible for this movement may vary , with three embodiments discussed in reference to fig1 a - c . fig1 b illustrates a slightly different arrangement . flaps 130 ′ and 135 ′ are again mounted on respective shafts 131 ′ and 133 ′. in the embodiment depicted in fig1 b , however , elongate member 110 ′ includes support brackets 132 ′, 134 ′, and 136 ′, which serve the function of bearings for shafts 131 ′ and 133 ′. flaps 130 ′ and 135 ′ are also somewhat more extended rearward relative to elongate body 110 ′. fig1 a - c illustrate schematically three modes of how to make orientation members move in accordance with the present invention . fig1 a shows a motor 150 connected to a drive shaft 151 and gear 152 . gear 152 meshes with another gear 153 connected to shaft 131 , which in turn is connected through suitable fasteners , not illustrated , to flap 130 , and which may rotate within bearing 134 . shaft 131 may be welded or brazed to flap 130 , for example . fig1 b illustrates another embodiment , wherein motor 150 , shaft 151 , and gear 152 are provided as in fig1 a , however , in this embodiment an endless chain 154 extends around gear 152 and a second gear 153 . fig1 c illustrates a cross - sectional view of the embodiment of fig1 a , similar to the view of fig2 , and shows how a linear actuator 155 might be employed with a bracket 156 attached to shaft 131 . linear actuator 155 could be pneumatic , electric , or hydraulic in nature . although only a few exemplary embodiments of this invention have been described in detail above , those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that many modifications are possible in the exemplary embodiments without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of this invention . accordingly , all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of this invention as defined in the following claims . in the claims , no clauses are intended to be in the means - plus - function format allowed by 35 u . s . c . § 112 , paragraph 6 unless “ means for ” is explicitly recited together with an associated function . “ means for ” clauses are intended to cover the structures described herein as performing the recited function and not only structural equivalents , but also equivalent structures . thus , although a clamp - on bird and an inline bird may not be structural equivalents in that a clamp - on bird employs one type of fastener , whereas an inline bird employs a different fastener , in the environment of using birds to position streamers , a clamp - on bird and an inline bird may be equivalent structures . | 6 |
turning now to fig1 , a block diagram of one embodiment of an integrated circuit ( ic ) having a serial bus interface is shown . in the embodiment shown , ic 10 includes a universal serial bus ( usb ) interface ( i . e . usb port ) that includes usb switch unit 12 , transceivers 14 , and usb host controller 16 . a usb peripheral device 18 is coupled to ic 10 via a differential signal path that includes the true ( d +) and complementary ( d −) data lines of the bus . ic 10 may be one of a number of different types of ic &# 39 ; s , and thus may include various other functional units that are not explicitly shown here . in one embodiment , ic 10 may include one or more processors having one or more execution cores , various levels of cache memory , and so forth . ic 10 may also be a system on a chip ( soic ) in some embodiments , including processors , one or more peripherals , one or more memory controllers , etc . in another embodiment , ic 10 may be part of a computer system chipset , and thus may include the usb interface as well as a number of other bus interfaces ( e . g ., pci / pci - x , firewire , gpib , and so forth ). furthermore , various embodiments of ic 10 may be implemented in usb peripherals ( e . g ., printers , cameras , etc .) and portable devices ( e . g ., portable music players , phones , personal digital assistants , etc .). in general , ic 10 may be any type of ic in which the switch circuit to be discussed below may be implemented . it is noted that the use of usb in the embodiment of fig1 is exemplary . the use of other types of buses in conjunction with the switch circuit to be discussed below , both serial and parallel , is possible and contemplated . in the embodiment shown , usb host controller 16 is configured to provide host functionality used in controlling communications over a usb . the functions provided by usb host controller 16 may include recognition of the connection of a peripheral device ( e . g ., usb peripheral device 18 ) to the usb , establishing communications between host controller 16 and peripheral device 18 , and controlling communications between other devices and / or functional units and usb peripheral device 18 . usb host controller 16 may also be configured to perform these functions for a number of different usb links in addition to the one that is explicitly illustrated in fig1 . in the embodiment shown , usb host controller 16 is coupled to a pair of transceivers 14 . each transceiver 14 may include a driver configured to drive signals through usb switch unit 12 , and a receiver coupled to receive signals from usb switch unit 12 . usb switch unit 12 may include switches corresponding to each of differential signal lines d + and d −, each of which may allow signals to be conveyed to or from the usb peripheral device when activated . the transfer of signals between usb peripheral device 18 and usb host controller 16 may be prevented when the switches of usb switch unit 12 are deactivated . turning now to fig2 , a schematic diagram of one embodiment of a switch circuit is shown . in the embodiment shown , switch circuit 20 may be one of one or more switch circuits that may be implemented in usb switch unit 12 of fig1 . moreover , switch circuit 20 may be utilized in any implementation where it may provide a suitable switching function . in the embodiment shown , switch circuit 20 includes two signal paths each including a pair of transistors coupled in a cascode configuration . in this particular embodiment , a signal path of switch circuit 21 includes transistors q 1 and q 2 coupled in a cascode configuration . nmos transistor q 1 in this embodiment includes a source - drain path coupled between a first data node 21 and a first intermediate node 22 . when operating , a gate terminal of transistor q 1 may be coupled to receive a nominally fixed voltage ( 1 . 8 v in this particular example , although other voltages are possible and contemplated ). the nominally fixed voltage may vary somewhat during operation , due to switching noise , power transients , and so forth , although generally it is intended that this voltage remain relatively constant ( e . g ., 1 . 8 volts ± 5 %). a second nmos transistor q 2 in the embodiment shown includes a source - drain path coupled between the first intermediate node 22 and a second data node 24 . a gate terminal of transistor q 2 may be coupled to receive a true value of an enable signal , enable_h . when the enable signal is asserted ( high ) in this embodiment , a first signal path may be provided between first data node 21 and second data node 24 through the source - drain paths of cascode - coupled transistors q 1 and q 2 . in the example shown in fig2 , the second data node of switch circuit 20 is coupled to an exemplary transceiver 14 , which includes a driver 28 and a receiver 26 , each of which may be coupled to receive respective enable signals . a functional unit to which each transceiver 14 may be coupled ( e . g ., usb host controller 16 of fig1 ) may be configured such that only one of the drive enable and receive enable signals is asserted at a given time . driver 28 may be configured to drive a signal onto second data node 24 when the driven enable signal is asserted . similarly , receiver 26 may be configured to receive a signal from second data node 24 when the receive enable signal is asserted , and drive the received signal to another circuit responsive thereto . in the embodiment shown , switch circuit 20 includes a second pair of cascode - coupled transistors which provide a signal path that is parallel with respect to the first signal path provided through transistors q 1 and q 2 . more particularly , the embodiment shown includes a third nmos transistor q 4 , which includes a source - drain path coupled between the first data node 21 and a second intermediate node 23 . when operating , transistor q 4 may be coupled to receive the same nominally fixed voltage on its gate terminal that may also be received by transistor q 1 . a first pmos transistor q 5 is also included in the second signal path in this embodiment , having a source - drain path coupled between the second intermediate node 23 and the second data node 24 . a gate terminal of transistor q 5 may be coupled to receive a complement , enable_l , of the enable signal noted above . when the enable signal is asserted ( and thus enable_l is low ), transistor q 5 may activate and thus provide a second signal path between first data node 21 and second data node 24 . in the absence of transistors q 3 and q 6 as shown in the embodiment of fig2 , the voltage difference that may exist between the first data node 21 and the second data node 24 may exceed the rated operating voltages ( e . g ., the maximum allowable voltage difference between any two terminals ) for the other transistors of the circuit . consider an example wherein the voltage signal swing on each of data nodes 21 and 24 may be 3 . 6 volts ( e . g ., a logic high is 3 . 6 volts , a logic low is 0 volts ), in a switch circuit that differs from switch circuit 20 in that transistors q 3 and q 6 are note included . consider further that each of the transistors of such a switch circuit may have a rated operating voltage of 1 . 8 volts , with each of the transistors having a threshold voltage of 0 . 3 volts . in such an example , a voltage difference of 3 . 6 volts may exist between data nodes 21 and 24 when the switch circuit is deactivated ( e . g ., when transistors q 2 and q 5 are turned off ). however , since this particular example stipulates a threshold voltage of 0 . 3 volts for each of the transistors of the circuit , intermediate nodes 22 and 23 may charge up to 1 . 5 volts ( since the gate terminals of q 1 and q 4 receive 1 . 8 volts ) when switch circuit 20 is inactive . that is , nodes 22 and 23 may only charge to a threshold voltage below the gate voltage of transistors q 1 and q 4 , after which q 1 and q 4 may stop actively conducting current . accordingly , if first data node 21 is at a voltage of 3 . 6 volts and q 2 is inactive because enable_h is asserted , a voltage difference of 2 . 1 volts may exist between the source and drain terminals of each of transistors q 1 and q 4 ( i . e . 3 . 6 volts − 1 . 5 volts = 2 . 1 volts ). this 2 . 1 volt difference exceeds the rated operating voltage of 1 . 8 volts for the transistors considered in this example . such a voltage excess may cause damage to transistors q 1 and q 4 and may even render them ( and thus the switch circuit lacking transistors q 3 and q 6 ) inoperative . however , switch circuit 20 in the embodiment shown includes a pair of protection devices , transistors q 3 and q 6 , that may minimize or eliminate the voltage excess . transistor q 3 in the embodiment shown is a pmos transistor that includes a source - drain path coupled between intermediate node 22 and the nominally fixed voltage at the gate terminal of transistor q 1 . similarly , transistor q 6 in the embodiment shown is also a pmos transistor having a source - drain path coupled between intermediate node 23 and the nominally fixed voltage at the gate terminal of transistor q 4 . transistors q 3 and q 6 in the embodiment shown are each coupled to receive the enable_h signal on their respective gate terminals . since these transistors are pmos devices in this embodiment , they are thus configured to activate when the enable signal is de - asserted ( e . g ., at a logic low , or 0 volts ). accordingly , for the embodiment of switch circuit 20 illustrated in fig2 , transistors q 3 and q 6 will be active when transistors q 2 and q 5 are inactive ( i . e . when the signal path between data nodes 21 and 24 is blocked ). when active , transistors q 3 and q 6 of this embodiment will pull intermediate nodes 22 and 23 , respectively , toward the nominally fixed voltage present on the gate terminals of q 1 and q 4 ( e . g ., 1 . 8 volts in the illustrated embodiment of switch circuit 20 ). thus , the excessive voltage across the source - drain path of transistors q 1 and q 4 may be prevented when switch circuit 20 is inactive . generally speaking , various embodiments of switch circuit 20 as disclosed herein may include at least one signal path having a pair of transistors coupled in a cascode configuration , wherein one of the transistors is coupled to receive ( on its respective gate terminal ) an enable signal , while the other one of the transistors may included a gate terminal coupled to receive a nominally fixed voltage . various embodiments of switch circuit 20 as disclosed herein may also include a protection device coupled to provide a signal path between the nominally fixed voltage and an intermediate node of the cascode configuration that may ensure that a voltage difference between any two terminals of a transistor in the circuit does not exceed its rated voltage when switch circuit 20 is turned off . a second signal path including a second pair of transistors coupled in a cascode configuration , along with the corresponding protection device , may also be included in various embodiments of switch circuit 20 . it should be noted that the types of transistors , the various voltage levels , and the logic signal assertion levels discussed above are exemplary , and thus are not limiting . numerous variations utilizing different types of transistors ( e . g ., pmos instead of nmos and vice versa ), different voltage levels , different operating voltage ranges , and different logic levels are possible and contemplated . turning next to fig3 , a block diagram of one embodiment of a system 30 is shown . in the illustrated embodiment , the system 30 includes at least one instance of an integrated circuit 10 coupled to one or more peripherals 34 and an external memory 32 . a power supply 36 is also provided which supplies the supply voltages to the integrated circuit 38 as well as one or more supply voltages to the memory 32 and / or the peripherals 34 . in some embodiments , more than one instance of the integrated circuit 38 may be included . the external memory 32 may be any desired memory . for example , the memory may include dynamic random access memory ( dram ), static ram ( sram ), flash memory , or combinations thereof . the dram may include synchronous dram ( sdram ), double data rate ( ddr ) sdram , ddr2 sdram , ddr3 sdram , etc . the peripherals 34 may include peripheral 18 shown in fig1 , and may include any desired circuitry , depending on the type of system 30 . for example , in one embodiment , the system 30 may be a mobile device and the peripherals 34 may include devices for various types of wireless communication , such as wifi , bluetooth , cellular , global position system , etc . the peripherals 34 may also include additional storage , including ram storage , solid - state storage , or disk storage . the peripherals 34 may include user interface devices such as a display screen , including touch display screens or multitouch display screens , keyboard or other keys , microphones , speakers , etc . turning now to fig4 , a flow diagram of one embodiment of a method for operating a switch circuit is shown . in the embodiment shown , method 40 includes activation of a switch circuit by asserting an enable signal ( block 42 ). using switch circuit 20 as an example , activation thereof may be accomplished by asserting the enable_h signal at a logic high voltage . the logic high voltage may be received on the gate terminals of transistors q 2 , q 3 , and q 6 . transistor q 2 is an nmos transistor in the embodiment shown in fig2 , and thus activates responsive to the assertion of the enable_h signal . transistors q 3 and q 6 , which are pmos transistors that function as protection devices in the embodiment shown in fig2 , are deactivated responsive to the assertion of the enable_h signal . transistor q 5 is also a pmos transistor in the embodiment of fig2 , and is coupled to receive the signal enable_l , which is a complement of the enable_h signal . thus , when enable_h transitions high , enable_l may fall low , and transistor q 5 may thus activate responsive to the low on its gate terminal . thus , when transistors q 2 and q 5 are both active , two separate signal paths may be provided between second data node 24 and first data node 21 . deactivation of switch circuit 20 may be performed by de - asserting the enable signal ( block 44 ). when enable_h is de - asserted , it may fall low , while its complement , enable_l , may transition high . accordingly , transistors q 2 and q 5 may both become inactive , thereby blocking the signal paths between second data node 24 and first data node 22 . protection devices q 3 and q 6 may also be activated in switch circuit 20 , responsive to the de - assertion of the enable signal ( block 46 ). when the enable_h signal falls low , the low may be received on the gate terminals of protection devices q 3 and q 6 . these devices may then be activated . transistor q 3 , when active , may provide a source - drain path between intermediate node 22 and the nominally fixed voltage ( e . g ., 1 . 8 volts in the embodiment of fig2 ). transistor q 6 may similarly provide a source - drain path between intermediate node 23 and the nominally fixed voltage . when transistors q 3 and q 6 are active , intermediate nodes 22 and 23 may be pulled up toward the nominally fixed voltage . this may ensure , for example , that a voltage difference between data node 21 and either of intermediate nodes 22 and 23 does not exceed the rated operating voltage range for transistors q 1 and q 4 . thus , for example , if transistors q 1 and q 4 are rated for operation in a range of 0 - 1 . 8 volts , a voltage of 3 . 6 volts on data node 21 may not damage these transistors , since intermediate nodes 22 and 23 may be pulled up to a voltage of 1 . 8 volts ( through q 3 and q 6 , respectively ). thus , the voltage difference between data node 21 and either of intermediate nodes 22 and 23 may be 1 . 8 volts , which does not exceed the operating voltage range of transistors q 1 and q 4 in this example . numerous variations and modifications will become apparent to those skilled in the art once the above disclosure is fully appreciated . it is intended that the following claims be interpreted to embrace all such variations and modifications . | 7 |
with further reference to the drawings , fig1 shows a system for generating a covering or penetrating reagent material and directing the covering or penetrating reagent material to a selected area where the covering or penetrating reagent material is applied . in fig1 , there is shown an imas that is indicated generally by the numeral 10 . as is discussed herein , the imas 10 is used to direct water or wastewater from a water source and to mix the water with a covering or penetrating composition such as an adc or soil stabilization or other approved reagent solution . the imas shown in the drawings is indicated generally by the numeral 12 . imas 12 includes a turbine housing 14 that includes an inlet end and an outlet end and is configured to channel or direct a system of air through the same . a turbine 16 is mounted in the inlet end portion of the turbine housing 14 and can be rotatively mounted on a shaft and forms a part of the imas 12 . as will be appreciated from subsequent portions of the disclosure , the turbine 16 is driven such that it generates a system of air that moves from the inlet of the turbine housing , through the turbine housing and out the outlet end . imas 12 also includes a ring pipe 18 disposed about the outlet end of the turbine housing 14 . circumferentially spaced around the ring pipe 18 is a series of nozzles 20 . nozzles 20 are communicatively connected to the ring pipe 18 such that water or compositions directed into the ring pipe are expelled or exhausted via the nozzles 20 . it should be pointed out that in a preferred embodiment the nozzles 20 are adjustable and replaceable . to provide power to the application system 12 and particularly to drive the turbines 16 , there is provided an integrated power source 20 . various types and forms of power sources can be utilized . in one embodiment , the power source is a diesel , natural gas or gasoline internal combustion engine that is operatively connected to a drive shaft that drives the turbine 16 . in another embodiment , the power source can comprise an electric motor operatively connected to the drive shaft of the turbine 16 and wherein the electric motor is powered by an integrated and conventional generator . also forming a part of the system 10 or the imas 12 is one or more integrated pumps . the function of the one or more pumps is to pump the water under pressure into the ring pipe 18 and out the respective nozzles 20 . in addition , when employing imas 12 , in some embodiments , a mobile tank or storage vessel is provided on board the imas for holding the water that is utilized in the process described herein . as will be described , the apparatus may include tanks for carrying various covering or penetrating compositions . in addition , the covering or penetrating compositions can be carried in a mobile tank or trailer that is pulled by the imas 12 . the imas or system for applying the covering material can be designed to throw the covering or penetrating material a substantial distance . further , the system can be mounted on a mobile platform such that it can be moved from point - to - point . in the case of an imas embodiment , the turbine housing is typically adjustably mounted on the platform such that it can rotate around the platform and also can be rotated up and down such that the turbine housing can effectively direct a stream of airborne covering or penetrating material a substantial distance from the outlet end of the turbine housing 14 . thus , with the numerous adjustment features associated with the turbine housing 14 , the turbine housing can be aimed and directed in an infinite number of directions . the pressure applied to the water directed into the ring pipe 18 can vary . in one example , the pressure is maintained between 30 psi and 200 psi . further , the nozzles 20 can be selected by a person of ordinary skill in the art to provide a degree of aerosolization , throw distance and covering specifications necessary or appropriate to optimize the efficiency of the overall process . the range for the apparatus or imas 12 can vary . it can vary based on active controls or it might vary based on environmental conditions . in one example , the speed of the turbine can be varied so as to adjust the velocity of the air and the energy imparted to the air . that will effectively control or adjust the throw of the covering material from the outlet end of the turbine housing 14 . in addition , the flow rate and pressure of the water and the covering or penetrating composition being directed into the ring pipe 18 can be varied also . this will vary the degree of aerosolization , throw distance and speed of approved and specified coverage . it is postulated that this will vary the overall efficiency of the covering or penetrating process . as a general rule , the higher the pressure for a given nozzle , the greater the aerosolization , throw distance and speed of approved and specified coverage . the system shown in fig1 is designed to direct water or any wastewater from a water source 26 via pump 24 into the ring pipe 18 . thus it is appreciated that the water or wastewater being directed into ring pipe 18 is under pressure . the system and process disclosed herein entails mixing a covering or penetrating reagent composition with the water or wastewater before the water or wastewater is emitted from the nozzles 20 . various approaches can be taken to achieve this . note in fig1 where there is a covering or penetrating reagent composition 21 that is fed into the ring pipe 18 . various approaches can be taken for directing the covering or penetrating reagent composition into the ring pipe . one example , a pump can be used to pump the covering or penetrating reagent composition from a source into the ring pipe 18 . in the case of the embodiment shown in fig1 , the covering or penetrating reagent composition is directed into the ring pipe 18 where it mixes with the water or wastewater from the water or wastewater source 26 . this forms a water / wastewater - covering or penetrating reagent composition mixture in the ring pipe 18 . this mixture is expelled under pressure from the ring pipe 18 via the nozzles 20 . the water / wastewater - covering or penetrating reagent composition mixture ( sometimes referred to as a covering or stabilizing or penetrating material ) is directed inwardly from the ring pipe 18 into the path of the system of air generated by the turbine 16 . in one embodiment , the water / wastewater - covering or penetrating or stabilizing reagent composition mixture is aerosolized and this aerosolized mixture is entrained in the system of air and after which it is expelled from the turbine housing 14 . the covering compositions used can vary . for example , there are known covering composition materials that are known by the trade names of “ concover ”, “ topcoat ” and “ posishell ”. there are other aqueous solutions that can be employed as covering materials or as a constituent of covering material . in some cases , a covering material is a blend of polymers and recycled fiber such as newspaper . in some cases , the covering composition can comprise a cement mortar coating reinforced with structural composite fibers . these are examples of covering compositions . examples of covering compositions that can be applied according to the methods or processes described herein are : alternative daily cover additives , soil stabilizing or hardening additives , odor control additives , antimicrobial additives , and other covering , stabilizing or penetrating reagent material compositions that can be utilized to form a cover or stabilizer that can be applied over a waste area or another area that requires or which can benefit from such a covering material . turning to fig2 , there is illustrated therein a process for applying a covering , penetrating or stabilizing material to a selected area 60 . the selected area where the covering , stabilizing or penetrating reagent material is to be applied could be an area of coal ash , a contaminated area , an area including waste , an area including mining products or by - products of mining , a landfill or any other area where there is a need to apply a covering , stabilizing or penetrating reagent material . for example , a covering , stabilizing or penetrating reagent material can be applied to control blowing litter , reduce vector and animal intrusion , prevent surface water ponding and infiltration , control gas movement , prevent erosion of surface and side slopes , reduce wind erosion , chemically minimize dust generation and movement , minimize esthetic problems such as odor , prevent fire hazards , or provide a more solid surface for vehicular traffic . this is not an exhaustive list of applications but exemplifies and shows the types of areas that might benefit from a covering , stabilizing or penetrating reagent material . in any event , with reference to fig2 , water or wastewater is pumped from a water or wastewater source 26 via a pump 24 to the system or apparatus utilized to apply the covering , stabilizing or penetrating reagent material . the water or wastewater used can be of various types . it can be city water , well water , or wastewaters of all types . as shown in fig2 and as explained earlier , a covering , stabilizing or penetrating reagent composition is directed into the ring pipe 18 which mixes with the water or wastewater to form the water or wastewater - covering , stabilizing or penetrating reagent composition mixture . this mixture is directed out the nozzles 20 into the interior area of the ring pipe 18 . the turbine generates a system of air that is directed through and past the ring pipe 18 , causing the water or wastewater - covering , stabilizing or penetrating reagent composition mixture to be entrained with the system of air . the system then shoots the material out of the outlet end of the turbine housing 14 and aims the material to the specified and approved area that is to receive the material . it is appreciated that the system or apparatus 10 employed for applying the covering material can be moved around and on the area to be covered such that a uniform layer or film 15 of material is appropriately applied . turning to fig3 , the system or imas used to apply the cover , stabilizer or penetrator reagent material is shown equipped with any number of totes . in this example , there is an odor control tote 30 that is mounted on the imas 12 , as well as an adc tote 32 , and also an antimicrobial tote 34 and finally a general aqueous solution tote 36 that can comprise various covering , stabilizing or penetrating reagent compositions . all of these totes are operative such that individually or various ones thereof can be utilized to supply a covering , stabilizing , or penetrating reagent composition to the ring pipe 18 . in some embodiments , only one tote will be used , such as the adc tote 32 . in this case , an adc composition is pumped from the tote into the ring pipe 18 . in other applications , compositions from two or more of the totes can be mixed and the resulting mixture can be mixed with the water or wastewater in the ring pipe to form the covering , stabilizing or penetrating reagent material . in fig3 , there is shown a landfill site 50 that includes an upper surface 50 a . disposed below the upper surface 50 a is a depth of soil , trash , liner , filtering system , etc . that is referred to by 50 b in the drawings . this material can be continually mixed and turned during the course of the operation of the landfill . although the particular structure of a landfill can vary from location to location , in one embodiment there is provided a layer of gravel or sand 50 c beneath the upper soil and trash layer . below the layer of gravel 50 c is a layer of rock 50 d and below the layer of rock is usually clay and a retaining liner or other catch membranes . the liner must stretch across the entire dimensions of the landfill and is basically utilized to retain and prevent leachate or other wastewaters from moving further downwardly into the underlying soil . a network of drain pipes 54 is typically employed just above the liner and is used to collect the leachate and to channel the leachate to a holding tank or pond , which in this case is also referred to by the numeral 26 . once in the holding area , the leachate or other wastewater can be used in various ways . in this example , leachate or other wastewater is pumped from the holding tank or lagoon 26 via pump 24 to the apparatus or imas 12 . the leachate or other wastewater is then mixed with the covering , stabilizing or penetrating reagent composition in the same manner as discussed above . together , the leachate or other wastewater and the composition are mixed together and then in turn entrained in the system of air generated by the turbine 16 which yields the material that is applied to the top surface of the landfill 50 a . this particular process can be carried out on a daily basis or other periodic basis . the covering , stabilizing or penetrating reagent composition which is mixed with the water / leachate or other wastewater ultimately forms the covering , stabilizing or penetrating reagent material that is expelled from the imas or other apparatus for applying the material to an approved and specified area . note that when a mobile system is used that the mobile system can move around on the landfill or other site so as to apply a uniform cover 15 to the upper surface 50 a of the site . from the foregoing specification and discussion , it is seen that the process or method of the present invention is an efficient and effective way of disseminating covering , stabilizing or penetrating reagent material such as an adc or soil stabilizing covering material . in addition , other advantages can be achieved , especially when the water that is utilized in the process is a wastewater because the system effectively disseminates and disposes of wastewater ( through aerosolization for example ) in the process of providing a covering , stabilizing or penetrating reagent material to the selected and approved area of interest . this process is effective and efficient because a substantial portion of the wastewater is aerosolized into the atmosphere while the covering , stabilizing or penetrating reagent material is applied to the approved area of interest . the present invention may , of course , be carried out in other ways than those specifically set forth herein without departing from essential characteristics of the invention . the present embodiments are to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive , and all changes coming within the meaning and equivalency range of the appended claims are intended to be embraced therein . | 8 |
fig1 is a side view of the travelknob ™ and a stud of the present invention . the apparatus includes travelknob ™ 100 and stud 200 . travelknob ™ 100 includes handle portion 110 and magnet portion 120 . handle portion 110 may be made in any user - friendly shape including the traditional knob design illustrated in fig1 . other knob designs may be used without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention . designer knobs and the like may be used to match existing kitchen decor and / or match other knobs , which are on upper cabinets out of the reach of children . in one alternative embodiment , handle portion 110 may be deleted or removed from the design , allowing a consumer to substitute their own knob in place of handle portion 110 onto magnet portion 120 so as to match other knobs in the kitchen if desired . note also that the apparatus of the present invention may be adapted for handles and the like by providing two magnet portions 120 , for example , to replace drawer or cabinet pulls which use two holes in the cabinet to mount a handle or pull or the like , or two studs 210 may be used , one in each hole , and a single knob used to open the cabinet . stud 200 may include striking plate 210 , threaded shaft 230 , and wingnut 220 . striking plate 210 comes into contact with magnet portion 120 of travelknob ™ 100 as will be illustrated below . thus , striking plate 210 should be made of a ferro - magnetic material such as steel or the like . threaded shaft 230 may be sufficiently long enough so as to be mounted through cabinet doors and drawer faces of standard thicknesses . the diameter of threaded shaft 230 may be of the same or similar size as that used by standard threaded drawer and cabinet knob fastening screws and thus no additional driller is required to install the stud 200 . the existing hole from an existing drawer or cabinet pull may be used . in the preferred embodiment , two lengths of threaded shaft 230 may be offered ; a 40 mm ( 1 . 5 inches ) length for cabinet doors and the like , and a 50 mm ( 2 inch ) length for drawer faces and other thicker cabinet faces . wingnut 220 is provided to secure striking plate 210 to a cabinet door or drawer front without the use of tools . alternate threaded fasteners may be used in place of wingnut 220 , including but not limited to traditional hex nuts and the like . note that while illustrated here in the preferred embodiment as including a threaded shaft 230 and wingnut 220 , other types of attachment means may be used without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention . for example , striking plate 210 may be provided with an internally threaded portion and a screw , bolt or the like may be screwed through a cabinet door or drawer to attach striking plate 210 to the cabinet door or drawer . alternately , adhesive may be used to attach striking plate to the surface of a cabinet door or drawer . fig2 is a bottom view of the travelknob ™ and a side view of the stud of the present invention . in this view , the structure of travelknob ™ is more clearly delineated . as seen from this view , the magnet portion 120 of travelknob ™ includes ring magnet 130 , attachment screw 140 , and trim ring 150 . ring magnet 130 may comprise a magnet in a ring shape , with a pulling strength of approximately 11 kilograms to insure that there is sufficient strength to overcome conventional kitchen or bathroom cabinet door or drawer latches . trim ring 150 may comprise a pot - shaped housing which houses the magnet . trim ring 150 shields and protects ring magnet 130 and also increases the magnetic pull between north and south , which gives it increased strength . ring magnet 130 may be glued to the trim ring pot 150 and trim ring pot 150 may then be screwed and glued to knob 110 . the outer circumference and trim ring pot 150 may be coated with an epoxy resin to withstand the impact of the magnet meeting with the stud . ring magnet 130 may comprise a rare earth permanent magnet ( neodymium iron baron grade n33 ). screw 140 attaches trim ring pot 150 to knob portion 110 . other types of attachment other than screw 140 may be used , including rivets , adhesives , and the like . in one embodiment , screw 140 may allow knob portion 110 to be removed and a designer knob or other custom knob inserted to suit the customer &# 39 ; s tastes . trim ring pot 150 may be located around ring magnet 130 so that magnet portion 120 has a clean , finished look and also serves as a mounting point to epoxy or glue ring magnet 130 . in the preferred embodiment , magnet 130 may be attached to trim ring pot 150 by adhesive ( hot glue or the like ). however , other types of attachment may be used without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention . for example , screw 140 may be a flat head screw and may attach through a chamfered hole in magnet 130 to trim ring pot and / or knob 110 . note that the diameter of ring magnet 130 is about 1 inch in diameter , which is about the same diameter as striking plate 210 . trim ring 150 may be slightly larger than the diameter of striking plate 210 so that when travelknob ™ is attached to striking plate 210 , as will be illustrated below , trim ring 150 forms a neat finished appearance on a cabinet . fig3 is a front view of a kitchen cabinet showing the use of conventional kitchen cabinet knobs . in this view , the kitchen cabinet includes doors 300 and 400 having respective conventional knobs 310 and 410 . note that this view is for illustrative purposes only and should not be construed as limiting the application in any way . the present invention may also be applied to single cabinet doors , drawers , lazy susans , bathroom cabinets , stereo and electronics cabinets , and any other application where a pull is used . fig4 is a front view of a kitchen cabinet showing the installation of the stud 210 in place of one of the knobs 310 . installation of stud 210 is as follows . first , the existing knob may need to be removed . in some applications , this may require the use of a screwdriver to unscrew a screw fed through the back of cabinet door 300 . in this instance , merely turning knob 310 anti - clockwise resulted in the knob coming off . after removing the associated screw , the threaded shaft 230 of stud 200 is fed through the existing hole in the cabinet and secured using wingnut 220 . when properly installed , striking plate 210 of the stud assembly 200 will be nearly flush with the surface of cabinet door 300 and allow no purchase for one to grasp or otherwise attempt to open door 300 . note also that when installed properly , striking plate 210 provides a neutral and attractive appearance and does not detract from the overall appearance of cabinet door 300 . striking plate 210 may be provided in a natural finish ( bare metal ) or may be provided with a coating ( paint , plating or the like ) to match cabinet or knob finishes ( e . g ., antique brass , brass , pewter finishes . to prevent scratching of such finished surfaces , magnet 130 may be coated with a rubberized coating or the like . fig5 is a front view of a kitchen cabinet showing how the travelknob ™ 100 can be magnetically attached to the stud 200 . when a user wishes to open a cabinet , they need only remove the travelknob ™ 100 from its storage location such as a refrigerator door or other appliance ( e . g ., range hood ) and attach travelknob ™ to striking plate 210 as illustrated in fig5 . the powerful ring magnet 130 will cause travelknob ™ 100 to attract itself to striking plate 210 and center itself ( roughly ) on striking plate 210 as illustrated in fig6 . fig6 is a front view of a kitchen cabinet showing travelknob ™ 100 attached to the stud 200 . note that when travelknob ™ 100 is attached to stud 200 , it appears as a regular kitchen knob . if left in place , travelknob ™ 100 looks just like an ordinary kitchen cabinet knob . in the preferred embodiment , a single travelknob ™ 100 may be provided to the consumer , along with a number of stud plates 210 . however , other numbers of knobs 100 may be provided such that each cabinet , for example ( or a plurality of cabinets ) may be provided with knobs 100 which may be left in place , for example when cooking in the kitchen or when company is coming over . thus , the appearance of the cabinets and kitchen does not appear to be altered or “ child proofed ” to guests and others . when the consumer wishes to child - proof the kitchen , the knobs 100 can then be quickly removed and placed in storage or attached to a kitchen appliance ( e . g ., range hood , refrigerator , or the like ) out of reach of children . in addition , as noted above , other types of attachment means may be used to secure the plates to the cabinet doors , drawers , or the like . for example striker plate 210 may be secured with adhesive to the face of a cabinet , drawer , or the like , or may be provide with a threaded wood screw so that striker plate 210 may be screwed into the face of a cabinet door or drawer . in such an embodiment , striker plate 210 may be provided with notches or be shaped or indented such that a tool or the like can be used to screw in striker plate 210 into the face of the cabinet door , drawer or the like . note also that striker plate 210 may be provided in shapes other than the round shape shown in the drawings . in addition , striker plate 210 may be made larger so as to cover a larger area and thus prevent scratching of the cabinet surface by the use of the travelknob ™ 100 when attaching to striker plate 210 . alternately , a plastic backing plate ( transparent or colored ) or other type of backing plate may be used so that use of the travelknob ™ does not damage the surrounding surface of the cabinet door or drawer face through careless or hasty use . fig7 is a front view of a kitchen cabinet showing the travelknob ™ 100 being used to open the kitchen cabinet door 300 . as ring magnet 130 has a substantial pulling strength of approximately 11 kilograms , travelknob ™ 100 can easily open a cabinet held closed by spring latches , friction latches , magnetic latches or other devices . without travelknob ™ 100 in place , however , it may be difficult for a child to open the same cabinets as the child will not have sufficient grip on cabinet door 300 . note that for the purposes of illustration and comparison , travelknob ™ is shown installed only on cabinet door 300 . in actual use , both cabinet doors 300 and 400 may have travelknob ™ studs 200 installed to childproof the cabinet . also note that although described in connection with the drawings as being used with a cabinet door , the present invention may also be used on drawer faces , lazy susans , slide out spice racks , and other kitchen , bathroom , and other cabinetry applications or other enclosures ( boxes , garage cabinets , curio boxes , jewelry boxes , fishing tackle boxes , gun cabinets , or the like ) without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention . note also that unlike prior art devices , the present invention does not require drilling into the cabinet where a hole has already been drilled for an existing knob . when the children are grown , travelknob ™ studs 200 may be removed and the original knobs reinstalled without any permanent damage or alteration to the cabinet . this is an important feature for many homeowners and especially important for renters . in addition , when leaving the kitchen , a parent need only check that the travelknob ™ 100 is located safely out of the way — e . g ., magnetically attached to the refrigerator or hood vent , such that it cannot be reached by children . all cabinets are thus “ safe ” and largely “ child proof ”. in contrast , other inventions , such as the tot lok require that each cabinet be checked to insure that the latch release has not been previously set . as sold , the unit may be packaged with a single travelknob ™ 100 and 10 studs , which may be sufficient to “ child proof ” an average kitchen . since the studs are relatively inexpensive to make relative to the travelknob ™ 100 with its ring magnet 130 , the entire package may be sold at a reasonable price that is attractive to young parents and the like . while the preferred embodiment and various alternative embodiments of the invention have been disclosed and described in detail herein , it may be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes in form and detail may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope thereof . | 0 |
a reviewer in combination with a computer can use a string query ( typically a sequence of characters or letters , or a sequence of words ) to search electronic documents . queries can be combinations of letter and numbers , with control characters , wild cards and the like , which are well known in the art . the computer will retrieve documents that meet the query requirements . the result of the query will have some relevant documents and some irrelevant marked as relevant and some relevant documents marked as irrelevant . in other projects , a search is not used , but the reviewer looks at each document and determines whether it is relevant or not to the project . the resulting selected set of documents therefore may contain erroneous included documents or be missing relevant documents . the quality of the result can be calculated and the result of the calculation used to determine how to improve the review process . as shown in fig1 , a set of possible errors is defined as the “ opportunity ” set . a sampling strategy is defined and then an assessment of the review results calculated . unit refers to a page , document , family of documents or a batch of documents in this description of the processes . the result of a query and review by an associate is checked for quality . the documents that the associate has delivered as relevant can be considered a set of products subject to quality review . a subset of the delivered documents , i . e . a sample , may be checked for correctness . the next step is determining how many of the delivered documents must be re - checked in order to determine with a high degree of confidence that no documents have been missed . a sampling may be used either for quality check (“ qc ”) purposes or for document reduction (“ dr ”) purposes depending on the requirements of each project . in some projects it is possible that sampling may be utilized for both dr and qc purposes . sampling is also dynamic in that the percentage of units sampled per assignment , per deliverable , per associate ( meaning a reviewer ), per code , per issue , per grouping or categorization of issues may vary during the life of the project . some sampling may also be performed after the completion of the project ( to permit a defect seepage analysis ) which allows a qc team to determine if defects above a minimum acceptable threshold seeped into the delivered work product . also , errors feed into determining the sampling strategy . higher numbers or percentages of errors ( whether assignment related , issue related or overall ) usually lead to higher sampling . the quality objectives of any project ( i . e ., the quality goal with the associated level of confidence ) are also taken into account for determining the percentage of sampling . in general , higher quality goals with a greater degree of confidence require greater sampling . sampling of the units is done for qc purposes after document review , analysis and / or summarization is performed . in order to determine the sampling level in a structured approach , a sampling strategy is defined and customized for each project . systematic sampling is used for all the applicable projects to detect the defective units . documents or pages are sampled based on the knowledge developed from the already sampled documents . before starting the sampling activity , sampling levels are determined based on various factors that can cause errors in review , analysis and / or summarization and each factor is assigned multiple levels . in one embodiment , this is encoded in three states : high / medium / low . depending on the factors associated with a unit , sampling level is determined . 1 . custodian or assignment complexity — high / medium / low 2 . associate experience — high / medium / low 3 . kappa score of the associate on current or previous assignment — high / medium / low 4 . calibration scores — high / medium / low 5 . quality score — high / medium / low in addition , the most recent and relevant historical quality scores of an associate are considered if no qc has been performed yet on the current assignment . if qc was already done on the same assignment , quality score of the current assignment will be considered . 6 . document mix where the number of documents tagged as relevant is much higher than expected , a higher sampling rate might be applied . ( for example : with respect to a relevancy analysis , if the unit has 40 % of relevant documents versus an expected 25 %, the deviation between the expected and actual will also play a role in increasing / decreasing a sample size .) 7 . homogenous vs . heterogeneous nature of the underlying units the table below provides a high level example of how some of the above factors affect sampling . the sampling level for various combinations will be arrived at , in consultation with the project managers , senior execution group and subject matter experts , and will vary from project to project . the sampling level thus arrived will always be more than the sampling % required statistically . error codes are defined for a project depending on the internal / external customer requirements . error codes reflect the possible errors during the review , analysis or summarization of the units . error codes are drilled down further so as to classify the errors to identify the exact nature of the mistake committed . the purpose of identifying and attaching error codes to a unit not meeting the pre - defined acceptance criteria ( which could be pre - specified customer requirement ( s )) is two fold : ( i ) to identify the type of error ( s ) committed , and ( ii ) to identify possible root cause ( s ) to enable implementation of potential solutions to rectify the error ( s ). a relevant document identified as a non - relevant document a non - relevant document identified as a relevant document a privileged document not identified as one a non - privileged document identified as a privileged document each occurrence of an error is given a weight depending on the criticality of the error . criticality is generally based on the severity of error from the customer &# 39 ; s point of view . “ error ” by definition is “ not meeting to the specified requirements .” therefore it is essential to understand the customer requirements both stated as well as implied so that they can be met with little or no deviations . this understanding of requirements in the legal document processing prospective is better known as understanding the “ classifications / issues / terms / fields etc . requirements ” for which the document review , analysis or summarization is being carried out . to develop a project specific robust quality process , the customer requirements are carefully captured , analyzed , understood and translated to evolve the coding classifications / issues / terms / fields etc . in the process of meeting the customer requirements during the legal document processing , there is a need to explore the known as well as expected error opportunities which one may come across as a result of not being able to meet the customer requirements . these error opportunities are carefully explored and captured through a process of brainstorming and simulation based on the customer requirements or coding criteria ( classifications / issues / terms / fields etc .) subsequently , the selected few error opportunities are identified so as to meet the customer requirements in an efficient manner . while defining the errors the purpose is to identify possible errors and also to understand , at least preliminarily the possible root cause ( s ). the identified error opportunities are categorized based on the extent of risk each of them is expected to have in meeting the customer requirements . the error opportunities are classified into multiple categories of criticality ( all or a subset , depending on the requirements ) in one embodiment , there are three levels : however , other situations may give rise to more or fewer categories of criticality . in addition , a numeric value of criticality can be associated with each level of criticality . each of the error opportunities subsequent to the criticality or severity analysis is assigned a code . the following notation principle is adopted in this document ; a ) each issue / term that is reviewed , captured or summarized will have its own level of criticality . b ) each error code is assigned a level of criticality depending on the type of error . in the preferred embodiment , there are three levels : highly critical , critical , non - critical etc . however , there may be more or fewer levels or numeric values associated with criticality as the code . in this way , a error code can indicate the type of eeror , and , as a result , its assocaited criticality . when a sample of reviewed documents are checked for accurate determinations , then a database is created where each document has an identifier associated with it , and any errors found in the determination for that document are tracked by inputting the corresponding error code into a computer where a data record associated with that document identifier is stored . in the preferred embodiment , a data structure is stored in computer memory that is comprised of multiple data records , whereby each record corresponds to a document , and the data record &# 39 ; s content also include a list of error codes associated with that document . other information can be included as well , for example , the identity of the associate and the identity of the person performing the qc function . during the qc process qc personnel mark the errors committed in each unit by the previous review associates team . then the number of errors will be calculated in one or more of the following ways : 1 . total number of errors among all the units 2 . number of units containing at least one error the number of errors will be adjusted based on the weight assigned to the criticality of each error . a schematic of the assessment process is shown on fig4 . the scope is decided before the quality assessment . the scope includes level of assessment ( associate , team , part - project , attribute specific etc .). the time lines or the production volume is also scoped before using the relevant data for assessment . the opportunities for committing error are quantified considering various aspects of the legal document or other document processing activity . the methodology adopted for arriving at quantifying the opportunities is detailed further below in section 3 . the quality ( qql ) is calculated in the following manner , using the error code values : the performance of the associate , team , issue , project etc . is evaluated using pre - defined models . in the preferred embodiment , the model is : q q l % = e - [ ∑ i = 1 n ( e c i - w i ) o p ql ] ⨯ 100 w i = weightage for the i th error code ( decided based on the criticality of the error ) opportunity in general is defined as “ a possibility due to a favorable combination of circumstances ”. due to the complex and dynamic nature of legal document review / summarization / analysis process it is essential to identify the opportunities or the “ combination of circumstances ” under which there is a greater probability of committing an error . number of opportunities to commit an error in a single unit will be arrived at in multiple ways . by analyzing all the possible combinations of errors ( from the defined list of error codes ) in a unit , the maximum number of simultaneous errors that can be made in a unit will be treated as the number of opportunities . number of opportunities per unit will be 1 , if we look for ( i ) any error made in the unit ( error free units ) or ( ii ) any critical or highly critical error made in the unit . number of opportunities per document can be equal to number of tags , number of terms of summarization or number of fields to summarize . number of opportunities follows the calculation of number of errors , while selecting appropriate option above . number of opportunities is recalculated using the same weights given to errors during the calculation of number of errors . quantifying the quality can be done in multiple ways , depending on the need of the end customer ( internal / external ). the process of quantifying the opportunities is shown in fig3 . the number of opportunities in a given review task is identified with the help of the following model : op ql = n ( 1 + k 0 * n c + k 1 * n i + k 2 * n t + k 3 * n f ) n = number of units / entities ( pages / documents / contracts / agreements / assignments / any other form client provided material ) n = number of classifications ( document / error classification ) k 0 = constant ( decided based on the criticality on the classification ) n i = number of issues ( coding issues ) k 1 = constant ( decided based on the criticality on the issues ) n t = number of terms ( coding / review / summarizing terms ) k 2 = constant ( decided based on the criticality on the terms ) n f = number of fields k 3 = constant ( decided based on the criticality on the fields ) generally , the error percentage of the deliverable is calculated first and then the remaining percentage will be treated as the quality percentage of the product . error percentage is , typically , the ratio of the number of errors to the number of opportunities . 1 . error %= total number of errors / total number of units * 100 2 . error %= total number of errors / total number of opportunities * 100 3 . error %= total number of critical errors / total number of critical opportunities * 100 4 . error %= number of units containing at least one error / total number of units * 100 5 . error %= number of units containing at least one critical error / total number of units * 100 6 . error %= number of issues or terms that fall into errors / total number of issues or terms in the unit * 100 7 . defects per unit ( dpu )= total number of errors / number of units 8 . defects per unit ( dpu )= total number of critical errors / number of units accuracy is a measure that needs to be consistent with the client &# 39 ; s subjective decisions ( calls ). since there are no black or white responses for several categorizations the team has to be consistent ( i ) within the team — to be consistent and so it is easy to make wholesale changes in calls if required , and ( ii ) with the client . systematized calibration is something that helps greatly in ensuring this . calibration involves the team , or the extended team which includes the client , making judgment calls on units under simulated similar conditions . units for such decision making exaggerate the complexity or the heterogeneous nature of the pool ( i . e ., the units with the greatest potential for variance in decision making are usually chosen for calibration exercises ). the responses are then analyzed to identify outliers and inconsistencies . a further analysis of these and the resultant feedback to the team allows the team to be constantly calibrated within itself and with the client . major error areas analysis ( i . e ., which errors account for the greatest percentages ofthe total errors ) are also performed in these calibration exercises . legal document processing , by virtue of its intellectually intensive activity needs a structured process for calibrating both the i . associate ( person performing the production work ) and ii . qcer ( person performing the quality check ) an associate , in order to execute the legal document processing activity in a quality efficient manner , needs to have a reasonably good understanding of i . substantive requirements ii . classifications / issues / terms / fields etc . of iii . any other matter specific or industry specific customer requirements the calibration process involves the following steps shown in fig5 and 6 : associates understanding of the industry , client and specific aspects of the matter are enhanced utilizing various generic and customized training modules . general aspects of relevant techniques ( for example the different types of privilege and nuances ) are also refreshed . associate calibration exercises are designed to ensure that associates , to the extent possible , are consistent with respect to varying calls / interpretations and their collective interpretation is as close as possible to those of the client . where there are deviations such deviations are analyzed to better understand reasons for the same and to determine possible course corrective measures . generally , units chosen for calibration exercises are representative of those that lend themselves to ambiguity or are capable of being interpreted in various ways . the key to the calibration test is obtained and finalized in any one of the following manner wherever possible the master key ( true determination ) of the units selected for test is obtained from the client directly . a master key is prepared internally by a highly experienced associate and sent to the client for validation . the team takes the test independently ( i . e ., without any consultation or collaboration ). the calibration test responses obtained are subjected to statistical analysis ( attribute agreement analysis ) as per the method provided in the statistical software minitab ™ and the kappa score corresponding to each associate is recorded . the calibration score of each associate is compared with a benchmarked ( standard ) score ( specific to the individual projects ). a root cause analysis is performed in all instances where the associate &# 39 ; s score is lesser than the benchmark . based on the analysis , customized feedback is given to the associate to improve his / her understanding & amp ; skills . this is an iterative process in projects of longer duration ( i . e , where the projects lend themselves to multiple calibrations ). the measuring system used to check the output of a legal document processing is manual in the form of experienced and skilled legal associates . the complexity associated with this process is to : i . understand the substantive aspect ii . check whether the associate has performed the right determination or not iii . attribute the appropriate error code for the encountered errors . the skills necessary for performing qc in an effective and efficient manner need to be scientifically calibrated . the calibration exercise need to be so designed to check whether a qcer is successfully meeting the minimum requirements or not . as the qc activity is a manual process , the identification of potential qcers is a very important activity . the qcers are identified from among the project team with the help of a template . a qcer calibration test is designed by identifying such units ( documents / contracts ) of the project which tries to represent the different substantive aspects of the project . when project specific units are not available , a simulated set of units are used to design the calibration test . the key to the calibration test is obtained and finalized in any one of the following manner wherever possible the master key ( true determination ) of the units selected for test is obtained from the client directly . a master key prepared internally by a highly experienced associate and sent to the client for validation . the potential qcers identified earlier ( step — 1 ) are subjected to the test designed ( step — 2 ) for the specific project and their calibration results are recorded . the calibration test responses obtained are subjected to statistical analysis ( attribute agreement analysis ) as per the method provided in the statistical software minitab ™ and the kappa scores corresponding to each of the identified potential qcer is recorded . it is a well researched fact that sampling inspection is always more efficient than the 100 % inspection . this fact is truer when the inspection volume is large and human dominated . therefore there is a need to adopt an efficient sampling strategy for the quality inspection or checking of the output of a legal document processing process . a completely random sampling is usually not the best suited sampling method to be adopted in this process as the legal documents do not form a homogenous batch or lot . therefore a scientific & amp ; intelligent sampling method close to the fundamentals of a stratified sampling method is being adopted to come up with a suitable sampling scheme . the qc sampling is executed as shown in fig7 . first , there is stratification of the main lot ( n ) into two sub - lots all documents tagged as positive to the requirement of the client ( responsive , privilege etc ) along with all those documents selected using search strings developed exclusively developed for the lot ( batch ) designated for qc . all the remaining documents of the main lot or batch identified for qc other than strata a or sub - lot a . these documents are tagged as non - specific to the customer requirements ( non - relevant ) and not identified as potentially relevant document through the search study as mentioned above . n1 = a simple random sample selected from the strata a or sub - lot a ( n1 ) using an empirical sampling model . n2 = a simple random sample selected from the strata b or sub - lot b ( n - n1 ) using an empirical sampling model . all the n1 units undergo qc for all the relevant characteristics under review . if e1 = 0 , the strata a or sub - lot a is accepted ( n1 units are accepted ) if not the strata is rejected for 100 % screening all the n2 units undergo qc for the all the relevant characteristics under review . if e2 ≦ d , the strata b or sub - lot b is accepted ( n - n1 units are accepted ) if not the strata is rejected for 100 % screening . the acceptance number d is decided based on the criticality of the project or based on customer requirements . si . no parameter weightage score ( scale 0 to 1 ) 1 project calibration w1 s1 kappa score 2 quality in similar w2 s2 projects pqc = ( s1 * w1 + s2 * w2 )/( w1 + w2 ) the sample size n ( n1 + n2 ) for taking a decision on the acceptance / rejection for 100 % review / inspection of the lot is decided using models as outlined below ; average quality for strata a & amp ; b are decided separately one or more of the following i . quality levels achieved in similar projects ii . quality levels achieved during pre - project processing iii . calibration scores of the associate before starting the production iv . customer requirements v . criticality of the legal document processing carried out in the lot or batch . ltpd or rql %, producer &# 39 ; s risk % and consumer &# 39 ; s risk % are only indicative and decided based on the customer requirements . the sample sizes ( n1 & amp ; n2 ) are obtained using published sampling plans such as dodge & amp ; romig sampling plans or standard sampling schemes available on statistical software such as minitab ™. the empirical sampling plan is developed by taking into account the following attributes of the process n1 = sample size to be checked in the qc for a specific batch or lot from the strata a n2 = sample size to be checked in the qc for a specific batch or lot from the strata b k1 , k2 , k3 & amp ; k4 = constants to be associated with the with the process attributes ( bc , ae , cs & amp ; qs respectively and decided based on the criticality ) for strata - a ( the range of k &# 39 ; s is between 0 to 1 ) j1 , j2 , j3 & amp ; j4 = constants to be associated with the with the process attributes ( bc , ae , cs & amp ; qs respectively and decided based on the criticality ) for strata - b 4quadrantql analysis is a process of intelligent review of legal text documents to maximize the review accuracy and to minimize the effort by adopting a scientific reduction and sampling system . in addition to reducing the review effort 4quadrantql significantly improves the quality as a result of focused review of only a part of the document set mostly containing the relevant documents ( responsive , privileged or any other ). the methodology also enables intelligent allocation of priority relevant documents ( critical ) to experienced legal associates for higher efficiency and quality . a schematic of how documents fall into one of four categories , is shown in fig9 . the 4 quadrant analysis is shown on fig2 and one embodiment describe below : understanding & amp ; analyzing the review requirements to conceptualize the scope & amp ; structure of the 4quadrantql design . the understanding encompasses understanding the case in hand , its complexity and substantive aspects to effectively arriving at the key terms for building the search string . through an extensive research and brainstorming all possible search terms are identified for building an efficient search string . these terms are evaluated individually as well as in groups ( clusters ) to finally build the prototype string meant for validation & amp ; refinement . the 4quadrantql is built by initially identifying a subset ( training set ) of the total documents meant for review . the quantum of the training set is decided based on the complexity & amp ; technicality of the review but with a maximum limit of ( usually 20 %) the total documents . the subset of documents is selected in any one of the following manner a . initial batch of documents provided by the client . b . completely random when there is a prior knowledge about the homogeneity in the content of the documents . c . stratifying the documents and selecting from each strata in a random way . d . any other method that meets the requirement of representativeness . the documents belonging to the subset are 100 % reviewed for identification of the relevant and not relevant documents by associates . pilot run of the search string is executed on this known set of pre reviewed documents , resulting in creation of the 4quadrantql . this is shown in the 4 quadrant diagram , in fig9 . the accuracy and precision of the 4quadrantql search string is studied with the help of data on the number of documents in each of the quadrant subsequent to the 4quadrantql analysis on the training set . the study is exemplified by the following table : manual review results : relevant not relevant total search relevant nr np − nr np string not relevant na − nr n − na − np + nr n − np results total na n − na n the accuracy of the search string is refined & amp ; improved with the help of structured root cause analysis . the objective at each stage of this optimization process is to improve the accuracy of the 4quadrantql search string while minimizing the proportion of false positive ( wrongly identified as relevant ). 100 % manual review of the documents which were missed by the 4quadrantql search string ( documents in q3 ) as well as the documents wrongly identified as the relevant documents ( documents in q2 ) is conducted . this focused review helps in identification of the root causes ( key terms , concepts etc .) that need to be included / excluded from the 4quadrantql search string to make it more efficient . in the process of optimizing the 4quadrantql search string the results ( before improvement & amp ; after improvement ) are validated statistically . usually , the 4quadrantql search string is developed in such a manner that it ensures a minimum of 0 . 95 accuracy or keeping the error ( p ) below 0 . 05 . after the pilot run on the subsets , the remaining documents are divided into multiple batches of documents for ease of operation and to obtain better results as the learnings from each batch can be incorporated going further . any logical division will be fine ; however this step is not mandatory . each batch of documents is subjected to intelligent review using the optimized search string and the quadrants so generated . using the search string , the document set is divided into two parts — search relevant and search non - relevant . search relevant is subjected to 100 % review for reconfirming the relevancy of the documents which results in segregation of the documents into 1st quadrant and 2nd quadrant which constitute truly relevant and false positive documents respectively . the set of search non - relevant documents is subjected to a sampling review with a sampling plan designed and developed based on the 4quadrantql analysis and other review specific aspects . the refined search string thus formed can be employed on the remaining batches or on all the batches including already processed batches depending on necessity . as a result of the intelligent review the productivity & amp ; quality is increased significantly . the 4quadrantql process results in focused review of the potentially relevant documents rather than diverting the effort equally on all the documents which normally includes a large number of non - relevant documents . the process further facilitates allocation of relevant & amp ; priority documents to senior associates as a part of efficient production scheduling & amp ; allocation . p bi = proportion of relevant documents missed ( before improving study on the search string ) p ai = proportion of relevant documents missed ( after improvement study on the search string ) z = ( p ai - p bi ) p ( 1 - p ) [ 1 n 1 + 1 n 2 ] p = n 1 p a i + n 2 p b i n i + n 2 n1 = number of total documents in the trial ( training ) set ( before improvement study ) n2 = number of total documents in the trial ( training ) set ( after improvement study ) the above test for validation is executed manually or using a standard statistical software such as minitab ™. following sampling method is adopted for deciding the sample size needed for reviewing the potentially non - relevant documents identified by the 4quadrantql search string and confirm that all such documents are truly non - relevant . 1 . number of documents : n 2 . number of relevant documents based on manual review : na 3 . number of potentially relevant documents identified by the 4quadrantqlstring : np 4 . number of relevant documents out of the potentially relevant docs ( q1 ): nr 5 . accuracy of the 4quadrantql string : nr / na 6 . proportion of missing relevant documents ( error ) ( p ): 1 −( nr / na ) 7 . upper confidence limit for p [ p + z α / 2 sqrt ( p ( 1 − p )]: pu ( α = 0 . 05 or 0 . 01 ) number of documents identified as potentially non - relevant when the 4quadrantql string is run on a selected batch of documents meant for review . the complexity of the review is estimated based on factors that have potential to influence review accuracy such as industry type , document type , concept , content , technology etc . it is estimated on a scale of 0 to 1 using an organizational evaluation template . ( template — a ) a prior estimate is made on the efficiency of review by the team based on the available substantive knowledge , skills , experience etc . it is estimated on a scale of 0 to 1 using an organizational evaluation template . ( template — b ) sampling plan for manual review of potentially non - relevant documents identified by the 4quadrantql search string the sample size is decided by any one of the methods are described below . ( higher sample size is preferred ) where k1 and k2 ( between 0 to 1 ) are constants decided based on the document / review criticality sample size ( simple random sample selected from npn using dodge & amp ; romig sampling plan tables or sampling plan tables available in statistical software such as minitab ™) ltpd ( lot tolerance percentage defective )= 1 to 5 % ( or based on customer requirement ) consumer & amp ; producer risks ( percentage )= 5 % and 10 % ( or based on customer requirement ) z score of the confidence level from standard normal probability distribution = z n = z 2 * q *( 1 × q )* npn /( npn * e 2 + z 2 * q *( 1 − q )) the sampled documents are reviewed for identifying presence of any relevant documents . decision criteria : acceptance number ( c )= 0 ( no relevant document found in the sample ) if a single document is identified as relevant document in the sample ( n ) then the remaining documents ( npn − n ) is subjected to greater sampling ( sometimes 100 %). 2 . review efficiency : r e ( template b ) sl . no parameter weightage score ( scale 0 to 1 ) 1 overall w1 s1 experience 2 experience in w2 s2 similar projects 3 prior quality w3 s3 4 skill & amp ; w4 s4 analytical ability r e = ( s1 * w1 + s2 * w2 + s3 * w3 + s4 * w4 )/ ( w1 + w2 + w3 + w4 ) searches are carried out in litigation projects mostly . litigation projects ( document reviews ) are typically conducted utilizing litigation tools or software most of which are commercially available . most commercial litigation tools generally have some form of search functionality . such search capabilities include for example , boolean logic , individual key words , combination of key words , proximity searches , root expander options , tags etc . the qc team typically builds highly complicated searches that are customized for project requirements and that build on prior experience and generic search strings used in prior projects . client specific search strings that grow progressively ( with each litigation ) for the client as well as industry specific search strings both of which are proprietarily developed by the qc team may be utilized . 1 . hot / relevancy search : keywords that indicate relevancy are identified and grouped together for various combinations so as to reduce false hits . all the docs resulted through the search are tagged for “ potentially relevant ” or “ potentially hot ”. this tag will help the reviewers to have a careful look at the document . 2 . potentially privileged docs : docs containing any of the key words that indicate content for being privileged are found using various search features offered by the software . keywords are identified based on case specific matter , general privilege terminology , general / case - specific list of attorneys involved , general / case - specific law firms and from the qc team &# 39 ; s prior experience on multiple projects with the client or otherwise . 3 . incompatible tags : to identify the documents with incompatible tags . e . g ., if a document is tagged “ not relevant ” and “ relevant ” it is an obvious error since this can not happen . these types of erroneously tagged documents can be easily filtered out and be subjected to another round of review . 4 . incompatible qc tags : to identify the documents with error codes but did not undergo correction in the issue tags . and , to identify the documents with changes in issue tags but with no error codes . 5 . rare combination of tags : searches can be useful to identify rarely possible combination of tags for a given document . all such documents will undergo another review to avoid any errors in the tagging . for example , documents with “ foreign language ” tag can be tagged as relevant / not relevant in some cases . 6 . inconsistent family tagging : among the family of documents , if all the docs need to be tagged uniformly , searches can find the document sets with inconsistent family tagging . 7 . potential errors : documents identified as potentially hot / relevant / privileged via the searches mentioned above may be tagged otherwise and it could be correct . however , the qc team finds all such documents using search options and reviews all of them . this is to minimize possible errors and to further refine the search strings . hot / relevancy and potentially privileged searches are run before the review takes place . all other searches are can be run after the review is done to identify any erratic tagging possibilities . the searches are saved for future use and typically used with further customizations for the same client or for other clients in similar industries or litigations ( subject to confidentiality ). the typical computer is comprised of a central processing unit , a main memory , a mass storage device and input and output connections . the input and output include keyboards , monitors and network connections . the mass storage device can be a magnetic disk , optical disk or a large array of semiconductor devices . the main memory is typically an array of semiconductor circuits . the central processing unit is operatively connected to these components so that it can both control their activities and move data among the components . the central processing unit can load data off of the mass storage device and write it into main memory . this data can either be treated as a program or as data to be processed . if a program , the central processing unit passes control to the program data and executes the instructions encoded in the data . program data can be an application servicing the user . a server may be a computer comprised of a central processing unit with a mass storage device and a network connection . in addition a server can include multiple of such computers connected together with a data network or other data transfer connection , or , multiple computers on a network with network accessed storage , in a manner that provides such functionality as a group . practitioners of ordinary skill will recognize that functions that are accomplished on one server may be partitioned and accomplished on multiple servers that are operatively connected by a computer network by means of appropriate inter process communication . in addition , the access of the website can be by means of an internet browser accessing a secure or public page or by means of a client program running on a local computer that is connected over a computer network to the server . a data message and data upload or download can be delivered over the internet using typical protocols , including tcp / ip , http , smtp , rpc , ftp or other kinds of data communication protocols that permit processes running on two remote computers to exchange information by means of digital network communication . as a result a data message can be a data packet transmitted from or received by a computer containing a destination network address , a destination process or application identifier , and data values that can be parsed at the destination computer located at the destination network address by the destination application in order that the relevant data values are extracted and used by the destination application . it should be noted that the flow diagrams are used herein to demonstrate various aspects of the invention , and should not be construed to limit the present invention to any particular logic flow or logic implementation . the described logic may be partitioned into different logic blocks ( e . g ., programs , modules , functions , or subroutines ) without changing the overall results or otherwise departing from the true scope of the invention . oftentimes , logic elements may be added , modified , omitted , performed in a different order , or implemented using different logic constructs ( e . g ., logic gates , looping primitives , conditional logic , and other logic constructs ) without changing the overall results or otherwise departing from the true scope of the invention . the method described herein can be executed on a computer system , generally comprised of a central processing unit ( cpu ) that is operatively connected to a memory device , data input and output circuitry ( 10 ) and computer data network communication circuitry . computer code executed by the cpu can take data received by the data communication circuitry and store it in the memory device . in addition , the cpu can take data from the i / o circuitry and store it in the memory device . further , the cpu can take data from a memory device and output it through the jo circuitry or the data communication circuitry . the data stored in memory may be further recalled from the memory device , further processed or modified by the cpu in the manner described herein and restored in the same memory device or a different memory device operatively connected to the cpu including by means of the data network circuitry . the memory device can be any kind of data storage circuit or magnetic storage or optical device , including a hard disk , optical disk or solid state memory . computer program logic implementing all or part of the functionality previously described herein may be embodied in various forms , including , but in no way limited to , a source code form , a computer executable form , and various intermediate forms ( e . g ., forms generated by an assembler , compiler , linker , or locator .) source code may include a series of computer program instructions implemented in any of various programming languages ( e . g ., an object code , an assembly language , or a high - level language such as fortran , c , c ++, java , or html ) for use with various operating systems or operating environments . the source code may define and use various data structures and communication messages . the source code may be in a computer executable form ( e . g ., via an interpreter ), or the source code may be converted ( e . g ., via a translator , assembler , or compiler ) into a computer executable form . the computer program may be fixed in any form ( e . g ., source code form , computer executable form , or an intermediate form ) either permanently or transitorily in a tangible storage medium , such as a semiconductor memory device ( e . g ., a ram , rom , prom , eeprom , or flash - programmable ram ), a magnetic memory device ( e . g ., a diskette or fixed disk ), an optical memory device ( e . g ., a cd - rom ), a pc card ( e . g ., pcmcia card ), or other memory device . the computer program may be fixed in any form in a signal that is transmittable to a computer using any of various communication technologies , including , but in no way limited to , analog technologies , digital technologies , optical technologies , wireless technologies , networking technologies , and internetworking technologies . the computer program may be distributed in any form as a removable storage medium with accompanying printed or electronic documentation ( e . g ., shrink wrapped software or a magnetic tape ), preloaded with a computer system ( e . g ., on system rom or fixed disk ), or distributed from a server or electronic bulletin board over the communication system ( e . g ., the internet or world wide web .) practitioners of ordinary skill will recognize that the invention may be executed on one or more computer processors that are linked using a data network , including , for example , the internet . in another embodiment , different steps of the process can be executed by one or more computers and storage devices geographically separated by connected by a data network in a manner so that they operate together to execute the process steps . in one embodiment , a user &# 39 ; s computer can run an application that causes the user &# 39 ; s computer to transmit a stream of one or more data packets across a data network to a second computer , referred to here as a server . the server , in turn , may be connected to one or more mass data storage devices where the database is stored . the server can execute a program that receives the transmitted packet and interpret the transmitted data packets in order to extract database query information . the server can then execute the remaining steps of the invention by means of accessing the mass storage devices to derive the desired result of the query . alternatively , the server can transmit the query information to another computer that is connected to the mass storage devices , and that computer can execute the invention to derive the desired result . the result can then be transmitted back to the user &# 39 ; s computer by means of another stream of one or more data packets appropriately addressed to the user &# 39 ; s computer . the described embodiments of the invention are intended to be exemplary and numerous variations and modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art . all such variations and modifications are intended to be within the scope of the present invention as defined in the appended claims . although the present invention has been described and illustrated in detail , it is to be clearly understood that the same is by way of illustration and example only , and is not to be taken by way of limitation . it is appreciated that various features of the invention which are , for clarity , described in the context of separate embodiments may also be provided in combination in a single embodiment . conversely , various features of the invention which are , for brevity , described in the context of a single embodiment may also be provided separately or in any suitable combination . it is appreciated that the particular embodiment described in the appendices is intended only to provide an extremely detailed disclosure of the present invention and is not intended to be limiting . it is appreciated that any of the software components of the present invention may , if desired , be implemented in rom ( read - only memory ) form . the software components may , generally , be implemented in hardware , if desired , using conventional techniques . the foregoing description discloses only exemplary embodiments of the invention . modifications of the above disclosed apparatus and methods which fall within the scope of the invention will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art . accordingly , while the present invention has been disclosed in connection with exemplary embodiments thereof , it should be understood that other embodiments may fall within the spirit and scope of the invention , as defined by the following claims . | 6 |
fig1 illustrates a first embodiment of tonometric catheter 20 . the tonometric catheter comprises a length of suitable tubing 22 , one end 32 of which is closed , and the opposite end of which has a connector such as a luer - lock 24 . luer - lock 24 is adapted to receive a complementary fitting 26 , which in turn couples through a second length of tubing 28 to a three - way stopcock 30 . three - way stopcock 30 may be used to selectively connect tubing 28 to various sources of irrigation or aspiration . adjacent the closed end 32 , tubing 22 is perforated as at 34 . a balloon - like tonometric catheter membrane 36 is fitted over the closed end so that the perforations 34 are enclosed , as illustrated . the tonometric catheter membrane 36 has an internal sleeve diameter at 38 which forms a tight fit with tubing 22 . the preferred form of tonometric catheter membrane is polydimethylsiloxane elastomer . the membrane may be sealed to the tubing 22 with appropriate adhesive so that the tonometric catheter membrane is sealed in a closed relationship to the outer wall of tubing 22 , thereby forming a sampling chamber 40 adjacent closed end 32 . the tonometric catheter membrane has a certain elasticity to allow the membrane to expand when filled with an aspirating liquid in order to contact the wall of the organ under examination , as will be explained below . the membrane 36 is preferably constructed such that at least a portion of it is selectively permeable to the gas or fluid property of interest . in a preferred embodiment , it is selectively permeable to hydrogen , oxygen , or h + , so that ph , pco 2 and / or po 2 can be measured . it is also preferably impermeable to other materials that would interfere with the desired measurements , such as other gases , proteins , and the like . in a highly preferred embodiment , an ion - selective membrane is employed . bonded to either the inner wall or the outer wall of tubing 22 are one or more sensors 42 for detecting a property indicative of ph and / or temperature . two such sensors are illustrated in fig1 bonded to the outside wall of tubing 22 with suitable adhesive . fig2 a and 2b illustrate two alternate means of sensor attachment , fig2 a illustrating the sensor attached to the inner wall of tubing 22 and fig2 b illustrating the sensor attached to the outer wall of tubing 22 . in a preferred embodiment , at least a portion of the tubing , but not all of it , is made of a co 2 impermeable material , such as polyester elastomers derived from the reaction of dimethylterephtalate 1 , 4 - butanediol and α - hydro - ω - hydroxypoly ( oxytetramethylene ). in a highly preferred embodiment , this is a material such as hytril , sold by dupont . for purposes of sensing temperature , thermistor devices are presently preferred . for sensing properties indicative of ph chemically responsive field effect transistors or &# 34 ; chemfets &# 34 ; may be employed . in this regard , chemfet sensors 44 have been illustrated in fig2 a and 2b . chemfet sensor 44 comprises a field effect semiconductor device 46 , which is encapsulated in a solution impervious material 48 , such as a polymerized epoxy resin . the encapsulation material 48 in turn may be encapsulated in a housing 50 ( fig2 a ). semiconductor device 46 is electrically coupled by bonding wires 52 to a terminal 54 . suitable electrical conductors such as conductor 56 are attached to terminal 54 for electrically communicating between the chemfet device 44 and the electronic circuitry described below in connection with fig9 . conductor 56 is preferably routed through tubing 22 and exits through a sealed aperture at or near the luer - lock end of tubing 22 , as at 58 . a more detailed description of a suitable electronic sensor may be found in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 020 , 830 to johnson , entitled &# 34 ; selective chemical sensitive fet transducers ,&# 34 ; incorporated herein by reference . in order to allow a solution to contact the chemically sensitive surface of semiconductor device 46 , tubing 22 may be provided with an aperture 60 when implementing the embodiment of fig2 a . such an aperture is not needed in the embodiment of fig2 b , since the semiconductor device 46 is exposed to sampling chamber 40 by virtue of the external mounting configuration . the sampling chamber 40 can be filled with an aspiration or sampling medium that is used to absorb or otherwise provide a means for incorporating and delivering or measuring the the fluids or gases of interest . such a medium is selected depending upon many factors , including the properties of the fluids or gases of interest , the type of sensor 42 employed , and the type of calibration that is necessary . such mediums include bicarbonate solutions and saline solution . it might be noted that gases often behave as fluids and are therefore frequently considered to be fluids . as noted above , when the sensor employed does not require frequent recalibration , the need for the sampling chamber 40 to be in communication with the proximate end of the tonometric catheter ( that remains outside the patient ) may be eliminated since no aspiration is needed . however , in many instances such communication may still be desirable as aspiration may be required to calibrate the sensor or sensors , to replace the aspirating or sampling medium with a fresh medium , and to incorporate the gas or gases of interest . another embodiment of the tonometric catheter is illustrated in fig4 a and 4b . as illustrated , the tonometric catheter is appropriately configured to also serve as a nasogastric sump , either with or without gastric suction . with reference to fig4 the tonometric catheter 20a comprises a multipassage tubing 62 which defines three individual noncommunicating ( between each other ) passageways or lumens , an air lumen 64 , an optional suction lumen 66 and a tonometric catheter lumen 68 . a tonometric catheter membrane , similar to that previously described , is attached at an intermediate location on tubing 62 , allowing a portion of the tubing to extend beyond the end of membrane 36 to define the nasogastric sump 70 . tubing 62 is provided with a plurality of perforations 72 which communicate between tonometric catheter lumen 68 and the sampling chamber 40 defined by membrane 36 , if desired , one or more sensors 42 can be included in accordance with the above teachings , in which case a suitable conductor 56 may be routed through tonometric catheter lumen 68 to exit at sealed aperture 58 . the nasogastric sump portion 70 is suitably provided with a plurality of openings 74 through which the stomach may be aspirated . at the opposite end of tubing 62 the tubing splits to form three separate connections . air lumen 64 communicates with air lumen passageway 76 , suction lumen connects with suction lumen passageway 78 and tonometric catheter lumen 68 communicates with tonometric catheter lumen passageway 80 . the tonometric catheter lumen passageway is fitted with three - way stopcock 30 , similar in function and purpose to the three - way stopcock 30 described in connection with fig1 . if desired , a quick connect fitting 82 may be used to couple the suction lumen passageway 78 with an aspiration source . as illustrated , the quick connect fitting preferably has angularly cut ends and a slightly enlarged midsection , making it easy to insert into the end of passageway 78 and also into the aspiration hose coupling ( not shown ). the enlarged midsection helps form a seal with the adjoining passageways . preferably the quick connect fitting is fabricated of disposable plastic . yet another embodiment of the tonometric catheter is illustrated in fig5 and 5a . this embodiment is a multiple tonometric catheter embodiment employing a tubing 84 having a plurality of passageways or lumen as shown in the cross - sectional view of fig5 a . specifically , tubing 84 includes an air lumen 86a which communicates with the endmost tonometric catheter 36a and three additional tonometric catheter lumens 86b , 86c and 86d , which communicate respectively with tonometric catheters 36b , 36c and 36d . as with the other embodiments , each tonometric catheter may be provided with one or more sensors such as sensors 42 . a radiopaque tungsten plug 88 is positioned within each of the three tonometric catheter lumen 86b , 86c and 86d adjacent the distal end of each tonometric catheter , serving to block the remainder of the tonometric catheter lumen passageway and thereby ensuring that fluid pressure introduced into each tonometric catheter lumen will cause the associated tonometric catheter to balloon outwardly as required during use . similarly , a radiopaque tungsten rod 90 is fitted as a plug in the end of air lumen 86a , serving to terminate the end of the air lumen passageway . being radiopaque , the tungsten plugs and tungsten rod aid in properly positioning the tonometric catheters by being visible under fluoroscope or x - ray . in addition , if desired , tubing 84 can be provided with a radiopaque stripe along all or part of its length . at the proximal end of tubing 84 the lumen 86a - 86d diverge to define four separate tubes 92a - 92d . each tube is fitted with a three - way stopcock similar to those described above . each sampling connector may optionally be coded numerically by color , etc . while four approximately equally spaced tonometric catheters have been illustrated in fig5 it will be understood that the invention can be modified to include a greater or fewer number of tonometric catheters at different spacing as required for a particular application . it will also be understood that some or all of the tonometric catheters can include one or more sensors coupled to conductors 56 , each preferably routed through the corresponding lumen passageway . referring now to fig9 a suitable electronic monitoring circuit will now be described . in fig9 chemfet semiconductor device 46 has been shown schematically by the equivalent circuit model enclosed in dotted lines . the device 46 thus comprises drain electrode 150 , source electrode 152 and reference electrode 154 . the chemically selective system , such as a membrane system is depicted diagrammatically at 156 . the substrate is grounded as at 158 . source electrode 154 is coupled to an input lead of operational amplifier 160 which includes feedback network diagrammatically depicted at 162 . operational amplifier 160 senses the drain source current flowing through device 46 and converts this signal into a voltage signal which is output on lead 164 . the drain source current changes in accordance with changes in the chemical system under test . more specifically , as the pco 2 level changes in the fluid exposed to device 46 , the drain source current changes accordingly . hence the output voltage signal on lead 164 is likewise an indication of the pco 2 level of the organ under test . this voltage signal on lead 164 is coupled to an input of comparator 166 which also receives a reference voltage v ref , which may be supplied using a voltage divider network ( not shown ) or which may alternatively be provided by a digitally controlled voltage source 168 . the output of comparator 166 is fed to reference electrode 154 to provide a stable reference bias voltage . if a digitally controlled voltage source is used , this reference voltage can be adjusted and calibrated by a computer circuit yet to be discussed . the voltage signal on lead 164 is also fed to an analog to digital convertor 170 , which is in turn coupled to a microprocessor - based microcomputer 172 . in order to automatically determine the ph of the wall of the hollow viscous organ under test , a separate gas analyzer sensor 174 is used to determine the bicarbonate concentration in the arterial blood of the patient . the output of sensor 174 is coupled through analog to digital convertor 176 to microcomputer 172 . microcomputer 172 is preprogrammed to calculate the ph of the organ wall using the values provided by analog to digital convertors 170 and 176 . conversion of pco 2 measurements can be converted into ph measurements automatically by microcomputer 172 using various equations and references well - known in the art . although many different types of output devices may be employed , strip chart recorder 178 and crt monitor 180 have been illustrated . strip chart recorder 178 and monitor 180 are coupled as output devices to microcomputer 172 . strip chart recorder 178 offers the advantage of developing an easily readable , permanent record of the fluctuations in organ wall ph . monitor 180 offers the advantage of providing digital readout of the ph value as well as displaying the upper and lower excursions of ph fluctuation . if desired , microcomputer 172 can be preprogrammed using keyboard 182 to compare the instantaneous ph value with doctor - selected upper and lower alarm limits . if the measured instantaneous ph fluctuates outside those limits , microcomputer 172 can sound an alarm to alert hospital staff . while a single semiconductor device 46 has been illustrated in conjunction with the electronic circuit of fig9 the circuit may be readily adapted for use with a plurality of semiconductor devices in order to measure the ph at different locations substantially simultaneously . in such an embodiment , the data coming from each sensor can be fed to a separate i / 0 port of microcomputer 172 . in the alternative , a single i / 0 port can be used with the individual input signals being time multiplexed . as an alternative to electronic ph sensors , the invention may also be practiced using optical sensor technology . referring to fig1 , the presently preferred optical sensor embodiment uses a first fiber optic cable 94 which is optically coupled through a series of lenses 96 , selectable color filters 98 and heat absorber 100 to an illumination source 102 , such as a 100 watt tungsten - halogen lamp . fiber optic cable 94 is routed through the tonometric catheter lumen in a fashion similar to the conductor 56 of the above - described embodiments , with the end thereof protruding through the tubing and into the sampling chamber 40 . a second fiber optic cable 104 is routed parallel to the first fiber optic cable 94 , with one end protruding through the tubing and held in place adjacent the end of first cable 94 with a collar 106 . collar 106 may be adhesively bonded to the outside wall of the tubing . the opposite end of second fiber optic cable 104 is positioned for optically coupling with a phototransistor 108 which is electrically connected to an operational amplifier circuit 110 . the operational amplifier circuit can be coupled to an analog to digital converter , such as a / d converter 170 of fig7 . in use , fiber optic cable 94 illuminates a region within the sampling chamber 40 which is filled with a sampling fluid containing a colorimetric ph indicator , the illumination from fiber optic cable 94 reflects from the molecules suspended in the ph indicator solution , with some of the reflected illumination passing back through second fiber optic cable 104 to the phototransistor . by selecting the appropriate filter 98 , a monochromatic illumination or illumination of otherwise known spectral content is employed to illuminate the colorimetric ph indicator solution . when the color of the filtered illumination matches that of the indicator , the illumination is absorbed and a low illumination signal is received at the phototransistor . when a ph change causes a color change in the indicator away from the color of the filtered illumination , more illumination is reflected back to the phototransistor , with an attendant increase in detected signal output . in this fashion , the proper selection of indicator dye and illumination filtration can be used to detect ph ranges . for a further description of fiber optic ph sensor technology , refer to g . g . vurek &# 34 ; a fiber optic pco 2 sensor ,&# 34 ; annals of biomedical engineering , vol . 11 , pp . 499 - 510 , 1983 , which is available from pergamon press , ltd ., and is expressly incorporated herein by reference . while the preferred embodiments have been disclosed in connection with monitoring of the gastrointestinal tract and the urinary and ureteric tracts it will be appreciated that its principles are applicable to other hollow internal organs to monitor ph and hence perfusion of those organs . also while several presently preferred detailed constructions for tonometric catheters have been disclosed , it will be appreciated that other constructions may be developed which are equally suitable . the disclosed constructions are presently preferred for the reason that they are readily fabricated using existing available materials . other embodiments may include other , but equivalent materials for the tonometric catheter membrane and / or connective tubing . they may also differ in the specific fabrication details . as an example , the sampling chamber may be eccentric rather than symmetric about the connective tubing . in still another embodiment , conventional gas analyzers may be employed externally . a device such as that shown in fig1 may be used in combination with a pump or aspiration means ( not shown ) for continuous or regular intermittent aspiration of a sample of the aspirating liquid or medium that is used to fill the sampling chamber 40 . the sample removed by pump or aspiration means via attachment to the luer - lock 24 can be optionally designed so that the sample aspirated at each sampling interval can be brought in contact with an exterior , separate gas analyzing means or sensor ( not shown ) to determine the ph , po 2 , pco 2 and / or the like , of the sample . such automatic sampling can be conducted employing a system as shown in fig1 . in the assembly a sampling system employs a personal computer to conduct evaluations and analysis of the samples withdrawn from the tonometric catheter 299 . pump 203 is loaded with the sampling or aspirating medium such as saline . next , valve 201 is activated to withdraw a desired amount of the sampling fluid . the valve 201 is deactivated and pump 203 is used to enforce the sampling chamber of the tonometric catheter 299 using a calibrated amount or optionally a pressure transducer 215 . the sampling fluid or medium is allowed to come to equilibrium with the wall of the organ or area of interest . next the &# 34 ; dead space ,&# 34 ; i . e ., the area of the lumen filled with the sampling fluid that is not in equilibrium , is removed by activating valve 205 , activating pump 207 , activating valve 209 and infusing pump 207 ; the waste 219 is discarded . a sample for analysis is then withdrawn by deactivating valve 209 , activating pump 207 to then deliver the sampling to a gas analyzer ( not shown ) that provides data from the sample to the pc 217 , and the evaluation is conducted as described herein . the sample gas analyzer or a separate gas analyzer may be employed to determine the bicarbonate concentration in the arterial blood of the patient , as described above . another embodiment of the tonometric catheter is illustrated in fig1 and 11a . as illustrated , the tonometric catheter is appropriately configured to also serve as a urinary or ureteric catheter , either with or without suction , which optionally employs sensors . with reference to fig1 and 11a , the tonometric catheter 220 comprises a multipassage tubing 262 which defines three individual noncommunicating ( between each other ) passageways or lumens , an optional air or irrigation lumen 264 , a drainage or suction lumen 266 and a tonometric catheter lumen 268 . a tonometric catheter membrane , similar to that previously described , is attached at a distal location on tubing 262 , allowing an intermediate portion of the tubing not extending beyond the end of membrane 236 to define the uretary or uretary catheter 270 . tubing 262 is provided with a plurality of perforations 272 which communicate between tonometric catheter lumen 268 and the sampling chamber 240 defined by membrane 236 . if desired , one or more sensors 242 can be included in accordance with the above teachings , in which case a suitable conductor 256 may be routed through tonometric catheter lumen 268 to exit at sealed aperture 258 . the urinary catheter or ureteric catheter portion 270 is suitably provided with a plurality of openings 274 through which the bladder or ureters may be aspirated or irrigated . at the opposite end of tubing 262 the tubing splits to form three separate connections . air or irrigation lumen 264 optionally communicates with air lumen passageway 276 , urinary lumen connects with suction or drainage lumen passageway 278 and tonometric catheter lumen 268 communicates with tonometric catheter lumen passageway 280 . the tonometric catheter lumen passageway is fitted with three - way stopcock 230 , similar in function and purpose to the three - way stopcock 30 described in connection with fig1 . if desired , a quick connect fitting 82 as seen in fig4 may be used to couple the suction urinary passageway 278 with an aspiration source . as illustrated , the quick connect fitting preferably has angularly cut ends and a slightly enlarged midsection , making it easy to insert into the end of passageway 278 and also into the aspiration hose coupling ( not shown ). the enlarged midsection helps form a seal with the adjoining passageways . preferably the quick connect fitting is fabricated of disposable plastic . yet another embodiment of the urinary catheter / tonometric catheter combination illustrated in fig1 and 11a may employ a multiple tonometric catheter embodiment employing a tubing having a plurality of passageways or lumen as shown in the cross - sectional view of fig5 a . in another embodiment * of the present invention , a tonometric catheter may be adopted to deliver a pharmaceutically - active agent , either for systemic , local or topical activity , or a combination thereof . for example , an additional lumen may be added such as that and for irrigation or aspiration , to deliver the active . for example , the irrigation / aspiration lumen 264 shown in fig1 and 11a , may be used to deliver an active agent . in another embodiment , a portion of the device may be modified so as to provide sustained release of the active agent of interest . thus , for example , the problems of nosacomial infection associated with catheter insertion can be overcome by incorporating an antimicrobial into at least a portion of the polymeric material used to manufacture the tonometric catheter , or by coating at least a portion of the device with a sustained release composition , or by delivering the antimicrobial via the tonometric catheter . such modifications are well known to those skilled in the art . see u . s . pat . no . 4 , 677 , 143 , incorporated herein by reference . classes of useful agents include antimicrobial agents , nonsteroidal anti - inflammatory agents , topical anesthetics , topical vasodialators , metabolic suppressants , and other agents that could be delivered for absorption at the sites of the tonometric catheter . accordingly , while several preferred embodiments of the invention have been disclosed , it will be appreciated that principle of the invention , a set forth in the following claims , are applicable to other embodiments . | 0 |
the present invention is a method and system for automated handling of service problems identified by a wireless device customer , thus allowing service problems to be rapidly addressed . specifically , the present invention uses a diagnostic analysis to identify the specific nature of the service problem , and then initiates automated resolution of that problem by accessing and making adjustments to one or more network components . as will become clearer in the description that follows , the various logical and operational steps of the method and system of the present invention are achieved through the use of a digital computer program . with benefit of the foregoing description , appropriate software coding is readily accomplished by one of ordinary skill in the art . referring first to the flow chart of fig2 , in this exemplary implementation of the method of the present invention , the first step involves the communication of certain information from a user , as indicated at blocks 20 and 22 of fig2 . for purposes of this description , the user may be the wireless device customer , or perhaps an agent or customer service representative who the wireless device customer has contacted to assist with a service problem . in any event , it is contemplated that the user first initiate communication with a computer server 10 through some sort of user interface device . in this regard , the server 10 hosts the digital computer program that carries out the necessary logical and operational steps . as for the user interface device , it can be any device that allows for the exchange of information between the user and the server 10 . as illustrated in fig1 a , when the “ user ” is the wireless device customer , some examples of an appropriate interface device include : a personal computer 12 operably connected to the server 10 through the internet or similar computer network ; a personal digital assistant 14 again operably connected to the server 10 through the internet ; and / or a telephone 16 for communicating with the server 10 through touchtone or voice recognition techniques . indeed , it is contemplated that a wide variety of telecommunication technologies could be used without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention , including : cellular communications ; wireless short message service ( sms ); wireless fidelity ( wifi ), wireless local area networks operating under the 802 . 1x ieee standards ; and / or mobitex , a packetized narrow - band data service . as illustrated in fig1 b , when the “ user ” is an agent or customer service representative who the wireless device customer has contacted serve as an intermediary and to assist with a service problem , a common interface device would be again be a personal computer 12 b operably connected to the server 10 through the internet or similar computer network . of course , any of the technologies described above with reference to the customer could also be utilized by the agent or customer service representative to initiate communication with the server 10 without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention . regardless of the specific interface device utilized , once communication has been established between the server 10 and the user , certain identification information is communicated to and received by the server , as indicated at block 20 of the flow chart of fig2 . this information may be automatically communicated to the server , for example , through called id or similar technologies that allow for identification of a device or individual . alternatively , the user may be prompted to input the telephone or pager number , user name , and / or similar identification information . although not illustrated in fig2 , such identification information can be further used to query customer databases and accumulate additional information and data about the customer for subsequent analysis . after the identification information is received and stored , the user is prompted to enter information about the system conditions , i . e ., the conditions related to the service problem , as indicated at block 22 . as part of this inputting process , based on the information entered , additional information or data may be solicited from the user based on a decision - tree logic . for example , if the user reports that mobile telephone calls are not being received , a second set of questions might be presented in order to narrow down and identify what specifically is causing calls not to be received . in any event , once the necessary information has been input , a comparison of that information is made to a database 25 of known problems in order to identify the specific nature of the service problem , as indicated at block 24 . in other words , the server 10 employs a diagnostic logic to identify the specific nature of the service problem . in the method and system of the present invention , once the specific nature of the service problem has been identified , an appropriate corrective action is automatically initiated , as indicated at block 26 . in this regard , it should be recognized that the term “ corrective action ” should be broadly interpreted to not only include actions in response to “ errors ,” but also includes routine maintenance items , as is further described below . one corrective action involves the adjustment of switch settings . in this regard , it is important to recognize that each wireless device in a network is commonly referred to a mobile station . with respect to the use of a mobile telephone , when a call is initiated , an initiation request is transmitted from the mobile station to the nearest base station . the base station then communicates the request to a mobile switching center . the mobile switching center is the nucleus of the network , connecting to the land - based , public switched telephone network . as such , the mobile switching station is responsible for validating and authenticating calls initiated from each mobile station , and then setting up and maintaining those calls . such a network architecture is well known to one of ordinary skill in the art . since the mobile switching center is so critical to operation of the telecommunications network , whether for a mobile telephone , a pager , or a personal data assistant with wireless connectivity , switch settings are often to blame for customer service problems . referring again to fig2 , once the specific nature of the service problem has been identified , one corrective action is adjustment of the switch settings , as indicated at block 30 . preferably , a telnet client session is automatically initiated by the server 10 to connect to the switch 32 , which could be either the customer &# 39 ; s home switch or a serving switch . through such a connection , the settings associated with the particular mobile station in issue can be checked and adjusted as necessary . for example , if the customer has failed to pay a bill , the settings may indicate that the mobile station has been intentionally disabled and that information can be communicated back to the user . however , in many cases , minor adjustments to the switch settings may resolve the customer complaint . with respect to the use of a telnet client session , it should be recognized that such a communication technique is commonly used by network engineers and is well - recognized by those of ordinary skill in the art . nevertheless , instructions could also be communicated to the switch through other known technologies without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention , including , but not limited to , file transfer protocol ( ftp ), secure ftp , hypertext transfer protocol ( http ), hypertext transfer protocol secure ( https ), simple object access protocol ( soap ), and java messaging services ( jms ). for example , if a user reports ( through the input routine described above ) that a particular mobile telephone rings once and then goes straight into voicemail , adjustments can be made at the switch 32 to increase the setting that governs the ring time before routing a call into voicemail . this is preferably accomplished , without the intervention of a technician , through execution of a set of computer instructions ( e . g ., a unix script ) communicated to the switch 32 through the telnet client session or similar communication medium . thus , the necessary sets of computer instructions are essentially preprogrammed fixes that are stored in a database 31 and responsive to specific identified service problems . for another example , if a user reports that a particular mobile telephone does not ring when someone calls the mobile number , an adjustment can be made at the switch 32 to increase the setting that governs the number of pages . again , this is preferably accomplished , without the intervention of a technician , through execution of a set of computer instructions stored in database 31 and communicated to the switch 32 . for yet another example , if a user reports that there is a busy recording on outbound calls from a mobile telephone , the electronic serial number can be verified and appropriate adjustment made if there is a mismatch at the switch 32 . for yet another example , and returning to the circumstances in which the customer has failed to pay a bill , the server 10 may be operably connected to the billing system ( not shown ) such that , upon notification to the user that the mobile station has been intentionally disabled , the user may have the option of paying the bill by credit card or similar means . upon confirmation of payment , the server 10 would effectuate the appropriate adjustments at the switch 32 to re - activate service . of course , the above are only examples of the types of switch setting adjustments that could be carried out in accordance with the teachings of the present invention . referring still to fig2 , another corrective action might involve the downloading of certain settings , software updates , or maintenance programs to the wireless device using an over - the - air ( ota ) server . with reference to fig2 , once the specific nature of the service problem has been identified and related to certain setting or software on wireless device , the server 10 communicates appropriate instructions to the ota server 35 , as indicated at block 34 , resulting in the downloading of the appropriate settings , software updates , or maintenance programs to the wireless device . for example , if a user wanted to switch from a pre - pay option to a monthly billing option for his wireless device , certain software downloads would be required to effectuate the billing change . using the ota server , such downloads could be effectuated without the assistance of technical personnel . for another example , it may be necessary for a user to update the intelligent roaming database ( irdb ), the list of acceptable networks in which a wireless device can roam and operate , which is stored in the memory of the wireless device . again , using the ota server , such an update could be effectuated without the assistance of technical personnel . such an update might be especially important for a customer transferring to a new carrier pursuant to governmental wireless local number portability ( wlnp ) regulations . referring still to fig2 , yet another corrective action resolution might involve the modification of certain customer - related information on internet access servers . specifically , such internet access servers handle tasks such as authenticating internet connections and controlling and monitoring user connection to the internet . therefore , once the specific nature of the service problem has been identified as relating to the internet access servers , the server 10 can communicate appropriate instructions to the internet access server 37 , as indicated at block 36 , to modify the pertinent settings . again , the above are only examples of the types of corrective actions , including routine maintenance functions , that could be carried out in accordance with the teachings of the present invention . it is contemplated that corrective actions could also be initiated to make adjustments to or otherwise resolve issues associated with various other network components without the intervention of a technician without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention . finally , it is recognized that in some circumstances , if no appropriate corrective action can be identified based on the inputted system conditions , it may be necessary to transmit a message to appropriate technical personnel for resolution , as indicated at block 40 of fig2 . it is contemplated that such a message would contain a detailed description of the service problem , including all solicited customer data and information used to assess the service problem . similarly , if there was a failure in the adjustment of the switch settings ( at block 20 ); failure in the downloading of appropriate settings , software updates , or maintenance programs to the wireless device ( at block 34 ); or failure in the modification of internet access server settings ( at block 36 ), a message could also be transmitted to the appropriate technical personnel for resolution , as indicated at block 40 of fig2 . although not illustrated in the flow chart of fig2 , as service problems are addressed and identified in accordance with the method and system of the present invention , it is contemplated that service problems could be stored for trend analysis and / or to identify network equipment problems . again , it is important to recognize that the various logical and operational steps of the method and system of the present invention are achieved through the use of a digital computer program . such a computer program ( or similar computer - readable instructions ) is preferably installed and stored on the server 10 . with benefit of the foregoing description , appropriate software coding is readily accomplished by one of ordinary skill in the art . thus , the method and system of the present invention provides for automated handling of service problems identified by a wireless device customer such that service problems can be rapidly addressed . it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that further modifications may be made to the embodiments described herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention . | 7 |
fig1 - 2 show a first embodiment 20 having the features of the present invention . the embodiment 20 includes a casing 22 made of pieces of flexible material connected together . preferably , the flexible material is pvc tarpaulin having a 0 . 4 mm thickness , with the pieces being heat - welded together . however , other methods of connecting the pieces of flexible material may be used . the casing 22 includes is a base portion 26 and a support portion 30 . preferably , the base portion 26 has a generally - rectangular cuboid shape formed of a generally rectangular bottom 32 ( see fig2 ) and four sidewalls . the four sidewalls include a first pair of opposing sidewalls 34 and a second pair of opposing sidewalls 36 . each sidewall 34 , 36 has the same height . each of the first pair of sidewalls 34 has a first length l1 . each of the second pair of sidewalls has a second length l2 . referring specifically to fig1 , first and second top pieces 40 , 42 are each attached to the first pair of sidewalls 34 and one of the second pair of sidewalls 36 . referring specifically to fig2 , the bottom 32 is attached to the first pair and second pair of sidewalls 34 , 36 . the support portion 30 is made up of a first pair of trapezoidal pieces 44 , a second pair of trapezoidal pieces 46 , and a top piece 48 . each of the first pair of trapezoidal pieces 44 has a bottom edge 45 attached to the first pair of sidewalls 34 opposite the bottom 32 . each of the second pair of trapezoidal pieces 46 has side edges 49 attached to the first pair of trapezoidal pieces 44 and bottom edges 47 attached to the first and second top pieces 40 , 42 . the top piece is attached to the small bases of the trapezoidal pieces 46 , 48 . the preferred embodiment 20 may include a headrest 50 having a planar bottom surface 52 ( see fig2 ), a planar top surface 54 , and side surfaces 56 adjacent to , and at a right angle from , the bottom surface 52 and top surface 54 . a concave curved surface 58 adjacent to the top surface 54 and one side surface 56 . the headrest is preferably made from a foam or other soft material . the preferred embodiment 20 may include two side panels 60 positioned outside and adjacent one of the pairs of opposing sidewalls 36 . each side panel 60 is made of a rigid material , such as steel or hard plastic , and has an l - shaped profile formed from a bottom plate 62 attached to a side plate 64 at a right angle . the preferred embodiment 20 may include a material piece 70 attached to the bottom 32 , to foam a pocket . a support plate 74 is positioned below and adjacent the base portion 26 within the pocket . preferably the support plate 74 is a piece of polypropylene plastic , but may be any other rigid material . an air valve 80 may be attached to one of the sidewalls 34 . the air valve 80 establishes a normally - closed but selectively - openable fluid communication path through the casing 22 . fig3 shows the embodiment 20 in a first state and positioned on a table 88 . the side panels 60 are in contact with the second pair of sidewalls 36 . the support plate 74 is within the pocket formed between the bottom 32 and material piece 70 . the base portion 26 has a first volume 84 and the support portion 30 has a second volume 86 . an opening 87 extends between the first volume 84 and the second volume 86 . collectively , the first volume 84 and second volume 86 make up an enclosed casing volume . the casing 22 contains air and a volume of filler material 82 made up of polystyrene beads and plastic beads . preferably , the ratio of polystyrene beads to plastic beads is seven to three . in fig3 , the filler only occupies the first volume 84 . in this first state , the base portion 26 is fully expanded and the support portion 30 is fully compressed . fig4 shows the embodiment 20 in a second state where the length of the base portion is less than in the first state . thus , the magnitude of the first volume in fig4 is less than the magnitude of the first volume shown in fig3 . some of the filler material 82 occupies the second portion 86 . fig5 - 6 show the embodiment 20 in a third state wherein the support portion 30 is fully expanded into the general shape of a frustum and air has been evacuated from the casing through the air valve 80 . the magnitude of the first volume 84 in fig5 and 6 is less than the magnitude of the first volume shown in fig4 because of further compression of the base portion 26 , which causes folds 90 in the casing 22 . notably , the user may select any position between the first and third states shown in fig3 and fig5 , respectively , depending on the preference of the user and needed positioning of the patient . use of the embodiment 20 is initially described with reference to fig3 , with the casing 22 containing the filler material 82 and air . the casing 22 is positioned below a headrest 50 and on a table 88 . the side panels 60 are positioned adjacent to the second pair of sidewalls 36 with the bottom plates 62 in contact with the bottom 32 of the casing 22 . referring to fig4 , the side panels 60 are moved inward causing the length of the base portion 26 to decrease and therefore the magnitude of the first volume 84 to decrease . a portion of the filler material 82 is thereby displaced through the opening 87 into the second volume 86 causing the second volume 86 to expand and thereby causing the position of the top piece 48 of the support portion to be raised . this , in turn , lifts the headrest 50 away from the table 88 . referring to the fig5 - 6 , the side panels are moved further inward to a third state causing compression of the first volume 84 , which , in turn , causes a larger quantity of filler material 82 to move through the opening 87 into the second volume 86 . as a result , second volume 84 is expanded further ( relative to fig4 ) and the top piece 48 of the support portion 50 is raised further . this , in turn , causes the headrest 50 to raise further . alternative embodiments may not include the side panels 60 . in such embodiments the base portion 26 is longitudinally compressed directly by the practitioner . the headrest 50 may be selectively positioned anywhere between the first state shown in fig3 and the third state shown in fig5 - 6 depending on the user &# 39 ; s preference . when the desired head position is obtained , air is evacuated from the casing 22 through the air valve 80 . the resultant different of pressure between the outside and inside of the casing 22 forces the casing 22 against the filler 82 and causes the casing 22 to hold its shape . this results in a frictional engagement of the top piece 48 with the bottom surface 52 and possibly the side surfaces 56 of the headrest 50 , which frictional engagement inhibits movement of the headrest 50 relative to the casing 22 . if a position change is later desired , air can be reintroduced into the casing 22 to equalize the inside and outside pressure , allowing the filler to be moved between volumes to change the height of the headrest 50 . fig7 - 8 shows the embodiment 20 being used without the headrest 50 described with reference to fig1 - 6 . in fig7 , a patient &# 39 ; s head h is positioned directly on the support portion 30 at a first height relative to the table 88 . if , upon inspection by the healthcare provider , the first height does not allow for optimal alignment of the patient &# 39 ; s laryngeal axis , the pharyngeal axis , and the axis of the mouth for a medical procedure , the support portion 30 may be adjusted as described supra for such optimal position . for example , fig8 shows the same patient &# 39 ; s head h with the support portion 30 of the embodiment 20 having been repositioned to a second height relative to the table 88 . the present invention is described in terms of a preferred embodiment in which a specific apparatus and method is described . those skilled in the art will recognize that alternative embodiments of such an apparatus and method can be used in carrying out the present invention . other aspects and advantages of the present invention may be obtained from a study of this disclosure and the drawings , along with the appended claims . | 0 |
the device is constructed such that a guiding element ( 25 ), driven by a drive unit ( 17 ) ( e . g . a geared motor ), rotates around a fixed reference point ( 2 ). at least one moveable actuator ( 3 ) is attached to this guiding element , which can be positioned radially along the guiding element by a second drive unit ( 6 ). a circular treatment area ( 1 ) thus results from the rotary motion of the guiding element , within which the actuator may be freely positioned . the decorative treatment of the surface may be carried out in one of two fundamental ways ( fig1 ): 1 . an operating principle similar to that of a printer , which may be effected by two basic methods : a ) at least one actuator is moved radially along the guiding element with each radial movement of the guiding element while applying the surface treatment in accordance with the pattern provided . b ) at least one actuator is guided on a circular path around the center of the area to be treated , maintaining constant distance to the reference point , while treating the surface in accordance with the pattern provided . by means of stepwise adjustment of the distance between the actuator and the center point / reference point of the device , the surface treatment is applied through the iteration of several circular paths . these basic methods may be combined such that the actuator is guided across the treatment along a spiral path by means of changes to the angle of rotation and the radius . it is also possible to apply a surface treatment to only portions of the area ; it is thus not necessary that the entire treatment area be passed over by the actuator . the actuator is moved on paths across the treatment area , enabling the creation of continuous lines , curves , splines , etc . the actuator may be positioned within the treatment area by closed - loop or open - loop control . a ) in case of a closed - loop position control of the actuator , position measurement ( e . g . through the use of incremental rotary encoders , hall sensors , or potentiometers ) is used to determine the actual position of the actuator , which is passed to a closed - loop controller . the closed - loop controller generates a corresponding controlled variable , e . g . in the form of a value for the motor current , in order to adjust the actual position of the actuator to the target position . b ) alternatively , the positioning of the actuator may take place in an open - loop controlled manner , wherein the actuator is positioned without the use of position measurement , e . g . through the use of stepper motors . in addition to the possibility of closed - loop or open - loop controlling both components of movement , mixed forms with one closed - loop and one open - loop controlled component of movement may also be realized . the drive unit required for the rotary motion of the guiding element may , depending on the chosen design , act at the center ( reference point ) of the device , or at the edge ( e . g . by means of a drive wheel ). a solution with a drive unit acting inside the treatment area is also conceivable . the orientation of the guiding element relative to the surface is adjustable . for example , the distance to the surface may be adjusted by means of a variable mounting ( 15 , 16 ) of the drive wheel ( 4 ), or via a height adjustment at the centering point ( 7 ). an automatic height adjustment may be effected e . g . through the use of electromechanical drive systems , such as a motor / spindle system , or also via a pneumatically or hydraulically powered adjustment mechanism . the distance between the actuator and the guiding element may be set automatically or manually . an automatic height adjustment ( 12 ) may be effected e . g . through the use of electromechanical drive systems , such as a motor / spindle system ; a pneumatically powered adjustment mechanism is also conceivable . the distance between the actuator and the surface may be set automatically or manually . an automatic height adjustment ( 22 ) may be effected in a manner analogous to the automatic height adjustment ( 12 ) described above . the distance between the actuator and the surface is defined using a distance guide , realized e . g . as a passive element ( 23 ). through an automatic adjustment of the distance of the actuator to the guiding element ( effected e . g . by means of a compression spring ), any surface unevenness present may be compensated for . in addition to this mechanical solution , a variant relying on non - contact distance measurement is also possible , with tracking of the actuator across the surface effected by means of the automatic height adjustment ( 12 ). surface unevenness must be dealt with differently , depending on the intended application . a ) the targeted closed - loop or open - loop control of the distance between the actuator and the guiding element should be used e . g . in applying designs in relief to the surface , in order to depict three - dimensional surfaces . b ) the targeted closed - loop or open - loop of the distance between the actuator and the surface is to be used in applying surface treatments using spraying devices , as maintaining a constant distance from the actuator to the surface results in an unvarying spray cone and thus an even wetting of the surface . for e . g . minor ground contours , passive distance regulation may be sufficient . the method for applying a three - dimensional surface treatment may depend on the type of surface to be treated . a ) in the case of angled surfaces which may be represented by several partial surfaces , it may be desirable that a separate plane of operation be used for the treatment of each surface . to this end , the guiding element may be connected to the mounting point by means of a joint ( 10 ), such that , with an appropriately positioned reference point , the guiding element rotates in a plane of operation parallel to such a surface . surface unevenness may be compensated for via an angular measurement ( 11 ) between the axis of rotation and the guiding element . through evaluation of the angle and the position of the actuator , the actuator may be adjusted using a height adjustment mechanism in accordance with the automatic height adjustment ( 12 ) in such a way that the actuator remains essentially in the same plane while in operation . the use of such a plane as a reference can result in a significant improvement of the result when applying a three - dimensional surface treatment . by performing a calibration cycle and evaluating the angular measurement , the portion of the possible height adjustment range that must be reserved for compensation for unevenness may be determined . b ) if the surface is largely level , the guiding element may be connected to the mounting point using a rigid coupling , omitting the joint ( 10 ), so that the guiding element rotates in a single plane , thus permitting the angular measurement as in a ) to be dispensed with . if the guiding element is moved by means of an outside drive wheel , such wheel should be connected by means of a spring / damper element , to maintain contact with the ground across uneven surfaces . in applying a surface treatment in accordance with operating priciples described above , the number of sensors necessary for determining the position of the actuator may be reduced through a mechanical linkage of the rotary motion and the movement of the actuator along the guiding element . in this event , the positional information may be determined with only one sensor . the mechanical linkage may be defined by a cable pull or a rotationally coupled spindle drive in such a way that , as the angle of rotation of the guiding element increases , the actuator is moved either from the outside in the direction of the reference point , or in the opposing direction . thus , for example , a spiral motion of the actuator may be effected by such a mechanical linkage . variation in the type of surface treatment applied is achieved through the use of interchangeable actuators . the device may be equipped with an actuator corresponding to the operating principle employed : a ) painting devices ( e . g . for the application of designs in ( colored ) pens or pencils or ( colored ) chalk ) the actuator is to be designed in such a way that any potential wearing down or using up of the ink or other marking substance is counteracted by a controlled process of replenishment . b ) spraying devices ( e . g . for the application of designs using paint or liquids such as fertilizers , bleaches , stains , etching compounds , etc .) the liquid agent for the spraying actuator ( s ) ( fig3 ) may be provided from a central supply tank , or through individual tanks ( 21 ) assigned to supply particular actuators . depending on the spraying technology used , an additional pressure supply may be necessary . the nozzle control system must permit selective management of the quantity of liquid ejected in order to control the degree of wetting of the surface . if pixel - like structures are to be generated , the sprayed image should be nearly square , e . g . by employing a frame or stencil . in order to organize these in a grid - like form , the skewed position of the actuator caused by the rotation of the guiding element should be compensated for . the emplacement actuator is to be realized in such a manner that a continuous emplacement of mosaic elements ( e . g . stones ) may be effected . it is accordingly designed with a storage and supply unit to supply the emplacement actuator , or with a controlling of the emplacement actuator to take new mosaic elements from a reservoir . the actuator should be equipped with an additional adjustment mechanism for the horizontal alignment of the elements . d ) cutting devices ( e . g . for the application of designs to grass surfaces , carpets , etc .) the cutting actuator may be designed with a rotating blade , driven by a separately controllable drive unit . e ) selective volume systems ( e . g . for seeds , granulates , or pourable solids ) the selective volume ( dosing ) system is to be designed in such a manner that pourable solids of various granular sizes may be applied to or emplaced in a controlled way in the surface to be treated . the dosing actuator is to be supplied with material from one or more supply hoppers . these may either be dedicated to the actuator , or the dosing system may be supplied with material from a central storage location . the tempering actuator is to be designed e . g . as a heatable element permitting the selective thermal treatment of the surface . g ) engraving devices ( for the creation of engravings , reliefs , etc .) h ) combing devices ( for the alignment of long - fibered structures such as , e . g . lawns ) the actuator is to be designed with a brush or comb - like element to selectively align the fibers . through the combination of various types of actuators as described above , a multitude of potential applications arise . as one example , a pattern may be created in a lawn through the use of a cutting device , then an increase in contrast created by making a second pass in which color is applied by a spraying device . the device may be fixed in place with various types of fixing elements ( 24 ), depending on the intended use : a ) suction cup ( e . g . for fixation to smooth surfaces such as glass ) b ) sharp point ( e . g . for fixation to grass surfaces ) c ) magnetic ( e . g . for fixation to ferrous surfaces ) d ) velcro ( e . g . for fixation to carpeted surfaces ) e ) threaded fitting ( e . g . for fixation to walls ) f ) clamps ( e . g . for fixation to contoured surfaces ) g ) rack , cover , mounting bracket ( e . g . for the treatment of surfaces which on which direct fixation is not possible , or which require that the center point also be treated , e . g . the creation of a pattern using mosaic stones ). the fixing elements may be made interchangeable , to permit fixation to different types of surfaces ( 8 ). for sharply inclined surfaces , the driving force for the guiding element should preferably be applied near the fixing point , in order to prevent a potential loss of adhesion which may result from the use of a guiding element driven from the outside , in consequence of inclines or uneven surfaces . the radial guiding element may be realized in different ways . as an example , a system of tracks of fixed or variable length is suggested : the guiding element is realized as a track on which the treatment actuator is arranged in such a manner that it may be moved along the track . the track may be fixed in length , or designed to be extendable in length . a version using pluggable track elements ( 19 ) is also possible . the drive unit for positioning the actuator is to be integrated into the guiding element . depending on the type of track , this may be of a spindle drive , rack - and - pinion , toothed belt , or cable pull type . the treatment area may be mechanically scaled through the use of a guiding element of variable length . for flexible parameterization , the device provides a user interface by means of which the treatment process itself may be manipulated . this interface may be realized by means of an operating element on the device itself , or by means of a wireless or cable - linked remote control . by influencing the actuator , e . g . through altering the width of the path cut by swapping out the cutting device , or adjusting the spray pattern by changing the height of the spraying unit , the number of iterations of the process required may be changed . to this end , the relevant information is to be provided to the control unit via an operator interface . operation of the device may be terminated e . g . by the user , or as a result of the process ( e . g . upon encountering an obstacle ). a continuation of the treatment process at a later time is made possible through the storage of the most recent step of the process completed . through registration of the variable treatment area size when using a guiding element of variable length as described above , using suitable sensors or corresponding operating elements , the scaling factor may be fed back to the control unit and used for scaling the design template . also conceivable is an application to facades , walls , or ceilings . it would be necessary to ensure that the actuator is guided along the plane to be treated . this may require additional , active contact pressure , which may be generated e . g . by means of a clamping device attached to the guiding element . in addition to the possibility of operating a guiding element with at least one actuator , multiple guiding elements with actuators ( including of different types ) may be employed in parallel . by these means , the time required for the treatment process may be reduced . conceivable is a solution with individually drive guiding elements which divide up the treatment area and independently carry out the application of the design to the surface . a further variant using only a single drive mechanism may be effected by means of a rigid coupling of the guiding elements . a radial positioning of the actuator may be omitted if a sufficient number of actuators are provided along the guiding element . with such a design , the surface treatment may be accomplished with a single pass of the guiding element . for applying designs to surfaces larger than the treatment area of the device , the device itself may be moved . the treatment process is then carried out in multiple steps . in order to relocate the device , marking is necessary . the markers may be positioned e . g . by the device itself during the treatment process , or manually by the user . the marking may consist e . g . of color , or may be a defined end position of an actuator . in such a case , this end position marks the reference point of the next treatment area . once the device has been moved , the guiding element is positioned in such a way that it lies on a line between the current and the preceding reference point . while the individual treatment areas will partially overlap with this method , the overlapping areas are not subjected to a renewed surface treatment . depending on the total size , the minimization of the overlapping areas may result in a reduction of the necessary treatment iterations and thus to a reduction in treatment time . the actuator may also be equipped with a reading head ( 13 ) to acquire supplementary feedback information for positioning . the overlaps of adjacent treatment areas may be used to calibrate the device . positioning feedback with the aid of operating elements operated by the user is also possible . as an alternative to a multi - stage treatment process , multiple surface treatment devices may be used in parallel . in this variant , the devices are placed in defined positions , e . g . by means of an additional framework or by manual positioning . in consequence of the overlapping treatment areas , the movement of the various devices across their respective treatment areas must be coordinated in order to avoid collisions between adjacent devices . such coordination could be effected e . g . by means of a wireless network , through which adjacent devices exchange the angular coordinates of their target positions . if the intersection of the two angular degrees is in both treatment areas , one device must temporarily stop or move into an area in which no collision will result . for multistage or parallel treatment operations , it may be reasonable to reduce the number of treatment iterations , while maintaining the required degree of precision . the basis for the treatment to be applied to the surface may be a digitalized design template in the form of images , patterns , texts , etc ., processed using special software into a format suitable for the treatment process . the transfer of a preprocessed digital design template to the device may occur through various methods : a ) using a storage medium e . g . a usb stick b ) wirelessly , e . g . via mobile communications devices c ) by means of a cable alternatively , the positioning and controlling of the actuator may be effected manually , e . g . via remote control with corresponding operating elements . alternatively , the device may be constructed in such a manner that no digitalized image data is required for applying the surface treatment . in this variant , employing the operating principle of a printer , the actuator is not positioned in a targeted manner using sensor data , but coupled via a mechanical linkage as described above to the rotary motion of the guiding element , and conducted e . g . along a spiral path across the surface to be treated . through optically scanning a graphical template placed in the device ( realized e . g . as a black - and - white image ), the brightness information is evaluated by means of a light - sensitive electronic controller ( e . g . an led phototransistor unit ) and transmitted to the actuator in the form of a switching signal , and thus used to apply a treatment to the surface . an additional guiding element equipped with an optical scanning unit is also used . the rotary motion of the actuator guiding element is transmitted via a mechanical linkage to the movement of the scanning unit guiding element , such that both guiding elements always have the same angle of rotation . in order to permit the optical scanning of the design template , it is also necessary that the movement of the scanning sensor be coupled mechanically to the movement of the actuator . in this manner , the scanning sensor is conducted across the design template analogously to the movement of actuator across the surface to be treated . the device described may be realized both for the low voltage range ( 12 / 24 v ), e . g . with battery power , or suitable for mains operation ( e . g . 220 v / 380 v ). by means of an angular measurement , in combination with a suitable evaluation logic , protection functions to shut off the actuator may be realized in order to minimize operating errors or risk of injury . an additional device may be provided for the removal of waste material generated from the application of the device to grass surfaces , with which the waste material is automatically collected into a container . a conceivable alternative solution would have a device attached to a guiding element with which the waste material would be removed from the treatment area during or after the cutting process . 1 . a logo is to be created on a lawn surface by means of a cutting device : to this end , a design template is first prepared using a person computer ( or similar device ) in such a way that the data are available in a format which the device can use as a basis for the treatment process . the data so prepared are then transferred to the device using a usb data carrier . the device is constructed in such a way as to have a pointed base serving as a fixing point , which provides a centering axis for the treatment process . once the pointed base has been anchored in the ground , the guiding element , here of 2 m length , is laid on the grass surface by means of the carrying handle ( 18 ). in emplacing the guiding element , the user defines the starting position , and thus the orientation of the logo . in the next step , the user informs the control unit via a user interface that the guiding element is equipped with a cutting actuator , and also of the length of the blade . as the treatment process commences , the cutting actuator is first moved to the starting position . the positioning of the actuator is carried out with a stepper motor . the actuator is calibrated using a limit switch ( 14 ) in order to define the starting position . a motor - driven outside drive wheel ( 4 ) sets the guiding element into rotary motion around the fixed reference point of the device . in order to determine the angular measurement and thus the position , an angle sensor ( 9 ) is integrated at the joint ( 20 ) of the fixing point . as a logo can generally be broken down into curving or linear elements and contiguous image areas , the treatment of the grass surface is carried out according to the operating principles of both plotters and printers . in a first step , larger , contiguous areas are treated without regard to contours is a sort of pre - cutting process before , in a second step , the three - dimensional contours are cut precisely by means of plotter paths . once the treatment process is complete , the device returns to its starting position . the user may then pick the device up and remove the pointed base from the ground . 2 . a spiral - shaped flower structure is to be sown on a circular bed with a diameter of 2 m : a spiral motion of the actuator is achieved through mechanically coupling the rotary motion with the movement of the actuator along the guiding element . in this case , the actuator is moved inward in the direction of the fixed reference point as the angle of rotation of the guiding element increases . after the device is fixed in place by means of a pointed base in the flowerbed , the lm - long guiding element is manually emplaced in its starting position . the device is equipped with a dosing unit filled with sufficient seed material . the user parameterizes the dosing process using the operating interface , checks the result through a brief test , and then commences the treatment process . as the distance traveled ( the distance covered with each pass ) per unit of time decreases as the dosing actuator moves toward the reference point , the dosage supplied is continually reduced during the sowing process . in this manner , an even distribution of the seeds along the spiral - shaped path is achieved . | 0 |
the products obtained in the examples of the present invention were measured by a gas chromatography / mass - spectrography 6890n / 5937 ( gc / ms ) from agilent . potassium zinc trihydride is prepared using the following method : potassium chloride is dissolved in an deionized water ( the conductivity of the deionized water is 0 . 01 - 0 . 02μ ) to obtain a potassium chloride solution ( the concentration of the potassium chloride solution is 20 - 32 % by weight ); zinc chloride is dissolved in an deionized water ( the conductivity of the deionized water is 0 . 01 - 0 . 02μ ) to obtain a zinc chloride solution ( the concentration of the zinc chloride is 50 - 82 % by weight ); add dropwise the zinc chloride solution to the potassium chloride solution and have them react at 50 - 80 ° c . and atmosphere pressure for 5 - 10 hours to obtain a potassium zinc trihydride solution ; the potassium zinc trihydride solution is subjected to evaporation to obtain potassium zinc trihydride ; the potassium zinc trihydride is then subjected to a hydrogenation treatment , wherein the molar ratio of potassium zinc trihydride to hydrogen us 1 : 3 to 1 : 4 , the temperature of the hydrogenation is 200 - 300 ° c ., the reaction pressure is 0 . 9 - 1 . 0 mpa , and the reaction time is 5 - 10 seconds . 21 . 4 kg potassium zinc trihydride was placed in a multi - tubular reactor comprising six nickel alloy tubes each having a diameter of 40 mm and a length of 6 , 000 mm , and the catalyst was added in a volume of 30 l . the multi - tubular reactor jacket was heated with a thermal oil . the reactor was heated up to 250 ° c ., and nitrogen was introduced at a rate of 10 l / min to further dry the catalyst . the introduction of nitrogen was continued for 5 hours , and then the reactor was further heated up to 300 ° c . 1 , 1 , 2 - trifluo - 1 , 2 , 2 - trichloroethane was preheated and then fed into the multi - tubular reactor from the top thereof , with the feeding rate under standard state being 180 l / min . the pressure of the multi - tubular reactor was maintained at 0 . 8 mpa . the reacted materials were then discharged from the bottom of the multi - tubular reactor , washed directly with water and alkali , dried with a molecular sieve , condensed , collected by rectification , and then samples were taken and analyzed . after an hour , 56 kg trifluorochloroethylene having a purity of 99 . 5 % was obtained . the conversion ratio of 1 , 1 , 2 - trifluo - 1 , 2 , 2 - trichloroethane was 99 . 0 %, and the yield was 99 . 20 %. when the conversion ratio of 1 , 1 , 2 - trifluo - 1 , 2 , 2 - trichloroethane and the yield began to decrease , stop feeding and began to feed hydrogen , with the temperature of the multi - tubular reactor being maintained at 300 ° c ., the feeding rate of hydrogen under standard state being 360 l / min , and the pressure of the multi - tubular reactor being maintained at 0 . 9 mpa . after 30 minutes , the activation was completed , and the feeding was switched back . the feeding rate of 1 , 1 , 2 - trifluo - 1 , 2 , 2 - trichloroethane was 180 l / min under standard state , and the pressure of the multi - tubular reactor was maintained at 0 . 8 mpa . the reacted materials were then discharged from the bottom of the multi - tubular reactor , washed directly with water and alkali , dried with a molecular sieve , condensed , collected by rectification , and then samples were taken and analyzed . after an hour , 55 . 9 kg trifluorochloroethylene having a purity of 99 . 5 % was obtained . the conversion ratio of 1 , 1 , 2 - trifluo - 1 , 2 , 2 - trichloroethane was 99 . 1 %, and the yield was 99 . 02 %. 21 . 4 kg potassium zinc trihydride was placed in a multi - tubular reactor comprising six nickel alloy tubes having a diameter of 40 mm and a length of 6 , 000 mm , and the catalyst was added in a volume of 30 l . the multi - tubular reactor jacket was heated with a thermal oil . the reactor was heated up to 250 ° c ., and nitrogen was introduced at a rate of 10 l / min to further dry the catalyst . the introduction of nitrogen was continued for 5 hours , and then the reactor was further heated up to 280 ° c . 1 , 1 , 2 - trifluo - 1 , 2 , 2 - trichloroethane was preheated and then fed into the multi - tubular reactor from the top thereof , with the feeding rate under standard state being 120 l / min . the pressure of the multi - tubular reactor was maintained at 0 . 9 mpa . the reacted materials were then discharged from the bottom of the multi - tubular reactor , washed directly with water and alkali , dried with a molecular sieve , condensed , collected by rectification , and then samples were taken and analyzed . after an hour , 37 . 25 kg trifluorochloroethylene having a purity of 99 . 60 % was obtained . the conversion ratio of 1 , 1 , 2 - trifluo - 1 , 2 , 2 - trichloroethane was 99 . 2 %, and the yield was 99 . 07 %. when the conversion ratio of 1 , 1 , 2 - trifluo - 1 , 2 , 2 - trichloroethane and the yield began to decrease , stop feeding and began to feed hydrogen , with the temperature of the multi - tubular reactor being maintained at 280 ° c ., the feeding rate of hydrogen under standard state being 240 l / min , and the pressure of the multi - tubular reactor being maintained at 1 . 0 mpa . after 30 minutes , the activation was completed , and the feeding was switched back . the feeding rate of 1 , 1 , 2 - trifluo - 1 , 2 , 2 - trichloroethane was 120 l / min under standard state , and the pressure of the multi - tubular reactor was maintained at 0 . 9 mpa . the reacted materials were then discharged from the bottom of the multi - tubular reactor , washed directly with water and alkali , dried with a molecular sieve , condensed , collected by rectification , and then samples were taken and analyzed . after an hour , 37 . 22 kg trifluorochloroethylene having a purity of 99 . 70 % was obtained . the conversion ratio of 1 , 1 , 2 - trifluo - 1 , 2 , 2 - trichloroethane was 99 . 2 %, and the yield was 99 . 09 %. 21 . 4 kg potassium zinc trihydride was placed in a multi - tubular reactor comprising six nickel alloy tubes having a diameter of 40 mm and a length of 6 , 000 mm , and the catalyst was added in a volume of 30 l . the multi - tubular reactor jacket was heated with a thermal oil . the reactor was heated up to 250 ° c ., and nitrogen was introduced at a rate of 10 l / min to further dry the catalyst . the introduction of nitrogen was continued for 5 hours , and then the reactor was further heated up to 320 ° c . 1 , 1 , 2 - trifluo - 1 , 2 , 2 - trichloroethane was preheated and then fed into the multi - tubular reactor from the top thereof , with the feeding rate under standard state being 90 l / min . the pressure of the multi - tubular reactor was maintained at 1 . 0 mpa . the reacted materials were then discharged from the bottom of the multi - tubular reactor , washed directly with water and alkali , dried with a molecular sieve , condensed , collected by rectification , and then samples were taken and analyzed . after an hour , 27 . 90 kg trifluorochloroethylene having a purity of 99 . 9 % was obtained . the conversion ratio of 1 , 1 , 2 - trifluo - 1 , 2 , 2 - trichloroethane was 99 . 5 %, and the yield was 99 . 22 %. when the conversion ratio of 1 , 1 , 2 - trifluo - 1 , 2 , 2 - trichloroethane and the yield began to decrease , stop feeding and began to feed hydrogen , with the temperature of the multi - tubular reactor being decreased to 300 ° c ., the feeding rate of hydrogen under standard state being 180 l / min , and the pressure of the multi - tubular reactor being maintained at 0 . 9 mpa . after 30 minutes , the activation was completed , and the feeding was switched back . the feeding rate of 1 , 1 , 2 - trifluo - 1 , 2 , 2 - trichloroethane was 90 l / min under standard state , and the pressure of the multi - tubular reactor was maintained at 1 . 0 mpa . the reacted material was then discharged from the bottom of the multi - tubular reactor , washed directly with water and alkali , dried with a molecular sieve , condensed , collected by rectification , and then samples were taken and analyzed . after an hour , 27 . 85 kg trifluorochloroethylene having a purity of 99 . 91 % was obtained . the conversion ratio of 1 , 1 , 2 - trifluo - 1 , 2 , 2 - trichloroethane was 99 . 1 %, and the yield was 99 . 06 %. the examples as set forth above should not be construed as limiting the present invention in any way . it should be understood that any technical solutions obtained by equivalent substitutions or variations would fall within the scope of the present invention . application : | 1 |
fig1 generally describes how the signal is transmitted from one car to another car . number 100 is a tunnel , 101 is a cellular transmitting station that transmits the signal to car 102 that gets into the tunnel . car 102 transmits the signal via antenna 103 . all the signals that the car receives through its antenna get transmitted , via electronic chip 104 , inside the tunnel to the car next to it ( car 105 ). this is how the signal from outside the tunnel gets inside the tunnel . the receiving chip 104 on the car inside the tunnel will receive the signal . now , the car inside the tunnel transmits the signal from electronic chip 104 to the car next to it , to its electronic chip 104 and so on . the car that receives the signal operates with the signal exactly the same way as it would as if it received the signal directly from the station 101 ; as if the car was outside the tunnel . fig2 shows the case where , instead of vehicles , people are inside a tunnel or underground 200 in a metro station or other place with limited radio transmission . transmission station 101 transmits the signal . 202 represents a person who is about to enter a tunnel . this person has a cellular phone 203 which still can receive the signal directly from transmission station 101 . the cell phone 203 has an electronic chip 204 that is capable of transmitting a signal by itself for short distances . this signal gets sent from the cell phone 203 to a cell phone 205 with an electronic chip 204 that can receive the signal . the user with the cell phone 205 is inside the tunnel and cannot receive the signal directly from the transmitting station 101 . the signal from this user with cell phone 205 gets transmitted to the next cell phone user who has a phone 206 with electronic chip ( transeiver ) 204 to receive the signal . thus , all the signals get transmitted from the user outside the tunnel to the next user , through the chain of other users , using their cell phone transeiver chip to transmit the signal . fig3 gives an example of how to use the transeiver inside the car . it will be used to determine traffic jams . 300 is the road with moving cars . 301 is the satellite 302 , 303 etc . are the cars on the road equipped with the transeiver electronic devices 304 , 305 , 306 respectively . the transeiver device is allowed to transmit the signal on very short distances . the signal gets sent from the transeiver 304 and received by transeiver 305 and the distances are measured and sent to satellite 301 . this information is sent from satellite 301 to computer 307 , and on the computer screen 308 , the picture shows the traffic for this particular region . the example given here shows road 309 packed with cars that create a traffic jam . at the same time , the picture shows cars traveling freely along a road 310 . this information later gets transmitted to car drivers and tells them what streets in the city have traffic jams and shows them alternate roads . this also can be used to transmit information about how many people are in a particular city or region . for example , it would be possible to determine the number of people that show up at a demonstration , sports event or other gathering . by using a cell phone that people carry it is possible that the electronic transeiver chip can report how many people are located in one particular region . fig4 is a block diagram of the electronic transeiver chip that is capable of receiving and transmitting a signal from one cell phone to another phone and from one car to another car . the cell phone 400 , 401 antenna , 402 receiver that contains analyzer 406 . analyzer is capable of determining whether some of the received signals are required to be transmitted . it is possible to do this whether or not people subscribe to a particular service . for example , whether or not it is allowed to transmit a signal inside a tunnel . only the signal that is marked to allow transmitting will be transmitted further . analyzer 406 will check if the signal is marked for further transmission . analyzer also checks whether the signal is marked as an “ emergency signal .” this can be in a case where there was a traffic accident in a tunnel or some driver in a tunnel had a cardiac attack . if the signal is marked as an “ emergency signal ,” it will receive preferred treatment . it can be transmitted through a frequency band that is most widely available to other cellular devices . under a special agreement , one can block other signals that are transmitted through this frequency band in order to allow the transmission of the emergency signals . if transmission of the signal is allowed , the signal will be labeled and the frequency of the signal will be changed to transmitted via transmitted frequency from one cell phone to another . this special signal will be labeled by block 404 that this is a special signal that has a secondary transmission from one cell phone to another cell phone . as the transmitter 405 will be transmitting the signal in special frequency selected for this service , it will not disturb a signal going on other frequencies . this signal will be marked as a second signal . analyzer 406 will determine if the signal was issued directly or if it is the secondary signal that is transferred from one cell device to another cell device . analyzer 406 will transmit the secondary signal to block 407 to be descent to the next user . block 407 will transmit a signal to the next cell user as a regular audio signal . the analyzer will understand this particular signal and descent to a particular user . the signal can be decoded with a special code that corresponds to a code of a particular cell phone user . if the signal has a special code which is descent to a particular user , a signal will not be transmitted to other cars , or other cell user . if the code of the signal does not correspond to the code of this particular cell phone , then the signal will get transmitted further to the next available user and so on . fig5 is a block diagram showing how the signal gets transmitted inside the tunnel . device receives the signal 500 . 501 checks whether the signal was received outside the tunnel or inside . if the signal was received outside the tunnel , the analyzer will check if it needs to transmit the signal inside the tunnel and how far from the tunnel it is located . the analyzer checks to see if it receives any signal from the cars inside the tunnel . cars inside the runnel will send weak signals outside the tunnel indicating that they need information or that they are trying to transmit . the cars outside the tunnel will receive the signal from the cars inside the tunnel indicating that there is a request for the transmission from the cars inside the tunnel . block 502 checks whether there is a signal that has been received from inside the tunnel . the analyzer inside the transeiver checks if the signal received has a special label identifying the secondary transmission . also , it checks if the signal is marked for the user that is subscribing to that particular service . also it checks whether the signal is marked as the emergency signal . after this is determined , block 505 transmits the signal in a determined frequency , and the signal is marked as the secondary signal . block 504 determines whether the signal transmitted inside the tunnel will be transmitted to the car next to it unconditionally . if the analyzer determines that the signal is labeled with the special code that is descent to a particular car , it will not be transmitted any further . it also will enable a determination of how many cars are currently inside the tunnel . this special signal will be sent from the satellite to a car outside the tunnel and transmitted to each of the cars inside the tunnel . the special signal marked with the special code will be used to compute the distance between the cars and it will count how many cars are in the tunnel . the satellite will receive the signal back which will help to determine to assess the number of cars in the tunnel . fig6 is a flow chart showing a procedure to determine traffic jams and the density of the population during gatherings in certain areas . block 600 sends the short range signal , which is received by another device 601 . if this device is outside the tunnel , it will send a long range signal to a satellite that will determine its location . if this device was inside the tunnel , the block 602 will send the short distance signal labeled as the signal to determine the distance between the next user with cell phone or car with electronic transceiver . this signal has the special purpose to determine the distance between the cars in the tunnel and this is how the signal is labeled . block 603 counts how many cars received this signal . when the special signal gets transmitted from one car to another , distance and count is computed ; and once it reaches the car outside the tunnel , the signal is redirected by this car to the satellite as the total information . a satellite computer can compute the number of cars in the tunnel . it is also possible to have special devices on the streets that will read the information from the electronic device inside the car and transmit this information to a satellite . this will allow computing the number of cars in certain locations . this also can be used for computing a density of people carrying or using cell phones . while it is apparent that the invention herein disclosed is well calculated to fulfill the objects stated above , it will be appreciated that numerous modifications and embodiments may be devised by those skilled in the art , and it is intended that the appended claims cover all such modifications and embodiments as fall within the true spirit and scope of the present invention . | 7 |
a folding stair hatch opening - type insulation - dome forming device particularly adapted to receive and retain thermal insulation material and weather strip - type gasketing and is portably erectile with collapsing features adapted to allow for easy transport and handling before installation . the dome shaped insulation former will herein after be referred to as &# 34 ; dome &# 34 ;. a dome , 10 of fig1 has lateral compartments , 11 , and a top compartment , 12 , which are attached to each other with glue , staples , or other fastening implement ( s ). an attachment - pattern of a lateral compartment , 11 , to the top compartment , 12 , places a flat &# 34 ; wing &# 34 ; panel , 15 of fig4 laterally and parallely along the longest length of the outermost plane of said lateral compartment , 11 , and extending perpendicularly therefrom to the outermost angle , 16 , of the top compartment , 12 , and being pivotally attached thereto and functionally operative , 17 of fig4 per the axis , 22 , thereof ; said perpendicular extension of wing panel , 15 , being equal in length to the shortest width of the outermost plane , 18 , of the top compartment , 12 . a second alternative attachment pattern of a lateral compartment , 11 , to the top compartment , 12 , places the uppermost plane of said lateral compartment , 11 , parallel and entirely attached to the outermost portion of the lowermost plane , 19 of fig4 of the top compartment , 12 , and having the vertex of the outer and uppermost angle , 20 of fig4 of said lateral compartment , 11 , colinear with the vertex , 21 , of the outer and lowermost angle of said top compartment , 12 , said lateral compartment &# 39 ; s outer vertex , 20 , serving as a hinge axis device , 24 , in complimentary concord with the lateral compartment &# 39 ; s upper and innermost vertex , 23 , and sharing a parallel axis , 25 , in operation , 26 , therewith . the lateral compartment , 11 , has two ( 2 ) alternative collapsed - to - portably erectile patterns , 27 of fig5 and 28 of fig6 whereby all respective inner and outer lateral compartment planes which meet one another in forming their generally flat configuration are converted to their fully dimensioned , functionally potent form . the top compartment , 12 , has a portably erectile - collapsing pattern , 29 of fig5 whereby the upper and lowermost planes thereof meet one another in forming their generally flat configuration and therefrom convertable to their fully dimensional , functionally potent form . the dome , 10 , having four ( 4 ) lateral compartments , 11 , which meet each other along a common plane to form a quadrilateral interior and exterior side wall effect for said dome , 10 , utilizes a tab , 30 , and slot , 31 , system and pattern , 32 of fig9 of joining said lateral compartments to form angles perpendicular to the lowermost plane of the top compartment , 12 ; said slots , 31 , are die cut into fiberboard or plastic box blanks during manufacture while said tabs , 30 , are hingedly attached with glue or staples or are also die cut into the inside lateral plane of the lateral compartment , 11 . the dome , 10 , may be fitted with handles , 37 of fig7 preferably of the plastic strap or rope variety , and secured with rivets , staples , or other fastening device , to the inside lateral planes of the lateral compartments , 11 . the dome , 10 , may be fitted with a foil or other type moisture barrier insert , 33 of fig7 as it appears in the preferred embodiment , and preferably will comprise a foil or other material - lined box which is of the common collapsible paperboard variety with an additional pair of &# 34 ; top planar extension flaps &# 34 ;, 34 , which are positioned on at least two ( 2 ) opposite ends of the uppermost plane of said insert , 33 , and poised for assembly therewith against and parallel to the lowermost plane of the top compartment , 12 , and the uppermost plane of the lateral compartment , 11 of fig8 ; said insert , 33 , also being attached at the lower perimeter , 35a , of lateral panels , 35 , utilizing notches , 36 , which fit about handles , 37 . an alternative method of attachment of said insert , 33 of fig7 to dome , 10 , is with the use of common peel - off tape - type adhesive located , at manufacture , to the perimeter , 35a , of the lateral panels , 35 , of said insert , 33 , and upon the uppermost plane , 38 , of said insert , 33 . the dome , 10 , having compartments , each being adapted to receive insulation material utilizes a common - type fiberboard or plastic box closure device , 13 of fig2 on at least one ( 1 ) plane of each compartment , lateral , 11 , or top , 12 , to retain whatever insulation material is inserted . an alternative compartment closure device , 14 of fig3 utilizes the common - type four ( 4 ) flap variety in conjunction with ordinary high strength packing tape to retain the contents of each respective compartment . common - type high strength packing tape , preferably of the 2 inch width size , is also used to reinforce all seams between all respective compartments . the dome , 10 , may be gasketed with a weather stripping or the user &# 39 ; s choice , suggestively of the common stick - on variety , by placing same around the inside perimeter of the lowermost plane of all lateral compartments , 11 , of the fully assembled dome , 10 . the dome , 10 , may be centered and set in an inverted position to cover a hatch opening , 40 of fig1 and optionally secured with hinges , preferably of the plastic variety , 41 of fig7 to the surrounding floor plane , 42 of fig1 . the foregoing description of preferred embodiment of the invention has been presented for the purposes of illustration and description . it is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed . many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching . it is intended that the scope of the invention be limited not by this detailed description , but rather by the claims appended hereto . | 4 |
in detail , the drawing shows a cleaning apparatus 10 , schematically illustrated as a cleaning bath , for cleaning objects soiled , in particular , with solid substances . this can , however , also be a cleaning fluid collecting tank for collecting used cleaning fluid supplied from various cleaning processes and for passing this on to a regenerating process . a cleaning fluid line 12 leads away from the base of the cleaning apparatus 10 . this line includes a pump 14 serving to generate a system pressure and opens into a flush - back filter 16 . the cleaning fluid line 12 as well as the pump 14 are designed such that used cleaning fluid including solid impurities contained therein up to a size of approximately 20 mm can be conveyed from the cleaning apparatus 10 to the flush - back filter 16 . to protect the pump 14 , larger foreign bodies are expediently retained by a pump protection screen which is not illustrated . filter elements 18 , in particular wire slit filter elements , are arranged in the interior of the flush - back filter 16 such that the cleaning fluid to be processed flows through them from the outside inwards . the majority of the impurities contained in the cleaning fluid remain on the outside of the filter elements 18 and a permeate thereby formed and cleansed to a great extent from impurities is returned at least partially to the cleaning apparatus 10 via a permeate return line 20 connecting the outflow side of the flush - back filter 16 with nozzle devices 19 spraying into the cleaning apparatus 10 . the filter elements 18 of the flush - back filter 16 are , in the embodiment illustrated , of a cylindrical design or form a cylindrical screen cage , through which cleaning fluid conveyed by the pump 14 into the flush - back filter 16 flows during operation of the filter . a partition wall arranged at an angle separates the inflow side from the outflow side of the flush - back filter 16 , which is formed , inter alia , by the interior of the screen cage . in order to prevent the filter elements 18 becoming clogged , these are continuously or intermittently cleaned by a flush - back process known per se . in particular when the filter elements 18 have smooth surfaces , it has proven favorable for the filter surfaces to be scraped free mechanically . since , when using wire slit filter elements , this form of cleaning merely represents a rough cleaning of the filter elements since only the dirt located on the surface of a wire slit filter element can be removed by mechanical scraping , the screen cage of the flush - back filter 16 under consideration is both flushed back in a known manner which does not require any explanation and also mechanically cleaned by a schematically illustrated scraper device 22 , which rotates around the screen cage intermittently or continuously by means of an electric drive 24 . for discharging the flush - back fluid containing impurities from a lower region on the inflow side of the flush back filter 16 or to separate the impurities from the flush - back fluid , an inventive sedimentation apparatus is , as shown in the drawing , provided with a sedimentation tank 26 which is connected with the flush - back filter 16 via a tank inlet line 28 and a supply valve 30 . the sedimentation tank 26 comprises a first region 32 and a sediment collecting region 34 located therebelow which are separable from one another by means of a separating device 36 . the sediment collecting region 34 has at a lower end 38 a tank outlet 42 closable by means of a closure member 40 . in this respect , it is advantageous for the tank outlet 42 to encompass an entire cross - sectional area of the sediment collecting region 34 which can either be opened up by the closure member 40 or covered or rather closed . the closure member 40 and also the separating device 36 are preferably formed by flat slide valves since these are suitable for opening up or covering large cross - sectional areas . in the present embodiment , the sediment collecting region 34 is designed as a sediment collecting chamber separated from the first region 32 but connected with it via the separating device 36 . the sedimentation tank 26 is also designed to be pressure - tight and has a pressure switch 44 interacting with the supply valve 30 arranged in the tank inlet line 28 . a connecting line 50 provided with a valve 48 leads from an upper section 46 of the first region 32 to an upper zone 52 of the sediment collecting region 34 . a return line 54 with an additional valve 56 connects a lower section of the first region 32 of the sedimentation tank 26 with the cleaning apparatus 10 . in the basic state of the sedimentation apparatus , i . e . before one pressure sedimentation cycle commences and after the previous pressure sedimentation cycle has terminated , the sedimentation tank 26 is empty except for a slight residue of fluid in its first region 32 , and the shut - off fixtures are closed , except for the separating device 36 to the sediment collecting region 34 . to initiate a new sedimentation cycle , the supply valve 30 is opened , and the sedimentation tank 26 is filled with flush - back fluid in a few seconds due to the system pressure in the region of between 3 and 6 bars or even higher prevailing at the inflow side of the flush - back filter . the volume of air of , e . g ., 70 liters located in the tank interior is hereby displaced and compressed , a cushion of compressed air having the system pressure forming in the upper section 46 of the first region 32 . the supply valve 30 in the tank inlet 28 can now be closed to end the filling procedure . in the embodiment to be described , it is particularly advantageous for the pressure switch 44 to be adjustable to a specific system pressure and to actuate the supply valve 30 once this system pressure is reached in the interior of the sedimentation tank 26 so that the supply valve is closed . to make the filling procedure completely automatic it is also conceivable and advantageous to design the pressure switch 44 so that it opens the supply valve 30 and flush - back fluid flows into the sedimentation tank 26 as soon as the basic state of the sedimentation apparatus is reached and the pressure in the interior is approximately 1 bar . in this respect , it is advantageous , in addition , for the pressure switch 44 and the shut - off fixtures to interact in such a manner that the pressure switch 44 can only open the supply valve 30 when all the system components are in the basic state described above . once the sedimentation tank 26 has been filled and the flush - back fluid in the interior of the tank has become calm , the sedimentation phase begins . downwardly sinking solid impurities pass through the opened separating device 36 into the sediment collecting region 34 and displace the flush - back fluid located therein . due to the inventive pressure acting on the sedimenting flush - back fluid , it is possible , in accordance with the invention , for compressible and / or porous substances , such as , for example , cellulose , wood chips etc ., the density of which is , under normal conditions , below that of an aqueous cleaning fluid and which would not , therefore , settle , to be compressed and / or absorb fluid to an increased degree so that their density increases and they sink to the bottom . since the flush - back fluid , as explained at the outset , can contain impurities having a diameter in the order of magnitude of 20 mm , it is advantageous for the separating device 36 to have an adequately large passage cross section to allow the sedimenting substances to pass into the sediment collecting region 34 without clogging the separating device . for this reason , a flat slide valve is , as already mentioned , used as separating device 36 . stopcocks would also seem to be suitable for this purpose . the diameters of the passage cross sections of the separating device 36 and the closure member 49 are , in this case , 65 and 100 mm , respectively . in addition , it is advantageous for the first region 32 of the sedimentation tank 26 to taper conically downwards and thereby lead funnel - shaped into the separating device 36 or the sediment collecting region 34 . when the sediment collecting region 34 is filled with settled impurities or when the flush - back fluid located in the first region 32 is cleansed to a large extent of impurities , the sedimentation phase can be terminated by closing the separating device 36 . the duration of the sedimentation phase is determined in accordance with the type and degree of contamination of the flush - back fluid . average sedimentation or settling times are between 10 and 30 minutes . for discharging the sedimented impurities and the remaining flush - back fluid out of the sediment collecting region 34 , the closure member 40 could simply be opened so that the contents of the sediment collecting region 34 can drop through the tank outlet 42 into a dirt tank 58 . a sediment cake , which is formed , in particular , at a high system pressure and / or of compressible impurities in the sediment collecting region 34 , does , however , tend especially to adhere to the walls 60 of the sediment collecting region 34 which hinders the discharge of sediment from the sediment collecting region 34 . for this reason , it is of particular advantage to use the compressed - air cushion formed in accordance with the invention in the upper section 46 of the first region 32 for discharging the sediment with the aid of compressed air in accordance with the invention . once the closure member 40 is open , the compressed - air cushion is expanded explosively , in accordance with the invention , via the connecting line 50 and the opened valve 48 into the upper zone 52 of the sediment collecting region 34 , which causes the sediment cake to be pressed or blasted out of the sediment collecting region 34 . in this respect , it is particularly advantageous for the sediment collecting region 34 to widen conically downwards . in a lower zone 61 of the sediment collecting region 34 , a screen device 62 is provided to enable , first of all , only fluid to be discharged from the sediment collecting region 34 . this fluid can be returned to the cleaning apparatus 10 via an additional return line 66 comprising a third valve 64 . in order to blast the flush - back fluid present in the sediment collecting region 34 as completely as possible out of the sediment collecting region 34 , a portion of the compressed air is , in accordance with an additional inventive concept , expanded out of the compressed - air cushion via the connecting line 50 into the upper zone 52 of the sediment collecting region 34 . in this respect , it is advantageous for the valve 48 to be designed as a dosaging valve so that the sediment collecting region 34 provided with the screen device 62 is not subject to the entire system pressure but that an adjustable stream of air flows through the connecting line 50 into the sediment collecting region 34 and through the sediment cake located therein and that the residual flush - back fluid is therefore blown through the screen device 62 into the return line 66 and finally returned to the cleaning apparatus 10 . it is especially favorable to use only a part of the compressed - air cushion for this and then to expand the compressed - air cushion into the sediment collecting region 34 , as described above , through the completely opened valve 48 to eject the sediment with the aid of compressed air . at the same time , the screen - like component 62 can be blasted clean by a portion of the accumulated compressed air and from the outside inwards , i . e . contrary to the direction of flow , for which purpose a branch line 67 connecting the connecting line 50 and the additional return line 66 and having a fourth valve 69 is provided . when this fourth valve 69 is opened for this purpose , it is recommended that the third valve 64 be kept closed . flush - back fluid which has been cleansed to a large extent from impurities is expediently returned to the cleaning apparatus 10 from the first region 32 via the return line 54 when the closure member 40 and the valve 48 are both opened . if , for example , fluid is returned to the cleaning apparatus 10 via the return line 54 when the valve 56 is likewise open , ambient air can pass into the first region 32 of the sedimentation tank 26 via the connecting line 50 , when the closure member 40 and the valve 48 are both open , in order to equalize the pressure . otherwise , an underpressure would result in the first region 32 and hinder the continued return of flush - back fluid . alternatively , a ventilation valve could be provided in the upper section 46 of the first region 32 . once the flush - back fluid has been returned more or less completely , which can be determined via a pressure switch or a timer , the sedimentation apparatus is returned to its basic state by closing the closure member 40 as well as the valves 48 and 56 and subsequently opening the separating device 36 . for automation of the filling procedure it is expedient and advantageous to likewise automate the termination of the sedimentation phase as well as the ejection of sediment and the recovery of an aqueous phase cleansed to a large extent of impurities . for this purpose , a sensor 68 measuring the degree of fill can be provided in the sediment collecting region 34 . when a set degree of fill is reached in the sediment collecting region 34 , this sensor actuates the separating device 36 and thereby terminates the sedimentation phase . this sensor could be one operating inductively , which responds to metallic components , such as shavings and the like , which are always present in the sediment . it is then advantageous for the sensor to open the closure member 40 after the separating device 36 is closed and , subsequently , to open the valve 48 for ejection of the sediment with the aid of compressed air . once the sediment collecting region 34 has been emptied , the same sensor could then cause the valve 48 and the closure member 40 to close . due to a pressure sensor , which senses the drop in pressure in the first region 32 resulting from the ejection of sediment with the aid of compressed air , the return of the flush - back fluid to the cleaning apparatus 10 can then be initiated by actuating the valve 56 . it is then advantageous for a ventilation valve to be provided in the upper section 46 . after a certain time , the basic state of the inventive sedimentation apparatus could be reestablished by automatic closing of the valve 56 and by opening of the separating device 36 . other possibilities for controlling the valves and the closure devices of the inventive sedimentation apparatus are , of course , conceivable . the inventive sedimentation apparatus can advantageously be connected to any optional cleaning fluid system and , for example , used as well as a highly efficient solids separator in conjunction with processing devices which are mainly aimed at recovering surfactants and detergents but have only a few efficient solids separating means . the present disclosure relates to the subject matter disclosed in german application no . p 41 33 099 . 4 of oct . 5 , 1991 , the entire specification of which is incorporated herein by reference . | 1 |
the disclosed invention requires a mobile device to be connected to live ( real time ) network or to an emulated network environment , tethered to a pc hosting the automated test executive platform , and preloaded with remote access control software ( see fig1 ). the latter component enables the data gathering on the device and the remote access to the device to control the automated tests to be executed . the block diagram depicts an exemplary system of an automated end - to - end application test environment to initiate and control tests , as well as collect the test results . the system consists of test management software 10 , mobile device under test 20 , test control mobile client 21 , network emulator 30 and the internet 40 . the test control mobile client 21 is responsible to receive the requests from test management system and act on the requests locally on the mobile device . these requests may include initiation of a specific mobile application on the device , injection of key or user interface events on the mobile device 20 , and collection of device data or screen captures , etc . the test control mobile client 21 also transmits the data collected during the test to the test management system 10 . the interfaces between system components include : device control 11 — the interface to control test initiation and completion , and collection of results between the test management system 10 and the mobile device under test 20 . emulator control 12 — the interface from the test management system 10 to network emulator to control the test initiation and completion as well as collection of the test results . rf link 22 — the radio interface between the mobile device 20 and the network emulator 30 where the rf conditions are controlled , and the radio and ip layer messages transported . ip link 31 — the interface between the network emulator 30 and the internet 40 where the ip traffic is transported . referring to fig2 and 3 , depicted is an exemplary system of an automated end - to - end application test environment to initiate and control tests as well as collect the test results dynamically . the test management software can be scaled to act like a client server model or standalone model . in the client server model the server and client communicate via peer - to - peer connection . the server can communicate with any number of clients and sync . this model can be extended to control multiple devices at different locations based upon a workflow controller , sync and database . fig3 sets forth the server architecture 48 having three primary components : adapters 50 , toolbox 70 and sync 90 . workflow management system 110 forms the core engine and constitutes a scripting engine 130 , execution 140 and report generator 160 . adapters 50 provide the right automation that is required to perform the task . there are two modes live 52 and emulated 54 . from emulated 54 , a subset of agilent 56 , aeroflex 58 , r & amp ; s 60 or spirent 62 is selected . the toolbox 70 contains the necessary tools to communicate and execute a function . it encompasses two libraries : device driver library 72 and tool library 80 . the libraries are a collection of device drivers for different os type used to communicate with the device . from the device driver library , a driver for the android 74 , window 76 , iphone 78 or xyz 80 can be chosen . the tool library 80 is a collection of tools used to execute a command / function on the device . from the tool library 80 , voice call 82 , sms 84 , stress 86 or kpis 88 is selected . sync module 90 configures the system for three different modes of operation . this module provides timing reference to the system when configured in generator - listener modes . generator 92 , only the server can be a generator for timing reference . listener 94 , client listens to the server generator for timing reference . standalone 96 , the system will be fully functional without any server . workflow management system 110 forms the core engine and constitutes of a scripting engine 130 , execution 140 and report generator 150 . the scripting engine 130 provides the framework for the user to perform a structured or non - structured script execution . it consists of two modules . a templates module 132 is a collection of pre - defined scripts 134 which will be executed as part of structured testing . an editor template 136 provides the user interface for creating / editing custom scripts . consists of editor commands 138 to create / modify scripts . in execution , it simply executes the scripts / commands sent by the scripting engine . a report generator pulls the result from the execution engine and produces a report . 1 . start test 2 . establish connection to mobile device and test control mobile application . 3 . establish connection to emulator and initialize settings . 4 . upon successful device connection , send request from test management to mobile device to initiate an application with user entry information . 5 . upon successful network emulator connection , send radio condition settings to network emulator . 6 . test control mobile application initiates specific application requested and generates the user entry based on the information received from test management . 7 . if application fails to start , test control captures the failure condition and reports back the information to the test management 8 . upon successful start of the mobile application , the internet connection is initiated . 9 . the network emulator opens the internet connection for the mobile device . 10 . if internet connection fails , then the failure condition is captured by the test control and reported back to the test management . 11 . if the internet connection is successful , then the specific application request ( e . g . file upload , video viewing , etc .) is executed through the mobile control . 12 . during the mobile application execution , the snapshots of the data transfer size , device state ( e . g . battery level , current draw , signal strength , network information , etc .) are captured both on the mobile device and the network emulator . 13 . during the execution of the automated application test the network and radio conditions are changed by the test management . 14 . upon submission of the device and emulator captured data , the test management computes the test specific key performance indicators , such as , application start success / failure , ip throughput distribution versus radio conditions , comparison of results against test thresholds to determine the overall test success and failure . benefits of this invention are applicable across the mobile industry , specifically the testing groups across the mobile operators , device manufacturers , application developers , testing services , and content providers . these benefits include : 1 ) accelerating root cause identification of performance issues and failures ; 2 ) isolating issue identification to network , device or application ; 3 identifying mobile applications or device conditions that are causing excessive network load ; 4 ) ability to emulate the observed behavior including the lower level network message transactions in automated environment to significantly reduce the troubleshooting time ; 5 ) in a network emulated environment apply the operator and network constraints to measure the device and application behaviors and performance ; 6 ) manage the end to end test execution process from a single graphical user interface that manages the target mobile device , the applications on the device , the emulated radio network conditions , the simulated mobile services ( e . g . ip multi media services ), and the connectivity to external internet ; 7 ) measure application impact on network where some of the measurements would include : connect and disconnect requests , data transmission frequency with no user interactions ; upload and download payload traffic ; duplicate data transmission , and background device application data transmission characteristics . it is to be understood that while a certain form of the invention is illustrated , it is not to be limited to the specific form or arrangement herein described and shown . it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention and the invention is not to be considered limited to what is shown and described in the specification and any drawings / figures included herein . one skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the present invention is well adapted to carry out the objectives and obtain the ends and advantages mentioned , as well as those inherent therein . the embodiments , methods , procedures and techniques described herein are presently representative of the preferred embodiments , are intended to be exemplary and are not intended as limitations on the scope . changes therein and other uses will occur to those skilled in the art which are encompassed within the spirit of the invention and are defined by the scope of the appended claims . although the invention has been described in connection with specific preferred embodiments , it should be understood that the invention as claimed should not be unduly limited to such specific embodiments . indeed , various modifications of the described modes for carrying out the invention which are obvious to those skilled in the art are intended to be within the scope of the following claims . | 7 |
the present invention utilizes a multilevel heated collimating shadow mask assembly that resolves the problems discussed hereinbefore . fig3 a and 3b show two embodiments of such an assembly , constructed of a multiplicity of individual shadow masks 11 , stacked equidistantly ( fig3 a ) or aperiodically ( fig3 b ). in both cases , the apertures or openings 100 in all of the individual shadow masks are vertically aligned with respect to each other , allowing free passage of the vapor stream from the generic evaporating heating element 10 to the substrate 8 . moreover , each of the masks 11 is fabricated from an electrically resistive material . passing current through the contacts 9 and 12 resistively heats this mask assembly to prevent the clogging of the mask openings 100 caused by deposition of the evaporant 6 onto the masks 11 . the heated collimating mask assembly provides the necessary collimation of the vapor stream material 6 for deposition of high definition patterns of material 6 . moreover , the increased substrate to mask separation alleviates adverse heating that might affect the morphology of the deposited thin films . in fig3 a however , the equidistant spacing between shadow masks 11 creates diagonal vapor passages at certain angles , resulting in a spurious deposit 13 . this depends on the specific geometries of mask apertures , their lateral separation and mask - spacing period . an aperiodic stacking of such heated shadow mask elements as seen in fig3 b eliminates the spurious diagonal deposition . fig4 a is a photograph of a heated collimating mask assembly . in accordance with fig4 b , the electrical terminals 9 are providing current to the individual shadow masks 11 through a stack of electrically conducting elements 12 bolted to the terminals 9 . this mask assembly was constructed by stacking five tungsten - based individual shadow masks 11 , each having 25 μm thickness . the schematic of the mask assembly and the various inter - element separations are shown in fig4 b . with apertures or openings 100 of 125 microns on 1200 microns centers , the aperiodic design shown in fig4 b eliminated the diagonal spurious deposits . other inter - element spacings can be devised to achieve similar results . the slots or openings 100 in the masks were cut using wire electrical discharge machining ( edm ). other techniques , including but not limited to , laser machining and a variety of etching techniques such as plasma , ion beam and wet chemical etching , can be used . based on geometric considerations using a line of sight model , the width of the deposit w through a mask assembly with an aperture width o , the separation d between the bottom of the mask assembly and the substrate and the overall mask assembly thickness d are related by equation 1 below : in this design , deposited feature widths w of 250 microns were targeted while maintaining a 3 , 000 micron substrate to mask separation d . based on the 125 microns width apertures o , the overall mask assembly thickness d was 6000 microns . fig4 c shows a photograph of stripes of a npb [ n , n ′- bis ( naphthalene - 1 - yl )- n , n ′- bis ( phenyl ) benzidine film deposited on a silicon substrate through the heated ( 150 to 170 ° c .) collimating mask assembly described above . fig4 d shows the surface profile of the evaporated pattern . the full width at half maximum ( fwhm ) is ˜ 257 microns , compared to a design goal of 250 microns . fig5 a and 5b are schematic representations of a heated collimating mask assembly where the angle of incidence of the evaporant onto the substrate can be controlled by off - axis alignment of the apertures 100 to produce deposition beams arriving obliquely to the substrate . fig5 a and 5b show two typical off - axis mask designs for depositing thin films at an oblique angle using the concept of aperiodically spaced individual shadow masks to ensure evaporant passage only at the designed angle . such designs can find a number of uses in tailoring the fabrication of complex three - dimensional device structures . here , instead of the normal incidence thin film deposition profile 6 shown in fig4 d , the oblique deposition results in a different deposition profile as shown at 14 and 15 in fig5 . a separate oblique deposition design is shown in fig5 c . an already deposited pattern having a normal incidence thin film deposition profile 6 is modified by the oblique deposition of another film 17 , which can either be the same or different material . this provides additional flexibility in lithography - free fabrication of multi - layered device structures . another embodiment of the use of oblique deposition is shown in fig5 d in which co - deposition from two sources 18 and 19 is achieved . here , the two sources 18 and 19 are separated from each other by a baffle 20 , preventing unwanted mixing of the two evaporants prior to entering the oblique pathways through the heated mask assembly . the resulting deposition 21 is a mixture of the two materials , the stoichiometry of which is controlled by the power applied to the sources 18 and 19 respectively . the lower size limit of mask openings made by edm , laser drilling or focused ion beam sources in a pre - assembled stack of individual shadow mask blanks is typically a few microns depending on the required thickness of the mask assembly ( equation 1 ). this imposes strict limits on the thickness of the assembly through which apertures may be accurately realized . for example , in the case of laser machining we need to avoid broadening of the features due to diffraction limits , local heating effects , or lack of adequate collimation . finer features can be achieved through the use of microlithography , although limited to an individual mask element . use of this process dictates alignment and bonding of several elements with respect to each other , in order to achieve collimation . fig6 a illustrates one such embodiment in which the stack of silicon ( si ) wafers 22 , is provided with electrical contacts 24 and bonded to alternating glass sheets 23 using conventional methods such as anodic bonding . here , the glass can be a sacrificial layer and may be selectively removed through the si openings . there are numerous examples in the mem ( micro - electro - mechanical ) literature of anodic bonding of si to glass . advantages of such si - on - glass structures are : ( 1 ) to vary the doping level and / or thickness of si wafers to provide the means for resistive heating , ( 2 ) by proper choice of glass , to eliminate warping due to thermal expansion coefficient differences , and ( 3 ) known techniques for highly selective etching of glass can be used to remove it from between mask elements at desired locations . the minimum size of the openings that can be produced in an integrated mask assembly generally increases as its overall thickness increases . these mask openings can be simultaneously narrowed throughout all of the individual masks by a controlled build - up of suitable material 25 on the respective edges of the openings as shown schematically in fig6 b . this can be accomplished before or after removing the sacrificial layers 23 . such material build - up can be performed by a number of methods such as , but not limited to , electroplating , electroless plating and self - assembly . equipping such a collimating mask assembly with a shutter mechanism further enhances its versatility and permits better control of the deposition cycle . fig7 a , 7 b and 7 c schematically represent one method for the fabrication of a two - level heated collimating mask assembly which will function as a shutter mechanism as shown in fig7 d ( shutter open ) and 7 e ( shutter closed ). this type of unit may be constructed using a variety of methods . in fig7 a – 7c , a sacrificial substrate 27 having passages 28 and a flexible hinge 26 is first coated with an electrically conductive material 29 ( fig7 b ). oblique metal deposition on the pre - patterned substrate of fig7 b is followed by further electroless plating to build up the thickness of the metal to be mechanically robust . thus there is formed 3 - dimensional guards 31 around each set of openings 30 and controlled aperture size reduction ( fig6 b ) can be achieved . alternatively , the mask blank 27 can be realized by starting from an undoped or lightly doped pre - patterned si slab ( fig7 a ). subsequently , by ion implantation , one can adjust both top and bottom surface conductivity to spatially control the thickness and position of the electroplated metal so that the desired 3 - dimensional guards are obtained . this is followed by etching of the inner pre - patterned substrate 27 to obtain a structure that is supported by the flexible hinge 26 , as shown in fig7 c – 7e . such structures can act as collimating mask assemblies when equipped with electrical contacts 32 and 9 ( fig7 d ). these 3 - dimensional guards 31 prevent the diagonal transport of the evaporant flux 6 as shown in fig7 d . with the help of an actuation mechanism 33 , these 3 - d guards act as shutters by blocking the line of sight path of the evaporant . the lateral displacement of the bottom part of the mask assembly with respect to the top part , acts as a controlled shutter mechanism that temporarily halts deposition without turning off the power to the evaporation source 10 and permits another deposition zone on the substrate to be presented to the heating element . a variety of heated collimating mask assemblies outfitted with shutter mechanisms can be also produced using the technology outlined in fig6 a and 6b . in particular , monolithic integration of si / glass architectures , where one of the patterned elements incorporates a spring - hinged structure or a sliding element , can be also used to provide the means for such a shutter mechanism . a spring - hinged configuration is shown in fig8 a and 8b where , with the help of a thin sidewall structure 35 and actuation mechanism 37 , the lower half of the assembly is moved parallel to the top part , thus eliminating the aperture alignment and blocking the vapor stream 36 . alternatively , a shutter mechanism can be realized by making one of the mask elements within the stack 38 movable parallel to the stack as shown in fig8 c and 8d . this lateral motion of the mask element 38 can be controlled by the use of an actuator 39 and a restoring spring element ( not shown ) which , when the movable element is moved into the right position , blocks the vapor stream 40 . example of the method and apparatus of the present invention is the following specific example : five tungsten foils ( 1 ′× 1 ′× 0 . 001 ″) are sandwiched with three metallic spacers having a thickness of 1000 microns , 2000 microns and 1500 microns , respectively . this assembly was clamped on its sides . the five tungsten foils were bonded with a vacuum compatible insulating material ( to hold them in place once the metallic spacers are removed ). following this bonding the opening in the mask set were created in all the foils stacked together using electric discharge machining ( edm ). at this point the metallic spacers were removed . the two ends of the stack were clamped to copper electrodes as shown in fig4 a and 4b while preventing any distortion of the spacing between the tungsten foils containing openings . the mask unit was placed between the substrate 8 and evaporation source 10 as shown in fig4 b with a substrate to mask assembly spacing of 3000 microns ( 3 mm ). current was applied to the source 10 to heat the npb deposit thereon and effect its vaporization ( c . a . 60 – 80 amperes ), and current was simultaneously applied to the masks of the assembly 12 to heat them to a temperature of about 170 ° a and preclude deposition of the evaporant thereon . fig4 c shows the deposited npb fil the silicon substrate . the thickness profile of the deposited film using a surface profilometer ( alphastep 200 , tencor ) is shown in fig4 d . although tungsten foil is a convenient material for making the masks , other materials may be used such as doped si with adequate resistivity and thickness , and nichrome , molybdenum , and tantalum foils . in the case of silicon wafers ( foils ), various insulators ( such as glass , pyrex , quartz ) can be used as spacers . these spacers may be bonded using a variety of standard bonding techniques . mask openings can be realized by a variety of methods such as edm , laser machining and ion beam etching . in addition , various techniques can be employed for the alignment of openings with respect to each other in individual mask foils . these techniques are useful to realize mask assemblies that enable evaporation at an oblique angle such as shown in fig5 . the oblique evaporation may be used to produce desired thickness profiles of the evaporated films . thus , it can be seen from the foregoing detailed specification and attached drawings that the collimating apparatus and method of the present invention provide effective and controlled slem deposition of patterns on a substrate . 1 . c . w . tang , et al . : “ electroluminescence of doped organic thin films ”, j . appl . phys ., 65 , 1989 , pp . 3610 – 3615 . 2 . j . r . sheats , et al . : “ organic electroluminescent devices ”, science , 273 , 1996 , pp . 884 – 888 . 3 . a . ulman : “ an introduction to ultrathin organic films from langmuir - blodgett to self - assembly ”. 1991 , boston , mass . : academic press 4 . r . w . corkery : “ langmuir - blodgett ( l - b ) multilayer films ”, langmuir , 13 ( 14 ), 1997 , pp . 3591 – 3594 . 5 . g . g . roberts : “ langmuir - blodgett films ”, contemp . phys ., 25 ( 2 ), 1984 , pp . 109 – 128 . 6 . d . l . thomsen , et al . : “ zinc - bisquinoline coordination of high refractive index and film uniformity ”, j . am . chem . soc ., 120 , 1998 , pp . 6177 – 6178 . 7 . d . k . schwartz : “ mechanisms and kinetics of self - assembled monolayer formation ”, annual review of physical chemistry , 52 , 2001 , pp . 107 – 137 . 8 . p . f . nealey , et al . : “ micro - and nanofabrication techniques based on self - assembled monolayers ”, molecular electronics , 1997 , pp . 343 – 367 . 9 . a . terfort , et al . : “ three - dimensional self - assembly of millimeter - scale components ”, nature ( london ), 386 ( 6621 ), 1997 , pp . 162 – 164 . 10 . g . m . whitesides , et al . : “ organic chemistry in two dimensions : surface - functionalized polymers and self - assembled monolayer films ”, chemtracts : org . chem ., 1 ( 3 ), 1988 , pp . 171 – 187 . 11 . g . m . whitesides , et al . : “ organized molecular assemblies ”, crit . rev . surf . chem ., 3 ( 1 ), 1993 , pp . 49 – 65 . 12 . j . m . shaw : “ overview of polymers for electronic and photonic applications ”, polymers for electronic and photonic applications , 1993 , pp . 1 – 59 . 13 . e . reichmanis : “ the chemistry of polymers for microlithographic applications ”, polymers for electronic and photonic applications , 1993 , pp . 67 – 1111 . 14 . y . xia , et al . : “ microcontact printing with a cylindrical rolling stamp . a practical step toward automatic manufacturing of patterns with submicrometer - sized features ”, advanced materials ( weinheim , germany ), 8 ( 12 ), 1996 , pp . 1015 – 1017 . 15 . y . xia , et al . : “ reduction in the size of features of patterned sams generated by microcontact printing with mechanical compression of the stamp ”, adv . mater . ( weinheim , ger . ), 7 ( 5 ), 1995 , pp . 471 – 473 . 16 . j . l . wilbur , et al . : “ microfabrication by microcontact printing of self - assembled monolayers ”, adv . mater . ( weinheim , ger . ), 6 ( 7 / 8 ), 1994 , pp . 600 – 604 . 17 . t . w . odom , et al . : “ improved pattern transfer in soft lithography using composite stamps ”, langmuir , 18 ( 13 ), 2002 , pp . 5314 – 5320 . 18 . w . s . beh , et al . : “ formation of patterned microstructures of conducting polymers by soft lithography and applications in microelectronic device fabrication ”, advanced materials ( weinheim , germany ), 11 ( 12 ), 1999 , pp . 1038 – 1041 . 19 . s . p . speakman , et al . : “ high performance organic semiconducting thin films : ink jet printed polythiophene [ rr - p3ht ]”, organic electronics , 2 ( 2 ), 2001 , pp . 65 – 73 . 20 . s .- c . chang , et al . : “ multicolor organic light - emitting diodes processed by hybrid inkjet printing ”, adv . mater . ( weinheim , ger . ), 11 ( 9 ), 1999 , pp . 734 – 737 . 21 . y . yang , et al . : “ polymer light - emitting logos processed by the ink - jet printing technology ”, proc . spie - int . soc . opt . eng ., 3279 ( light - emitting diodes : research , manufacturing , and applications ii ), 1998 , pp . 78 – 86 . 22 . y . yang , et al . : “ organic / polymeric electroluminescent devices processed by hybrid ink - jet printing ”, j . mater . sci . : mater . electron ., 11 ( 2 ), 2000 , pp . 89 – 96 . 23 . f . papadimitrakopoulos , et al . : “ single - pass growth of multilayer patterned electronic and photonic devices using a scanning localized evaporation methodology ( slem )”, u . s . pat . ser . no . 10 / 159 , 670 , filing date jun . 3 , 2002 . | 2 |
now , embodiments of the present invention will be described blow with reference to the accompanying drawings . first of all , a configuration of an electron beam exposure apparatus will be described . subsequently , a configuration of an electron gun will be described and then a configuration of an electron source in the electron gun , which constitutes a characteristic part of the present invention , will be described . next , an exposure method for an exposure apparatus applying the electron gun of the present invention will be described . after that , a method of forming a region for controlling electron emission on a surface of the electron source will be described . lastly , effects of using the electron gun of the embodiment of the present invention will be described . fig1 is a block diagram of an electron beam exposure apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention . the electron beam exposure apparatus is broadly divided into an electron optical column 100 and a controller 200 for controlling respective units of the electron optical column 100 . here , the electron optical column 100 includes an electron beam generator 130 , a mask deflector 140 , and a substrate deflector 150 . pressure inside the electron optical column 100 is reduced . in the electron beam generator 130 , an electron beam eb generated from an electron gun 101 is subjected to a converging action by a first electromagnetic lens 102 and is then passed through a rectangular aperture 103 a of a beam forming mask 103 . accordingly , a cross - section of the electron beam eb is formed into a rectangle . then , the electron beam eb is imageformed on an exposure mask 110 by use of a second electromagnetic lens 105 of the mask deflector 140 . then , the electron beam eb is deflected into a specific pattern si formed on the exposure mask 110 by use of first electrostatic deflectors 104 and second electrostatic deflectors 106 , whereby a cross - sectional shape thereof is formed into the shape of the pattern si . here , the exposure mask 110 is fixed on a mask stage 123 . the mask stage 123 is movable on a horizontal plane . when using a pattern s located outside deflections range ( beam deflection ranges ) of the first electrostatic deflectors 104 and the second electrostatic deflectors 106 , the pattern s is moved inside the beam deflection ranges by shifting the mask stage 123 . third electromagnetic lenses 108 and fourth electromagnetic lenses 111 located above and below the exposure mask 110 have a function to imageform the electron beam eb on a substrate w by adjusting the amounts of current applied thereto . the electron beam eb passed through the exposure mask 110 is deflected back to an optical axis c by deflection operation attributable to third electrostatic deflectors 112 and fourth electrostatic deflectors 113 . then , the size of the electron beam eb is reduced by use of a fifth electromagnetic lens 114 . the mask deflector 140 is provided with first correction coils 107 and second correction coils 109 . beam deflection aberration caused by the first to fourth electrostatic deflectors 104 , 106 , 112 , and 113 is corrected by the first correction coils 107 and second correction coils 109 . thereafter , the electron beam eb is passed through an aperture 115 a of a closure plate 115 constituting the substrate deflector 150 , and is projected onto the substrate w by use of first projection electromagnetic lenses 116 and second projection electromagnetic lenses 121 . in this way , an image of the pattern on the exposure mask 110 is transferred to the substrate w at a given reduction ratio such as 1 / 10 . the substrate deflector 150 is provided with a fifth electrostatic deflector 119 and an electromagnetic deflector 120 . the electron beam eb is deflected by these deflectors 119 and 120 so that the image of the pattern on the exposure mask 110 is projected onto a given position on the substrate w . furthermore , the substrate deflector 150 is provided with third correction coils 117 and fourth correction coils 118 for correcting deflection aberration of the electron beam eb on the substrate w . the substrate w is fixed on a wafer stage 124 which is horizontally movable by a drive 125 such as a motor . accordingly , exposure on the entire surface of the substrate w can be performed by shifting the wafer stage 124 . meanwhile , the controller 200 includes an electron gun controller 202 , an electron optical system controller 203 , a mask deflection controller 204 , a mask stage controller 205 , a blanking controller 206 , a substrate deflection controller 207 , and a wafer stage controller 208 . among these controllers , the electron gun controller 202 controls an acceleration voltage of the electron beam eb , beam emission conditions , or the like by controlling the electron gun 101 . in the meantime , the electron optical system controller 203 controls amounts of current applied to the electromagnetic lenses 102 , 105 , 108 , 111 , 114 , 116 , and 121 , and thereby adjusting a magnification , a focal position , and other parameters of the electron optical system configured by these electromagnetic lenses . the blanking controller 206 deflects the electron beam eb generated prior to start of exposure onto the closure plate 115 by controlling a voltage applied to a blanking electrode 127 , and the irradiation of the electron beam eb onto the substrate before starting the exposure being avoided thereby . the substrate deflection controller 207 deflects the electron beam eb to the given position on the wafer w by controlling a voltage applied to the fifth deflector 119 and an amount of current applied to the electromagnetic deflector 120 . the wafer stage controller 208 shifts the substrate w in the horizontal direction by adjusting a driving amount of the drive 125 so as to irradiate the electron beam eb onto the desired position on the substrate w . the respective constituents 202 to 208 described above are integrally controlled by an integrated control system 201 such as a workstation . fig2 is a block diagram of the electron gun 101 . in the embodiment of the present invention , the electron gun 101 applied is a thermal electric field emission type . the electron gun 101 includes an electron source 20 , an extraction electrode 21 , a heat generator 22 for heating the electron source which is made of carbon and located on both sides of the electron source 20 , a holder 23 for holding the electron source 20 and the heat generator 22 for heating the electron source , and a suppressor electrode 24 for holding and surrounding the holder 23 . the electron source applied is a single crystal of lab 6 or ceb 6 , for example . in the electron gun 101 thus configured , the electron gun controller 202 heats the electron source 20 up to 1300 ° c . by continuously applying an electron source heating current to the heat generator 22 for heating the electron source . then , the electron gun controller applies an intense electric field into a space between the suppressor electrode 24 and the extraction electrode 21 while maintaining the electron source 20 to a constant temperature , thereby extracting electrons from the electron source 20 . moreover , the electron gun controller 20 applies a voltage to an acceleration electrode 25 located below the extraction electrode 21 to extract an electron beam 29 holding a predetermined energy . then , the electron beam 29 is irradiated on the photoresist coated substrate w fixed onto the wafer stage 124 so as to effectuate electron beam exposure . here , the voltage to be applied to the suppressor electrode 24 is set in a range from − 0 . 1 to − 0 . 5 kv while the voltage to be applied to the extraction electrode 21 is set in a range from 3 . 0 to 6 . 0 kv . these voltages are set to the values corresponding to electric potential at the electron source 20 , which is adjusted by adding − 50 kv because the electron source 20 usually has the electric potential at − 50 kv relative to true earth ground . in the embodiment of the present invention , the electrons are emitted by heating the electron source 20 and applying the intense electric field thereto at the same time . accordingly , absorption of gas molecules on the surface of the electron source 20 can be avoided , and eventually deterioration in luminance of the electron beam can be avoided as well . the disposition of an electrostatic lens electrode 26 in the space between the extraction electrode 21 and the acceleration electrode 25 is also conceivable in addition to the above - described electrodes . the above - mentioned electrostatic lens electrode 26 is configured to adjust an opening angle of the electronic irradiation irradiated from the electron source 20 and to apply a voltage so as to avoid irradiation of the electrons onto the acceleration electrode 25 . fig3 is a chart showing an example of electric field intensity distribution . in fig3 , the horizontal axis indicates the distance between the electron source and an electron emission surface . the vertical axis indicates the electric potential . in fig3 , x 1 indicates the position of the extraction electrode 21 and x 2 indicates the position of the electrostatic lens electrode 26 . moreover , fig3 shows a case where the electric potential at the acceleration electrode 25 is set equal to 0 [ kv ] and the electric potential on the electron emission surface of the electron source 20 is set equal to − 50 [ kv ]. as shown in fig3 , by forming an electron lens bearing the voltage slightly higher than a cathode voltage on the electron emission surface in the position of the electrostatic lens electrode 26 , the opening angle of the irradiated electrons is reduced thereby . in this way , the electron exposure on the acceleration electrode 25 is avoided . as a consequence , heat generation attributable to irradiation of the electron beam onto the acceleration electrode 25 is eliminated , and degradation in vacuum inside the exposure apparatus is also controlled . now , a configuration of the electron source 20 used in the embodiment in the present invention will be described below . fig4 is a cross - sectional diagram showing part of the electron source 20 and the electrodes which are both constitutions of the electron gun 101 . a tip of the electron source 20 is formed into a cone shape and a surrounding area is covered with carbon 30 . this carbon 30 is formed on a surface of the electron source 20 in accordance with the chemical vapor deposition ( cvd ) method , for example . the material of the electron source 20 is exposed on the tip of the electron source 20 and the exposed part is planarized . the tip of the electron source 20 is located in a position between the suppressor electrode 24 and the extraction electrode 21 . a voltage equal to 0 or a negative value is applied to the suppressor electrode 24 , so that the suppressor electrode 24 functions to block the electrons emitted from parts other than the tip of the electron source 20 . the electric field intensity is determined by the following factors ; a voltage difference between the extraction electrode 21 and the suppressor electrode 24 , a height and an angle of the tip of the electron source 20 , and a diameter of the planarized part of the tip . the planarized part at the tip of the electron source 20 is arranged parallel to the suppressor electrode 24 and the extraction electrode 21 . the tip of the electron source 20 is formed into a cone shape and the electron emission surface 20 a for emitting the electrons is planarized . the surrounding area of the cone - shaped electron source 20 is covered with a material which is different from the material consisting of the electron source 20 . the cone - shaped part preferably has a cone angle equal to or below 50 °. the diameter of the electron emission surface is set preferably in a range from 10 μm to 100 μm . usually , the diameter is preferably set to 40 μm . meanwhile , a thickness of the material covering the surrounding area of the electron source 20 is preferably set equal to 10 μm . note that the covering with the different material have following two objectives ; ( 1 ) is to avoid emission of the electrons from the electron source 20 and ( 2 ) is to suppress sublimation and evaporation of the material at a base body of the electron source 20 . the thickness value of the covering material depends on the electric field intensity and the material used therein . the thinner covering material is preferable in light of increasing the electric field intensity as long as less covering material evaporates or is depleted at an operating temperature . the temperature applied to the electron source 20 is set lower than a temperature causing sublimation of the material constituting the electron source 20 . in case that a high temperature is applied to the electron source 20 to emit thermal electrons , the electron source 20 may sublimate so that the electron emission surface 20 a is depleted and deformed . from this point of view , the temperature is regulated to an appropriate level so as not to cause the sublimation . even when lowering the temperature , the current density and luminance are required to achieve the equivalent levels to those obtained in the case of applying the high temperature . for this reason , the intense electric field is applied to the tip of the electron source 20 so as to extract the electrons . for example , in case that a work function can be reduced by 0 . 3 ev when lowering the temperature from 1500 ° c . to 1300 ° c ., then the electron beam luminance equivalent to the luminance that is supposed to be obtained by thermal electron emission can be obtained while maintaining the temperature at 1500 ° c . in this context , the high electric field is applied to the electron source 20 for causing emission of the electrons even when reducing the work function by 0 . 3 ev . in this case , application of the high electric field causes extraction of the electrons not only from the tip part of the electron source 20 constituting the electron emitting part but also from a side surface part of the electron source 20 formed into the cone shape . as a consequence , the electron beam in a desired amount and in a desired shape may be difficult to obtain , or the luminance of the electron beam generated from a central part may be reduced by occurrence of a space - charge effect due to the unnecessary electrons in the surrounding area . to avoid these problems , the area other than the electron emission part of the electron source 20 is covered with the material different from the material of the electron source 20 . as for this different material , a substance having a larger work function than that of the material constituting the electron source 20 should be selected . when using lab 6 as the electron source 20 , the use of carbon ( c ) is preferable because carbon does not react with lab 6 and has a larger work function than that of lab 6 . since the carbon reacts with oxygen , the carbon is forecasted to be evaporated and eventually disappear in the form of carbon dioxide ( co 2 ) in case that the carbon film is too thin . accordingly , it is preferable to set the thickness of the carbon film in a range from 2 μm to 10 μm . likewise , the carbon material is also suitable for the covering material in the case where ceb 6 is used as an electron source , as the ceb 6 has similar properties to lab 6 . fig5 a and 5b are cross - sectional diagrams showing examples of the electron source 20 that has different cone angles at the tip part thereof . in general , a smaller radius or a smaller angle at the tip of the cone - shaped electron source 20 causes stronger electric field concentration on the tip part , whereby the electrons inside the electron source 20 can break through a work function barrier on the surface more easily by a tunneling phenomenon . however , in case that the tip part is formed too thin , the electron source 20 loses its strength . therefore , the tip angle of the electron source 20 is determined in consideration of the strength of the electron source 20 and the electric field intensity . fig5 a shows a case of setting the cone angle at the tip part of the electron source 20 approximately equal to 90 °. meanwhile , fig5 b shows a case of reducing the cone angle at the tip part of the electron source 20 as compared to fig5 a . conventionally , the cone angle at the tip part of the electron source 20 has been set approximately equal to 90 ° as shown in fig5 a . as the tip angle is reduced as shown in fig5 b , the higher electric field is easily obtained and the electrons is emitted easily . in addition , particulates such as ions existing inside a lens barrel collide with the tip part of the electron source less frequently . therefore , the depletion and the deformation effects on the surface of the electron source attributable to ions and the like can be reduced . in the embodiment of the present invention , the angle at the tip of the electron source 20 is set approximately equal to 30 °. although a product life depends on the material and sizes such as the length or the width of the electron source 20 , the electron source 20 of the embodiment of the present invention can be used stably for a longer period as compared to the conventional electron source . next , an exposure method applying the exposure apparatus including the electron gun of the embodiment in the present invention will be described . in general , the electron beam exposure apparatus carries out conditioning when starting operation in order to clean up an electron gun chamber ( not shown ) for housing the electron gun 101 , the suppressor electrode 24 , the extraction electrode 21 , the electrostatic lens electrode 26 , and the acceleration electrode 25 . in this conditioning operation , a high voltage such as a voltage 1 . 6 times higher ( 80 kv ) than a voltage during a usual operation ( 50 kv ) is applied between the electrodes constituting the electron gun 101 ( including the electron source 20 , the suppressor electrode 24 , the extraction electron 21 , and the electrostatic lens electrode 26 ) and the acceleration electrode 25 to cause a discharge . in this way , dust inside the electron gun chamber is removed . in this conditioning operation , in case that the extraction electrode 21 and the electrostatic lens electrode 26 are omitted or not provided so that the electron source 20 configured to be directly opposed to the acceleration electrode 25 , then the discharge may be initiated from the electron beam 20 . such a discharge may cause melting or breakage of the electron source 20 . to avoid this problem , the extraction electrode 21 is provided and the electric potential at this extraction electrode is set lower than the electric potential at the electron source 20 so as to avoid extraction of the electrons from the electron source during the conditioning operation . after a lapse of a predetermined period of time or upon completion of the conditioning operation for a period ranging from one to several tens of hours , for example , the electric potential at the extraction electrode 21 is set higher than the electric potential at the electron source 20 to establish a usual operating state . as described above , since the electric potential at the extraction electrode 21 is set lower than the electric potential at the electron source 20 during the conditioning operation of applying the high voltage to the electrodes , the extraction of the electrons from the electron source 20 can be suppressed and thereby the electron source 20 is prevented from melting . ( method of forming region for restricting electron emission on surface of electron source ) next , a method of forming a region for restricting the above - described emission of the electrons on the electron source 20 will be described . here , the electron source having the structure shown in fig5 b will be used as an example . moreover , single - crystal lab 6 is assumed to be used as the electron source 20 . firstly , the lab 6 single crystal is processed to form the tip in the cone shape . next , the carbon 30 is coated on the surface of the lab 6 single crystal in order to form the region for restricting emission of the electrons . this coating operation may apply any methods among a cvd ( chemical vapor deposition ) method , a vacuum evaporation method , a sputtering method , and so forth . in this case , the coated film only needs to have a sufficient thickness for adequately changing the work function on the surface of the electron emission surface ( changing the work function larger than that of lab 6 ) and for preventing evaporation of the lab 6 material . when using carbon , the thickness of carbon is preferably set in the range from 2 μm to 10 μm while considering that carbon reacts with oxygen and then evaporates in the form of co 2 . next , the tip of the electron source 20 is polished together with the coated film so as to form the planarized surface having the diameter in the range from 1 μm to 200 μm . as described above , according to the embodiment in the present invention , only the tip of a chip , the electron source 20 is exposed and the remaining side surface part thereof is covered with the different material . when using lab 6 as the material of the electron source 20 , for example , carbon is used as this different material for example . in the embodiment in the present invention , the chip hardly sublimates because the electron gun is operated at a low temperature . accordingly , the electron gun 101 can be used stably for a long period of time while avoiding deformation of the electron emission surface 20 a of the electron source 20 . moreover , since the side surface of the electron source 20 is covered with the carbon 30 , no electrons are emitted from the side surface of the electron source 20 even when the intense electric field is applied thereto . in this way , the deformation of the shape of the electron beam can be prevented and the phenomenon of degradation in vacuum due to an increase in the temperature in an unnecessary position is avoided thereby . further , the surface of lab 6 is virtually exposed only on the central part at the tip of the electron gun . therefore , the attachment of lab 6 on an inner surface of a wehnelt cylinder as observed in the conventional technology , which is attributable to a large area of exposure of lab 6 including side wall parts and a rear surface , can be prevented . by using the electron gun 101 of the embodiment in the present invention , the sublimation of the electron source 20 can be suppressed and the attachment of the material constituting the electron source 20 , such as lab 6 or ceb 6 , on a rear surface of a grid can be prevented . in case such a material is attached to the rear surface of the grid , the attached material may form a whisker , charge the electrons thereon , and cause a micro discharge . in that case , the micro discharge may cause instabilities of the electron beam quantity and of a radiating position in the use of the electron beam exposure apparatus . accordingly , even in case the deformation of the electron source 20 of the electron gun 101 is nominal , such a micro discharge makes stable operation of the electron beam exposure apparatus difficult . in the case of a conventional electron gun , such a micro discharge has been deemed to emerge 100 hours to 500 hours after starting to use the electron gun . on the contrary , as described above , the electron source 20 hardly sublimates when using the electron gun 101 of the embodiment in the present invention . therefore , the interval of time until the micro discharge emerges can be extended almost as one hundred times as long as the conventional technology . this is because the electron gun of the embodiment in the present invention is used at the temperature which is lower by 200 ° c . than the conventional technology so that the degree of sublimation of the electron source is reduced to 1 / 100 . in this way , the period for stable use of the electron beam exposure apparatus is accomplished . moreover , in the case of a multicolumn electron beam exposure apparatus configured to expose on a single wafer , by the use of multiple electron guns 101 , the period of stable use is dramatically extended compared to the conventional technology , by applying the electron guns 101 of the embodiment in the present invention . in the use of the conventional electron guns , the adjustment in short cycles after the use should be performed because micro discharges will occur within 100 to 500 hours as described above . therefore , even when using the multiple electron guns , the entire apparatus must be stopped once when any of the electron guns becomes unstable , thereby leading to a drop in the operation rate and incapability of enhancing the throughput . on the other hand , such a drop in the operation rate is avoided and thereby the throughput of exposure processes is enhanced virtually by applying the electron guns of the embodiment in the present invention to the multicolumn electron beam exposure apparatus . in the above - described embodiment , the tip of the electron gun 101 is planarized , and the electron emission surface 20 a and the different material for covering the side surface of the electron source 20 are formed to be on the same plane . this structure is applied to the embodiment in the present invention as the heat applied to the electron source 20 is low enough to avoid sublimation of the material constituting the electron source 20 regarding that the electron source 20 would not be deformed by emission of the electron beam . however , even when the heat reduced to a predetermined temperature sufficient for avoiding sublimation is applied , the temperature may still be conceivable to exceed the predetermined temperature for any reason . in this case , maintaining the planarized surface may be difficult due to actual depletion of the material of the electron source in excess of the forecast , and eventually , the central part of the planarized surface may gradually subside with time . in consideration of this problem , the tip including the electron emission surface 20 a can be formed so as to protrude from the planarized surface of the different material as shown in fig6 instead of forming the electron emission surface 20 a of the electron source 20 and the surface of the surrounding different material on the same plane . moreover , in the embodiment in the present invention , the side surface of the electron source is described as the region for restricting emission of the electrons . instead , as shown in fig7 , the following parts can be covered with the different material : a rear surface 81 b and a side surfaces ( 81 and 81 a ) of an electron source 80 excluding an electron emission surface 80 a and a part sandwiched by a carbon chip 82 to be energized for heating . in this way , sublimation of the electron source 80 can be reduced and an amount of attached materials to the wehnelt cylinder and other components can be reduced as well . | 7 |
in the circuit of fig1 an input signal is applied to a terminal 1 which is connected to an impedance matching circuit 2 , followed by an amplifier stage 3 whose gain can be controlled by means of a control voltage applied to the terminal 9 between a minimum value which corresponds to a state in which the signal is blocked or isolated and a maximum value which corresponds to a state in which the signal is amplified , and which is finally followed by an impedance matching circuit 4 supplying the amplified signal to an output terminal 5 . the isolation is defined as the difference between the maximum gain and the minimum gain . in fig2 a switch is constituted by the combination of a first circuit 1 to 4 and a second circuit 1b to 4b each corresponding to the circuit diagram in fig1 . the control voltage applied to the terminal 9 is directly applied to the first circuit and after inversion it is applied to the second circuit such that one is in a state in which the signal is isolated while the other is in the amplification state . the two circuits are combined at the output . at very high frequencies such a known circuit has a serious drawback . let it be assumed , for example that the path b is in the isolating state ; the impedance matching circuit 4b in parallel with the output of the other circuit 4 has an impedance which varies with the frequency which may comprise zero values at certain frequencies and may constitute a trapping circuit causing the useful signal to be perturbed . it is to be noted that if there are more than two paths more than one perturbation circuit can be constituted and the problem would even be more difficult to solve . fig3 shows a switching device according to the invention having two paths 2 , 3 and 2b , 3b , respectively , each of which can , as required , amplify or isolate a signal applied to its inputs 1 and 1b , respectively , each path comprising an impedance matching input stage 2 , 2b and an amplifier stage 3 , 3b . the outputs of the amplifier stages 3 , 3b are directly connected to a common point 10 which is connected to an impedance matching and loading stage 4 which is common for all the paths . such a switching device is simpler than the known switching device . the impedance presented by the output of the isolating amplifier is a simple capacitor having a low value which is arranged parallel to that of the output of the forward path and does not produce any detrimental effect : it is sufficient to take it into account in determining the common matching circuit . it is inter alia possible to provide more than two paths without any difficulty . in fig4 each amplifier stage of a signal path comprises a transistor t2 or t2b at the output , arranged in common emitter configuration and the collectors of these transistors being connected to the common point 10 . the matching and loading stage is constituted by an inductance l5 connected to one end to the common point 10 and at the other end to ground via a capacitor c6 and to a supply voltage source + 12v via two series resistors r7 and r6 whose common connection point 8 is decoupled via a grounded capacitor c5 . the path constituted by r6 , r7 , l5 permits of supplying a bias current to the collectors of the transistors t2 , t2b . the connection between the outputs of the amplifiers represented in this case by collectors of the transistors t2 , t2b is direct , and the connection from said collectors to the common point 10 is not provided with any impedance matching circuit . the impedance which is matched in this case by the matching and loading stage is determined as a function of the following stages and , as the case may be , this matching may be adjusted differently . the signal of one path is presented to the input 1 and transmitted to the base of a first transistor t1 , whose emitter is directly connected to ground , via an impedance matching circuit constituted by the capacitor c1 connected between the input 1 and ground , a series capacitor c8 and a series inductance l1 , as well as by the elements l2 , l3 , c2 which will be explained hereinafter . the different components are arranged in a closed metallic housing and the symbol encircling the terminal 1 indicates the point of entrance to this housing . the signal is transmitted to the base of t1 via the capacitor c8 . the collector of t1 is charged by an inductance l4 in series with a resistor r3 which is connected at the other end to a supply source which is available at the connection 8 and to a decoupling capacitor c3 connected to ground . the collector of t1 is connected to the base of a second transistor t2 arranged in a cascade configuration therewith via a coupling capacitor c4 . the second transistor t2 has its emitter also directly connected to ground and its collector constitutes the aforementioned output of the amplifier . the bases of the two transistors t1 and t2 are polarized by one and the same circuit as will be described hereinafter with reference to fig6 . this circuit controls the amplification by influencing the polarization of the bases of the transistors t1 , t2 . each of these bases is to this end connected to ground via a resistor r1 or r4 , respectively and is connected via a resistor r2 or r5 to a gain control input terminal 7 which itself is connected to the circuit of fig6 . the terminal 6 is a supply input which with the aid of the elements l3 , c2 , l2 , which do not form part of the invention , permits of passing the supply current to a line connected to the terminal 1 , and which has the desired impedance for the signal . this supply is intended for a receiver head usually situated with the reception aerial on the roofs of tall buildings . the lower half of the figure shows the elements of the second path with a signal input terminal 1b , and controllable amplifier transistors t1b , t2b . the elements of this path are identical to those of the first path described above and will thus not be further described again . the collector of the output transistor t2b is directly connected to that of the transistor t2 of the first path by means of a connection to the common point 10 which is as short as possible and the matching and loading stage l5 , c6 , r7 , c5 which is connected to this is common for the two paths . fig5 shows another preferred embodiment according to the invention . each amplifier only comprises a transistor stage and the isolation is maintained at the same level as in the preceding assembly due to a diode d or db ( pin diode ) which is blocked when the path is in an isolating state . the elements arranged between the input terminal 1 and the output of transistor t1 are the same as those of fig4 and have the same reference numerals . it is the collector of t1 which constitutes the output of the amplifier in this case . a decoupling capacitor c13 is present at the gain control input terminal 7 . the diode d connects the collector of transistor t1 to the common point 10 of the matching and loading stage whose references l5 , r7 , c5 and their operation are the same as in the case of fig4 . the anode of the diode 10 is connected to the common point 10 and its cathode is connected to the collector of the transistor t1 , thus d is arranged in the forward direction for the current of transistor t1 . the collector of t1 is connected to the supply terminal 8 through of a resistor r30 which is not an impedance matching and loading element . its function is to fix the potential of the collector to the potential of the point 8 when the transistor t1 is turned off and isolates the signal . the diode d is also blocked and the capacitance of its junction is incorporated in series in the signal path , which increases the isolation . the elements of the second path are identical to those of the first and their references are the same with a symbol b . the references 12 , c15 refer to the connection elements for the second path and are explained with reference to the wiring diagram of fig7 . the symbol b makes it possible to mark on the wiring plan of fig7 which elements pertain to one path or to the other . the anode of the diode db of the second path is directly connected to that of the diode d of the first path and to the common path 10 of the impedance matching and loading stage . the output signal is transmitted to other circuits not shown via a capacitor c16 and a resistor r15 in series which also contribute to the impedance matching . fig6 also shows the two connections 7 and 7b of fig4 and 5 . each is connected to the collector of a transistor t7 , t7b whose emitter is connected to the supply terminal 8 , the emitter collector electrodes being interconnected through a capacitor c7 , c7b to avoid any risk of oscillation and each base being connected to a supply source + 12v via a resistor r12 , r12b and to the collector of another transistor t5 , t5b via a resistor r9 , r9b respectively . the two transistors t5 , t5b are arranged in known manner , referred to as a schmitt trigger , with their emitters being interconnected and being jointly connected to ground via a resistor r11 , whilst the base of t5 is connected to the collector of t5b via a resistor r10 and to ground via a resistor r13 . the base of t5b is connected to the common connection point of the two series - arranged resistors r8 , r14 connected between the supply source + 12v and control terminal 9 of the switch . if the voltage at this terminal 9 is low , the transistors t5 and t7 are conducting and consequently t1 is conducting likewise as d , while the transistors t5b , t7b and the active elements of the second path referenced b are blocking and the second path is isolated . if the voltage at the terminal 9 is high , the process is reversed . the reference numeral 11 near the base of t7b indicates a connection realized by a wire in the wiring of the circuit . this relatively long wire is decoupled on the side of the base of t7b by means of a capacitor c10 . fig7 shows the assembly of the circuits of fig5 and 6 on a scale which is indicated in the drawing by means of a reference &# 34 ; 1cm &# 34 ;. this circuit is realized on a double - faced printed circuit board having metallized holes and arranged in a housing whose exterior wall perpendicular to the circuit is indicated by the reference numeral 13 , and an interior partition separating the switching device from the other circuit , which are not described , is denoted by the reference numeral 14 . the components of this embodiment have the same reference numerals as in fig5 and 6 . it is thus not necessary to describe the interconnections again . substantially all components are surface mounted components , or &# 34 ; cms &# 34 ;, and are arranged flat on the copper connections of the printed circuit . the inductances l1 , l1b are printed on the circuit . only the inductances l2 , l2b , l3 , l3b , l5 are discrete elements provided with connections extending through the printed circuit . these elements are thus situated on the surface opposite to the one shown . this other surface is substantially entirely metallized to constitute a ground plane except for some locations reserved for through - connections which are not connected to ground , notably those of the inductances as discrete elements . the different points indicated in the drawing as being connected to ground are connected via a metallized hole to the second surface , i . e . to the ground plane . the elements of the ground plane situated on the side of the components cms are provided on their circumference with a two of metallized holes ( not shown ) to ensure en efficient connection to ground . the input terminals 1 , 1b are metallic laminations whose length is determined by impedance matching considerations ( zc = 75q ). the inputs 6 , 6b , 9 and ground terminal are grouped ( at the top of the drawing ) and the connections 6 , 6b near the input in the housing are connected to ground via safety diodes d2 , d2b arranged in series with resistors r20 , r20b of 22q . the elements denoted by the reference numeral 12 in fig5 and the reference numeral 11 in fig6 are wires situated on the surface opposite to that carrying the majority of components . the wire 11 is shown in a broken line in fig7 . for the sake of clarity of the figure the wire 12 is only shown with its start and end denoted by arrows . this wire 12 connects the metallization of the input 6b at the top of the figure and the common point at l2b and c15 at the bottom of the figure . because of the parasitic inductance of these relatively long wires , which may be &# 34 ; cold &# 34 ; connections , their extremities are decoupled to ground by means of capacitors c15 and c10 for the wires 12 and 11 , respectively . the capacitor c15 is divided into two components each connected to a wire extremity . the components used in the circuits of fig5 , 7 have , for example the following values : ______________________________________c1 = 0 , 5 pf r1 = 1 kqc2 = 10 pf r2 = 2 . 2 kqc5 = 2 × 100 pf r30 = 10 kqc7 , c7b = 47 nf r6 = 100qc8 = 5 pf r7 = 47qc9 = 100 pf r8 = 100 kqc10 = 100 pf r9 , r9b = 6 . 8 kqc15 = 2 × 100 pf r10 = 82 kq r11 = 1 . 2 kqt1 = bfr 92a r12 , r12b = 2 . 2 kqt1b = bfr 92ar r13 = 47 kqd , db = ba 679 r14 = 5 . 6 kqt5 = bc848brt5b = bc848b l2 1 . 5 copper turn 50 / 100 ° internal diameter 2 mmt7 = bc858br l3 5 . 5 copper turn 50 / 100 ° t7b = bc858b internal diameter 2 . 5 mm l5 1 . 5 copper turn 50 / 100 ° internal diameter 3 mm . ______________________________________ the assembly of fig5 and 7 has the following performances : up to now such performances could not be achieved without coaxial relays or assemblies using expensive professional pin diodes . various modifications of this assembly are possible without passing beyond the scope of the invention . for example the transistors t1 , t2 may be replaced by mos transistors by adapting the polarisations which those skilled in the art can readily carry out . in that case the terms gate , source , drain instead of base , emitter and collector should be used . | 7 |
the compounds of formula i are especially suitable for use in liquid crystalline polymerisable compositions for applications utilising photoisomersation or photoorientation . they do not have to exhibit mesophase behaviour themsleves , but can also show mesophase behaviour in mixtures with other compounds . however , compounds of formula i with broad lc phases are especially preferred . furthermore , the compounds of formula i are monomers with a high solubility , and are easy to synthesize in broad varieties . m1 + m2 = 1 or 2 , m1 is 0 , m2 is 1 or 2 , a 1 and a 2 are an aromatic group , preferably if m1 or m2 is 1 , m2 is 1 and a 1 is optionally substituted 1 , 4 - phenylene , z 1 and z 2 are selected from — coo —, — oco —, — c ≡ c — and — cy ═ cy 2 —, r is 1 or 2 , r 1 or r 2 are selected from f , cl , cn or alkyl , alkoxy , sulfanylalkyl , thiocarboxyl , alkylsulfonyl or alkenyl with 1 to 12 c - atoms which is optionally fluorinated , r 1 is p - sp -, r 1 and r 2 are p - sp , sp is alkylene with 1 to 12 c atoms which is optionally mono - or polysubstituted by f and wherein one or more non - adjacent ch 2 may be replaced , in each case independently from one another , by — o —, — ch ═ ch — or — c ≡ c —, sp is a single bond . wherein l 1 and l 2 have independently of each other one of the meanings of l as given in formula i or as given below . l in formula i is preferably f , cl , br , i , cn , no 2 or alkyl , alkoxy , alkylcarbonyl , alkoxycarbonyl , alkylcarbonlyoxy or alkoxycarbonyloxy with 1 to 20 c atoms , wherein one or more h atoms may be substituted by f or cl . especially preferred groups l are f , cl , cn , no 2 , ch 3 , c 2 h 5 , och 3 , oc 2 h 5 , coch 3 , coc 2 h 5 , cooch 3 , cooc 2 h 5 , cf 3 , ocf 3 , ochf 2 or oc 2 f 5 , in particular f , cl , cn , ch 3 , c 2 h 5 , och 3 , coch 3 or ocf 3 , most preferably f , cl , ch 3 , och 3 or coch 3 . a 1 and a 2 in formula i are preferably an aromatic or alicyclic 5 - or 6 - ring , or a group comprising two or three fused aromatic or alicyclic 5 - or 6 - rings , wherein these rings may also contain one or more hetero atoms , in particular selected from n , o and s , and may also be mono - or polysubstituted by l . preferred groups a 1 and a 2 in formula i are for example furan , pyrrol , thiophene , oxazole , thiazole , thiadiazole , imidazole , phenylene , pyridine , pyrimidine , pyrazine , indane , naphthalene , tetrahydronaphthalene , anthracene and phenanthrene . particularly preferably a 1 and a 2 are selected from furane - 2 , 5 - diyl , thiophene - 2 , 5 - diyl , pyrrol - 2 , 5 - diyl , 1 , 4 - phenylene , pyridine - 2 , 5 - diyl , pyrimidine - 2 , 5 - diyl , naphthalene - 2 , 6 - diyl , 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 - tetrahydro - naphthalene - 2 , 6 - diyl , indane - 2 , 5 - diyl , furthermore 1 , 4 - cyclohexylene in which , in addition , one or two non - adjacent ch 2 groups may be replaced by o and / or s , wherein these groups are unsubstituted or mono - or polysubstituted by l as defined above . preferably the groups ( z 1 - a 1 ) m1 and ( a 2 - z 2 ) m2 in formula i contain only monocyclic groups a 1 and a 2 . very preferably the groups -( a 1 - z 1 ) m1 - and -( z 2 - a 2 ) m2 - denote independently of each other a group with one or two five - or six - membered rings . the groups -( a 1 - z 1 ) m1 - and -( z 2 - a 2 ) m2 - may be identical or different . particularly preferred are compounds wherein -( a 1 - z 1 ) m1 - and -( z 2 - a 2 ) m2 - are different . preferred subformulae for the groups -( a 1 - z 1 ) m1 - and -( z 2 - a 2 ) m2 - are listed below . for reasons of simplicity , phe in these groups is 1 , 4 - phenylene , phe l is a 1 , 4 - phenylene group which is substituted by 1 to 4 groups l as defined above , pyd is pyridine - 2 , 5 - diyl and pyr is pyrimidine - 2 , 5 - diyl . the following list of preferred groups -( a 1 - z 1 ) m1 - and -( z 2 - a 2 ) m2 - is comprising the subformulae 11 - 1 to 11 - 16 as well as their mirror images , which are linked via the radical z to the tolane group in formula i - phe - z - ii - 1 - pyd - z - ii - 2 - pyr - z - ii - 3 - phel - z - ii - 4 - phe - z - phe - z - ii - 5 - phe - z - pyd - z - ii - 6 - pyd - z - phe - z - ii - 7 - phe - z - pyr - z - ii - 8 - pyr - z - phe - z - ii - 9 - phel - z - phe - z - ii - 10 - phel - z - pyd - z - ii - 11 - phel - z - pyr - z - ii - 12 - pyr - z - pyd - z - ii - 13 - pyd - z - pyd - z - ii - 14 - pyr - z - pyr - z - ii - 15 - phel - z - phel - z - ii - 16 in these preferred groups z has the meaning of z 1 as given in formula i . preferably z is — coo —, — oco —, — ch 2 ch 2 — c ≡ c — or a single bond . very preferably -( a 1 - z 1 ) m1 - and -( z 2 - a 2 ) m2 - are , independently of each other , selected from the following formulae and their mirror images , which are linked via the radical z to the tolane group in formula i wherein z and l have the meaning given above and r is 0 , 1 , 2 , 3 or 4 , preferably 0 , 1 or 2 . for the group -( a 1 - z 1 ) m1 - attached to the acetylene group in formula i , z in the preferred formulae iia to iif is preferably a single bond . with l having each independently one of the meanings given above . particularly preferred are the subformulae iia , iic , iif , iig and iih , in particular the subformulae iia , iid and iif . especially preferred are compounds of formula i comprising at least one group further preferred are compounds of formula i comprising at least two groups in another preferred embodiment one or more of a 1 and a 2 are a bivalent chiral group , or together with r 1 or r 2 in formula i form a terminal chiral group . preferred chiral groups a 1 / 2 and a 1 / 2 - r 1 / 2 are for example cholesteryl , terpenoid radicals as disclosed e . g . in wo 96 / 17901 , preferably selected from menthyl , neomenthyl , campheyl , pineyl , terpineyl , isolongifolyl , fenchyl , carreyl , myrthenyl , nopyl , geraniyl , linaloyl , neryl , citronellyl and dihydrocitronellyl , in particular menthyl or menthone derivatives or terminal chiral sugar derivatives comprising a mono - or bicyclic radical with pyranose or furanose rings like , for example , a group derived from the chiral sugars disclosed in wo 95 / 16007 . preferred chiral groups a 1 / 2 and a 1 / 2 - r 1 / 2 are for example cholesteryl or groups derived from sugars , binaphthyl derivatives , or optically active glycols , especially ethane - 1 , 2 - diol substituted in 1 - and or 2 - position with alkyl or aryl groups . in case of sugar groups , these are preferably selected from mono - and dicyclic groups comprising pentose or hexose rings . particularly preferred are the following groups a 1 / 2 and a 1 / 2 - r 1 / 2 wherein phe has the meaning given above , r 4 is f or optionally fluorinated alkyl with 1 to 4 c atoms and y 1 , y 2 , y 3 and y 4 have one of the meanings of r 1 in formula i . preferably a 1 / 2 or a 1 / 2 - r 1 / 2 is dianhydrosorbitol , substituted ethane diol like wherein r 4 is f , ch 3 or cf 3 , wherein y 1 , y 2 , y 3 and y 4 are h , f or optionally fluorinated alkyl with 1 to 8 c atoms . cy 1 ═ cy 2 is preferably — ch ═ ch —, — ch ═ cf —, — cf ═ ch —, — cf ═ cf —, — ch ═ c ( cn )— or — c ( cn )═ ch —. if r 1 or r 2 in formula i is an alkyl or alkoxy radical , i . e . where the terminal ch 2 group is replaced by — o —, this may be straight - chain or branched . it is preferably straight - chain , has 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 or 8 carbon atoms and accordingly is preferably ethyl , propyl , butyl , pentyl , hexyl , heptyl , octyl , ethoxy , propoxy , butoxy , pentoxy , hexoxy , heptoxy , or octoxy , furthermore methyl , nonyl , decyl , undecyl , dodecyl , tridecyl , tetradecyl , pentadecyl , nonoxy , decoxy , undecoxy , dodecoxy , tridecoxy or tetradecoxy , for example . oxaalkyl , i . e . where one ch 2 group is replaced by — o —, is preferably straight - chain 2 - oxapropyl (= methoxymethyl ), 2 - (= ethoxymethyl ) or 3 - oxabutyl (= 2 - methoxyethyl ), 2 -, 3 -, or 4 - oxapentyl , 2 -, 3 -, 4 -, or 5 - oxahexyl , 2 -, 3 -, 4 -, 5 -, or 6 - oxaheptyl , 2 -, 3 -, 4 -, 5 -, 6 - or 7 - oxaoctyl , 2 -, 3 -, 4 -, 5 -, 6 -, 7 - or 8 - oxanonyl or 2 -, 3 -, 4 -, 5 -, 6 -, 7 -, 8 - or 9 - oxadecyl , for example . if r 1 or r 2 is an alkylsulfanyl radical , i . e . alkyl where the ch 2 group that is linked to the adjacent group is replaced by — s —, this may be straight chain or branched . it is preferably straight chain , has 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 or 8 carbon atoms and accordingly is preferably methylsulfanyl , ethylsulfanyl , propylsulfanyl , butylsulfanyl , pentylsulfanyl , hexylsulfanyl , heptylsulfanyl , octylsulfanyl , furthermore nonylsulfanyl , decylsulfanyl , undecylsulfanyl or dodecylsulfanyl , for example . if r 1 or r 2 is a thiocarboxyl or alkylsulfanylcarbonyl group , i . e . alkyl wherein the ch 2 group that is linked to the neighboured group is replaced by — co — s — or — s — co —, this may be straight chain or branched . it is preferably straight chain , has 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 or 8 carbon atoms and accordingly is preferably thioacetyl , thiopropionyl , thiobutyryl , thiopentanoyl , thiohexanoyl , thioheptanoyl , thiooctanoyl , methylsulfanylcarbonyl , ethylsulfanylcarbonyl , propylsulfanylcarbonyl , butylsulfanylcarbonyl , pentylsulfanylcarbonyl , hexylsulfanylcarbonyl or heptylsulfanylcarbonyl , for example . if r 1 or r 2 is an alkylsulfonyl group , i . e . alkyl wherein the ch 2 group that is neighboured to the adjacent group is replaced by a sulfonyl group — so 2 —, this may be straight chain or branched . it is preferably straight chain , has 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 or 8 carbon atoms and accordingly is preferably methylsulfone , ethylsulfone , propylsulfone , butylsulfone , pentylsulfone , hexylsulfone , heptylsulfone or octylsulfone , furthermore nonylsulfone , decylsulfone , undecylsulfone or dodecylsulfone , for example . if r 1 or r 2 is an alkyl group wherein one or more ch 2 groups are replaced by — ch ═ ch —, this may be straight - chain or branched . it is preferably straight - chain , has 2 to 10 c atoms and accordingly is preferably vinyl , prop - 1 -, or prop - 2 - enyl , but - 1 -, 2 - or but - 3 - enyl , pent - 1 -, 2 -, 3 - or pent - 4 - enyl , hex - 1 -, 2 -, 3 -, 4 - or hex - 5 - enyl , hept - 1 -, 2 -, 3 -, 4 -, 5 - or hept - 6 - enyl , oct - 1 -, 2 -, 3 -, 4 -, 5 -, 6 - or oct - 7 - enyl , non - 1 -, 2 -, 3 -, 4 -, 5 -, 6 -, 7 - or non - 8 - enyl , dec - 1 -, 2 -, 3 -, 4 -, 5 -, 6 -, 7 -, 8 - or dec - 9 - enyl . especially preferred alkenyl groups are c 2 - c 71 e - alkenyl , c 4 - c 7 - 3e - alkenyl , c 5 - c 7 - 4 - alkenyl , c 6 - c 7 - 5 - alkenyl and c 7 - 6 - alkenyl , in particular c 2 - c 7 - 1 e - alkenyl , c 4 - c 7 - 3e - alkenyl and c 5 - c 7 - 4 - alkenyl . examples for particularly preferred alkenyl groups are vinyl , 1 e - propenyl , 1 e - butenyl , 1 e - pentenyl , 1 e - hexenyl , 1 e - heptenyl , 3 - butenyl , 3e - pentenyl , 3e - hexenyl , 3e - heptenyl , 4 - pentenyl , 4z - hexenyl , 4e - hexenyl , 4z - heptenyl , 5 - hexenyl , 6 - heptenyl and the like . groups having up to 5 c atoms are generally preferred . if r 1 or r 2 is an alkyl group , wherein one ch 2 group is replaced by — o — and one by — co —, these radicals are preferably neighboured . accordingly these radicals together form a carbonyloxy group — co — o — or an oxycarbonyl group — o — co —. preferably this group is straight - chain and has 2 to 6 c atoms . it is accordingly preferably acetyloxy , propionyloxy , butyryloxy , pentanoyloxy , hexanoyloxy , acetyloxymethyl , propionyloxymethyl , butyryloxymethyl , pentanoyloxymethyl , 2 - acetyloxyethyl , 2 - propionyloxyethyl , 2 - butyryloxyethyl , 3 - acetyloxypropyl , 3 - propionyloxypropyl , 4 - acetyloxybutyl , methoxycarbonyl , ethoxycarbonyl , propoxycarbonyl , butoxycarbonyl , pentoxycarbonyl , methoxycarbonylmethyl , ethoxycarbonylmethyl , prbpoxycarbonylmethyl , butoxycarbonylmethyl , 2 -( methoxycarbonyl ) ethyl , 2 -( ethoxycarbonyl ) ethyl , 2 -( propoxy - carbonyl ) ethyl , 3 -( methoxycarbonyl ) propyl , 3 -( ethoxycarbonyl ) propyl , 4 -( methoxycarbonyl )- butyl . if r 1 or r 2 is an alkyl group , wherein two or more ch 2 groups are replaced by — o — and / or — coo —, it can be straight - chain or branched . it is preferably straight - chain and has 3 to 12 c atoms . accordingly it is preferably bis - carboxy - methyl , 2 , 2 - bis - carboxy - ethyl , 3 , 3 - bis - carboxy - propyl , 4 , 4 - bis - carboxy - butyl , 5 , 5 - bis - carboxy - pentyl , 6 , 6 - bis - carboxy - hexyl , 7 , 7 - bis - carboxy - heptyl , 8 , 8 - bis - carboxy - octyl , 9 , 9 - bis - carboxy - nonyl , 10 , 10 - bis - carboxy - decyl , bis -( methoxycarbonyl )- methyl , 2 , 2 - bis -( methoxycarbonyl )- ethyl , 3 , 3 - bis -( methoxycarbonyl )- propyl , 4 , 4 - bis -( methoxycarbonyl )- butyl , 5 , 5 - bis -( methoxycarbonyl )- pentyl , 6 , 6 - bis -( methoxycarbonyl )- hexyl , 7 , 7 - bis -( methoxycarbonyl )- heptyl , 8 , 8 - bis -( methoxycarbonyl )- octyl , bis -( ethoxycarbonyl )- methyl , 2 , 2 - bis -( ethoxycarbonyl )- ethyl , 3 , 3 - bis -( ethoxycarbonyl )- propyl , 4 , 4 - bis -( ethoxycarbonyl )- butyl , 5 , 5 - bis -( ethoxycarbonyl )- hexyl . if r 1 or r 2 is an alkyl or alkenyl group that is monosubstituted by cn or cf 3 , it is preferably straight - chain . the substitution by cn or cf 3 can be in any desired position . if r 1 or r 2 is an alkyl or alkenyl group that is at least monosubstituted by halogen , it is preferably straight - chain . halogen is preferably f or cl , in case of multiple substitution preferably f . the resulting groups include also perfluorinated groups . in case of monosubstitution the f or cl substituent can be in any desired position , but is preferably in ω - position . examples for especially preferred straight - chain groups with a terminal f substituent are fluormethyl , 2 - fluorethyl , 3 - fluorpropyl , 4 - fluorbutyl , 5 - fluorpentyl , 6 - fluorhexyl and 7 - fluorheptyl . other positions of f are , however , not excluded . r 1 or r 2 in formula i can be a polar or a non - polar group . in case of a polar group , it is selected from cn , sf 5 , halogen , och 3 , scn , cor 5 , coor 5 or a mono - oligo - or polyfluorinated alkyl or alkoxy group with 1 to 4 c atoms . r 5 is optionally fluorinated alkyl with 1 to 4 , preferably 1 to 3 c atoms . especially preferred polar groups are selected of f , cl , cn , och 3 , coch 3 , coc 2 h 5 , cooch 3 , cooc 2 h 5 , cf 3 , chf 2 , ch 2 f , ocf 3 , ochf 2 , och 2 f , c 2 f 5 and oc 2 f 5 , in particular f , cl , cn , cf 3 , ochf 2 and ocf 3 . in case of a non - polar group , it is preferably alkyl with up to 15 c atoms or alkoxy with 2 to 15 c atoms . r 1 or r 2 in formula i can be an achiral or a chiral group . in case of a chiral group it is preferably selected of formula iii : q 1 is an alkylene or alkylene - oxy group with 1 to 9 c atoms or a single bond , q 2 is an alkyl or alkoxy group with 1 to 10 c atoms which may be unsubstituted , mono - or polysubstituted by f , cl , br or cn , it being also possible for one or more non - adjacent ch 2 groups to be replaced , in each case independently from one another , by — c ≡ c —, — o —, — s —, — nh —, — n ( ch 3 )—, — co —, — coo —, — oco —, — oco — o —, — s — co — or — co — s — in such a manner that oxygen atoms are not linked directly to one another , q 3 is f , cl , br , cn or an alkyl or alkoxy group as defined for q 2 but being different from q 2 . in case q 1 in formula iii is an alkylene - oxy group , the o atom is preferably adjacent to the chiral c atom . preferred chiral groups of formula iii are 2 - alkyl , 2 - alkoxy , 2 - methylalkyl , 2 - methylalkoxy , 2 - fluoroalkyl , 2 - fluoroalkoxy , 2 -( 2 - ethin )- alkyl , 2 -( 2 - ethin )- alkoxy , 1 , 1 , 1 - trifluoro - 2 - alkyl and 1 , 1 , 1 - trifluoro - 2 - alkoxy . particularly preferred chiral groups are 2 - butyl (= 1 - methylpropyl ), 2 - methylbutyl , 2 - methylpentyl , 3 - methylpentyl , 2 - ethylhexyl , 2 - propylpentyl , in particular 2 - methylbutyl , 2 - methylbutoxy , 2 - methylpentoxy , 3 - methylpentoxy , 2 - ethylhexoxy , 1 - methylhexoxy , 2 - octyloxy , 2 - oxa - 3 - methylbutyl , 3 - oxa - 4 - methylpentyl , 4 - methylhexyl , 2 - hexyl , 2 - octyl , 2 - nonyl , 2 - decyl , 2 - dodecyl , 6 - methoxyoctoxy , 6 - methyloctoxy , 6 - methyloctanoyloxy , 5 - methylheptyloxycarbonyl , 2 - methylbutyryloxy , 3 - methylvaleroyloxy , 4 - methylhexanoyloxy , 2 - chlorpropionyloxy , 2 - chloro - 3 - methylbutyryloxy , 2 - chloro - 4 - methylvaleryloxy , 2 - chloro - 3 - methylvaleryloxy , 2 - methyl - 3 - oxapentyl , 2 - methyl - 3 - oxahexyl , 1 - methoxypropyl - 2 - oxy , 1 - ethoxypropyl - 2 - oxy , 1 - propoxypropyl - 2 - oxy , 1 - butoxypropyl - 2 - oxy , 2 - fluorooctyloxy , 2 - fluorodecyloxy , 1 , 1 , 1 - trifluoro - 2 - octyloxy , 1 , 1 , 1 - trifluoro - 2 - octyl , 2 - fluoromethyloctyloxy for example . very preferred are 2 - hexyl , 2 - octyl , 2 - octyloxy , 1 , 1 , 1 - trifluoro - 2 - hexyl , 1 , 1 , 1 - trifluoro - 2 - octyl and 1 , 1 , 1 - trifluoro - 2 - octyloxy . in addition , compounds of formula i containing an achiral branched group r 1 or r 2 may occasionally be of importance , for example , due to a reduction in the tendency towards crystallization . branched groups of this type generally do not contain more than one chain branch . preferred achiral branched groups are isopropyl , isobutyl (= methylpropyl ), isopentyl (= 3 - methylbutyl ), isopropoxy , 2 - methyl - propoxy and 3 - methylbutoxy . the polymerisable or reactive group p is preferably selected from ch 2 ═ cw 1 — coo —, ch 2 ═ cw 2 —( o ) k1 —, ch 3 — ch ═ ch — o —, ( ch 2 ═ ch ) 2 ch — oco —, ( ch 2 ═ ch — ch 2 ) 2 ch — oco —, ( ch 2 ═ ch ) 2 ch — o —, ( ch 2 ═ ch — ch 2 ) 2 n —, ho — cw 2 w 3 —, hs — cw 2 w 3 —, hw 2 n —, ho - cw 2 w 3 — nh —, ch 2 ═ cw 1 — co — nh —, ch 2 ═ ch —( coo ) k1 - phe -( o ) k2 —, phe - ch ═ ch —, hooc —, ocn —, and w 4 w 5 w 6 si —, with w 1 being h , cl , cn , phenyl or alkyl with 1 to 5 c - atoms , in particular h , cl or ch 3 , w 2 and w 3 being independently of each other h or alkyl with 1 to 5 c - atoms , in particular h , methyl , ethyl or n - propyl , w 4 , w 5 and w 6 being independently of each other cl , oxaalkyl or oxacarbonylalkyl with 1 to 5 c - atoms , phe being 1 , 4 - phenylene and k 1 and k 2 being independently of each other 0 or 1 . especially preferably p is a group without a carbonyl moiety , preferably selected from and ch 3 — ch ═ ch — o — as defined above , very preferably a vinyl group ch 2 ═ ch —, a vinyl ether group ch 2 ═ ch — o —, a propenyl ether group ch 3 — ch ═ ch — o — or an oxetane group of formula as for the spacer group sp all groups can be used that are known for this purpose to the skilled in the art . the spacer group sp is preferably of formula sp ′- x , such that p - sp - is p - sp ′- x -, wherein sp ′ is alkylene with up to 30 c atoms which is unsubstituted or mono - or polysubstituted by f , cl , br , i or cn , it being also possible for one or more non - adjacent ch 2 groups to be replaced , in each case independently from one another , by — o —, — s —, — nh —, — nr 0 —, — sir 0 r 00 —, — co —, — coo —, — oco —, — oco — o —, — s — co —, — co — s —, — ch ═ ch — or — c ≡ c — in such a manner that o and / or s atoms are not linked directly to one another , x is — o —, — s —, — co —, — coo —, — oco —, — o — coo —, — co — nr 0 —, — nr 0 — co —, — och 2 —, — ch 2 o —, — sch 2 —, — ch 2 s —, — cf 2 o —, — ocf 2 —, — cf 2 s —, — scf 2 —, — cf 2 ch 2 —, — ch 2 cf 2 —, — cf 2 cf 2 —, — ch ═ n —, — n ═ ch —, — n ═ n —, — ch ═ cr 0 —, — cy 1 ═ cy 2 —, — c ≡ c —, — ch ═ ch — coo —, — oco — ch ═ ch — or a single bond , and r 0 , r 00 , y 1 and y 2 have one of the meanings given above . x is preferably — o —, — s —, — och 2 —, — ch 2 o —, — sch 2 —, — ch 2 s —, — cf 2 o — ocf 2 —, — cf 2 s —, — scf 2 —, — ch 2 ch 2 —, — cf 2 ch 2 —, — ch 2 cf 2 —, — cf 2 cf 2 —, — ch ═ n —, — n ═ ch —, — n ═ n —, — ch ═ cr 0 —, — cx 1 ═ cx 2 —, — c ≡ c — or a single bond , in particular — o —, — s —, — c ≡ c —, — cx 1 = cx 2 — or a single bond . in another preferred embodiment x is a group that is able to form a conjugated system , such as — c ≡ c — or — cx 1 ═ cx 2 —, or a single bond . typical groups sp ′ are , for example , —( ch 2 ) p —, —( ch 2 ch 2 o ) q - ch 2 ch 2 —, — ch 2 ch 2 — s — ch 2 ch 2 — or — ch 2 ch 2 — nh — ch 2 ch 2 — or —( sir 0 r 00 - o ) p —, with p being an integer from 2 to 12 , q being an integer from 1 to 3 and r ° and r 00 having the meanings given above . preferred groups sp ′ are ethylene , propylene , butylene , pentylene , hexylene , heptylene , octylene , nonylene , decylene , undecylene , dodecylene , octadecylene , ethyleneoxyethylene , methyleneoxybutylene , ethylene - thioethylene , ethylene - n - methyl - iminoethylene , 1 - methylalkylene , ethenylene , propenylene and butenylene for example . in another preferred embodiment sp ′ is a chiral group of formula iv : q 1 and q 3 have the meanings given in formula iii , and q 4 is an alkylene or alkylene - oxy group with 1 to 10 c atoms or a single bond , being different from q 1 , with q 1 being linked to the polymerizable group p . further preferred are compounds with one or two groups p - sp - wherein sp is a single bond . in case of compounds with two groups p - sp , each of the two polymerisable groups p and the two spacer groups sp can be identical or different . wherein p , sp and r 2 have the meanings of formula i , l 1 and l 2 have independently of each other one of the meanings of l given above , r1 is 1 , 2 , 3 or 4 and r2 is 0 , 1 , 2 , 3 or 4 . particularly preferred are compounds of the above formulae wherein r 2 is p - sp - x , furthermore those , wherein r 2 is f , cl , cn , or optionally fluorinated alkyl or alkoxy with 1 to 8 c - atoms . further preferred are compounds wherein r1 is 1 or 2 and r2 is 0 , 1 or 2 . wherein r has one of the meanings of r 2 different from p - sp , and is preferably cl , cn or alkyl or alkoxy with 1 to 8 c - atoms , p - sp have the manings given above , and l 1 and l 2 have the meanings given above , and are preferably f , cl , cn , ch 3 , c 2 h 5 , och 3 , coch 3 , oc 2 h 5 or ocf 3 . the compounds of formula i can be synthesized according to or in analogy to methods which are known per se and which are described in standard works of organic chemistry such as , for example , houben - weyl , methoden der organischen chemie , thieme - verlag , stuttgart . some specific methods of preparation can be taken from the examples . the compounds of formula i and polymerisable liquid crystal mixtures comprising them are useful for the preparation of anisotropic polymer films or coatings . for the preparation of anisotropic polymer films , the liquid crystal mixture according to the present invention should comprise at least one polymerisable compound , which can be a compound of formula i or an additional polymerisable mesogenic or liquid crystalline compound . in a preferred embodiment of the present invention the polymerisable material comprises at least one di - or multireactive achiral polymerisable mesogenic compound and at least one monoreactive achiral polymerisable mesogenic compound . in another preferred embodiment of the present invention the polymerisable material comprises at least one two monoreactive achiral polymerisable mesogenic compounds . in a preferred embodiment of the present invention the polymerisable material comprises at least one di - or multireactive chiral polymerisable mesogenic compound and at least one mono -, di - or multireactive achiral polymerisable mesogenic compound . in another preferred embodiment of the present invention the polymerisable material comprises at least one monoreactive chiral polymerisable mesogenic compound and at least one mono -, di - or multireactive achiral polymerisable mesogenic compound . in another preferred embodiment the polymerisable material comprises at least one non - reactive chiral compound and at least one mono -, di - or multireactive polymerisable mesogenic compound . if di - or multireactive compounds are present in the polymerisable material , a three - dimensional polymer network is formed . an optical retardation film made of such a network is self - supporting and shows a high mechanical and thermal stability and a low temperature dependence of its physical and optical properties . by varying the concentration of the di - and multireactive compounds the crosslink density of the polymer film and thereby its physical and chemical properties such as the glass transition temperature , which is also important for the temperature dependence of the optical properties of the optical retardation film , the thermal and mechanical stability or the solvent resistance can be tuned easily . 5 to 100 % of one or more compounds of formula i , 0 - 80 %, preferably 5 to 50 % of one or more direactive achiral mesogenic compounds , 5 - 80 %, preferably 5 to 70 % of one or more monoreactive achiral mesogenic compounds , 0 - 80 %, preferably 5 to 50 % of one or more mono - or direactive chiral mesogenic compounds and / or 0 - 20 % of one or more non - reactive chiral compounds which may also be mesogenic , 0 to 15 %, preferably 0 . 1 to 10 %, very preferably 0 . 5 to 5 % of one or more photoinitiators , preferably at least one of which is a liquid crystal photoinitiator , 0 to 10 % of one or more chain transfer agents , 0 to 3 % of one or more non - reactive , monoreactive , di - or multireactive surfactants . polymerisable mesogenic mono -, di - and multireactive compounds used for the present invention can be prepared by methods which are known per se and which are described , for example , in standard works of organic chemistry such as , for example , houben - weyl , methoden der organischen chemie , thieme - verlag , stuttgart . examples of suitable polymerizable mesogenic compounds that can be used as monomers or comonomers in a polymerizable lc mixture according to the present invention are disclosed for example in wo 93 / 22397 , ep 0 261 712 , de 195 04 224 , wo 95 / 22586 , wo 97 / 00600 and gb 2 351 734 . the compounds disclosed in these documents , however , are to be regarded merely as examples that shall not limit the scope of this invention . examples of especially useful chiral and achiral polymerizable mesogenic compounds ( reactive mesogens ) are shown in the following lists which should , however , be taken only as illustrative and is in no way intended to restrict , but instead to explain the present invention : in the above formulae , p is a polymerisable group , preferably an acryl , methacryl , vinyl , vinyloxy , propenyl ether , epoxy , oxetane or styryl group , x and y are identical or different integers from 1 to 12 , a is 1 , 4 - phenylene that is optionally mono -, di - or trisubstituted by l 1 , or 1 , 4 - cyclohexylene , u and v are independently of each other 0 or 1 , z ° is — coo —, — oco —, — ch 2 ch 2 —, — ch ═ ch —, — c ≡ c — or a single bond , r 0 is a polar group or an unpolar group , ter is a terpenoid radical like e . g . menthyl , chol is a cholesteryl group , l , l 1 and l 2 are independently of each other h , f , cl , cn or an optionally halogenated alkyl , alkoxy , alkylcarbonyl , alkylcarbonyloxy , alkoxycarbonyl or alkoxycarbonyloxy group with 1 to 7 c atoms , and r is 0 , 1 , 2 , 3 or 4 . the phenyl rings in the above formulae are optionally substituted by 1 , 2 , 3 or 4 groups l . the term ‘ polar group ’ in this connection means a group selected from f , cl , cn , no 2 , oh , och 3 , ocn , scn , an optionally fluorinated alkycarbonyl , alkoxycarbonyl , alkylcarbonyloxy or alkoxycarbonyloxy group with up to 4 c atoms or a mono - oligo - or polyfluorinated alkyl or alkoxy group with 1 to 4 c atoms . the term ‘ unpolar group ’ means an optionally halogenated alkyl , alkoxy , alkycarbonyl , alkoxycarbonyl , alkylcarbonyloxy or alkoxycarbonyloxy group with 1 or more , preferably 1 to 12 c atoms which is not covered by the above definition of ‘ polar group ’. suitable chiral dopants can be selected e . g . from the commercially available r - or s - 811 , r - or s - 1011 , r - or s - 2011 , r - or s - 3011 , r - or s - 4011 , r - or s - 5011 , or cb 15 ( from merck kgaa , darmstadt , germany ). very preferred are chiral compounds with a high helical twisting power ( htp ), in particular compounds comprising a sorbitol group as described in wo 98 / 00428 , compounds comprising a hydrobenzoin group as described in gb 2 , 328 , 207 , chiral binaphthyl derivatives as described in wo 02 / 94805 , chiral binaphthol acetal derivatives as described in wo 02 / 34739 , chiral taddol derivatives as described in wo 02 / 06265 , and chiral compounds having at least one fluorinated linkage group and a terminal or central chiral group as described in wo 02 / 06196 and wo 02 / 06195 . the photoradiation used to cause photoisomerisation of the compounds of formula i is preferably uv - radiation with a wavelength in the uv - a range ( 320 - 400 nm ) or with a wavelength of 365 nm . for preparation of a polymer film , the polymerisable lc material is preferably coated onto substrate , aligned into a uniform orientation and polymerised to permanently fix the cholesteric structure . as a substrate for example a glass or quarz sheet or a plastic film or sheet can be used . it is also possible to put a second substrate on top of the coated mixture prior to and / or during and / or after polymerisation . the substrates can be removed after polymerisation or not . when using two substrates in case of curing by actinic radiation , at least one substrate has to be transmissive for the actinic radiation used for the polymerisation . isotropic or birefringent substrates can be used . in case the substrate is not removed from the polymerized film after polymerisation , preferably isotropic substrates are used . preferably at least one substrate is a plastic substrate such as for example a film of polyester such as polyethyleneterephthalate ( pet ) or polyethylenenaphthalate ( pen ), of polyvinylalcohol ( pva ), polycarbonate ( pc ) or triacetylcellulose ( tac ), especially preferably a pet film or a tac film . as a birefringent substrate for example an uniaxially stretched plastic film can be used . for example pet films are commercially available from dupont teijin films under the trade name melinex ®. the polymerisable material can also be dissolved in a solvent , preferably in an organic solvent . the solution is then coated onto the substrate , for example by spin - coating or other known techniques , and the solvent is evaporated off before polymerization . in most cases it is suitable to heat the mixture in order to facilitate the evaporation of the solvent . polymerisation of the lc material is preferably achieved by exposing it to heat or actinic radiation . actinic radiation means irradiation with light , like uv light , ir light or visible light , irradiation with x - rays or gamma rays or irradiation with high energy particles , such as ions or electrons . preferably polymerisation is carried out by photoirradiation , in particular with uv light , very preferably with linear polarised uv light . as a source for actinic radiation for example a single uv lamp or a set of uv lamps can be used . when using a high lamp power the curing time can be reduced . another possible source for photoradiation is a laser , like e . g . a uv laser , an ir laser or a visible laser . polymerisation is preferably carried out in the presence of an initiator absorbing at the wavelength of the actinic radiation . for example , when polymerising by means of uv light , a photoinitiator can be used that decomposes under uv irradiation to produce free radicals or ions that start the polymerisation reaction . uv photoinitiators are preferred , in particular radicalic uv photoinitiators . preferably the polymerisable mixture comprises one or more conventional or liquid crystal photoinitators . as standard photoinitiator for radical polymerisation for example the commercially available irgacure ® 651 , irgacure ® 184 , darocure ® 1173 or darocure ® 4205 ( all from ciba geigy ag ) can be used , whereas in case of cationic photopolymerisation the commercially available uvi 6974 ( union carbide ) can be used . as lc photoinitiator for example one of the compounds disclosed in ep - a - 1388538 or the following compound can be used : the curing time is dependent , inter alia , on the reactivity of the polymerisable material , the thickness of the coated layer , the type of polymerisation initiator and the power of the uv lamp . the curing time according to the invention is preferably not longer than 10 minutes , particularly preferably not longer than 5 minutes and very particularly preferably shorter than 2 minutes . for mass production short curing times of 3 minutes or less , very preferably of 1 minute or less , in particular of 30 seconds or less , are preferred . the polymerisable lc material can additionally comprise one or more other suitable components such as , for example , catalysts , sensitizers , stabilizers , chain - transfer agents , inhibitors , accelerators , co - reacting monomers , surface - active compounds , lubricating agents , wetting agents , dispersing agents , hydrophobing agents , adhesive agents , flow improvers , defoaming agents , deaerators , diluents , reactive diluents , auxiliaries , colourants , dyes or pigments . the mixture may also comprise one or more dyes having an absorption maximum adjusted to the wavelength of the radiation used for polymerisation , in particular uv dyes like e . g . 4 , 4 ′- azoxy anisole or the commercially available tinuvin ( from ciba ag , basel , switzerland ). in another preferred embodiment the mixture of polymerisable material comprises up to 70 %, preferably 1 to 50 % of one or more non - mesogenic compounds with one polymerisable functional group . typical examples are alkylacrylates or alkylmethacrylates . it is also possible , in order to increase crosslinking of the polymers , to add up to 20 % of one or more non - mesogenic compounds with two or more polymerisable functional groups to the polymerisable lc material alternatively or in addition to the di - or multireactive polymerisable mesogenic compounds to increase crosslinking of the polymer . typical examples for direactive non - mesogenic monomers are alkyldiacrylates or alkyldimethacrylates with alkyl groups of 1 to 20 c atoms . typical examples for multireactive non - mesogenic monomers are trimethylpropanetrimethacrylate or pentaerythritoltetraacrylate . it is also possible to add one or more chain transfer agents to the polymerisable material in order to modify the physical properties of the inventive polymer film . especially preferred are thiol compounds , such as monofunctional thiol compounds like e . g . dodecane thiol or multifunctional thiol compounds like e . g . trimethylpropane tri ( 3 - mercaptopropionate ), very preferably mesogenic or liquid crystalline thiol compounds as for example disclosed in wo 96 / 12209 , wo 96 / 25470 or u . s . pat . no . 6 , 420 , 001 . when adding a chain transfer agent , the length of the free polymer chains and / or the length of the polymer chains between two crosslinks in the inventive polymer film can be controlled . when the amount of the chain transfer agent is increased , the polymer chain length in the obtained polymer film is decreasing . when preparing a polymer film , it is usually necessary to achieve uniform alignment of the polymerisable material . for example , some uses require planar alignment , i . e . wherein in case of an achiral material the lc director is oriented parallel to the film plane , or in case of a cholesteric material the cholesteric helix axis is oriented substantially perpendicular to the film plane . planar alignment can be achieved for example by shearing the material , e . g . by means of a doctor blade . it is also possible to apply an alignment layer , for example a layer of rubbed polyimide or sputtered sio x , on top of at least one of the substrates . planar alignment can also be achieved by rubbing the substrate without applying an additional alignment layer , e . g . by means of a rubbing cloth or a rubbing roller . planar alignment with a low tilt angle can also be achieved by adding one or more surfactants to the polymerizable mesogenic material . suitable surfactants are described for example in j . cognard , mol . cryst . liq . cryst . 78 , supplement 1 , 1 - 77 ( 1981 ). particularly preferred are non - ionic surfactants , e . g . non - ionic fluorocarbon surfactants , like the commercially available fluorad ® ( from 3m ), or zonyl fsn ® ( from dupont ), or polymerizable surfactants as disclosed in ep 1 256 617 a1 . further preferred are multiblock surfactants as disclosed in gb 2 383 040 a . in some cases it is of advantage to apply a second substrate to aid alignment and exclude oxygen that may inhibit the polymerisation . alternatively the curing can be carried out under an atmosphere of inert gas . however , curing in air is also possible using suitable photoinitiators and high uv lamp power . when using a cationic photoinitiator oxygen exclusion most often is not needed , but water should be excluded . in a preferred embodiment of the invention the polymerisation of the polymerisable material is carried out under an atmosphere of inert gas , preferably under a nitrogen atmosphere . furthermore , the compounds of formula i are suitable as comonomers for liquid crystal materials with semiconductor or charge carrier properties , which can be used in electronic devices like for example field effect transistors ( fet ) as components of integrated circuitry , as thin film transistors in flat panel display applications or for radio frequency identification ( rfid ) tags , or semiconducting components for organic light emitting diode ( oled ) applications such as electroluminescent displays or backlights of e . g . liquid crystal displays , photovoltaic or sensor devices , photoconductors , or electrophotographic applications like electrophotographic recording devices . for example , semiconductors comprising polymerisable liquid crystal compounds are disclosed in wo 00 / 79617 , jp - a - 2000 - 347432 , jp - a - 11 - 209761 , sirringhaus et al ., appl . phys . lett ., 77 ( 3 ) ( 2000 ) 406408 , and grell et al ., j . korean phys . soc . 2000 , 36 ( 6 ), 331 . electroluminescent devices using liquid crystal materials are described for example in wo 95 / 17018 and wo 95 / 04306 . organic photoconductors with liquid crystal properties are described for example in ep 0 563 768 and ep 0 527 376 . another object of the invention is a liquid crystal mixture , in particular a nematic liquid crystal mixture , comprising at least one compound of formula i . yet another object of the invention is a liquid crystal display comprising a liquid crystal medium containing at least one compound of formula i . for the applications described above the liquid crystal mixture preferably contains at least one compound of formula i , and a nematic host mixture comprising one or more nematic or nematogenic compounds . preferably the liquid crystal mixture consists of 2 to 25 , preferably 3 to 15 compounds , at least one of which is a compound of formula i . the other compounds , forming the nematic host mixture , are preferably low molecular weight liquid crystal compounds selected from nematic or nematogenic substances , for example from the known classes of the azoxybenzenes , benzylidene - anilines , biphenyls , terphenyls , phenyl or cyclohexyl benzoates , phenyl or cyclohexyl esters of cyclohehexanecarboxylic acid , phenyl or cyclohexyl esters of cyclohexylbenzoic acid , phenyl or cyclohexyl esters of cyclohexylcyclohexanecarboxylic acid , cyclohexylphenyl esters of benzoic acid , of cyclohexanecarboxylic acid and of cyclo - hexylcyclohexanecarboxylic acid , phenylcyclohexanes , cyclohexyl - biphenyls , phenylcyclohexylcyclohexanes , cyclohexylcyclohexanes , cyclohexylcyclohexenes , cyclohexylcyclohexylcyclohexenes , 1 , 4 - bis - cyclohexylbenzenes , 4 , 4 ′- bis - cyclohexylbiphenyls , phenyl - or cyclo - hexylpyrimidines , phenyl - or cyclohexylpyridines , phenyl - or cyclo - hexylpyridazines , phenyl - or cyclohexyldioxanes , phenyl - or cyclo - hexyl - 1 , 3 - dithianes , 1 , 2 - diphenyl - ethanes , 1 , 2 - dicyclohexylethanes , 1 - phenyl - 2 - cyclohexylethanes , 1 - cyclohexyl - 2 -( 4 - phenylcyclohexyl )- ethanes , 1 - cyclohexyl - 2 - biphenyl - ethanes , 1 - phenyl2 - cyclohexyl - phenylethanes , optionally halogenated stilbenes , benzyl phenyl ether , tolanes , substituted cinnamic acids and further classes of nematic or nematogenic substances . the 1 , 4 - phenylene groups in these compounds may also be laterally mono - or difluorinated . the liquid crystal mixture of this preferred embodiment is based on the achiral compounds of this type . the most important compounds that are possible as components of these liquid crystal mixtures can be characterized by the following formula wherein l ′ and e , which may be identical or different , are in each case , independently from one another , a bivalent radical from the group formed by - phe -, - cyc -, - phe - phe -, - phe - cyc -, - cyc - cyc -, - pyr -, - dio -, - b - phe - and - b - cyc - and their mirror images , where phe is unsubstituted or fluorine - substituted 1 , 4 - phenylene , cyc is trans - 1 , 4 - cyclohexylene or 1 , 4 - cyclohexenylene , pyr is pyrimidine - 2 , 5 - diyl or pyridine - 2 , 5 - diyl , dio is 1 , 3 - dioxane - 2 , 5 - diyl abd b is 2 -( trans - 1 , 4 - cyclohexyl ) ethyl , pyrimidine - 2 , 5 - diyl , pyridine - 2 , 5 - diyl or 1 , 3 - dioxane - 2 , 5 - diyl . g ′ in these compounds is selected from the following bivalent groups — ch ═ ch —, — n ( o ) n —, — ch ═ cy —, — ch ═ n ( o )—, — c ≡ c —, — ch 2 — ch 2 —, — co — o —, — ch 2 — o —, — co — s —, — ch 2 — s —, — ch ═ n —, — coo - phe - coo — or a single bond , with y being halogen , preferably chlorine , or — cn . r ′ and r ″ are , in each case , independently of one another , alkyl , alkenyl , alkoxy , alkenyloxy , alkanoyloxy , alkoxycarbonyl or alkoxycarbonyloxy with 1 to 18 , preferably 3 to 12 c atoms , or alternatively one of r ′ and r ″ is f , cf 3 , ocf 3 , cl , ncs or cn . in most of these compounds r ′ and r ″ are , in each case , independently of each another , alkyl , alkenyl or alkoxy with different chain length , wherein the sum of c atoms in nematic media generally is between 2 and 9 , preferably between 2 and 7 . many of these compounds or mixtures thereof are commercially available . all of these compounds are either known or can be prepared by methods which are known per se , as described in the literature ( for example in the standard works such as houben - weyl , methoden der organischen chemie [ methods of organic chemistry ], georg - thieme - verlag , stuttgart ), to be precise under reaction conditions which are known and suitable for said reactions . use may also be made here of variants which are known per se , but are not mentioned here . the compounds of formula i can be used in a liquid crystal mixture for displays like , for example , tn or stn displays , active matrix displays , displays of the ips ( in plane switching ) or va ( vertically aligned ) mode like van ( vertically aligned nematic ) or vac ( vertically aligned cholesteric ), displays of the ecb ( electrically controlled birefringence ), dap ( deformation of aligned phases ), csh ( colour super homeotropic ) or asm ( axially symmetric microcell ) mode , phase - change , guest - host , flexoelectric , ferroelectric displays , bistable nematic and cholesteric displays like psct ( polymer stabilized cholesteric texture ), or pdlc , polymer gel or polymer network displays . the compounds of formula i and polymerisable liquid crystal mixtures according to the present invention are epsecially suitable for the preparation of alignment layers or optical films having a pattern of regions with different orientation by photoalignment utilizing irradiation with linear polarized light , as described for example in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 602 , 661 , or for the preparation of cholesteric or multi - domain liquid crystal displays , as disclosed in wo 98 / 57223 . also , they are suitable for the preparation of polymer films with cholesteric structure having a pattern of at least two regions which differ in one or more properties selected from twist sense , reflection wavelength and birefringence , or for the preparation of cholesteric films having a broad reflection bandwidth , as described for example in ep 1 247 796 , ep 1 247 797 and ep 1 295 929 . such films can be used for example as security markings or as optical films for lc displays ( lcd ), like colour filters or retarders , in particular for incell use in lcds , i . e . for application inside the switchable lc cell of the display . the compounds of formula i can further be used for the prepration of films comprising a pattern of regions or areas wih different orientation and / or retardation , as described for example in ep 03007017 . 2 or ep 03007918 . 0 . thus , the invention further relates to an anisotropic polymer film as described above and below , which is obtained from one or more compounds of formula i or from a polymerisable lc material comprising one or more compounds of formula i , characterized in that the film has a pattern of at least two regions which differ in one or more properties selected from twist sense , reflection wavelength , birefringence and retardation . an especially preferred embodiment of the present invention relates to a film comprising a polymerised liquid crystal ( lc ) material comprising at least one photoisomerisable compound , characterized in that it comprises at least two regions or areas with different retardation and / or at least two regions or areas with different orientation of the lc material , wherein said material comprises at least one compound of formula i . especially preferred is a patterned film comprising at least two regions with different retardation and at least two regions with different orientation of the lc material . further preferred is a patterned retardation film , for example a patterned quarter wave film ( qwf ) or half wave film ( hwf ). especially preferred is a film having a pattern of areas with a specific retardation , such as quarter or half wave retardation , and areas with no retardation , or a film having a pattern of areas with different values of the retardation . the above films are preferably prepared by a process comprising the following steps , which is another object of the invention : a ) providing a layer of a polymerisable lc material comprising at least one photoisomerisable compound of formula i onto a substrate , b ) aligning the layer of lc material into planar orientation , c ) exposing the lc material in the layer , or in selected regions thereof , to photoradiation that causes isomerisation of the isomerisable compound , preferably uv radiation , d ) polymerising the lc material in at least a part of the exposed regions of the material , thereby fixing the orientation , and e ) optionally removing the polymerised film from the substrate , wherein the retardation and / or orientation of the lc material is controlled by varying the amount and / or type of the photoisomerisable compound , and / or by varying the dose of the photoradiation and / or the exposure time . further it is possible to prepare a multilayer comprising at least two layers of polymerised lc material having different orientation , by a process comprising the following steps , which is another object of the invention : a ) providing a first layer of a polymerisable lc material comprising at least one photoisomerisable compound of formula i onto a substrate , b ) aligning the first layer of lc material into planar orientation and polymerising the material , thereby fixing the orientation , c ) providing a second layer of lc material as described in steps a ) and b ), wherein the first layer serves as substrate , wherein the lc material in at least one of said first and second layers , or in selected regions thereof , before polymerisation is exposed to photoradiation that causes isomerisation of the isomerisable compound , preferably uv radiation . the invention further relates to films or multilayers obtained by above methods . the patterneds film are preferably prepared by a process comprising steps a ) to e ) as described above . the steps a ) to e ) can be carried out according to standard procedures that are known to the expert and are described in the literature , or according to the methods as described above . in the above process , the polymerisable lc material comprises a photoisomerisable compound , preferably a photoisomerisable mesogenic or lc compound , very preferably a photoisomerisable compound that is also polymerisable . the isomerisable compound changes its shape , e . g . by e - z - isomerisation , when exposed to radiation of a specific wavelength , e . g . uv - radiation . this leads to disruption of the uniform planar orientation of the lc material , resulting in a drop of its birefringence . since the optical retardation of an oriented lc layer is given as the product d · δn of the layer thickness d and the birefringence δn of the lc material , the drop in birefringence also causes a decrease of the retardation in the irradiated parts of the lc material . the orientation and retardation of the lc material is then fixed by in - situ polymerisation of the irradiated regions or of the entire film . the degree of isomerisation and thus the birefringence change in the layer of lc material can be controlled e . g . by varying the radiation dose , intensity , time and / or power . also , by applying a photomask between the radiation source and the lc layer it is possible to prepare a film with a pattern of regions or pixels having specific values of the retardation that differ from each other . for example , a film comprised of two different values of retardation can be created using a simple , monochrome mask . a more complicated film exhibiting multiple regions of different retardation can be created using a grey - scale mask . after the desired retardation values are achieved the lc layer is polymerised . in this way it is possible to create a polymer retardation film with values of retardation ranging from that of the initial lc layer to zero . the value of retardation for the initial layer of lc material is controlled by appropriate selection of the layer thickness and the type and amounts of the indivdual components of the lc material . the polymerisable lc material for use in this preferred embodiment is preferably a nematic or smectic lc material , in particular a nematic material , and preferably comprises at least one di - or multireactive achiral rm and optionally one or more than one monoreactive achiral rms . by using di - or multireactive rms a crosslinked film is obtained , which exhibits high mechanical stability and high stability of the optical properties against external influences like temperature or solvents . films comprising crosslinked lc material are thus especially preferred . the mono -, di - and multireactive rms are preferably selected from the list comprising ( r1 ) to ( r23 ) as described above . in a further preferred embodiment , the films according to the present invention are used as optical retardation film or colour filter in an lcd not outside the switchable lc cell of the display , but between the substrates , usually glass substrates , forming the switchable lc cell and containing the switchable lc medium ( incell application ). compared to conventional displays where optical retardation films are usually placed between the lc cell and the polarisers , incell application of an optical retardation film has several advantages . for example , a display where the optical film is attached outside of the glass substrates forming the lc cell usually suffers from parallax problems , which can severely impair viewing angle properties . if the retardation films is prepared inside the lc display cell , these parallax problems can be reduced or even avoided . 1 ) a liquid crystal ( lc ) cell comprising the following elements , starting from the edges to the centre of the cell in the sequence listed below 11 ) a first and a second substrate plane parallel to each other , at least one of which is transparent to incident light , 12 ) an array of nonlinear electric elements on one of said substrates which can be used to individually switch individual pixels of said lc cell , said elements being preferably active elements like transistors , very preferably tfts , 13 ) a colour filter array provided on one of said substrates , preferably on the substrate opposite to that carrying the array of nonlinear elements , said colour filter optionally being covered by a planarisation layer , 14 ) a first electrode layer provided on the inside of said first substrate , 15 ) optionally a second electrode layer provided on the inside of said second substrate , 16 ) optionally first and second alignment layers provided on said first and second electrodes , 17 ) an lc medium that is switchable between at least two different states by application of an electric field , 2 ) a first linear polariser on one side of the lc cell , 3 ) optionally a second linear polariser on the side of the lc cell opposite to that of the first linear polariser , and 4 ) at least one patterned optical retardation film according to the present invention , characterized in that said patterned optical retardation films 4 ) is situated between the first and second substrate of the lc cell , preferably between the colour filter and the liquid crystal medium , very preferably between the colour filter and one of said electrode layers , or if a planarisation layer is present , between the planarising layer and one of said electrode layers . the polymerisable compounds and materials of the present invention are also suitable for the preparation of biaxial films having biaxial negative c - type symmetry , with principal refractive indices n x and n y in orthogonal directions in the film plane and n z perpendicular to the film plane , wherein n x ≠ n y ≠ n z and n x , n y & gt ; n z , especially n x & gt ; n y & gt ; n z . for example , the compounds of formula i can be used for preparing optically biaxial films as described in ep04015969 . 1 , which comprise an anisotropic material with helically twisted structure having a uniform helix and a local birefringence that varies periodically in the direction of the helical axis , preferably reflecting light of less than 400 nm ( hereinafter also referred to as type 1 ). furthermore , they can be used for the preparation of optically biaxial films as described in ep04015970 . 9 , which comprise an anisotropic material with helically twisted structure having a deformed ( or distorted ) helix and a local birefringence that varies periodically in the direction of the helical axis ( hereinafter also referred to as type 2 ). for the preparation of type 1 biaxial films , preferably a cholesteric polymerisable lc material is used that comprises one or more compounds of formula i , one or more chiral compounds which induce the cholesteric structure , and a photoinitiator . instead of using additional chiral compounds , one or more chiral compounds of formula i can be used . the polymerisable material is applied onto a substrate and aligned in planar orientation . the amount and helical twisting power ( htp ) of the chiral compounds is preferably selected such that the cholesteric material has a short pitch and a reflection wavelength & lt ; 400 nm . the material is then irradiated with linear polarised uv light that induces photoisomerisation of the compounds of formula i and a change of their refractive index . this leads to a change in birefringence locally within selected parts of the cholesteric helix . as the material is irradiated with polarised light , only those domains of the helix in which the lc director falls along the direction of polarised light will undergo photoreaction , thus reducing the birefringence only in those areas . at the same time the photoinitiator begins the polymerisation process which ‘ fixes ’ the helix structure whilst ‘ trapping ’ the photosensitive materials in their high or low birefringence state according to their position within the helix . in this way the helix structure remains uniform but the birefringence varies locally through the helix , leading to a biaxial optical film . for the preparation of type 2 biaxial films , preferably a cholesteric polymerisable lc material is used as in type 1 above , but wherein the photoinitiator is a dichroic or lc photoinitiator for example as disclosed in ep - a - 1388538 . the material is again applied onto a substrate , aligned in planar orientation and irradiated with linear polarised uv light to provide a birefringence that varies locally through the helix . in addition , the dichroic photoinitiator locally aligns with its uv - absorbing axis parallel to the lc director . upon polarised uv irradiation the lc photoiniator produces polymerisation - initiating free radicals predominantly where the local director lies parallel to the direction of polarisation . this results in local polymerisation , predominantly of di - or multifunctional polymerisable compounds , leading to a concentration gradient between high and low reactive components within a half turn of the helix . highly reactive components become concentrated where the director lies parallel to the e - field ( maximum concentration of free radicals ) and the less reactive components , like monofunctional polymerisable or non - polymerisable compounds , become concentrated where the director is perpendicular to the e - field . localised variation of the chiral component results in distortion of the sinusoidal helix , giving a ‘ distorted ’ or ‘ deformed ’ helix and an optically biaxial film . preferably , the biaxial films have a helical pitch reduced to values well below the visible wavelengths , so that only the average directional refractive indices are experienced . as a consequence the bragg reflection bands occur in the uv , so the films are transparent to visible wavelengths of light and behave purely as retarders for these visible wavelengths . in the foregoing and in the following examples , unless otherwise indicated , all temperatures are set forth uncorrected in degrees celsius and all parts and percentages are by weight . the following abbreviations are used to illustrate the liquid crystalline phase behaviour of the compounds : k = crystalline ; n = nematic ; s = smectic ; ch = cholesteric ; i = isotropic . the numbers between the symbols indicate the phase transition temperatures in ° c . furthermore , mp . is the melting point , δn is the optical anisotropy measured at 20 ° c . and 589 nm , δε is the dielectric anisotropy at 20 ° c . and 1 khz . compound ( 1 ) melts from a crystalline solid to liquid at 87 . 0 ° c . compound ( 2 ) melts from a crystalline solid to liquid at 69 . 7 ° c . the compounds ( 1 ) and ( 2 ) of example 1 are used to create photoisomerisable retardation films . for comparison an analogous mixture containing a non - laterally substituted prior art cinnamate rm ( 3 ) is also prepared . in each case 15 mol % of the compound ( 1 ), ( 2 ) or ( 3 ), respectively , are added to a polymerisable nematic host mixture having the following composition irgacure651 ® is a photoinitiator , irganox1076 ® a stabilizer , both being commercially available ( ciba ag , basel , switzerland ). fc171 ® is a non - ionic fluorocarbon surfactant ( from 3m co .). the solid mixtures are dissolved in pgmea to create a 50 % solution ( by weight ). the solutions are filtered ( 0 . 2 μm ptfe filter ) and spincoated onto rubbed polyimide ( jsr al1054 )/ glass slides . each slide is exposed to uv radiation in an air atmosphere ( 300s , 35 mwcm − 2 , 365 nm , air ) and subsequently photopolymerised ( 10s , 20 mwcm − 2 , uv - a , n 2 ). for control experiments samples are spincoated and immediately photopolymerised ( 10s , 20 mwcm − 2 , uv - a , n 2 ). the on - axis retardation of each film is measured . the extent of change in retardation is determined by comparing the isomerised and non - isomerised retardation values . the results are shown below . the results show that , for a given mol % of cinnamate rm , the laterally substituted materials according to example 1 and 2 of the present invention provide a greater change in retardation . therefore , as well as facilitating the synthesis , these materials also perform better in photoisomerisable mixtures . the preceding examples can be repeated with similar success by substituting the generically or specifically described reactants and / or operating conditions of this invention for those used in the preceding examples . the entire disclosures of all applications , patents and publications , cited herein and of corresponding european application no . 03023430 . 6 , filed oct . 17 , 2003 are incorporated by reference herein . from the foregoing description , one skilled in the art can easily ascertain the essential characteristics of this invention and , without departing from the spirit and scope thereof , can make various changes and modifications of the invention to adapt it to various usages and conditions . | 2 |
the diastereomeric peptides of the invention are cytolytic agents of very low toxicity as evaluated herein in animal models . the results of the skin and eye irritation studies revealed low toxicity of the peptides at concentrations considerably higher than those necessary for their antibacterial , anticancer and antifungal activities . in order to improve the cytolytic activity of the diastereomeric peptide , the effect of several important parameters such as length , amphipathic organization , the location and number of d - amino acids , additional amino acid residues at the n - and c - termini , and polarity of the diastereomeric peptides on their potency , selectivity and spectrum of activity , were examined . for this purpose we synthesized and structurally and functionally characterized a series of linear cytolytic diastereomers . the peptides were then characterized with regard to their biological activity towards pathogenic cells such as bacteria , cancer cells and fungi , on the one hand , and normal mammalian cells such as nih - 3t3 normal fibroblasts cell line , on the other . the potency and selectivity of the novel diastereomers of the invention is demonstrated herein in the anticancer , antifungal and antimycoplasma assays . the group of 15 - and 16 - mer diastereomers shown herein was significantly more active than the prior art 12 - mer diastereomers ( see peptide 1 in example 1 ) against malignant cells , pathogenic fungi and mycoplasma . furthermore , they were active against the malignant cells at concentrations that are 3 - 15 lower than the concentrations at which they act against nih - 3t3 normal fibroblasts cells . in one embodiment of the present invention , the new diastereomeric peptides of the invention are particularly useful for topical application . as used herein , the term “ topical ” means “ pertaining to a particular surface area ” and the topical agent applied to a certain area of said surface will affect only the area to which it is applied . thus any and all applications in which the peptides act locally and not through the blood circulation are encompassed by the present invention . the high potency , the wide spectrum of activity and the low in vivo toxicity of the model diastereomers of the invention pave the way for their use in topical applications against a wide variety of pathogenic organisms in topical infections . such applications include , but are not limited to , treatment of acne , fungal infections of the scalp , fungal or bacterial infections related to surgical or traumatic wounds , chronic or poorly healing skin lesions ( especially in diabetics ), vaginal infection ( vaginitis ), eye and ear infections and burn wounds , infections of mouth and throat , and localized infections such as chronic pulmonary infections in cystic fibrosis , emphysema or asthma that can be treated with aerosol or other formulation for nasal or pulmonary application . topical infections are characterized by opportunistic colonization of a wide range of endogenous and exogenous pathogenic cells . in addition , the treatment of severe wounds such as burns or poorly healing wounds e . g . foot ulcers in diabetes mellitus patients , require long term administration of antibiotics and lead to selection of resistant bacteria such as streptococcus pyogenes or the methicilin - resistant staphylococcus aureus . these problems could be overcome by the diastereomeric peptides of the invention due to their wide spectrum of activity and their ability to act against non - resistant and resistant bacteria as demonstrated in the case of peptide no . 2 against staphylococcus aureus and the methicilin - resistant staphylococcus aureus . the observed resistance of the diastereomers to proteolytic digestion may enable them to reach the digestive system in intact form and to eliminate there bacterial infections such as chronic gastric mucosal infestation by helicobacter pylori and intestinal bacterial infections . the activity of the distereomeric peptides against different strains of fungi indicate their potential use for the treatment of nail fungus such as : ( i ) onychomycoses , the most current nail infection caused mainly by dermiatophytes , in particular by trichophyton rubrum , and less frequently by trichophyton mentagrophytes and epidermophyton floccosum ; ( ii ) infections caused by mold ; and ( iii ) infections caused by yeasts , particularly candida albicans , as in chronic paronychia and onycholysis , and chronic mucocutaneous candidosis . in another embodiment of the invention , the new diastereomeric peptides of the invention are useful as anticancer agents . the observed high potency of the diastereomeric peptides against a variety of malignant cells as shown in the examples herein indicate the existence of a common target for their action . this target is most probably the malignant cell membrane , that has been shown to express higher levels of negatively charged phosphatidylserine than normal mammalian cells ( utsugi et al ., 1991 ). thus , the diastereomeric peptide may also act against topical and skin cancers such as melanoma , against secondary topical tumors in breast , lung , prostate and colon cancer patients , as well as against basal and squamous cell carcinomas . the diastereomers of the invention may also be used for food preservation , as food supplements , in veterinary compositions as alternative to antibiotics for animal nutrition , as anti - mycoplasma , antibacterial , and antifungal agents for tissue culture media , and as reagents for transformation / transfection of target cells with desired dna or rna molecules . in summary , the simple model diastercomeric peptides of the invention provide an efficient alternative to the complex sequence of hydrophobic and polar amino acids of known native amphipathic α - helical antimicrobial peptides , required to maintain their monomeric form , selectivity and interface location . furthermore , by modulating the length , amphipathicity , location and number of d - amino acids and the polarity of the hydrophobic and positively charged amino acids , the membrane selectivity and antipathogenic activity of the desired diastereomeric peptides can be determined . thus , the increased structural and sequence flexibility of the model diastereomeric antimicrobial peptides of the invention provide important advantages for the design of a repertoire of potent antipathogenic diastereomeric polypeptides for the treatment of diseases . for topical application , the active components can be formulated with a variety of cosmetically and / or pharmaceutically acceptable carriers . the term “ pharmaceutically acceptable carrier ” refers to a vehicle which delivers the active components to the intended target and which will not cause harm to humans or other recipient organisms . as used herein , “ pharmaceutical ” will be understood to encompass both human and animal pharmaceuticals . useful carriers include , for example , water , acetone , ethanol , ethylene glycol , propylene glycol , butane - 1 , 3 - diol , isopropyl myristate , isopropyl palmitate , or mineral oil . methodology and components for formulation of pharmaceutical compositions are well known , and can be found , for example , in remington &# 39 ; s pharmaceutical sciences , eighteenth edition , a . r . gennaro , ed ., mack publishing co . easton pa ., 1990 . the carrier may be in any form appropriate to the mode of delivery , for example , solutions , colloidal dispersions , emulsions ( oil - in - water or water - in - oil ), suspensions , creams , lotions , gels , foams , mousses , sprays and the like . the formulation , in addition to the carrier and the antimicrobial components , also can comprise other optional materials which may be chosen depending on the carrier and / or the intended use of the formulation . additional components include , but are not limited to , antioxidants , chelating agents , emulsion stabilizers , e . g . carbomer , preservatives , e . g . methyl paraben , fragrances , humectants , e . g . glycerine , waterproofing agents , e . g . pvp / eicosene copolymer , water soluble film - formers , e . g . hydroxypropyl methylcellulose , oil - soluble film formers , cationic or anionic polymers , and the like . the antimicrobial components are well - suited for combination with other active components intended for topical application . the invention will now be described with reference to some non - limiting examples . 4 - methyl benzhydrylamine resin ( bha ) and butyloxycarbonyl ( boc ) amino acids were purchased from calbiochem - novabiochem co . ( la jolla , calif ., usa ). other reagents used for peptide synthesis included trifluoroacetic acid ( tfa , sigma ), n , n - diisopropylethylamine ( diea , sigma ), dicyclohexylcarbodiimide ( dcc , fluka ), 1 - hydroxybenzotriazole ( 1 - hobt , pierce ), and dimethylformamide ( dmf , peptide synthesis grade , biolab , ill .). all other reagents were of analytical grade . buffers were prepared in double - distilled water . peptides were synthesized by a solid phase method on 4 - methyl benzhydrylamine resin ( bha ) ( 0 . 05 meq ) ( merrifield et . al ., 1982 ; shai et . al ., 1990 ). the resin - bound peptides were cleaved from the resin by hydrogen fluoride ( hf ) and , after hf evaporation , and washing with dry ether , extracted with 50 % acetonitrile / water . hf cleavage of the peptides bound to bha resin resulted in c - terminus amidated peptides . each crude peptide contained one major peak , as revealed by rp - hplc ( reverse phase high - performance liquid chromatography ), that was 60 - 80 % pure peptide by weight . the synthesized peptides were further purified by rp - hplc on a c 18 reverse phase bio - rad semi - preparative column ( 250 × 10 mm , 300 nm pore size , 5 - μm particle size ). the column was eluted in 40 min , using a linear gradient of 25 - 60 % acetonitrile in water , both containing 0 . 05 % tfa ( v / v ), at a flow rate of 1 . 8 ml / min . the purified peptides , which were shown to be homogeneous (˜ 95 %) by analytical hplc , were subjected to amino acid analysis and electrospray mass spectroscopy to confirm their composition and molecular weight . the cyclic peptides were synthesized by a solid - phase method as described in section ( ii ) above , without or with cysteine residues at both the n - and c - termini of the peptides . the cyclization without cystein is carried out by protecting the n - terminal , activating the c - terminal , deprotection of the n - terminal and reaction of the c - and n - terminal groups while still bound to the resin . when the peptide contains cystein residues at both the n - and c - termini , after hf cleavage and rp - hplc purification , the peptides are solubilized at low concentration in pbs ( ph 7 . 3 ), and cyclization is completed after 12 h . the cyclic peptides are further purified on rp - hplc and subjected to amino acid analysis to confirm their composition , and sds - page to confirm their monomeric state . the following 15 - mer and 16 - mer c - amidated diastereomeric peptides 2 - 10 composed of the hydrophobic amino acid leu and the positively charged amino acid lys and , optionally , the positively charged amino acid arg and / or the n - cap amino acid gly , and containing 4 - 5 d - amino acid residues , were synthesized as described in experimental procedures , sections ( ii ) and ( iii ). peptide 1 is a 12 - mer diastereomer described in the above - mentioned wo 98 / 37090 and herein used for comparison purposes . the peptides will be represented hereinafter by numerals in bold . 1 . [ d ]- l 3 , 4 , 8 , 10 - k 4 l 8 of the sequence : lys - leu - leu - leu - lys - leu - leu - leu - lys - leu - leu - lys - nh 2 2 . [ d ]- l 3 , 13 , k 8 , 9 - k 6 l 9 of the sequence : lys - leu - leu - leu - lys - leu - leu - lys - lys - leu - leu - lys - leu - leu - lys - nh 2 3 . [ d ]- l 3 , 8 , k 9 , 13 - k 6 l 9 of the sequence : leu - lys - leu - leu - lys lys - leu - leu - lys - lys - leu - leu - lys - leu - leu - nh 2 4 . [ d ]- l 3 , 8 , k 6 , 9 , 13 - k 6 l 9 of the sequence : leu - lys - leu - leu - lys lys - leu - leu - lys - lys - leu - leu - lys - leu - leu - nh 2 5 . [ d ]- l 3 , 6 , 13 , k 8 , 9 - gk 4 r 2 l 9 of the sequence : gly - leu - leu - leu - arg - leu - leu - lys - lys - leu - leu - arg - leu - lys - lys - nh 2 6 . [ d ]- l 3 , 6 , 13 , k 8 , 9 - k 4 r 2 l 9 of the sequence : lys - leu - leu - leu - arg - leu - leu - lys - lys - leu - leu - arg - leu - leu - lys - nh 2 7 . [ d ]- l 3 , 10 , 13 , k 7 , 8 - k 6 l 9 of the sequence : lys - leu - leu - lys - leu - leu - lys - lys - leu - leu - lys - leu - leu - leu - lys - nh 2 8 . [ d ]- l 3 , 10 , 13 , k 7 , 8 - gk 6 l 9 of the sequence : gly - leu - leu - lys - leu - leu - lys - lys - leu - leu - lys - leu - leu - leu - lys - lys - nh 2 9 . [ d ]- l 3 , 10 , 13 , k 7 , 8 - k 4 r 2 l 9 of the sequence : lys - leu - leu - arg - leu - leu - lys - lys - leu - leu - arg - leu - leu - leu - lys - nh 2 10 . [ d ]- l 3 , 6 , 13 , k 8 , 9 , 13 - k 6 l 9 of the sequence : lys - leu - leu - leu - lys - leu - leu - lys - lys - leu - leu - lys - leu - leu - lys - nh 2 11 . cyclic -[ d ]- l 3 , 13 , k 8 , 9 - k 6 l 9 | | cys - lys - leu - leu - leu - lys - leu - leu - lys - lys - leu - leu - lys - leu - leu - lys - cys 12 . cyclic -[ d ]- l 3 , 8 , k 9 , 13 - k 6 l 9 | | cys - leu - lys - leu - leu - lys lys - leu - leu - lys - lys - leu - leu - lys - leu - leu - cys 13 . cyclic -[ d ]- l 3 , 6 , 13 , k 8 , 9 - k 4 r 2 l 9 | | cys - lys - leu - leu - leu - arg - leu - leu - lys - lys - leu - leu - arg - leu - leu - lys - cys the antibacterial activity of the peptides was examined in sterile 96 - well plates ( nunc f96 microtiter plates ) in a final volume of 100 μl as follows : aliquots ( 50 μl ) of a suspension containing bacteria at concentration of 1 × 10 6 colony - forming units ( cfu )/ ml in culture lb ( lauria broth ) medium were added to 50 μl of water containing the peptide in serial 2 - fold dilutions in water . inhibition of growth was determined by measuring the absorbance at 600 nm with a microplate autoreader e1309 ( bio - tek instruments ), after an incubation time of 18 - 20 h at 37 ° c . antibacterial activities were expressed as the minimal inhibitory concentration ( mic ), the concentration at which 100 % inhibition of growth was observed after 18 - 20 h of incubation . the bacteria used were : escherichia coli atcc 25922 , acinetobacter baumannii atcc 19606 , pseudomonas aeruginosa atcc 27853 , staphylococcus aureus atcc 6538p , enterococcus faecalis atcc 29212 , enterobacter cloacae atcc 49141 . the antibacterial activity of peptides 2 and 6 was also examined against resistant bacteria : methicilin - resistant staphylococcus aureus ( m4rsa ) atcc 700698 and vancomycin - resistant enterococcus faecium ( vre ) atcc 700221 . the results for peptides 1 - 8 , summarized in table 1 , reveal that peptides 2 - 8 of the invention are significantly more potent than the known peptide 1 against most bacteria examined . in addition , peptides 2 and 6 are highly active against the above - mentioned resistant bacteria mrsa and vre , indicating that these bacteria are not resistant to the diastereomeric peptides . the antifungal activity of the diastereomers was examined in sterile 96 - well plates ( nunc f96 microtiter plates ) in a final volume of 200 μl as follows : 100 μl of a suspension containing fungi at concentration of 1 × 10 4 colony - forming units ( cfu )/ ml in culture medium ( rpmi 1640 , 0 . 165 m mops ph 7 . 0 , with l - glutamine , without nahco 3 ) was added to 100 μl of water containing the peptide in serial 2 - fold dilutions in water . the fungi were incubated in the presence of the diastereomeric peptides for 24 - 48 h at 35 ° c . in a binder kb115 incubator under agitation . growth inhibition was determined by measuring the absorbance at 620 nm with a microplate autoreader e1309 ( bio - tek instruments ). antifungal activity is expressed as the minimal inhibitory concentration ( mic ), the concentration at which 100 % inhibition of growth was observed after the incubation time mentioned above . the fungi used were : aspergillus niger atcc 9642 , candida albicans atcc 10231 and cryptococcus neoformans atcc 66031 . the results for peptides 1 - 8 , summarized in table 2 , show that while the known 12 - mer peptide 1 was inactive against c . albicans and a . niger , peptides of the invention 2 - 8 were active against all the fungi examined . the anticancer activity of the diastereomers 1 , 2 , 8 , 9 and 10 was examined against b16 f10 mouse melanoma cell line . melanoma cells were grown in rpmi - 1640 medium supplemented with 10 % fetal calf serum and antibiotics , at 37 ° c ., in humidified atmosphere at 5 % co 2 and 95 % air . in addition , the cell - selectivity of the diastereomeric peptides was studied by examining their effect on nih - 3t3 normal fibroblasts cell line . nih - 3t3 mouse fibroblasts cells were grown in dmem medium supplemented with 10 % bovine calf serum and antibiotics under the same conditions as described above for b16 f10 mouse melanoma cells . melanoma cells ( 2 × 10 5 cells ml − 1 ) or nih - 3t3 cells ( 2 . 5 × 10 5 cells ml − 1 ) were seeded in tissue culture plates ( 3 . 5 cm ). after 48 h , cells were washed thrice with the corresponding medium . then the cells were incubated at 37 ° c . in medium ( without serum and antibiotics ) in the presence of the tested diastereomeric peptides dissolved in pbs , at different concentrations . in control experiments , pbs alone or the chemotherapeutic agent mitomycin c were added to the cells . following 24 h of incubation , the cells were harvested with trypsin ( 0 . 25 %)- edta ( 0 . 05 %) and centrifuiged for 10 min at 270 × g . the precipitated cells were suspended in the corresponding medium and counted in a hemocytometer ( neubauer ). cell viability was determined by trypan blue dye exclusion . anticancer activities were expressed as lc50 , the concentration at which 50 % cell mortality was observed after 24 h incubation . the results for peptides 2 , 8 , 9 , and 10 , summarized in table 3 , show that the diastereomers 2 , 8 , 9 , and 10 of the invention are significantly more potent than the known 12 - mer diastereomer 1 against the melanoma cell line . furthermore , peptides 2 , 8 , 9 , and 10 were active against melanoma cell line at concentrations which are 3 - 15 fold lower than the concentration at which they act against nih - 3t3 normal fibroblast cell line . in contrast , both mitomycin c and peptide 1 were active against both cell lines at similar concentration . these results clearly reveal that the new diastereomeric peptides of the invention are more selective than the clinically used chemotherapeutic agent mitomycin c . the anticancer activity of diastereomers 9 and 10 of the invention was also examined against 5 different human tumor cell lines as shown in table 4 below : aliquots of 100 μl of tumor cell suspension ( about 2 . 5 - 5 × 10 3 / well ) were placed in 96 - well microtiter plates in an atmosphere of 5 % co 2 at 37 ° c . after 24 hours , 100 μl of growth medium , 2 μl of test solution , mitomycin or vehicle ( pbs , ph = 7 . 4 ) were added per well in duplicate for an additional 72 - hour incubation . the tested diastereomeric peptide was evaluated at concentrations of 100 , 10 , 1 , 0 . 1 and 0 . 01 μm . at the end of incubation , 20 μl of alamarblue 75 % reagent was added to each well for another 6 - hour incubation before detection of cell viability by fluorescence intensity . fluorescence intensity was measured using a spectraflour plus plate reader with excitation at 530 nm and emission at 590 nm . the assays were used to detect changes in cell proliferation based on the ability of viable cells to cause alamarblue to change from its oxidized ( non - fluorescent , blue ) to a reduced ( fluorescent , red ) form . with the results obtained from the alamarblue reaction , cell proliferation can be quantified and metabolic activity of viable cells can be examined . as can be seen in table 5 , the diastereomers 9 and 10 exhibit significant growth inhibition (& gt ; 50 %) relative to the respective vehicle - treated control group at assay concentrations between about 1 and 20 μm in all the 5 different human tumor cell lines . this shows that the diastereomeric peptides of the invention have a wide spectrum of activity against cancer . the potent activity of the peptides against different types of tumor cell lines and their cell selectivity make them good candidates to be used as anticancer drugs . the in - vivo anticancer assay was conducted on scid ( severe combined immune deficiency ) mice using the xenograft model of human breast mcf - 7 cells . groups of 6 scid female mice weighing 18 - 20 g ( 6 - week old ), bred in an animal isolator ( ivc racks under specific pathogen - free ( spf ) conditions at 24 ± 1 ° c ., were used . viable human breast carcinoma mcf - 7 cells ( atcc htb - 22 − 1 × 10 7 cells in 0 . 2 ml of pbs ) were injected subcutaneously ( s . c .) into the dorsal side of scid mice . 50 μg / mouse of estradiol benzoate was injected s . c . weekly as a supplement for 4 weeks . when tumor growth reached ≧ 5 mm in diameter ( about day 12 ), the animals were randomly assigned into groups of six and administration of vehicle and / or test compounds was started . peptide 9 at 3 mg / kg or vehicle control ( pbs , ph = 7 . 4 ) in a dosing volume 10 ml / kg was administered intravenously ( iv ) to animals twice a week for 6 doses . mitomycin at a dose of 2 mg / kg was administered intraperitoneally ( ip ) twice a week for 5 doses . the tumor size , body weight and the signs of overt animal toxicity after each treatment were recorded and observed . at the end of the experiment , hematological analysis was carried out . the results summarized in fig1 show that peptide 9 at dosage of 3 mg / kg exhibited inhibitory effect upon the tumor growth over the test period . although the chemotherapeutic agent mitomycin was more potent than peptide 9 ( fig1 ), the animals treated with mitomycin exhibited severe side effects throughout the assay period , whereas the animals treated with peptide 9 displayed side effects which appeared only after administration of the peptide and disappeared within 1 hour . fig2 shows that the animals treated with mitomycin and even the control mice showed signs of weakness and loss of weight that aggravated as the experiment proceeded . in contrast , the animals treated with peptide no . 9 were in good condition , they did not express any signs of weakness and they maintained their body weight throughout the study period . in addition , hematological analysis that was conducted at the end of the assay revealed that mitomycin also caused a significant reduction of white blood cells ( wbc ), red blood cells ( rbc ) and platelets while peptide 9 did not cause a reduction in wbc and platelets , and only a slight reduction in rbc was noted in animals treated with peptide 9 ( table 6 ). the results obtained in this experiment indicate that peptide 9 is a potential candidate for use as anticancer drug , probably at higher concentrations than shown herein . in comparison to mitomycin c , peptide 9 was found to be less toxic and to cause only mild temporary side effects , whereas mitomycin c caused severe side effects that persisted for a long period , even few weeks after its last administration . in order to test the capacity of the diastereomers of the invention to inhibit lung metastasis formation , the murine malignant 3ll d - 122 lewis lung carcinoma model ( d122 clone of the 3ll carcinoma of c57bl / 6 origin ) was used with c57 black male mice ( porgador et al ., 1993 ). the animals were bred in an animal isolator ( ivc racks ) under specific pathogen - free ( spf ) conditions at 24 ± 1 ° c . malignant 3ll d - 122 cells ( 1 × 10 6 cells / 0 . 2 ml pbs ) were injected intravenously ( i . v .) to twenty 8 - 9 week - old c57 black male mice weighing 18 - 22 g . after 24 hours , the animals were randomly assigned into two groups and administration of vehicle ( control ) or of a test compound was started . peptide 9 at 5 mg / kg or control ( pbs , ph = 7 . 4 ) at 10 ml / kg was administered i . v . every day to the mice for three days in the first week , and then once a week in the next two weeks , for a total of 5 treatments in a period of 21 days . on day 28 , mice were sacrificed and their lungs were removed and weighed in order to measure the extent of lung metastasis . the metastatic load is defined as the mean lung weight of mice infected with d - 122 cells minus the mean lung weight of 5 normal mice ( 158 ± 2 mg ). the results are depicted in fig3 . as shown , mice infected with d - 122 lung carcinoma cells and treated with peptide 9 of the invention exhibited significantly lower lungs weight ( 282 ± 28 mg ) in comparison with d - 122 infected and untreated mice ( 896 ± 39 mg ). the metastatic load was decreased by 80 % in the group treated with peptide 9 compared to the untreated group . these findings reveal that peptide 9 is also significantly active against lung tumor metastases and can be used as a broad spectrum anticancer drug . in order to reach their target , the diastereomers have to withstand proteolytic digestion by proteases which may occur during the time of their administration site till they reach the target site . the susceptibility of the diastereomer 2 of the invention is to proteolytic digestion by pepsin ( from porcine stomach mucosa , sigma ), trypsin ( from bovine pancreas , sigma ), and elastase ( from human leukocytes , sigma ) was assessed by reverse - phase hplc . as a control we used the native , all l - amino acid antimicrobial peptide cecropin b . equal amounts of the peptides were dissolved in pbs ( 35 mm phosphate buffer / 0 . 15 m nacl , ph 7 . 3 ) at final concentration of 140 μm to which 25 μm of protease were added . the samples were incubated under agitation for 30 min at 37 ° c . after the addition of the appropriate protease inhibitor to stop the reaction , aliquots were injected to c 18 column and the amounts of the intact diastereomers were evaluated using their absorbance at 215 nm . the results summarized in table 7 show that the diastereomers of the invention are significantly less susceptible to protease digestion as compared to the native antimicrobial peptide cecropin b . mycoplasmas are the smallest free - living microorganisms , being about 300 nm in diameter . they are bounded by a triple - layered membrane and , unlike conventional bacteria , do not have a rigid cell wall . hence , they are not susceptible to penicillins and other antibiotics that act on bacteria . mycoplasma infection of cell cultures is widespread and has major detrimental effects on cellular physiology and metabolism . since cell culture is used extensively , both in research and in industrial production processes , it is essential to find a way to eliminate mycoplasma contamination . in order to examine the activity of the diastereomers of the invention against mycoplasma , 500 μl of mycoplasma pneumoniae cells were introduced into a cell culture flask containing 50 ml of sp - 4 growth media ( jacob et al ., 1985 ). the cells were grown at 37 ° c . for 3 - 4 days . before the assay , the mycoplasma cells were washed 3 times with serum - free medium ( without fetal calf serum ) and then harvested into 5 ml of the same medium . the cells &# 39 ; concentration was adjusted to approximately 1 × 10 6 cells ml − 1 . thereafter , 150 μl of either diastereomer 1 or 2 in phosphate - buffered saline ( pbs ) were added to 150 μl mycoplasma cells . the mixture was incubated for 1 hour at room temperature . as a control , cells were incubated with pbs alone . at the end of the incubation period , 150 μl of the mixture were inoculated into tissue culture flasks ( in duplicate ) containing 15 ml sp - 4 media . after 3 - 4 days , the mycoplasma viability was determined by counting the number of cells grown in each flask . anti - mycoplasma activity is expressed as the minimal inhibitory concentration ( mic ), the concentration at which 100 % inhibition of growth was observed after the incubation time mentioned above . as shown in table 8 , the 12 - mer diastereomer 1 known from the prior art was less active against mycoplasma than the 15 - mer peptide 2 of the present invention . moreover , compared to their activity against normal cell line ( table 3 ), both peptides were active against nih - 3t3 fibroblasts at concentrations that are 2 - fold higher than the concentration at which they act against mycoplasma , indicating that the diastereomeric peptides have a selective activity against mycoplasma . the purpose of this experiment was to provide information on the irritation likely to arise from a single instillation of peptide 2 into the eye or from a single topical exposure to it . the study was conducted by the service company “ psl ” ( product safety labs , 725 cranbury road , east brunswick , n . j ., usa ). for the eye irritation assay , three healthy rabbits ( 1 male and 2 females ) without pre - existing ocular irritation were selected . prior to instillation , peptide 2 was dissolved in 0 . 9 % saline to result in a 0 . 5 % concentration , then mixed well using a vortex mixer . one - tenth of a milliliter of the prepared test substance was instilled into the conjunctival sac of the right eye of each rabbit by pulling the lower lid away from the eyeball . the upper and lower lids were then gently held together for about one second before releasing , to minimize loss of the test substance . the left eye remained untreated and served as a control . ocular irritation was evaluated with the illumination of a white light source at 1 , 24 , 48 and 72 hours after the instillation according to the “ scale for scoring ocular lesions ” used in “ psl ”. fluorescein dye was used at 24 hours to verify the absence of corneal damage . for the skin irritation assay , three healthy rabbits were selected . on the day before application , the fur on the treatment site of each animal was removed by clipping . care was taken to avoid abrading the skin . after clipping and prior to application , the animal &# 39 ; s skin was checked for any abnormalities according to the “ primary skin irritation scoring system ” used in “ psl ”. if any site scores were greater than zero , that animal was removed from test and replaced . prior to the exposure , peptide 2 was dissolved in 0 . 9 % saline to result in a 0 . 5 % concentration , then mixed well using a vortex mixer . five - tenths of a milliliter of the prepared test substance was applied directly to the skin of the treatment site . the entire trunk of each animal was then wrapped with non - irritating occlusive adhesive tape to avoid dislocation of the patch . animals were exposed to the test substance for a period of 24 hours . elizabethan collars were placed on each rabbit for the designated exposure period . following the exposure period , the patches were removed and the treatment sites were wiped with water or appropriate solvents using clean towels to remove any residual test substance . the treatment sites were examined for signs of erythema and edema within 1 hour and at approximately 24 , 48 and 72 hours after patch removal according to the “ primary skin irritation scoring system ” developed by draize ( draize et al ., 1944 ). individual scores were recorded for each rabbit . a narrative description of pertinent skin observations and any signs of gross toxicity were recorded . in addition , evaluation of the reversibility or irreversibility of the observed effects was noted . according to the results obtained , no corneal opacity or iritis was noted during the eye irritation study and no signs of erythema and edema were observed during the skin irritation assay . thus , it can be concluded that peptide 2 does not cause eye or skin irritation at the high concentration tested ( 0 . 5 %; 5 mg / ml ). liposomes serve as convenient delivery vehicles for biologically active molecules . hydrophilic drugs can be encapsulated in the internal aqueous compartment , whereas hydrophobic drugs may bind to or are incorporated in the lipid bilayers . in this experiment , liposomal diastereomeric peptides were prepared in order to lower the peptide toxicity and increase their selectivity . liposomes composed of different ratios of phosphatidylcholine ( pc )/ phosphatidylglycerol ( pg ) ( 9 : 1 ; 4 : 1 ; 1 : 1 w / w ) or phosphatidylethanolamine ( pe )/ pg ( 9 : 1 ; 4 : 1 ; 1 : 1 w / w ) were prepared . in brief , dry lipid mixtures were dissolved in chcl 3 / meoh ( 2 / 1 , v / v ). the solvents were evaporated under nitrogen stream , and the lipid mixtures at the compositions described above were resuspended in pbs by vortex mixing . the lipid suspension was extruded through 3 different polycarbonate filters ( 1 μm , 0 . 2 μm and 0 . 1μμ pore size filters , 15 times each ). finally , the resulting suspensions of large unilamellar vesicles ( luv ) were added to different concentrations of peptide 9 to give lipid / peptide ratios of 50 : 1 ; 30 : 1 ; 10 : 1 w / w , respectively . the mixtures were sonicated for 2 minutes and the liposomes were stored at 4 ° c . until used . the antibacterial activity of the resulting liposomal diastereomeric peptide preparations were examined as described in example 2 above . the mics of liposomal peptide 9 in various lipid compositions and peptide / lipid ratios ( as described above ), or of liposomes at lipid compositions equivalent to the loaded_liposomes ( not shown ) or peptide 9 alone , were determined using the following bacteria : acinetobacter baumannii atcc 19606 , and staphylococcus aureus atcc 6538p . the results summarized in table 9 show that liposomal peptide 9 composed of the lipids pc / pg ( 9 : 1 w / w ) at a 10 : 1 w / w lipid / peptide ratio , exhibits mic results similar to those of peptide 9 alone . hence , peptide 9 entrapped within liposomes can maintain its antibacterial activity , however this activity is contingent on the liposomes &# 39 ; lipid composition and on the lipid / peptide ratio . the in vivo toxicity of the liposomal peptide 9 preparation composed of the lipids pc / pg ( 9 : 1 w / w ) at a 10 : 1 w / w lipid / peptide ratio was examined . groups of 5 cd1 male mice weighing 24 - 27 g ( 5 - week old ), bred in an animal isolator ( ivc racks ) under specific pathogen - free ( spf ) conditions at 24 ± 1 ° c ., were used . twelve mg / kg liposomal peptide 9 or peptide 9 alone dissolved in pbs in a dosing volume of 10 ml / kg , were administered by single i . v . bolus injection via the mice tail vein . in parallel , control groups received i . v . injections of equivalent liposomes alone or pbs in a dosing volume of 10 ml / kg . the results in table 10 show that 12 mg / kg of peptide 9 injected i . v . caused 80 % mortality , while liposomal peptide 9 in the same concentration produced only 20 % mortality . no incidence of mortality occurred following the i . v . injection of pbs or the liposomes alone . these results show that entrapment of diastereomeric peptides of the invention in liposomes can reduce their toxicity while maintaining their activity . | 0 |
the preferred embodiments of the present invention are described hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings . fig1 is a perspective view showing the arrangement of the control sections of a copying apparatus related to the present invention . fig2 is a block diagram of the aforesaid control section . in fig1 the exterior frame of copying apparatus 100 is indicated by a dashed line . copying apparatus 100 comprises main unit 101 , first paper supply unit 102 , and second paper supply unit 103 . main unit 101 is a copying apparatus using an electrophotographic process to produce on a copy sheet a toner image corresponding to an original document image . that is , an original document image is optically scanned by an optical scanning device ( not shown in the illustrations ) so as to form an electrostatic latent image on the surface of a photosensitive member ( also not shown in the illustrations ), said electrostatic latent image then being developed as a toner image , transferred onto a copy sheet and fixed to said copy sheet to produce a hard copy . first paper supply unit 102 is provided below main unit 101 ; the stacked copy sheets accommodated in unit 102 are fed one sheet at a time via a feed roller ( not shown in the drawing ) to main unit 101 . second paper supply unit 103 is provided at the side of first paper supply unit 102 , and feeds copy sheets to main unit 101 via the same feed roller ( not illustrated ) as that used by first paper supply unit 102 . the operation section is described hereinafter . main control section 1 is provided on the interior side of main unit 101 , and is connected to sub - control units 2 , 3 , and 4 via communication lines l12 , l13 , and l14 , and is connected to operation panel 5 via communication line l15 . main control section 1 executes sequence controls for the entire copy apparatus 100 , and transmits control signals to sub - control sections 2 ˜ 4 , and receives signals transmitted from said sub - control sections 2 ˜ 4 , then sequentially executes the copy process . sub - control section 2 is provided on the back interior side of main unit 101 , and is connected to main control section 1 via communication line l12 , and is connected to controlled sections which include photosensitive member drive motor m21 , optical scanner drive motor m22 , copy sheet transport roller ( not illustrated ) drive motor m23 , clutch ( not illustrated ) drive solenoids sl21 , and sl22 , and charging / discharging charger ( not shown in the drawings ) power source hv . sub - control section 2 is also connected to microswitches s21 ˜ s24 for detecting the position of the optical scanner . sub - control section 2 controls the operation of the previously mentioned controlled sections in accordance with control signals transmitted from main control section 1 , and outputs detection signals received from the aforesaid microswitches s21 ˜ s24 to said main control section 1 . sub - control section 3 is provided within first paper supply unit 102 , and is connected to main control section 1 via communication line l13 , and is connected to controlled sections which include paper feed roller drive motor m31 and clutch drive solenoid sl31 of first paper supply unit 102 . sub - control section 3 is also connected to microswitches s31 and s32 for detecting the transport condition of sheets during transport . similarly , sub - control section 4 controls second paper supply unit 103 , and is connected to paper supply roller drive motor m4 , clutch drive solenoid sl41 , and microswitch s41 for detecting the transport state of sheets during transport . sub - control section 4 is also connected to main control section 1 via communication line l14 , and is itself controlled by control signals received from said main control section 1 . operation panel 5 comprises switch groups ( not shown in the drawings ) for operation input , and display element groups ( not shown in the drawings ). only the switch groups for control input , and display elements for the controlled sections of operation panel 5 are directly connected to main control section 1 . main control section 1 comprises microcomputer cpu1 provided with internal random access memory ( ram ) and read only memory ( rom ), serial interfaces si012 ˜ 14 , and parallel interface pio . the aforesaid interfaces sio12 ˜ 14 and pio are linked by an 8 - bit data bus . each serial interface sio12 ˜ sio14 is used for parallel - to - serial data conversion , and serial - to - parallel data conversion . specifically , parallel signal received from the 8 - bit data bus are converted to serial signals and output through communication lines l12 ˜ l14 ; and serial data received from communication lines l12 ˜ l14 are converted to 8 - bit parallel data which are output to the aforesaid data bus . parallel interface pio controls the switch groups and display elements of operation panel 5 . sub - control section 2 comprises microcomputer cpu2 provided with internal ram and rom , serial interface si02 , and drive circuits dsl21 , dsl22 , and dm21 for driving solenoids sl21 and sl22 , and motor m21 , which are linked via an 8 - bit data bus . serial interface si02 is connected to a data and communication line l12 , and is used for serial - to - parallel data conversion , and parallel - to - serial data conversion . in fig2 motors m22 and m23 , solenoids sl21 and sl22 , power source hv , microswitches s21 ˜ s24 , and the data buses and interface circuits provided therebetween are used for other data input and output . sub - control sections 3 and 4 have functions substantially similar to sub - control section 2 and differ only in the objects of input and output . therefore , further description is omitted herefrom . in the copying apparatus of the previously described construction , microcomputer cpu1 of main control section 1 outputs control signals with a predetermined timing to microcomputer cpu2 ˜ cpu4 via the respective communication lines l12 , l13 , l14 in accordance with copy state designations from operation panel 5 . microcomputer cpu2 ˜ cpu4 which respectively receive the aforesaid signals execute controls relative to the various controlled sections ( e . g ., motors , solenoids and the like ). the results of the aforesaid controls of the various controlled sections are transmitted as input element ( microswitches and the like ) detection signals from microcomputer cpu2 ˜ cpu4 of sub - control sections 2 ˜ 4 to microcomputer cpu1 of main control section 1 via communication lines l12 ˜ l14 , and are used by microcomputer cpu1 for the output timing of subsequently output control signals . transmission and reception of signal between the control sections is accomplished in the aforesaid sequence to execute normal copy operations , and execute controls for the detection of malfunctioning parts . the sequence for detecting malfunctioning parts is described below with reference to fig3 and 4 . fig3 is a block diagram showing the communication section between main control section 1 and sub - control section 2 among the control blocks of fig2 . fig4 is a flow chart showing the sequence for detecting malfunctioning parts in main control section 1 and sub - control section 2 . in fig3 reference numbers q1 and q2 shows the construction other than serial interfaces sio 12 and sio 2 in each control section 1 and 2 . it is to be noted that q2 includes controlled objects such as motor m21 , solenoid sl21 , sl22 and the like . sub - control section 2 is a part of the controlled objects controlled by main control section 1 . serial interface sio12 is provided with tri - state buffer t1 , the input pin and output pin of which are respectively connected to output pin p10 and input pin p11 of serial interface sio12 . control pin r1 is connected to command interpreter u1 of serial interface sio12 . command interpreter u1 is a logic circuit , which sets control pin r1 of tri - state buffer t1 to high level &# 34 ; hi &# 34 ; for a predetermined period in accordance with predetermined signals from cpu1 . when control pin r1 of tri - state buffer t1 is receiving high level &# 34 ; hi &# 34 ; signals , the circuit between output pin p10 and input pin p11 is shorted , such that signals output from output pin p10 are directly retransmitted to input pin p11 . on the other hand , serial interface sio2 is provided with tri - state buffer t2 , the input pin and output pin of which are respectively connected to input pin p21 and output pin p20 of serial interface sio2 , and control pin r2 is connected to command interpreter u2 of serial interface sio2 . while control pin r2 of tri - state buffer t2 is receiving high level &# 34 ; hi &# 34 ; signals , the circuit between input pin p21 and output pin p20 is shorted , such that signals output from output pin p10 of serial interface sio12 are retransmitted to input pin p11 through a communication line . in general , copying apparatus of the previously described type can be set in a test mode via operation of predetermined switches on operation panel 5 . in a test mode , for example , motor m2 alone may be experimentally rotated via the operation of a predetermined switch on operation panel 5 . for example , when abnormal developing occurs because motor m2 does not rotate , the problem may originate in main control section 1 , communication lines l12 , or sub - control section 2 . that is , the problem may originate in any of the three blocks a , b , or c indicated by the broken line in fig3 . when the copying apparatus is set to the test mode after the aforesaid condition has been generated , the below procedures follow . ( 1 ) a switch is designated on operation panel 5 so that microcomputer cpu1 outputs a signal ( test signal 2 ) to set control pin r2 of tri - state buffer t2 in serial interface sio2 to high level &# 34 ; hi &# 34 ; for a predetermined period ( step # 1 : yes ). in accordance with the aforesaid test signal 2 , command interpreter u2 of serial interface sio2 sets control pin r2 of tri - state buffer t2 to high &# 34 ; hi &# 34 ; level for a predetermined period , and the communication line is shorted . at this time , if a high &# 34 ; hi &# 34 ; level setting of output pin p20 is detected ( step # 2 : yes ), block a and block b are normal , and block c is determined to be malfunctioning , and this information is displayed ( step # 3 ). at this point , block c can be repaired by being individual checked , or by replacing components . ( 2 ) if a high &# 34 ; hi &# 34 ; level setting of output pin p20 is not detected ( step # 2 : no ), a switch is designated on operation panel 5 such that microcomputer cpu1 outputs a signal ( test signal 1 ) to set control pin r1 of tri - state buffer t1 in serial interface sio12 to high &# 34 ; hi &# 34 ; level ( step # 4 : yes ). in accordance with the aforesaid test signal 1 , command interpreter u1 of serial interface sio12 sets control pin r1 of tri - state buffer t1 to high &# 34 ; hi &# 34 ; level . ( 2 - 1 ) at this time , if a high &# 34 ; hi &# 34 ; level setting of input pin p11 is detected ( step # 5 : yes ), block a is normal , block b is determined to be malfunctioning , and this information is displayed ( step # 6 ). although it is unclear whether or not block c is malfunctioning , the prospects of the repair operation are improved by always first determining if block b requires repair . after repairing block b , the check of step ( 1 ) above is repeated so as to ascertain the condition of block c . ( 2 - 2 ) if a high &# 34 ; hi &# 34 ; level setting of input pin p11 is not detected ( step # 5 : no ), block a is always determined to be malfunctioning , and this information is displayed ( step # 7 ). it is unclear whether or not blocks b or c are malfunctioning . the detection process continues after block a is repaired . after completing repair of block a , the check of step ( 1 ) above is repeated to determined whether or not blocks b or c require repair . the sequences for checking sub - control sections 3 and 4 , and communication lines l13 and l14 are accomplished in the same manner . fig5 is a block diagram showing the concept of a second embodiment of the present invention . although the first embodiment has been described by way of example of controls blocks divided into three sections a , b , and c , the present embodiment further links control block d having a motor md . the various control blocks a ˜ d are connected to communicate with each other through lines l100 and l200 via serial interfaces sio100 ˜ sio300 , so as to exchange signals . the sequence for detecting malfunctioning parts may be readily understood if the sequence of the first embodiment is expanded . ( 1 ) first , tri - state buffer t3 is set at high &# 34 ; hi &# 34 ; level . if tri - state buffer t3 is detected in the on state at this time , block d is determined to be malfunctioning and blocks a , b , and c are normal . ( 2 ) on the other hand , if a high &# 34 ; hi &# 34 ; level setting of tri - state buffer t3 is not detected , tri - state buffer t2 is switched on . at this time , if tri - state buffer t2 is detected in the high &# 34 ; hi &# 34 ; level setting , block c is determined to be malfunctioning , and blocks a and b are normal ; the condition of block d is unclear . ( 3 ) if tri - state buffer t2 is not detected in the high &# 34 ; hi &# 34 ; level setting , tri - state buffer t1 is set to high &# 34 ; hi &# 34 ; level . at this time , if tri - state buffer t1 is detected in the on state , block b is determined to be malfunctioning , block a is normal , and the condition of blocks c and d are unclear . on the other hand , if tri - state buffer t1 is not detected in the on state , block a is determined to be malfunctioning , and the condition of block b , c , and d are unclear . copying apparatus management systems are known which diagnose the condition of copying apparatus by remote operations via modem and telephone lines , and the present invention is also applicable to such systems . in such applications , the main control section of a copying apparatus becomes a single sub - control section , and the control section of the remotely located copying apparatus management unit becomes the main control section , wherein detection of malfunctioning parts is accomplished in the same sequence as previously described by means of transmission of test signals between the two locations . although the present invention has been fully described by way of examples with reference to the accompanying drawings , it is to be noted that various changes and modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art . therefore , unless otherwise such changes and modifications depart from the scope of the present invention , they should be construed as being included therein . | 6 |
the arrowheads shown in fig1 and 2 embody the same features according to the invention that are marked correspondingly with the same reference numerals . fig1 and 2 each schematically show an arrowhead 1 into which a shaft 2 of an arrow is screwed . the arrowhead 1 has an appropriately shaped impact tip 3 and 3 ′, respectively . the arrowhead 1 is placed onto an arrow shaft made of wood and the shaft end of the arrow shaft is inserted or screwed into a receiving area 4 of the arrowhead 1 . the receiving area 4 is divided into three sections , namely , a centering section 5 , an internal thread 6 , and a sheathing section 7 . the centering section 5 , in turn , is divided into two truncated sections 5 and 5 ′ that each have a different tapering in such a way that the centering section 5 is : altogether tapered towards the impact tip 3 , 3 ′. when the shaft 2 of the arrow is screwed in , the material at the end of the shaft , typically wood , is compressed . at the same time , a precise centering is achieved during the insertion . at the base of the receiving area 4 or of the centering section 5 , there is a blind hole 8 . depending on its diameter , a ring - shaped impact surface 9 is then formed at the base of the receiving area 4 and said impact surface 9 is able to absorb impact forces that are transmitted to the arrowhead 1 . the internal thread 6 , in this embodiment is configured as a wedge - edge thread ( or so - called bone thread ), whereby the wedge flanks 10 of the internal thread 6 are slanted in the direction opposite to the direction of flight . in this manner , several ring - shaped impact or striking surfaces 11 are formed that serve to further absorb the impact forces . in the area of the opening of the receiving area 4 , there is provided a chamfer 12 that facilitates the insertion of the shaft end of the arrow 2 . the sheathing section 7 , by surrounding the shaft end over a certain length , serves to absorb the forces that are caused by the impact against the target and that can cause splintering in the area of the shaft end made , for example , of wood . here , it is advantageous if the sheathing section 7 is preferably longer than the centering section 5 and the internal thread 6 combined . on the outside , the sheathing section 7 of the arrowhead 1 has a rounded shoulder 13 that is opposite from the impact tip 3 , 3 ′ and that is tapered opposite from the direction of flight . this outside tapering serves to make it easier to pull the arrow 2 and the arrowhead 1 out of the material of the target , a procedure which is additionally facilitated by the fact that the arrowhead 1 has a larger diameter than the shaft 2 of the arrow . naturally , according to the invention , other types of threads that meet the requirement for a permanently impact - resistant and pull - proof connection between the arrowhead 1 and the arrow 2 while , at the same time , allowing a repeated non - destructive detachment of this connection are also possible instead of a key thread . accordingly , though the present invention was shown and described with references to the preferred embodiments , such are merely illustrative of the present invention and are not to be construed as a limitation thereof , and various modifications to the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art . it is , therefore , not intended that the present invention be limited to the disclosed embodiments or details thereof and the present invention includes all of variations and / or alternative embodiments within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims . | 5 |
turning now to the drawings and in particular to fig1 thereof , the securing of an interior trim panel 10 to an internal structural body panel 12 of an automotive vehicle is illustrated . the interior trim panel 10 is illustrated as including an access hole 14 that is registerable with a mounting hole 16 formed through the structural body panel 12 . in such vehicle assemblies , an insulating panel 18 is normally positioned intermediate the trim panel 10 and the structural body panel 12 and includes a clearance hole formed through it and alignable with the access hole 14 of the trim panel 10 and the mounting hole 16 of the structural panel 12 . the interior trim panel 10 , the structural body panel 12 and the insulating panel 18 are secured together in sandwich - like fashion through the use of a standoff retainer 20 in cooperation with a push - pin 22 . as can be readily seen in fig2 and 3 , the standoff retainer 20 is received in the mounting hole 16 of the structural body panel 12 and is configured to maintain a space between the structural body panel 12 and the interior trim panel 10 . the panels 10 , 12 are secured together by insertion of the push - pin 22 into the standoff retainer 20 to effect clamping engagement . the push - pin retainer 22 includes an enlarged head portion 24 and an elongated shank 26 on which is arrayed a plurality of retrorse fins 28 . the head 24 is sized to exceed the diameter of the access hole 14 to abuttingly engage the outer surface 30 of the interior trim panel 10 upon insertion to the position shown in fig2 and 3 . the retrorse fins are conveniently configured to be canted toward the head 24 for facilitating insertion into the standoff retainer 20 . the push - pin 22 is formed preferably of a flexible plastic material and consequently the retrorse fins 28 may deflect radially inwardly during insertion and then after passing beyond the end 32 of the standoff retainer 20 , spring back to effect locking engagement against that end . the standoff retainer 20 of the present invention preferably includes a body 34 of elongated proportions having axially extending through bore 36 sized to receive the shank 26 of the push - pin 22 . at the opposite end 38 of the standoff retainer 20 from the end 32 against which the retrorse fins 28 of the push - pin 22 are lockingly engaged , a mounting flange 40 is formed for abuttingly engaging and serving as a support surface for the outer surface 42 of the interior trim panel 10 . to facilitate insertion of the push - pin 22 into the through bore 36 after insertion through the clearance hole 14 , a funnel surface 44 is formed on the annular face of the mounting flange 40 . extending perpendicularly from the mounting flange 40 are a plurality of spacing ribs 46 . in the preferred embodiment illustrated , the ribs 46 are formed in pairs , there being four pairs of ribs , and each of the pairs is separated by an axially running slot 48 to facilitate the molding manufacturing of the standoff retainer 20 as a molded plastic product . the free ends 50 of the ribs 46 abuttingly engage the facing surface 52 of the structural body panel 12 to effect the desired spacing support between the panels 10 , 12 . axially adjacent the ribs 46 distal of the mounting flange 40 , there is preferably formed a locking groove 54 for engagement with the structural body panel 12 . extending axially beyond the groove 54 are a plurality of triangular shaped locking barbs 56 which thus are supported in cantilever fashion from the body 34 . the radial flexibility and radial deflection compliance of the barbs 56 is enhanced by the provision of axially extending slots 58 extending into the body and its through bore 36 , as may best be seen in fig4 . this formation of the barbs 56 enhances both the ease of assembly of the standoff retainer 20 into the structural body panel 12 , and the secure attachment of the panels 10 , 12 together through agency of the push - pin 22 . the barbs 56 , upon insertion into the mounting hole 16 , deflect radially inwardly in ramp engagement as the standoff retainer 20 is inserted , and upon the locking surface 58 of the barbs 56 , passing beyond the outer surface 60 of the structural body panel 12 , the barbs 56 spring outwardly to the locking position shown in fig2 . this effects axial retention of the standoff retainer 20 with respect to the structural body panel 12 . it will be understood , however , that some diametrical clearance may exist between the groove 54 and the mounting hole 16 . because of the flexibility and compliance of the design of the barbs , insertion of the push - pin 22 , whose retrorse fins 28 preferably are sized to have a free extension beyond the inner diameter of the through bore 36 will tend to urge the portion of the body 34 adjacent the groove 54 radially outward into compressive engagement . while only one embodiment of the standoff fastener of the present invention is shown and described , others will be possible without departing from the scope of the appended claims . | 8 |
turning now in detail to the drawings , as shown in fig1 the present crane arm 20 includes arm sections 22 , a counterweight section 24 , a nose or camera platform section 26 , and a central frame section 28 , supported on a frame 30 . the embodiment shown in fig1 includes two arm sections 22 on either side of the frame section 28 , with the arm sections preferably about 24 inches long . of course , various numbers of arm sections 22 may be used , and the lengths of the arm sections may be varied . preferably , arm sections are provided in 12 and 24 inch lengths . fig2 shows the central frame section 28 on the frame 30 , without any arm sections 22 . a nose section 26 and a counterweight section 24 may be attached directly to the central frame section 28 , to form the shortest embodiment . as shown in fig3 and 4 , each arm section 22 includes a female end 32 and a male end 34 . the section ends are preferably flat , so that with the sections fitted together , the ends fit flush all around . each arm section 22 includes outer beams 38 joined to a central box section 36 , with the arm sections having a substantially i - shaped cross section . the box section 36 is preferably hollow , to reduce weight . the arm sections may be manufactured as aluminum weldments . the upper and lower surfaces 37 and 39 are preferably flat . the female end 32 includes threaded holes 42 closest to the upper and lower surfaces 37 and 39 . a center hole 48 optionally extends centrally into the box section 36 , to reduce the weight of the arm section 22 and to allow for cable routing within the arm 20 . pin receiving holes 44 and 46 are advantageously located on opposite sides of the center hole 48 , as shown in fig3 . referring to fig4 bolts 52 are provided at the male end 34 of the arm sections 22 , in alignment with the threaded holes 42 , when adjacent sections are mated together . upper and lower pins 54 and 56 extend from the flat face of the male end 34 , similarly in alignment with the holes 44 and 46 . the pins 54 and 56 advantageously have different diameters , so that the arm sections 22 cannot be assembled in a reversed or upside down manner . in the embodiment shown , the upper pin 54 is larger than the lower pin 56 , with the upper pin having a base diameter of 1 inch and tapering at a 6 ° included angle to a substantially smaller end diameter , and with the lower pin 56 having a base diameter of 3 / 4 inch and similarly tapering to a substantially smaller end diameter . the pin receiving holes 44 and 46 are also tapered and configured to engage with the pins 54 and 56 as the male end 34 of one arm section engages a female end 32 of an adjacent section . because of the taper of the pins 54 and 56 , no engagement force is needed to assemble adjacent arm sections 22 , i . e ., the attachment is engagement free until the flat facing surfaces meet . referring to fig2 a , an undercut 58 is provided to the root diameter on a section of the threads of the bolts 52 . once installed , the bolts 52 are captive within the arm sections 22 by set screws 60 , ( fig3 ) which allow the bolts 52 to turn , and slide forward and back , but prevent the bolts 52 from being removed from the arm section . referring still to fig3 each arm section 22 includes upper and lower leveling rods 64 and 65 . the ends of the leveling rods at the female end of the arm section 22 have a clevis 70 including a slot 72 . correspondingly , the ends of the leveling rods 64 at the male end 34 of each arm section 22 include tabs 74 , which mate into the slots 72 ( of an adjacent arm section 22 ). the leveling rods 64 are mounted on bolts 68 extending through bushings 71 , with the bolts threaded into pivot arms 66 . the bushings 71 , preferably stainless steel , are slightly wider than the leveling rods , so that the bolts 68 clamp down on the bushings 71 , but not on the leveling rods , which remain free to pivot on the bushings 71 . the pivot arms are similarly mounted on bolts 67 passing through bushings 73 slip fit into , and slightly wider than , the box section 36 and retained by washer 77 and nut 75 , so that the pivot arms 66 can freely pivot with respect to the box section 36 . referring momentarily to fig1 quick release pins placed through holes in the clevis 70 and slot 72 at the ends of the leveling rods 64 and 65 allow the leveling rods of adjacent arm sections to be securely attached to each other . storage holes 78 may be provided through the leveling rods at the female ends , to conveniently store the quick release pins 76 when not in use . the leveling rods are external on the arm 20 , yet are within the envelope 79 of the cross section of the arm . accordingly , they are easily and quickly accessible for assembly and disassembly of the arm , yet they are shielded from damage via dropping , collision , etc . the lower surface of the upper leveling rod 64 , and the upper surface of the lower leveling rod 65 include recesses 62 , to allow a greater range of movement , without interference from the pins 67 or needle bearings 71 . turning to fig7 and 9 , the nose section 26 includes an armature 80 having a flat rear surface male end 81 similar to the arm sections 22 ( but without the outer beams ). the armature has a round forward end 82 with flat sides and a through bore 91 having a central step 93 . a u - plate 85 has inner and outer disk legs 89 and 90 , a flat forward plate 105 , and a shaft section 99 . the shaft section 99 extends through the bore and bearings 94 in the bore . an l - plate 84 has a disk leg 98 joined at a right angle to a forward plate 106 . as shown in fig7 the end of the shaft section 99 is supported in a counterbore in the disk leg 98 . a bolt 86 extends through the l plate 84 and shaft section 99 and threads into disk leg 90 . bolts 83 attach the forward plates 105 and 106 to an attaching plate 87 . a nose plate 92 is attached to the attaching plate 87 via a stud 95 extending from the attaching plate through the vertical leg of the nose plate 92 , and a washer 96 and a nut 97 on the stud 95 . the front ends of the nose leveling rods 101 and 103 are pivotally attached via dowels and bearings to the u - shaped plate 85 between the disk legs 89 and 90 . dowel pin 107 locates plate 92 every 90 degrees , as the plate 92 is relocated by revolving around stud 95 . the nut 97 is loosened 1 / 4 inch , then plate 92 is moved out 1 / 4 inch , allowing dowel 107 to be rotated in 90 degree increments around stud 95 . the incremental rotation change may also of course be set at 45 °, 30 °, or other angles , as the need may require . referring to fig5 and 6 , the counterweight section 24 includes a bucket mounting plate 111 having a pyramid - like trapezoidal mounting lug 113 . a weight bucket or cage 115 advantageously has a chassis 117 for holding counterweights 116 , which can be secured by a door 119 hinged onto the chassis 117 . a chassis receptacle 112 having a trapezoidal slot is provided on the chassis 117 , so that the chassis 117 of the weight bucket 115 can be engaged onto the mounting plate 111 . a quick release pin 114 extends through aligned holes in the mounting lug 113 and chassis 117 , to secure the weight bucket 115 onto the arm 20 while allowing for rapid weight bucket installation and removal . the pyramid lug and slot , each having four angled sides , are self - aligning . alternative weight bucket designs may also be used . for example , the weight bucket may be split into two smaller spaced apart weight buckets , with a television monitor positioned in between them , along with controls for directing a remote camera . referring to fig1 a , a 24 inch arm section 22 is provided with a vertical offset , to help compensate for vertical deflection of the crane arm . specifically , the female end 32 of the arm section 22 is offset vertically above the male end 34 . in the preferred embodiment , the offset dimension a is approximately 0 . 18 inches . the offset is provided by vertically displacing the female end with respect to the male end , such that the box section 36 and the outer beams 38 run slightly uphill from the male end 34 to the female end 32 . the flat end faces of the male end 34 and the female end 32 are also slightly angled with respect to each other . specifically , as shown in fig1 a , the male end face is vertical , while the female end face is inclined ( upwardly ) toward the male end face by angle bc , preferably about 0 . 6 degrees . the bottom surfaces e and f of the male and female ends are parallel . the threaded bolt holes 42 and pin holes 44 and 46 are ( as well as the bolts and pins ) preferably perpendicular to surfaces b and c . fig1 b schematically shows an unloaded assembly of the section shown in fig1 a , with the offsets and angles greatly exaggerated for clarity of illustration . the two female ends of the frame section 28 are preferably vertical . the female ends 32 of the two sections 22 adjoining the frame section 28 are vertically offset by dimension a , preferably about 0 . 18 inch for the embodiment shown . the faces of the female ends 32 are inclined upwardly at an angle bc , preferably about 0 . 6 degrees for the embodiment shown . as additional sections 22 are added for a longer arm 20 , the offsets a and angles bc accumulate . without any load , the ends of the beam are slightly above the frame section 28 . however , when loaded with a camera on the nose plate 92 and counterweights in the weight bucket 115 , the ends of the beam deflect downwardly , so that the arm 20 is substantially straight and the nose plate 92 is substantially level . when loaded under ordinary conditions , surfaces b and c become substantially parallel and angle bc becomes substantially zero , i . e ., the end faces become vertical , as a result of bending deflection of each section 22 . in an alternative embodiment shown in fig1 c , the angle offset bc generally equally on the male and female ends 32 and 34 , with each end having an end face angle cd of about 0 . 3 degrees , and with the offset aa reduced to about 0 . 09 inches . the two female end faces 32 of the frame section 28 may also be similarly angled upwardly , with no offset then required . of course , the amount of vertical offset in each arm section 22 required to have the crane arm 20 remain straight without sagging when under load , will vary with the length of the arm 20 ( i . e ., on how many arm sections 22 are used ), the loads applied , and the moment of inertia of the arm 20 ). although as arm length increases , the cumulative offset provided with each section also increases , arm deflection will vary with the cube of the length of the arm , whereas the built - in offset of the arm sections accumulates incrementally with length . the maximum preferred arm length , measured from the center post 160 to the bearings 94 in the nose section , is about 26 feet , for best performance . the approximate 0 . 18 inch vertical offset , and approximate 0 . 6 degree inclination angle , for the embodiment of fig1 a , are selected to provide a straight beam 20 with a camera payload of about 100 - 180 pounds , with close to the maximum arm length . referring to fig1 and 2 , the frame section 28 has two female ends . accordingly , the male ends 34 of the arm sections 22 are engaged into both sides of the frame section 28 , so that the built - in offset of the arm 20 , on either side of the frame section 28 is in the upward direction . referring to fig2 and 11 , the frame section 28 includes a box section 120 , similar to box section 36 , but tapering outwardly towards the center of the frame section 28 . the slash lines 25 in fig2 schematically illustrate the position of the leveling rods when the arm is titled fully up . referring specifically to fig1 , a tilt axle 130 extends through a right cap 136 , a right spindle 142 , the box section 120 , a left spindle 152 , and is held in place by an axle bolt 156 passing through a left cap 154 . inner and outer washers 138 and 140 separate the right cap 136 and right spindle 142 from the right upper arm 143 of the u - shaped frame 30 . a tilt brake knob 132 is attached to the tilt axle 130 and spaced apart from the right cap by a thrust bearing 134 . the right spindle 142 is attached , preferably welded , to the box section 120 . a spindle bearing 144 and a box section bearing 145 pivotally support the frame section 28 on the tilt axle 130 . the tilt axle 130 is fixed on the frame 30 . du bushing 131 allows sliding adjustment when the tilt brake knob 132 is rotated on the o . d . threaded end of axle 130 . the frame section 28 of the arm 20 rotates about axle 130 . a disk washer 148 separates the left side of the box section 120 from a leveling rod disk 146 . the washers 138 , 140 and 148 are preferably teflon or delrin or a similar material . a spacer tube 150 around the axle 130 maintains spacing between the left spindle 152 and the leveling rod disk 146 , so that the leveling rods cannot become clamped between the left spindle 152 and the disk 146 , as the arm pivots vertically to raise and lower a camera . preferably , the leveling rod disk 146 , the spacer tube 150 , and the left spindle are machined from a single bar , leaving them connected for added rigidity and strength . as shown in fig2 clamping bolts 135 are advantageously provided to clamp the left cap 154 and spindle 152 to the frame 30 . upper and lower leveling rod pins 122 extend through the left cap 154 and left spindle 152 , through holes in the upper and lower leveling rods 64 and 65 on the frame section 28 , and into the leveling rod disk 48 . thus , the left spindle 152 , leveling rods 64 and 65 , and leveling rod disk 146 are fixed in position on the left upper arm 141 of the frame 30 . bearings may be provided to reduce friction between the pins 122 and the leveling rods , as they pivot about the pins . the pins 122 fix the center of rotation of the leveling rods , causing the ends of the leveling rods to remain vertically aligned , despite vertical pivoting arm movement . turning to fig1 , a center post 160 is rigidly attached to a camera dolly or crane arm base , such as shown in my u . s . pat . nos . 4 , 360 , 187 or u . s . pat . no . 5 , 312 , 121 , incorporated herein by reference , so that the arm 20 has a mobile base which can preferably be moved into different positions on a floor , track or other surface . a teflon ring 170 around a base 162 is clamped by a split ring 164 . referring to fig1 , a pan brake handle 168 is attached to a pan brake bolt 166 which extends through the split ring 164 . as the pan brake handle 168 is turned , the sides of the split ring 164 are pulled together and clamp onto the base 162 , to stop panning rotation movement . the frame 30 and base 162 are pivotally supported on the center post 160 via upper and lower center bearings 180 and 176 . a frame ring 178 and post cap 182 secure the upper center bearing 180 . a post cap bolt 184 holds the frame ring 178 and the frame 30 down onto the center post 160 . in use , the frame 30 carrying the frame section 28 , as shown in fig2 is bolted onto a center post 160 of a dolly or mobile base via the post cap bolt 184 . alternatively , if the frame 30 is provided with a center post 160 , as shown in fig2 and 12 , then the center post 160 is securely attached to the dolly or mobile base . the appropriate number of arms sections 22 are then fitted together on either side of the frame 30 , to achieve the desired arm length . specifically , the pins 54 and 56 are aligned with and moved into the holes 44 and 46 , with adjoining sections moved together until the flat ends touch . the bolts 52 are then turned in to hold adjoining sections together . due to the flat end surfaces , matching pin and hole contours , and precise machining , even tightening the bolts 52 by hand provides for a rigid arm 20 . however , tightening the bolts 52 with a wrench prevents the bolts from becoming inadvertently loosened . as the frame sections are brought together , the holes in the leveling arm clevis 70 and tab 74 align with each other . locking pins 114 are inserted through the holes , to securely link the upper and lower leveling rods 64 and 65 of adjoining arm sections 22 , as shown in fig1 . the attachment of arm sections 22 to the frame section 28 is achieved in a similar way , except that the frame section 28 has two female ends . the weight bucket and nose section are attached at opposite ends , in a similar manner . weights are placed into the weight bucket to balance the arm . in a preferred embodiment , with the arm sections having a height of about 8 . 2 inches , a width of about 6 inches , a box section wall thickness of about 1 / 4 of an inch , and a moment of inertia i of about 44 inches 4 , each 24 inch arm section weighs about 22 pounds . the arm 20 can therefore be readily assembled by attaching the arm sections to the frame section supported on a dolly or mobile base . alternatively , multiple sections can first be attached together and then attached to the frame section 28 , although this requires the lifting of greater weight . the outer beams 38 serve as handles for lifting and maneuvering individual arm sections 28 , as well as maneuvering the entire arm 20 during filming . the leveling system is next to the box section and in between the left side outer beams . in this position , the leveling system ( i . e ., the leveling rods and their supports and attachments ) is shielded from damage and abuse ( e . g ., dropping arm sections ), allows for a more compact design , and is out of the way during use . in addition , as the leveling system is well inside of the envelope 79 , the outer beams may be grasped and used as handles away from any potential pinch points . to lock the arm 20 against vertical movement ( i . e ., pivoting movement about the tilt axle 130 , the tilt brake knob 132 is turned , causing the tilt axle 130 to act as a draw bar and being secured by the axle bolt 156 . correspondingly , the upper arms 141 and 143 of the frame 130 are moved slightly towards each other , clamping the right spindle 142 against the inner teflon washer 140 and the upper arm 143 , and at the same clamping the left side of the box section 120 against the disk washer 148 and the leveling rod disk 146 , to the point where friction smoothly resists pivoting movement . when the tilt brake knob 132 is backed off , the clamping force on the frame section 28 is released and the low friction washers 138 , 140 , and 148 allow the beam 20 to freely pivot vertically . to prevent panning motion , the pan brake handle 168 is similarly tightened , drawing the split ring 164 together and clamping it on the base 162 . thus , a novel camera crane arm and camera crane arm section having been shown and described . many changes and modifications can of course be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . the invention , therefore , should not be restricted , except by the following claims . | 5 |
fig1 and 2 show a chuck 1 for clamping a preferably cylindrically designed workpiece in the manner of a collet . the chuck 1 has a substantially rotationally symmetrical basic body 4 forming an essential part of chuck body 2 . on the basic body 4 is provided a cone portion - shaped reception opening 5 for a force - transferring reception of a clamping head 3 . the clamping head 3 is constructed from three clamping jaws 6 spaced from one another by separation slots 7 , which are in some areas bridged by elastic connecting elements 8 , which interconnect the clamping jaws 6 in self substance , relatively movable manner . on a tapered end portion of the clamping head 3 the clamping jaws 6 are provided with a circumferential groove in which can engage a tension tube 9 , which forms part of a not shown machine spindle and which can exert a tensile force on the chuck 3 . on an outer surface 10 is provided a deformation sensor 12 a . a pocket - like depression 13 contains a further deformation sensor 12 b on an outer face of the basic body 4 . according to fig2 , a deformation sensor 12 c for tensile force determination is fitted to tension tube 9 . all the deformation sensors 12 a , 12 b , 12 c are in the form of strain gauges and in each case equipped with an integrated signal processing unit 16 a , 16 b , 16 c for a processing , by means of calculation algorithms , of the electrical resistance values produced by the strain gauges 12 a , 12 b , 12 c . with the signal processing unit 16 a , 16 b ; 16 c is associated an information transmission device 17 a , 17 b , 16 c , also integrated into the deformation sensors 12 a , 12 b , 12 c , for the wireless transmission of the calculated measured values . with the deformation sensor 12 b received in depression 13 is associated as an energy storage means a button cell battery 19 for a continuous signal transmission to a not shown receiver means . the depression 13 is closed by an elastomeric plug 18 . the remaining deformation sensors 12 a , 12 c , which can be provided in supplementary or alternative manner , are in the form of rfid labels and are stuck to the outer surface 10 and tension tube 9 and are supplied by a not shown , external energy source , which can be placed on the machine tool or at some other point in space . the deformation sensor 12 a is provided with an integrated motion sensor in the form of an acceleration sensor 20 and which is used for detecting a movement of the chuck and which can be fitted in the same way also to the other deformation sensors 12 b or 12 c . the deformation sensors 12 a , 12 b on outer surface 10 and in depression 13 are provided for determining a deformation of the circumference of basic body 2 . such a deformation can occur if a workpiece is inserted in the receiving hole 14 bounded by clamping jaws 6 and subsequently tension tube 9 introduces a tensile force into the jaws 6 . as a result the clamping head 3 is moved in the direction of the tension tube 9 and due to the conical design of the receiving opening 5 and clamping head 3 there is a radially inwardly directed deflection movement of the mutually relatively movable clamping jaws 6 , so that the workpiece can be clamped between said jaws 6 . the relative movement of the clamping jaws 6 brought about by the tensile force of tension tube 9 , on clamping the workpiece , leads to a radially outwardly directed supporting force of the outer faces of the clamping jaws 6 on the receiving opening 5 . thus , the basic body 4 is radially outwardly extended and is subject to a rise in the external diameter 15 , which is substantially proportional to the exerted clamping force . the increase in the external diameter 15 is associated with a length change to the circumference of basic body 4 . said length change can be determined by the deformation sensors 12 a , 12 b fitted to outer surface 10 and outer face 11 . the application of a tensile force to chuck 1 by means of tension tube 9 , which can be assumed as known or which is determined by deformation sensor 12 c on tension tube 9 , in the case of a freshly maintained chuck 1 gives a maximum tensile force and a resulting maximum increase in the external diameter 15 and the circumference of basic body 4 . the maximum value for the circumference of basic body 4 is stored as a reference value in signal processing unit 16 a , 16 b , 16 c and / or in the receiver unit and can therefore be used as a reference for further clamping cycles of chuck 1 . in the case of the path of the deformation i on the outer circumference of the chuck body and determined by deformation sensor 12 a in fig3 and the correlated clamping force fs , determined by the reflection or mirroring of the deformation curve , over the chuck speed n on machining a workpiece it is clear that the deformation and clamping force fs initially only change slightly . however , with increasing speed there is an ever increasing drop in the clamping force fs and can lead to a complete clamping force loss . in the path of the clamping force fs over time t shown in fig4 it is clear that with an increasing number of machining cycles performed , i . e . typically over a period of weeks , there is an exemplified - represented decrease in the clamping force fs , despite a constant tensile force fz . this reduction in the clamping force fs can mainly be attributed to the above - described ageing effects and the contamination of the lubricants provided between clamping head and basic body and if a chuck maintenance is missed , gives rise to a drop below a minimum clamping force fs ( min ) at which it is just possible to ensure a reliable workpiece machining . in order to eliminate the risk of an inadequate clamping force fs , a chuck is typically maintained at a time t 1 at which there is still a reserve present until the minimum clamping force fs ( min ) is reached . by using the inventive clamping force determination method the maintenance of the chuck can be carried out precisely at the time of reaching the minimum clamping force fs ( min ), so that a larger number of machining cycles can be implemented between two maintenance cycles , but still a dynamic chuck maintenance can be performed as a function of the possibly varying ambient conditions . | 1 |
fig1 illustrates the components of connector assembly 10 , which are assembled in fig2 and about to be terminated by soldering to an array of discrete wires 14 such as 28 awg twisted pair wires extending from a bundled cable 12 . shield braid 16 of cable 12 is exposed for termination such as to a metal shell to surround the connector ( not shown ). wires 14 may have solid strand conductors , or they may have multistrand conductors for which the present invention is especially suitable . terminals 20 for the respective conductors of wires 14 are arranged in two rows , and the terminals of each row initially are joined at their rearward ends to a carrier strip 22 to define a lead frame 24 . terminals 20 each have a contact section 26 at the forward end thereof and a termination site 28 near the carrier strip 22 . front cover member 30 is essentially a transverse member the forward surface of which defines the connector mating face 32 , and includes passageways 34 extending from the mating face to a rearwardly facing surface 36 and having entrances adapted to receive the contact sections of the respective terminals insertably therethrough and widened body sections 38 of terminals 20 in interference fit therewithin to define a connector subassembly 140 ( fig5 to 7 ). body member 50 includes upwardly facing surface 52 and downwardly facing surface 54 each having an array of wire - receiving grooves 56 disposed laterally therealong separated by barrier walls 58 . extending forwardly from the arrays of grooves is a front support ledge 60 ; extending rearwardly from the arrays of grooves is a rear support section 62 . laterally of front support ledge 60 ( see fig4 to 7 ) and rear support section 62 extend front and rear mounting flanges 64 , 66 respectively each having at least one projection - receiving aperture 68 , 70 extending vertically therethrough respectively . associated with front support ledge 60 are upper and lower forward clamping bars 72 having flanges 74 at respective ends thereof from which depend mounting projections 76 such as semicylindrical legs adapted to be received into respective projection - receiving apertures 68 in an interference fit . similarly , associated with rear support section 62 are upper and lower rearward clamping bars 82 having flanges 84 at respective ends thereof from which depend mounting projections 86 such as semicylindrical legs adapted to be received into respective projection - receiving apertures 70 in an interference fit . forward and rearward clamping bars 72 , 82 may be identical as shown . preferably , referring to fig2 the superposed mounting flanges 74 , 64 , 74 and 84 , 66 , 84 additionally define together second apertures 90 , 92 whereinto may be inserted projections of outer upper and lower dielectric cover members ( not shown ) having mounting projections adapted to be received thereinto in interference fit , after all assembly and soldering has been performed . additionally , rear support section 62 may include apertures 94 by which cable strain relief clamps ( not shown ) or rear shell members ( not shown ) may be mounted thereto . the preparation of a wire 14 is illustrated in fig3 . each wire 14 is prepared by carefully slitting insulative jacket 100 thereof at a selected location inward from end 102 thereof , and the thus - loosened piece 104 is slid partially forwardly along conductor 106 exposing a portion 108 of conductor 106 having a selected length . the portion 110 of the insulation piece 104 forwardly of end 102 is removed , retaining a remnant of piece 104 on the end of conductor 106 . the securing of wires 14 to body member 50 is shown in fig4 following preparation . exposed conductor portion 108 is aligned with a corresponding groove 56 , with insulative piece 104 beside front support ledge 60 and the insulatively jacketed remainder of wire 14 extending along rear support section 62 . chamfered outer edges 120 of barrier walls 58 are adapted to receive conductor portions 108 appropriately into groove 56 until the wire insulation forwardly and rearwardly of portion 108 abuts the surface of body member 50 along front support ledge 60 and rear support section 62 . preferably vertical rib sections 122 are formed along side surfaces of walls 58 to assist in centering wire conductors 106 within grooves 56 . previously disposed along the bottom surface of each groove 56 is an amount of solder or solder paste 124 . when all wires 14 are positioned appropriately along respective grooves 56 , upper and lower front clamping bars 72 are mounted onto body member 50 outwardly of front support ledge 60 with projections 76 entering apertures of mounting flanges 64 ; and upper and lower rear clamping bars 82 are similarly mounted onto body member 50 outwardly of rear support section 62 immediately rearwardly of barrier walls 58 all defining a wire subassembly or carrier 130 . fig5 to 7 illustrate the assembling of wire carrier 130 to connector subassembly 140 , which is shown to have a metal shroud 180 ( in phantom ) conventionally secured to front cover member 130 as preferred to which a pair of rear shell members ( not shown ) will be fastened upon final connector assembly after soldering . each terminal 20 of each lead frame 24 includes an intermediate section extending rearwardly from body section 38 and exiting a respective passageway 34 of front cover member 30 , with a first portion 142 diverging outwardly from the median of subassembly 140 , a second portion 144 extending axially , and a third portion 146 converging to wire termination section 28 at acute bend 148 . rear section 150 includes a frangible section 152 initially joining terminal 20 to carrier strip 22 . together the wire termination sections 28 of the terminals of the upper and lower lead frames 24 define a constriction having an opening dimensioned less than the distance between the outwardly facing surfaces 154 of upper and lower front clamping bars 72 of wire carrier 130 . preferably outwardly facing surfaces 154 have at least their forward edges 156 chamfered , and upon wire carrier 130 being moved axially between the lead frames bearing engagement between chamfered edges 156 and rear terminal sections 150 of both lead frames initiates outward deflection of the lead frames . in fig6 can be seen an intermediate position during assembly , with lead frames 24 deflected or pried apart as wire termination sections 28 ride over outwardly facing surfaces 154 of forward clamping bars 72 . shown in phantom is the final position of wire termination sections 28 after receipt into corresponding grooves 56 and engagement with corresponding conductors 106 of wires 14 after the deflected terminal portions resile . it is preferred that the lead frames 24 and front cover member are so shaped and dimensioned that the wire engagement sections 28 will apply spring bias against the conductors in the final position , thus assuring optimum conditions for soldering therebetween . referring to fig6 and 7 , forward surface 158 of front support ledge in common with the forward surfaces of clamping bars 72 and insulation pieces 104 abut the rearwardly facing surface 160 of flange 162 of front cover member 30 ; embossments 164 extend forwardly from body member 50 at each lateral end to enter corresponding holes 166 along rearward face 36 of front cover member 30 ( fig1 ). termination section 28 of each terminal 20 is spring loaded against a corresponding conductor 106 of wire 14 . the assembly is placed within a coil 302 of an apparatus 300 for generating radio frequency current of constant amplitude such as 13 . 56 mega hertz . carrier strips 22 include a layer of metal having high magnetic permeability and high electrical resistance , such as alloy 42 ( 42 percent nickel , 58 percent iron ) of a thickness of between about 0 . 0003 and 0 . 0007 inches , such as by being clad onto the surface of carrier strip 22 which comprises preferably copper alloy such as alloy no . c511000 , phosphor bronze . upon flux being applied to the termination sites in grooves 56 , and upon the carrier strips being subjected to rf current for several seconds , the curie point heater defined by each carrier strip 22 achieves a temperature of about 240 ° c . and conducts thermal energy along rear section 150 of terminals 20 to termination sections 28 to reflow solder 124 to form solder joints 170 between terminals 20 and conductors 106 . solder 124 can be for example sn 63 tin - lead having a reflow temperature of about 183 ° c . such curie point heating by self - regulating temperature sources is disclosed in u . s . pat . nos . 4 , 852 , 252 ; 4 , 256 , 945 and 4 , 659 , 912 , and rf generators are disclosed in u . s . pat . nos . 4 , 626 , 767 and 4 , 789 , 767 . localized heating of carrier strips 22 and only the vicinity adjacent exposed conductor portions 108 for several seconds needed to reflow the solder has the important benefits of the controlled maximum temperature in a highly localized area for a very brief time , minimizing any adverse effect of heat on the wire insulation for example . | 7 |
referring now to the fig1 – 11 of this application , fig1 shows an exemplary building 1 upon which the material transport system 100 ( fig2 ) of the invention might be used . the building 1 is comprised of opposed side walls 2 , 3 , opposed end walls 4 , 5 , and purlins 6 underlying a roof 7 . the roof 7 thus slopes upwardly from an eave - strut 8 at a top of each side wall 2 , 3 to a ridge 9 at the top of the building 1 . the purlins 6 span longitudinally across the building 1 from end wall 4 to end wall 5 . the purlins 6 further are spaced approximately equi - distant from one purlin to another purlin from the eave strut 8 to the ridge 9 in a generally parallel manner relative to the eave - strut 8 at the top of each side wall 2 , 3 . fig2 shows an overhead view of an exemplary embodiment of the material transport system 100 atop the building 1 . the building 1 shown is generally roofless . the material transport system 100 shown in fig2 generally traverses across the longitudinal span of the purlins 6 , generally parallel to the eave - strut 8 , so that material from one of rolls 20 , 21 is dispensed in alignment with the side wall 2 , for example . because the elevation of the side walls 2 , 3 is constant , and because the elevation of the material transport system 100 on the purlins 6 is constant as it traverses across the purlins 6 , the material dispensed from one of the rolls 20 , 21 is also constantly dispensed in alignment with the side walls 2 , 3 as desired . were the material transport system 100 re - oriented to dispense material from one of the rolls 20 , 21 to the end walls 4 , 5 of the roofless building 1 , then the material transport system 100 would further comprise belted conveyors 140 ( fig3 ) to negotiate the changing elevation of the roof 7 as the purlins 6 ascend from the side walls 2 , 3 to the ridge 9 of the building 1 . the changing elevation of the roof 7 at the top of the end walls 4 , 5 corresponds to the rise versus the run slope of the roof 7 . the span of the conveyors 140 add stability to the material transport system 100 as it traverses the changing elevations of the end walls 4 , 5 , for example . the material transport system 100 includes flanged rollers 130 ( fig3 ) on the underside of the frame 110 of the system 100 . high friction sections 134 of the flanged rollers 130 ride over the exposed purlins 6 , joists , eave - strut 8 of a roofless building 1 when dispensing material from one of the rolls 20 , 21 to the side walls 2 , 3 . of course , though the building 1 shown in fig1 and 2 is generally roofless , the high friction wheels 134 of the flanged rollers 130 could instead traverse across the roof 7 of the building 1 when dispensing material to end walls 4 , 5 were the roof 7 already in place . low friction flange sections 135 of the flanged rollers 130 help to guide the wheels 130 and maintain a generally straight path for the system 100 as it traverses the roof . the low friction flange sections 135 could be made to comprise a coating such that damage to the materials comprising the roof 7 is minimized and power requirements are reduced . on the other hand , the high friction central sections 134 of the flanged rollers 130 could be comprised of a coating such that the central sections 134 grip and travel smoothly over the desired portions of the building . thus , the frame 110 of the material transport system 100 traverses the purlins 6 in a path generally parallel to the eave strut 8 along the top of the side walls 2 , 3 , for example . as the desired length of the insulation , or other material , is dispensed from one of the rolls 20 , 21 the bottom portion of the insulation , or other material , may be attached adjacent the bottom of the side walls 2 , 3 by screws , or other suitable fasteners , for example . fig3 shows a perspective view of a first exemplary embodiment of the material transport system 100 according to the invention . the material transport system 100 comprises a generally rectangular frame 110 comprised of variously lengthed u - shaped channel struts 111 , 112 fastened together by cornerposts 113 . the cornerposts 113 may be comprised of angle - irons , for example , to which the upper and lower struts 112 and 111 are attached . thus , the longest struts 111 comprise the longer sides of the rectangular frame 110 , the shorter struts 112 comprise the ends of the frame 110 , and the cornerposts 113 are the vertical members joining corresponding upper and lower struts 111 , 112 of the frame 110 together . additional posts 114 may be place between the cornerposts 113 to increase the strength and rigidity of the frame 110 and to join the upper and lower sets of struts 111 , 112 together . the posts 114 are comprised of square tubing , for example , that attach at either end of the posts 114 to the respective struts 111 , 112 . the majority of the framing system is assembled by welding the various struts , cornerposts , and posts 111 – 114 together . a suitable fastener is contemplated for securing the other components together throughout this application . such fasteners may be screws , bolts , pins , clips , straps , or other known or later developed fastening devices . referring to fig3 and 4 , a substantially square drive axle 120 is mounted on the underside of the frame 110 by attachment to each of the lower struts 111 . a plurality of , for example three , flanged rollers 130 are slidably mounted on each of the drive axles 120 by a collar 131 and a square fitting 132 provided with each flanged roller 130 . each of the slidably mounted flanged rollers 130 is thus driven by the square drive axle 120 when motor 200 is operated causing a chain 202 arranged over a series of sprockets 204 to rotate the drive axle 120 . rotation of the drive axle 120 thus causes the flanged rollers 130 to rotate and traverse the material transport system 100 across the exposed purlins 6 , or the roof 7 , permitting material to be dispensed from the rolls 20 , 21 along a side wall 2 , 3 . as shown in fig5 , the motor 200 may comprise a controller 210 mounted to the frame 110 of the material transport system 100 . a tethered line 211 attached to the controller 210 permits an operator to direct the motion of the material transport system 100 in the forward , reverse or stopped directions . the motor 200 may as well comprise a speed feature to control the rate at which the material transport system 100 is moved . l - shaped plates 115 ( fig4 ) on each square drive axle 120 attaches each square drive axle 120 to a respective one of the lower struts 111 by fastening one end of the l - shaped plate 115 to the lower strut 111 , and fastening another end of the l - shaped plate 115 to the collar 131 provided with each of the flanged rollers 130 . the fastener permits each flanged roller 130 to be positioned as desired along the square drive axle 120 . each collar 131 thus mounts a flanged roller 130 to the square drive axle 120 by sliding the square fitting 132 and the collar 131 onto the corresponding square drive axle 120 . as a result of this configuration , the flanged rollers 130 may be moved along the square drive axle 120 by loosening the fastener fastening the l - shaped plate 115 to the strut 111 and sliding the flanged roller 130 to a different position on the square drive axle 120 . thereafter , the fastener can be re - tightened to secure the flanged roller 130 in its new position on the square drive axle 120 . the positioning of the flanged rollers 130 in different positions becomes necessary when attaching , or detaching , the conveyors 140 , both of which will enable the material transport system 100 to move across the roof or exposed purlins of the building as needed according to roofed or roofless conditions . some flanged rollers may be classified as uphill or downhill flanged rollers , depending on the direction in which the rolling surface extends away from the flanged surface . if necessary , the flanged rollers can be repositioned to accommodate various application needs . fig3 further shows an exemplary embodiment of the conveyors 140 attached to the underside of the lower struts 111 . each conveyor 140 generally comprises two substantially parallel frame members 141 forming a channel housing a plurality of pulleys 142 therein . the frame members 141 are joined by plates 143 mounted to a top of the frame members 141 . an l - shaped plate 144 ( fig3 ) also attaches the top of the frame members 141 to the lower strut 111 of the frame 110 of the material transport system 100 . two of the plurality of pulleys 142 provided in the conveyors 140 are drive pulleys 145 ( fig3 ) provided in each conveyor 140 . the drive pulleys 145 are provided with square fittings corresponding to the square drive axle 120 . the conveyors 140 are thus mounted to the material transport system 100 by sliding the square fittings of the two drive pulleys 145 over the square drive axle 120 . two conveyors 140 are preferably attached to one another at either end of the frame 110 in order to provide an increased span of the conveyors 140 over the purlins 6 or roof 7 , and thereby to provide increased stability of the material transport system 100 . in the case of pairs of attached conveyors 140 at both ends of the material transport system 100 , the square drive axle 120 links pairs of drive pulleys 145 at each end of the system 100 and urges the material transport system in the desired direction . of course , alternatively , a single conveyor 140 may be mounted at each end of frame 110 , if desired . a belt 147 rides over the plurality of pulleys 142 , including the dual - groove drive pulley 145 , in each conveyor 140 . as shown in fig3 and 9 , the conveyors 140 are generally perpendicular to the square drive axles 120 such that , operation of motor 200 causes a drive chain 202 to rotate the square drive axle 120 , which thus rotates the drive pulley 145 . as a result , belts 147 move over the plurality of pulleys 142 and drive pulleys 145 to move the material transport system 100 across the roof 7 , or exposed purlins 6 , of building 1 generally parallel to the eave strut 8 along the side walls 2 , 3 or across the changing elevation of the purlins 6 for end walls 4 , 5 in order to dispense material from the rolls 20 , 21 . thus , operation of the motor 200 and drive chain 202 causes the high friction sections 134 of the flanged rollers 130 either to traverse roof 7 for installing material at end walls 4 , 5 when the building has its roof 7 already in place , or causes the high friction sections 134 of the flanged rollers 130 to traverse the exposed purlins 6 , joists or eave - strut 8 , for installing material at side walls 2 , 3 when no roof 7 is in place . alternatively , operation of the motor 200 and drive chain 202 causes the conveyors 140 to traverse the roof 7 for installing material at side walls 2 , 3 when the building has its roof 7 already in place , or to traverse the changing elevation of the purlins 6 for installing material at end walls 4 , 5 when the roof 7 is not in place . in this manner , the constant elevation of the roof 7 along the top of the side walls 2 , 3 is negotiated by using either the high friction sections 134 of the flanged rollers 130 when roofed sheeting 7 is not present , or by conveyors 140 when roofed sheeting 7 is present . ( fig2 ). on the other hand , the changing elevation of the end walls 4 , 5 of a building is negotiated by using the conveyors 140 when roofed sheeting 7 is not present , and is negotiated by the high friction sections 134 of the flanged rollers 130 when roofed sheeting 7 is present . in either case , the material transport system 100 is able to dispense material from rolls 20 , 21 to side walls 2 , 3 or end walls 4 , 5 of a building 1 as desired . as shown generally in fig3 , at a dispensing end of the frame 110 a tensioning unit 160 is provided . the tensioning unit 160 is mounted to the cornerposts 113 of the frame 110 . the cornerposts 113 are provided with a plurality of holes 116 ( fig7 ) so that the tensioning unit 160 can be adjustably mounted to the cornerposts 113 . the holes 116 permitting the adjustable mounting of the tensioning unit 160 to the cornerposts 113 of the frame 110 generally correspond to holes 183 ( fig8 ) adjustably mounting the roll supply carriage 180 to cornerposts 182 of the carriage 180 , as will be discussed further below . while the tensioning unit 160 is shown at one end generally , it should be appreciated that the tensioning unit 160 could as well be provided at the opposite end of the frame 110 by mounting it to cornerposts 113 , which are similarly provided with holes 116 , at the opposite end of the frame 110 . in this manner , increased versatility of the material transport system 100 is achieved . in either case , as shown in more detail in fig6 and 7 , the tensioning unit 160 comprises a pair of spaced parallel pinch bars 161 , 162 that extend between substantially parallel tensioning unit frame members 163 at the selected dispensing end of the frame 110 . the frame members 163 mount to the cornerposts 113 with fasteners through holes 116 as discussed above . pinch bar 162 is stationary , whereas pinch bar 161 is movable via a linkage 164 connecting both ends of the pinch bar 161 to the frame members 163 of the tensioning unit 160 . a sprocket 165 is further provided on both sides of the movable pinch bar 161 . the sprocket 165 is engaged by a spring loaded pin 166 provided on a side of each frame member 163 of the tensioning unit 160 . a hand crank 167 is also provided at either end of the tensioning unit 160 to rotate the pinch bar 161 and crimp the insulation , or other material , passed between the pinch bars 161 , 162 . providing such hand cranks 167 on either side of the tensioning unit renders operation of the tensioning unit 160 more accessible to operators , who may be at different locations relative to the tensioning unit 160 . as more readily seen in fig6 and 7 , the pinch bars 161 , 162 permit the insulation , or other material , provided from one of the rolls 20 , 21 to pass between the pinch bars 161 , 162 by retracting the spring loaded pin 166 and rotating the sprocket 165 to position the pinch bar 161 at its uppermost position , and then engaging the pin 166 with the sprocket 165 to lock the pinch bar 161 in this uppermost position . after the desired amount of insulation , or other material , is dispensed from one of the rolls 20 , 21 , the spring loaded pin 166 is again retracted and one of the hand cranks 167 is rotated to rotate the pinch bar 161 and crimp the insulation , or other material , between the pinch bar 161 and pinch bar 162 . then , the pin 166 is re - engaged with the sprocket 165 to locate the pinch bar 161 at the desired crimping position relative to the stationary pinch bar 162 . by rotation of the pinch bar 161 via the hand crank 167 , sprocket 165 and pin 166 configuration , the tensioning unit 160 comprises a gripping or pinching device applying tension to a strip of insulation , or other material , hanging downwardly along a side wall 2 , 3 or end wall 4 , 5 from the frame 110 of the material transport system 100 . referring back to fig3 , two roll supply carriages 180 are provided on top of the frame 110 of the material transport system 100 . because the supply carriages 180 are essentially interchangeable , description of only one supply carriage 180 is provided herein . as shown more clearly in fig8 , each supply carriage 180 is comprised of upper and lower cross - members 181 joined by cornerposts 182 , the cross - members 181 and cornerposts 182 comprising a rectangle . each cornerpost 182 includes a series of holes 183 . a pair of adjustable uprights 184 are insertable into the cornerposts 182 . the pair of uprights 184 are adjustably attached to the cornerposts 182 by pins , or other fasteners , penetrating the holes 183 to securely position the uprights 184 at a level corresponding to the slope of the roof the material transport system 100 is to encounter . the cross - members 181 , cornerposts 182 and uprights 184 are comprised of square tubing , for example . additional posts may be added between the cornerposts 182 to join the upper and lower cross - members 181 and add strength or rigidity to the supply carriage 180 . a roll supply bar 190 is provided across the uprights 184 for the rolls 20 , 21 of insulation , or other material , to be dispensed by the material transport system 100 . the roll supply bar 190 includes a stationary flange 196 and an axially adjustable flange 195 to contain various widths of rolls 20 , 21 . the holes 183 in the cornerposts 182 of the carriage 180 generally correspond to the holes 116 ( fig7 ) of the cornerposts 113 that renders mounting of the tensioning unit 160 adjustable , as discussed earlier . in this manner , both the supply carriage 180 and the tensioning unit 160 may be oriented to accommodate the same roof slope by positioning the supply carriage 180 and tensioning unit 160 into the same level of holes 116 , 183 for the respective components . as a result , the insulation , or other material , dispensed from the rolls 20 , 21 is more likely to properly align with end walls 4 , 5 of the building when negotiating the slope of the building 1 along the end walls 4 , 5 , or the constant elevation of side walls 2 , 3 . fig9 shows a partial view of how each supply carriage 180 , is slidably mounted to each of the upper struts 111 of the frame 110 by the wheeled member 185 protruding down from the lower cross - member 181 . the wheeled member 185 thus slides into the unshaped channel of upper strut 111 at the dispensing end of the frame 110 . a similar wheeled member 185 protruding down from the lower cross - member 181 slides into the other upper strut 111 of the frame 110 . these wheeled members 185 therefore provide two points of securement of each supply carriage 180 to the frame 110 by slidably attaching the lower cross - member 181 to the upper struts 111 . in addition , as best seen in fig3 or 8 , a third point of securement of each supply carriage 180 to the frame 110 is provided by slidably mounting one side of each supply carriage 180 to an upper strut 111 via first and second support legs 186 , 187 projecting from the upper and lower cross - members 181 . the first and second support legs 186 , 187 form a triangular - like support structure whereby one end of the first leg 186 is attached to an interior portion of upper cross - member 181 and one end of the second leg 187 is attached to the cornerpost 182 of the supply carriage 180 . a free end of each of the first and second legs 186 and 187 abut one another and slidably connect wheeled member 188 to the upper strut 111 . in this manner , each supply carriage 180 can be slidably removed from the frame 110 of the material transport system 100 by sliding the wheeled members 185 , 188 of the supply carriage 180 along the upper strut 111 until the entire supply carriage 180 is removed , when one of the rolls 20 , 21 supported by the supply carriage 180 is exhausted . in this manner , a subsequent supply carriage 180 may be similarly slid along its wheeled members 185 , 188 to assume a position at the dispensing end , for example , of the frame 110 in order to provide a fresh supply of insulation , or other material , from another of rolls 20 , 21 for dispensing . an additional function of securing the supply carriage 180 to the upper strut 111 by first and second support legs 186 , 187 and wheeled members 185 , 188 is to separate each material supply carriage 180 from another such supply carriage 180 such that as material is dispensed from roll 20 mounted on one carriage 180 , it does not cause material on another roll 21 on the other carriage 180 to rotate and unravel in an opposite direction due to the frictional contact that would otherwise occur were the supply carriages 180 not separated . each carriage 180 is thus secured to the frame 110 of the material transport system 100 by pins , quick - clips , or other known or later developed fastening device as discussed earlier to preclude the wheel members 185 , 188 and carriage 180 from sliding until sliding of the carriage 180 is desired as for removal , or re - positioning , of the supply carriage 180 . dispensing of the insulation , or other material , provided on the supply bar 190 of each supply carriage 180 is controlled , in part , by a braking device 192 ( fig8 ) provided with the supply carriage 180 . the braking device 192 may be , for example , a bar , tube , or other like structure sufficient to hold the outer layer of insulation , or other material , on the rolls 20 , 21 in place until dispensing is desired . an extendible cylinder 194 , which may be pneumatic , fluid - filled , or gas - charged , for example , attaches to a lower end of the braking device 192 . the other end of the extendible cylinder 194 is attached to the upper cross - member 181 of the supply carriage 180 . thus , a free upper end of the braking device 192 is normally biased against the supply of insulation , or other material , of rolls 20 , 21 on the supply bar 190 by the biasing force provided from the cylinder 194 . in this manner , the insulation , or other material , does not unravel prematurely and is more likely to be dispensed evenly , in proper alignment with the side walls 2 , 3 , or end walls 4 , 5 it is being provided to . of course , one reasonably skilled in the art would readily appreciate that other biasing devices such as springs and linkages could as well be used in lieu of , or in addition to , the exemplary cylinder 194 and braking device 192 described . of course , it should be appreciated that though reference is made herein to removing a first supply carriage 180 when one of rolls 20 , 21 is exhausted , and sliding a second supply carriage 180 to the dispensing end of the frame 110 of the material transport system 100 , one skilled in the art could as readily slide the second supply carriage 180 first , or leave the supply carriage 180 of the exhausted roll in place while indexing the braking device 192 of the exhausted supply carriage in a full retracted position and merely drape the insulation , or other material , from the fresh roll of the second supply carriage 180 over the supply roll bar 190 of the first supply carriage 180 , and proceed to dispense the insulation , or other material , from the second supply carriage in this manner , which may require removal , or re - positioning , of the braking device 192 . fig1 shows another exemplary embodiment of the conveyors 240 according to the invention . the conveyors 240 of this embodiment are each comprised of a series of square tubed upper frame members 246 and lower frame members 247 , and flat side plate sections 253 . the upper frame member 246 is joined to the lower frame member 247 by vertical posts 251 and the side plates 253 . the conveyors 240 are formed by welding the majority of the frame members 246 , 247 , posts 251 and side plates 253 together , while the remaining components of the conveyors 240 are assembled by other fastening devices as discussed above . drive axle 120 thus engages a toothed drive pulley 242 ( inside side plates 252 ) at one end of each conveyor 240 . the toothed drive pulley 242 contacts toothed belt 245 , which contacts idler pulleys 243 , near the toothed drive pulley 242 , and 244 , at an end of the conveyor 240 opposite the toothed drive pulley 242 . each drive axle 120 thus engages each conveyor 240 only at the drive pulley 242 , whereas the drive axle 120 otherwise merely passes between upper 246 and lower frame members 247 , which is different from the described in previous embodiments . in lieu of the plurality of pulleys as described in previous embodiments , conveyors 240 use a low - friction slider member 260 positioned between idler pulley 243 and the idler pulley 244 to contain and guide toothed belt 245 . the slider member 260 thus spans the distance generally between idler pulleys 243 and 244 and is fastened below lower frame member 247 of each conveyor 240 . each conveyor 240 slidably attaches to the lower strut 111 of the frame 110 by mounting bracket 250 , which is located near the toothed drive pulley 242 at one end of the conveyor 240 . a mounting plate 249 , towards the middle of the conveyor 240 , also attaches to the lower strut 111 of the frame 110 . outriggers 252 may be used to extend the span of the conveyors 240 and increase the stability of the material transport system 100 . outrigger 252 is generally not intended to contact the building structure except in extreme cases were wind or other external forces may cause the material transport system to become unstable such that without the outrigger 252 , the system would potentially fall through the building structure . outrigger 252 is thus generally only necessary where the spacing of the purlins 6 , or joists are so great as to merit the addition of said device . as before , a pair of conveyors 240 are used at each end of the material transport system 100 to drive the system 100 for dispensing material at side walls 2 , 3 when a roof 7 is present , or for dispensing material at end walls 4 , 5 when a roof 7 is not present on a building 1 . the flanged rollers 130 are used for moving the system 100 , as in earlier embodiments , to dispense material at side walls 2 , 3 when a roof is not present , and to dispense materials at end walls 4 , 5 when a roof is present . in any case , the conveyors 240 are not necessarily attached to one another , as in earlier embodiments , but instead are slightly spaced from one another though in pairs at opposite ends of the material transport system , as before . thus , as shown in fig1 , a pair of conveyors 240 is mounted at each end of the material transport system 100 . each conveyor 240 of the pair is inversely mounted relative to the other conveyor such that one of the square drive axles 120 engages the drive pulley 242 of a first conveyor 240 and the other square drive axle 120 merely passes through the frame of the first conveyor 240 , whereas the drive axle 120 passing through frame of the first conveyor 240 also engages the drive pulley 242 of the second conveyor 240 , and the drive axle 120 engaging the drive pulley 242 of the first conveyor 140 merely passes through the frame of the second conveyor 240 . a similar pair of conveyors 240 is provided at the opposite end of the material transport system . as in earlier described embodiments , operation of motor 200 causes the drive axles 120 to engage the drive pulleys 242 of each conveyor 240 . rotation of the drive pulleys 242 results in the toothed belt 245 sliding over the idler pulleys 243 and 244 , and over the elongated plastic slider element 260 . the toothed belt 245 thus urges the material transport system 100 over the roof 7 to dispense materials at side walls 2 , 3 , and over the exposed purlins 6 , when the roof is not present , to dispense materials at end walls 4 , 5 . fig1 shows a series of material transport systems 100 connected to one another to form a train 300 of material transport systems 100 . such a train 300 may be useful to accommodate delivery of greater amounts of material to a work site . because each frame 110 of each material transport system 100 is substantially the same as the other material transport systems 100 , the train 300 may be achieved by fastening one end of a frame 110 of a first system 100 to an adjacent end of a frame 110 of another system 100 for example , a first material transport system 100 may be mechanically linked to a second material transport system 100 by fastening the frames 110 of each system 100 together as by bolting , or otherwise fastening adjacent struts 111 , 112 and cornerposts 113 together . alternatively , or in addition thereto , the drive axles 120 of each adjacent material transport system 100 , may be linked by slidably positioning one of the flanged rollers 130 to bridge ends of the adjacent drive axles 120 together . still further , and again in addition or alternatively to the above , adjacent material transport systems 100 could be electronically linked such that a single controller 210 ( fig5 ) operates the entire train 300 . such electronic linkage could , for example , operate each material transport system 100 of the train 300 in series off of one controller 210 . of course , one skilled in the art would readily know and understand that the material transport systems 100 described herein may as easily transport material other than , or in addition to , the insulation , or other rolled materials described herein . for example , hvac systems , bricks , mortar boxes , walling materials , etc ., may as well be transported with minimizes manual intervention . while this invention has been described in conjunction with the specific embodiments described above , it is evident that many alternatives , combinations , modifications , and variations are apparent to those skilled in the art . accordingly , the exemplary embodiments of the invention set forth above are intended to be illustrative , and not limiting . various changes can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention . | 4 |
hereinafter , embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings . fig1 is a cross - sectional view of a major part of a flat panel display device according to an embodiment of the present invention , and fig2 is a plan view of a second substrate of the flat panel display device of fig1 . referring to fig1 , the flat panel display device according to the present embodiment includes a panel 100 for forming an image and a monitor frame 140 which is coupled to the panel 100 . the panel 100 includes a first substrate 110 , an emission unit 130 formed on the first substrate 110 , and a second substrate 120 which is coupled to the first substrate 110 so as to cover the emission unit 130 . the emission unit 130 may be an organic emission unit which includes electrodes facing each other and an organic layer interposed between the electrodes . the first substrate 110 may be formed of a glass material . the second substrate 120 covers the emission unit 130 so as to prevent permeation of water molecules into the emission unit 130 , and may be formed of metal , such as carbon alloy , stainless steel , or aluminum . a sealant 131 couples the first substrate 110 to the second substrate 120 and seals the first and second substrates 110 and 120 , respectively . the sealant 131 may be , for example , a frit , which is a source material for glass . in general , a frit hardens by laser exposure . accordingly , when the sealant 131 is placed between the first substrate 110 and the second substrate 120 and laser is irradiated onto the sealant 131 , the sealant 131 hardens , thereby rigidly coupling and sealing the first and second substrates 110 and 120 , respectively . in this regard , as illustrated in fig1 and 2 , a flange portion 121 having a first coupling hole 121 a is formed at an edge of the second substrate 120 as one body with the second substrate 120 . the flange portion 121 acts as a conventional fixing frame . that is , a separate fixing frame is not used , and the flange portion 121 is formed as one body with the second substrate 120 so as to function as a fixing frame . the monitor frame 140 includes a second coupling hole 140 a corresponding to the first coupling hole 121 a of the flange portion 121 . accordingly , the panel 100 is coupled to the monitor frame 140 by inserting a fastener 150 , for example , a screw or a bolt , into the first and second holes 121 a and 140 a , respectively . the flat panel display device described above may be assembled by the following method . in the panel 100 , as described above , the first and second substrates 110 and 120 , respectively , are coupled to each other and are sealed with the sealant 131 , for example , a frit , and the emission unit 130 is placed in the sealed space . also , the second substrate 120 and the flange portion 121 are formed as one body , thereby enabling the second substrate 120 and the monitor frame 140 to be coupled without use of a separate medium . subsequently , the monitor frame 140 is prepared , and the panel 100 and the monitor frame 140 are arranged such that the first coupling hole 121 a of the flange portion 121 and the second coupling hole 140 a of the monitor frame 140 overlap . then , the fastener 150 is inserted into the aligned first and second coupling holes 121 a and 140 a , respectively . therefore , the panel 100 is coupled to the monitor frame 140 via the fastener 150 so as to maintain the panel 100 rigidly fixed to the monitor frame 140 . accordingly , since in the flat panel display device described above , the monitor frame 140 is coupled to the panel 100 using the flange portion 121 of the second substrate 120 as an encapsulation substrate , a separate fixing frame is not needed . the lack of need for a fixing frame leads to fewer numbers of components and assembling processes . fig3 is a cross - sectional view of a major part of a flat panel display device according to another embodiment of the present invention . referring to fig3 , like the flat panel display device according to the previous embodiment , the flat panel display device according to the present embodiment includes a panel 200 for forming an image and a monitor frame 240 which is coupled to the panel 200 . the panel 200 includes a first substrate 210 , an emission unit 230 formed on the first substrate 210 , and a second substrate 220 which is coupled to the first substrate 210 so as to cover the emission unit 230 . the emission unit 230 may be an organic emission unit which includes electrodes facing each other and an organic layer interposed between the electrodes . the first substrate 210 may be formed of a glass material . the second substrate 220 covers the emission unit 230 so as to prevent permeation of water molecules into the emission unit 230 , and may be formed of metal , such as carbon alloy , stainless steel , or aluminum . a sealant 231 couples the first substrate 210 to the second substrate 220 and seals the first and second substrates 210 and 220 , respectively . the sealant 231 may be , for example , a frit , which is a source material for glass . in general , a frit hardens by laser exposure . accordingly , when the sealant 231 is placed between the first substrate 210 and the second substrate 220 and laser is irradiated onto the sealant 231 , the sealant 231 hardens , thereby rigidly coupling and sealing the first and second substrates 210 and 220 , respectively . in this regard , as illustrated in fig3 , a flange portion 221 having a first coupling hole 221 a is formed at an edge of the second substrate 220 as one body with the second substrate 220 . the flange portion 221 acts as a conventional fixing frame . that is , a separate fixing frame is not used , and the flange portion 221 is formed as one body with the second substrate 220 so as to function as a fixing frame . the monitor frame 240 includes a second coupling hole 240 a corresponding to the first coupling hole 221 a . accordingly , when a fastener 250 , for example , a screw or a bolt , is inserted into the first and second holes 221 a and 240 a , respectively , the panel 200 is coupled to the monitor frame 240 . also , the flat panel display device according to the present embodiment may further include a guide member 260 which is coupled to the second substrate 220 so as to prevent misalignment of the panel 200 . the guide member 260 may have a third coupling hole 260 a . like the second substrate 220 , the guide member 260 may be formed of metal , such as carbon alloy , stainless steel , or aluminum . although the guide member 260 is coupled to the second substrate 220 via the fastener 250 , more rigid coupling is needed to ensure the prevention of misalignment of the panel 200 . thus , the guide member 260 may be coupled to the second substrate 220 by welding before the guide member 260 is coupled to the second substrate 220 via the fastener 250 . the flat panel display device described above may be assembled by the following method . regarding the panel 200 , as described above , the first and second substrates 210 and 220 , respectively , are coupled to each other and are sealed with the sealant 231 , for example , a frit , and the emission unit 230 is placed in the sealed space . also , the second substrate 220 and the flange portion 221 are formed as one body , thereby enabling the second substrate 220 and the monitor frame 240 to be coupled without use of a separate medium . then , the guide member 260 is fixed to the flange portion 221 of the second substrate 220 by welding . the guide member 260 and the panel 200 are arranged so that the third coupling hole 260 a and the first coupling hole 221 a overlap and , in this arrangement state , the welding process is performed thereon . then , the monitor frame 240 is prepared and arranged so that the first coupling hole 221 a of the flange portion 221 , the third coupling hole 260 a of the guide member 260 , and the second coupling hole 240 a of the monitor frame 240 overlap . then , the fastener 250 is inserted into the first , second and third holes 221 a , 240 a , and 260 a , respectively . therefore , the panel 200 is coupled to the monitor frame 240 via the fastener 250 so as to maintain the panel 200 rigidly fixed to the monitor frame 240 . accordingly , since in the flat panel display device described above , the panel 200 is coupled to the monitor frame 240 using the flange portion 221 of the second substrate 220 as an encapsulation substrate , a separate fixing frame is not needed . the lack of need for a fixing frame leads to a fewer number of components and assembling processes . also , since a side of the guide member 260 , as illustrated in fig3 , prevents misalignment of the panel 200 , the coupling between the monitor frame 240 and the panel 200 may be further stabilized . the flat panel display device according to the above embodiments of the present invention does not need a separate fixing frame . the lack of need for the fixing frame leads to a fewer number of components and assembling processes . while the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof , it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that various changes in form and detail may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the following claims . | 7 |
reference will now be made in detail to various embodiments of the invention , one or more examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings . each example is provided by way of explanation , not limitation , of the invention . in fact , it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the scope and spirit thereof . for instance , features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment may be used on another embodiment to yield a still further embodiment . thus , it is intended that the present invention covers such modifications and variations as come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents . referring now to fig1 and 2 , a driving tool or device 10 , such as an in - line electronic torque wrench , is illustrated in accordance with one exemplary and non - limiting embodiment of the invention , such as that disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 9 , 358 , 672 , entitled electronic torque wrench , the entirety of which is expressly incorporated herein by reference for all purposes . the electronic torque wrench 10 includes a wrench body 12 , a ratchet / wrench shaft 14 , a resilient grip handle 16 , a housing 18 , a battery assembly 19 , and an electronics unit 20 with a user interface or display 22 including display control buttons 86 c , 86 d . in the illustrated exemplary embodiment , wrench body 12 is of generally a tubular construction , and receives shaft 14 at a first end and a power supply or battery assembly 19 at a second end , secured therein by an end cap 17 . housing 18 is mounted therebetween and carries electronics unit 20 . as shown , a front end 26 of shaft 14 includes an adapter 28 connected to a suitable ratcheting mechanism ( not shown ) such as that shown in u . s . pat . no . 7 , 413 , 065 , incorporated by reference herein in its entirety for all purposes . the adapter 28 is configured to receive variously sized sockets , extensions , etc ., that are releasably engaged within the adapter 28 . the adapter 28 can also be detachably connected to the shaft 14 by any suitable mechanism . the attachment mechanism for securing the shaft 14 to the body 12 includes a sensor 30 configured to sense the torque or strain exerted by the wrench 10 through the shaft 14 onto a fastener ( not shown ). the sensor 30 can take any of a number of suitable forms , such as a strain gauge , a hall sensor , and a piezoelectric sensor , among others . the sensor 30 is operably connected to the electronics unit 20 , such that the signal generated by the sensor 30 can be transmitted to the unit 20 . once in the unit 20 , the unit 20 can utilize the signal for a variety of purposes , such as to calculate a torque value from the signal to provide a real - time indication of the torque applied via the wrench 10 on the display 22 . the operation of the electronics unit 20 and the sensor 30 is controlled by a switch 32 disposed on the body 12 , and operably connected between the unit 20 and sensor 30 , and the power supply 19 , e . g ., batter 21 , at the opposite end . thus , depressing the protruding portion 35 of the switch 32 enables power to be selectively applied from the power supply 19 to the unit 20 and sensor 30 as desired . the engagement of the housing 18 , the body 12 the handle 16 and the end cap 17 provide an enclosure or barrier 33 , which can also be formed separately , for the battery assembly 19 , the electronics unit 20 and the sensor ( s ) 30 that enables the wrench 10 to be autoclaved for sterilization purposes without damaging the battery assembly 19 , the electronics unit 20 or the sensor 30 , as well as the display 22 . looking now at fig2 and 3 , where fig3 illustrated another exemplary and non - limiting embodiment of the invention where the tool 10 takes the form of a t - handle wrench , the wrench 10 further includes an rfid / nfc sensing mechanism 100 disposed within the housing 18 . the mechanism 100 is formed with a reader 101 operably connected to the electronics unit 20 and display 22 . the reader 101 is a device capable of sending and receiving information from a suitable rfid / nfc chip or tag 102 when the tag 102 is placed within a certain proximity of the reader 101 . the reader 101 can operated in a passive manner where the tag 102 is independently powered , such that the tag 102 actively sends a signal that is received by the reader 101 , and / or in an active manner where the reader 101 sends out a querying signal that serves to both to operate and interrogate the tag 102 . in either mode of operation , the reader 101 and is capable of sensing and receiving information from an rfid / nfc chip or tag 102 . in the illustrated exemplary embodiment of fig2 , the tag 102 is disposed on or operatively connected to the shaft 14 . the chip 102 includes a suitable storage medium 104 in which information about the shaft 14 , is stored . this information can include , but is not limited to , information on the manufacturer of the shaft 14 , the amount of time the shaft 14 has been in use , and the set points / torque limits for the use of the shaft 14 in tightening a fastener using the tool 10 and shaft 14 . when the tool 10 is in use , the reader 101 can update the information contained in the storage medium 104 on the tag 102 , thereby providing information on the length of use of the tool 10 and shaft 14 . each time the tag 102 is accessed by the reader 101 , the information obtained from the tag 102 can be illustrated on the display 22 or in any other suitable manner to illustrate the current condition of the shaft 14 and whether the shaft 14 has exceeded its useful life , for example . further , the tag 102 can supply information relating to the maximum torque to be applied using the shaft 14 and / or the maximum torque to be applied when engaging fasteners ( not shown ) of various types , with this information transmitted to the electronics control unit 20 from the reader 101 to automatically determine the torque set points for the procedure in which the tool 10 is going to be used . looking now at fig3 , in another exemplary and non - limiting embodiment , the shaft 14 is illustrated as being detachable from the housing 18 , such that different shafts 14 suitable for different fasteners ( not shown ) or operations can be engaged with the housing 18 . in this exemplary embodiment , while the tag 102 can be disposed on the shaft 14 in any position where the reader 101 can sense and communicate with the tag 102 , the tag 102 is disposed within a hub 106 disposed on the shaft 14 . the hub 106 provides a locating feature to the shaft 14 and properly positions the shaft 14 adjacent the housing 18 when the shaft 14 is secured to the housing 18 . in this position , the tag 102 located within the hub 106 is positioned near the reader 101 such that the information stored on the tag 102 can be transferred to the reader 101 and electronics unit 20 . with that information the electronics unit 20 can operate the display 22 during use of the tool 10 to indicate to the user when the force / torque applied by the wrench to a fastener has reached one or more predetermined set points or exceeded the limit for the use of the shaft 14 and / or fastener . in addition , the information stored on and / or supplied by the tag 102 can provide an indication to the user of the length of service time for the shaft 14 , thereby providing an indication to the user of whether the shaft 14 can continue to be used in procedures , or if the shaft 14 requires replacement . further , the information retained ion the tag 102 and accessed by the reader 101 can include compatibility information concerning those tools 10 with which the shaft 14 can be utilized . in this manner , the use of a shaft 14 that is incompatible with a particular tool 10 can be avoided prior to the shaft 14 being utilized in a procedure . in this manner , the electronics unit 20 can be configured for use with a particular shaft 14 simply by the connection of the hub 106 to the housing 18 , enabling the tag 102 to be sensed and read by the reader 101 with logic programmed in the device 10 transmitted to and utilized by the electronics unit 20 to set the appropriate torque alert level for that shaft 14 . the wrench 10 can correspondingly be set with multiple set points automatically without the need for any manual configuration , thereby the need for manual input and its chances for user error . in alternative exemplary embodiments , the tag reader 101 can be configured as a part of the electronics unit 20 , and the tag 102 can be an active or a passive tag embedded in the shaft 14 of an instruments or in the implant on a surgical tray . when the tag 102 is present in a location on the shaft 14 other than the hub 106 , the housing 18 and reader 101 can be positioned in close proximity to the tag 102 on the shaft 14 in order for the information to be sensed and received by the reader 101 and electronics unit 20 prior to engagement of the shaft 14 to the housing 18 for use . various other embodiments of the invention are contemplated as being within the scope of the filed claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter regarded as the invention . | 6 |
[ 0012 ] fig1 shows a vertical longitudinal section of a preferred embodiment of an inventive grinding machine 1 . the grinding machine is symmetrical about its axis of rotation a such that substantially only the right part of the vertical section is shown . the inventive grinding machine 1 comprises a stationary wall part 2 below which a plate part 4 is provided which is rotated about the axis a by a drive shaft 3 . outside of the plate part 4 and surrounding same a stationary lower part 6 can be adjacent to the lover side of the wall part 2 . these components are substantially metallic , e . g . aluminum . the wall part 3 and the bottom part 4 have an elastic lining 7 , 8 on their inner side , preferably of polyurethane . the lower side of the wall part 2 comprises a ceramic ring 9 which is firmly connected to the wall part 2 . the lower region of the inner wall of the elastic lining 7 and thereby of the wall part 2 exhibits a tapered inclination with respect to the vertical line defined by the axis of rotation a , wherein the angle of inclination can be in the range of e . g . 30 ° to 45 °. the ceramic ring 9 has an inner wall 11 which substantially extends at that same inclination and an upper wall side 12 and rear wall 13 which are directed substantially perpendicular to each other and perpendicular and parallel with respect to the axis a , respectively . the lower inner side of the ceramic ring has a nose - like downwardly extending projection 14 which merges in its rear region , via an inclination 16 slanting upwardly from an edge 16 a and outwardly , into an outer lower wall region 17 extending horizontally , perpendicular with respect to the axis of rotation a , up to the outer edge 17 a of the ceramic ring 9 . the inclination 16 can also extend continuously from the edge 16 a to the edge 17 a , wherein the horizontal region 17 is omitted . the upper side 19 of the elastic lining 8 of the plate part 4 angles outwardly to form a projection 18 , which extends substantially along the upper side 19 of the plate part 4 . the upper surface of the projection 18 is flat and extends parallel to the lower side of the nose 14 a . the grinding machine 1 is operated by inserting workpieces , such as rings or the like , and grinding material into the inner space formed by the wall 2 and plate 4 and rotating the plate part 4 at a high speed thereby grinding the workpieces with the grinding material . during operation , the grinding material reaches the region of the gap s . due to the elasticity of the elastic lining 8 , the abrasive effect on it is relatively small . the abrasive effect is larger on the ceramic ring , in particular in the region of its inner lower edge 21 . it has turned out that the abrasive effect and therefore the wear of the ceramic ring is considerably smaller with the inventive design compared to that of prior art . | 1 |
for the purposes of this description , the terms mobile station and base station have been used . the term mobile station is equivalent to the term user equipment ( ue ) employed in 3gpp standards or the term subscriber station . the term base station can be considered equivalent to the term enodeb or cell used in 3gpp standards , although it is recognised that the enodeb and cell are separate devices in the lte system . referring first to fig1 , there is shown an example of a base station according to the prior art , for use with the present invention . this is based on the description and drawings shown in 3gpp standard ts 36 . 302 release 9 in section 6 . 2 . the base station 1 comprises : a data input 10 ; a coding block 20 ; a data modulation block 30 ; a resource mapping block 40 ; an antenna mapping block 50 ; a first transmission antenna 60 ; a second transmission antenna 65 ; and a media access control ( mac ) scheduler 70 . data for transmission arrives at data input 10 and is divided into transport blocks . channel coding is then applied to each of the transport blocks by coding block 20 . this provides redundancy to improve error correction . the coded data is then modulated by data modulation block 30 to generate a plurality of transmission symbols . the transmission symbols are mapped for transmission by specific subcarriers at specific times in resource mapping block 40 . this block also handles power allocation . the allocated resources are then passed to antenna mapping block 50 , which allocates transmission of resources between multiple antennas , specifically first antenna 60 and second antenna 65 . the mac scheduler 70 receives channel state information and controls the modulation schemes applied by data modulation block 30 , the allocation of transmission symbols to subcarriers , timing and power by resource mapping block 40 and the allocation of resources to antennas by antenna mapping block 50 . the mac scheduler 70 is embodied in software operating on a processor , although it may alternatively comprise a dedicated processor . referring next to fig2 there is shown an illustration of the resource allocation for transmission of ofdm signals by the bass station on fig1 . this illustration is based on the drawing shown in 3gpp technical standard ts 36 . 211 release 9 in section 6 . 2 . the ofdm signal is divided into subcarriers , which are sped across the bandwidth of the signal with a fixed frequency spacing between each subcarrier . the subcarriers are illustrated schematically along the vertical access in fig2 and a resource block comprises a plurality of subcarriers . the resource block bandwidth 110 shows the number of subcarriers in a resource block . the ofdm transmission comprises at least one resource block and typically comprises multiple resource blocks . bandwidth 120 represents the total number of subcarriers transmitted in the ofdm signal . in a time slot , each sub carrier carries a plurality of transmission symbols . each transmission symbol comprises modulated data , using a modulation scheme such as binary phase - shift keying ( bpsk ) or quadrature amplitude modulation ( qam ). the time slot length 130 depicts the number of transmission symbols in a time slot . a frame is 20 time slots in duration and the start and end times of a frame are defined by means of synchronisation signals . reference symbols are allocated for transmission in a specific transmission symbol by specific subcarriers . where the base station transmits from more than one antenna , reference symbols are transmitted on each of the antennas . however , the reference symbols for one antenna are transmitted at different times and on different subcarriers in comparison with the reference symbols for other antennas . this enables the mobile stations to estimate and measure the channel from each antenna . referring now to fig3 , there is shown an illustration of the allocation of reference symbols for transmission in the downlink using multiple antennas . this illustration is based upon the drawings shown in 3gpp standard ts 36 . 211 release 9 under section 6 . 10 . a first resource block 200 is allocated for transmission by a first antenna . a second resource block 210 is allocated for transmission by a second antenna . a third resource block 220 is allocated to a transmission by a third antenna , where a third antenna is used . a fourth resource block 230 is allocated for transmission by a fourth antenna , where a fourth antenna is used . the shaded transmission symbols illustrate the allocation of subcarriers and transmission symbol timings for reference symbols in respect of each antenna . it will be noted that the transmission symbol used for a reference symbol in respect of one antenna is not used for transmission of a reference symbol in respect of any other antenna . as mentioned previously , according to 3gpp release 9 technical standards , cell - specific reference symbols are transmitted in every downlink sub - frame on every antenna and cover the full downlink channel bandwidth for the cell . this is the case , even when no traffic exists . it has now been recognised that these signals represent a significant overhead in terms of transmission power and power consumption . referring now to fig4 , there is shown a flowchart of a first method according to the present invention . in a first step 300 of the flowchart , the process is started . in a second step 310 , a level of data for transmission from the base station to the at least one subscriber station is determined . then , in a third step 320 , a frequency spread for the reference symbols is established on the basis of the determined level of data for transmission . the frequency spread defines the difference in frequency ( that is , bandwidth ) between the highest frequency subcarrier being used to transmit reference symbols and the lowest frequency subcarrier being used to transmit reference symbols . the determined level of data for transmission may be the offered traffic or a potential cell throughput , for instance determined by predictive traffic analysis . this step is carried out by the mac scheduler 70 . in fourth step 330 , data is transmitted from the base station using an ofdm signal . a number of the subcarriers of this signal are used to transmit reference symbols , using the reference symbol frequency spread defined in third step 320 . the restriction may be implemented for one or all of the base station antennas . in fifth step 340 , the process is ended . in other words , the transmission of the cell - specific reference symbols is restricted to a central portion of the full channel bandwidth . this occurs when traffic levels are low or the full channel bandwidth is not being utilised or in situations where mobile stations cannot efficiently utilise the full channel bandwidth due to for example coverage reasons or mobile station capabilities . the full channel bandwidth is that available for transmitting downlink data to mobile stations , when all subcarriers are being used . it should be noted that , for lte , reference symbol sequences are defined from the centre of the channel bandwidth independently of the specified channel bandwidths . the 3gpp release 9 standard specify that reference symbols be transmitted in a certain central portion of the channel to enable the mobile stations to receive basic system information in broadcast control channels . using the above method the base station can add or remove reference symbols from the edges of the channel bandwidth , thereby only transmitting the reference symbols on a limited central portion of the channel bandwidth used to transmit data to mobile stations , depending on either the offered traffic or potential cell throughput . referring now to fig5 , there is shown a flowchart of a second method according to the present invention . in a first step 400 of the flowchart , the process is started . in a second step 410 , a level of data for transmission from the base station to the at least one subscriber station is determined . then , in a third step 420 , a bandwidth for the ofdm signal for transmission is established on the basis of the determined level of data for transmission . the bandwidth for transmission defines the number of subcarriers required . again , the determined level of data for transmission may be the offered traffic or a potential cell throughput , for instance determined by predictive traffic analysis . the base station transmitter is configured to be able to transmit a maximum number of subcarriers , n sc ( max ) . as illustrated in fig2 , these are arranged about a central frequency , which at baseband may be zero and when transmitted is the central up - conversion frequency . the number of utilised subcarriers , n sc , is determined in third step 420 . the subcarriers are nevertheless arranged about the central frequency . the number of utilised subcarriers , n sc , is less than the maximum number of subcarriers , n sc ( max ) . this may be implemented by identifying the number of resource blocks required , as illustrated in fig2 . this step is carried out by the mac scheduler 70 . in other words , the actual channel bandwidth is reduced by this approach . for example , the bandwidth may be one of : 1 . 4 mhz ; 3 mhz ; 5 mhz ; 10 mhz ; 15 mhz ; and 20 mhz . the restriction may be implemented for one or all of the base station antennas . this approach allows a power saving with potentially lower granularity than adjusting the number of subcarriers used for reference symbols . in some embodiments , dynamic changes in system configuration such as channel bandwidth may not be possible without re - starting the base station . in fourth step 430 , data is transmitted from the base station using an ofdm signal , comprising the number of subcarriers determined in the third step 420 . in fifth step 440 , the process is ended . the skilled person will be aware that various modifications to the above identified embodiments can be made . for example , the base station can use only one antenna , or use more than two antennas . also , the base station may be designed differently , whilst still delivering the same transmission signals . where the base station uses only one antenna , antenna mapping block 50 may not be necessary . although the invention is described with reference to an lte system , it will be understood that it is applicable to other radio - based systems , such as ieee 802 . 16 ( wimax ). | 7 |
this invention provides a counter - doped island or stripe between the source and the drain of a mosfet device to reduce the surface high field while maintaining a thicker diffused layer which reduces the &# 34 ; on resistance .&# 34 ; counter - doping refers to using a p dopant in an n - well . alternatively , it could refer to using an n dopant in a p - well , if that were the embodiment being employed . the dimensions of the stripe depend upon the sustained voltage range . the voltage is up to 800 v with a current of 1 ampere to 2 amperes , fully integrated . referring to fig1 a p doped silicon substrate 10 contains n + source and drain regions . the substrate 10 also includes an n - well 12 in which a number of p islands 18 were formed along the surface of the n - well between the source region and the drain region . p islands 18 have been formed along with the n + region 16 . the islands 18 are not connected to any electrodes and are at floating potentials . preferably , the islands 18 are of variable diameters at a depth of 3 , 000 å . the depth is within a range from about 3 , 000 å to about 5 , 000 å . formation of islands 18 was performed by implanting dopant composed of bf 2 ions into regions where islands 18 were formed . the dopant was applied at a preferred dose of 1e12 cm - 2 of bf 2 at a preferred energy of 40 kev to provide a far higher level of doping than in the remainder of the n - well 12 . a range of energies from about 30 kev to about 50 kev is possible . a range of doses from about 1e12 cm - 2 to about 1e13 cm - 2 is possible . the regions 19 are marked off by dotted lines because of the depletion between the n - well and p - islands . above the islands 18 and regions 19 , a fox region 20 is formed . the n + doped source region 14 is located to the left of the n - well 12 in the p - sub 10 . bridging the source region 14 and the n - well 12 above a gate oxide dielectric 21 is an electrode 26 connected to terminal 25 . source region 14 is connected to electrode 22 . above the n + drain region 16 to the right of the islands 18 is a polysilicon electrode 23 ( formed on the surface of region 16 and fox region 20 ) connected to terminal 24 . when a high voltage is applied to the drain terminal 24 , a large degree of depletion will be formed among the islands 18 and the n - well 12 . the depletion between the counter - doped islands 18 and the the n - well can perform the functions as follows : referring to fig2 a , a p doped silicon substrate 40 has been covered with a thin film gate oxide layer 34 , a silicon nitride ( si 3 n 4 ) layer 36 and a photoresist layer 38 . the photoresist layer 38 was photolithographically exposed , patterned and developed and the si 3 n 4 layer 36 and the photoresist layer 38 have been etched to form opening 39 . dopant 37 composed of phosphorus ions are implanted through the opening 39 to form n - well 42 . the dopant 37 is applied at a preferred dose of 5e10 cm - 2 of phosphorus at a preferred energy of 250 kev to provide a far higher level of doping than in the remainder of p - sub 40 . a range of energies from about 250 kev to about 300 kev is possible . a range of doses from about 1e10 cm - 2 to about 5e10 cm - 2 is possible . photoresist layer 38 , silicon nitride ( si 3 n 4 ) layer 36 , and thin film gate oxide layer 34 are removed after formation of n - well 42 . referring to fig2 b , a thin film gate oxide layer 44 , a silicon nitride ( si 3 n 4 ) layer 46 and a photoresist layer 48 have been formed . the photoresist layer 48 was photolithographically exposed , patterned and developed and the si 3 n 4 layer 46 and the photoresist layer 48 have been etched through layers 46 and 44 to form a plurality of openings 49 down to the top surface of the n - well 42 . then , a number of counter - doped p islands 50 , 51 and 52 have been formed spaced apart in the n - well 42 extending to the top surface of the n - well 42 . preferably , the islands 50 , 51 and 52 are of 3 , 000 å depth . the depth is within a range from about 3 , 000 å to about 5 , 000 å . to form the islands , dopant composed of bf 2 ions 47 are implanted through the openings 49 into islands 50 , 51 and 52 . the dopant is applied at a preferred dose of 1e12 cm - 2 of bf 2 at a preferred energy of 40 kev to provide a counter level of doping to the remainder of n - well 42 . a range of energies from about 30 kev to about 50 kev is possible . a range of doses from about 1e12 cm - 2 to about 1e13 cm - 2 is possible . referring to fig2 c , fox regions 53 and 54 are formed by a conventional field oxide process . fox regions 53 and 54 are formed over the p islands . wet oxidation is employed to form a field oxide ( fox ) 54 layer of silicon dioxide 6 , 000 å thick . field implant is done at the same time as the p - island implant by heating to about 950 ° c . fox regions 53 are formed on the p - substrate 40 on the left and right sides of n - well 42 . fox region 54 is centered over the n - well region 42 . fig2 d shows a new gate oxide layer 55 formed on top of the p - sub 40 and the n - well 42 and the fox region 54 . polysilicon layer 56 is deposited upon the gate oxide layer 55 . upon polysilicon layer 56 is deposited a photoresist mask 57 for patterning the polysilicon gate 56 . the gate 56 is formed by etching using the mask 57 to protect the gate 56 . in addition , the portions of the gate oxide layer 55 not covered by the gate 56 are etched away . the gate 56 extends from the left of n - well 42 and the fox region 54 which overlies the n - well 42 . fig2 e shows the device of fig2 d after the patterning of the gate 56 and removal of the mask 57 . then using the gate 56 and fox regions 53 and 54 , the next step is a self - aligned ion implantation of n + doped source region 64 and drain region 66 . the source region 64 is located between the gate electrode 56 and fox region 53 to the left of the n - well 42 in the p - sub 40 which is performed forming the source region 64 and the n + drain region 66 is formed in well 42 between field oxide regions 53 and 54 . dopant 67 composed of phosphorus ions is implanted through exposed surface of the substrate 40 into n + regions 64 and 66 . the dopant 67 is applied at a preferred dose of 5e15 cm - 2 of p ( phosphorus ) at a preferred energy of 25 kev to provide a far higher level of doping than in the remainder of p - sub 40 and n - well 42 respectively . a range of energies from about 20 kev to about 30 kev is possible . a range of doses from about 1e15 cm - 2 to about 5e15 cm - 2 is possible . bridging the source region 64 and the n - well 42 above gate oxide is gate electrode 56 . fig2 f shows the device of fig2 e after the deposition of a dielectric layer 58 composed of a material such as bpsg , covered with a mask 77 with openings 75 therein through which aligned openings 77 &# 39 ; have been formed by etching dielectric layer 58 through openings 77 &# 39 ; to form corresponding openings 75 &# 39 ; therein down to substrate 40 and n - well 42 on the left and the right respectively between fox regions 53 over the substrate and 54 over the n - well 42 . fig2 g shows the device of fig2 f after the metallization for contacts 60 and 62 is deposited in openings 75 &# 39 ; in contact with the source 64 and the drain 66 by use of a conventional metallization process with the contact extending over the surface of the dielectric layer 58 with a mushroom shaped cross section . a terminal 61 is formed on contact 60 and terminal 63 is formed on contact 62 . thus , source region 64 is connected to terminal 61 through contact electrode 60 , and above the n + drain region 66 to the right of the islands 50 , 51 and 52 , electrode 62 is connected to terminal 63 . when a high voltage is applied to the drain terminal 63 , a large degree of depletion will be formed among the islands 50 , 51 and 52 and the n - well 42 . process of manufacture of peripheral device to power mosfet with counter - doped islands referring to fig3 a , a p doped silicon substrate 70 a thin film gate oxide layer 64 , a silicon nitride ( si 3 n 4 ) layer 66 and photoresist layer 68 have been formed . photoresist layer 68 was photolithographically exposed , patterned and developed and the si 3 n 4 layer 36 and the photoresist layer 38 which is newly formed after n - well formation in other areas of the device since in a cmos device the n - wells are needed for the p - mosfet . photoresist layer 68 is stripped and then silicon nitride ( si 3 n 4 ) 66 and thin film gate oxide layer 64 are removed by conventional techniques . referring to fig3 b , a thin film gate oxide layer 74 , a silicon nitride ( si 3 n 4 ) layer 76 and a photoresist layer 78 have been formed . the photoresist layer 48 was photolithographically exposed , patterned and developed and the si 3 n 4 layer 46 and the photoresist layer 48 have been etched to form openings 79 . then , p doped regions for islands 80 and 81 are formed by implanting dopant 71 into openings 79 . preferably , the islands 80 , 81 are of a depth of 3 , 000 å . the depth is within a range from about 3 , 000 å to about 5 , 000 å . dopant composed of bf 2 ions 71 are implanted through the openings 79 into zones 80 and 81 of p - sub 70 . the dopant ions 71 are applied at a preferred dose of 1e12 cm - 2 of bf 2 at a preferred energy of 40 kev to provide a far higher level of doping than in the remainder of the p - sub 70 . a range of energies from about 30 kev to about 50 kev is possible . a range of doses from about 1e13 cm - 2 to about 1e13 cm - 2 is possible . referring to fig3 c , fox regions 83 are formed by a conventional field oxide process over the p doped regions 80 and 81 . fig3 d shows a new gate oxide layer 85 formed on top of the p - sub 70 and the fox regions 83 . polysilicon layer 86 is deposited upon the gate oxide layer 85 . then a photoresist mask 87 is formed over the layer 86 and patterned photolithographically to cover the area where the gate 86 is to be formed . then using the mask 87 , the polysilicon layer 86 remaining exposed is etched away leaving the gate 86 as seen in fig3 e , and the remainder of the gate oxide layer 85 is also etched away also aside from beneath the gate 86 . fig3 e also shows an n + doped source region 94 located on the left and an n + doped drain region 96 located on the right . dopant composed of phosphorus ions 97 are implanted in a self - aligned implant ( as in fig2 e ) between fox regions 83 and the gate 86 . the dopant 97 is applied at a preferred dose of 5e15 cm 12 of phosphorus at a preferred energy of 30 kev to provide a far higher level of doping than in the remainder of p - sub 70 . a range of energies from about 25 kev to about 35 kev is possible . a range of doses from about 1e15 cm - 2 to about 5e15 cm - 2 is possible . fig3 f shows the device of fig3 e after the deposition of a dielectric layer 89 composed of a material such as bpsg , covered with a mask 84 with openings 84 &# 39 ; therein through which aligned openings 84 &# 39 ; have been formed by etching dielectric layer 89 through openings 84 &# 39 ; to form corresponding openings 89 &# 39 ; therein down to source region 94 n - well on the left and drain region 96 on the right respectively . fig3 g shows the device of fig3 f after the mask 84 has been removed and after metallization for contacts 90 and 92 is deposited in openings 89 &# 39 ; in contact with the source 94 and the drain 96 by use of a conventional metallization process with the contact extending over the surface of the dielectric layer 89 with a mushroom shaped cross section . a terminal 91 is formed on contact 90 and terminal 93 is formed on contact 92 . thus , source region 94 is connected to terminal 91 through contact electrode 90 , and above the n + drain region 96 to electrode 92 is connected to terminal 93 . while this invention has been described in terms of the above specific embodiment ( s ), those skilled in the art will recognize that the invention can be practiced with modifications within the spirit and scope of the appended claims , i . e . that changes can be made in form and detail , without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . accordingly all such changes come within the purview of the present invention and the invention encompasses the subject matter of the claims which follow . | 7 |
the holder 2 comprises a receptacle 3 for a smartphone . since no smartphone is held in the receptacle 3 , a releaser 4 for unlocking a second locking mechanism is not concealed . the releaser 4 has the form of a button which is arranged in an opening in the base 5 of the receptacle 3 . the receptacle has a border 6 which projects from the base 5 . a spring - loaded carriage 8 is guided between the inner edges 7 of the two long sides of the border , which is thus held such that is displaceable in the holder 3 in the longitudinal direction . on one edge of the carriage 8 facing the receptacle 3 an electronic interface 9 is arranged . the inside of the transverse side 10 of the border 6 opposite the carriage 8 has a limit switch 11 which detects the contact of a smartphone that is pressed against the transverse side 10 by the carriage 8 . the holder 3 additionally comprises a card reader 12 , in the card slot 13 of which a card 14 is inserted . the card 13 has two mirrored perforations along the transverse axis of the card , of which only the perforation 15 is visible . in the sectional drawing shown in fig2 , all cut surfaces have the same hatching , regardless of whether they are to be associated with separate parts or not . the carriage 8 comprises a kind of toothed rack 16 , which in the event of movement of the carriage 8 in the longitudinal direction of the receptacle 3 , is guided along a gear wheel 17 which it sets into rotation . the carriage is locked via a gear wheel 18 that is arranged coaxially to the gear wheel 17 and connected thereto , the radius of which is several times greater . to provide the blocking , a mechanism engages with the teeth of the co - rotating gear wheel 18 and thus locks the mechanism . in addition to its electronics 19 the card reader 12 comprises an rfid antenna 20 , and a blocking element in the form of a pin 21 , which can prevent a complete insertion of the customer card 14 , or if a customer card 14 is already inserted , engage with one of its openings 15 and prevent removal . activation of the pushbutton 4 rotates a spring - loaded pin , in the form of a rocker 22 fastened in the holder 2 , about its axis 23 . the rocker 22 has two undercuts 24 which lock the holder 2 in the handle of the shopping trolley 1 in a locking position . the rotation releases the undercuts 24 positioned opposite each other from their locking position and enables the holder 2 to be removed from the handle 1 . a preferred design variant of the holder according to the invention with a fastening mechanism is also described in detail on the basis of two drawings . in these , fig3 shows a plan view of a holder with a retaining bracket in the basic position and fig4 shows a plan view of the holder according to fig1 with a smartphone seated in the receptacle . the holder 50 shown in fig3 has a receptacle 51 for a smartphone . the receptacle 51 comprises a fixed part 52 and a retaining bracket 53 which is movably mounted on the holder 50 . the retaining bracket 53 engages with the longitudinal arms 52 a , 52 b of the fixed part 52 and is displaceably mounted there . the engagement prevents the fastening mechanism from being freely accessible and tampered with . on a transverse side of the receptacle 51 formed from the fixed part 52 , an electronic interface 54 based on a current standard is arranged , to which a smartphone can be connected . the holder 50 has an insertion opening 55 , in which a token 56 is held . a slider 58 is movably mounted in a groove 57 of the fixed part 52 . the slider 58 in fig3 is located in its second position , in which the fastening mechanism is unlocked . the mechanism is therefore not blocked and the u - shaped retaining bracket 53 can be withdrawn from the arms 52 a , 52 b , in order to allow a smartphone to be inserted into the receptacle 51 . in the basic position of the retaining bracket 53 , shown in fig3 , on the fixed part 52 , due to its spring tension the retaining bracket 53 has been introduced so far into the arms 52 a , 52 b that when a smartphone placed on the interface 54 is tilted into the receptacle 51 , its rear face comes into contact with a top edge 59 of the retaining bracket 53 . if the retaining bracket 53 is now withdrawn against the spring tension of the arms 52 a , 52 b , the receptacle 51 becomes larger . depending on the size of the smartphone to be inserted , at some point the receptacle 51 will be sufficiently long that the smartphone no longer comes into contact with the top edge 59 , but can be fully inserted into the receptacle 51 . since the lower edge 60 of the retaining bracket 53 either protrudes further into the receptacle 51 compared to the top edge 59 , or forms a tongue 60 , the smartphone seated in the receptacle comes to rest here . if the retaining bracket 53 is now released , it is pressed by the spring tension against the top outer edge of the smartphone . fig4 shows a smartphone 61 seated thus in the receptacle 51 . the smartphone 61 rests on the tongue 60 which is concealed thereby , and its top outer edge 62 abuts against the inner side of the bracket 53 . this abutment is preferably effected by undercuts , so that the smartphone is held between the tongue 60 and the top edge 59 of the bracket 53 . the bottom edge 63 of the smartphone also engages behind the fixed part 52 on the lower transverse side of the receptacle 51 . any unauthorized removal of the smartphone 61 would then only be feasible by destroying the holder 50 , and very likely damaging the smartphone 61 . in this position of the smartphone 61 , the slider 58 can be shifted into the first position shown in fig4 , in which the retaining bracket 53 is locked and can no longer be moved . if the locking has taken place , this is indicated by the token 56 being pushed slightly out of the insertion opening 55 . the customer using the holder then knows that his smartphone is locked and he can remove the token 56 . | 1 |
fig1 shows in detail an oscillator 10 , whose output is connected to a demodulator 12 , at whose output a trigger stage 14 is connected . these three circuits 10 , 12 , 14 constitute the conventional circuits of a proximity switch and are normally supplemented by an amplifier at the output of the trigger stage 14 in order to obtain at the output a of the proximity switch a signal whose power is sufficient to , for example , directly actuate relays . in accordance with the invention , there is provided , in addition , a test pulse source 16 which is connected to the oscillator 10 . also provided is a test circuit 18 which is connected to the output of the trigger stage 14 and comprises as output a test output whose signal level indicates whether the proximity switch is operating properly or not . in the proximity switch according to fig1 the supply voltage and / or the supply current of the oscillator 10 is superimposed with test pulses originating from the test pulse source 16 which are in the form of bipolar double pulses such that of the two single pulses of each test pulse , the single pulse of the one polarity causes a decrease in the amplitude of the oscillation of the oscillator , while the other single pulse causes an increase in the amplitude of the oscillation of the oscillator . the output signal of the oscillator is demodulated or rectified in the demodulator 12 and fed to the input of the trigger stage 14 , whose switching thresholds are selected such that as long as there is no test pulse at the oscillator , its output signal has a first level when the oscillator is damped and a second level when the oscillator damping is reduced . these signal levels are available -- possibly after amplification -- at the output a of the proximity switch to actuate in the conventional manner switching devices , in particular , relay switching devices connected downstream therefrom . in accordance with the invention , the test pulses supplied by the test pulse source 16 enable variation of the output signal of the oscillator such that with each test pulse , the trigger stage changes its switching state independently of whichever of its two switching states it initially assumes on account of the actual damping or damping reduction . according to the invention , the changes caused by the test pulses in the switching state at the output of the trigger stage 14 are selected so short that the downstream switching devices do not respond to the short - timed level changes at the output of the trigger stage 14 . these short - timed or pulse - shaped level changes at the output of the trigger stage are , however , detected by the test circuit 18 which , in the absence of a level change at the output of the trigger stage within a predetermined time interval , then delivers at its test output p a signal which indicates a malfunction in the proximity switch . the functioning of the proximity switch according to the invention which has been described in general hereinabove , shall now be explained in greater detail with reference to the circuit diagram of fig2 . as is apparent from fig2 the oscillator 10 according to a preferred exemplary embodiment of the invention is in the form of an oscillator operating in an analog manner which is connected to the two poles of a supply voltage source ( not illustrated ) which supplies a positive voltage + u and a ( relative thereto ) negative voltage - u . in the exemplary embodiment relating to an inductive proximity switch , the oscillator 10 comprises in a known manner an inductor l , a first capacitor c1 , two npn transistors t1 , t2 and five resistors r1 to r5 , with the resistor r5 being in the form of an adjustable resistor or a potentiometer . an oscillator 10 of the pertinent type is described in the company publication &# 34 ; integrated circuit design manual ; linear - interdesign &# 34 ; of august 1980 of the company ferranti . in accordance with fig2 the test pulse source 16 is coupled via a capacitor c2 to the common connection point of the emitters of the two transistors t1 and t2 . the test pulse source 16 is so designed that as indicated in the drawing at the output of the test pulse source , it supplies steep and relatively short bipolar double pulses . the output signal of the oscillator 10 is directly superimposed with these double pulses , as is apparent from fig3 where the oscillator voltage u ss is graphed as a function of the spacing a of a trip cam ( not shown ) from the active surface ( e . g ., l in fig2 ) of the proximity switch . specifically , u ss is the magnitude of the voltage difference across c 4 in fig2 and represents the amplitude of oscillation of the oscillator ( 10 in fig1 ). as further illustrated in fig3 the higher threshold and the lower threshold of the trigger ( 14 in fig1 ) are graphed as dashed lines . the spacing between these two thresholds corresponds to the hysteresis in the trigger circuit . a value of u ss in excess of the higher threshold indicates that u ss is not attenuated by the oscillator , for example , due to underdamping by a large spacing a of the trip cam from the active surface of the proximity switch or due to the &# 34 ; positive &# 34 ; control pulses fed to the oscillator . ( by &# 34 ; positive &# 34 ;, it is meant here that the control pulse tends to increase the amplitude of oscillation of the oscillator ). similarly , a value of u ss lower than the lower threshold indicates that u ss is attenuated by the oscillator , for example , due to damping by a small spacing a of the trip cam from the active surface of the proximity switch or due to the &# 34 ; negative &# 34 ; control pulses fed to the oscillator . as also shown in fig3 the amplitude of each of the positive and negative control pulses preferably just exceeds the magnitude of the difference in voltage between the higher threshold and the lower threshold of the trigger . returning now to fig2 the output signal of the oscillator 10 with the superimposed test pulses is rectified in the demodulator 12 comprising in the conventional manner two capacitors c3 , c4 , two diodes d1 , d2 and a resistor r6 , and is fed to the input of the trigger stage 14 . the trigger stage 14 also comprises in the conventional manner two transistors t3 , t4 and several resistors r7 to r14 as well as a capacitor c5 . the switching thresholds at the adjustable resistor r9 are settable , while c5 ensures maintenance of the hysteresis of the trigger stage 14 . the output of the trigger stage 14 , i . e ., the collector of the transistor t4 , is connected to the amplifier 20 comprising a power transistor t5 ( darlington circuit ) with a base voltage divider consisting of two resistors r14 and r15 , and a zener diode d3 connected in parallel with the collector - emitter - section of the transistor t5 , with the collector of the transistor t5 being connected to the output a via a temperature - dependent ptc resistor ( positive temperature coefficient resistor ) with a positive temperature coefficient as protection against short - circuits . in the exemplary embodiment , there is located in the input line of the test circuit 18 connected to the output a a capacitor c6 whose electrode remote from the output a is connected via a first diode d4 to the negative pole - u of the supply voltage source and via a second diode d5 to the base of an output transistor t6 , with the base of the transistor t6 being connected via a capacitor c7 to the negative pole - u , with the emitter of the transistor t6 likewise being connected to the negative pole - u via a resistor r16 , and with a relatively large capacitor , for example , with a capacitance of 1 μf , designated by the reference numeral c8 , being connected in parallel with the collector - emitter - section of the transistor t6 . it is apparent that the transistor t6 of the test circuit is brought into the conductive state by positive switching edges at the output of the amplifier 20 and discharges the capacitor c8 to the negative pole - u in the presence of these positive switching edges . in the absence of these positive switching edges , the capacitor c8 is charged by current flowing through r17 from the positive pole + u . consequently , the presence or absence of the positive switching edges is indicated by voltage at the terminal p , which always has a value close to - u in the presence of the positive switching edges , and which increases to and reaches + u a certain time after the cessation of the positive switching edges , depending on the rc time constant of the resistor r17 and the capacitor c8 . the failure of the transistor t6 to be repetitively brought into its conductive state within this rc time constant is therefore indicated by the voltage at the terminal p reaching a substantial level , which signals the presence of a malfunction in the proximity circuit . from the above description it is evident that the double pulses generated by the test pulse source are applied to a corresponding terminal of the oscillator or are coupled into it in such a way that the current flowing at the pertinent terminal and / or the voltage present at the pertinent terminal is superimposed with them . in this case , the supply voltage for the oscillator may , for example , be switched for a short time to a higher and to a lower level with respect to the normal voltage in order to thus generate a corresponding double pulse . if required , a combined superimposition of the supply current and the supply voltage with double pulses from the test pulse source is also possible . in accordance with the invention , there is , in any case , no connection or disconnection of resistances by the test pulses in the oscillator , as in hitherto common practice for simulation of damping or damping reduction . the internal parameters of the oscillator co - determined by the hitherto connected or disconnected resistances are therefore not influenced , but rather the double pulses serving as test pulses are at a certain location &# 34 ; placed onto &# 34 ; the current flowing there and / or the voltage present there , without the internal parameters of the oscillator being influenced thereby . it is particularly advantageous for the double pulses to be coupled - in via a current mirror circuit , as is known from ic technology . | 7 |
reference will now be made in detail to embodiments of the invention , examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings . throughout the following detailed description , the same reference characters refer to the same or similar elements in all figures . fig1 depicts one embodiment of the means to apply said rinse agent to a mobile apparatus 5 . the spray equipment 30 comprising a nozzle portion 25 , a reservoir portion 15 and a liquid transfer portion 20 in contact with both the nozzle portion 25 and the reservoir portion 15 such that the rinse agent 10 contained in the reservoir portion 15 can flow through the fluid transfer portion and out the nozzle via the fluid transfer portion and be applied to the mobile apparatus 5 . the step of applying the rinse agent to the mobile apparatus includes spraying the rinse agent to the outer surface and underneath surface of said mobile apparatus . it is further contemplated within the scope of this invention that the nozzle portion may be at a different electric potential than the mobile apparatus . thus , there is an electrostatic mechanism for application of the rinse agent to allow for a uniform or even coating of the rinse along the surface of the apparatus . it has been found that a uniform coating of the rinse agent increases the efficiency of the system and method . during the application of the rinse agent , the undercarriage , sides and upper and lower surfaces of the mobile apparatus have a thorough application of the rinse agent . while fig1 depicts a mobile apparatus 5 , which happens to be a depiction of an automobile , other examples of mobile apparatuses contemplated within the scope of this invention include any of the following : boat , wagon , truck , train , trailer , equipment , heavy equipment , transport device , recreational vehicle , motorcycle , and bicycle . as used in this invention apparatus refers to any object that transport in and out of a given local or environment to which seeds can attach and travel out of said locale or environment . in terms of this invention , and as a means to distinguish between natural environments and non - natural environments , it is assumed that natural environment is any environment in which a seed of an invasive species could be expected to grow and mature , an example would include soil for seeds . in embodiments of this invention , the term non - natural environment includes roadways , streets , drives , parking areas , inspection areas , surfaces composed of metal , fiberglass , pvc , plastic , epoxy , rubber , glass , cement , asphalt , carpet , cloth , tarp and any area in which the seed cannot be expected to grow or mature . it is contemplated that within the scope of this invention that the metal , plastic or fiberglass outer surface of a mobile apparatus to which the seed of the invasive species is attached is a non - natural environment . in embodiments of this invention , the term invasive species includes , but is not limited to , the following species : russian knapweed , chouchun ( tree of heaven ), persian silk tree ( pink siris ), garlic mustard , hedge garlic , coral bush , coralberry , giant reed , spanish cane , japanese barberry , thunberg &# 39 ; s barberry , downy brome , drooping brome , flowering rush , grass rush , musk thistle , nodding thistle , australian pine , filao tree , “ killer algae ”, diffuse knapweed , white knapweed , spotted knapweed , yellow cockspur , yellow starthistle , camphor laurel , camphor tree , wild taro , asiatic blue dayflower , poison hemlock , pampas grass , sulfur cosmos , yellow cosmos , dog - strangling vine , swallowwort , common broom , scotch broom , air potato , brazilian waterweed , large - flowered waterweed , common water hyacinth , russian olive , russian silverberry , autumn olive , japanese silverberry , southern blue gum , tasmanian blue gum , burning bush , winged euonymus , winter creeper vine , green spurge , leafy spurge , fleece flower , japanese knotweed , common ivy , english ivy , giant cow parsley , giant hogweed , orange hawkweed , tawny hawkweed , esthwaite waterweed , hydrilla , cogon , cogongrass , chinese privet , european privet , wild privet , japanese honeysuckle , amur honeysuckle , morrow &# 39 ; s honeysuckle , tartarian honeysuckle , japanese climbing fern , old world climbing fern , climbing maidenhair , creeping jenny , herb twopence , moneywort , twopenny grass , purple loosestrife , purple lythrum , spiked loosestrife , broad - leaved paper bark , paper bark tea tree , niaouli , natal grass , natal redtop , rose natal grass , bead tree , ceylon cedar , chinaberry , lunumidella , persian lilac , white cedar , japanese stiltgrass , nepalese browntop , humble plant , shameful plant , sensitive plant , sleeping grass , touch - me - not , eurasian water milfoil , spiked water milfoil , cotton thistle , heraldic thistle , scots thistle , scottish thistle , woolly thistle , skunk vine , torpedo grass , parsnip , princess tree , asiatic tearthumb , chinese tearthumb , devil shield , devil &# 39 ; s tail tearthumb , mile - a - minute weed , pink lady &# 39 ; s thumb , common reed , curly - leaf pondweed , kudzu , baby rose , multiflora rose , rambler rose , armenian blackberry , himalayan blackberry , japanese wineberry , wine raspberry , wineberry , curled dock , curly dock , narrow dock , sour dock , yellow dock , giant salvinia , kariba weed , aroeira , brazilian pepper , christmasberry , florida holly , rose pepper , tropical soda apple , saltmarsh cordgrass , smooth cordgrass , asiatic witchweed , saltcedar , tamarisk , water caltrop , water chestnut , chinese tallow tree , florida aspen , gray popcorn tree , alligatorweed , brazilian waterweed , caulerpa , mediterranean clone , common reed , curly pondweed , didymo , eurasian watermilfoil , giant reed , giant salvinia , hydrilla , melaleuca , purple loosestrife , water chestnut , water hyacinth , water lettuce , and water spinach . in other embodiments of this invention , the term invasive species includes species declared noxious or invasive by law , or an alien ( or non - natural ) species whose introduction does , or is likely to cause economic or environmental harm or harm to human health . this invention has been experimentally tested under several protocols and verified . summary results are as follows : all seeds for a protocol 1 test were removed from the flower parts and used as clean seeds . a treatment consisted of 100 seeds with four replications for a total of at least 400 seeds per treatment . in some cases extra seeds were treated to accommodate additional germination tests , if needed . in lots of 100 , seeds were first rinsed with water to simulate a wash treatment . these pre - wetted seeds were then dipped for one minute in one of the treatment rinse percent solutions per volume as show below . three quality glyphosate products were used . treatments 3 through 6 were the same glyphosate product , meaning they contained the same make - up of inert ingredients ( inerts ). the inert ingredients typically comprise tallow amine , lecithin , algaecide and purified water . treatment 2 inert ingredients did not contain tallow amine . the surfactants added to the percent solution were a penetrator , comprising methylated seed oil , and a spreader , comprising polyether - polymethylsiloxane - copolymer polyether or silicone polyether copolymer . treatments 5 and 6 did not contain the spreader surfactant . seeds were stirred during the dip to assure all seeds were exposed to the solution . treated seeds were allowed to air dry with the time to dry recorded . three main seed types were used in the protocol 1 test : whitetop ( cardaria draba ), spotted knapweed ( centauria maculosa ), and diffuse knapweed ( centauria . diffusa ). two additional seed types were used for one treatment each , russian thistle ( salsola tragus ) and scotch thistle ( onopordum acanthium ). when seeds were thoroughly dry after treatment they were packaged and sent for germination testing . each treatment of four replications had an associated non - treated replication of 100 seeds , for a total of at least 400 non - treated seeds per treatment . non - treated seeds received only the initial rinse treatment of water . after thoroughly drying they were packaged and sent for germination testing the same as the treated seed . germination tests were typically started within two to three weeks after treatment . scotch thistle germination tests were delayed longer due to a dormancy characteristic of the seed . the intact flower test procedure included three main seed types : whitetop , spotted and diffuse knapweed , which were utilized in a protocol 2 test . seeds were left in the flower heads or seed capsules during treatment . the number of seeds per flower head or capsule was estimated and enough material was used in testing to give an equivalent number of seeds to protocol 1 , 100 seeds per replication , with four replications , plus the associated non - treated control lot . treatment was conducted by spreading out the material on a clean mat , spraying with water until wet to simulate the wash treatment of the system , followed by , while still wet , an application of treatment one or two listed in table 1 . treatments were applied at approximately 20 gallons per acre utilizing a hand wand with a typical flat fan nozzle . the control material received only the initial water treatment , sprayed until wet . the intact wetted and treated material was allowed to thoroughly dry , packaged and sent for germination testing . overall results indicate glyphosate greatly reduced the survivability of the treated weed seed independent of which inert ingredients or surfactant was incorporated in the percent solution because the growth of treated seeds was abnormal . the direction of growth of the radical ( root ) was up and the hypocotyl ( shoot ) was down , opposite to the growth of the normal seeds of the control . when geiininated , treated seeds never formed root hairs or secondary roots . the radical typically rotted off by 14 days after germination . the seedlings from treated seeds were weak and never grew past the cotolydon stage when grown in green house soil . this growth pattern would not be sustainable in a natural environment . clean seed treatment results for whitetop indicate that there was a 100 % control with no normal growth occurring from treated seeds , for all treatments . additionally , there was no substantial or consistent change in the number of not germinated or dead seeds between the treated and control seeds . there was no noticeable difference between treatments , 3 verses 5 and 4 versus 6 , when the spreader additive was removed from the treatment solution . spotted and diffuse knapweed both showed a consistent increase in the number of not germinated seeds resulting from the treatments . on the average , there was a fivefold increase in not germinated seeds for treated compared to control seed lots . the spotted knapweed appeared to be more sensitive to the treatments than the diffuse knapweed . all glyphosate treatments that included tallow amine stopped normal growth of spotted knapweed seeds except for 2 % ( 2 out of 100 seeds ) normal germination in treatment 6 , the treatment with the lowest glyphosate rate and no spreader . a comparison of treatments 3 versus 5 and 4 versus 6 , shows that the number of seeds that exhibited abnormal growth decreased while the number of non - germinated seeds increased ; however ; the overall result on seed control was unchanged . control results for diffuse knapweed showed a similar but more exaggerated result trend compared to the spotted knapweed results . the biggest difference for diffuse knapweed , when compared to both the whitetop and spotted knapweed , was that a small percent of treated diffuse knapweed seeds exhibited normal growth . treatment 2 had the greatest number of normal growing seeds , 22 %. the remaining treatments had normal growth that ranged from 6 % to 8 %. the only exception was treatment 5 , where the high rate of glyphosate with tallow amine and no spreader had 0 % normal growth . russian thistle was only treated with treatment 2 which did not contain tallow amine . russian thistle is one weed that is wide spread and although it is invasive it is not listed as noxious in any state . russian thistle seeds are actually germinated in the seed coat , allowing the plant to start growth early in the season and in drought situations , when other weed germination will be delayed or non - existent . additionally , this plant readily becomes resistant to herbicides , indicating it may have highly diverse genetics . the growth stage of the embryo and diverse genetics may explain the response of necrotic growth in some seeds in addition to the normal growth and abnormal growth similar to the other species . overall , results were just below acceptable with 22 % normal growth . however , the other species already illustrated that the treatment without tallow amine provides less control . due to the dormancy mechanism of scotch thistle , germination tests had to be done in a soil environment instead of a growth chamber . initial results showed a lower rate of treated seeds germinated , and no treated seeds resulted in a plant that matured beyond the cotyledon stage , similar to the other weed types tested . the non - treated control seeds produced healthy plants that matured in to the expected rosette . the scotch thistle soil test proves that there is a difference between treating the seed directly and treating the soil in which the seed exists . scotch thistle is not controlled with a soil application of glyphosate ; however ; it was controlled with a direct application of glyphosate to the seed , then placed in soil to germinate . whitetop , spotted knapweed and diffuse knapweed germination tests conducted in soil flats confirmed the scotch thistle results , with no treated seeds showing the ability to become mature plants . intact flower treatment results indicate that overall the number of non - germinated seeds increased over the clean seed tests in both the treated and control seed lots . there was no consistent trend between the treatments of glyphosate with tallow amine as one of the inert ingredients versus the glyphosate without tallow amine , treatment 2 . all treatments achieved an acceptable amount of control with only 0 % to 8 % normal growth . results indicate that , when summarizing results from all species , there was no substantial difference between treatments except a slight decrease in control ( abnormal growth + non - germinated seeds ) when tallow amine was not included in the treatment . however ; this claim was not substantiated with the trials of the intact flowers . results with treatment 2 were still well within the acceptable goals of the study . the rate decrease and the removal of the spreader did not show a consistent decrease in over all control , suggesting that the threshold rate of glyphosate had not been reached in these studies . overall the results show excellent success at stopping seed growth with the herbicidal products researched . overall results showed that a traditionally foliar applied herbicide can be used to control seeds in a non - soil environment . when considering treated seeds that may grow to reproductive maturity , glyphosate treatments can achieve 95 % control of whitetop , 100 % control of spotted knapweed , 99 % control of diffuse knapweed , 100 % control of scotch thistle and 72 % control of russian thistle . these results are unexpected because glyphosate manufacturers and distributors have never claimed or warned of damage to seeds that would be directly exposed to a glyphosate application , such as , desirable seeds that lay on the top of the soil or seeds in planting furrows that are not covered with soil . it is reasonable to expect that other herbicidal products that do not warn of seed injury , in combination with quality additives , may also hinder seed germination or growth if applied in a non - soil environment with penetrating additives , due to the higher level of exposure the seed and seed embryo may have to the herbicide . the fact that glyphosate works to control seeds is unexpected given current understanding of glyphosate mechanisms . seeds have a protective outer layer , the episperm , which is unlike other plant material . the episperm of seeds is often a testae , which is a thick or hard outer coat which has long been considered too difficult for herbicides to penetrate . other than fumigants , herbicides that are soil applied for weed seed control , are absorped from the soil moisture by the radical or hypocotyle . herbicides are not known to be adsorped or absorbed by the testae in sufficient quantity to result in arresting growth of a seed . when used within the epa approved label rates , glyphosate is not absorbed by the radical or hypocotyls because it is strongly adsorped to the soil particles , having a k ow of 0 . 0006 - 0 . 0017 . thus , the surprising result is that glyphosate can function to render invasive species &# 39 ; seeds ineffective to mature into foliating plants , thereby stopping the spread of invasive species . when seeds are in a non - soil environment they often are attached to an apparatus . they may be typically lodged under a vehicle frame or on farm equipment that has been power washed . in such circumstance , an application of a rinse agent containing glyphosate will allow glyphosate to adsorb and / or absorb to seeds and reproductive vegetative parts . when the seed or vegetative part becomes dislodged from the equipment and drops in a suitable growing condition , the adsorbed and / or absorbed glyphosate interferes with normal plant growth , preventing establishment . in addition to glyphosate , other known compositions comprise chemicals have the same potential to be effective to destroy the ability of seeds to grow into maturity when used in the same manner , as described above . in the present invention , compositions include , but are not limited to , imidazolinones , sulfonylureas , dinitroanilines , phenoxys , benzoic acids , bipyridiliums , triazines , ammonia , acid , chorine - containing compounds , chlorine dioxide , pyridinecarboxylic acids , benzonitriles , fluridone , endothall , indaziflam , aminocyclopyrachlor , triisopropanolammonium , and variants and derivatives of above . in one embodiment , the liquid composition comprises any of the following additives : inert ingredients , surfactants , adjuvant agents , spreaders , stickers , penetrants , buffering agents , water treatments , drift control agents , wetting agents , foaming agents , defoaming agents , water , purified water , gasoline , diesel oil , ethylated seed oil , methylated seed oil , silicone based surfactants , crop oil concentrates , tallow amines , lecithin , algaecide , silicones , polyether - polymethylsiloxane - copolymer polyether , silicone polyether copolymer and non - ionic surfactants . in one embodiment of the present invention , the method further comprises the step of pressurization of the rinse agent . it is also contemplated within the scope of the invention that the pressurization is accomplished by any of the following means : addition of carbon dioxide , electric pumping , pneumatic pumping , gas pumping . it is further contemplated within the scope of this invention that the system and method includes a water - composition wash to clean seeds of invasive species of plant , dust , aquatic or animal matter attached or in contact with the seed . with regard to the method embodiment of the present invention , method comprises an additional step of applying a water - composition prior to the rinse agent . in one embodiment of the present invention , the water - composition wash is a high pressure wash . in another embodiment of the present invention , the system includes an additional reservoir portion comprising a water - composition to provide a pre - rinse agent wash . through the use of this invention , seeds of invasive species can be halted in a safe and inexpensive manner . it is believed that the apparatus of the present invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description . it is also believed that it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form , construction , and arrangement of the components without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention and without sacrificing its material advantages . the forms described are merely exemplary and explanatory embodiments thereof . it is the intention of the following claims to encompass and include such changes . | 8 |
this section begins with a description of a functional architecture for monitoring a data source , then provides a top - level process flow for performing linguistic scoring on the monitored data source . scoring , as used herein , refers to the underlying computations required in determining whether a category is a hit ( e . g ., whether or not the data source has been resolved to be within a particular category ). scoring is then described as a complex aggregate behavior , where , for example , a category definition may include multiple pre - requisite triggers . as used herein , a trigger is a regular expression ( regex ) or other code that performs a textual search function . accordingly , a discussion is provided on how such linguistic triggers may be aggregated , how such triggers may be constructed , and how complex aggregated behavior may be simplified . the discussion of threshold scoring includes a description of static re - ordering of pre - requisite triggers to improve scoring efficiency . exemplary embodiments are also provided for boolean logic scoring behavior using two or more pre - requisite triggers . the detailed description concludes with a discussion of dynamic re - ordering of pre - requisite triggers , which may be applied to boolean scoring behavior and / or threshold scoring behavior as another way to improve the efficiency of linguistic scoring . while sub - headings are used in this section for organizational convenience , the disclosure of any particular feature ( s ) is / are not necessarily limited to any particular section or sub - section of this specification . the detailed description begins with the functional architecture . fig1 is a functional architecture for a linguistic analysis system , according to an embodiment of the invention . as shown therein , a linguistic analysis system includes an internet 102 , a web page host 104 , an email server 106 , a router / firewall 108 , a linguistic analysis server ( las ) 110 , an intranet 112 , and network clients 114 , 116 and 118 . the email server 106 , router / firewall 108 , las 110 , and clients 114 , 116 and 118 are coupled to the intranet 112 , and the internet 102 is coupled to the router / firewall 108 and the web page host 104 . in operation , the las 110 monitors data communications on intranet 112 associated with one or more clients 114 , 116 and / or 118 . for example , the las 110 may be configured to monitor email communications , chat , instant messaging ( im ), point - to - point ( p2p ) communications , file transfer protocol ( ftp ) communications , and / or url - based web browser communications . in addition , communications monitored by the las 110 may be communications local to the intranet 112 and / or between any one of clients 114 , 116 , and 118 and the internet 102 , for example . the las 110 may be or include , for example , a computer having an intel 3 ghz processor , 2 gb of random access memory ( ram ), a 120 gb hard drive , a compact disc read - only memory ( cd rom ), and a red hat linux operating system ( os ). the clients 114 , 116 , and / or 118 may be or include , for example , a personal computer , a personal data assistant ( pda ), a web - enabled telephone , or other networkable user interface device . various architecture alternatives are possible in addition to the one depicted in fig1 . for example , internet 102 , webpage host 104 , email server 106 and router / firewall 108 are optional system components . further , intranet 112 and / or internet 102 may be replaced , for example , by a local area network ( lan ), wide area network ( wan ), or other wired or wireless network configuration . in addition , the las 110 may only monitor traffic local to the intranet 112 , or only between , for example , clients 114 , 116 , and 118 and the internet 102 . moreover , in alternative embodiments , the functionality of las 110 may reside in , for example , email server 106 , router / firewall 108 , and / or in each of the clients 114 , 116 , and 118 . the linguistic analysis processes described below with reference to fig2 , 3 , and 6 - 9 may be implemented with computer - executable code . moreover , such code may be stored on a cd rom , hard drive , or other data storage medium and / or loaded into ram for execution by a processor . for example , code for performing the processes described herein may be stored in the 120 gb hard drive of the las 100 , loaded into the ram of the las 110 , and executed by the 3 ghz processor of the las 110 . fig2 is a process flow diagram of a method for performing linguistic analysis , according to an embodiment of the invention . fig2 is depicted from the perspective of las 110 . as shown therein , the process begins by receiving a selection from a list of pre - defined categories in step 202 . the predefined categories may be , for instance , categories such as : adult , confidential , conflict , gambling , games , merger and acquisition , racism , resignation , shopping , sports , substance abuse , stock trading , and / or other predefined data category . a system administrator or other user of las 110 may select the predefined categories based on an approved usage policy ( aup ) for a corporation , or based other criterion . next , in step 204 , the las 110 optionally receives a custom category definition . a custom category definition may be based on one or more of the predefined categories . for example , in the case where a user has selected the predefined category of mergers and acquisitions , a user may further specify that when a hit is resolved for the predefined category of mergers and acquisitions , a custom category is resolved based on a particular company name . accordingly , the form of a custom category definition may include both search criteria ( e . g ., a particular company name ) and a link to a selected category ( e . g ., mergers and acquisitions ). then , in step 206 , the las 110 prepares the data source for analysis . step 206 may include collecting data from a data stream , a file system , database , or other data source . step 206 may further include , in combination with , or in the alternative to collecting data , partitioning the data into sessions , groups of sessions , or other logical group ( s ) for analysis . for example , in step 206 , las 110 may collect an email correspondence and its reply from email server 102 for linguistic scoring . next , in step 208 the las 110 performs scoring of input data sources resulting from step 206 against the selected predefined categories and / or custom categories received in steps 202 and 204 , respectively . finally , in step 210 , the system performs predetermined action ( s ) for each of the selected and / or custom categories that is resolved as a hit ( also referred to herein as resolved - positive ). such action may include , for instance , blocking a url , alerting an administrator via email , pager , or simple network management protocol ( snmp ) trap , or logging data for later review by a system administrator , manager , or other user . as mentioned above , a trigger is a regular expression ( regex ) or other code that performs a textual search function . a category is a named trigger . triggers and / or categories can be arranged into a hierarchy of complex aggregate behavior , as illustrated in fig3 and described below . fig3 is a process flow diagram of a method for performing linguistic analysis , according to an embodiment of the invention . as shown therein , data source 302 is a pre - requisite for resolution of triggers 304 , 306 , 312 , 314 , and 316 . moreover , triggers 304 and 306 are pre - requisite triggers ( or contained triggers ) for containing trigger 310 . likewise , triggers 310 and 312 are pre - requisite triggers for category 318 , triggers 312 and 314 are pre - requisite triggers for category 320 , and category 320 and trigger 316 are pre - requisite triggers for category 324 . a predefined score is associated with each trigger . when a contained trigger is resolved as a hit , the scores of all contained triggers are used in resolving the containing trigger . for example , if both triggers 310 and 312 are resolved positive ( determined to be as a hit ), then category 318 would be resolved using the predefined scores from triggers 310 and 312 . fig3 illustrates that a score may be modified in resolving a containing trigger . for example , if trigger 304 is resolved as a hit , then the score associated with trigger 304 is increased by 5 , as illustrated by addition operator 308 , in resolving trigger 310 . the effect of addition operator 308 is to add increased importance to trigger 304 in resolving trigger 310 . in the alternative , or in combination with addition operators , subtraction , multiplication , and / or division operators could be used to similar effect . the addition operator 308 is a property of the containing trigger 310 . the reason for this is more apparent when considering the relative importance of trigger 312 in fig3 : if trigger 312 is a hit , its score is not modified in resolving category 318 , but is increased by 10 in resolving category 320 . another way that a score can be modified is with a negation operator . in the illustrated example , where trigger 316 is resolved as a hit , the score associated with trigger 316 is negated by negation operator 322 in resolving category 324 . like the addition operator , the negation operator is a property of the containing trigger . trigger 316 , category 324 , and associated links are illustrated in dashed lines to indicate that category 324 may be a custom category rather than a predefined category . fig4 is a schematic diagram of a trigger , according to an embodiment of the invention . as shown therein , a trigger may include status data 404 , invert data 406 , threshold data 408 , tally data 410 , an ordered list of pre - requisite triggers 412 , a pattern tuple 414 , a list of triggers that are potentially updated if the status of the current trigger becomes resolved - positive 416 , a list of triggers that are potentially updated if the status of the current trigger becomes resolved - negative 418 , a user - specified name ( e . g ., a category name ) 420 and a list of actions 422 if the category is resolved positive . status data 404 may be unresolved , resolved - positive , or resolved - negative . the effect of the resolved status may be inverted according to invert data 406 . threshold data 408 is a predetermined number that may be used to resolve a trigger . for example , if a containing trigger has a threshold of 5 , and the only pre - requisite trigger has been resolved positive and has a score of 6 , then the threshold of the containing trigger has been exceeded , and the containing trigger is resolved - positive . the tally 410 is a parameter ( e . g ., a running total ) that reflects the effect of all pre - requisite triggers that have been considered in resolving the containing trigger . the ordered list of pre - requisite triggers 412 provides information about the contained triggers ( used if the status of the containing trigger is unresolved ), and will be described in more detail with reference to fig5 below . pattern tuple 414 includes a reference to a particular pattern - evaluation engine . potential pattern - evaluation engines include regular expression engines , string matchers , numeric and character comparisons , ip - in - network / netmask - range , “ always true ” and “ always false ”. pattern tuple 414 may further include a reference to some data . this may be “ raw ” data , the result of applying transformations to the raw data , or data related to the raw data . one example transformation is converting all uppercase letters to lowercase . related data includes the length of the data . if the data is extracted from network traffic , related data may also include the ips of the involved hosts or information associated with the ips of the involved hosts . if the data is extracted from a file system , related data may also include the name of the file , permissions of the file , and owner ( s ) of the file . in addition , evaluation of a pattern tuple may generate more data that subsequently may be used in other pattern tuples . this additional data , which may also be included in pattern tuple 414 , may include a number of times the pattern matched , offsets from the beginning of the data to the beginning or end of matched data , etc . the list of triggers that are potentially updated if the status of the current trigger becomes resolved - positive 416 is self - descriptive . as an illustration with reference to fig3 , trigger 312 would include category 318 and category 320 in list 416 . the list of triggers that are potentially updated if the status of the current trigger becomes resolved - negative 418 is also self - descriptive . such cases may arise , for instance , where the data is inverted . for example , consider a gambling trigger containing a news story pre - requisite trigger , where the new story pre - requisite trigger has invert data 406 . in this case , the gambling trigger is only evaluated if the news trigger is not a hit . the effect is that gambling is not scored for news stories related to gambling . it should be noted that all of the data illustrated as part of trigger / category 402 in fig4 and described above are optional . complex aggregate behavior models may be simplified with reference to data included in trigger / category 402 . for example , two or more triggers containing the same pattern tuple may be collapsed into exactly one trigger so a pattern tuple is never evaluated more than once . in this instance , resolved - positive output lists 416 and resolved - negative output lists 418 are appended . further , one or more triggers containing an identical list of prerequisite triggers 504 , respective scores 506 , and respective negate statuses 406 may be collapsed into exactly one trigger so the list is never evaluated more than once . as another example of computational simplification , the system may be configured so that only categories having at least one action 422 ( and all prerequisite triggers of such categories ) are loaded into ram and / or resolved . thus , with reference to fig3 , if categories 320 and 324 each included actions 422 , but category 318 did not include any actions 422 , then trigger 304 , trigger 306 , trigger 310 , and category 318 would not be loaded into ram and / or would not be resolved . fig5 is a schematic diagram of an ordered list of pre - requisite triggers , according to an embodiment of the invention . as shown therein , an ordered list 502 includes a list of prerequisite triggers 504 , a list of scores for each of the prerequisite triggers 506 , a total for all subsequent positive scores 508 , and a total for all subsequent negative scores 510 . fig6 is a process flow diagram of a method for performing linguistic analysis , according to an embodiment of the invention . to illustrate the operation of the process in fig6 , consider a containing trigger having three pre - requisite triggers : trigger a is associated with a score of − 2 , trigger b is associated with a score of + 1 , and trigger c is associated with a score of + 13 . the process begins in step 602 with receiving a data source . next , in step 604 , the tally for a containing trigger is set equal to zero . then , in step 606 , the system orders contained triggers based on decreasing absolute value of scores . in the example presented , the contained triggers would be ordered : c , a , and b in step 606 . the system may execute step 606 using the list of prerequisite triggers 504 and the list of scores for each of the prerequisite triggers 506 . step 606 is an example of static re - ordering of triggers within a complex aggregate behavior . in step 608 , the process selects the first or next trigger ( in the preceding example , trigger c would be selected first ). in conditional step 610 , it is determined whether the first or next contained trigger is a hit . if conditional step 610 is affirmative , the process advances to step 612 to update the tally for the containing trigger . thus , if trigger c were to be resolved positive , then the tally for the containing trigger would be 13 ( since 0 + 13 = 13 ). then , in conditional step 614 , it is determined whether the tally for the containing trigger —( the sum of absolute values of subsequent contained triggers ) is & gt ; a predetermined threshold . thus , if the predetermined threshold were 5 , then the result of conditional step 614 would be positive ( since the sum of the absolute value of subsequent contained triggers would be 3 , and since 13 − 3 = 10 , and since 10 is & gt ; 5 ). in this instance , the containing trigger is a hit ( resolved positive ) in step 616 . note that conditional step 614 may be calculated using the total for all subsequent positive scores 508 , and the total for all subsequent negative scores 510 . where the result of conditional steps 610 or 614 are in the negative , however , the process advances to conditional step 618 where it is determined whether the process is done . in other words , in step 618 , it is determined whether all contained triggers have been evaluated . where the result of conditional step 618 is in the affirmative , the process advances to step 620 where the containing trigger is identified as a non - hit ( resolved negative ). on the other hand , where the result of conditional step 618 is in the negative , the process advances to step 608 to select the next contained trigger ( as ordered in step 606 ) before returning to conditional step 610 . advantageously , step 614 operates to provide an early exit where a containing trigger can be resolved by evaluating less than all pre - requisite triggers . in addition , the effect of ordering step 606 and selection step 608 is to further improve the efficiency of a trigger having an early exit feature . there are two special - case scores that may be added to a tally ( not illustrated in fig6 ). first , if + max is applied to a tally , the threshold is immediately considered to be exceeded ( and the trigger is resolved positive ) regardless of the total of all remaining negative scores . second , if − max is applied to a tally , the threshold is immediately considered to be not - exceeded ( and the trigger is resolved negative ) regardless of the total of all remaining positive scores . as an alternative to a trigger that is configured to perform a threshold comparison , a trigger may be configured to perform a boolean logic function . in such cases , the predetermined threshold is zero . fig7 is a process flow diagram of a method for performing linguistic analysis , according to an embodiment of the invention . in particular , fig7 illustrates a logical and function for a category having prerequisite triggers identified as a first trigger and a second trigger . fig7 further illustrates the application of a pattern tuple . the process begins in step 702 by receiving a data source . next , the process advances to conditional step 704 where it is determined whether the input data source is from a particular source account x . as used herein , a source account may be an alias associated with any description of source . for example , with reference to email correspondence , a source account may be an alias associated with from , mail from , and reply to fields . where the result of conditional step 704 is in the negative , the process advances to step 718 where the category tally is set to − max , and the category is a non - hit ( resolved negative ) in step 720 . steps 704 and 718 may be based on a pattern tuple 414 . where the result of conditional step 704 is in the affirmative , the process advances to step 706 where it is determined whether the first trigger is a hit . where the result of conditional step 706 is in the affirmative , the process advances to step 708 where it is determined whether the score for the first trigger is & gt ; 0 . where the result of conditional step 708 is in the affirmative , the process advances to step 710 where it is determined whether the second trigger is a hit . where the result of conditional step 710 is in the affirmative , the process advances to step 712 where it is determined whether the score for the second trigger is & gt ; 0 . where the result of conditional step 712 is in the affirmative , the category is a hit ( resolved positive ) in step 614 and the process will terminate with actions in step 716 . where the result of conditional steps 706 , 708 , 710 , or 712 are in the negative , the process also advances to step 720 indicating a non - hit of the category . accordingly , for the process illustrated in fig7 , the category is a hit only when both the first trigger and the second trigger are hits , and where their associated scores are greater than zero . fig7 also illustrates that where − max is applied to a trigger tally , the trigger is immediately considered to be a non - hit . fig7 also illustrates an early exit for the case where the first trigger is not a hit ( since in this instance , the second trigger is not evaluated ). fig8 a is a process flow diagram of a method for performing linguistic analysis , according to an embodiment of the invention . in particular , fig8 a illustrates a logical or function for a category having prerequisite triggers identified as a first trigger and a second trigger . fig8 a further illustrates the application of a pattern tuple . the process begins in step 802 with receiving a data source . next , the process advances to conditional step 804 where it is determined whether a source ip address is = 123 . 45 . 678 . 910 in step 804 . where the result of conditional step 804 is in the negative , the process advances to step 814 where the category tally is set to − max , and the category is a non - hit ( resolved negative ) in step 820 . steps 804 and 814 may be based on a pattern tuple 414 . where the result of conditional step 804 is in the affirmative , the process advances to conditional step 806 to determine whether the first trigger is a hit . where the result of conditional step 806 is in the affirmative , the process advances to step 808 where it is determined whether the score for the first trigger is & gt ; 0 . where the result of conditional step 806 is in the affirmative , then the process advances to step 810 , indicating that the category is a hit ( resolved positive ). then , in step 812 , appropriate action for the category is performed . where the result of conditional step 806 or 808 are in the negative , the process advances to conditional step 816 to determine whether the second trigger is a hit . where the result of conditional step 816 is in the affirmative , the process advances to step 818 to determine whether the score for the second trigger is & gt ; 0 . where the result of conditional step 818 is in the affirmative , the process advances to step 810 , indicating that the category is a hit . where the result of conditional steps 816 or 818 are in the negative , the process advances to step 820 , indicating that the category is a non - hit . thus , fig8 a illustrates that the category will be a hit where either the first trigger is a hit and has a score greater than zero , or where the second trigger is a hit and has a score greater than zero . fig8 a also illustrates that where − max is applied to a trigger tally , the trigger is immediately considered to be a non - hit . fig8 a further illustrates an early exit function , since the category is resolved positive if it is determined that the first category is a hit and has a score & gt ; 0 . fig8 b is an illustration of a truth table for performing linguistic analysis , according to an embodiment of the invention . in particular , fig8 b is a truth table for a category having a logical or function based on 1 st and 2 nd pre - requisite triggers . the category also includes a pattern tuple that is seeking to match a particular ip address . as shown in fig8 b , column 822 indicates whether the ip address of the input data is 123 . 45 . 678 . 910 ; column 824 indicates whether the 1 st trigger score is & gt ; 0 ; column 826 indicates whether the 2 nd trigger score is & gt ; 0 ; and column 828 indicates whether the category result will be a hit ( resolved positive ) or a non - hit ( resolved negative ). triggers may include other boolean logic operations . for example , since a result may be inverted ( a logical not ), the and and or functions described above may be combined to produce an exclusive or ( xor ) function . thus , where p and q are pre - requisite triggers , p xor q could be implemented via the following expression : fig9 is a process flow diagram for a dynamic reordering method , according to an embodiment of the invention . as shown therein , the process begins in step 902 by initializing an avoid evaluation of this trigger ( aeott ) rating . next , in step 904 , the process evaluates a first or next data source ( e . g ., resolves a pre - requisite trigger for the first or next data source ). then , in step 906 , it is determined whether the contained trigger caused an early exit . where the result of conditional step 906 is in the affirmative , the process advances to step 908 where the aeott is decreased for the contained trigger . on the other hand , where the result of conditional step 906 is in the negative , the process advances to step 910 where the aeott is increased for the contained trigger . after either step 908 or step 910 , the process returns to step 904 to evaluate a next data source . accordingly , the process in fig9 illustrates that an aeott rating can be either incremented or decremented based on whether it is determined in step 906 that the contained trigger caused an early exit . for example , with reference to fig7 , where a higher aeott causes a pre - requisite trigger to be evaluated later , and where it is determined that the first trigger did not cause an early exit , the aeott rating for the first trigger would be increased . over time , the result is that the trigger most likely to cause an early exit ( a non - hit in the case of an and function ) will be evaluated prior to other pre - requisite triggers . although described above with reference to triggers having logical functions , adaptive reordering could be applied to pattern tuples . moreover , adaptive or dynamic reordering could be applied to threshold scoring in combination with , or in the alternative to , static trigger ordering described with reference to fig6 . in conclusion , embodiments of the invention provide , among other things , a robust and efficient system and method for linguistic scoring . those skilled in the art can readily recognize that numerous variations and substitutions may be made in the invention , its use and its configuration to achieve substantially the same results as achieved by the embodiments described herein . accordingly , there is no intention to limit the invention to the disclosed exemplary forms . many variations , modifications and alternative constructions fall within the scope and spirit of the disclosed invention as expressed in the claims . for example , although thresholds are expressed in terms of whether a tally is greater than a predetermined threshold , the processes could be altered so that the test is whether the tally is greater than or equal to the predetermined threshold . in addition , although references are made to embodiments of the invention , all embodiments disclosed herein need not be separate embodiments . in other words , many of the features disclosed herein can be utilized in combinations not expressly illustrated . | 6 |
an ontology is a formal representation of a set of concepts , and the relationships between those concepts in a defined domain . the ontology models the specific meanings of terms as they apply to that domain , and may be devised to incorporate one or several different spoken and / or written languages . as a non - limiting example , the ontologies described herein are with respect to customer service interactions . a particular ontology may be defined for a specific domain , such as financial services , consumer products , subscription services , or some other service interactions . communication data may exist in the form of an audio recording , streaming audio , a transcription of spoken content , or any written correspondence or communication . in the context of customer service interactions , for example , communication content may exist as various forms of data , including but not limited to audio recording , streaming audio , transcribed textual transcript , or documents containing written communications , such as email , physical mail , internet chat , text messages , etc . in one embodiment , the communication data may be a transcript between a customer service agent or interactive voice response ( ivr ) recording with a customer / caller . while the present disclosure is exemplified herein by describing an embodiment involving the analysis of audio data , such as recorded audio transcripts , it is to be understood that in alternative embodiments , oral or written communications may be used or analyzed . an ontology can be developed and applied across all types of communication data , for example , all types of customer interactions ( which may include interactions in multiple languages ), to develop a holistic tool for processing and interpreting such data . the disclosed solution uses machine learning - based methods to improve the knowledge extraction process in a specific domain or business environment . by formulizing a specific company &# 39 ; s internal knowledge and terminology , the ontology programming accounts for linguistic meaning to surface relevant and important content for analysis . for example , the disclosed ontology programming adapts to the language used in a specific domain , including linguistic patterns and properties , such as word order , relationships between terms , and syntactical variations . based on the self - training mechanism developed by the inventors , the ontology programming automatically trains itself to understand the business environment by processing and analyzing a defined corpus of communication data . the premise on which the ontology is built is that meaningful terms are detected in the corpus and then classified according to specific semantic concepts , or entities . first , the corpus , or dataset , is segmented into meaning units . meaning units are sequences of words that express an idea , such as may be the equivalent of sentences . an example of a meaning unit in a customer service context would be the customer statement “ i would like to buy a phone .” within the meaning units , terms are identified and extracted . term extraction is a process that reviews all meaning units and extracts the terms that are meaningful in a corpus . a term is a short list of words ( e . g . between 1 and 5 words ) that has a precise meaning , or a meaning that stands out in its context . for example , “ credit card ” and “ your account number ” could both be appropriate terms . terms are tagged in a non - overlapping way , with longer terms being generally preferred over shorter ones . for example , the term “ my phone number ” is counted as one term , rather than two — i . e . “ my phone ” and “ my phone number .” once the main terms are defined , direct relations or linkages can be formed between these terms and their associated entities . then , the relations are grouped into themes , which are groups or abstracts that contain synonymous relations . relations are detected in interactions and surfaced during the system &# 39 ; s self - training process . a theme is essentially a single concept defined by its associated relations , which represent that same concept among multiple interactions in the corpus . themes provide users with a compressed view of the characteristics of interactions throughout the corpus . themes may be identified according to the exemplary methods described herein . themes provide a basis for analytic functions of the ontological software , such as the communication data summary module described herein . the presently disclosed ontology solution incorporates four main stages . as seen in fig1 , the four main stages include training 1 , ontology administration 2 , ontology tagging 3 , and ontology analytics 4 . the training step 1 involves internal machine learning in which the system learns the customer &# 39 ; s specific domain and formulates an initial ontology 110 . the initial ontology 110 is then passed to the ontology administration step 2 wherein the user reviews the initial ontology 110 and refines it to create a refined ontology 210 . the refined ontology 210 is then stored and passed to the tagging module 3 . tagging is a continuous online process that uses the ontology to tag tracked items in incoming interactions , and stores the tagged interactions in a persistent repository . finally , the tagged interactions are then used by the analytics module 4 to analyze and extract business data based on an enhanced formulization of a company &# 39 ; s internal knowledge and terminology . an ontology , which generally refers to a collection of entities and their relations , is one way in which an automated interpretation of a customer service interaction can be developed , organized , and presented as disclosed herein . generally , an ontology as disclosed herein includes terms which are individual words or short phrases that represent the basic units or concepts that might come up in the customer service interaction . non - limiting examples of terms , as used herein , include “ device ”, “ iphone ”, “ iphone four ”, “ invoice ”, “ i ”, “ she ”, “ bill ”, “ cancel ”, “ upgrade ”, “ activate ”, “ broken ”, or “ cell phone ”, “ customer care ”, or “ credit card .” however , these are not intended to be limiting in any manner and are merely exemplary of basic units or concepts that may be found in a customer service interaction . all words in the corpus can only be associated with one term , and each term can only be counted once . classes are broader concepts that encapsulate or classify a set of terms . classes describe semantic concepts to which classified terms are related . it is also to be understood that classes may also classify or encapsulate a set of subclasses in which the terms are classified . non - limiting examples of classes , may be include “ objects ”, “ actions ”, “ modifiers ”, “ documents ”, “ service ”, “ customers ”, or “ locations ”. however , these are not intended to be limiting on the types of classes , particularly the types of classes that may appear in an ontology directed to a specific or specialized domain . the classes , subclasses , and terms are connected by a plurality of relations which are defined binary directed relationships between terms and classes / subclasses or subclasses to classes . in a non - limiting example , the term “ pay ” is defined under the class “ action ” and the term “ bill ” is defined in the class “ documents ”. still further binary directed relationships can be defined between these class / term pairs . the action / pay pair is related to the document / bill pair in that the payment action requires an underlying document , which may be a bill . in another non - limiting example , the term “ broken ” is defined in the class “ problems ” and the term “ iphone ” is defined in the class “ device ”. the problem / broken pair can also have a directed relationship to the “ devices ” class in which the “ iphone ” term is a specific example as represented by the devices / iphone pair . in general , developing an ontology includes defining relations within a dataset . relations are linkages or relationships between the defined terms in the corpus . for example , “ cancel & gt ; account ,” “ speak with & gt ; supervisor ,” and “ buy & gt ; new iphone ” are exemplary relations . the system defines a concise number of strong , meaningful relations according to certain pre - defined policies or rules . those strong relations are given a higher score , and thus are given preference over other , lower - scoring relations . then , based upon the established relations , the system identifies , or surfaces , themes appearing within the dataset . themes are groups or categories of relations that are similar in meaning a theme represents a concept and is defined by its associated relations . a theme encapsulates the same concept among several interactions . themes allow users to easily and efficiently understand the characteristics of interactions throughout the corpus . for example , the theme “ got an email ” might correspond to several relations , including “ got the email ,” “ got confirmation ,” “ received an email ,” “ received an email confirmation ,” etc . preferably , the themes are expanded to incorporate as many of the identified terms and relations as possible . since data sets may commonly be derived from speech - to - text translation algorithms , and because those algorithms are imperfect and often make slight mistranscriptions , it is desirable to use algorithms that can associate textually similar terms together — e . g ., manager and managers , sunday and monday . in a call center data set , for example , one theme may represent a concept expressed in several different calls . in that way , a theme can provide a summary , or a compressed view , of the characteristics of the interactions in a communications data set . preferably , a relation is assigned to only a single theme . additionally , preferably only relations are tagged in the tagging phase 3 of a corpus . themes are used in the analytics phase 4 , and act as building blocks employed by analytics applications or modules , such as the summary module 1300 described herein . themes can be displayed by displaying all of the relations comprising that theme and providing statistics about the appearance of such relations and / or the terms therein . in order to display a theme , or to create useful user interfaces displaying and conveying information about themes and about a group of themes in a dataset , each theme should be given a unique identifier , or theme name . for example , information about themes and relations in a communication data set can be displayed by displaying the terms therein and connecting them with lines . the theme name is an identifier for the theme that may be used , for example , in user interfaces as a shortcut for conveying information about the theme using only a short string of words and / or characters . the theme name can be established by any number of methods . for example , the theme name can be created based on the top relation or relations in the dataset , or a particular subset of the dataset being analyzed . determination of the top relations may be based on any number of factors , or a combination thereof . for example , the theme name may be devised by concatenating the terms of the first relation —“ speak ” and “ manager ”. in another embodiment , the name may be longer and may include , for example , the top three relations , such as “ speak , talk , find −& gt ; manager , supervisor , superior .” based on the themes , analytics modules 4 can create summaries of communication data . fig2 provides an overview of an exemplary summary method and module 1300 for processing communication data to develop relevant summaries thereof . such summaries may be summaries of data relevant to a particular term or set of terms , such as term ( s ) entered by a user . in the exemplary embodiment of the method depicted in fig2 , a user enters one or more terms at step 23 regarding which the user wants to assess the relevant communication data . in one embodiment , the user may enter a term or terms into a dialog box or field . alternatively , the user may be presented with a list of themes present in a particular identified dataset , and the user could select one or more of the listed themes . the listed themes may include all of the themes present in a dataset , or they may include the themes most commonly appearing in the dataset . for example , the list may include only those themes that appear in a communication dataset at least a predefined number of times . in another embodiment , the list may include a predefined number of themes that appear most commonly in a dataset . in still other embodiments , the list of themes may be created based on other methods . next , at step 25 the summary module 1300 identifies one or more themes related to the term ( s ). in an exemplary embodiment , the user enters the term “ supervisor .” from this entered term , the module may identify the theme “ speak supervisor .” the “ speak supervisor ” then may exemplarily include a set of relations such as “ talk −& gt ; supervisor ,” “ get −& gt ; manager ,” “ contact −& gt ; supervisor ”, etc . then at step 29 , the module 1300 locates those identified themes in the communication data . from there , the module 1300 creates snippets 50 at step 31 based on the located themes , wherein snippets include the relevant communication data surrounding the located themes . for example , the snippets 50 may be created to include a certain number of characters , words , lines , and / or sentences in the communication data before and after each located theme . in an alternative embodiment , the snippets may be created based on the meaning unit or units surrounding the located theme . thus , the snippet may be the meaning unit that includes the located theme . in some embodiments , the snippet may further include one or more meaning units before and / or after the meaning unit that includes the theme . in still other embodiments , the snippets may be comprised of only the theme name ( s ), which may include one or more relations encompassed in the theme , and / or present in the relevant portion of the communication data . finally , at step 33 the module 1300 displays the snippets 50 to the user , such as in the form of the user display depicted in fig3 . in still other embodiments , the module may provide snippets 50 related to the most important or common theme or themes appearing in a particular dataset , such as a particular call or set of calls . in such an embodiment the module 1300 may determine which themes represent the main purpose , or most significant aspect , of the communication data set or subset . in a customer service call center environment , for example , the most important theme or themes in a call recording would represent the main purpose or reason for the call . the snippets would then be created to include such important themes , and would thereby summarize the reason or purpose of the call . as described herein , the snippets 50 produced by the summary module provide the user with an easy and accessible summary of the relevant portions of a communication dataset . thereby , the user can understand the relevant aspects of the communication dataset without having to spend significant time reviewing portions of the data . in the customer service call center context , this means that the user can understand the content of relevant customer service call interactions without having to listen to the actual recorded calls . the snippets 50 may be arranged temporally so as to provide a sequential summary of important features of a dataset , such as a customer service interaction or a series of customer service interactions . fig3 is an exemplary embodiment of an output of a summary module , which is a display showing summaries of communication data related to the themes “ emotion ” and “ speak supervisor ”. as demonstrated in fig3 , the display may include a listing of the theme or themes being analyzed . other relevant information about the query and / or the dataset may be included , such as identification of the dataset that is being analyzed , the time of the query , the number of relevant identified themes and / or occurrences of those themes , etc . the snippets 50 , or at least a portion thereof , are displayed which convey to the user the meaning of the relevant portions of the communication data . fig4 is a system diagram of an exemplary embodiment of a system 1200 for automated language model adaptation implementing a summary module 1300 . the system 1200 is generally a computing system that includes a processing system 1206 , storage system 1204 , software 1202 , communication interface 1208 and a user interface 1210 . the processing system 1206 loads and executes software 1202 from the storage system 1204 , including application module 1230 . when executed by the computing system 1200 , application module 1230 directs the processing system 1206 to operate as described in herein in further detail , including execution of the summary module 1300 . although the computing system 1200 as depicted in fig4 includes one software module in the present example , it should be understood that one or more modules could provide the same operation . similarly , while description as provided herein refers to a computing system 1200 and a processing system 1206 , it is to be recognized that implementations of such systems can be performed using one or more processors , which may be communicatively connected , and such implementations are considered to be within the scope of the description . the processing system 1206 can comprise a microprocessor and other circuitry that retrieves and executes software 1202 from storage system 1204 . processing system 1206 can be implemented within a single processing device but can also be distributed across multiple processing devices or sub - systems that cooperate in executing program instructions . examples of processing system 1206 include general purpose central processing units , application specific processors , and logic devices , as well as any other type of processing device , combinations of processing devices , or variations thereof . the storage system 1204 can comprise any storage media readable by processing system 1206 , and capable of storing software 1202 . the storage system 1204 can include volatile and non - volatile , removable and non - removable media implemented in any method or technology for storage of information , such as computer readable instructions , data structures , program modules , or other data . storage system 1204 can be implemented as a single storage device but may also be implemented across multiple storage devices or sub - systems . storage system 1204 can further include additional elements , such a controller , capable of communicating with the processing system 1206 . examples of storage media include random access memory , read only memory , magnetic discs , optical discs , flash memory , virtual memory , and non - virtual memory , magnetic sets , magnetic tape , magnetic disc storage or other magnetic storage devices , or any other medium which can be used to storage the desired information and that may be accessed by an instruction execution system , as well as any combination or variation thereof , or any other type of storage medium . in some implementations , the storage media can be a non - transitory storage media . in some implementations , at least a portion of the storage media may be transitory . it should be understood that in no case is the storage media a propagated signal . user interface 1210 can include a mouse , a keyboard , a voice input device , a touch input device for receiving a gesture from a user , a motion input device for detecting non - touch gestures and other motions by a user , and other comparable input devices and associated processing elements capable of receiving user input from a user . output devices such as a video display or graphical display can display an interface further associated with embodiments of the system and method as disclosed herein . speakers , printers , haptic devices and other types of output devices may also be included in the user interface 1210 . as disclosed in detail herein , the user interface 1210 operates to output the created snippets 20 . as described in further detail herein , the computing system 1200 receives communication data 10 . the communication data 10 may be , for example , an audio recording or a conversation , which may exemplarily be between two speakers , although the audio recording may be any of a variety of other audio records , including multiple speakers , a single speaker , or an automated or recorded auditory message . the audio file may exemplarily be a . wav file , but may also be other types of audio files , exemplarily in a pulse code modulated ( pcm ) format and an example may include linear pulse code modulated ( lpcm ) audio data . furthermore , the audio data is exemplarily mono audio data ; however , it is recognized that embodiments of the method as disclosed herein may also be used with stereo audio data . in still further embodiments , the communication data 10 may be streaming audio data received in real time or near - real time by the computing system 1200 . this written description uses examples to disclose the invention , including the best mode , and also to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use the invention . the patentable scope of the invention is designed by the claims , and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art . such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they have structural elements and / or method steps that to not differ from the literal language of the claims , or if they include equivalent structural elements and / or method steps with insubstantial differences from the literal languages of the claims . | 6 |
the filter arrangement 10 of fig1 comprises a pressure housing 1 which includes a tubular part 2 and covers 3 and 4 , which are attached at the ends in a pressure tight manner . the tubular part 2 has an internal shoulder 5 , against which a partition 6 filling out the cross section of the tubular housing part 2 rests in the axial direction , via a ring seal 7 . the partition 6 has cutouts , in which tubes 8 are arranged parallel to the axis of the tube in a pressure tight manner . two tubes 8 are shown in fig1 . the tubes 8 are arranged in the cross section of the housing 1 in such a manner that as many tubes as possible can be accommodated . in the tubes 8 , filter bodies 9 , the outside circumference of which rests on the inside circumference 26 of the tubes 8 , are arranged . their outer circumferential surface is the circumferential entrance surface . the filter bodies 9 themselves are tubular and are closed off by plugs 11 at their ends facing the cover 3 . at their outer circumference , the filter bodies 9 have a helical groove 12 , which forms a helical canal for the liquid between the filter body 9 and the inner circumference of the tube 8 . the liquid can enter the canal at the inlet 13 located at the left in fig1 and can leave it again at the outlet 14 located at the right in fig1 . the flanks of the groove 12 form the entrance surface 25 . at the right end , the filter body 9 protrudes beyond the end of the tube 8 and is sealed in a corresponding recess 15 of the right - hand cover 4 via a circular seal 16 , which is pressed into the recess 15 by a pressure ring 17 . the partition 6 divides the interior of the pressure housing 1 into a first chamber 18 which according to fig1 is situated to the left and into which the inlet 19 of the pressure housing leads . the chamber 20 situated to the right in fig1 is in communication with the concentrate outlet 21 of the pressure housing 1 . the interior 23 of the tubular filter bodies 9 are in communication with the outside via outlets 22 in the cover 4 . practically the same pressure prevails in the chamber 20 as in the chamber 18 and in the groove 12 . as this pressure acts on the inside surface 26 of the tubes 8 as well as on the free outer circumferential surface 28 , the tubes 28 are substantially pressure relieved and can be made accordingly light . the filter arrangement 10 operates as follows : the liquid to be filtered enters the chamber 18 through the inlet 19 of the pressure housing 1 . from there , the liquid to be filtered passes through the inlet 13 into the helical groove 12 , moves helically in this groove along the filter body 9 and enters into the chamber 20 at the outlet 14 from the groove . from chamber 20 it is discharged as concentrate from the outlet 21 of the pressure housing 1 . the pressure prevailing in the chambers 18 and 20 can be controlled by the pressure control valve 24 . while dwelling in the helical groove 12 , part of the liquid to be filtered enters into the interior of the filter body 9 and leaves behind suspended and / or dissolved particles at the entrance surface 25 formed by the outer circumference of the filter body 9 , which , however , do not settle down but are carried away immediately by the liquid flowing past surface 25 , i . e ., the particles remain in the moving concentrate . after traversing the wall of the filter body 9 , the filtrate gets into the interior 23 of the filter body and can be drawn off at the outlets 22 . the concentrate is returned to the inlet 19 and kept in circulation , if desired , after separation of matter that was taken along , and after combination with fresh liquid to be filtered . in this manner , the filtrate is separated continuously , e . g ., as water purified from waste water . the embodiment of fig3 and 4 differs from that of fig1 and 2 only with respect to the design of the filter bodies 9 which have , on their outside , axial slots 32 of , in the illustrated embodiment , approximately triangular cross section . the slots 32 are distributed over the circumference of bodies 9 . instead of the axial slots 32 , slots can also be provided which have a slight pitch , which can improve the contact of the liquid to be filtered with the entrance surface 25 &# 39 ; of the filter body 9 &# 39 ;. otherwise , the design and operation of the embodiment according to fig3 and 4 corresponds to that according to fig1 and 2 . the triangular cross section of the grooves in the illustrated embodiment is not mandatory . rounded or more rectangular groove cross section can also be considered . likewise , the specific development of the filter material and filter body does not matter . this can be a porous filter body which separates particles contained in the liquid to be filtered by means of its pores , but may also be a filter body , having a coherent layer precipitated at its entrance surface on a porous body serving as a carrier , which is a filter diaphragm and constitutes the filter layer proper . such diaphragms can be used for separating particles down to molecules dissolved in the liquid to be filtered . one important application of the filter arrangement is the purification of textile treatment waste waters by removal of chemicals such as concentrations and the like , which have considerable molecule size . the filter bodies in such cases consist of graphite or sintered tubes of corrosion resistant steel . they have a diameter of 15 to 25 mm , and are combined in numbers in the order of 30 ( the drawing is only schematic in this respect and does not represent the actual conditions ) in a common pressure housing to form a so - called module . | 1 |
referring to fig1 there is shown a pushbutton switch 1 which is provided for recording a cue signal . the switch 1 comprises a normally open pushbutton switch , and is connected with a duration decision circuit 2 , which is activated when the pushbutton is depressed to close the switch 1 . the decision circuit 2 comprises a one - shot multivibrator . as is well recognized , a one - shot multivibrator has a stable state and another astable state , to which the circuit is triggered in response to an input signal . after a time interval determined by circuit parameters of the multivibrator , it automatically reverts to the stable state . the time duration during which the circuit 2 assumes its astable state determines the duration of a cue signal being produced . when the duration decision circuit 2 is activated , an output thereof renders a transistor switching circuit 3 conductive , thereby connecting a cue generator 4 with a power supply 7 for actuating the cue generator . the cue generator 4 comprises an oscillator circuit formed of a flipflop circuit of a known form , an oscillation output of which is fed through a resistor 5 as a cue signal to a magnetic head 6 , which records it on a magnetic tape , not shown . in operation , as the pushbutton is depressed to close the switch 1 , the circuit 2 is activated , whereby the cue generator 4 is set in operation , producing a cue signal . after a given time duration has passed , the circuit 2 automatically reverts to its stable state , interrupting the connection of the cue generator 4 with the power supply 7 and thus deactuating the operation thereof . thus , a cue signal of a given time duration is magnetically recorded on a magnetic tape . fig2 shows an example of magnetic head 8 which may be used to record and reproduce a cue signal onto or from a magnetic tape . the head 8 is formed with a cue record / playback gap in addition to the gap which is used for recording and reproducing an acoustic signal to be recorded . specifically , the head comprises a shield case 9 having a window 9a formed in its front surface and in which a non - magnetic holder 10 carrying a pair of cores 11 , 12 is internally housed . the cores 11 , 12 are disposed in vertically aligned manner in the lower portion of the window 9a , and have their gaps 11a , 12a exposed through the window 9a . the gap 11a has a width which is greater than that of the gap 12a , and is used for recording and reproducing an acoustic signal while the gap 12a is used for recording and reproducing a cue signal ( see fig3 ). while not shown , coils are disposed on both cores 11 , 12 within the shield case 9 . fig4 shows a magnetic tape 13 on which a magnetic recording is made by the head 8 . as shown , the tape 13 is formed with a pair of tracks 14a , 14b for recording an acoustic signal which are disposed on the opposite sides of a centerline 13a , and a pair of additional tracks 15a , 15b for recording a cue signal , which tracks are further removed from the centerline than the tracks 14a , 14b . during a record / playback operation , the tape is passed in sliding contact with the window 9a of the magnetic head 8 to permit a recording on or playback from the tracks 14a , 15a during its movement in one direction , and then is run in the opposite direction to permit a recording on or playback from the tracks 14b , 15b . a cue signal is supplied to the coil associated with the gap 12a to produce the recordings as shown at 16a , 16b on the tracks 15a , 15b , during a record operation . such cue signal is detected by the gap 12a during a playback operation , and in response to such detection , the tape 13 is automatically fed at a uniform rate . in this manner , the head 8 having a combination of acoustic signal gap 11a and cue gap 12a which are located in a sophisticated manner avoids a loss of both signals while providing an automatic control of the tape running . fig5 shows another embodiment of the invention in which an acoustic signal and a cue signal are serially recoded on one track of a magnetic tape . referring to fig5 an acoustic signal from a microphone 17 is fed to a first amplifier 18 and thence to a second amplifier 19 . after a suitable amplification , the acoustic signal is fed through a resistor 25 to be applied to a recording head 26 so as to be recorded on a given track on a magnetic tape , not shown . a cue generator 24 produces a cue signal , which is also fed through the resistor 25 to be applied to the head 26 so as to be recorded on the same track as the acoustic signal . the cue generator 24 comprises an oscillator circuit formed of a flipflop of a known form , for example , and is energized through a pushbutton switch 21 . as a pushbutton ( not shown ) which is provided for recording a cue signal is depressed , a movable contact of the switch 21 which is connected with the positive terminal of a power supply is changed from one stationary contact 21b to the other stationary contact 21c , through which the cue generator 24 is energized . since the switch 21 is formed as a pushbutton switch , the connection between the movable contact 21a and the stationary contact 21c is completed only during the time the pushbutton is depressed , and if the pushbutton is released , the movable contact 21a automatically returns into contact with the stationary contact 21b . thus , the cue signal is produced from the cue generator 24 only for a time interval during which the pushbutton is held depressed . a record input circuit is formed by the microphone 17 and the first amplifier 18 , the output of which is connected through a capacitor 20 with a collector of a transistor 22 having its emitter connected with the ground and its base connected through a resistor 23 with the stationary contact 21c . the transistor 22 functions to short - circuit the acoustic input to the ground . when it is desired to record a cue signal on a magnetic tape , the pushbutton is depressed , whereby the cue generator 24 is energized by the power supply , feeding a cue signal through the resistor 25 to the head 26 for purpose of recording it . the supply voltage is also applied to the base of the transistor 22 through the resistor 23 , whereby the transistor is rendered conductive , completing a short - circuit path from the output of the first amplifier 18 to the ground , thus preventing the acoustic signal from the microphone 17 from being passed to the second amplifier 19 . in this manner , a recording of the acoustic signal is prevented while the cue signal is being recorded . when the pushbutton is released , the switch 21 resumes the position in which the movable contact 21a is connected with the stationary contact 21b , thus deenergizing the cue generator 24 and rendering the transistor 22 non - conductive . thus , the acoustic signal can be fed through the first and second amplifiers 18 , 19 to be supplied to the head 26 for recording it on the same track as the cue signal . fig6 shows a further embodiment of the invention in which the acoustic signal and the cue signal are also serially recorded on the same track of a magnetic tape . referring to fig6 an acoustic signal from a microphone 27 is fed to a first amplifier 28 and thence fed through a resistor 37 to a second amplifier 29 . as before , the amplifier acoustic signal is fed through a resistor 35 to be applied to a magnetic head 36 for recording it on a given track of a magnetic tape , not shown . the recording circuit shown is provided with an agc circuit . specifically , the output of the first amplifier 28 is connected through a capacitor 30 with the collector of an agc transistor 32 , which has its emitter connected with the ground and its base connected through a series combination of a resistor 33 and a diode 38 to the output of the second amplifier 29 . a shunt capacitor 39 is connected from the junction between the diode 38 and resistor 33 to the ground . a negative feedback from the output of the second amplifier 29 to the base of the transistor 32 permits the transistor to control an input to the second amplifier 29 automatically so that an acoustic signal of a constant magnitude is obtained at the output of the second amplifier 29 . in accordance with the invention , the agc transistor 32 may be used as a short - circuiting transistor mentioned above in connection with fig5 . there is provided a cue generator 34 which is adapted to be energized by a power supply through a switch 31 . a cue signal produced is applied to the input of the second amplifier 29 . as before , the cue generator 34 is formed as an oscillator comprising a flipflop circuit . the switch has a movable contact 31a connected with the positive terminal of a power supply and which may be thrown to its stationary contact 31b when a pushbutton ( not shown ), which is provided for recording a cue signal , is depressed . in operation , when it is desired to record a cue signal on a magnetic tape , the pushbutton may be depressed to close the switch 31 . thereupon , the cue generator 34 is energized and produces a cue signal , which is applied to the input of the second amplifier 29 . after amplification in the amplifier 29 , the cue signal is passed through the resistor 35 to be applied to the head 36 for recording it on a given track of the tape . part of the cue signal amplified by the amplifier 29 is fed back through the diode 38 and resistor 33 to the base of the agc transistor 32 , rendering it conductive . as the transistor conducts , any acoustic signal which may be applied from the microphone 27 and amplified by the first amplifier 28 is bypassed to the ground through the capacitor 30 and the transistor 32 , removing any acoustic input to the second amplifier 29 . in this manner , the application of the acoustic signal to the magnetic head is avoided for a time interval during which the cue signal is being recorded , thus eliminating a concurrent recording of any other signal than the cue signal on the track . in this manner , the agc transistor used in the recording circuit is advantageously utilized to bypass the acoustic signal from a microphone to the ground when the cue signal is being recorded . | 6 |
the toilet facility of fig1 comprises a wc ( water closet ) 1 and a washbasin 2 with hot and cold taps ( faucets ) 3 . the wc 1 and the taps 3 are supplied with water via respective pipes 4 each including an electrically operable shut - off valve 5 . as shown in the diagram of fig5 each shut - off valve 5 comprises a bistable solenoid actuator 100 for switching the valve 5 between its on and off states . the bistable solenoid actuator has an armature 101 pivotably mounted at end 110 to a support 111 , an electromagnetic drive coil 102 and a permanent holding magnet 103 . the armature 101 is coupled to the valve member ( as indicated by dashed line 109 ) of the valve 5 and is movable between first and second limit positions 104 and 105 corresponding to the off and on states of the valve . if the armature 101 is at the second limit position 105 it remains held in this position by the holding magnet 103 . if the armature is at the first position 104 , it remains there because the holding magnet is not strong enough on its own to cause the armature to move . however , by applying a first pulse signal to the electromagnetic coil , the holding magnet 103 is supplemented by the field due to the electromagnetic coil 102 and then the armature does move to the second limit position 105 . to release the armature from being held by the holding magnet , a reverse polarity pulse is applied to the coil . this not only overcomes the attractive force of the holding magnet but actually drives the solenoid armature back to its first limit position 104 . thus , the solenoid actuator 100 is operated , i . e . driven between its valve open and valve closed positions by short pulses only and no position - maintaining drive signal need be supplied . the armature 108 may be coupled to spring means 106 or another permanent magnet 107 arranged to maintain it gently held back to its first limit position 104 or there may be no such spring means and other permanent magnet . each valve may be of the kind in which a valve member is moved to shut off or release the flow of water directly or , as shown in the drawings the valve may have one or more stages 108 of indirect or “ servo ” control , e . g . in which the valve member controls a small bleed hole in a diaphragm or the like so allowing or releasing a pressure build - up which in turn results in movement of the diaphragm and control of the water flow through the valve . the valves are controlled by a microprocessor based control unit 6 powered by a lithium manganese dioxide dry cell battery 7 . as shown in fig2 to 4 , each control unit 6 comprises a microcontroller 8 and an electrically erasable programmable read - only memory ( eeprom ) 9 connected to the microcontroller and containing the program and data for the microcontroller 8 . the pulse signals for driving the valves are supplied by respective driver circuits 10 . each driver circuit has two output terminals 11 connected to the respective valve . the output terminals 11 in each drive circuit are connected via diodes 12 and via npn / pnp transistor pairs 13 to high and low supply rails 14 and 15 respectively , connected to the battery 7 . the microcontroller 8 and other semiconductor devices in the control unit 6 are driven by the battery 7 via a constant voltage regulator 16 . the microcontroller 8 is also coupled via microprocessor 19 and connector unit 80 to a sensor / display unit 17 . the function of the microprocessor 19 is to receive the temperature indicative signals from the temperature sensor of the unit 17 , to process these signals and compare them with an appropriate over - temperature threshold . the microprocessor then supplies an automatic over - temperature shut down signal to the unit 8 . the sensor / display unit 17 may comprise a commercially available pre - made unit , basically a digital thermometer , perhaps with adaptation as appropriate . the sensor / display unit may , of course , comprise yet another microcontroller for running the digital display . the control unit also has a switch interface circuit 18 which comprises two eight bit registers 20 and 21 having outputs multiplexed into respective signal inputs of the microcontroller 8 . the register 20 is settable in accordance with eight push button switches 22 comprises in a control panel 23 while register 21 reflects the state of five dip switches 23 and a push button switch 24 mounted on the printed circuit board of the control unit 8 . the register 21 is also connected to input terminals 25 and 26 for receiving an optional external input signal and an optional key switch ( not shown ). the circuit board ( pcb ) of the control unit has terminals 30 for connection to a 6v dry cell battery such as lithium manganese dioxide battery . the microcontroller 28 pin ic with two sets of pins leading to respective output sub - circuits ( 50 , 60 and 70 ) each to control a respective valve . the master ic is also connected to button input chip 20 and via chip 21 to an external i / p and key switch terminals 25 and 26 , the dip switches 23 , a push - button and to the connector 80 for the temperature sensor / display module circuit 17 . chip 20 is coupled to connector 90 for linking to switches 22 on panel 23 . the circuit board of fig3 is the main control board for a system incorporating valves v 1 , v 2 , v 3 and so on , e . g . for tap , shower and w . c . control . the board can independently control up to 3 latching solenoid valves , v 1 , v 2 , v 3 . these open ’ or close according to manual operation of switches not shown . the valve ‘ open ’ times can be set to any value within a wide range , but the valves can also be closed early at any time . there is provision for a key operated switch 100 that will act as a lockout , whereby all valves will be closed and all switch inputs will be inhibited during its operation . certain switch inputs have additional attributes such as top up / stop function and the third channel can be closed if the temperature sensor circuit 17 detects a temperature beyond the set high limit . functions can be enabled or disabled as desired . if required , to help prevent overfilling , restrict water use or provide a safety control , a ‘ disable ’ time can be provided so that after a fill has taken place , no further fills can be started for a set periods ( channels 1 and 2 only ). the top up / stop continues to be available , subject to a maximum of 5 operations . these are two separate , but identical channels . each channel has 4 switch inputs , one of which may be designated as top up / stop , and each switch can have its own respective fill time programmed with it . for the first 3 switch inputs , the valve will open for the pre - programmed period , then close . in addition , the 3 switches themselves can be set either , ( a ) to be disabled whilst filling is taking place or , ( b ) to allow a second operation to close the valve . if the fourth switch is set to be top up / stop , it will only be enabled following a fill operation commenced by one of the first 3 switches . whilst the valve is open , this switch will act as a stop , closing the valve and cancelling the current fill time . whilst the valve is closed , the switch becomes top up and a maximum of 5 operations are allowed before this switch becomes disabled . if the fourth switch is set to be on / off , it will always be available to commence a fill , and then a second push will close the valve . if the unit is set by dipswitches to give a delay time , switches 1 to 3 will be disabled for this time period following a fill , but the top up / stop will remain enabled . this channel has one switch associated with it , connected to the ext i / p terminals , and would usually be used for shower control . this channel can have its own fill time programmed with it . operating the switch will cause the valve to open for a preset period , whilst operating the switch a second time will cause the valve to close . the module senses and displays the water temperature at a suitable point and if the optional auto - close module is fitted , when the temperature reaches 43 ° c . or above the valve will close . the valve cannot be opened whenever the temperature exceeds this setting . the lockout keyswitch can be used to prevent unauthorised personnel from operating the unit . whilst in the lockout condition , all valves will be closed and all switch inputs become disabled . from stages 1 and 2 below , choose the fill times and mode of operation required . the unit will normally be supplied with ‘ default ’ settings , whereby all the fill times are set to zero so the unit will not respond to any switch inputs until it has been setup . the unit can be returned to ‘ default ’ settings whereby all fill times are set to zero by implementing stage 3 . all settings will remain in the board &# 39 ; s memory even if the battery is disconnected for prolonged periods . 1 . programming fill time is the same for each switch , and must be followed for each and every one used ii ) press and release the prog button ( any open valves will close ). iii ) determine what run time or fill time is required for the switch to be programmed . press that fill switch — the respective valve will open . once the desired run time has elapsed ( or the fill level is achieved ), press the same fill switch again — the valve will close . v ) repeat steps ( ii ) to ( iv ) for all other fill switches . the unit will normally be supplied with each of the first 3 switches on channels 1 and 2 set for on / off operation and the fourth switch as top up / stop . if required , the first 3 switches can be reprogrammed for on mode operation , and the fourth switch can be reprogrammed as on / off . for channel 3 , only on / off is provided and cannot be altered . check the current setting for each switch by trial — only reprogrammed if an alternative setting is required . ( ii ) press and release the prog button ( any open valves will close ). ( ii ) press prog and hold down for at least 3 seconds ( any open valves will close ). these can be changed at any time , but it is recommended to leave this until all the above programming steps have been made and the correct fill times and modes have been checked . there are 5 dipswitches that operate as detailed below . the dipswitch is ‘ on ’ when it is in the up position and ‘ off ’ when it is down . say a shower time of 5 minutes ( 300 seconds ) is required , this could be achieved in two ways . a ) follow setup stage 1 , waiting the full 5 minutes between pressing the fill switch for the open and close times . then leave dipswitch pole 5 off b ) follow setup stage 1 , but wait just 30 seconds between pressing the fill switch for the open and close times . put dipswitch pole 5 on ( 10 × 30 = 300 seconds ). it will be seen that the control unit has been constructed to provide a multiplicity of functions for a plurality of valves , all powered from a single dry cell battery . the invention is not just applicable to toilet facilities , plumbing installations or even fluid control valves . instead , a control unit as described may be used in other situations . in particular , the method described at b ) above for programming a time value into a control unit is generally useful . the power supply used in the described embodiments could be adapted for mains operation , or for receiving power from a local supply such as a large battery , but with back - up from the dry cell battery mentioned . the battery could be rechargeable and arranged to be rechargeable whilst in situ or elsewhere . | 8 |
“ gold nanoparticles / crystals ” as used in the specification is with reference to definitions of zheng et al in nanoscale , 2012 , 4 , 4073 “ ligands ” on the surface of nanocrystals clusters / nanoparticles , sometimes also called capping groups or surfactants , etc ., are certain types of organic or bio molecules which also acts as spacer for unconstrained binding of targeted biomolecule or linker for further functionalization of biomolecule / polymer etc . the present invention describes the 10 - 22 nm capped globular aggregates of molecular ultra small clusters of 1 - 6 atoms as in fig1 . according to the object of the invention the aggregates are characterized in having uv emissions at 300 - 335 nm and also have visible emissions : green when excited with blue and green filter and 590 - 650 nm 2 nd harmonics emission . in accordance to the objects of the current invention the gold aggregates have no plasma resonance . further in accordance to the objects of the current invention spherical nano aggregates ( musaunc ) capped with muda are stable at ph 3 - 4 and having six times higher emission as compared with amine / dicarboxyacetone capped . in the current invention the au aggregates are biocompatible and usable for biosensing , bioimaging , biomarker , fluorescent marker , uv & amp ; photo therapy and drug delivery both in vivo and in vitro applications . in the current invention the muda capped by ligand exchange reaction of nano aggregates ( of musaunc ) formed by reverse micro emulsion method as detailed below : oil phase : the reverse emulsion consists of cyclohexane , triton 100x as surfactant and n hexnol as co - surfactant is prepared and split into two parts , rm 1 and rm 2 . water phase : consists of precursor , i . e . auric chloride ( a ) and reducing agent - hydrazine hydrate ( hh ) or citric acid ( ca ) or sodium borohydrate ( b ). to rm1 , a precursor is added and mixed well and to rm 2 part b reducing agent is added and mixed well . this is followed by mixing parts a to b drop wise at rt (˜ 25 deg c ) with constant stirring . these results initially in formation of discrete au / ag , pt ultra small nc ( crystalline nanocluster ) below 1 nm and having 1 - 6 atoms stabilized with amine of hydrazine hydrate or dicarboxyacetone ( dca ) of citric acid because of slow inter droplet exchange . by virtue of presence of n - hexanol these musnbnc &# 39 ; s are further agglomerated to the water droplet size of reverse micelle and further stabilized at fringes again with amine or dca along with oxyethylene group of triton 100x . the optico - physico - chemical properties of au / ag / pt nc &# 39 ; s are characterized with various characterization techniques viz . uv - absorption ; single photon fluorescence spectroscopy ; photoluminescence spectroscopy , pl ; transmission electron microscope ( tem ) and hrtem , x - ray photoelectron spectrometer , infra - red fourier transform technique , zeta potential and mass analysis . the particles synthesized using reverse microemulsion technique and using mild reducing agent like hydrazine hydrate and citric acid results in the formation of 10 - 22 nm spherical nano aggregates of molecular ultra small nanocrystals of noble metals like au , ag and pt . the controlled size and shape of 10 - 22 nm nano aggregates with intense and multicolour ( uv , green and red ) fluorescence has wide range of potential applications in bio imaging for both in vitro and vivo applications . the quantum efficiency of au nano aggregates reduced with hydrazine hydrate was 0 . 37 and 4 . 92 when reduced with citric acid . the calculations are made using the comparative method using rhodoamine b as a reference and by keeping the absorbance constant . i s : intensity of sample ( 359 . 81 , au nanoaggregate reduced with hh ( 0 . 08 ) and 1000 au nano aggregate reduced with ca , 0 . 017 ) i r : intensity of reference ( 620 . 65 at 0 . 08 and 131 . 88 at 0 . 017 ) the particles synthesized using reverse microemulsion technique and strong reducing agent like sodium borohydrate ; though the nano aggregates are made up of molecular ultra small nanocrystals ; shows good fluorescent , there was no control over size & amp ; shape and hence cannot be used in any kind of applications . on the contrary the aqueous synthesis shows better range of size distribution i . e . 1 - 20 nm and also the flower like particles in the range of 20 - 250 nm . for utilization in particular application the particles and the flowers should be separated which is difficult task . also the particles synthesized in aqueous phase either reduced with sodium borohydrate or hydrazine hydrate are amorphous and cannot be sediment and separated by centrifugation and the un reacted precursor and reducing agent remain the part of the solution that may interfere and cause some kind of toxicity in case of bio applications . the 1 - 5 nm by product of aqueous synthesis using the hydrazine hydrate as a reducing agent cannot be used in vivo applications as in long term usage 5 nm particles may accumulate in liver which can be a reason for toxicity and therefore they cannot be used for vivo applications and drug delivery . as they are not able to separate out from the reaction solution containing un - reacted precursor and reducing agent make them further unusable for drug delivery . the muda capped nano aggregates of musaunc &# 39 ; s shows the stability in acidic ph . 3 . 5 and the fluorescence intensity was increased by six times . the muda capped nano aggregates of musaunc &# 39 ; s can be easily replaced with the toxic and high cost bi - functional peg . the nano aggregates synthesized with reverse microemulsion techniques and decorated with amine / carboxyl group and also the muda capped by ligand exchange reaction has the potential applications as a fluorescent marker . fluorescent biochip , various bioimaging techniques both in vivo & amp ; vitro applications , biomedical applications like drug delivery , therapy , uv & amp ; photo therapy and also simultaneously can also be used for em labelling . the particles are tuned to emit green and red emission by varying the capping agent . nano rod show much higher toxicity as compared to the spherical particles . this synthesis route renders the fabrication of nano aggregates of musnbnc &# 39 ; s with multiple emissions uv , red and green just by using the various excitation filters irrespective of the capping agent and being spherical and in the range of 10 - 22 nm they are biocompatible and flush out of body and easy cellular uptake due to low friction . the particles are extracted and can be stored in powder form and therefore can be utilized in many electronics applications also . following examples are given by way of illustration therefore should not be construed to limit the scope of the invention . synthesis of spherical nano aggregates of molecular ultra small gold nano clusters ( musnc &# 39 ; s ) using hydrazine hydrate ( hh ) as a mild reducing agent and reverse microemulsion technique cyclohexane ( c 6 h 12 ) and non ionic surfactant triton 100 - x ( c 14 h 22 o ( c 2 h 4 o ) n ( n = 9 - 10 ) in 52 : 22 wt . % were mixed in a rb flask while continuous stirring at room temperature ( 25 ° c .) for 12 hrs and n - hexanol ( c 6 h 14 o ) in 11 wt % was added into it and further stirred for 12 hrs to obtained oil phase . the oil phase was divided in two flasks . in flask - 1 aqueous solution of 0 . 056 m of gold chloride was added into oil phase while stirring continuously for 12 hrs and in flask - 2 ( 0 . 32 m ) of hydrazine hydrate solution was added into oil phase while stirring continuously for 12 hrs . after that in flask 2 , the solution of flask 1 is added drop by drop and stirred continuously for 10 days . the complete reaction is carried out at room temperature (˜ 25 ° c .). preparation of reverse micro emulsion ( rm ):- unit weight % 1 . cyclohexane - 52 gm } stirring continuously on 2 . triton - 100x 22 gm magnetic stirrer 3 . n - hexanol 11 gm overnight , 12 hrs total : 85 gm ( 85 weight %) total 15 ml ( volume %), 0 . 056 m of auric chloride prepared freshly 1 . aqueous phase 1 : in 7 . 5 ml of distilled water 0 . 056 m of auric chloride is dissolved 2 . aqueous phase 2 : in 7 . 5 ml of distilled water 3 . 2 m of hydrazine hydrate is dissolved after 12 hours , in rm part 2 ( solution of hydrazine hydrate ) and in rm part 1 ( solution of auric chloride ) is added drop by drop and allowed to react for minimum of 10 - 15 days . the reaction solution containing nanoparticles is transferred in microcentrifuge tube ( 1 . 5 ml ) and centrifuge it at 5000 - 6000 rpm for 15 min . the supernatant is decanted and re - dissolve the precipitate in distilled water . the particles are allowed to re - dispersed using cyclomixer ( 90 sec ) and then with sonicator for 30 min till the complete dispersion of pellet ; then again centrifuge it for 15 min &# 39 ; s to settle down the particles and the pellet is dissolved in ethyl alcohol and the particles are again re - dispersed using cyclomixer and sonicator . the cycle is repeated twice again to remove the oil phase and surfactant completely . the au nano aggregates are finally transferred in distilled water . the uv - visible spectra were acquired and recorded using varian make ‘ carry winuv ’. the grating bandwidth was of 5 nm and xenon lamp used as a light source . the slit width was of 5 nm and water dispersed nano aggregates of au nc &# 39 ; s was scan for 200 - 800 nm range . the absorption peak of as synthesized au nano cluster aggregates were observed at 223 and 278 nm as in fig2 ( a ). the 520 nm surface plasmon peak was absent . the fluorescence spectroscopy was carried out using the varian make pl and “ iss ” make photon counting steady state fluorescence spectrophotometer ; with 300 w xe lamp . both excitation and emission slit width was kept at 1 nm . the samples were excited from 200 to 450 nm , at 230 nm excitation the peak maxima was observed at 305 nm and 591 nm as in fig2 ( b ). to visualize the fluorescence in optical microscope the samples were prepared by making the thick film on the glass slide and air dried . the fluorescence was observed under meiji techno make mt6000 optical fluorescence microscope using uv , green and red filter as in fig3 . the morphological features and size distribution of as synthesized au nc &# 39 ; s are measured with carl zeiss make libra 120 , at 120 kv and at hrtem 300 kv accelerating voltage . the samples were prepared by drop casting the water dispersed sonicated solution of particles onto the carbon coated copper grid . after air drying the samples are analyzed under tem / hrtem . the study shows the uniform , spherical , average size of 10 - 22 nm ; more precisely 12 - 17 nm and narrow size distribution . the electron diffraction pattern ( ed ) shows the crystalline sharp rings as in fig4 & amp ; 5 . the maldi samples were prepared by using dhb ( 2 , 5 hydroxy benzoic acid ) in 50 % acn and 0 . 1 % tfa as a matrix . the mass analysis is carried out with ab sciex make voyager - de - str maldi - tof using linear positive mode and ionization of au crystals are carried out with 337 nm nitrogen laser . the mass spectra were accumulated for the 50 - 100 shots for each spectrum at 20 kv . the maldi analysis shows 1 - 6 au atoms on which the various species of amine group like nh , nh2 , and nh3 are adsorbed . the maldi data is a representation of the polymer like structure consisting of ultra small clusters surrounded by the various species of amine group as in fig6 ( a ); there is very little change in the peaks of 6 months stored sample fig6 ( b ). the assignments of mass analysis peaks as in fig6 ( a ) are given below : ftir spectra in the region of 4000 to 600 cm − 1 were recorded with perkinelmer make spectrum gx ftir . one drop of suspended aunc &# 39 ; s in alcohol solution are dispersed and put onto the nacl crystal window and the peak positions of spectra were recorded and are their respective assignments are summarized in table 2 , fig7 ( a ). the far ir ( atr ) analysis is carried out on thermo - nicolet make ftir , 870 nexus using polyethylene detector . the most peaks are observed between 55 - 177 cm − 1 which is related to the ultra small gold crystals : au — au vibrations and the attach carbon ( janet petroski , mei chou , carol creutz ; j . of organometallic chemistry 2009 , 694 , 1138 - 1143 ); 7 ( b ) a thin film is formed onto the silicon wafer , air dried and analyzed with vg scientific ltd ., uk make esca - 3000 with a base pressure of 1 . 0 × 10 − 9 pa . and mg kα radiation as an x - ray source operated at 150 w . the xps analysis confirms the oxidation state of gold is zero , au 0 . the au bands of as synthesized maunc &# 39 ; s are at 83 . 09 and 86 . 85 as in fig8 from 4f 7 / 2 and 4f 5 / 2 shell with a difference of 3 . 76 ev between the peaks , thus represents the zero valence of gold . by conducting the 10 runs and 5 cycles for each run ; the mean electrostatic potential of as synthesized au nc &# 39 ; s is − 31 . 8 which back up the good stability synthesis of gold nano aggregates of musnc &# 39 ; s using citric acid ( ca ) as a mild reducing agent and reverse microemulsion technique the synthesis procedure is same as mentioned in example 1 , except in aqueous phase 0 . 32 m citric acid was used instead of 0 . 32 m hydrazine hydrate . the optical properties are similar as observed in example 1 . the absorption peak of nano aggregates was observed at 223 and 277 nm as in fig9 ( a ); the surface plasmon peak was absent . the fluorescence spectroscopy is carried out using the varian make pl . the excitation slit was kept at 2 . 5 nm and emission slit width was kept at 5 nm . the samples were excited from 200 to 450 nm , at 250 nm excitation the peak maxima was observed at 307 nm and 605 nm with an shift of 2 nm and 6 nm respectively as in fig9 ( b ) the fluorescence was observed under carl zeiss bioafm optical fluorescence microscope using blue filter as in fig1 ( b ). the morphological features and size distribution of gold nano aggregates of usmaunc &# 39 ; s are observed and measured under hrtem ; the size , shape and distribution are similar as observed in example 1 ; i . e . spherical 10 - 22 nm uniformly dispersed as in fig1 ( a ). synthesis of silver nano - aggregates of musnc reduced with mild reducing agent hydrazine hydrate and reverse microemulsion technique the synthesis procedure is same as mentioned in example 1 , except in aqueous phase 0 . 056 m of precursor silver nitrate is used instead of auric chloride . the optical properties are similar as observed in example 1 and 2 , the absorption peaks were observed at near 222 nm and 277 nm , as in fig1 ( a ) with same instrument parameters as mentioned in example 1 and fluorescence emission is at 302 nm and 600 nm as in fig1 ( b ) analyzed with varian make pl with same instrumentation parameters as mentioned in example 2 . it shows the green and red emission using green and red filter under optical fluorescence microscope as in fig1 . the tem and hrtem analysis shows 10 - 22 nm spherical crystalline clusters with narrow size distribution of nano aggregates , as in fig1 & amp ; 14 . the mass analysis shows the clusters of 1 - 10 atoms decorated with amine group , as in fig1 . it shows slightly more atoms as compared in case of au atoms . in case of au atoms are restricted to 1 - 5 or maximum of 7 atoms where as in case of ag nano particles the clusters are slightly bigger i . e . 1 - 10 atoms maximum of 12 - 14 atoms decorated with nh / nh 2 / nh 3 molecules on the surface . the increase in number of atoms in case of silver nano crystals might be due to small mass or atomic radii as compared with gold . there was not much change in the spectra of freshly prepared and after storing the particles in emulsion for 12 months ( fig1 ). synthesis of platinum nano - aggregates of musnc reduced with mild reducing agent hydrazine hydrate and reverse microemulsion technique the synthesis procedure is same as mentioned in example 1 , except in aqueous phase 0 . 056 m of precursor platinum chloride was used . the optical and morphological features and mass analysis results are similar as observed in example 1 , 2 and 3 as indicated in fig1 , 17 and 18 . synthesis of gold nano - aggregates of musnc reduced with strong reducing agent sodium borohydrate ( nabh4 ) and reverse microemulsion technique the synthesis procedure , instrumentation and sample preparation techniques was same as mentioned in example 1 , except in aqueous phase 0 . 32 m of sodium borohydrate was used as a reducing agent instead of hydrazine hydrate . the uv analysis results were similar as observed in example 1 - 4 . the absorption peaks of nano aggregates were observed at 223 and 277 nm as in fig1 ( a ); the surface plasmon peak was absent . the fluorescence was observed under miji fluorescence optical microscope using uv and red filter as in fig2 . the hrtem analysis shows that there is no control on size and shape . the particles are spherical , triangles and hexagonal etc and the size range is 1 - 250 nm , very wide range of size distribution ; fig2 . the mass analysis shows very similar results observed in examples 1 - 4 ; as in fig1 ( b ). aqueous synthesis of gold nano nanoparticles reduced with strong reducing agent sodium borohydrate ( nabh4 ) while continuous stirring in rb flask - 1 , 0 . 056 m of auric chloride is dissolved in 10 ml of millipore water and stirred for 12 hrs on magnetic stirrer . in rb flask - 2 ( 0 . 32 m ) of sodium borohydrate is dissolved in 10 ml of distilled water and stirred for 12 hrs . next day 0 . 056 m of aqueous solution of rb flask - 1 , auric chloride is added drop by drop into the in rb flask - 2 containing 0 . 32 m of aqueous solution of sodium borohydrate . it forms the black precipitate , the reaction is carried out for 3 - 5 days and particles are characterized using the same instrumentation and sample preparation methods as described in example 1 . the particles do not show fluorescence and the hrtem analysis ( fig2 ) shows particles in the range of 1 - 20 nm and flower like structure in the range of 20 - 250 nm . the particles can not be extracted by centrifugation and the unreacted precursor and reducing agent remained the part of colloidal solutions . aqueous synthesis of gold nano nanoparticles reduced with mild reducing agent hydrazine hydrate ( hh ) while continuous stirring the synthesis , instrumentation and sample preparation methodology was same as mentioned in example 6 , except 0 . 32 m hydrazine hydrate was used instead of sodium borohydrate . it forms the black precipitate . the reaction was carried out till the dissolution of pellete . hrtem analysis shows the narrow size distribution in the range of 1 - 5 nm and the particles are amorphous as in fig2 . the mass analysis shows the capping of amine groups ( fig2 ). as mentioned in example 6 , here also the particles can not be extracted by centrifugation and the unreacted precursor and reducing agent remained the part of colloidal solutions . musaunc &# 39 ; s was synthesized in example 1 . ( 250 mg of ) mua was first dissolved in 5 ml water and 10 ml ethyl alcohol for 5 hour while continuous stirring on magnetic stirrer . this forms milky white solution . after 5 hours 10 ml of chloroform was added and stirred for 12 hrs then ˜ 5 mg of musaunc &# 39 ; s dispersed in 5 ml of distilled water was added and allowed to react for 20 days . the exchange of ligand muda was checked with the help of zeta potential when complete negative charge on the musaunc &# 39 ; s was replaced by + ve charge of sh group ( as in table 3 ). ph of synthesized with hydrazine hydrate was 3 and ph after capping with muda was 3 . 5 . there was reduction in absorption intensity but no shift in absorbance wavelength as in fig2 ( a ), and the fluorescence intensity was increased six times as compared with fig2 ( b ) which was near 45000 to 300000 as in fig2 ( b ). there was no change in morphology as observed in fig2 . mpa was dissolved in 5 ml of 50 % of alcohol while continuously stirring , then in 5 ml water containing nano aggregates of musaunc &# 39 ; s was synthesized in example 1 was added and allowed to react for 4 - 8 days till the surface is completely replaced by mpa . the results were similar as observed in example 1 . the mean zeta potential of mpa capped musaunc &# 39 ; s was 14 . 47 mv ( fig2 ) easy synthesis as compared to bifunctional pegnp ′ c where there is requirement of vacuum environment and reaction is quite volatile requiring expertise for synthesis muda capped aunc &# 39 ; s do not require fluorescence markers and work at low ph hence can be used for bio - sensing / bio imaging and drug delivery simultaneously . | 8 |
embodiments of the invention provide techniques for conditioning and or exercising the lower leg extremity , with a dorsiflexion motion apparatus . the apparatus utilizes an engineered resistive tension band with angular displacement movement for health , fitness and or rehabilitation . the dorsiflexion apparatus provides a device for runners , sports enthusiasts and athletes by conditioning the lower leg extremity and rehabilitating injuries including shin splints as a preferred method over drugs and other non - conventional remedies available on the market today . the apparatus is made of a minimum amount of primary components , these components are assembled with minimum effort and the apparatus is lightweight , portable for home , office and or travel . in referring to fig1 , an apparatus 10 includes a base 11 , support arm 12 and resistive band 13 as assembled . the base 11 , configured to a size of a length and width to accommodate a range of a foot sizes from a child to an adult . the sizes accommodate a width , length and height as indicated by anatomical charts . an adult male foot the largest , an adult women foot the mid - size and a child or teen the smallest . the base 11 , is approximately seven inches wide to eighteen inches in overall length in one configuration , assembled with a pivoting support arm 12 , received by the base approximately eleven inches long in overall length . the anatomical foot is divided into three planes , a transverse , frontal , and sagittal . the apparatus is sized to accommodate a foot size of a child to an adult . variations in measurements may be considered reasonable within plus or minus one inch tolerances . the smallest size would be most desirable for transport and travel , and the largest size may accommodate more options such as a counter and or commercial grade apparatus products . the base 11 , further comprising a pair of parallel receiving slots 14 to receive a support arm 12 , at a pivot point designated within the body of the base 11 . the base 11 configured to a minimum overall height , preferably less than two inches and greater than one half an inch allowing the support arm 12 to engage and pivot inside the base 11 . the base 11 , comprising a trough or recessed area 15 , preferably in the front end of the base to receive a front portion of a foot or shoe , without raising the support arm 12 or preloading the resistive band 13 . the base 11 configured with a slip resistant pad or component 16 , located on the bottom surface of the base 11 to prevent movement of the apparatus . the base 11 , comprising an optional texture 17 on the top surface for added comfort or additional slip resistance while in contact of the sole of a foot or shoe . the base 11 , configured with an optional ramp 17 , to raise the support arm 12 to a desired angle for ease of inserting a foot . the angle can be selectable or fixed at a preferred 10 degree or greater angle . the angular motion of the apparatus support arm is desirable to move in an angular displacement of 20 or more degrees . the ramp 17 can also be configured to prevent damage to the arm or base when a force is applied to the top surface of the apparatus assembly . the ramp 17 can be configured on the two opposite sides of the base 11 top surfaces in the proximity of the end of the support arm 12 , wherein the ramp is configured to contact and provide a solid base for the support arm 12 . the support arm 12 is held approximately ten degrees or more from the base allowing a foot to be positioned into the apparatus without loading the resistive band 13 . the resistive band 13 is guided within a radiused slot 19 and configured to move along the external surface of the base 11 and extend when tension is placed on the band 13 from the support arm 12 pivoted in a dorsiflexion motion ( dorsiflexion lower leg - moving the foot about the ankle pivoting the toes and foot back towards the shin ) with the apparatus . the resistive band 13 is made of multiple strands of an elastomer material 99 or like resilient material , covered with a shell or sleeve of plastic or fabric like material 98 . the resistive band 13 is preferably round in diameter , configured to be wrapped about the ends 18 of the support arm 12 and guided through a radiused slot 19 on the base 11 forming a loop or one piece resistive resilient band . the resistive band 13 can be configured with different materials to provide different tensions , or different colors and or markings to identify different tensions , features or styles . the resistive band 13 in one configuration may comprise of fifteen strands of elastic at a specified outside diameter enabling fifteen to sixteen pounds of resistive displacement and at another configuration of twenty strands of elastic at a similar specified outside diameter increasing the resistive force to about twenty four pounds displacement . it may be desired to increase or reduce the number of strands , or increase or reduce the diameter of the resilient material to offer various levels of tension on the apparatus . the materials can be can be single elastic , multiple strand elastic , metal spring steel , helical extension coil spring with looped ends and other similar type resistive tension type materials . the materials are preferable covered with a sleeve of fabric or plastic like material configured to slide or move along a surface . the sleeve may be color coordinated to coincide with a specific tension or linear displacement of the resistive band 13 . referring to fig2 , a support arm 12 comprising a u shaped body , having a foot engaging end 20 , and an opposite base engaging end 21 , 22 , wherein the opposite base engaging end 21 , 22 are coupled to the base 11 as shown in fig1 . the support arm 12 comprising of a “ c ” shape or hook like end 23 , and configured to be assemble and pivot within base 11 as shown in fig1 . when assembled the support arm 12 is rotated 90 degrees so the hook like end “ c ” shape or hook like end 23 can assemble onto the pin 24 on the flat sides on the diameter pin 24 , the support arm can then rotate to lock into position and pivot about the pin 24 . a support arm 12 , further comprising a support arc 25 about the foot engaging end 20 within the u shaped body , sized to accommodate an arch of the topside foot surface of a child to an adult . the support arc 25 , defined as a differentiable curve in two planes having a minimum width and depth to accommodate the top arch of a foot . the support arm 12 may also be configured to have a pad 26 to provide comfort to the engaging foot wherein the pad 26 is mounted to the bottom side of the support arm 12 foot engaging end 20 . a support arm 12 , may have an optional printing or logo 27 on the top surface and or be combined with a pad , co - injection or over molded elastomeric material ( such as tpe thermo plastic elastomer , or tpr thermo plastic rubber ) bonded to or with a secondary material or component such at the support arm 12 . printing , secondary components and or over molding are optional choices for features , branding and or styling the apparatus . referring to fig3 , a base 11 , comprising a length and width to receive a foot size from a child to an adult , and further configured with a pair of parallel receiving slots 14 , configured to receive a support arm 12 as shown in fig2 . the parallel receiving slots 14 , configured with a pin 24 configured to engage a support arm 12 “ c ” hook like end 23 at a desired angle , and when rotated the support arm 12 locks securely onto the base 11 . base 11 is further comprises radiused slots 19 , designed to receive a resistive band 13 through one side of the base 11 and guided through the bottom up through the opposite side of base 11 . the radiused slot 19 preferably formed in a parallel pair , to each other starting from the top surface of base 11 , through a portion of the overall height 28 , of base 11 . a ramp 29 , extending from the base 11 at the end of the parallel receiving slots 14 , configured to provide added support of the support arm 12 , with in the assembled apparatus from an excessive load and or to maintain an optional preferred angle of 10 degrees or more . the ramp 29 provides a surface area for the support arm 12 to engage and allows the support arm 12 to be held at a desired angle to insert a foot or shoe into the apparatus without pre - loading the resistive bands 13 as shown in fig1 . the ramp 29 , can be extended through the base 11 , channel or slot 19 further extending support to a second component a support arm 12 that is coupled to the apparatus and prevent breakage . a slip resistant component 30 , fixed to the bottom side of base 11 to help prevent movement while the apparatus is in use . the slip resistant component 30 , made of rubber like material ( i . e . rubber , edpm , sbr , other like non slip materials , non - marking , grommets , tape with adhesive backing and or over molded plastic ). referring to fig4 , an apparatus 10 , including a base 11 , a support arm 12 configured to receive a foot size from a child to an adult . the apparatus 10 , having a base 11 , with a recessed slotted area 19 , configured to a position 31 and 32 , about the front end of the base 11 , wherein the recessed slotted area is stepped and cut away at two different positions and or relative heights 31 , 32 to accommodate a resistive band and allow equal resistive force transferred to the support arm 12 when the apparatus is in use . the recessed slotted areas 31 , 32 , are configured onto both sides of the base 11 parallel and symmetrical in shape . the recessed slotted heights 31 , 32 are also configured with full radii edges to allow the resistive band to move within the recessed slots when the apparatus is in use and the resistive band 13 as shown in fig1 is loaded . a ramp 29 , extending from the base 11 top surface area , about the mid - section of the base 11 , towards the front end of the base 11 . the ramp 29 , configured to raise the support arm 12 , to a desired angle of about ten degrees or more , allowing a foot to be inserted without pre - loading the apparatus or moving the support arm 12 to insert a foot . the ramp 29 can extend parallel along a length of the support arm 12 . the ramp 29 offers both stability and surface area for a load applied to the support arm 12 transferred to the base 11 and reduces the load on the pivoting end of the assembly . referring to fig5 , in one configuration a resistive band 13 , comprising an elastic material 31 , a sleeve 32 , and a desired length 33 , coupled with a fastening device 34 to form a loop assembly . the resistive band 13 can be configured with a single strand of elastic material , and or multiple strands of elastic material . the resistive band 13 , can be a single molded part design , and or an assembly of multiple components . the properties of the material such as the material itself including modulus of elasticity , diameter of the elastic strand , stiffness , and or number of strands can provide various desirable tensions that may be applied to the apparatus assembly . a resistive band 13 , with elastic properties having a number of strands such as fifteen strands 35 may be desirable for lower resistance , and a resistive band having a number of strands such as twenty or more 36 may have a higher resistance and more desirable for a different consumer . the resistive band 13 in one configuration may comprise of fifteen strands of elastic at a specified outside diameter of 3 / 16 ″ enabling approximately sixteen pounds of resistive angular displacement over a span of two to three inches and in another configuration of eighteen strands of elastic at a similar specified outside diameter of 3 / 16 ″ resulting in approximately twenty one pounds of resistive angular displacement over a span of two to three inches and twenty strands of elastic at a similar specified outside diameter increasing the resistive force to about twenty four pounds displacement over a span of two to three inches . it may be desired to increase or reduce the number of strands , or increase or reduce the diameter of the resilient material to offer various levels of tension on the apparatus . the size of the elastic strand , and the number or strands may be designated for a variety of applications for example a desirable resistive band of 3 / 16 ″ ( 5 mm ) diameter sleeve with fifteen strands of elastic material at approximately 0 . 035 ″ diameter strand provides a resistive load of less than that of a 20 strand material of 0 . 035 ″ single strand of elastic material . the sleeve 32 , made of a plastic or fabric like material to provide a sliding component onto the surface area of the base wherein the elastic internal to the cover is slip resistant , but the cover material or the sleeve 32 is required to move or slide on the base 11 surface area allowing the apparatus to function with tension on the elastic material , but also stretch in the elastic covered by the sleeve 32 . the sleeve 32 material can be nylon , polypropylene or like plastic and or fabric material . it is desired to have a sleeve 32 , made of a material that slides easily such as nylon , polypropylene or other like materials for uniform movement about the outer surface of the base 11 . the force and displacement can be configured in one optional design with a lower number of elastic strands such as a fifteen strand with a resistive force of about one and half pounds over one inch displacement , and two and half pounds over three inches and three and half pounds over six inches . a higher number of strands such as a twenty strand elastic cord may result in a resistive force of three pounds over one inch and four pounds over three inches and six pounds over six inch displacement . if the sleeve 32 did not move , the tension from the elastic material alone would not provide sufficient movement or extension of the resistive band 13 for dorsiflexion movement of the lower leg extremity . a combination of the physical properties of the material , number of strands within the resistive band 13 and the ability for movement between the resistive band 13 and the base 11 is desired for optimum performance of the apparatus . an alternative design , a spring made of metal configured with a sleeve 32 can be provide another resistive embodiment for the proposed invention . the combination of elastic material extending in combination with the sleeve 32 movement enables the apparatus to extend in synchronous cycles or movement with minimum wear on the device . in referring to fig6 , a base 11 , comprising a pin like features 35 configured to a circular pin with two flat parallel surfaces 37 a double “ d ” configuration 36 . the pair of circular cross section pin like features 35 with two flats 37 extending from within the base 11 configured to receive the support arm 12 . the pin like feature 35 , is coupled to a “ c ” hook like feature 38 extending from an end of the support arm 12 , wherein the hook like feature 38 can be rotated to engage the pin like feature 35 onto a shape 36 with two flats 37 between the “ c ” hook 38 . the hook like feature 38 is then rotated to lock onto the pin like feature 35 within the base 11 . the two design features enable the parts to be manufactured with minimum number of components and easy to assemble without tools . a resistive band guide 39 is configured to the base 11 bottom , comprising of a detail to guide the resistive band from one edge 40 to the opposite edge 41 of the base . the guide enables the resistive band 13 ( as shown in one previous embodiment fig1 ) to follow a path with no resistance to movement and allows the resistive band to move as desired when the apparatus is in use . an optional feature , a resistive band storage feature 42 , is configured to the base 11 , having a protrusion from the base wherein a resistive band can be wrapped or stored . the apparatus may also be optionally configured with a handle , markings , and or engravings for instructions or use . it should be understood that the proceeding is a detailed description of one embodiment of the invention described within this specification and numerous changes to the disclosed embodiment can be made in accordance with the disclosures herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . | 0 |
the present description will be directed in particular to elements forming part of , or cooperating more directly with , apparatus in accordance with the present invention . it is to be understood that elements not specifically shown or described may take various forms well known to those skilled in the art . in the following description , identical reference numerals have been used , where possible , to designate identical elements . as described in detail herein below , at least one embodiment of the present invention provides a method for forming an ink feed hole or passage for a liquid drop ejector . the most familiar of such devices are used as printheads in ink jet printing systems . many other applications are emerging which make use of liquid feed holes in systems similar to ink jet printheads , which emit liquids other than inks , and that need a simple , self - aligned liquid feed hole formation . the terms ink jet and liquid drop ejector will be used herein interchangeably . the inventions described below provide methods for improved fluid feed formation , especially ink , for a liquid drop ejector . referring to fig1 , a schematic representation of a liquid ejection system 10 , utilizing a printhead fabricated according to the present invention , is shown . liquid ejection system 10 includes a source 12 of data ( for example , image data ), which provides signals that are interpreted by a controller 14 as being commands to eject liquid drops . controller 14 outputs signals to a source 16 of electrical energy pulses that are sent to liquid ejector printhead die 18 ( e . g ., an inkjet printhead ), a partial section of which is shown in the figure . typically , a liquid ejector printhead die 18 includes a plurality of liquid ejectors 20 arranged in at least one array , for example , a substantially linear row . during operation , liquid or fluid , for example , ink in the form of ink drops 22 , is deposited on a recording medium 24 . referring to fig2 , a schematic representation of a top view of a partial section of a liquid ejector printhead die 18 for ink is shown . liquid ejector printhead die 18 includes an array or plurality of liquid ejectors 20 , one of which is designated by the dotted line in fig2 . liquid ejector 20 includes a structure , for example , having walls 26 extending from a substrate 28 that define a chamber 30 . walls 26 separate liquid ejectors 20 positioned adjacent to other liquid ejectors 20 . each chamber 30 includes a nozzle orifice 32 in nozzle plate 31 through which liquid is ejected . a drop forming mechanism , for example , a resistive heater 34 is also located in each chamber 30 . in fig2 , the resistive heater 34 is positioned above the top surface of substrate 28 in the bottom of chamber 30 and opposite nozzle orifice 32 , although other configurations are permitted . in other words , in this embodiment the bottom surface of chamber 30 is above the top of substrate 28 , and the top surface of the chamber 30 is the nozzle plate 31 . referring to fig1 and 2 , feed holes 36 consist of two linear arrays of feed holes 36 a and 36 b that supplies liquid to the chambers 30 . feed holes 36 a and 36 b are positioned on opposite sides of the liquid ejector 20 containing chamber 30 and nozzle orifice 32 . in fig2 the feed holes 36 are arranged so that feed holes 36 a are located primarily adjacent a pair of liquid ejectors 20 and feed holes 36 b are located primarily adjacent the next pair of chambers 30 in the printhead array . other geometries are also possible as disclosed in co - pending application ( u . s . publication no . 2008 / 0180485a1 ), and incorporated herein by reference . referring to fig2 , liquid ejectors are formed in a linear array at a high nozzle per inch count . in one exemplary embodiment of the present invention the liquid ejectors 20 are spaced with a period of 20 - 42 μm . the length l of feed opening 42 can vary from 10 μm to 100 μm , depending on the design . the width w of the feed opening 42 can also vary similarly from 10 μm to 100 μm . fig3 - 9 illustrate a fabrication method of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention for forming a liquid ejection printhead 18 containing multiple small feed holes 36 aligned to liquid ejectors 20 , for high frequency operation . the fabrication method illustrated in fig3 - 9 is summarized in fig1 that shows a flow chart of the step sequence for fabricating a liquid ejection printhead 18 . starting with a substrate 28 , a silicon wafer as described in step 60 of the flow chart of fig1 is used . as described in step 62 of fig1 and shown as a partial section of a liquid ejection printhead die 18 in fig3 , a drop forming mechanism , in this case , an array of resistive heaters 34 are formed on top of an insulating dielectric layer 40 , which is formed on top of the silicon substrate 28 . fabricated in the liquid ejection printhead 18 , but not shown , are electrical connections to the resistive heaters 34 , as well as power ldmos and cmos logic circuitry to control drop ejection . the insulating dielectric layer 40 may also be deposited during these processes . the fabrication of the heater structure is described in co - pending application ( u . s . patent application ser . no . 12 / 143 , 880 ), and incorporated herein by reference . as described in step 64 of fig1 , fig4 shows a partial section of a liquid ejection printhead die 18 after patterning and etching through the insulating dielectric layer 40 to the silicon substrate 28 forming feed openings 42 . as described in step 66 of fig1 , fig5 shows a partial section of a liquid ejection printhead die 18 after formation of the chamber layer 44 that includes walls 26 between each liquid ejector 20 and an outer passivation layer 46 that extends over the rest of the liquid ejection printhead die 18 to protect the circuitry from liquid or fluid , such as ink . the chamber layer 44 can be formed by spin coating , exposure , and development using a photoimageable epoxy such as a novolak resin based epoxy , for example : tmmr resist available from tokyo ohka kogyo . the thickness of the chamber layer 44 is in the range 8 - 15 μm . as described in step 68 of fig1 , fig6 a shows a partial section of a liquid ejection printhead die 18 after a layer of photoresist 48 has been coated and patterned . this photoresist layer 48 is patterned to protect the chamber layer 44 from being attacked during etching of the feed holes . the photoresist layer 44 is patterned so that it is pulled back a distance d from feed opening definition 42 patterned in the insulating dielectric layer 40 . in one embodiment this distance d is 0 - 2 μm . fig6 b shows a top view of a partial section of a liquid ejection printhead die 18 after a layer of photoresist layer 48 has been coated and patterned . section b - b , taken from fig6 b , is shown in fig6 c and illustrates the pull - back distance d of the patterned photoresist layer 48 from the feed opening definition 42 patterned in the insulating dielectric layer 40 . the thickness of photoresist coated is dependent on the thickness of the chamber layer 44 and is designed to provide a thickness on top of the chamber layer 44 to protect it from being attacked during the etching of the feed openings as some thickness of the photoresist is lost during the etch process . as described in step 70 of fig1 , fig7 a shows a partial section of a liquid ejection printhead die 18 after an anisotropic dry silicon etch has been executed to etch blind feed holes 37 in the silicon substrate 28 . the insulating dielectric layer has a high selectivity to the dry silicon etch so that the blind feed holes are self aligned to the feed openings 42 . this is highly preferable , since the edge of the feed opening is 0 - 5 μm away from the chamber walls and resistive heater edge . there is no etch stop and etching is timed to provide a blind feed hole depth in the range 50 - 300 μm deep . the aspect ratio of the blind feed hole in an exemplary embodiment will be less than 5 : 1 . since there is no etch stop and the aspect ratio is low a high etch rate & gt ; 20 μm / min . and , therefore , a short etch time can be achieved on commercially available equipment . such equipment is available from etching equipment manufacture companies such as aviza or surface technology systems . fig7 b shows section b - b outlined in fig6 b after the blind feed hole etch . commercially available systems with high etch rates use a process that etches the blind feed hole in a manner that gives a retrograde profile with retrograde angle φ that is greater than 1 °, and preferably greater than 4 °. this retrograde profile ( wider toward the back of the substrate 28 and narrower near the front or top surface of the substrate 28 ) is advantageous in that it lowers the impedance for ink flow or other liquids . it also helps in keeping air bubbles from the liquid ejector . for some embodiments , a preferred range for retrograde angle φ is between 1 ° and 10 °. the photoresist layer 48 is then stripped using a liquid solvent . as described in step 72 of fig1 , fig8 shows a partial section of a liquid ejection printhead die 18 after a photoimageable nozzle plate layer 31 has been laminated , and patterned to form nozzles 32 . the photoimageable nozzle plate layer 31 can be formed using a dry film photoimageable epoxy such as a novolak resin based epoxy , for example : tmmf dry film resist available from tokyo ohka kogyo . the thickness of the photoimageable nozzle plate layer 31 is in the range 5 - 15 μm and in a preferred embodiment is 10 μm . the use of a dry film laminate for the nozzle plate enables the formation of the nozzle plate 31 on the liquid ejection printhead containing high topography features such as the ink feed holes 36 . also since the ink feed openings are not all the way through the substrate , but are still blind holes 37 at this point , there are no difficulties in applying vacuum to hold down the substrate during lamination . as described in step 74 of fig1 , the substrate 28 containing liquid ejection printhead die 18 is then mounted on a tape frame and ground from the back . fig9 a and 9 b show section b - b as outlined in fig6 b , before grinding in fig9 a and after grinding in fig9 b . the substrate is ground to within a distance t of 0 - 40 μm of the feed openings . in a preferred embodiment the distance t is 20 μm for the following reasons . firstly the grinding process can leave residue in the feed openings if the grinding process is used to fully open the feed lines . secondly , the grinding process typically results in microcracks causing damage for a thickness of 10 - 20 μm deep into the substrate . this damage will cause a weakness of the substrate resulting in cracking if not removed . thirdly , the feed opening etch depth varies across the substrate as well as thickness variation of the substrate after the grinding process . the combination of the variation of the feed opening etch depth and the variation of the substrate thickness is typically about 12 μm . as described in step 76 of fig1 , the substrate is then left on the tape frame and exposed , unmasked , to a plasma containing etchant gas sulfur hexafluoride . such blanket etch systems are commercially available from , for example , tepla and are used to remove damage in the silicon substrate after grinding . the system is maintained so that the substrate temperature stays below 70 ° c . this ensures that the tape frame will not be affected and the chamber 44 and nozzle plate 31 polymer layers will not be etched . this system performs a blanket etch on the substrate 28 , removing silicon from the substrate 28 until the feed openings are exposed . fig9 c shows section b - b as outlined in fig6 b with opened feed openings . the advantages of this method are as follows : first , the etch provides clean opening of the feed openings with no residue . second , damage that was formed during wafer grinding is removed by this step , as is well known in the art . third , the substrate is mounted on a tape frame so handling of a thin wafer is much easier . fourth , no patterning of the substrate back is necessary making the process much simpler . the substrate can be taken from this step straight to dicing so that handling of thin wafers is minimized . the final thickness of the silicon substrate 28 is less than or equal to the depth of the feed hole 36 and in a preferred embodiment is in the range 50 - 300 μm . devices were fabricated according to the present invention . starting with a silicon substrate , an insulating dielectric layer consisting of 1 μm silicon oxide was deposited using plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition . a resistive heater layer 600 å thick consisting of a tantalum silicon nitride alloy was deposited using physical vapor deposition and patterned to form an array of heaters . a 0 . 6 μm aluminum layer was next deposited using physical vapor deposition and patterned to form connections to the resistive heater layer . next a 0 . 25 μm silicon nitride layer was deposited using plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition and a 0 . 25 μm tantalum layer was deposited using physical vapor deposition . these layers are used to protect the resistive heater material from the ink . a 1 . 7 μm resist layer was then coated and patterned and a dry etch was used to form feed openings etched through the silicon oxide and silicon nitride layer . tmmr photoimageable permanent resist was spin coated to a thickness of 12 μm and patterned using a mask with uv light to form the chamber layer . the tmmr resist was then cured at 200 ° c . for 1 hour . spr220 - 7 photoresist was then spin coated to a thickness of 10 μm on top of the chamber layer giving a thickness of ˜ 22 μm over the feed opening . the resist was then exposed , leaving a 0 . 25 μm gap between feed opening and resist edge . the exposed silicon in the feed opening was then etched to a depth of 230 μm using drie silicon etching system manufactured by surface technology systems . the resist was then stripped in a solvent aleg - 310 manufactured by baker chemicals . tmmf photoimageable permanent dry film resist with a thickness of 10 μm was laminated onto the chamber layer using a dry film laminator manufactured by teikoku taping company . the dry film resist was exposed using a mask with uv light and developed to form nozzles . protective tape was then applied to the front side of the wafer and the wafer was ground from the backside to a thickness of 250 μm . the wafer was then put into an inductively , coupled plasma etch system manufactured by oxford instruments ltd . and blanket etched using a sf 6 / ar gas chemistry until the feed holes were opened in the back of the wafer . the wafer was then diced by sawing and single liquid ejection printheads were packaged into ink jet printheads . the packaging yield was very high demonstrating the robustness of the dual feed structure . the printhead was filled with ink and drop ejection was measured . the liquid ejection printhead ejected 2 . 5 pl drops at frequencies & gt ; 60 khz . another embodiment of the present invention includes the dicing of the wafer from the backside . typically in the dicing process the wafer needs to be mounted front side up so alignment of the dicing can be performed . it would be preferable for the present invention to dice the wafer from the backside since at the final step that is how the wafer is mounted . however dicing marks need to be provided to align the dicing streets to the chips . fig1 shows a schematic view of the top of a silicon wafer 54 containing many liquid ejection printhead die 18 after the feed hole 36 etch described in fig7 . shown on the wafer are the streets 52 where dicing is to occur . during the formation of the feed openings 42 and feed holes 36 dicing marks 50 patterned at the intersections of the streets are also formed . the opening of these dicing marks 50 are designed so that they will be etched to the same depth as the feed holes 36 . when the feed holes 36 are exposed during the blanket plasma etch as shown in fig9 c , these dicing marks 50 will also be exposed . these dicing marks 50 can then be used during dicing to align the dicing saw to the streets . in another embodiment of the present invention , liquid ejection printhead die 18 are separated into individual chips ( sometimes termed as “ singulated ” by industry artisans ) or , in other words , diced from the wafer without the need for sawing . fig1 shows a schematic view of the top of a silicon wafer 54 containing many liquid ejection printhead die 18 , after the feed hole 36 etch described in fig7 . shown on the wafer are the streets 52 where dicing is to occur . during the formation of the feed openings 42 and feed holes 36 trenches 56 patterned along the streets 52 are also to be formed . the open area of these trenches 56 are designed so that they will be etched to the same depth as the feed holes 36 . when the feed holes 36 are opened during the blanket plasma etch as shown in fig9 c , these trenches 56 will also be opened . at this point each liquid ejection printhead die 18 is separated without the need for sawing . the liquid ejection printhead die 18 , can then be picked off the dicing tape directly for packaging into a liquid ejection printhead . the invention has been described in detail with particular reference to certain preferred embodiments thereof , but it will be understood that variations and modifications can be effected within the spirit and scope of the invention . | 1 |
attention is directed to fig1 which illustrates the preferred form of the present invention as applied to a tape applicator 10 for applying sealing tapes to cartons 11 ( fig2 a or 3 a ). as shown the tape applicator 10 has a conventional front applicator arm 12 pivotably mounted to the frame 14 as indicated at 13 and carrying an applicator roll 16 adjacent to its free end . the applicator roll 16 presses the adhesive side of a tape 18 being used to seal a case or carton 11 against the approaching face of the carton 11 . as is known the applicator roll or roller 16 may be replaced by wipers or applicators of various forms but a roll is preferred and the use of the term applicator roll or roller is not to be interpreted as excluding these other devices . the applicator 10 as is normal the case also includes the rear wiper arm 20 pivotably mounted on the frame 14 as indicated at 21 and having a wipe down roll or the like 22 at one side of the mounting 21 and connected to a push rod 24 on the opposite side of the mounting 21 as indicated at 26 . also connect at 26 to the rear arm 20 is a spring 28 that in the illustrated arrangement biases the arm 20 to rotate clockwise around the pivotal mounting 21 . the push rod 24 interconnects with the front applicator arm 12 as indicated at 30 so that the spring 28 urges the arm 12 to the starting position as shown in fig1 . a suitable cut - off mechanism 31 is mounted on the frame 14 to function in the normal manner . a one - way clutch roll 32 is rotatably mounted on the frame 14 and forms part of the tape path 34 which will be described in more detail below . this one - way roll 32 is equipped with an adjustable drag applying mechanism and one way clutch mechanism as indicated schematically at 33 and is generally used to apply added drag to the tape 18 and to permit the tape 18 to travel only in the direction of the applicator roll 16 . a roll of tape 36 from which the tape 18 is drawn in operation is mounted on a hub 38 which in turn is mounted to a mast 40 extending from the frame 14 . the hub mounts the roll 36 in the normal manner and is provided with a conventional adjustable drag applying mechanism as schematically indicated at 42 . the tape 18 is withdrawn from the tape roll 36 by passing around a nip roll 44 which is rotatably mounted adjacent to the free end of a dancer arm 46 pivotably mounted on the frame 14 as indicated at 48 . the dancer arm 46 is biased by spring 50 extending between the arm 46 and the mast 40 to press the nip roll 44 against the periphery 52 of the roll 36 . the apparatus described above is found in many tape heads currently in use . the present invention provides a tab length control 100 which in the embodiment shown in fig1 is directly connected to the rape applying portion 102 of the tape applicator 10 . in the embodiment of fig1 the tab length control 100 incorporates a dancer arm 46 having an auxiliary mounting arm 54 projecting laterally there from in a direction away from the roll 36 . the arm 54 mounts a tension roll 56 adjacent its free end . as indicated schematically by the reversible mutually perpendicular arrows 58 ( which is optional ) the position of the auxiliary arm 58 relative to the dancer arm 46 may be changed e . g . along and / or projecting from the dancer arm 46 i . e . may be made adjustable if desired so that the position the roll 56 may be adjusted as desired to facilitate accommodation of tapes with different characteristics by changing the relationship of roll 56 to the arm 46 which will change the positioning of the roll along the tape path 34 . with the present invention the tape path 34 extends from the periphery 52 of the tape roll 36 about the nip roll 44 then over the tension roll 56 then the one - way clutch roll 32 and from there to the applicator roll 16 . it will be apparent that this path 34 changes as the tape roll 36 is depleted from the full roll 36 f in fig2 to the depleted or almost empty roll 36 e shown in fig3 . in the illustration of fig2 and 3 as shown in fig2 with the full roll 36 f the wrap of the tape 18 around the periphery tension roll 56 ( contact between ) extends for about 120 ° and the wrap of the tape 18 around the clutch roll is about 125 ° degrees i . e . with dancer arm 46 positioned to the far right in the illustration by contact of the nip roll 44 with the periphery 52 of the full roll 36 f . as the tape roll 36 is diminished the tension roll 52 is moved relative to the clutch roll 32 around the axis defined by the mounting 48 of the dancer arm 46 to the frame 14 to the depleted or empty roll 36 e position shown in fig3 . in the full roll 36 f position the tension roll 56 as a percentage of the total span between the rolls 44 and 32 is less than it is when in the empty roll 36 e position . when the dancer arm 46 reaches the position shown in fig3 the wrap around the tension roll 32 has been reduce to about 90 ° and the warp around the clutch roller to about 70 °. in the depleted roll position of fig3 a higher percentage of the forces applied by the tension in the tape 18 are applied at the nip roll 44 . as above described as the tape roll 36 is depleted and the size ( diameter ) of the roll 36 gradually reduces as the tape 18 is pulled there from until it reaches the size of the depleted roll 36 e shown in fig3 . in this position the dancer arm 46 continues to hold the roll 44 against the periphery 52 of the roll 36 and is rotated counter clockwise about axis 48 which changes the wraps around the clutch roll 32 and tension roll 56 as above described by moving the tension roll 52 relative to the one way clutch roll 32 . this action gradually increases the force ( tension ) applied by the tension in the tape 18 at nip roll 44 . it will be apparent that the tension applied to the tape 18 need not change significantly even if the force required to peel the tape 18 from the roll 36 changes provided the distribution of the forces applied by the tension in the tape 18 is adjusted to apply more force at nip roll 44 as the periphery 52 of the roll 36 decreases . thus tension in the tape 18 may be about the same when the roll 56 is in the fig2 or fig3 positions . in fig2 position of roll 56 less force is applied at nip roll 44 than the force applied at nip roll 44 when the roll 56 is in the fig3 position . thus when a lower force is required to pull the tape 18 from the tape roll 36 as is the case when the tape 18 is being dispensed from a full or new as shown at 36 f in fig2 the percentage of the available force being transmitted by tension in the tape 18 at the nip roll 44 is less . on the other hand when the a higher force is required to pull the tape 18 from the tape roll 36 i . e . when the tape roll 36 is depleted as shown at 36 e in fig3 the percentage of the available force being transmitted by tension in the tape 18 at the nip roll 44 is higher . thus repositioning the tension roll 56 as described above applies more force at the nip roll 44 to pull the tape 18 from the roll when required without significantly changing the tension applied to the tape 18 i . e . the tension as normally required to pull the tape 18 from the empty roll 36 e of fig3 in this manner the tension applied to the tape 18 is maintained more uniform and as result as shown in fig2 a and 3 a the length h 1 and h 2 of the tabs 60 f and 60 e are about the same regardless of whether the tape 18 is being pulled from a full tape roll 36 f ( fig2 ) or a depleted tape roll 36 e ( fig3 ) and the tab length will remain relatively constant as the tape roll 36 is depleted from the size of roll 36 f to the size of tape roll 36 e . in the fig4 and 5 embodiment the auxiliary arm 54 has been replaced with a separate cam arm 70 which is l shaped in the illustrated arrangement and is pivotably mounted to the frame 14 on the same axis as the clutch roll 32 . the l shape is provided by its arms 71 and 73 extending from opposite sides of its axis . the arm 70 mounts the tension roll 56 adjacent to the free end of arm 71 which extend on the side of the clutch roll 56 adjacent to the nip roll 44 . the arm 70 is biased via spring 72 connected to the other arm 73 to hold a camming projection 74 on the arm 71 against the dancer arm 46 so that the tension roll 56 is repositioned in the same manner and acts in the same manner as described above with reference to fig2 and 3 . the camming projection 74 which interacts with the dancer arm 46 provides a further means to adjust the position of the tension roll 56 as the tape roll is depleted from full 36 f to depleted 36 e . in this fig6 embodiment the tension roll 56 moves with said dancer arm 46 and in accordance with the interaction of said camming projection 74 with said dancer arm 46 . the positioning of the tension roll 56 relative to the dancer arm 46 may be further modified by changing the interaction of the camming projection 74 with the dancer arm 46 i . e . the movement of the tension roll 56 as the tape roll 36 is being depleted may be finer tuned to the tape roll being used . fig6 shows a further embodiment of the present invention wherein the tension control 100 is positioned remote from the tape applicator 10 normally in some convenient location on the machine frame 200 of the machine with which the applicator 10 is being used . in fig6 like numbers have been used to indicate like parts to those described above . the tension control 100 is essentially the same as that shown in fig1 and 3 but the embodiment of fig4 and 5 could equally well be used . the tension control 100 need not be re - described and thus only the differences will be discussed . the roll 202 mounted on the frame 200 may be a simple roll or may be a clutch roll as described above reference to clutch roll 32 and used to replace or supplement the clutch roll 32 on the applicator 10 . if used in conjunction with the clutch roll 32 the drag normally applied by the clutch roll 32 will be shared in any suitable manner between the two clutch rolls 32 and 202 . this is the preferred arrangement as it provides for better control of the tape than if it were an ordinary free - wheeling roll . it is preferred that the applicator 10 be left substantially in tacked with the minimum number of changes and thus the clutch roll 32 normally will not be replaced . in the arrangement illustrated in fig6 an entry roll 104 has been included on the applicator portion 102 so the tape 18 leaving the roll 202 on the modified tape path 204 passes around the entry roll 104 and then to the clutch roll 32 on the applicator 10 for application by the applicator 10 to the case or carton 11 . having described the invention , modifications will be evident to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims . | 1 |
the present invention will be described below in detail with respect to the preferred embodiments shown and explained in the drawings . fig1 a and 1b are block diagrams showing the construction of a blur suppression control device of the first embodiment according to the present invention . this blur suppression control device controls operations of a blur prevention system as shown in fig2 . note that the image blur correction mechanism , the drive circuit for the image blur correction mechanism , and so on are the same as those shown in fig2 . in fig1 a and 1b , a vibration detection means 11 ( corresponding to the constituents 43p and 43y in fig2 ) comprises angular velocity meters such as gyros , deviation detection sensors , and a sensor output calculator for integrating the output of the angular velocity meters , converting it to deviation information and amplifying the information at a predetermined ratio . an optical adjusting means 12 comprises sample holder 12a and a differential circuit 12b . since the sample holder 12a is all the time performing sampling operations , the differential circuit 12b outputs a difference between the same values , that is , zero . a release means 17 ( release button ) is provided to the camera body . with half - depression of the release means ( when the switch sw1 is turned on ), the release means performs photometry , range measuring , and drives lenses for focusing . with full - depression ( when the switch sw2 is turned on ), the mirror is lifted up , then an on - signal of switch sw2 is applied to an exposure means 116 to open and close a shutter . finally , the mirror is lowered . the switches sw1 and sw2 may be turned on with a remote - controller , instead of manual operation as described above . when the release means 17 applies an on - signal of switch sw1 to the sample holder 12a to bring it into the hold mode , the differential circuit 12b resets the present value as zero and starts continuous output of the detected deviation ( hereinafter referred as &# 34 ; target value &# 34 ;). the target value is applied to a drive control means 13 including a known filter circuit comprising a cr circuit ( resistances and condensers ), as well as to a buffer change over means 14 . the drive change over means 14 normally keeps its switch terminal 14a in contact with a terminal 14c . in this case , at the time of exposure of a film , centering output from a centering change over means 18 ( described later ) is applied to a timer 1 ( 19 ), which then continuously applies signals to the drive change over means 14 until the exposure operation . as a result , the witch terminal 14a comes into contact with a terminal 14b . accordingly , the target value is applied through the drive control means 13 and the drive change over means 14 to the drive means 15 for a predetermined time after centering output is applied to the timer 1 ( 19 ). the correction optical means 16 has a construction as shown in fig2 , 30a and 30b . the circuit construction of the drive means 15 is as shown in fig3 b . the drive means 15 receives output of detected position ( detected by the position detection elements 78p and 78y shown in fig2 ) from the correction optical means 16 , and drives the coils 79p and 79y shown in fig2 . the target value is applied to the drive means as a command , and the correction optical means 16 is exactly driven according to the target value . the on - signal of switch sw2 generated by the release means 17 is , as described , applied to the centering change over means 18 , where the switch terminal 18a is normally connected with the terminal 18c to output nothing ( zero output ). when a signal outputted from a zoom information output means 111 in the zoom - wide mode or a signal outputted from a focus information output means 110 at the time nearest end focus is applied to the centering change over means 18 , the switch terminal 18a is connected with the terminal 18b . these operations are performed after the on - signal of switch sw2 is generated . however , if the present invention is applied to a video camera , these operations and those described below are performed after a picture recording start signal is generated . in the zoom - wide mode or at the time of nearest end focus , the on - signal of switch sw2 is applied through the centering change - over means 18 to the timer 1 ( 19 ) to actuate the timer 1 ( 19 ). thus , in the zoom - wide mode and at the time of nearest end focus , after the on - signal of switch sw2 is generated , the target value is applied through the drive control means 13 and the drive change over means 14 to the drive means 15 for a predetermined time . the on - signal of switch sw2 is also applied through the centering change - over means 18 to the sample holder 12a , which performs sampling for a while , and then , is brought in to the hold mode again . that is , once the switch sw2 is turned on , the target value which is reset as zero is continuously output . a centering indicator means 112 informs the photographer that the centering operation is performed according to the output of the zoom information output means 111 or the focus information output means 110 in the zoom - wide mode or at the time of nearest end focus . an optical adjustment inhibition means 114 , when operated by the photographer , applies a command to the centering change over means 18 to forcibly keep the switch terminal 18a of the centering change - over means 18 in contact with the terminal 18c . the same command is also applied to an optical adjustment inhibition indicator means 115 , which informs the photographer of optical adjustment inhibition . the optical adjustment inhibition means 114 receives output from a timer 2 ( 113 ) which continuously performs output for a predetermined time when the on - signal of switch sw2 is applied to it . at the time of trailing of the output of the timer 2 ( 113 ), the optical adjustment inhibition means 114 is reset ( inhibition is released ). the time during which the timer 2 ( 113 ) continuously performs output is determined to be longer than the time from generation of the on - signal of switch sw2 to the exposure process so that the optical adjustment inhibition means 114 may not be reset during the exposure process . the operation of the present invention having the above - mentioned construction in different situations will be described . in this situation , the switch terminal 18a of the centering change - over means 18 is connected with the terminal 18c , and the target value is zero before the on - signal of switch sw1 is generated . the target value (= 0 ) is applied through the terminal 14c and the switch terminal 14a of the drive change over means 14 to the drive means 15 . in short , the correction optical means 16 is stably positioned at the center of the optical axis . when the on - signal of switch sw1 is generated , the target value continuously varies from zero is applied through the terminal 14c and the switch terminal 14a of the drive change over means 14 to the drive means 15 to perform blur suppression , wherein the correction optical means 16 is driven exactly according to the target value . during this time , the switch terminal 18a of the centering change - over means 18 is fixed even if the on - signal of switch sw2 is generated . accordingly , the sample holder 12a is not allowed to perform sampling nor go into the hold mode again , and the terminal 14c of the drive change over means 14 is also kept in connection with the switch terminal 14a . in this state of device , exposure of the film is carried out . in this case , the optical adjustment inhibition indicator means 115 informs the photographer that the optical adjustment inhibition is performed . and in the centering change over means 18 , the terminal 18c is kept in contact with the switch terminal 18a ( which is fixed even in the zoom - wide mode and at the time of nearest end focus ). the optical adjustment inhibition means 114 is reset every time the on - signal of switch sw2 is generated . the blur suppression is executed in the same way as described in the situation 1 ). in this situation , the centering indicator means 112 informs the photographer of the centering operation , and the terminal 18b of the centering change - over means 18 is connected with the switch terminal 18a . before the on - signal of switch sw1 is generated , the same blur suppression as situation 1 ) is carried out . if the on - signal of switch sw2 is generated , according to the output of the centering change over means 18 , the sample holder 12a is allowed to perform sampling for a while , and then brought into the hold mode again . that is , the target value when the switch sw2 is turned on is reset as zero , and is newly output . the centering change over means 18 starts the timer 1 ( 19 ), which then keeps the terminal 14b of the drive change over means 14 in contact with the switch terminal 14a for a predetermined time lag from generation of the on - signal of switch sw2 until the exposure process . the functions of the drive change over means 14 will be described . suppose the construction without the drive change over means 14 . in this case , the output of the optical adjustment means 12 is directly applied to the drive means 15 . with this construction , the amount of shift ( per unit time ) of the correction optical means 16 after the switch sw2 is turned on is as shown in fig2 a . since the target value is reset as zero when the switch sw2 is turned on , the speed at which the correction optical means 16 is driven abruptly changes at that time . accordingly , the correction optical means 16 violently moves , which causes unnecessary vibration and hinders blur suppression performance . on the other hand , with the drive change - over means 13 , the target value is applied through the filter circuit ( low - pass filter ) while the timer 1 ( 19 ) continues output . and the abrupt change of position of the correction optical means 16 shown in fig2 a is prevented , and the smooth movement as shown in fig2 b is realized . thus , undesirable vibration caused by violent movement of the correction optical means can be prevented . in the zoom - wide mode or at the time of nearest end focus , if the shift ( distance from the zero position ) of the correction optical means 16 is great , optical aberration deteriorates images . by returning the correction optical means 16 to the center position ( centering operation ) immediately before the exposure process , as shown in fig2 b , said deteriorated images caused by aberration can be prevented . in this embodiment , the centering operation is performed only in the zoom - wide mode and / or at the time of nearest end focus , because the centering operation which may cause other problems should not be performed use aberration is not negligible . when the focal length of the lenses is long ( for example , 300 mm ), vibration of hands can be easily recognized in the photographer &# 39 ; s sight . and the photographer looking into the finder with the camera in his hand finds it difficult to determine framing . in this case , when blur suppression operation is executed , it becomes very easy to determine framing . this means that the blur prevention system has so high an optical sensitivity that the correction optical means 16 can be driven swiftly enough to cancel the vibration which is seen by the photographer . therefore , if the centering operation is performed when the on - signal of switch sw2 is generated , framing determined when the switch sw1 is turned on ( at the time of focusing , and / or photometry ) is considerably deviated . this is why the centering operation is not performed in the zoom - tele mode . the camera can be designed so that optical aberration may be reduced in the zoom - tele mode even when the shift of the correction optical means 16 is great . thus , the camera does not need a centering operation in the zoom - tele mode . ( note that it is difficult to design a camera which can reduce aberration both in the zoom - wide mode and the zoom - tele mode ). in the zoom - wide mode ( for example , with a focal length of 100 mm ), the vibration of hands is hard to recognize by the photographer &# 39 ; s sight ( though deterioration of the image in a picture caused by vibration can be seen ). accordingly , framing is hardly disturbed by the centering operation , while an excellent picture can be obtained with good framing , no blur and little aberration . in the first embodiment shown in fig1 a and 1b , the centering operation is carried out in the zoom - wide mode when the on - signal of switch sw2 is generated . for , in the zoom - wide mode , the centering operation causes little disturbance of framing . but , even a little disturbance of framing becomes critical in some cases . instead of performing the centering operation , if the correction optical means 16 is returned in the first allowable driving range ( allowable deviation from the zero position ) to considerably reduce aberration at the time of generation of the on - signal of switch sw2 , disturbance of framing can be further reduced . otherwise , the first driving range may be broadened as zooming is set nearer to the tele side and / or focal length increases . thus , disturbance can be reduced to be negligible . fig3 a and 3b show the construction of the third embodiment which carries out the above - mentioned operations , wherein the same constituents as those in fig1 a and 1b are designated by the same reference numerals and a detailed description thereof will be omitted . the construction shown in fig3 a and 3b has the following differences from the construction shown in fig1 a and 1b . reference value generation means 1 ( 23a ), 2 ( 23b ) and 3 ( 23c ) for generating reference values ( which set three first allowable driving ranges corresponding to zoom - wide 1 ( 50 mm ), zoom - wide 2 ( 75 mm ) and zoom - wide 3 ( 100 mm ), respectively ) are selected by a reference value change over means 27 which receives the output of the zoom information output means 111 and / or the focus information output means 110 . the reference value change over means 27 applies the output of one of the reference value generation means 1 , 2 and 3 , at a time , to a comparator 22a of a comparison means 22 . an absolute value output means 21 obtains the absolute value of the amount of shift ( distance from the zero position ) of the correction optical means 16 from the output of the detected position , and applies the obtained absolute value to the comparison means 22 . the comparison means 22 compares the reference value selected from the three reference values according to the zoom modes and the focal length with the absolute value of the amount of shift from the zero position of the correction optical means 16 . if the reference value is greater than the absolute value , the comparison means 22 applies a command to the centering change - over means 18 to connect the terminal 18b with the switch terminal 18a . the output of the comparison means 22 is also applied to the centering indicator means 112 . a polarity discrimination means 24 discriminates the driving polarity of the correction optical means 16 ( that is , whether the correction optical means 16 is on the upper or lower side as well as on the right or left side of the optical axis ). if the correction optical means 16 is on the lower side and / or on the left side of the optical axis , the polarity discrimination means 24 generates a signal and applies it to a polarity altering means 25 . the polarity altering means 25 , which receives the reference value from the reference value change over means 27 , reverses the polarity of the reference value . the optical adjustment means 31 applies the target value from the blur suppression change over means 12 to the differential circuit 31a of the optical adjustment means 31 . the differential circuit 31a calculates a difference between the target value and the polarized referential value from the polarity altering means 25 , before the on - signal of switch sw2 is generated . the sample holder 31b receives the output of the differential circuit 31a and holds it if the on - signal of switch sw2 is sent from the centering change . over means 18 , but sends it to a terminal 31f and continues sampling until the on - signal of switch sw2 is generated . the switch terminal 31d , which is normally connected with a terminal 31e ( zero output ), is connected with a terminal 31f when the on - signal of switch sw2 from the centering change over means 18 is received . in short , until the on - signal of switch sw2 is generated , the differential circuit 31c calculates the difference between the target value from the blur suppression change - over means 12 and said zero output . and after the on - signal of switch sw2 is generated , the differential circuit 31a calculates the difference between the output of the differential circuit 31a which is held at the time of generation of the on - signal of switch sw2 and the target value from the blur suppression change - over means 12 , and applies thus calculated difference , as a newly obtained target value , to the drive control means 13 and the drive change over means 14 . the polarity altering means 25 polarizes the reference value , as described . otherwise , if , for example , the reference value is + 1 v and the target value is - 3 v , the output of the differential circuit 31a would be - 4 v , whose great absolute value would make the correction optical means 16 shifted out of the first allowable driving range . in the above case , the output of position of the correction optical means 16 immediately before the switch sw2 is turned on is also - 3 v , whose absolute value 3 v is outputted from the absolute value output means 21 . the comparison means 22 compares the absolute value ( 3 v ) with the reference value + 1 v , and the switch terminal 18a of the centering change over means 18 is connected with the terminal 18b . at this time , since the reference value is polarized in the present invention , the polarity discrimination means 24 which receives said output (- 3 v ) outputs the receives value to the polarity change over means 25 , then the polarity altering means 25 converts the reference value + 1 v into - 1 v . thus , the differential circuit 31a of the optical adjustment means 31 obtains a difference - 2 v immediately after the switch sw2 is turned on . the output of the differential circuit 31a is held by the sample holder 31b ( which has been brought into the hold mode after the switch sw2 is turned on ). on the other hand , the target value - 3 v from the blur suppression change over means 16 is applied through the switch terminal 31d ( connected with the terminal 31f after the switch sw2 is turned on ) to the differential circuit 31c , where the difference between the value held by the sample holder 31b and the applied target value , which is - 1 v , is calculated . thus , the correction optical means 16 can be driven toward the driving range (- 1 v to + 1 v ) determined by the reference value . fig4 a to 4c are diagrams showing the movement ( the amount of shift ( from the zero position )) of the correction optical means 16 . fig4 a shows the movement in the zoom wide 1 mode ( 50 mm ), in which the reference value change over means 27 selects the first reference value ( e . g . 1 v ) of the reference value generation means 1 ( 23a ). in this case the correction optical means 16 is returned close to the center position when the on - signal of switch sw2 is generated . in the zoom - wide 2 mode ( 75 mm ), the second reference value ( e . g ., 2 v ) is selected , wherein the correction optical means 16 is centered , but by some degree , as shown in fig4 b , after the on - signal of switch sw2 is generated . in the zoom - wide 3 mode ( 100 mm ), the third reference value ( e . g . 3 v ) is selected , wherein the correction optical means is centered slightly , as shown in fig4 c , after the on - signal of switch sw2 is generated . with this construction , the amount of centering of the correction optical means 16 is smaller than that of the first embodiment , which makes the disturbance of framing at the time of generation of the on - signal of switch sw2 almost negligible . in the first and second embodiments , the correction optical means 16 is returned toward the center position when the on - signal of switch sw2 is generated . but , techniques to present a great amount of shift ( from the zero position ) of the correction optical means 16 during the exposure process ( in order to prevent aberration great enough to deteriorate images in a picture ) are not limited to those mentioned above . for example , a similar effect can be obtained by reducing the amount of shift of the correction optical means 16 until the on - signal of switch sw2 is generated ( where , if the amount of shift of the correction optical means 16 is restricted also after the on - signal of switch sw2 is generated , correction can not be completely carried out and deterioration is caused by vibration .) fig5 a and 5b shows the construction of the fifth embodiment according to the present invention which employs the above - mentioned new method , wherein the target value from the blur suppression change - over means 12 is applied to a drive restriction means 41 . the drive restriction means 41 has a variable window to restrict the greater part of the target value which determines the allowable driving range . the driving range l ( allowable deviation range from the zero position ) means 41 can be varied according to the output of the zoom information output means 111 and / or the focus information output means 111 and / or the focus information output means 110 . for example , in the zoom - wide mode , the target value is restricted by a larger amount to narrow the driving range l . a change - over continuity hold means 43 has a construction similar to that of the optical adjustment means 31 except that the differential circuit 43a calculates the difference between the target value from the blur suppression change - over means 12 and the second target value from the drive restriction means 41 . a drive characteristic change - over means 44 receives the second target value from the drive restriction means 41 through a terminal 44c and the third target value from the change - over continuity hold means 43 through a terminal 44c . a switch terminal 44a is normally connected with the terminal 44b , but is connected with the terminal 44c if the on - signal of switch sw2 is generated . ( however , when the output of a drive restriction inhibition means 114 is received , the switch terminal 44a is kept in contact with the terminal 44c .) the output of the drive characteristic change - over means 44 is applied to the drive means 15 . until the on - signal of switch sw2 is generated , the large amount of shift ( from the zero position ) of the correction optical means 16 is restricted according to the second target value from the drive restriction means 41 . but , when the on - signal of switch sw2 is generated , the correction optical means 16 is driven according to the original target value without restriction . as a result , if the target value outputted from the blur suppression change - over means 12 at the time of generation of the on - signal of switch sw2 is great enough to allow a large amount of shift ( from the zero position ) of the correction optical means 16 , the great target value is applied to the drive means 15 . in this case , the large amount of shift ( from the zero position ) of the correction optical means 16 during the exposure process causes aberration and deterioration of images . the change - over , continuity hold means 43 is provided in order to prevent the above - mentioned problem . suppose the target value from the blur suppression change - over means 12 at the time of generation of the on - signal of switch sw2 is v , and that the second target value from the drive restriction means 41 is v 2 , when the output of the differential circuit 43a is ( v 1 - v 2 ). the value ( v 1 - v 2 ) is held by the sample holder 43b after the on - signal of switch sw2 is generated . then , the differential circuit 43c calculates the difference between the target ( value ) v 1 from the blur suppression change - over means 12 and the value ( v 1 - v 2 ) held by the sample holder 43b . the thus obtained difference ( v 1 -( v 1 - v 2 )= v 2 ) is set as the origin , according to which the third target value is outputted . in short , the target value does not change at the time of generation of the on - signal of switch sw2 . fig6 shows an example of the shift ( distance from the zero position ) of the correction optical means 16 driven by the present embodiment having the construction shown in fig5 a and 5b . until the on - signal of switch sw2 is generated , the amount of shift 63 ( broken line ) of the correction optical means 16 corresponding to the target value from the blur suppression change - over means 12 is restricted as indicated by the solid line 45 . after the on - signal of switch sw2 is generated , such restriction is released . but , in order to hold continuity of the shift amount ( from the zero position ) before and after generation of the on - signal of switch sw2 , the position to which the correction optical means 16 is to be driven ( indicated by the broken line ) is shifted by 6 , as shown in fig6 to be within the allowable driving range a . thus , aberration is sufficiently reduced during the exposure process . with the above - mentioned construction , since the centering operation of the correction optical means 16 is not performed when the on - signal of switch sw2 is generated , framing is not disturbed at the time of generation of the on - signal of switch sw2 . according to another method of which an application has been made by the present inventor , the degree of blur suppression is reduced until the on - signal of switch sw2 is generated in order to decrease the amount of shift ( from the zero position ) of the correction optical means 16 . if the degree of blur suppression is reduced , that is , if the ratio of the amount of shift ( per unit time ) of the correction optical means 16 to the target value is reduced until the on - signal of switch sw2 is generated , electric power can be saved . at the same time , more minute framing is possible than when blur suppression is fully executed . in addition prevention of deteriorated images caused by aberration , which is one of the main object of the present invention , can be also achieved . fig7 a and 7b show the construction of a device for performing such reduction of the amount of shift of the correction optical means 16 . a blur suppression sensitivity altering means 46 receives the output from the zoom information output means 111 and / or the focus information output means 110 , and amplifies the target value from the blur suppression change - over means 12 at a certain ratio ( the first ratio ) proper for the focal length . the blur suppression sensitivity altering means 46 cancels change in the amount of eccentricity ( blur suppression sensitivity ) of the optical axis corresponding to the amount of shift ( from the zero position ) of the correction optical means 16 . such a change in the amount of eccentricity of the optical axis is optically occurs when the focal length varied . similar blur suppression sensitivity altering means are provided also in each of the above - mentioned embodiments . but , for brevity and since these means do not concern the main objects of the embodiments described before , the blur suppression sensitivity altering means in these embodiments are not shown in the drawings . an amplifier for further reducing the target value from the blur suppression sensitivity altering means 46 at a certain ratio ( second ratio , which is about 2 / 3 ); a differential circuit 47b for calculating the difference between the output of the amplifier 47a and the target value from the blur suppression sensitivity altering means 46 ; a sample holder 47c for holding the output of the differential circuit 47b when the on - signal of switch sw2 is received ; a differential circuit 47d for calculating the difference between the output of the sample holder 47c and the target value from the blur suppression sensitivity altering means 46 ; and a switch means for connecting a terminal 47g with a switch terminal 47e only when the on - signal of switch sw2 is received . ( in this switch means , the switch terminal 47e is normally connected with a terminal 47f , but kept in contact with the terminal 47g when the output of a ratio altering inhibition means 114 is received ). the drive means 15 receives the target value modified at the second ratio until the on - signal of switch sw2 is generated . on the other hand , after the on - signal of switch sw2 is generated , the drive circuit 15 receives the target value modified at the first ratio . like the change - over continuity hold means 44 shown in fig5 a , the differential circuits 47b and 47d and the sample holder 47c hold continuity before and after the switching operation by the switch terminal 47e at the time of generation of the on - signal of switch sw2 . the ratio of amplification of the amplifier 47a is variable according to the output of the zoom information output means 111 and / or the focus information output means 110 . for example , the first ratio is reduced to be 2 / 3 in the zoom - tele mode , while it is reduced to be 1 / 3 in the zoom - wide mode . as described before , if the original target value ( the first ratio ) is reduced to 2 / 3 until the on - signal of switch sw2 is generated ( that is , until the photographing operation ), less electric power is required to drive the correction optical means 16 . at the same time , minute framing is possible . when the second ratio is reduced to be 1 / 3 of the first ratio in the zoom - tele mode , blur suppression effects can not be enjoyed by the photographer . in the zoom - wide mode , however , small vibration of the hands can not be recognized by looking into the finder . accordingly , only remarkable vibration should be suppressed when the photographer looks into the finder ( from generation of the on - signal of switch sw1 to generation of the on - signal of switch sw2 ). during this time , the second ratio can be reduced to be 1 / 3 of the first ratio . with the above - mentioned construction , not only electric power can be further saved , but also prevention of deteriorated images caused by aberration , which is one of the main object of the present invention , is further ensured . fig8 illustrates the effect of the above - mentioned construction to prevent deteriorated images caused by aberration . until the on - signal of switch sw2 is generated , the amount of shift 48 ( distance from the zero position ) of the correction optical means 16 is reduced to be 1 / 3 of the amount of shift 63 ( distance from the zero position indicated by the broken line ) for full blur suppression in the zoom - wide mode . after the on - signal of switch sw2 is generated , the correction optical means 16 is driven with the original first target value , the waveform indicating the shift amount of the correction optical means 16 according to the present embodiment becomes the same as that of the correction optical means 16 driven at the target value for full blur suppression , while the position indicated by the waveform is shifted by δ from that indicated by the broken line 63 toward the center position . and the continuity before and after switching from the second ratio to the first ratio is held by the differential circuits 47b and 47d , and the sample holder 47c . as a result , the amount of shift ( distance from the zero position ) of the correction optical means 16 is restricted within the allowable driving range a during the exposure process . thus , deteriorated images caused by aberration can be prevented . as described above , with the construction shown in fig5 a , 5b , 7a and 7b , framing is not disturbed at all at the time of generation of the on - signal of switch sw2 . accordingly , the photographer can determine minute framing and take a desired picture . in the embodiments described above , deterioration caused by aberration is prevented by the centering operation of the correction optical means performed immediately before taking a picture , or by restriction of the amount of shift ( distance from the zero position ) of the correction optical means executed until the time immediately before taking a picture . a similar effect can be obtained with a simpler circuit construction , wherein photo - taking is inhibited by locking the release means if aberration may occur . fig9 a and 9b show the construction containing such a release lock mechanism , from which the following constituents shown in fig3 a and 3b are omitted : the optical adjustment means 31 ; the drive control means 13 ; the drive change over means 14 ; the polarity discrimination means 24 ; the polarity altering means 25 ; the centering change - over means 18 ; the centering indicator means 11 ; the optical adjustment inhibition means 114 ; the optical adjustment inhibition indicator means 115 ; and timers 1 ( 19 ) and 2 ( 113 ). the other constituents are the same as those shown in fig3 a and 3b . instead , the present embodiment further comprises : an exposure inhibition means 51 for performing release lock upon receiving the output of the comparison means 22 ( serving as a switch means for inhibiting the on - signal of switch sw2 from being applied to the exposure means 116 ); an exposure inhibition indicator means 52 which is actuated also upon receiving the output of the comparison means 22 ; and an operation inhibition means 53 for inhibiting the operation of the exposure inhibition means 51 ( that is , for holding the exposure inhibiting means 51 in the on state ). when the amount of shift ( from the zero position ) of the correction optical means 16 becomes greater than the reference value determined according to the focal length of the lenses , as described with respect to the construction shown in fig3 a and 3b , the comparison means 22 sends a signal to the exposure inhibition means 51 to bring it into the off state , because in the above situation aberration is expected to cause deterioration . at the same time , the exposure inhibition indicator means 52 informs the photographer that the exposure inhibition operation is executed . in this case , the exposure can not be performed even with full - depression of the release button . if desirable , the photographer can stop the exposure inhibition operation by handling the operation inhibition means 53 , and take a picture . with the above simple construction , deteriorated images caused by aberration can be prevented . though , for brevity , fig1 a through 9b show the constructions comprising analog circuits , each of the above - mentioned embodiments may be constructed according to known digital processing technique , in which microcomputers are contained in the camera body and / or in the lens barrel . according to the above - mentioned embodiments , when aberration is expected to cause deteriorated images ( for example , when the amount of shift of the correction optical means is great in the zoom - wide mode and / or at the time of nearest end focus ), the correction optical means 16 is returned toward the center position to be within a predetermined range immediately before the exposure in order to reduce deterioration caused by aberration to a negligible degree . otherwise , the amount of shift ( distance from the zero position ) of the correction optical means 16 is restricted until the time immediately before the exposure to reduce aberration . in both cases , excellent pictures free from deterioration caused by aberration can be obtained . also , in one embodiment described above , the exposure is inhibited when aberration is expected to cause deterioration . thus , waste of film , which would be used only to obtain deteriorated images caused by aberration , can be prevented with simple construction . as described above , the above - mentioned embodiments according to the present invention have a driving range altering means for changing , according to the focal length of the lenses , the allowable driving range within which the correction optical means is returned before exposure ; or an adjustment means for returning the correction optical means to be within a predetermined driving range before exposure when the focal length of the lenses is in a predetermined range ; or a drive control means for controlling the driving range of the correction optical means before exposure as well as driving range control altering means for altering the driving range controlled by the drive control means according to the focal length of the lenses ; or an exposure inhibition means for inhibiting exposure process when the amount of shift of the correction optical means is greater than the reference value and at the same time the focal length of the lenses is within a predetermined range . as a result , when , for example , the amount of shift ( distance from the zero position ) of the correction optical means is great , the correction optical means is returned toward the center position to be within a range determined according to the focal length of the lenses before ( or immediately before ) exposure , in order to prevent deteriorated images caused by aberration . or , in the similar situation , the amount of shift ( from the zero position ) of the correction optical means is restricted before exposure . further , in an embodiment , exposure is inhibited in said situation . therefore , the present invention is able to provide a blur prevention control device for a camera with which excellent pictures free from deterioration caused by optical aberration of the lenses can be taken . fig1 a and 10b are block diagrams schematically showing the construction of the blur prevention camera of the fifth embodiment according to the present invention , in which the same constituents as those in fig3 a and 33b are indicated by the same reference numerals . the image blur correction mechanism and the drive circuit for it of this embodiment are the same as those shown in fig2 through 30b . in fig1 a and 10b , a forced blur suppression off means 1 ( 318 ) starts counting from the time it receives the on - signal of switch sw1 from the release means 217 . and at the time t 4 ( e . g . 10 sec ), the forced blur suppression off means 1 ( 318 ) stops output , ( when the output trails ). when the forced blur suppression off means 1 ( 318 ) receives the on - signal of switch sw2 , the value of the counting is reset . accordingly , if the on - signal of switch sw2 is applied after a time lapse of t 4 &# 39 ; (& lt ; t 4 ) from the time the on - signal of switch sw1 was applied , the forced blur suppression off means 1 ( 318 ) stops output after ( t 4 &# 39 ;+ t 4 ) from the time the on - signal of switch sw1 was applied . the forced blur suppression off means 1 ( 318 ) also receives a signal from a target value input stop means 322 ( described later ), when the forced blur suppression off means 1 ( 318 ) is also reset . the output of the forced blur suppression off means 1 ( 318 ) is applied to a sample holder 212a and a forced blur suppression off output means 323 . the sample holder 212a receiving the output is brought into the hold mode , and then a blur suppression change - over means 212 starts to output the target value . after a time lapse of t 4 ( or t 4 &# 39 ;+ t 4 ) from the time the on - signal of switch sw1 , the forced blur suppression off means 1 ( 318 ) stops output , when the sample holder 212a resumes sampling . thus , the target value becomes zero and the correction optical means 16 is returned to its zero point . the forced blur suppression off output means 323 starts output at the time of trailing of the output of the forced blur suppression off means 1 ( 318 ). the output of the forced blur suppression off output means 323 is applied to the timers 1 ( 324 ) and 2 ( 326 ). the timer 1 ( 324 ) starts output upon receiving the output of the forced blur suppression off output means 323 , and continues output for a time lapse of t 1 ( e . g . 0 . 3 sec ). ( the time lapse t 1 should be long enough so that the correction optical means 16 can be returned to its zero point ). the output of the timer 1 ( 324 ) is applied to an engagement means 325 ( comprising the mechanical lock chassis 718 , the plunger 719 , the spring 720 , the mechanical lock arm 721 and the pivot vis 722 shown in fig2 ). at the time of trailing of the output of the timer 1 ( 324 ), the engagement means 325 drives the plunger 719 to set the projection 721a of a mechanical lock arm 721 into a hole 72d of the support frame 72 and engage with the support frame 72 . when the on - signal of switch sw1 is applied , the engagement means 325 drives the plunger 719 to disengage the support frame 72 . a timer 3 ( 326 ) starts output to a driving coil intermittent means 330 when the output of the forced blur suppression off output means 323 is received , and continues output for a time lapse t 3 ( e . g . 1 sec , wherein t 3 & gt ; t 1 ). at the time of trailing of the output of the timer 3 ( 326 ), the driving coil intermittent means 330 disconnects the coil of the correction optical means 216 from the drive means 215 ( that is , the switch terminal 330a is switched from the terminal 330c to the terminal 330b ). as the terminal 330b is connected with the other terminal of the coil , the coil is short - circuited . in other words , when blur suppression is to be performed for a time lapse t 4 ( or t 4 &# 39 ;+ t 4 ) from the time the switch sw1 is turned on , the blur suppression is interrupted and forcibly stopped to save electric power , wherein the correction optical means 16 is locked and its coil is short - circuited . in order not to stop blur suppression during exposure even when exposure is performed immediately after the time lapse t 4 passed by from the time the switch sw1 was turned on , the forced blur suppression off means 1 ( 318 ) is reset when the switch sw2 is turned on . a forced blur suppression off means 2 ( 319 ) start output at the time the on - signal of switch sw2 is received from the release means 17 , and continues output to an aperture down means 327 and a flash means 328 for a time lapse t 8 (& gt ; t 4 ). the time lapse t 8 is set to be , for example , 1 sec . in this case , if the exposure time is longer than 1 sec , the aperture is narrowed and the stroboscope is flashed at the time of trailing of the output of the forced blur suppression means 2 ( 319 ), and according to the exposure - going - on information of the exposure means 316 applied to the flash means 328 and the aperture down means 327 . the stroboscope is flashed to compensate the loss of exposure light caused by the narrowed aperture . it is difficult to keep high precision in blur suppression ( precise enough to reduce the blur in a picture image to make it negligible ) for a long time ( e . g . 1 sec ) because of limitation on the stability of the output of the deviation detection sensor and limitation of exactness of the sensor output calculator . therefore , when blur suppression is performed for a time longer than t 8 , the aperture is narrowed not to take in the blur caused by the vibration of hands . a driving coil control means 320 starts output to the driving coil intermittent means 330 at the time the on - signal of switch sw1 is received , and continues output for a time lapse t 5 (≧ t 4 , e . g . 15 sec ). at the time of trailing of this output , the driving coil intermittent means 330 disconnects the switch terminal 330a from the terminal 330b and connects the switch terminal 330a with the terminal 330c in order to connect the coil which has been short - circuited with the drive circuit 215 . thus , drive of the correction optical means 216 is resumed . in short , if the switch sw1 is turned on , the driving coil control means 320 starts the drive of the correction optical means 216 . at the time the release means 217 stops sending the on - signal of switch sw1 , a blur suppression off command means 321 starts output to one terminal of an and gate 322a of a target value input stop means 322 , and continues output for a time lapse t 6 ( e . g . 6 sec ). on the other hand , a signal of the detected position of the correction optical means 216 is applied to a driving range detection means 329 , which applies , only if the signal of detected position falls in a predetermined range ( that is only if the correction optical means 216 is within a predetermined driving range ), the signal to the other terminal of the and gate 322a of the target value input step means 322 . the &# 34 ; predetermined range &# 34 ;, according to which the driving range detection means 329 decides whether the signal should be outputted or not , is varied according to the output from the zoom information output means 311 and / or the focus information output means 310 . for example , the range after the switch sw1 is turned off is broadened in the zoom - wide mode and / or at the time of nearest end focus . the target value input stop means 322 applies a signal to the forced blur suppression off means 1 ( 318 ) and the timer 3 ( 326 ) only when both the signal from the blur suppression off command means 321 and the signal from the driving range detection means 329 are received . the signal from the target value input stop means 322 resets the forced blur suppression off means 1 ( 318 ), when , as the switch sw1 has been already turned off , the forced blur suppression off means 1 ( 318 ) does not output a signal . in other words , when the target value input stop means 322 outputs a signal , the forced blur suppression off means 1 ( 318 ) stops output , and the sample holder 212a is brought into the sampling mode again , and the target value becomes zero . as a result , the correction optical means 216 is returned to its zero position , where the correction optical means 216 is locked and its coil is short - circuited . the control operation to inhibit blur suppression , corresponding to those in the fifth embodiment , performed with the above - mentioned construction will now be described . fig1 is a diagram showing the position of the shifted correction optical means 216 . in the zoom - tele mode , the blur suppression operation is continued even after the switch sw1 is turned off . in this case , at the time ( 333 in fig1 ) both the blur suppression off command means 321 and the driving range detection means 212a output their signals , and the correction optical means 216 is returned and locked at its zero position . in the zoom - wide mode , the driving range detection means 329 outputs a signal earlier ( because the driving range 332 after the switch sw1 is turned off in the zoom - wide mode is broader than the driving range 331 in the zoom - tele mode ). accordingly , as designated by the reference numeral 334 , return of the correction optical means 216 toward its zero position is also started earlier . it may be thought that an abrupt change in framing during the return of the correction optical means 216 to the zero position is unpleasant for the photographer because the driving range after the switch sw1 is turned off is wide in the zoom - wide mode . in fact , however , it is not unpleasant at all , for the ratio of the amount of deviation from the optical axis to the amount of shift of the correction optical means 216 is very small in the zoom - wide mode . now , exposure the control performed by the forced blur suppression off means 2 ( 319 ) will be described . fig1 a to 12e show vibration having a waveform of a sine curve which is supposed to be given during exposure . fig1 b and 12c show the vibration actually given to the camera , wherein the vibration consists of sine wave vibration and low - frequency vibration which gradually move the camera body downwards . since the vibration detection means 211 can not detect the low - frequency vibration , the amount of shift of the correction optical means 216 is controlled according to the given sine wave vibration without containing the low - frequency vibration , as shown in fig1 a . thus , part of the vibration remains uncancelled , as shown in fig1 d and 12e , and deviation 6 , is taken in the photograph . when the aperture is narrowed after the time lapse t 8 as described before with reference to fig1 a and 10b , however , the deviation δ , is not taken in . thus , the deviation is reduced to δ 2 . in addition , the time lapse of the stroboscope flashed to compensate the loss of exposure light is very short , the vibration remaining uncancelled is further reduced and becomes negligible . fig1 a and 13b are block diagrams schematically showing the construction of the blur prevention camera of the sixth embodiment according to the present invention . this construction is different from that shown in fig1 a and 10b in that a ratio altering control means 221 is added . for brevity , the forced blur suppression off means 2 ( 319 ), the aperture down means 327 and the flash means 328 shown in fig1 a and 10b are not shown in fig1 a and 13b . the object of the sixth embodiment is to further save electric power by swiftly returning the correction optical means 216 to a predetermined range and locking it there after the switch sw1 is turned off ( after the blur suppression off command means 321 outputs a signal ). the ratio altering control means 221 receives a signal from the blur suppression off command means 221 and gradually reduces the amplification ratio of the blur suppression sensitivity altering means 246 . the ratio altering control means 221 is reset when the switch sw1 of the release means 217 is turned on . with the above construction , if the switch sw1 is turned off and the blur suppression off command means 321 outputs a signal , the ratio altering control means 221 gradually reduces the amplification ratio of the blur suppression sensitivity altering means 246 . in other words , performance of blur suppression is gradually lowered . accordingly , the amount of shift per unit time of the correction optical means 216 becomes smaller . fig1 a shows the amount of shift of the correction optical means 216 in the zoom - tele mode . after the switch sw1 is turned off , the amount of shift per unit time of the correction optical means 216 of this embodiment ( solid line ) becomes smaller and smaller than that of the control without using the ratio altering control means 221 ( broken line ). when the correction optical means 216 enters the predetermined range 331 , the target value of the blur suppression change - over means 212 is set to be zero and the correction optical means 216 is set to be at the zero position and locked there and the coil is short - circuited , in the same way with the construction shown in fig1 a and 10b . as a result , the correction optical means 216 enters the predetermined driving range earlier than the control ( broken line ) by a time lapse t . in the zoom - wide mode , the &# 34 ; predetermined &# 34 ; driving range after the switch sw1 is turned off is wider , as shown in fig1 b . accordingly , the blur suppression operation can finish even earlier . fig1 a and 15b are block diagrams schematically showing the construction of the blur prevention camera of the seventh embodiment according to the present invention . in this embodiment , the ratio altering control means 221 of the sixth embodiment shown in fig1 a and 13b is replaced by a sensor output calculator control means 222 . the sensor output calculator control means 222 receives a signal from the blur suppression off command means 321 and varies frequency characteristics of the sensor output calculator in the vibration detection means 211 . for example , from the time the signal from the blur suppression off command means 321 is received , the part of the components on the lower frequency side to be attenuated is gradually increased by properly varying the frequency characteristics of the sensor output calculator ( for example , at first components lower than 0 . 1 hz are . . . , then those lower than 0 . 5 hz , and further lower than 1 hz , and so on ). the lower frequency components of the vibration of hands cause greater deviation than the higher frequency components . therefore , if the frequency characteristics of the sensor output calculator is properly varied so that the attenuation ratio of the lower frequency components can be increased , the target value is reduced . thus , an effect similar to that of the sixth embodiment having the construction shown in fig1 a and 13b can be obtained . that is , the amount of shift of the correction optical means 216 can be gradually reduced . this operation will be described here in detail . fig1 a shows the construction of the vibration detection means 211 , which comprises a deviation detection sensor 211a ( angular velocity meter such as a vibration gyro ) for outputting an angular velocity ω and a sensor output calculator 211b for calculating the output of the deviation detection sensor 211a . the sensor output calculator 211b comprises of a high - pass filter for attenuating the lower frequency components and an integrator for integrating the angular velocity to obtain an angle θ . if the sensor output calculator 211b is an analog circuit as shown in fig1 a , its high - pass filter comprises of a condenser 223 , variable resistance 224 and an operational amplifier 225 , while its integrator comprises a condenser 227 , a resistance 226 and an operational amplifier . fig1 a shows the frequency characteristics of the sensor output calculator 211b , wherein the components lower than 0 . 1 hz are gradually attenuated ( solid line 229 ), while the components higher than 0 . 1 hz are integrated ( solid line 410 ). note that attenuation of the higher frequency components at a constant ratio is equivalent to integration thereof . if the sensor output calculator control means 222 decreases the resistance of the variable resistance 224 ( that is , decreases the time constant ), the frequency characteristics of the sensor output calculator 211b are changed as shown by the broken line 411 , wherein the components lower than 0 . 5 hz are attenuated , and further as shown by the broken line 412 , wherein the components lower than 1 hz are attenuated . fig1 b shows the deviation output 415a of the sensor output calculator 211b before altering its frequency characteristics , wherein the deviation output 415a consists of low frequency vibration having a large amplitude and high frequency vibration having a small amplitude . fig1 c shows the output of the sensor output calculator 211b when the frequency characteristics of the sensor output calculator 211b are altered by the sensor output calculator control means 222 so that the low frequency vibration having a large amplitude is attenuated . by altering the frequency characteristics as described above , the amplitude of the deviation output 415a is reduced . as a result , the correction optical means 216 enters the predetermined driving range earlier , which exhibits the same effect as shown in fig1 a and 14b . fig1 a and 18b are block diagrams schematically showing the construction of the blur prevention camera of the eighth embodiment according to the present invention . in this embodiment , the sensor output calculator control means shown in fig1 a and 15b is replaced by a present position hold means 231 , a centripetal force input means 232 , a buffer means 233 and a reverse means 234 . the present position hold means 231 receives a signal from the blur suppression off command means 321 , and holds and stores the present position of the correction optical means 216 in a sample holder 231a . the centripetal force input means 232 with its switch terminal 232a normally connected with a terminal 232c ( such as gnd ) connects the switch terminal 232a with a terminal 232b when the signal from the blur suppression off command means 321 is applied to the centripetal force input means 232 . thus , the present position of the correction optical means 216 held in the sample holder 231a is applied to the buffer means 233 . the buffer means 233 is a low - pass filter comprising known rc ( resistances and condensers ) circuits for gradually increasing its output from zero up to the value of the applied present position . the output of the buffer means 233 is applied to the reverse means 234 whose output is gradually decreased from zero to the negative value of the present position . the output of the reverse means 234 is added to the target value from the ratio altering means 247 , and the resultant value is applied to the drive means 215 . suppose the present position of the correction optical means 216 is - d at the time the switch sw1 is turned off , as shown in fig1 a . in this case , as the output of the reverse means 234 increases from zero to + d , the correction optical means 216 is , while suppressing vibration , moved from the present position of - d toward the zero position . ( note that the broken line in fig1 shows the amount of shift of the correction optical means 216 of the control without the present position hold means 231 , the centripetal force input means 232 , the buffer means 233 and the reverse means 234 described above ). when the correction optical means 216 enters the predetermined driving range , the position of the correction optical means 216 at that time is set as the zero position , where the correction optical means 216 is locked and its coil is short - circuited . with the above - mentioned construction , the blur suppression operation can be finished earlier than the control ( broken line ) by a time lapse t &# 39 ;. when the present position of the correction optical means 216 at the time the switch sw1 is turned off is greater than that shown in fig1 b ( that is , - d &# 39 ; shown in fig1 b ), the correction optical means 216 is returned with greater centripetal force . as a result , the blur suppression operation can also be finished earlier . though , in the fifth to eighth embodiments described above ( see fig1 a through 19b ), the blur suppression operation is finished when the correction optical means 216 enters the predetermined driving range and is locked there after the switch sw1 is turned off , the blur suppression operation may be stopped and the correction optical means 216 may be locked when a predetermined time lapse has passed by since the switch sw1 was turned off . fig2 a and 20b are block diagrams schematically showing the construction of the blur prevention camera of the ninth embodiment according to the present invention . the construction of this embodiment is different from the construction shown in fig1 a and 10b in that the driving range detection means 329 is replaced by a timer 4 ( 248 ) as well as the and gate 322a of the target value input inhibition means 322 by an or gate 322b . the timer 4 ( 248 ), when signals from the zoom information output means 311 and the focus information output means 310 are received , changes its count time t 7 , wherein t 7 is decreased in the zoom - wide mode and / or at the time of nearest end focus . the timer 4 ( 248 ), when the off - signal of switch sw1 from the release means 217 is received , starts counting and continues output , for example , for two seconds at the time of infinite focus . the output of the timer 4 ( 248 ) is applied to one terminal of the or gate of the target value input stop means 322 . then , the target value input stop means 322 is actuated to reset the target value of the blur suppression changeover means 212 as zero . as a result , in the same way with the construction shown in fig1 a and 10b the correction optical means 216 is set at the zero point and locked there , and the coil is short - circuited . since the target value input stop means 322 is provided with the or gate 322b , the blur suppression operation can be finished and the correction optical means 216 can be locked by the forced blur suppression off means 323 after a predetermined time lapse t 4 ( or t &# 39 ; 4 + t 4 ) has passed by since the switch sw1 was turned on , even if the switch sw11 is not turned off . as shown in fig2 , after the time lapse t 7 ( which is varied according to the zoom modes ( tele / wide ) and the focal length ) from the time , the switch sw1 was turned off , the correction optical means 216 is set to be at the zero position . the photographer seldom continues to look into the finder for a long time after the switch sw1 is turned off . accordingly , if the count time t 7 is determined to be longer ( e . g . 3 sec ) than the time for which the photographer is expected to continue to look into the finder , the photographer does not have to see an unpleasant change of framing . the construction shown in fig2 a and 20b is different from that shown in fig1 a and 10b in another point . that is , the shutter operation of the exposure means 316 is controlled , not by the flash means 328 and the aperture down means 327 , but by the output of the forced blur suppression off means 2 ( 319 ). in short , when the exposure time is longer than the time t 8 for which the blur suppression operation is continued , the shutter is closed during the exposure in order to prevent deteriorated images caused by a deviation . fig2 a to 22e explain the blur suppression mechanism , as fig1 a to 12e . after the time lapse t 8 has passed by if a deviation is expected to cause deteriorated images , the shutter is closed to stop the exposure . needless to say , if desirable , insufficient exposure may be compensated by flashing the stroboscope immediately before the shutter is closed . fig2 a and 23b are block diagrams schematically showing the construction of the blur prevention camera of the tenth embodiment according to the present invention . the construction shown in fig2 a and 23b is different from the construction shown in fig1 a and 13b in that the driving range detection means 329 is replaced by the timer 4 ( 248 ) as well as the and gate 322a of the target value input stop means 322 by the or gate 322b . as described with respect to the construction shown in fig1 a and 13b , the amplification ratio of the target value outputted from the blur suppression sensitivity altering means 246 is gradually reduced after turning off the switch sw1 . such alternation of the amplification ratio is performed in order to let the correction optical means 16 enter the predetermined driving range earlier and finish the blur suppression operation earlier . a similar effect can be obtained if the blur suppression operation is performed for a predetermined time counted from the time the switch sw1 is turned on . with the construction shown in fig2 a and 23b , when the switch sw1 is turned on , the timer 4 ( 248 ) starts counting . and after a time lapse t 7 ( e . g . 1 sec ), the timer 4 ( 248 ) outputs a signal to stop the blur suppression operation and lock the correction optical means 16 . the time t 4 to be counted by the timer 4 ( 248 ) is changed even during the focusing operation . and the time t 4 is reduced in the zoom - wide mode and / or at the time of nearest end focus . when the focal length is small , the photographer is not disturbed by the large amount of shift of the correction optical means 216 returning to the zero position . accordingly , the correction optical means 216 can be returned to the zero position with a somewhat large amplification ratio of the blur suppression sensitivity altering means 246 in a short time t 7 . fig2 a and 24b show the amount of shift of the correction optical means 216 in the zoom - tele mode and in the zoom - wide mode , respectively . in the zoom - tele mode , the blur suppression operation is stopped after a time lapse t 7 from the time the switch sw1 is turned off , wherein the correction optical means 216 is stopped in the vicinity of the zero position . on the other hand , in the zoom - wide mode , the correction optical means 216 is stopped before it comes in the vicinity of the zero position , because the time lapse t 7 during which the correction optical means 216 is driven is shorter than that in the zoom - tele mode . in this way , the blur suppression operation can be finished earlier . fig2 a and 25b are block diagrams schematically showing the construction of the blur prevention camera of the eleventh embodiment according to the present invention . this construction is different from the construction shown in fig1 a and 15b in that the driving range detection means 329 is replaced by the timer 4 ( 248 ). the modification from the construction of fig1 a and 15b to that of fig2 a and 25b is similar to the modification from the construction of fig1 a to 14b to that of fig1 a and 15b . that is , the time lapse t 7 of the timer 4 ( 248 ) is determined according to the control means 22 changed as the sensor output calculator control means 22 reduces the timer constant of the sensor output calculator . with the present construction , desirable effects similar to those of fig2 a and 24b can be obtained . fig2 a and 26b are block diagrams schematically showing the construction of the twelfth embodiment according to the present invention . the modification from the construction shown in fig1 a and 18b to that of fig2 a and 26b is similar to the modification from the construction of fig1 a and 13b to that of fig2 a and 23b . that is , the time lapse t 7 of the timer 4 ( 248 ) is determined according to the time during which the correction optical means 216 is gradually returned from the position when the switch sw1 is turned off toward the zero position while performing the blur suppression operation . with this construction , the correction optical means 216 reaches in the vicinity of the zero position after the predetermined time ( t 7 ) from the time the switch sw1 is turned off , as shown in fig2 a and 27b . thus , little change in framing occurs when the blur suppression is stopped . accordingly , the photographer does not see unpleasant disturbance of framing . in the above - mentioned fifth to twelfth embodiments , the blur suppression operation is continued after the switch sw1 is turned off . and the blur suppression operation is stopped when the correction optical means 216 enters the predetermined driving range or after the predetermined time lapse . as a result , the blur prevention system of each of these embodiments can prevent unpleasant disturbance of framing when the switch sw1 is turned off . by varying said &# 34 ; predetermined driving range &# 34 ; and / or said &# 34 ; predetermined time lapse &# 34 ; according to the focal length of the lenses , the blur suppression operation of these embodiments can be finished earlier . in addition , by modifying the operations of the exposure means 316 such as flash of the stroboscope , aperture operation , shutter close operation , and so on , deterioration of the images caused by vibration can be reduced in these embodiments . in the fifth to twelfth embodiments according to the present invention , as described above , the blur suppression operation is continued by the blur prevention system even after the signal to stop the operation is received . and there is provided the blur suppression control means for stopping the blur suppression operation when the correcting lens of the correction optical means enters a certain driving range which is variable according to the focal length of the photographing lenses or after a certain time lapse which is variable according to the focal length of the photographing lenses . or , there is provided a blur suppressions control means for reducing , in a predetermined time , the ratio of amount of correction performed by the blur prevention system according to the target value , and a blur suppression stop means for continuing the blur suppression operation after receiving the signal to stop the blur suppression of the blur prevention system and for stopping it when the correction optical means enters a certain driving range which is variable according to the focal length of the photographing lenses or after a certain time lapse which is variable according to the focal length of the photographing lenses . or , there is provided a blur suppression control means for changing , at predetermined points of time , the frequency characteristics of the blur prevention system , and a blur suppression stop means for continuing the blur suppression operation after receiving the signal to stop the blur suppression of the blur prevention system and for stopping it when the correction optical means enters a certain driving range which is variable according to the focal length of the photographing lenses or after a certain time lapse which is variable according to the focal length of the photographing lenses . in short , in the fifth to twelfth embodiments , the blur suppression operation is continued even after the blur suppression stop signal is generated , while the correction optical means is inhibited from being driven after stopping the blur suppression operation by stopping the blur suppression operation when the correction optical means enters a predetermined driving range during the blur suppression operation , or by gradually reducing , in a predetermined time , the blur suppression sensitivity after receiving the blur suppression stop signal . at the same time , said driving range and / or the time lapse are varied according to the focal length of the photographing lenses . more specifically , in the zoom - wide mode , the driving range is broadened and / or the time lapse is lengthened . in this way , the time to perform the blur suppression operation can be reduced to save electric power . at the same time , unpleasant disturbance of framing ( the image the photographer sees when looking into the finder ) caused when the blur suppression operation is stopped can be made to be negligible . in some of these embodiments according to the present invention , there is provided a blur suppression control means for commanding , after a predetermined time has lapsed from the beginning of the exposure , the exposure means to perform an aperture down operation , a flash operation , a shutter close operation . at a result , in each embodiment , deterioration of the images caused by vibration can be remarkably reduced . the present invention can be applied not only to the image recording operation of a silver salt camera which exposes film to light , but also to that of a video camera . though the initializing operation is started when the signal to start image recording is outputted in the above - mentioned embodiments , the initializing operation may be started when a signal other than the image recording start signal is outputted , for example , when the signal to start photometry and / or range measuring ( generated right after the on - signal of switch sw1 in the above - mentioned embodiments ) or the signal to start displaying the image in the finder according to the image signal is outputted . though , in the above - mentioned embodiments , the correction optical means is driven toward the center of its driving range during the initializing operation , the correction driven optical means may be driven toward a target position other than the center of the driving range . the apparatus of the present invention can be operated from outside not only by directly touching the operation unit ( such as the release button , in the above - mentioned embodiments ), but also without directly touching the apparatus , for example , with a remote - controller . the constructions of the appended claims and of the above - mentioned embodiments , including points of their constructions , may be separately applied to different devices or to different parts of a camera . for example , the deviation detection means is provided in the main body of the camera , and the deviation correction means is provided in the lens barrel mounted on the main body of the camera , while the control means for controlling said means is provided in the intermediate adaptor . the blur suppression means according to the present invention is not limited to those which actually perform blur suppression , but may include those which indirectly prevent a blur by warning the user by sound , light , or the like , of actual and / or possible vibration . the deviation detection means employed in the present invention may be any device capable of deviation detection , including an angular accerelation meter , an angular velocity meter , a speed meter , an angular displacement sensor , a displacement sensor , a detector for detecting the vibration of the finder image itself , and so on . the blur suppression means according to the present invention is not limited to the shift optical system for driving the optical member in a plane vertical to the optical axis , but may be any device capable of preventing a blur , including a light beam altering means such as a variable apex angle prism , a device for shifting the photographing area in a plane vertical to the optical axis , a device for correcting the blur by image processing and so on . the present invention may be applied to a single - lens reflex camera , a lens shutter camera , a video camera , and to an optical apparatus other than a camera , other kinds of apparatus , and further to a constituent unit of these apparatuses . the constructions and technical ideas , including any part of them , of the above - mentioned embodiments may be employed in combination with each other , if desirable . the individual components shown in schematic or block form in the drawings are all well - known in the camera arts and their specific construction and operation are not critical to the operation or best mode for carrying out the invention . while the present invention has been described with respect to what is presently considered to be the preferred embodiments , it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments . to the contrary , the invention is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims . the scope of the following claims is to be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent structures and functions . | 6 |
a method and apparatus for displaying and exploring controlled vocabulary data will be described . in the following description , specific method steps and procedures are described in order to give a more thorough understanding of the present invention . in other instances , well known elements such as the operating system and specific software functions are not described in detail so as not to obscure the present invention unnecessarily . referring first to fig1 a block diagram of a general purpose computer system which can be used to implement the method of the present invention is illustrated . specifically , fig1 shows a general purpose computer system 150 for use in practicing the present invention . as shown in fig1 computer system 110 includes a central processing unit ( cpu ) 111 , read - only memory ( rom ) 112 , random access memory ( ram ) 113 , expansion ram 145 , input / output ( i / o ) circuitry 115 , display assembly 116 , input device 117 , and expansion bus 120 . the computer system 110 may also optionally include a mass storage unit 119 such as a disk drive unit or nonvolatile memory such as flash memory and a real - time clock 121 . some type of mass storage 119 generally is considered desirable . however , mass storage 119 can be eliminated by providing a sufficient mount of ram 113 and expansion ram 114 to store user application programs and data . in that case , rams 113 and 114 can optionally be provided with a backup battery to prevent the loss of data even when computer system 110 is turned off . however , it is generally desirable to have some type of long term mass storage 119 such as a commercially available hard disk drive , nonvolatile memory such as flash memory , battery backed ram , pc - data cards , or the like . the controlled vocabulary data which is stored in the present invention will be generally stored on mass storage device 119 . in operation , information is input into the computer system 110 by typing on a keyboard , manipulating a mouse or trackball , or “ writing ” on a tablet or on a position - sensing screen of display assembly 116 . cpu 111 then processes the data under control of an operating system and an application program , such as a program to perform steps of the inventive method described above , stored in rom 112 and / or ram 113 . cpu 111 then typically produces data which is output to the display assembly 116 to produce appropriate images on its screen . suitable computers for use in implementing the present invention are well known in the art and may be obtained from various vendors . the preferred embodiment of the present invention is intended to be implemented on a personal computer system or web server . various other types of computers , however , may be used depending upon the size and complexity of the required tasks . suitable computers include mainframe computers , multiprocessor computers and workstations . typically , the program of the present invention will be stored on mass storage device 119 until a user of the computer system 111 initiates its operation . portions of the program may then be transferred to ram 113 while the program executes . alternatively , the program of the present invention may reside in ram 113 or rom 112 . referring next to fig2 a display window in a graphical user interface ( gui ) on the display device of the computer system which incorporates a method of displaying and exploring controlled vocabulary data is illustrated . as shown in fig2 the display window 200 consists of four major different regions 210 , 220 , 230 and 240 . each performs different functions with regard to the display and exploration of controlled vocabulary data . appropriate programming instructions ( which are well known to those of skill in the art ) are used to generate the display window 200 . the various elements of the display window 200 and their various functions will now be described . display pane 210 is used to display the controlled vocabulary terms 201 , 202 , 203 , etc . in the usual case , the terms of the controlled vocabulary are logically organized into a hierarchical structure . thus , fig2 shows the controlled vocabulary terms displayed in the same hierarchical manner in display pane 210 . the controlled vocabulary terms are not limited to being displayed in the hierarchical format . in an alternative embodiment , the terms are organized alphabetically . other arrangements can be used with equal effectiveness , such as string length or chronologically ( e . g ., by date of creation ). a user of the system can navigate through the hierarchy by using standard interface tools for the gui , such as cursor keys or a pointing device . the user can explore the controlled vocabulary data by moving through the hierarchy . this permits the user to select terms of interest in the controlled vocabulary . suitable icons are provided on the toolbar 240 to permit manipulation of the controlled vocabulary data . for example , toolbar 240 includes buttons to generate a new descriptor 211 , and to delete 212 or edit 213 an existing descriptor . icons are also provided to permit the user to change the display of the controlled vocabulary data . a user can expand the hierarchy tree ( or a portion thereof ) using the expand button 216 or collapse it using the collapse button 216 . the controlled vocabulary data can be refreshed using the refresh button 217 . the controlled vocabulary can be changed from hierarchical to alphabetical format using button 218 . the programming steps which are used to create the functionality of these icons are well known to those of skill in the art . display pane 220 permits detailed information concerning a selected controlled vocabulary term to be displayed . the detailed information is automatically retrieved by the computer system whenever the user selects a term in display pane 210 . a method of retrieving controlled vocabulary data in the form of thesaurus data which is used in the present invention is described in co - pending patent application ser . no . ______ , assigned to the assignee of the present invention . this arrangement allows the user to navigate vocabularies and view the detailed information of the current descriptor simultaneously . as the user navigates the hierarchy tree , he always knows where a particular descriptor is in the tree and what information it contains at the same time . the display window 200 also contains a search pane 230 which enables the user to utilize the controlled vocabulary to perform a search of a data repository ( such as the internet ) with greater precision and accuracy . a system and method for internet search using controlled vocabulary data which is used in the present invention is described in co - pending patent application ser . no . ______ , assigned to the assignee of the present invention . [ 0024 ] fig2 illustrates the major elements 210 , 220 , 230 and 240 of the display window arranged in a specific format . it will be apparent to those of skill in the art that the specific sizes , shapes and arrangements of the elements of the display window 200 can vary from what is illustrated in fig2 . in addition , specific elements , such as the toolbar 240 or the search pane 230 may be eliminated or hidden without departing from the overall spirit and scope of the present invention . all that is necessary is that the display window 200 provides a means for displaying and manipulating the controlled vocabulary data as described above . the preferred embodiment of the present invention also includes a means for searching long lists of controlled vocabulary data . in particular , the present invention provides a means for searching and browsing a list of controlled vocabulary terms which are arranged in an alphabetical format . referring next to fig3 there is shown an index button 151 which is provided in the gui whenever a long list of controlled vocabulary data is displayed in an alphabetical format . clicking on the index button activates the index pop - up menu 153 . the index pop - up menu 153 uses an approach similar to dictionaries . it is more efficient because it uses a two - level index . terms in the long list of controlled vocabulary data are arranged by two alphabetical letters . numeric and special characters can also be used if they are in the controlled vocabulary , as shown in fig2 . the pop - up menu 153 lists the first letters ( or other character ) of all of the terms in the controlled vocabulary . selecting any character on index pop - up menu 153 activates a second pop - up menu 155 . in the example of fig2 the letter “ c ” has been selected on pop - up menu 153 . the user can then select any second character on pop - up menu 155 to obtain a list of all terms in the controlled vocabulary which begin with the two specified characters . the pop - up menus 153 and 155 are dynamically generated and include only those indexes that have data . as a result , the menu is always kept as short as possible and every mouse click by the user will produce results . a means for conducting boolean keyword searches is also provided . the preferred embodiment of the present invention utilizes a two - character index for the pop - up menus 153 and 155 . it will be apparent to those of skill in the art that a greater number of characters may be provided if desired . accordingly , a method and apparatus for displaying and exploring controlled vocabulary data has been described . it is to be understood that the foregoing description has been made with respect to specific embodiments thereof for illustrative purposes only . the overall scope of the present invention is limited only by the following claims . | 6 |
[ 0024 ] fig1 illustrates one exemplary embodiment of a container of the present invention , which is generally referred to as 10 . the container 10 may include a plurality of support members such as loop segments 12 circumferentially disposed around a base member such as a circular rim 14 . each loop segment 12 may include a first distal end 13 and a second distal end 15 , as more clearly shown in fig2 . each distal end 13 and 15 may be rotatably connected with a rim 14 by any conventional means such as an eyelet formed in each end as an integral part of a loop segment 12 or other appropriate means . the loop segments 12 may be disposed around rim 14 so that the first distal end 13 of one loop segment 12 overlaps the second distal end 15 of the adjacent loop segment 12 immediately next to it . alternatively , the distal ends 13 and 15 of adjacent loop segments 12 may abut one another rather than overlap . a plurality of stoppers 17 may be disposed on the circumference of rim 14 to prevent movement of the distal ends of the loop segments 12 outside a predetermined distance on the rim 14 . stoppers 17 may be round metal knobs affixed to the rim 14 by any conventional means such as spot welding or soldering , for example . [ 0025 ] fig1 also illustrates load - bearing means 16 , which may be rigidly affixed by any conventional means , such as spot welding or soldering , to one or more loop segments 12 . in one exemplary embodiment , load - bearing means 16 are affixed to alternating loop segments 12 and are adapted to receive a portion of an adjacent loop segment 12 when all loop segments 12 are moved to an extended or usable configuration . in its extended configuration the interior of container 10 defines a volume within which an object may be placed , as best shown in fig6 . load - bearing means 16 may be affixed near a curvilinear portion 18 of loop segment 12 or they may be affixed to other portions of loop segment 12 to accommodate for adjustments to the size or shape of container 10 . additionally , when affixed to loop segment 12 , load - bearing means 16 may define a plane that is oblique to or offset from a plane defined by loop segment 12 . the load - bearing means 16 may define an opening 20 for receiving a portion of an adjacent loop segment 12 when the container 10 is in its usable configuration , as best shown in fig6 . as can be appreciated from fig1 and 6 , container 10 may be transformed from a substantially planar configuration to an extended configuration for holding an object . in the extended position , the support members , such as loop segments 12 , of the container 10 define a substantially hemispherical volume within which a potted plant or other objects may be placed . load - bearing means 16 may be configured substantially as a hook as shown in fig1 which may include a first leg 22 extending substantially perpendicular from loop segment 12 and a second leg 24 extending at a substantially right angle from first leg 22 . this configuration may define an opening 20 between second leg 24 and the loop segment 12 . load - bearing means 16 may be formed by alternate configurations such as an arcuate or hook shaped wire , or a straight wire segment , for example , extending from loop segment 12 . in one exemplary embodiment , first leg 22 and second leg 24 receive a portion of an adjacent loop segment 12 when the container 10 is in its extended or usable position , as shown in fig6 . in this manner , a portion of the adjacent loop segment 12 may impinge upon the first leg 22 and / or the second leg 24 either under its own weight or when an additional force is exerted on the loop segments 12 when an object is placed within container 10 . a portion of any adjacent loop segment may also impinge on a portion of the adjacent loop segment to which the load - bearing means is affixed when the container 10 is in its extended position . [ 0028 ] fig3 and 4 illustrate another exemplary embodiment of a container of the present invention , which is generally referred to as 30 . container 30 may include a plurality of support members such as the depending support member rods 32 . rods 32 may rotatably engage a first brace 34 by any conventional means such as an eyelet formed in a proximal end 36 of rod 32 . rods 32 may be curvilinear to define a volume for accepting an object of similar shape or they may be substantially liner or have right angles to form a rectangular volume , for example . load - bearing means may be formed in the distal end 38 of rod 32 such as a hook 40 , which may be formed as an integral part of rod 32 , or affixed thereto by conventional means . alternately , load - bearing means may comprise a clamp , latching mechanism or other suitable configurations . hook 40 may be releasably inserted into a corresponding aperture 42 formed within a corresponding tab 44 . tab 44 may extend substantially horizontally from a base 46 . hook 40 bears the load exerted by rod 32 under its own weight and additional load exerted on the container 30 when an object is placed therein . in one exemplary embodiment , three rods 32 rotatably depend from a first brace 34 with hooks 40 being releasably inserted into corresponding apertures 42 formed in corresponding tabs 44 . load - bearing means such as a catch 48 may be provided on one or more of the rods 32 for receiving a support member such as a second brace 50 . the first brace 34 and second brace 50 may rotatably engage a base member such as a substantially planar back plate 46 . back plate 46 may be formed of intersecting metal strips , for example , or it may be other configurations such as a solid piece of lightweight metal . first brace 34 and second brace 50 may rotatably engage back plate 46 by any conventional means , such as a hook and eyelet , so that they may be articulated between a collapsed position and an extended or usable position . in the extended position shown in fig4 the catch 48 may define an open end 52 for receiving the second brace 50 . the catch 48 bears the load exerted by the second brace 50 under its own weight and an additional load exerted by the container 30 when an object is placed therein . [ 0029 ] fig5 illustrates another exemplary embodiment of a container of the present invention , which is generally referred to as 60 . container 60 may include supporting members such as side frames 62 and end frames 64 . side frames 62 and end frames 64 may rotatably engage a base member such as the substantially planar frame 65 by any conventional means . for example , hooks 66 may be formed in the side and end frames and be secured over a portion of the planar frame 65 so that the frames 62 and 64 may be articulated between a collapsed position and an extended or usable position . container 60 is substantially planar when in the collapsed position . load - bearing means such as hooks 68 may be disposed near the top portion of end frames 64 so they releasably engage a portion of the side frames 62 when container 60 is in its extended position . hooks 66 bear the load exerted by end frames 64 under their own weight and additional load when container 60 contains an object . while the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described herein , it will be obvious that such embodiments are provided by way of example only . numerous variations , changes and substitutions will occur to those of skill in the art without departing from the invention herein . accordingly , it is intended that the invention be limited only by the spirit and scope of the appended claims . | 0 |
the present invention relates to a method of enhancing patient response to protein therapy ( e . g ., ert or coagulation therapy ). the method is described in detail with reference to pompe disease patients receiving rhgaa ( e . g ., cho - produced hgaa ), however , the approach described herein is applicable to patients suffering from other lysosomal storage diseases ( e . g ., gaucher &# 39 ; s disease ( caused by inactivation of the enzyme glucocerebrosidase ), fabry disease ( characterized by a deficiency of α - galactosidase a ), niemann - pick disease ( caused by inactivation of the enzyme sphingomyelinase in types a and b disease ), and mucopolysaccharidoses ( caused by a deficiency of enzymes that catalyze the degradation of specific glycosaminoglycans )), insulin - dependent diabetes or hemophilias ( e . g ., hemophilia b ( caused by a deficiency of coagulation factor ix ) or hemophilia a ( caused by a mutation of the factor viii gene , leading to a deficiency in factor viii )). the present method is also applicable to pompe disease patients treated with other forms of gaa . the present method is also applicable to individuals with certain food allergies . the method of the invention addresses an immunological complication observed in certain patients undergoing ert ( or other protein therapy ) ( e . g ., patients in which the relevant enzyme ( or other protein ) deficiency stems from an underlying null mutation ( s ), or patients that become sensitized to the therapeutic protein over time ). this complication involves the production in the patient undergoing ert ( or other protein therapy ) of antibodies to the foreign protein . these antibodies can result in the patient not responding efficaciously in the long term to ert ( or other protein therapy ). for example , crim - negative pompe disease subjects undergoing ert produce high levels of anti - gaa antibodies and demonstrate reduced therapeutic efficacy ( amalfitano et al , genet . med . 3 : 132 - 138 ( 2001 )). similar immunological complications have been encountered in hemophilia b patients ( herzog et al , mol . ther . 4 : 192 - 200 ( 2001 ), dimechele , br . j . haematol . 138 ( 3 ): 305 - 315 ( 2007 )). the present invention provides a strategy for effecting immunosuppression in such patients that is based , at least in part , on induction of immune tolerance . in a specific ( exemplary ) embodiment , the present invention relates to a method a treating pompe disease comprising : i ) administering to a patient in need thereof an immunosuppressive , subtherapeutic dose of an aav vector ( or other vector having high tropism for the liver ) ( for example , a pseudotype aav vector packaged with aav serotype 2 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 or 12 ; e . g ., aav2 / 8 ) comprising a nucleic acid sequence encoding gaa ( e . g ., human gaa ), or peptide derived from gaa ( for example , a peptide derivable by protease digestion of gaa ( a nucleic acid encoding 70 kd mature gaa can be used )), operably linked to a liver - specific promoter , and ii ) administering to the patient gaa in an amount and under conditions such that the treatment is effected . while aav vector - mediated induction of immune tolerance is exemplified below , non - viral vectors ( e . g ., plasmid dna ) and other viral vectors ( e . g ., helper - dependent adenoviral , lentiviral and retroviral vectors ) can also be used . for example , an hdad vector containing an abbreviated pepck promoter to drive hgaa did not provoke antibody formation in gaa - ko mice ( kiang et al , mol . ther . 13 : 127 - 134 ( 2006 ), epub 2005 oct . 5 ). aav vectors are preferred and have been promoted for gene therapy in genetic disease due a lack of toxicity and demonstrated long - term transgene expression ( mccarty et al , annu . rev . genet . 38 : 819 - 845 ( 2004 )). as pointed out above , patients in need of the present therapeutic approach include those who would otherwise experience immunological complications characterized by the production of interfering levels of antibodies against the therapeutic protein ( e . g ., anti - gaa antibodies ). the number of viral particles suitable for administration to such subjects can vary , for example , with the nature of the particle , the patient , etc . advantageously , the number of particles administered is sufficient to induce immune tolerance but subtherapeutic ( a subtherapeutic dose is one that fails to elevate , for example , gaa activity in plasma or in skeletal muscle in the absence of ert . by way of example , doses for aav2 can range from 1 × 10 8 to 1 × 10 12 viral particles / kg body weight , 40 × 10 10 to 40 × 10 11 viral particles / kg being preferred . for other serotypes of aav ( e . g ., 1 , 2 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 12 , etc ), 1 × 10 7 to 1 × 10 12 viral particles / kg body weight can be used , 40 × 10 8 to 20 × 10 11 viral particles / kg being preferred . also by way of example , plasmid dna , approximately 50 μg / ml , can be administered at 20 ml / kg body weight , or 1 mg / kg . viral vectors can be administered , for example , intravenously , orally or intranasally . plasmid dna can be administered , for example , hydrodynamically with balloon catheter occlusion of the inferior vena cava ( ivc ). a single administration preferred . the administration regimen of the viral particles ( or non - viral vectors ) and the ert ( or , for example , coagulation therapy ) can vary ( e . g ., with the patient ). for induction of immune tolerance , viral particles ( or non - viral vectors ) can be administered , for example , about 12 months , 9 months , 6 months , 3 months , 6 weeks , 3 weeks , 2 weeks or 1 week in advance of the commencement of ert ( or other protein therapy ) ( note below description relating to desensitization ) ( e . g ., the viral particles can be administered about 3 days prior to initiation of ert at about 8 × 10 11 particles / kg ). alternatively , the viral particles can be administered coincidentally with or subsequent to the commencement of ert . administration of the viral particles subsequent to commencement of ert can be used to reduce titers of , for example , existing anti - gaa antibodies or to prevent the appearance of high titers of such antibodies . advantageously , the viral particles are administered prior to the appearance of high titers of anti - gaa antibodies ( e . g ., igg antibodies ), that is , prior to the development of an antibody response that significantly reduces ert efficacy . this approach allows early treatment with the enzyme , for example , prior to determination of crim status . this is a clear advantage for crim - negative pompe disease patients . preferably , the viral particles are administered prior to the appearance of igg anti - gaa antibody titers of 1 : 50 , 000 , more preferably , prior to the appearance of antibody titers of 1 : 25 , 000 , still more preferably , prior to the appearance of antibody titers of 1 : 12 , 500 , 1 : 6 , 000 , 1 : 3000 or 1 : 800 and , most preferably , prior to the appearance of antibody titers of 1 : 400 . seroconversion of crim - negative patients can occur by 4 weeks of ert ( kishnani et al , mol . genet . metab . 99 : 26 - 33 ( 2010 )), thus , viral particles are administered , advantageously , within 1 , 2 , 3 or 4 weeks of initiation of ert . the optimum dosing regimen can be determined by one skilled in the art and can vary , for example , with the patient , the viral particles , the effect sought , etc . in the case of ert based on gaa , rhgaa is advantageously administered in a manner consistent with the myozyme prescribing information ( see www . myozyme . com ) ( see also u . s . pat . no . 7 , 056 , 712 ). the terms , “ treat ” and “ treatment ,” as used herein , refer to amelioration of one or more symptoms associated with the disease ( e . g ., pompe disease ( gsd - ii )), prevention or delay of the onset of one or more symptoms of the disease , and / or lessening of the severity or frequency of one or more symptoms of the disease . for example , treatment can refer to improvement of cardiac status ( e . g ., increase of end - diastolic and / or end - systolic volumes , or reduction , amelioration or prevention of the progressive cardiomyopathy that is typically found in gsd - ii ) or of pulmonary function ( e . g ., increase in crying vital capacity over baseline capacity , and / or normalization of oxygen desaturation during crying ); improvement in neurodevelopment and / or motor skills ( e . g ., increase in aims score ); reduction of glycogen levels in tissue of the individual affected by the disease ; or any combination of these effects . in one preferred embodiment , treatment includes improvement of cardiac status , particularly in reduction or prevention of gsd - ii - associated cardiomyopathy . the terms , “ improve ,” “ increase ” or “ reduce ,” as used herein , indicate values that are relative to a baseline measurement , such as a measurement in the same individual prior to initiation of the treatment described herein , or a measurement in a control individual ( or multiple control individuals ) in the absence of the treatment described herein . a control individual is an individual afflicted with the same form of gsd - ii ( either infantile , juvenile or adult - onset ) as the individual being treated , who is about the same age as the individual being treated ( to ensure that the stages of the disease in the treated individual and the control individual ( s ) are comparable ). in accordance with the present invention , the nucleic acid sequence encoding the therapeutic protein is present in the vector ( viral or non - viral ) in operable linkage with a liver specific or liver restricted promoter / enhancer . liver specific / restricted promoters suitable for use in the invention include lsp as well as albumin , alpha - 1 - antitrypsin , coagulation factor ix , glucose - 6 - phosphatase , liver glycogen phosphorylase , hexokinase and transthyretin promoters / enhancers , the lsp described above and in the example below being particularly preferred . as pointed out above , low numbers of vector particles can be administered , thereby minimizing the risk of genotoxic effects from chromosomal integration , which is very infrequent with aav vectors ( mccarty et al , annu . rev . genet . 38 : 819 - 845 ( 2004 ), schnepp et al , j . virol . 77 : 3495 - 3504 ( 2003 )). further , it is possible that the aav vector ( or non - viral vector ) need not persist for the life - time of the patient ( e . g ., pompe disease patient ), once immune tolerance and efficacy from ert ( or other protein therapy ) are established . however , obstacles to re - administration can be overcome with the current strategy ( halbert et al , j . virol . 71 ; 5932 - 5941 ( 1997 ), halbert et al , j . virol . 72 : 9795 - 9805 ( 1998 ), gao et al , mol . ther . 13 : 77 - 87 ( 2006 )). the proposed strategy for immunomodulatory gene therapy is advantageous because a low dose of a nontoxic viral ( or non - viral ) vector can induce immunotolerance to ert ( or other protein therapy ) in patients likely to be poorly responsive to ert ( or other protein therapy ) due to immune responses against the foreign protein ( e . g ., hgaa ). the alternative strategy , immune suppression to prevent antibody formation using , for example , cyclophosphamide , has potentially severe side effects such as bone marrow suppression , secondary infections , and malignancy . as pointed out above , the immunomodulatory gene therapy approach described herein is relevant to therapy for a variety of disorders that are complicated by immune responses , including treatment for other lysosomal storage disorders , diabetes and hemophilias . the present immunomodulatory approach to gene therapy in pompe disease has special relevance because approximately 40 % of infantile patients are crim - negative , including the majority of african american patients ( kishnani et al , neurology 68 : 99 - 109 ( 2007 ), raben et al , mol . ther . 11 : 48 - 56 ( 2005 ), kishnani et al , j . pediatr . 149 : 89 - 97 ( 2006 )). these crim - negative subjects are not expected to respond to ert once antibodies develop . infants with pompe disease can be screened for crim status prior to initiation of ert . crim - negative patients can be treated using the instant immunomodulatory , vector - mediated gene therapeutic approach described herein . gaa expression with a liver - specific promoter can potentially prevent or reverse both humoral and cellular immune responses to introduced gaa , thereby enhancing the response to therapy in pompe disease . in a further embodiment , the present invention relates to a method of inducing desensitization in a patient suffering from a lysosomal storage disease / disorder undergoing ert or in a patient suffering from hemophilia and undergoing coagulation therapy . ( for discussion of desensitization see li et al , j . allergy clin . immunol . 112 : 159 - 167 ( 2003 ).) the method comprises administering to the ert or coagulation therapy patient a subtherapeutic amount of a viral or non - viral vector as described above . in the case of inducing desensitization , as opposed to immune suppression , the viral or non - viral vector comprising the appropriate protein encoding sequence ( operably linked to a liver specific / liver restricted promoter ) is administered after appearance of antibodies to the foreign protein ( e . g ., after appearance of anti - gaa antibodies in a pompe disease patient undergoing ert ). the method of this embodiment can induce long - term protection against the adverse effects of antibodies produced in response to , for example , ert or coagulation therapy . stated otherwise , this method can reduce antibody production and thereby restore efficacy of , for example , ert or coagulation therapy . appropriate modes of administration and dosing regimens include those described above . certain aspects of the invention can be described in greater detail in the non - limiting examples that follow and also in sun et al , am . j . hum . gen . 81 : 1042 - 1049 ( 2007 ), kishnani et al , mol . genet . metab . 99 : 26 - 33 ( 2010 ), banugaria et al , abstracts / mol . genet . metab . 99 : 187 - 237 ( 2010 ) and sun et al , mol . ther . 18 : 353 - 360 ( 2010 ) ( see also wo 2004064750 and u . s . published appln . nos . 20040204379 and 20040248262 ). briefly , 293 cells were transfected with the paav - lsphgaapa vector plasmid ( franco et al , mol . ther . 12 : 876 - 884 ( 2005 )), the aav packaging plasmid p5e18 - vd 2 / 8 ( gao et al , proc . natl . acad . sci . usa 99 : 11854 - 11859 ( 2002 )) ( courtesy of dr . james m . wilson , university of pennsylvania , philadelphia , pa . ), and padhelper ( stratagene , la jolla , calif .). cell lysate was harvested 48 hours following infection and freeze - thawed 3 times , and isolated by sucrose cushion pelleting followed by 2 cesium chloride gradient centrifugation steps . aav stocks were dialyzed against 3 changes of hanks buffer , and aliquots were stored at − 80 ° c . the number of vector dna containing - particles was determined by dnase i digestion , dna extraction , and southern blot analysis . all viral vector stocks were handled according to biohazard safety level 2 guidelines published by the nih . the lsp in paav - lsphgaapa was subcloned from paav - lsp - cfix ( courtesy of dr . inder verma , salk institute , la jolla , calif .). fig7 includes the lsp sequence . this lsp ( ill et al , blood coag . fibrinol , 8 : s23 - s30 ( 1997 )) contains a thyroid hormone - binding globulin ( mim 188600 ) promoter sequence (− 475 through + 4 ) ( hayashi et al , mol . endocrinol . 7 : 1049 - 1060 ( 1993 )) downstream from 2 copies of an α1 - microglobulin / bikunin ( mim 176870 ) enhancer sequence (− 2804 through − 2704 ) ( rouet et al , j . biol . chem . 267 : 20765 - 20773 ( 1992 )). the aav type 8 pseudotyped ( aav2 / 8 ) vector stocks were administered intravenously ( via the retroorbital sinus ) in 3 month - old gaa - ko mice ( raben et al , j . biol . chem . 273 : 19086 - 19092 ( 1998 )). at the indicated time points post - injection , plasma or tissue samples were obtained and processed as described below . all animal procedures were done in accordance with duke university institutional animal care and use committee - approved guidelines . rotarod testing was performed as described ( sun et al , mol . ther . 11 : 57 - 65 ( 2005 )). gaa activity and glycogen content were analyzed as described ( amalfitano et al , genet . med . 3 : 132 - 138 ( 2001 )). a p value of & lt ; 0 . 05 indicated a significant difference between the observed values for each group of gaa - ko mice following aav vector administration and the control group of pbs - injected gaa - ko mice . western blotting of hgaa was performed as described ( sun et al , mol . ther . 11 : 57 - 65 ( 2005 )) using the hgaa monoclonal antibody ( courtesy of genzyme corp ., framingham , mass . ), lamp - 2 rabbit polyclonal antibody ( abcam , cambridge , mass . ), and gapdh rabbit polyclonal antibody ( abcam , cambridge , mass .). the elisa was performed as described ( sun et al , mol . ther . 7 : 467 - 477 ( 2003 )). all samples yielded absorbance values that were within the linear range of the assay at this dilution . ert was modeled in gaa - ko mice by retroorbital injection of rhgaa ( 5 mg / ml ; supplied by genzyme corp ., framingham , mass .) over approximately 15 seconds at either 20 mg / kg or 100 mg / kg . when administering high - dose rhgaa ( 100 mg / kg ), pretreatment with diphenhydramine ( 5 mg / kg ) by intraperitoneal injection preceded rhgaa administration by 10 minutes . the potential role of immune tolerance in mediating the response to ert among crim - negative pompe subjects was evaluated in gaa - ko mice . a low , subtherapeutic number of aav2 / 8 vector ( franco et al , mol . ther . 12 : 876 - 884 ( 2005 )) particles was administered to 3 month - old gaa - ko mice , 6 weeks prior to an immune challenge with rhgaa . naïve , pbs - treated mice served , as mock - treated controls . an immune challenge consisting of rhgaa . ( 20 mg / kg , the standard dose for humans ( kishnani et al , neurology 68 : 99 - 109 ( 2007 ), kishnani et al , j . pediatr . 149 : 89 - 97 ( 2006 ))) was administered with modified freund &# 39 ; s adjuvant by intraperitoneal injection at 4 . 5 months old to vector - treated and mock - treated gaa - ko mice . anti - hgaa antibodies were detected only in the mock - treated gaa - ko mice at 6 and 7 . 5 months of age ( absorbance & gt ; 0 . 2 , fig1 a ). the titer for mock - treated gaa - ko mice was significantly elevated at 6 months of age , in comparison to aav vector - treated gaa - ko mice ( p = 0 . 007 ; fig1 b ). the absence of significant anti - hgaa antibodies suggested immune tolerance to hgaa following aav2 / 8 vector administration , in support of the hypothesis that gene therapy could fulfill an immunomodulatory role in crim negative infantile pompe disease . the effect of pre - existing immunity was evaluated in gaa - ko mice following immune - challenge . high - dose rhgaa ( 100 mg / kg ) was administered once at 9 months of age , following immune challenge with rhgaa and freund &# 39 ; s adjuvant at 4 . 5 months old , to seropositive mock - treated gaa - ko mice , seronegative vector treated gaa - ko mice , and to naïve gaa - ko mice that had not received rhgaa previously . this enzyme replacement regimen has reduced glycogen accumulation in the heart , but not skeletal muscle , of gaa - ko mice within 3 weeks following treatment ( unpublished data ). endurance was significantly improved only for vector - treated mice , indicating that seropositivity prevented efficacy from ert ( fig2 a ). biochemical correction was demonstrated only for seronegative , vector - treated gaa - ko mice . gaa activity was significantly elevated in the heart for seronegative gaa - ko mice , in comparison to seropositive gaa - ko mice ( fig2 b ). glycogen content was similarly reduced in the heart for seronegative gaa - ko mice ( fig2 c ). partial biochemical correction was observed in the diaphragm of vector - treated or naïve gaa - ko mice ( fig2 b and 2c ). western blotting detected higher levels of hgaa in the heart of seronegative and naïve gaa - ko mice , in comparison to seropositive mice ; therefore , the presence of anti - gaa antibodies in seropositive mice interfered with the receptor - mediated uptake of rhgaa by the heart ( fig3 ). lamp - 2 , a marker for lysosomal accumulation , was reduced in the heart for the majority of seronegative and naïve gaa - ko mice 3 weeks following rhgaa ( 100 mg / kg ); however , seropositive gaa - ko mice had persistently elevated lamp - 2 consistent with a lack of efficacy from a single high dose of rhgaa treatment ( fig3 ). these data indicated that the presence of anti - hgaa antibodies severely impacted the efficacy of ert , while immune tolerance through gene therapy greatly improved efficacy from ert . the impact of immune tolerance upon long - term ert was evaluated by comparison of the efficacy in vector - treated with mock - treated gaa - ko mice . ert was administered every other week for 12 weeks starting at 4 . 5 months old ( 20 mg / kg / dose ), consistent with recommended clinical dosages ( kishnani et al , neurology 68 : 99 - 109 ( 2007 )). mock - treated gaa - ko mice died within hours following the second or third dose of rhgaa consistent with anaphylaxis ( fig4 a ), as reported for non - tolerant gaa - ko mice ( raben et al , mol genet metab 80 : 159 - 169 ( 2003 )). endurance was significantly improved for the 10 . 5 month - old vector - treated gaa - ko mice following 12 weeks of sustained ert , in comparison to vector - treated gaa - ko mice that received no ert ( fig4 b ). taken together , these data indicated efficacy from ert only in gaa - ko mice rendered tolerant to rhgaa through gene therapy . the possibility that low - dose vector - treated mice produced secreted hgaa was evaluated by enzyme analysis of plasma , which revealed no elevation of plasma activity either following ert or without ert ( fig4 c ); consistent with this hypothesis , efficacy was associated with ert , not gene therapy alone . the efficacy of 12 weeks of sustained ert was further evaluated in vector - treated gaa - ko mice through biochemical correction of gaa deficiency and glycogen accumulations ( fig5 ), which should be corrected to prevent cardiorespiratory failure associated with this disorder ( hirschhorn et al , the metabolic and molecular basis for inherited disease , scriver et al ( eds . ), mcgraw - hill , new york , pp . 3389 - 3419 ( 2001 )). in contrast to single infusion of high - dose rhgaa , sustained ert increased the gaa activity significantly in vector - treated gaa - ko mice 2 weeks following the last injection of rhgaa , in comparison with mock - treated gaa - ko mice ( fig5 a ). the correction of glycogen content in the heart previously predicted efficacy in gaa - ko mice ( sun et al , mol . ther . 14 : 822 - 830 ( 2006 ), sun et al , mol . ther . 11 : 57 - 65 ( 2005 )). glycogen content was reduced significantly only in the heart of vector - treated mice following ert , in comparison to mock - treated gaa - ko mice , although the difference between the glycogen content of these groups also approached significance ( p = 0 . 055 ; fig5 b ). glycogen vacuolation was markedly reduced in the heart and diaphragm following ert in vector - treated mice ( fig6 ). the quadriceps were not biochemically corrected ( fig5 ), consistent with the need for higher doses of rhgaa to accomplish clearance of glycogen from the skeletal muscle of gaa - ko mice in comparison to pompe disease patients ( kishnani et al , neurology 68 : 99 - 109 ( 2007 ), raben et al , mol . ther . 6 : 601 - 608 ( 2002 )). thus , aav2 / 8 vector pretreatment mediated the clearance of stored glycogen from the heart and diaphragm following ert . in summary , these studies show that immune tolerance to rhgaa was achieved for & gt ; 18 weeks in adult , immunocompetent , adult gaa - ko mice , through a single administration of a subtherapeutic number of aav vector particles encoding liver - specific hgaa . the immune tolerance in vector - treated gaa - ko mice was in marked contrast to mock - treated pompe disease mice that mounted an antibody response against rhgaa , which reduced efficacy with subsequent ert . immune tolerance was demonstrated through an immune challenge with rhgaa , when only vector - treated pompe disease mice failed to produce interfering antibodies and demonstrated efficacious responses to ert . the relevance of pre - existing antibodies against hgaa was confirmed by the lack of efficacy from high - dose rhgaa in seropositive pompe disease mice . these results supported the findings that ert had little or no efficacy in crim - negative pompe disease patients following introduction of rhgaa and subsequent antibody formation , as reported during clinical trials of ert ( amalfitano et al , genet . med . 3 : 132 - 138 ( 2001 ), kishnani et al , neurology 68 : 99 - 109 ( 2007 ), kishnani et al , j . pediatr . 149 : 89 - 97 ( 2006 )). the complete lack of efficacy from ert in pompe disease mice , which have complete deletion of exon 6 in the murine gaa gene , might be a more severe outcome than that for crim - negative pompe disease patients . indeed , most gaa - ko mice died after the second or third dose of rhgaa here and previously ( raben et al , mol . genet . metab . 80 : 159 - 169 ( 2003 )), although pretreatment with clemastinum prolonged the survival of another strain of gaa - ko mice over 6 months duration of ert ( bijvoet et al , hum . mol . genet . 8 : 2145 - 2153 ( 1999 )). the generation of transgenic liver - expressing , tolerant gaa - ko mice also facilitated long - term ert in a pompe mouse ( raben et al , mol . genet , metab . 80 : 159 - 169 ( 2003 )). during the initial phase i / ii clinical trial and subsequent trials grim - negative pompe disease subjects produced very high anti - hgaa antibodies and demonstrated markedly reduced efficacy from ert ( amalfitano et al , genet . med . 3 : 132 - 138 ( 2001 )). the interfering antibody response in gaa - ko mice and in grim - negative pompe disease patients indicated that gaa deficiency stemming from an underlying null mutation ( s ) will not respond efficaciously in the long - term to ert . the need for immunomodulation in grim - negative pompe disease patients follows from the lack of sustained efficacy with ert . similar immunological complications have been encountered in hemophilia b mutations and animal models , which have been addressed in preclinical studies by administration of immunosuppression with cyclophosphamide ( herzog et al , mol . ther . 4 : 192 - 200 ( 2001 )). attempts at inducing tolerance by this method after high - titers anti - gaa antibodies developed in crim - negative pompe patients were not successful ( amalfitano et al , genet . med . 3 : 132 - 138 ( 2001 )). an alternative strategy , which avoids the risks of immunosuppression is provided by aav vector - mediated induction of immune tolerance . aav vectors have been promoted for gene therapy in genetic disease due a lack of toxicity and demonstrated long - term transgene expression ( mccarty et al , annu . rev . genet . 38 : 819 - 845 ( 2004 )). however , antibody production has prevented long - term efficacy with aav vectors in early experiments using gaa - ko mice ( cresawn et al , hum . gene ther . 16 : 68 - 80 ( 2005 ), sun et al , mol . ther . 11 : 57 - 65 ( 2005 ), sun et al , mol . ther . 7 : 467 - 477 ( 2003 )). it was found previously that administration of an aav2 / 8 vector containing a liver - specific promoter evaded the humoral response to hgaa and achieved near - total clearance of accumulated glycogen from skeletal muscle , through the induction of immune tolerance to hgaa ( franco et al , mol . ther . 12 : 876 - 884 ( 2005 )). a dose - response experiment revealed elevated gaa activity in plasma for 12 weeks following administration of as few as 3 × 10 10 particles of the vector containing a liver - specific promoter ( sun et al , mol . ther . 14 : 822 - 830 ( 2006 )), and that vector dose was validated by demonstrating efficacy with subsequent ert herein . the persistent correction of hgaa deficiency and lack of anti - hgaa antibodies over 18 weeks were consistent with immune tolerance to hgaa following administration of a low dose of the aav vector , which was within the range of doses safely administered in a clinical trial with an aav vector in hemophilia b patients ( high et al , blood 102 : 154a - 155a ( 2003 ), manno et al , nat . med . 12 : 342 - 347 ( 2006 )). the current aav2 / 8 vector appeared to induce tolerance to hgaa , when administered in higher particle numbers in gaa - ko mice , based upon lack of elisa and elispot responses against hgaa . by contrast , use of a ubiquitously active cb promoter provoked both humoral and cellular immune responses by the same assays ( franco et al , mol . ther . 12 : 876 - 884 ( 2005 )). aav vectors containing this liver - specific promoter also prevented an antibody response against coagulation factor ix ( fix ) in hemophilia b mice and dogs ( wang et al , proc . natl . acad . sci . usa 96 : 3906 - 3910 ( 1999 ), wang et al , mol . ther . 1 : 154 - 158 ( 2000 )). several factors determine the ability to avoid antibody responses against foreign protein by liver - specific expression . higher levels of fix were associated with the induction of tolerance to liver - specific fix expression ( mingozzi et al , j . clin . invest . 111 : 1347 - 1356 ( 2003 )). acquisition of tolerance to fix required induction of regulatory cd4 + t cells , most likely cd25 +/ cd4 + t regulatory cells , which suppressed neutralizing antibody formation ( mingozzi et al , j . clin . invest . 111 : 1347 - 1356 ( 2003 )). similarly , a liver - specific promoter induced tolerance to α - galactosidase in fabry disease mice , and the transfer of splenocytes from vector - treated mice prevented the antibody response against an α - galactosidase challenge in recipient fabry mice ( ziegler et al , mol . ther . 15 : 492 - 500 ( 2007 )). taken together , these data strongly support the ability of an aav vector containing a liver - specific promoter to induce immune tolerance to an introduced foreign protein . as shown above , this phenomenon can be exploited to achieve efficacy with ert in the otherwise immunocompetent gaa - ko mouse . further preclinical studies of immunomodulatory gene therapy are clearly indicated in immunocompetent pompe disease mice and japanese quail ( kikuchi et al , j . clin . invest . 101 : 827 - 833 ( 1998 ), raben et al , j . biol . chem . 273 : 19086 - 19092 ( 1998 )). gene therapy has been developed in response to the need for potentially curative therapy for pompe disease , primarily utilizing adeno - associated virus ( aav ) vectors with increasing success in pompe disease mice . the availability of novel aav serotypes , including aav serotype 8 , has advanced gene therapy by improving the tropism of vectors for target tissues ( gao et al , proc . natl . acad . sci . usa 99 ( 18 ): 11854 - 11859 ( 2002 ); epub 2000 august 21 ). aav2 vectors pseudotyped with aav8 ( aav2 / 8 ) delivered genes to the liver approximately 100 - fold more efficiently in mice , including gaa knockout ( gaa - ko ) mice , in comparison with traditional aav2 vectors ( sun et al , mol . ther . 11 ( 1 ): 57 - 65 ( 2005 )). the advantages of aav vector - mediated gene therapy over ert have become clear in mouse experiments . a single administration of the aav2 / 8 vector substantially corrected glycogen storage in the diaphragm and heart following the administration of a low number of vector particles , 3 × 10 10 vector particles ( equivalent to 1 × 10 12 vector particles / kg ) ( sun et al , mol . ther . 14 ( 6 ): 822 - 830 ( 2006 )). the aforementioned aav vector contained a liver - specific regulatory cassette that also diminished antibody responses to a therapeutic protein expressed in hemophilia b mice and dogs ( wang et al , proc . natl . acad . sci . usa 96 ( 7 ): 3906 - 3910 ( 1999 ), wang et al , mol . ther . 1 ( 2 ): 154 - 158 ( 2000 )). furthermore , the administration of a subtherapeutic dose of the aav2 / 8 vector induced immune tolerance to hgaa in gaa - ko mice , which enhanced the efficacy of subsequently administered ert ( sun et al , am . j . hum . genet . 81 ( 5 ): 1042 - 1049 ( 2007 )). these data demonstrated immunomodulatory gene therapy in pompe disease as a strategy to prevent neutralizing immune responses to ert , and that strategy could be considered for subjects in whom a failure to achieve immune tolerance is anticipated . the latter group of pompe disease patients includes crim - negative subjects , and potentially others based upon specific genotypes . the lack of response to ert in crim - negative patients with pompe disease stems from a lack a immune tolerance to recombinant hgaa . similarly , gaa - ko mice lack immune tolerance to hgaa and ert has no efficacy in this model , even provoking fatal anaphylaxis ( raben et al , molecular genetics and metabolism 80 ( 1 - 2 ): 159 - 169 ( 2003 )). currently , immunomodulatory therapy has been evaluated with regard to the parameters for the induction of immune tolerance in pompe disease . the timing of vector administration and immune mechanisms involved were evaluated by investigating immune responses to ert in pompe disease mice . briefly , 293 cells were transfected with the paav - lsphgaapa vector or paav - cbhgaapa vector plasmid ( franco et al , mol . ther . 12 ( 5 ): 876 - 884 ( 2005 )), the aav packaging plasmid p5e18 - vd 2 / 8 ( gao et al , proc . natl . acad . sci . usa 99 ( 18 ): 11854 - 11859 ) ( 2002 )) ( courtesy of dr . james m . wilson , university of pennsylvania , philadelphia , pa . ), and padhelper ( stratagene , la jolla , calif .). the lsp regulatory cassette ( subcloned from pav - lsp - cfix , courtesy of dr . inder verma , salk institute , la jolla , calif . ( see fig7 ) contains a thyroid hormone - binding globulin promoter sequence downstream from 2 copies of a α1 - microglobulin / bikunin enhancer sequence ( ill et al , blood coagulation & amp ; fibrinolysis 8 : s23 - s30 ( 1997 )), and previously achieved long - term efficacy in hemophilia b mice within an aav vector encoding coagulation factor ix ( wang et al , proc . natl . acad . sci . usa 96 ( 7 ): 3906 - 3910 ( 1999 )). cell lysate was harvested 48 hours following infection and freeze - thawed 3 times , and isolated by sucrose cushion pelleting followed by 2 cesium chloride gradient centrifugation steps . aav stocks were dialyzed against 3 changes of hanks buffer , and aliquots were stored at − 80 ° c . the number of vector dna containing - particles was determined by dnase i digestion , dna extraction , and southern blot analysis . all viral vector stocks were handled according to biohazard safety level 2 guidelines published by the nih . the aav2 / 8 vector stocks were administered intravenously ( via the retroorbital sinus ) in 3 month - old gaa - ko mice ( rabsen et al , j . biol . chem . 273 ( 30 ): 19086 - 19092 ( 1998 )). at the indicated time points post - injection , plasma or tissue samples were obtained and processed as described below . all animal procedures were done in accordance with duke university institutional animal care and use committee - approved guidelines . rotarod testing was performed as described ( sun et al , mol . ther . 11 ( 1 ): 57 - 65 ( 2005 )). gaa activity and glycogen content were analyzed as described ( amalfitano et al , proc . natl . acad . sci . usa 96 ( 16 ): 8861 - 8866 ( 1999 )). the elisa was performed as described ( sun et al , mol . ther . 7 ( 4 ): 467 - 477 ( 2003 )). all samples yielded absorbance values that were within the linear range of the assay at this dilution . ert was modeled in gaa - ko mice by retroorbital injection of rhgaa ( 5 mg / ml ; supplied by genzyme corp ., framingham , mass .) over approximately 15 seconds . multiple comparisons were performed with a one - way anova , and individual comparisons between groups were performed with a homoscedastic student &# 39 ; s t - test as noted . a p value of & lt ; 0 . 05 indicated a significant difference between the observed values for each group of gaa - ko mice following aav vector administration and the control group ( s ) of pbs - injected gaa - ko mice . the tolerogenic aav vector ( aav - lsphgaapa ) previously induced immune tolerance to hgaa , when administered 6 weeks prior to a challenge with hgaa plus freund &# 39 ; s adjuvant , by preventing the anti - gaa antibody response observed in naive gaa - ko mice ( sun et al , am . j . hum . genet . 81 ( 5 ): 1042 - 1049 ( 2007 )). the relative timing of aav vector administration with regard to the immune challenge with hgaa was further evaluated in adult gaa - ko mice ( table 1 ). aav vector administration prolonged survival in groups ( g ) of mice , if administered either prior to ( g 1 ), following ( g2 ), or simultaneously with ( g4 ) the initial rhgaa injection ( fig8 a ). tolerogenic vector administration enhanced the efficacy of ert , as reflected by preventing a decline in the time that gaa - ko mice could run on an accelerating rotarod . the decrease in rotarod time indicates progressive loss of muscle function in gaa - ko mice , which is prevented by the correction of glycogen storage in the heart and skeletal muscle ( franco et al , mol . ther . 12 ( 5 ): 876 - 884 ( 2005 )). mock - treated , gaa - ko mice exhibited a greater decrease in rotarod times ( fig8 b ; g3 and g5 ). urinary hex 4 , a biomarker associated with biochemical correction in pompe disease mice , was reduced following aav - lsphgaapa administration , in comparison with gaa - ko mice that received rhgaa injections only ( fig8 c ). the impact of pre - existing anti - gaa antibodies was revealed , when a group of naive gaa - ko mice demonstrated reduced hex 4 levels following ert at week 12 ( table 1 ; g5 ), in comparison with mice that were sensitized with two injections of rhgaa ( table 1 ; g3 ) and had already produced anti - gaa antibodies ( fig8 c and fig9 a ; g5 versus g3 ). furthermore , administration of an immunogenic aav vector ( aav - cbhgaapa ) provoked antibody formation ( franco et al , mol . ther . 12 ( 5 ): 876 - 884 ( 2005 )), and increased mortality in response to rhgaa ( g6 , table 1 and fig8 a ). the formation of anti - gaa antibodies occurred uniformly , if mice were not treated with the tolerogenic vector ( fig9 a , g3 and g5 ). surprisingly , even when aav vector administration followed rhgaa injection by 3 weeks , subsequently the igg titers were low in response to two injections of ert with rhgaa and the immune challenge with rhgaa ( fig9 b , group g2 ). igg titers reached 1 : 8000 in g3 , whereas other groups had significantly reduced titers at week 10 ( fig9 c ). the primary antibody response was igg1 ( fig9 d ), although ige was significantly elevated in some groups ( fig9 e ). reduced anaphylactic reactions on provocation with the eliciting antigen and suppression of th2 - type antibody levels has been termed desensitization in the context of hypersensitivity reactions ( li et al , j . allergy clin . immunol . 112 ( 1 ): 159 - 167 ( 2003 )). decreased body temperature and increased signs of hypersensitivity , quantified by an allergy score , have correlated with hypersensitivity reactions in mice ( li et al , j . allergy clin . immunol . 112 ( 1 ): 159 - 167 ( 2003 )). hypersensitivity was demonstrated by decreased body temperature and increase allergy scores only in groups that were not vector treated ( fig1 a ; g3 and g5 ). the allergy score ( li et al , j . allergy clin . immunol . 112 ( 1 ): 159 - 167 ( 2003 )) reflected symptoms ranging from eye edema ( score = 2 ) to death ( score = 5 ) in non - vector treated mice ( fig1 b ; ( g3 and g5 ). hypersensitivity reactions were associated with elevated mouse mast cell protease - 1 ( mmcp - 1 ) in non - vector treated gaa - ko mice , when assayed 30 minutes following the hgaa challenge ( fig1 c ; g3 & amp ; g5 combined due to earlier mortality ). mmcp - 1 was previously increased markedly during anaphylaxis in mice sensitized to a strong antigen , ova , in association with elevated igg and ige ( pemberton et al , j . immunol . 176 ( 2 ): 899 - 904 ( 2006 ), vaali et al , scand . j . gastroenterol . 41 ( 12 ): 1405 - 1413 ( 2006 )). igg1 was elevated in mice that formed antibodies ( fig9 c ). other cytokines associated with hypersensitivity , including interferon - γ and interleukin ( il ) 4 ( li et al , j . allergy clin . immunol . 112 ( 1 ): 159 - 167 ( 2003 )), were not elevated in mice exhibiting hypersensitivity reactions ( not shown ). one - way anova confirmed significant differences in the mortality , antibody response , allergy score , body temperature , and mmcp - 1 levels in vector - treated mice ( g1 , g2 , g4 ), in comparison with pbs - treated mice ( g3 , g5 ), following the immune challenge with rhgaa . the efficacy of ert was further evaluated by gaa analysis and glycogen quantification of the heart and skeletal muscles after 12 weeks of ert ( table 1 ). gaa activity was elevated in the muscles of all vector treated mice ( fig1 a ; g1 , g2 , g4 , and g6 ). however , the relevance of lacking immune tolerance was demonstrated by aav - cbhgaapa - treated mice , which had elevated glycogen content in the muscles examined , despite the presence of supraphysiologic gaa activity ( fig1 b ; g6 ). the poor efficacy of the immunogenic vector ( aav - cbhgaapa ) in contrast with the tolerogenic vector ( aav - lsphgaapa ) ( fig1 b ; b1 , g2 , and g4 ), confirmed that cellular and humoral immune responses to hgaa expressed ubiquitously with the cmv enhancer - chicken β - actin promoter prevented efficacy in adult gaa - ko mice as previously demonstrated . ( franco et al , mol . ther . 12 ( 5 ): 876 - 884 ( 2005 ). as reported , the efficacy of ert was reduced in skeletal muscle , in comparison with the heart , even following the induction of immune tolerance ( sun et al , am . j . hum . genet . 81 ( 5 ): 1042 - 1049 ( 2007 )). only when aav - lsphgaapa administration preceded rhgaa injection by 3 weeks did ert significantly reduce glycogen content in the gastrocnemius , in comparison with sham - treated gaa - ko mice ( fig1 b ; g1 ). treg cells mediated immune tolerance to rhgaa and desensitization in gaa - ko mice the role of regulatory t ( treg ) cells in immune tolerance has recently been elucidated and is currently an area of intense investigation ( li et al , transplant . proc . 38 ( 10 ): 3207 - 3208 ( 2006 ), van wijk et al , clin . exp . allergy 37 ( 4 ): 572 - 581 ( 2007 ), morse et al ( 2008 )). the depletion of treg cells with anti - cd25 mouse monoclonal pc61 has been characterized as a strategy to investigate the role of treg cells in immune tolerance ( li et al , transplant . proc . 38 ( 10 ): 3207 - 3208 ( 2006 ), van wijk et al , clin . exp . allergy 37 ( 4 ): 572 - 581 ( 2007 )). the effect of depleting tregs is to increase the proliferation of t cells , thereby preventing immune tolerance . treatment with pc61 , monoclonal anti - cd25 rapidly reduces the overall number of cd4 + cd25 + t cells ( including tregs ) by ˜ 4 - fold , acting more effectively than ontak or cyclophosphamide ( fig1 a ). administration of pc61 on day 3 following aav - lsphgaapa led to a subsequent rise in anti - gaa igg following an immune challenge with rhgaa , in comparison with gaa - ko mice that received aav - lsphgaapa only ( fig1 b ). allergy scores and body temperature were significantly altered in pc61 treated mice following the immune challenge ( fig1 c ). thus , pc61 - mediated treg depletion in gaa - ko mice abrogated immune tolerance to rhgaa , implicating treg cells as a major player in immunomodulatory gene therapy for pompe disease . the immunogenic vector , aav - cbhgaapa was administered next to 3 month old wildtype mice to attempt to sensitize gaa sufficient animals to rhgaa . within 6 weeks of vector administration , anti - gaa igg1 was detected in vector - treated wildtype mice ( fig1 a ); furthermore , significant alterations of body temperature and elevated allergy scores were present 30 minutes following an immune challenge with rhgaa at 6 weeks ( fig1 b ). therefore , hgaa was a potent allergen even in normal mice , suggesting that the likelihood of immune responses to ubiquitously expressed hgaa was very high , even in absence of pompe disease . in summary , the benefit of immune tolerance to rhgaa has been demonstrated in gaa - ko mice , a strain that otherwise developed immunity to hgaa and failed to respond to ert ( raben et al , molecular genetics and metabolism 80 ( 1 - 2 ): 159 - 169 ( 2003 )). these studies demonstrated that immune tolerance to hgaa was achieved for & gt ; 18 weeks in adult , immunocompetent , adult gaa - ko mice , through a single administration of a subtherapeutic number of aav vector particles containing a liver - specific transgene encoding hgaa . immune tolerance was demonstrated through an immune challenge with rhgaa , when only vector - treated pompe disease mice failed to produce interfering antibodies and demonstrated efficacious responses to ert . the immune tolerance in vector - treated gaa - ko mice contrasted markedly in comparison with mock - treated pompe disease mice , because the latter groups mounted an antibody response against rhgaa that was associated with lethal hypersensitivity reactions to ert ( raben et al , molecular genetics and metabolism 80 ( 1 - 2 ): 159 - 169 ( 2003 )). desensitization of gaa - ko mice following anti - gaa antibody formation reduced mortality and antibody levels , even when the tolerogenic vector was administered sensitization with rhgaa and the formation of anti - gaa antibodies . the mechanism for immune tolerance to hgaa involves treg cells , because depleting treg cells increased antibody formation in response to hgaa . wildtype mice became sensitized to hgaa expressed following administration of an immunogenic vector encoding a ubiquitously active promoter containing the cmv enhancer , further reinforcing the importance of tissue - specific regulatory cassettes in the context of vectors for gene therapy in pompe disease . mmcp - 1 was identified as a mediator of hypersensitivity reactions in gaa - ko mice , consistent with its role in allergic reactions ( pemberton et al , j . immunol . 176 ( 2 ): 899 - 904 ( 2006 ), vaali et al , scand . j . gastroenterol . 41 ( 12 ): 1405 - 1413 ( 2006 )). remarkably , the tolerogenic aav vector suppressed antibody formation , even when mice had been previously sensitized to rhgaa . the ability to suppress antibody titers and enhance efficacy of ert can have important implications for crim - negative pompe disease patients , in whom a lack of sustained efficacy has been associated with high titer antibodies ( amalfitano et al , genet . med . 3 ( 2 ): 132 - 138 ( 2001 )). the mechanisms for inducing immune tolerance to a peptide antigen have been investigated , and provide a framework for understanding of how liver - specific transgene expression might induce immune tolerance . during the induction of immune tolerance through oral or nasal administration , a shift from th1 and th2 responses to th3 and tr1 responses occurs , resulting in decreased cytotoxic t lymphocyte and antibody responses ( faria and weiner , immunol . rev . 206 : 232 - 259 ( 2005 )). the secretion of il10 and tgf - β correlates with these changes and stimulates treg cells involved in suppression . treg cells interact with antigen presenting cells to reduce cd4 + helper t cells , thus suppressing antibody production by b cells and impairing cytotoxic t cell responses . these mechanisms for inducing tolerance have been demonstrated in a mouse model for hemophilia b . following nasal administration of a fix - derived peptide antigen , il10 and tgf - β levels increased and treg cells were shown to suppress antibody formation ( cao et al , blood 108 ( 2 ): 480 - 486 ( 2006 )). isolation of cd4 + cd25 + tregs from tolerant donor mice and transfer to naïve recipients resulted in a transfer of immune tolerance . these results further supported the role of treg cells in the induction of immune tolerance to human fix ( cao et al , curr . gene ther . 7 ( 5 ): 381 - 390 ( 2007 )), which has now been implicated in the maintenance of immune tolerance to rhgaa in pompe disease mice by depletion of treg cells with an anti - cd25 antibody . the possibility that liver - restricted expression of gaa with an aav vector can prevent the formation of anti - hgaa antibodies was evaluated in gaa - ko mice , by analogy to the effect of liver - specific expression of coagulation factors in hemophilia a and b mice ( sarkar et al , blood 103 ( 4 ) 1253 - 1260 ( 2004 ), wang et al , proc . natl . acad . sci , usa 96 ( 7 ) 3906 - 3910 ( 1999 )) and of α - galactosidase in fabry disease mice ( ziegler et al , molecular therapy 9 ( 2 ): 231 - 240 ( 2004 )) the aav2 / 8 vector containing a liver - specific regulatory cassette , aav - lsphgaa , was administered intravenously ( 1 × 10 11 or 5 × 10 11 particles ) to 3 month - old gaa - null mice . the level of hgaa 110 kd precursor was maintained at approximately 40 ng / μl 1 week following aav - lsphgaa administration for 12 weeks ; however , the vector containing the cmv enhancer aav - cbhgaa did not secrete detectable hgaa in plasma at later time points ( franco et al , mol . ther . 12 ( 5 ): 876 - 884 ( 2005 )). increasing plasma hgaa was detected between 1 and 8 days post - administration for both vectors , but hgaa disappeared from plasma by 14 days following aav - cb - hgaa administration . in contrast , hgaa was detected in plasma from 1 to 14 days and sustained for & gt ; 12 weeks following lsp - hgaa administration ( franco et al , mol . ther . 12 ( 5 ): 876 - 884 ( 2005 )). these data suggested that liver - restricted , high - level expression of hgaa induced immune tolerance in pompe disease mice , similarly to experiments in hemophilia and fabry disease mice . several criteria seem to dictate whether transgene expression in the liver is sufficient to induce immune tolerance in knockout mouse models . the level of transgene expression must be high - level and it must be mostly restricted to the liver . the obvious example of violating the requirement for liver - specific expression was amply demonstrated by driving high - level , ubiquitiously active hgaa expression with a regulatory cassette containing the cmv enhancer in aav - cbhgaapa . the cmv enhancer - containing vector provoked cellular and humoral immune responses that eliminated hgaa expression within two weeks ( franco et al , mol . ther . 12 ( 5 ): 876 - 884 ( 2005 )). consistent with that observation , the cmv enhancer - containing vector failed to prevent lethal hypersensitivity reactions in response to an rhgaa challenge in current work . however , it is important to note that the immune response to rhgaa is less severe in pompe disease patients , although it prevents long - term efficacy from ert , crim - negative pompe disease patients in the pivotal trials of ert with rhgaa were ventilator - dependent and had much higher mortality than crim - positive patients ( amalfitano et al , genet . med . 3 ( 2 ): 132 - 138 ( 2001 ), kishnani et al , j . pediatr . 149 ( 1 ): 89 - 97 ( 2006 ), kishnani et al , neurology 68 ( 2 ): 99 - 109 ( 2007 )). an immunomodulatory gene therapy strategy can be an important adjunct to ert in crim - negative pompe disease patients . the efficacy of ert can be enhanced by preventing or suppressing antibody responses , and safety can be enhanced by the low number of vector particles needed to induce immune tolerance ( sun et al , am . j . hum . genet . 81 ( 5 ): 1042 - 1049 ( 2007 )). this strategy can also be utilized in other disorders where antibodies interfere with protein therapy , including hemophilia , lysosomal storage disorders and other disorders treated with infused proteins . the latter group includes adenosine deaminase deficiency , alpha - 1 - antitrypsin deficiency , growth hormone deficiency , insulin - dependent diabetes and gout treated with uricase . furthermore , hypersensitivity reactions caused by an identified peptide antigen , such as peanut or other food allergies , can potentially be treated with immunomodulatory gene therapy ( li et al , j . allergy clin . immunol , 112 ( 1 ): 159 - 167 ( 2003 )). all documents and other information sources cited above are hereby incorporated in their entirety by reference . | 2 |
the drawing apparatus of this invention most preferably has each of the side walls shaped so as to define a second shoulder stepped back yet closer to the drawing surface means than the one shoulder referred to above , with the second shoulder being disposed between said one shoulder and the rear edge of the drawing surface means . in this way , the drawing apparatus may be placed on a support surface in one of three dispositions , the drawing surface lying at a different angle to the horizontal for each of those dispositions . to enhance the stability of the board , the lower edges of the pair of side walls advantageously extend at an acute angle to the plane of the drawing surface means , from a position adjacent the rear edge of the drawing surface means to the respective second shoulders . in order to allow the use of the drawing apparatus in a workshop environment , it is preferred for there to be a bar extending between said pair of side walls which bar is disposed below the drawing surface means and which may be clamped in a bench vice . not only does this allow the drawing apparatus securely to be clamped at a convenient position in a workshop , but moreover the drawing surface may be positioned at some convenient working angle by turning the bar in the vice before tightening the vice firmly to clamp the drawing apparatus as a whole . the bar may also include a threaded socket , permitting the apparatus to be mounted on a suitable tripod or like support . the drawing surface means may comprise a frame defining the front edge , the pair of side edges and the rear edge , there being a separate drawing board removably located within the frame and which defines the drawing surface . whether or not the drawing board is separate and removable from the frame , the frame may upstand from the drawing surface to define a lip extending at least partially therearound , and against which drawing instruments -- such as a set square -- may be engaged . in this case , the frame preferably includes indentations into which corner regions of such drawing instruments may be located , for instance when preparing perspective drawings . the frame may include various recesses for drawing instruments which recesses are bound by upstanding walls defining one or more open - topped holders , which open - topped holders are effectively closed when the drawing apparatus is nested within another like drawing apparatus . in order to protect the drawing surface and any partially - completed drawing thereon , it is preferred for there to be provided a lid adapted to overlie at least the drawing surface means , but possibly also any recesses for drawing instruments , which lid is movable from a position at which said lid overlies at least the drawing surface means to a second position where the lid generally upstands from the rear edge of the drawing surface means to define a copy board for holding working papers . in addition to the pair of side walls , the drawing apparatus may include a front wall and a rear wall , both depending downwardly respectively from the front edge and the rear edge of the drawing surface means , and which front and rear walls conjoin with the pair of side walls . the front wall preferably is provided with means to receive a peg extending generally horizontally from a wall , whereby the drawing apparatus may be hung from that peg to provide a useful drawing surface at an angle to the wall . in addition to , or instead of , the receiving means of the front wall , an aperture may be provided in that wall to serve as a hand - hold . the preferred embodiment of drawing apparatus of this invention and illustrated in the drawings will now be described in detail . this apparatus comprises a support 10 for a drawing board 11 defining a drawing surface 12 , the board preferably being removable from the support 10 . the support 10 includes a frame 13 extending around the drawing surface 12 of the board 11 , which frame 13 defines a front edge 14 , a pair of side edges 15 and a rear edge 16 . depending downwardly from the front edge 14 , side edges 15 and rear edge 16 are , respectively , a front wall 17 , a pair of side walls 18 and a rear wall 19 . the front wall 17 has a shallower depth than the rear wall 19 , such that when the drawing apparatus is placed on a substantially horizontal surface , the drawing surface 12 lies at an acute angle to that surface , as shown in fig4 a . the lower edges 20 of both side walls 18 are shaped as best seen in fig3 and 4 , so as to provide a first shoulder 21 stepped closer to the drawing surface 12 than the bottom edge of the front wall 17 , and a second shoulder 22 even yet closer to the drawing surface 12 and disposed between the first shoulder 21 and the rear wall 19 . from each second shoulder 22 , the respective lower edge of the side wall continues at an increasing distance from the drawing surface 12 , until blending with the lower edge of the side wall 18 adjacent the rear wall 19 . this configuration of the lower edges 20 of the side walls 18 allows the drawing board to be placed on a support surface 23 in any one of the three dispositions , shown respectively in fig4 a , 4b and 4c . in the first disposition , the support surface is contacted principally by the lower edges 20 of the side walls 18 adjacent the front and rear walls 17 and 19 , but also by the front and rear walls 17 and 19 ; but in fig4 b the support surface is contacted by the first shoulder 21 and by the lower edges 20 of the side walls 18 nearer the rear wall 19 : this gives a drawing surface 12 at a more acute angle to the horizontal than the position illustrated in fig4 a . if a yet more acute angle is required for the drawing surface 12 , then the support surface 23 is contacted by the second shoulder 22 and by the lower edges 20 of the side walls 18 extending from that shoulder 22 towards the rear wall 19 , as illustrated in fig4 c . in the case of fig4 b and 4c , the apparatus must be used along a corner edge of the support surface 23 , such that the corner edge 24 may be engaged by the respective shoulder 21 or 22 . the front wall 17 , side walls 18 and rear wall 19 all flare outwardly slightly from the frame 13 , whereby the drawing apparatus may be nested at least partially within a like drawing apparatus , as illustrated in fig3 . a solid bar 25 extends internally transversely across the rear wall 19 , and is held in place by projections 26 in the side walls 18 ; when the apparatus is stacked on another , this bar 25 rests on a ledge 27 also formed in the rear wall 19 but externally thereof , in each board . the front wall 17 has a recess 28 which is adapted to receive a peg projecting horizontally from a wall ( not shown ), to allow the drawing apparatus to be suspended from that peg with the front wall 17 uppermost ; this provides a drawing surface 12 at a convenient angle . a aperture ( not shown ) may also be formed in the front wall to serve as a hand - hold , for carrying purposes . also illustrated in fig1 and 2 is a pocket 29 formed on a side wall 18 , the pocket 29 being arranged to hold a set square generally parallel to that side wall 18 , when the board is in use . a tubular frame 30 extends between the side walls 18 , immediately below the drawing surface 12 , the frame including a centrally - disposed flat plate 31 . the tubular frame can be clamped in a metal - worker &# 39 ; s vice enabling the drawing board to be held at any convenient working angle . the plate 31 serves to prevent the frame dropping through the jaws of the vice during adjustment of the working angle . along the top of the rear edge 16 of the frame 13 , there is provided a recess 32 for accommodating drawing instruments ; an alternative form of recess is illustrated in fig7 which includes a slot 33 for a ruler , and holes 34 for pencils . when one drawing apparatus is stacked on another , the recess 32 of the lower drawing apparatus is effectively closed by the upper drawing apparatus , so securely holding in place any instruments located in the recess . the frame 13 has further recesses 35 adjacent the corners thereof , which allow paper to be attached to the drawing surface 12 at the corners thereof , for example by means of self - adhesive tape . also , the frame 13 includes indentations 36 which may be used to locate the corner of a set square and so to aid in the production of perspective drawings , by providing vanishing points . referring to fig5 there is shown a special form of set square for use with the drawing apparatus described above , enabling the drawing of lines horizontally , vertically and at 45 ° to the horizontal at any place on the drawing surface 12 . this set square 37 may be pressed against any of the frame edges 14 , 15 , 16 , and lines may be drawn along the outside edges 38 of the set square , or along the edges 39 of the slots 40 therein . fig6 shows a 30 °- 60 ° set square which otherwise is somewhat similar to the 45 ° set square of fig5 . again , this set square 41 may be engaged against any of the edges of the frame 13 and then used to draw lines horizontally , vertically and at 30 ° or 60 ° to the horizontal , at any place on the drawing surface . fig8 diagrammatically illustrates a modified form of drawing apparatus of this invention . this apparatus is essentially the same as that described above , except that it includes a lid 42 adapted to overlie the drawing surface 12 but preferably also recess 32 , when the surface is not in use . when the surface is to be used , the lid 42 may be moved to the position shown in phantom lines 43 where the lower edge of the lid 42 is engaged with a recess ( not shown ) formed along the rear edge 16 of the frame 13 , whereby the lid 42 may serve as a copy stand for working papers . many other variants of this invention will readily be apparent to those skilled in the art , without departing from the spirit and scope of the inventive concept , as defined in the appended claims . | 1 |
in the discussion that follows , the term “ client ” is used to refer to a logical component of a client - server model and to a “ user ” of the client component . the disclosure has been presented so that one skilled in the art may discern the intended meaning from the context of the description . referring first to fig1 , the interconnectivity of the client &# 39 ; s facility and the content provider &# 39 ; s facility is illustrated . located at a client computer 10 is a player software 12 configured to play or use multimedia content . the client computer 10 is connected to local storage 11 for encrypted media that is downloaded from a content provider . as illustrated in fig1 , local storage 11 is logically separated from local computer 10 . in an alternate embodiment , local storage 11 may be integrated with client computer 10 or represent a separate file on client computer 10 where encrypted media may be stored and accessed by the player software 12 . the client computer 10 is connected to a network 20 , in this case illustrating the internet . also connected to the network 20 is a “ content provider ” server 32 at the content provider &# 39 ; s facility . by way of example and not as a limitation , a client computer 10 may be a personal computer manufactured by ibm , dell , or hp , a personal data assistant ( pda ), a “ set - top box ” used to obtain programming from a cable or satellite service provider , a “ smart ” television , or any device capable of connecting to a network and receiving and operating the entitlement and control logic . as would be apparent to one skilled in the art of the present invention , it is well within the state of the art to modify currently available devices ( e . g ., vcrs , mp3 players , cd players ) to perform the functions of client computer 10 . similarly , the network depicted in fig1 is the internet , but the invention is not so limited . the network may comprise a plurality of interconnected networks , wired and wireless . by way of illustration , the network could a cable - base network or a satellite - based network or an intranet supported by a hotel or apartment complex . the content provider &# 39 ; s facility has a client database 34 as well as content database 36 . the client establishes an account with the content provider as a preliminary transaction . the client &# 39 ; s account data is confirmed or established and updated in the client database 34 . a client &# 39 ; s account data includes billing information and a payment means . in the preferred embodiment the payment means is a credit card . in another embodiment , payment is made through an ach transfer . in still another embodiment , the client pays an amount into an account that is debited based on usage of multimedia content . the data held in client database 34 is encrypted using a shared private key so as to secure the client &# 39 ; s information and privacy . the shared private key is constructed from component codes that comprise information retrieved from the client &# 39 ; s player software 12 and data filled in by the client . based on this shared private key , client data is sent encoded and secure to the content provider &# 39 ; s server 32 . in the preferred embodiment , the shared private key is a des key , but this is not meant as a limitation . updates to the client &# 39 ; s record , including current activity , are made at the client database 34 . before the client can obtain multimedia content from the content provider , the client must be known to the content provider . referring to fig2 , the client authenticates itself with the content provider by passing a username and password over a ssl enabled network connection 50 . ssl ( secure sockets layer ) is the standard security technology for establishing an encrypted link between a web server and a browser . this link ensures that all data passed between the web server and browsers remain private and integral . ssl is an industry standard and is used in the protection of online transactions between clients and servers . ssl is a generally accepted protocol developed by netscape for transmitting private documents via the internet . ssl uses a cryptographic system that uses two keys to encrypt data — a public key known to everyone and a private or secret key known only to the recipient of the message . in the preferred embodiment , this initial contact is made over the network between the player software 12 and the content provider &# 39 ; s server 32 as illustrated in fig1 . however , other means may be used for this initial contact without exceeding the scope of the present invention . for example , the contact between the client and the content provider may be established by telephone , email , in writing , or other communications media . once the initial contact is made , the content provider presents a service agreement 52 to the client for acceptance 54 . if the terms are not acceptable to the client , the contact is terminated 56 . if the client accepts the terms , the content provider requests client information 58 . in the preferred embodiment , client information comprises a billing code associated with a payment means selected by the client and a computer specific code that uniquely identifies the player software 12 . in the event the client does not know the computer specific code associated with the player software 12 , the content provider provides instructions to the client on how to determine the computer specific code . in another embodiment of the present invention , the content provider determines the computer specific code of the player software 12 remotely . the client then forwards the client information to the content provider 60 and content provider stores the client information in the client database 62 . the content provider then sends to the client computer ( see , fig1 , element 10 ) player software ( see , fig1 , element 12 ) 64 comprising entitlement and control logic , an encryption / decryption engine , a first cookie , and means to check for compliance with the terms of the license associated with multimedia content downloaded from the content provider &# 39 ; s server . the client installs and configures the player software 66 and the initial session ends . as would be apparent to one skilled in the art of the present invention , the steps of the initial session can be accomplished in a variety of ways . for example , the exchange of identity information and the delivery of the player software may be conducted off - line . the player software may be integrated in the player or purchased at a software retailer . the player software may be distributed free to consumers by the content provider as a means of inviting consumers to use the services of the content provider . these and other variations means of implementing the initial session are considered within the scope of the present invention . with the player software installed and configured , the client computer 10 is ready to make a request for multimedia content . referring again to fig1 , the requested multimedia content is stored on the content provider &# 39 ; s server database 36 . in one embodiment of the present invention , the media content is stored in an encoded , compressed form . one such compression / decompression protocol is mpeg ( moving pictures experts group ), which protocol applies to audio / visual works . a common derivative of mpeg for audio works is mp3 ( mpeg audio layer 3 ). mp3 allows the download of quality audio from the web very quickly . works that are not audio / visual such as text may be compressed and decompressed by a number of commercially available programs such as winzip ™. and pkzip ™. it will be clear to those skilled in the art of the present invention that other compression protocols can be used all of which are within the scope of the present invention . as illustrated in fig3 , the player software ( see , fig1 , element 12 ) includes a decryption module 102 and a decoder 118 . for added security the decryption and decoder modules will run with in the same operating system ( os ) process . additionally , the decrypted multimedia bits will not be stored in a shared memory location which can be accessed by another process . for each encoding scheme implemented by the content provider &# 39 ; s facility , the client computer ( see , fig1 , element 10 ) will have a decoder capable of decoding the multimedia content so as to render it playable by the player software ( see , fig1 , element 12 ). referring next to fig3 , the component codes of the shared private key at the content provider &# 39 ; s facility and the component codes at the client &# 39 ; s facility are illustrated . the multimedia content is encrypted with an encryption engine 202 using a unique private shared key associated with the player software 12 and client data . by way of illustration and not as a limitation , the shared key may utilize an encryption algorithm as specified by des , aes , rc2 , rc4 , blowfish just to name a few . as illustrated in fig3 , four elements are available to both the player and the content provider &# 39 ; s server to construct the private shared key : billing code 110 / 210 ; time and date code 112 / 212 ; computer specific code 114 / 214 ; and last cookie code 116 / 216 . the computer specific code and the billing code were shared by the client and the service provider during the initial contact illustrated in fig2 . the last cookie code is the cookie delivered to the player with the most recent delivery of multimedia content . if the client has not previously requested any multimedia content , the last cookie code is the initial cookie included in the player software installed on the player . the time and date code is chosen by the client at the time that multimedia content is ordered . thus , all four codes are known to the client and the content provider at the time an order is completed . as will be illustrated below , these four codes are used to create a shared private key that in turn is used to encrypt the media content prior to delivery to the player . client and multimedia databases 204 comprise the client information and the inventory of media that can be distributed ( see fig1 , elements 34 , 36 ). the server software 208 comprises multiple elements to affect the system functions . for example , the server software 208 creates the shared keys based on elements 210 , 212 , 214 , and 216 . it also provides to the client &# 39 ; s facility 100 the player software 107 that allows the client to decrypt and play media in accordance with the digital rights given to the client from the content provider &# 39 ; s facility 200 . the server software 208 also comprises software 206 that allows the communication between the client facility 100 and the content provider &# 39 ; s facility 200 to initially exchange information to establish the client &# 39 ; s ability to access media and later for the client to actually request media to be downloaded . entitlement control logic 105 of the player software 107 comprises instructions for determining the digital rights that are afforded to a client regarding the media that is downloaded from the server . for example , the client may be limited in the number of times the media may be viewed or the period of time in which the media may be viewed ( i . e . date range for example .) referring now to fig4 , the client computer requests multimedia content from the content provider 300 . the content provider requests login information from the client computer 305 and the client computer responds . the content provider checks the information provided by the client computer 310 and determines if the content provider knows the client . if not , the content provider again requests login information from the client . in the preferred embodiment , this loop is limited by a login attempt counter that allows the client a pre - determined number of attempts before the content provider sends additional instructions to the client computer . upon successful login by the client computer , the content provider requests the last cookie code from the client computer 315 . in the preferred embodiment , the last cookie code is used to authenticate the client computer and to create a shared key . the client computer provides the content provider the last cookie code 320 and the content provider requests the client computer to order media content 325 . as would be apparent to one skilled in the art of the present invention , the request to order media content can take many forms without exceeding the scope of the present invention . for example , and not as a limitation , in one embodiment of the present invention , the content provider provides the client computer with a menu of media content . in another embodiment , the client is instructed to search the content provider &# 39 ; s media database for content of a specific title . the client selects media content for download 330 and reviews the license terms associated with that selection 335 . if the terms of the license are not acceptable , the client is requested to select again . if the terms are acceptable , the client orders the media content and sends the content provider a time and date code 340 . the time and date code establish a point in time that is used to determine the expiration of a time - based license . the time and date code is associated with each selection of media content downloaded by the client at a particular ordering session and is stored in the client database . the content provider creates a shared private key from the four component codes known to both the content provider and the client computer 345 . as previously discussed , at time the order is made , the client computer possesses the computer specific code , the last cookie code , the billing code and the time and date code . during the initial session , the content provider received the billing code and the computer specific code from the client computer . the content provider knows the last cookie code . upon receipt of the time and date code from the client computer , the content provider is in possession of all four of the component codes . from these component codes , a private key is “ shared ” by the client computer and by the content provider without actually exchanging the private key . the content provider encrypts the media content using the shared private key , creates a new cookie , and sends the cookie and the encrypted media content to the client computer 350 . in another embodiment of the present invention , the client is offered the option of having the media content delivered a later date or a specific time . if delivery is for a future time , the order data is stored in the client database . when delivery time arrives , the content provider &# 39 ; s server checks for a link with the specific client &# 39 ; s facility . if a link is not in place , notice is sent to the client computer to start a link . the client computer receives the media content , associates it with the time and date code provided to the content provider during the ordering session , and stores the media content , date code , the new cookie 355 . at this point , the client computer is ready to play the media content via the player software that was previously downloaded . referring to fig5 a , the playing of the media content is illustrated . when the client elects to play the media content 400 , the client invokes the player software . the player software creates the client &# 39 ; s copy of the shared private key 405 from the same four component codes used by the content provider to create the key . the player software then decrypts the media content using the shared private key 410 and the player software checks to determine if the client is in compliance with the license terms 415 . as noted previously , the player software includes a checking algorithm incorporated in entitlement and control logic . in another embodiment , the specific checking algorithm for a particular title of media content is appended to the multimedia content and installed as a plug - in for use by the player software . the checking algorithm utilizes the individual component codes to enforce specific license restrictions imposed on the playing of the multimedia content ( time of use , number of plays ) and on the player on which the multimedia content is played ( where illicit copies of the multimedia content are non - playable on other than the designated player ). if the checking algorithm determines that the client is not in compliance with the license terms , a message is displayed to the client 420 . for example , a client who has pre - paid for usage of media content may not have sufficient funds to play the media content . in this case , the message directs the client to replenish his or her account . if the checking algorithm determines that the copy of the media content has been pirated , the message takes the form of a warning relating to the unauthorized use of the media content . the time and date code 112 component of the private key code identifies the time and date the order for the multimedia content was made . one embodiment uses the last cookie code 116 in conjunction with the time and date code 112 component . information may include time and date of the multimedia content download , terms of the use license and unique device data such as internet address . the use license time limitation data can be found in the cookie and is used , in conjunction with the time and date code and the entitlement and control logic , to restrict playing of the multimedia content to the contractual time period . the cookie code can also be used to check the user id and internet protocol ( ip ) address to confirm that the multimedia content is being played on the device that is licensed to play the multimedia content . these data are readily available in the last cookie data returned to the content provider during the ordering process . a pay per play license may be controlled through the billing code 110 component of the private key . the billing code 110 contains information about a payment method . in the preferred embodiment , the payment method is a credit card , but the invention is not so limited . in another embodiment , the payment method is an ach transfer from a bank account . in yet another embodiment , a pre - paid account is established containing a credit amount with the billing code . an alternative embodiment establishes a pre - paid account in the cookie file . before the multimedia content is decrypted , the credit account is checked using the entitlement and control logic to confirm there is sufficient reserve to pay the license fee associated with the multimedia content . the license fee is subtracted from the credit amount in accordance with the payment scheme of the license . by way of illustration , where the license fee is time based , the credit amount is decremented for each time unit the multimedia content is played . where the license fee is used based , the credit amount is decremented each time the multimedia content is played . if the client is in compliance with the terms of the license , the media content is decrypted and played on the player software 425 and time and / or the completion of a play cycle is recorded 435 . the client is asked if a replay is desired 440 . if replay is desired , checking algorithm again determines if the client is in compliance with the license terms 415 . if replay is not desired , the client is asked if he or she want to play another selection of media content 445 . if another selection is desired , the process begins again 400 . if not , play is ended at 450 . the player software does not permit storage of the decrypted media . thus when media is initially downloaded for later playback , the media is stored in encrypted format . thus an alternate process for playback is for the player software to first determine in the client is in compliance with license terms and conditions . if this is the case , the player software will then create the necessary keys and decrypt the encrypted media for viewing the client &# 39 ; s display screen . for example , referring to fig5 b , an alternate playback process is illustrated . in this process the client elects to play the stored and encrypted media 400 . the player software is invoked and determines if the client is in compliance with the license terms 415 . this can be established since the player software keeps track of the number of times the media has been played and other restrictions on playback . if the user is not in compliance , the player displays an appropriate instruction to the client for display 420 such as denial of playback or other instructions for retrieving the desired media . if the client is in compliance with license terms , the player software then creates the shared private key 405 decrypts the content 410 and plays the media 425 . the player software then records the time or number of replays or other restrictive data for later permissions . the process then continues according to the description of fig5 a . in another embodiment of the present invention , the anti - piracy aspects of the present invention are enhanced by introducing additional data elements into the multimedia content . by introducing the additional data elements into selected bytes or tracks of the multimedia content , the error correction schemes associated with playback of multimedia content will preclude the additional data elements from affecting the play of the multimedia content . by associating a particular set of additional data elements with the multimedia content distributed to a particular client , the additional data elements can be used as a “ fingerprint ” to identify the source of pirated copies of the multimedia content . a system and method for multimedia content rental and distribution system that protects the intellectual property rights of the holder using unique data from the player has now been illustrated . it is important to note that while a particular utilization of the specific des private key component codes were described in the preferred embodiment , this is not meant as a limitation . for example decryption may be done with other combinations of the private key component codes or other elements associated with the player . there may be different component codes , not described here , used to develop the private key . other encryption algorithms also exist now such as rc2 , rc4 , blowfish and a host of others both existing now and in the future that will satisfy the requirements for encrypting and decrypting the multi media content . the present invention would be equally effective with any subset of component codes comprising the encryption - decryption private key . further , while multimedia content is discussed , this is also not meant as a limitation . for example , single media such as audio alone , video alone , non - moving text and graphics are also deemed to be within the scope of the invention as disclosed . when the present invention is used with such material , enhanced protection can be obtained for musical recordings , reports , graphics and artwork as well . it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the scope of the invention disclosed and that the examples and embodiments described herein are in all respects illustrative and not restrictive . those skilled in the art of the present invention will recognize that other embodiments using the concepts described herein are also possible . further , any reference to claim elements in the singular , for example , using the articles “ a ,” “ an ,” or “ the ” is not to be construed as limiting the element to the singular | 8 |
fig1 shows the insulation inserting device 10 of the present invention . the device 10 comprises a control sheet 12 and a compressor sheet 14 which are shown separated for clarity although they are connected in a manner to be discussed hereinafter when in use . control sheet 12 is shown in fig1 and 2 to comprise an elongated flexible body 16 which can be formed of sheet metal , synthetic resin material , or any other suitable material . body 16 has a substantially flat surface area 18 against which a bat of insulation to be compressed is received . flat surface area 18 extends to a downwardly curved portion 20 which terminates in a recurved portion 22 . recurved portion 22 defines a slot 74 which is substantially parallel to the downwardly curved portion 20 and receives a free end of compression sheet 14 . the outer surface 26 of control sheet 12 is relatively smooth so as to enable it to slide into relatively tight spaces without being caught on obstructions such as nails , wood splinters or the like . the overall length of control sheet 26 can be varied to suit the installation in which it is to be used . however , in practice , a length of approximately 55 inches at a minimum has been found to be desirable . the downwardly curved portion 20 is approximately 11 / 2 inches in length although this portion is shown exaggerated in the figures for clarity . the recurved portion 22 extends back about 1 / 2 inch such that groove 24 is 1 / 2 inch deep . curved portion 20 makes an angle of about 15 ° with the body 16 so that when resting on a horizontal surface , the junction between body 16 and curved portion 20 rests slightly above the horizontal . in this regard , it is noted that while curved portion 20 has been described as being downwardly curved , this term is used in reference to fig1 only , inasmuch as the orientation of control sheet 26 will be varied to enable it to slide into openings in walls , ceilings or any other opening leading to a space to be insulated . at the end of control sheet 12 opposite to recurved portion 22 , a handle is formed by attaching a substantially rectangular element 30 to the free end of body 16 . rectangular element 30 can be made of wood , synthetic resin or any other suitable material and is attached to body 18 by use of glue , screws or the like . an opening 32 is formed through body 16 and element 30 so as to form a hand hold . accordingly , control sheet 12 can be grasped by opening 32 and manipulated . additionally , a pair of offset flanges 34 and 36 , which can be seen more clearly in fig4 are attached to opposite sides of body 16 . flanges 34 and 36 form opposing grooves 38 and 40 which receive opposite edges of compression sheet 14 as will be discussed hereinafter . flanges 34 and 36 serve to retain and guide the compression sheet when it is moved on the control sheet . control sheet 12 also mounts a latching mechanism which comprises a cable 40 and a cable sheathing 42 which is attached to surface 18 . cable 40 and sheathing 42 extend through an opening formed in sheet 12 and sheathing 42 is held against surface 26 by retainers 43 . cable 40 terminates in an elongated pin 44 which is positioned below a slot 46 formed on the flat surface 18 . pin 44 is held in guide 45 so that it can move back and forth . as seen in fig1 and 2 , by pulling on cable 40 , pin 44 can be moved toward or away from the area just below slot 46 . in order to actuate cable 40 , a manual slide mechanism 50 shown most clearly in fig2 and 5 is provided . slide mechanism 50 is mounted within opening 32 and comprises a slide member 52 movably mounted in opening 32 . slide member 52 includes finger holes 54 which can be used to move slide member 52 against the action of a spring 56 . spring 56 is mounted on a guide rod 58 which is received in a guide opening 60 formed in member 30 . slide member 52 receives the terminal end of cable 40 which is affixed thereto . as shown in fig5 the terminal end of cable 40 has an enlarged bulge 62 which is received in a mating opening 63 in slide member 52 . opening 32 is closed off by a cable housing retainer and flex compensation guide 65 through which cable 40 passes and against which sheathing 42 abuts . cable 40 and sheathing 42 extend through a hole formed in sheet 12 and are connected to the flat surface 18 . in operation , when the user pulls on slide member 52 , cable 40 is pulled through sheathing 42 and pin 44 moves away from slot 46 . when slide member 52 is released , spring 56 forces cable 40 back to its original position and pin 44 moves past opening 46 . compression sheet 14 is shown most clearly in fig1 and 4 and comprises a body 70 which is connected at one end to a bent portion 71 . bent portion 71 is in turn connected to a flat piece 73 which is substantially parallel to body 70 . flat piece 73 terminates in another bent portion 72 which has a free end 74 which can slide within groove 24 formed in recurved portion 22 of control sheet 12 . bent portions 71 and 72 are formed at a similar angle of approximately 15 ° to the plane of surface 18 . bent portion 71 is about 11 / 2 to 2 inches long while bent portion 72 is between 1 and 11 / 2 inches in length . to complete the latching mechanism for sheets 12 and 14 , an eyelet 76 is attached to flat piece 73 and is positioned to fit within opening 46 in the sheet 12 . eyelet 76 can extend through opening 46 by a sufficient amount to receive pin 44 which serves to latch the two sheets together . in this regard , for ease of operation , opening 46 should be at least 1 / 2 inch greater in length than the thickness of eyelet 76 so that eyelet 76 can be receiving in opening 46 and sheet 12 can then be moved forward so that free edge 74 is received in slot 24 . as will be apparent hereinafter , the latch mechanism comprising eyelets 76 and pin 44 serve to compress a batt of insulation received between sheets 12 and 14 while recurved portion 22 serves to protect free edge 74 from snagging on obstacles encountered in the space to be insulated . the outer surface 80 of sheet 14 is smooth so as not to catch on any obstructions in the space to be insulated . accordingly , when sheets 12 and 14 are connected , outer surfaces 26 and 80 present a smooth sliding surface to facilitate insertion of the device 10 in an opening . the flat surface 70 of sheet 14 includes a plurality of teeth 82 which are inclined forwardly or toward the bent portion 72 of the sheet . teeth 82 are disposed in rows with any number of teeth desired per row and a sufficient number of rows to ensure that the teeth will adequately bite into a bat of insulation . the teeth 82 are angled forwardly so that forward movement of sheet 14 will cause a bat of insulation to move with it while , when sheet 14 is moved to the rear , teeth 82 will disengage the insulation and slide therepast . at the end of sheet 14 opposite to bent portions 72 and 72 a handle 84 is connected . handle 84 may be a piece of wood , synthetic resin material or the like which is glued or otherwise attached to the outer surface 80 of sheet 14 . an opening 86 is formed through the body 70 and handle 84 . opening 86 is positioned so as to align with opening 32 when sheets 12 and 14 are latched together . also , as shown in fig4 handle 84 is formed with a pair of recesses 86 and 88 on opposite sides thereof . recesses 86 and 88 are designed to permit offset flanges 34 and 36 to slide past handle 84 when the lateral edges of body 70 are received in slots 38 and 46 . in operation , a batt of insulation b is placed upon the flat surface 18 of control sheet 12 as shown in fig6 . compressor sheet 14 is then laid upon the insulation and the rear of the compressor sheet is pressed downwardly . the rear edge of compressor sheet 14 is then inserted in slots 38 and 40 as shown in fig7 and the compressor sheet is moved rearwardly with slots 38 and 40 guiding compressor sheet 14 . compressor sheet 14 is moved to the rear until eyelet 76 is over the rearwardmost part of slot 46 . actuator element 52 is then drawn rearwardly to pull pin 44 away from slot 46 and the front part of sheet 14 is pushed downwardly and forwardly to compress the forward portion of batt b and to move the front edge of sheet 14 into groove 24 . actuator element 52 is then released to permit pin 44 to slide through eyelet 76 and latch the front of sheets 12 and 14 together . accordingly , batt b is held in its compressed state with the forward ends of sheets 12 and 14 held by pin 44 and eyelet 76 and the rear ends of the sheets held by flanges 34 and 36 . openings 86 and 32 are now aligned and the entire configuration can be picked up easily by using these openings as a handle , grasping the handle with one hand , and supporting sheets 12 and 14 from below with the other hand . it should be noted that when batt b is laid on control sheet 12 , if insulation with a vapor barrier is being used , the vapor barrier should be laid directly on the exposed surface of sheet 12 with the exposed insulation of the batt engaging teeth 82 of compression sheet 14 . the method of using device 10 will now be described for installing a batt of fiberglass insulation through an interior building wall 92 . it will , of course , be understood that device 10 could also be used in a similar manner to install insulation in a ceiling , floor , etc . or in other structures such as vans , trucks or the like . when installing insulation upward , as shown in fig9 - 16 , a slit 90 is formed in the lower portion of wall 92 below the area in which the insulation is to be disposed . the slit should be approximately 21 / 2 inches wide and have a length sufficient to accept the full width of sheets 12 and 14 . to insert device 10 into slit 90 , the device is turned over so that control sheet 12 is on top and compressor sheet 14 is on the bottom such that the bent portions of the sheets 12 and 14 face toward the space to be filled with insulation . the bent portions are maneuvered into the space and moved upward . sheets 12 and 14 are formed from flexible material so that they can be bent to a considerable degree during this maneuvering process . as shown in fig1 , device 10 is moved into the cavity behind wall 92 until the front of the device engages the upper end of the cavity . of course , although not shown in fig1 , at this time the handles of device 10 will protrude from opening 90 . as shown in fig1 , actuator 52 is pulled to release sheets 12 and 14 and compressor sheet 14 is then pulled back slightly so as to be moved free of groove 24 . at this time insulation batt b is allowed to expand forcing the sheets apart . sheet 14 is then pulled back by a distance of about 3 inches so that the free edge of sheet 14 engages bat b as shown in fig1 . sheet 12 is then also pulled back by a similar distance . at this point , sheets 12 and 14 are moved down slightly from the forward end of batt b as shown in fig1 . sheets 12 and 14 are the pushed forward until batt b is pushed all the way up into the cavity behind wall 92 as shown in fig1 . sheets 12 and 14 are then withdrawn completely from opening 90 by moving the sheets downwardly one at a time starting with sheet 14 , as shown in fig1 and 16 . as sheets 12 and 14 are withdrawn , batt b is allowed to fully expand within the space behind wall 92 as shown in fig1 . as can be seen , by forming a separate opening 90 in each interior wall 92 of a building between adjacent joists , a bat of insulation can be inserted into the space behind the wall with a vapor barrier directly adjacent the wall . if desired , the insulation can be inserted from an opening formed at the upper end of the space to be insulated by simply turning the device 10 over so that the control sheet 12 is on the bottom and the angled portions of sheets 12 and 14 face the space to be insulated . the process is then carried forward in a manner similar to that described above as would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art . whether inserting the insulation from above or below the space to be insulated , it is important to note that the compressor sheet 14 must always be the first to be pulled to ensure a complete release from batt b . the control sheet is only pulled after the compressor sheet has been initially moved . when using device 10 of the present invention , all nails driven into the inner walls that protrude into the wall cavity to be insulated should be removed . wires or pipes running parallel to the forward motion of device 10 can be avoided by using a slightly smaller width device 10 . if wires or pipes run at right angles to the path of the device , precut grooves of appropriate size and depth can be formed in the fiberglass batting before loading the device 10 . a lighted mirror , measuring tape , and the like will assist in determining the exact location of these obstructions . the device 10 can be maneuvered around most right angle obstructions by passing in front or in back of them . this is accomplished by gripping the handles of the device firmly when an obstruction is encountered . pulling on the control sheet while pushing on the compressor sheet will cause the gripping tip of the compressor sleeve to swing against the inner wall . maintaining the guiding edge against the inner wall the device can be pushed forward to bypass the front of the obstruction . pulling the compressor sheet and pushing the control sheet will have the opposite effect , thus allowing the device 10 to bypass the obstruction by going behind it . the foregoing description is provided for purposes of illustrating the present invention but is not considered to be limitative thereof . clearly , numerous additions , deletions , and other modifications can be made by one of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims . | 8 |
the invention is a homogeneous plasma - assisted microsecond reaction process that permits the direct conversion of methane to methanol at high yields . the nonoptimized methanol yield is an unprecedented 11 molar % efficiency , which is commercially viable . moreover , by - products include other desirable oxygenates such as ethanol and formaldehyde . the process uses dc plasma microjets that are robust , inexpensive to build , and use little power . it operates at atmospheric pressure which means that no expensive vacuum pumps or compressors are needed . being a flow device the process is entirely scalable . since most of the products ( h 2 o , ch 3 oh , c 2 h 5 oh , hcoh ) are easily condensable , product fractionization or removal is trivial for further purification . according to the invention , the process is further : 1 ) optimized for yield , and 2 ) adapted to multiple plasma microjet operation . methanol and other oxygenate yield are increased by careful studies of the available parameter space . a multi tube apparatus demonstrates that the idea is scalable and satisfies questions relating to quantity production . the invention utilizes a partial oxidation of methane which is the efficient and has high production of active radicals , such as methyl , methylene , oxygen atoms , at low temperatures over a very short reaction zone so that the initial reactions can be quenched before full oxidation . the availability of milli - and micro - second , contact - time reactors could be used for the partial oxidation of higher hydrocarbons ( e . g . butane ), but these would only fully oxidize methane , probably because of the high temperatures employed for thermal activation . plasmas , on the other hand , have been very efficient in the production of active radicals at lower gas temperatures and have indeed led to the production of methanol , but at very small yields , typically below 2 % molar which is far from economical . the reason for the low yield is the long reaction zones associated with large plasma volumes , even in flow systems . the use of plasma microjets as efficient generators of radicals partially oxidize methane to methanol at a yield as high as 9 % molar at a methane conversion rate of 55 % based on uncalibrated gas chromatograph ( gc ) results . further optimization will increase these values . the plasma microjets are operated in a flow geometry at high flow rates and at atmospheric conditions . [ 0031 ] fig1 is a simplified side cross - sectional diagram of a single plasma microjet 10 . in the illustrated embodiment 20 sccm ch 4 gas from source 12 and 3 . 0 sccm o 2 gas from source 14 are mixed or combined with a 100 sccm he carrier gas from source 16 . the gas mixture is flowed through a conductive or stainless steel tube 18 which has an inner diameter of 178 μm at room temperature and ambient atmospheric pressures , which tube 18 is operated as the cathode . a dc voltage source 20 providing approximately 7 - 20 ma at approximately 1000 - 1500 volts is coupled through a cathode load resistor 22 to negatively biased tube 18 acting as a cathode . a dc micro - hollow cathode discharge is struck in the tube tip section 24 and the plasma jet forms in the outflow region or the reaction zone 26 , whose volume or length is important for high conversion rates and discharge stability . in the illustrated embodiment zone 26 is approximately 2 - 3 mm in length . it must be understood that all the parameters of operation of microjet 10 are interrelated and can be varied according to the spirit and scope of the invention to empirically optimize partial oxidation of methane in zone 26 . therefore , any one or more of the above described parameters can be altered with compensating alteration in the other parameters in a manner consistent with the teachings of the invention to optimize methane conversion . a mixture of water and methanol can be condensed out of the effluent 28 ; the condensate also contains small amounts of ethanol and propanol . the effluent 28 flows into a conductive or stainless steel tube 30 which is positively biased or grounded by voltage source 20 and which acts as the anode . in the illustrated embodiment the inner diameter of tube 30 is 1 mm . both tubes 18 and 30 are contained within a quartz reactor tube 32 , shown in dotted outline , which provides protective isolating packaging for microjet 10 . gc analysis of the effluent 28 also indicates that ethane and other higher hydrocarbons are present . the discharge consumes 10 w and can be operated stably for very long times . multiple microjets 10 can be operated in parallel for scaling up operations at higher flow rates for methanol production . fig2 is a simplified diagram of a first embodiment configured for mass production . the input gases of oxygen and methane , and perhaps an inert carrier gas in addition are provided with an intake manifold 36 in an input flow 46 . all plurality of microjets 10 of fig1 are arranged in an array 34 , which may include a plurality of microjets 10 embedded in or supported by an insulating matrix 38 . the gases flow through microjets 10 in array 34 , are partially oxidized with an effluent flow 56 of methane , water , methanol and any inert carrier gas used . flow 56 is then input into a condenser and separator in which all or most of the water , methanol and other possible higher order hydrocarbon products are condensed or liquefied leaving the unoxidized methane and the carrier gas . the water , methanol and other possible higher order hydrocarbon products can then be removed and further purified by conventional chemical manufacturing processes . the array and condenser comprise a converter 44 . after one pass through converter 44 the gas products may pass through one or more additional converters 44 with or without further methane enrichment as determined by efficiencies and economies of mass production . [ 0035 ] fig3 is a simplified side cross - sectional view of another embodiment of a microjet array 40 . in this example , a plurality of conductive tubes or channels 50 are arrayed in a disk 48 . tubes or channels 50 serve as the cathodes of microjet array 40 and may be comprised of conductive tubes embedded in an insulative material or may be bores defined through a conductive disk or carrier . a gas inflow 46 is provided on one side of the disk 48 with a plurality of plasma jets 52 emerging at the exit orifices 53 on the opposite side of disk 48 . an anode screen 54 is disposed opposing exit orifices 53 . a gas outflow 56 flows through anode screen 54 and is further processed as described in connection with fig2 . voltage source 20 and load resistor ( s ) 22 is provided for and coupled to the microjets in a manner similar to that described in connection with fig1 . [ 0036 ] fig4 is a simplified diagram of another embodiment where a plurality of microjet arrays 40 are coupled in parallel with each other for mass production . methane from source 12 is mixed at node 58 with oxygen from source 14 and then provided to a manifold 60 , where it is distributed among a plurality of microjet arrays 40 . the partially oxidized gas products are collected in parallel in an outflow manifold 62 and then provided to a condenser and separator 42 as in fig2 . a portion of the unoxidized methane flowing from condenser and separator 42 is fed back via line 64 to node 58 and recirculated through arrays 40 again . a multiple of such stages as shown in fig4 may be coupled with each other in series with or without methane enrichment at each stage . in summary , what is described is a method and apparatus to achieve significant partial oxidation of methane , which is cheap , easy to build and operate , scale up and run continuously . methanol is produced at a high rate , i . e . at least 9 %, and can be condense out of the plasma with water for further purification . many alterations and modifications may be made by those having ordinary skill in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . therefore , it must be understood that the illustrated embodiment has been set forth only for the purposes of example and that it should not be taken as limiting the invention as defined by the following claims . for example , notwithstanding the fact that the elements of a claim are set forth below in a certain combination , it must be expressly understood that the invention includes other combinations of fewer , more or different elements , which are disclosed in above even when not initially claimed in such combinations . the words used in this specification to describe the invention and its various embodiments are to be understood not only in the sense of their commonly defined meanings , but to include by special definition in this specification structure , material or acts beyond the scope of the commonly defined meanings . thus if an element can be understood in the context of this specification as including more than one meaning , then its use in a claim must be understood as being generic to all possible meanings supported by the specification and by the word itself . the definitions of the words or elements of the following claims are , therefore , defined in this specification to include not only the combination of elements which are literally set forth , but all equivalent structure , material or acts for performing substantially the same function in substantially the same way to obtain substantially the same result . in this sense it is therefore contemplated that an equivalent substitution of two or more elements may be made for any one of the elements in the claims below or that a single element may be substituted for two or more elements in a claim . although elements may be described above as acting in certain combinations and even initially claimed as such , it is to be expressly understood that one or more elements from a claimed combination can in some cases be excised from the combination and that the claimed combination may be directed to a subcombination or variation of a subcombination . insubstantial changes from the claimed subject matter as viewed by a person with ordinary skill in the art , now known or later devised , are expressly contemplated as being equivalently within the scope of the claims . therefore , obvious substitutions now or later known to one with ordinary skill in the art are defined to be within the scope of the defined elements . the claims are thus to be understood to include what is specifically illustrated and described above , what is conceptionally equivalent , what can be obviously substituted and also what essentially incorporates the essential idea of the invention . | 7 |
referring to the drawings , fig1 shows a part of a refining disc in the form of a refining segment 1 , provided with a pattern comprising a number of bars 3 extending substantially in the radial direction . measuring devices 4 in accordance with the present invention are also drawn schematically in this figure . these measuring devices preferably have a circular measuring surface 2 with a diameter in the order of 30 mm , for example , but the measuring surface may alternatively have any other geometric shape that is found suitable . the measuring devices are preferably arranged at different radial distances from the center of the refining disc , and segments at different distances from the center preferably also have measuring devices . the measuring devices can also advantageously be displaced peripherally in relation to each other , to improve the determining of the power distribution in the refiner and thus better control the refining process . when a measuring device is influenced by forces , each of the force sensors will generate a signal that is proportional to the load . the schematic measuring device 4 in accordance with the first embodiment in fig2 comprises a measuring surface 2 provided with bars 6 , or parts of bars , this measuring surface constituting a part of a refining segment as illustrated in fig1 . as is also clear from fig1 , the measuring device preferably has a circular measuring surface . the measuring device and measuring surface are arranged movably in the refining segment 1 , at least resiliently supported in a direction perpendicular to the measuring surface . they may also be movably arranged in directions substantially parallel with the measuring surface . this can be achieved in various ways not shown here , but reference is made by way of example to swedish patent application no . 0201023 - 9 . the measuring surface 2 abuts directly against a body 5 extending inside the device . this body 5 connects the measuring surface 2 with members in the form of force sensors or transducers , 33 and 34 , for measuring forces acting perpendicularly on the measuring surface 2 , i . e . normal forces f n . the normal force is a resultant of the steam pressure at the measuring surface in the refiner , i . e . the pressure f st exerted by the steam on the measuring surface , and the pressure f fib exerted on the measuring surface ( and the refining segment ) by the fiber mat formed by the refining material . the force sensors 33 and 34 , respectively , are arranged in pairs opposite each other in the normal direction so that the force sensors in a pair will give counter - directed readings when influenced by a force . when the normal force on the surface 2 increases , therefore , the load on one of the sensors will increase while at the same time the load on the other sensor in the pair will decrease . the stress force can therefore be calculated on the basis of the difference between the readings or the deflection measured at any one time on respective force sensors in a pair . this enables compensation to be obtained , for instance , for any temperature fluctuations that may affect the readings . it would naturally be possible to arrange the sensors differently in relation to each other and still have their respective readings be counter - directed . in the example illustrated the force sensors 33 and 34 , respectively , are designed as plates centered around the central axis of the measuring device . there are piezoelectric transducers , for example , that are plate shaped , as well as plates provided with strain gauges . however , other types of sensors are possible . arrangements other than plate - shaped are also possible . in the case of strain gauges , for instance , a number of these may in principle be arranged directly on the body 5 , distributed uniformly around the central axis . see also fig4 and fig5 , illustrating examples of how a variant with strain gauges might look . it should also be mentioned that in practice the body 5 must be suitable for the plates to be put in place . this may be achieved by the body 5 being divided and then assembled after the plates have been fitted , using some type of assembly tool . the internal parts of the measuring device described above , the body 5 and sensors , 33 and 34 , are arranged in a protective sensor housing 20 . this housing has an opening at the top , which is adjacent to the surrounding refining segments and which is closed off from the refining material by the measuring surface 2 . in the first embodiment under consideration the housing is also closed at the bottom , towards the stator of the refiner or segment holder if such is used , by a lid 11 . the second embodiment , illustrated schematically in fig3 , shows how a measuring device can be designed with compensation for the steam pressure f st . in this arrangement , thus only the pressure of the actual fiber mat , f fib is measured . we have here a measuring device equivalent to that in fig2 where the internal parts comprising the body 5 and force sensors , 33 and 34 , are arranged in a sensor housing 20 . contrary to the embodiment in fig3 , however , the lid closing the sensor housing off from the stator or segment holder is omitted so that a connection exists between the upper side of the measuring surface 2 and the upper side of the surrounding refining segment 1 by means of an open channel 13 arranged between the side walls of the sensor housing 20 and the surrounding refining segment 1 . steam from the area at the measuring surface can be transported through this channel so that the steam pressure existing at the measuring surface also influences those parts of the measuring device that measure the perpendicular pressure in the opposite direction to the normal pressure , i . e . from below , having the same area as the measuring surface . the steam force acting on the measuring surface and the steam pressure acting from below thus cancel each other out and a measurement of the actual fiber pressure can be obtained . the measurement of the normal force influencing the measuring surface 2 is thus reduced by the existing steam pressure , thereby indicating the fiber pressure directly . finally , a third embodiment of the present invention is feasible . it is namely possible to also provide the device in accordance with the first embodiment , illustrated in fig2 , with members for compensating the steam pressure . this can be achieved by installing at least one temperature sensor in conjunction with the measuring surface , to measure the temperature of the steam . knowledge of the temperature of the steam enables the pressure of the steam f st to be calculated . a calculation of the pressure from the actual fiber mat , f fib can then be made by reducing the normal force f n by the calculated steam pressure f st . fig4 and 5 show examples of how a device for measuring normal forces in a practical application can be combined with measuring shearing forces f s , i . e . forces parallel to the plane of the measuring surfaces 2 . fig6 shows a schematic cross section of a component in the devices in fig4 and 5 , in the form of the thin - walled tubular parts of the first and second bodies and the strain gauges arranged thereon . as before , the measuring device 4 in fig4 and that in fig5 comprises a measuring surface 2 provided with bars 6 , or parts of bars , which measuring surface constitutes a part of a refining segment as illustrated in fig1 . the measuring device preferably has a circular measuring surface . the measuring device and the measuring surface are movably arranged in the refining segment 1 , in all directions . the measuring surface 2 is in direct contact with a first , upper body 5 extending inside the device . at its lower side this first body is shaped as a thin - walled tube 15 . the material is chosen to be somewhat resilient . a cross section through the thin - walled tube section can therefore be likened to a spring . strain gauges are arranged on the outside of the thin - walled tube section , which form a first set of force sensors 12 . it is actually the thin - walled , somewhat resilient tube section that , together with the strain gauges , form the force sensors , but for the sake of simplicity the term force sensor is used in this description primarily as a designation for the strain gauges or equivalent members . the strain gauges are preferably arranged axially and when the thin - walled tube is subjected to a load it is slightly deformed so that it influences the strain gauges . these are in turn connected to some suitable strain gauge bridge that generates a corresponding signal . the thin - walled tube section 15 is pre - stressed with a tensile force so that it does not risk collapsing when subjected to loading . inside the pipe section extends a rod 10 with a spherical top , which rod forms the previously mentioned attachment element with the aid of which the various parts of the device are secured and which also connects the various parts in the measuring device with each other and with the measuring surface 2 . the first body 5 is journalled on the spherical top which thus functions as a fulcrum for the body 5 and forms a first fulcrum 8 . this embodiment comprises four sensors arranged symmetrically in relation to a center line extending through the measuring surface 2 and through the rod 10 . the sensors 12 are preferably arranged spaced with 90 ° spacing ( see also fig6 ). they are arranged in pairs opposite each other so that the sensors in a pair will give counter - directed readings when influenced by a force . these pairs of sensors are also arranged perpendicular to each other for measuring in an x - direction and a y - direction , i . e . in a plane parallel with the measuring surface 2 . this permits measurement of forces in all directions in a plane parallel with the measuring surface , the magnitude and direction of the force being determined as the resultant of the readings of respective pairs of force sensors . a second , lower body 7 is arranged below the first , upper body 5 and outside its tubular part 15 . this second body also has a thin - walled tubular part 17 , arranged outside and concentric with the tubular part 15 of the first body 5 and with the rod 10 , and functioning in corresponding manner , i . e . as a spring . strain gauges are also arranged on the outside of the second thin - walled tubular part 17 . these strain gauges form a second set of force sensors 22 and are preferably arranged axially . they are four in number and are arranged symmetrically in relation to a center line extending through the measuring surface 2 and through the rod 10 . in other respects they are arranged in the same way and function in the same way as the sensors 12 of the upper body 5 , i . e . they are arranged in pairs and measure forces in x - and y - direction ( see also fig6 ). however , in the example illustrated the fulcrum 9 for the lower body 7 is formed by the central point of a resilient plate or sheet 18 arranged below the body 7 and connected to the rod 10 so that the rod extends through the center of the plate . the measurement of normal forces in the device illustrated in fig4 is performed with the aid of additional force sensors 32 , forming strain gauges for the purpose , arranged on one or other of the tubular parts , 15 or 17 , preferably axially between the already existing sensors , as illustrated schematically in fig6 . to obtain a fairly correct measurement at least three force sensors should be used for measuring the normal force , and these should be uniformly distributed . however , the use of four sensors is preferred , as shown in fig6 , possibly more . as described earlier , the internal parts of the measuring device in fig4 are arranged in a protective sensor housing 20 . this housing is provided with an opening at the top , and is adjacent to the surrounding refining segments , which is closed off from the refining material by the measuring surface 2 and a resilient seal 16 between the measuring surface and the side walls of the sensor housing . the housing is also closed off at the bottom , towards the stator of the refiner or segment holder if such is used , by a lid 11 . fig5 illustrates a variant equivalent to fig4 in which compensation can also take place for the steam pressure existing at the measuring surface which constitutes a part of the normal pressure on the measuring surface that is measured with the measuring device in accordance with the first embodiment . here also the internal parts are situated in a protective sensor housing 20 . contrary to the embodiment in fig4 , however , the lid closing off the sensor housing from the stator or segment holder is designed so that a connection exists between the upper side of the measuring surface and the upper side of the surrounding refining segment , by means of an open channel 13 arranged between the side walls of the sensor housing 20 and the surrounding refining segment 1 . the aim is that compensation should be possible to be achieved for the existing steam pressure when the normal force affecting the measuring surface 2 is calculated . for this purpose the existing steam pressure shall also affect the parts of the measuring device that measure the perpendicular pressure in the direction opposite to the normal pressure , i . e . from below . the lid 11 may thus be made in two parts , an outer part 23 provided with channels and an inner , movable part 24 having a gap between it and the stator / segment holder . the rod 10 is also shaped so that a gap exists between it and the stator / segment holder . steam can thus penetrate to the gap 25 formed above the stator / segment holder and influence the inner part 24 , rod 10 and force sensors 32 on the part 17 , or possibly other members that have been mentioned , and can form the means for measuring perpendicular forces . the steam pressure acting on the measuring surface and the steam pressure acting from below thus cancel each other out and a measurement of the actual fibre pressure can be obtained . in all embodiments equipment is also provided for processing the signals emitted by the various sensors so that the control of the refining process aimed at can be obtained . such equipment is commercially available and can easily be adapted by one skilled in the art . it should also be mentioned that the present invention can naturally be used together with various other devices for measuring shearing forces in refiners . although the invention herein has been described with reference to particular embodiments , it is to be understood that these embodiments are merely illustrative of the principles and applications of the present invention . it is therefore to be understood that numerous modifications may be made to the illustrative embodiments and that other arrangements may be devised without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims . | 1 |
fig1 shows a wind turbine 10 having a sensor apparatus 12 according to an embodiment of the invention . the wind turbine 10 comprises a tower 14 on which a nacelle 16 is supported . a rotor 18 is mounted to the front of the nacelle 16 . the rotor 18 comprises a hub 20 on which three equally - spaced rotor blades 22 are mounted . the sensor apparatus 12 is mounted externally on an upper surface 24 of the nacelle 16 . the nacelle 16 comprises electrical shielding , such as a faraday cage , to protect its contents against lightning strikes . an optoelectronic equipment suite 26 is located within the electrically shielded nacelle 16 and connected to the sensor apparatus 12 by a bundle of optical fibres , as shown schematically by the line 28 in fig1 . in alternative embodiments , both the sensor apparatus 12 and the optoelectronic equipment suite 26 could be located elsewhere on the wind turbine 10 . referring now to fig2 and 3 , the sensor apparatus 12 comprises a sensor . in this example , the sensor is an optical anemometer configured to determine the speed and the direction of the wind 30 by detecting the motion of dust particles 32 or other such matter carried in the wind . the operation of the optical anemometer will be discussed in more detail later . the optical anemometer includes a dome - shaped housing 34 in which three light sources 36 and a light detection apparatus 38 are located . the light detection apparatus 38 is centrally located in the housing 34 and the three light sources 36 are equally - spaced around the light detection apparatus 38 . the light sources 36 emit beams of light 40 that converge in a focal region 42 below the light detection apparatus 38 . the sensor apparatus 12 further comprises a heating system 44 to prevent or reduce ice accretion on the optical anemometer . the heating system 44 comprises a lens 46 and an optical fibre 48 . the housing 34 has a first aperture 50 through which a first end of the optical fibre 52 enters the housing 34 . the lens 46 is mounted inside the housing 34 , adjacent to and spaced apart from the first end of the optical fibre 52 . as will be described in more detail later , the heating system 44 functions using the lens 46 to distribute infrared radiation 54 emitted from the first end of the optical fibre 52 over the sensor apparatus 12 . in this embodiment , the sensor apparatus 12 does not contain any metallic or electrically conductive components and is therefore less vulnerable to lightning strikes than a sensor apparatus having metallic components . fig4 shows the housing 34 in this embodiment with five apertures 50 , 56 through which five optical fibres 48 , 58 , 60 enter the housing 34 . the first aperture 50 and optical fibre 48 are as described above and illustrated in fig3 . additionally , each of the three light sources 36 ( one of which is not visible in this side view ) is connected to its own optical fibre 58 . similarly , the light detection apparatus 38 is connected to an optical fibre 60 . outside the housing , the optical fibres 48 , 58 , 60 are grouped together to form the bundle 28 referred to above . the optical fibre bundle 28 passes into the interior of the nacelle 16 to the optoelectronic equipment suite 26 . in other embodiments , the optical fibres 48 , 58 , 60 may be grouped into a bundle within the housing 12 and pass through a single aperture in the housing . the optoelectronic equipment suite 26 inside the nacelle 16 comprises an optoelectronic light source 62 , a light detector 64 such as a photo diode , a controller 66 and an infrared optoelectronic light source 68 . the optical fibres 58 connected to the three light sources 36 in the sensor housing 34 are each connected at their other ends to the optoelectronic light source 62 in the optoelectronic equipment suite 26 . similarly , the optical fibre 60 connected to the light detection apparatus 38 in the housing 34 is connected at its other end to the light detector 64 in the optoelectronic equipment suite 26 , and the optical fibre 48 of the heating system 44 in the sensor housing 34 is connected at a second end 70 to the infrared optoelectronic light source 68 in the optoelectronic equipment suite 26 . the controller 66 has respective connections 72 , 74 , 76 to the optoelectronic light source 62 , the infrared optoelectronic light source 68 and the light detector 64 . the controller 66 is also connected to a temperature sensor 78 located outside the optoelectronic equipment suite 26 . in this embodiment , both the optoelectronic light source 62 and the infrared optoelectronic light source 68 comprise a plurality of leds . specifically , the optoelectronic light source 62 emits visible electromagnetic radiation and the infrared optoelectronic light source 68 emits electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength in the infrared range . the controller 66 includes a memory on which control software is stored and a processor to run the control software . the control software governs the operation of both the optical wind sensor and the heating system 44 . the controller 66 is also configured to receive ambient temperature information from the temperature sensor 78 . referring to fig3 and 4 , the light sources 36 and light detection apparatus 38 are substantially arranged as described in wo2011 / 095170 to determine the speed and direction of the wind 30 based upon the speed and direction of travel of dust particles 32 carried in the wind . the reader is referred to wo2011 / 095170 for a detailed description of the mode of operation of the sensor . however , for convenience , a brief description of the operation is provided below . each of the three light sources 36 ( one of which is not visible in the side views of fig3 and 4 ) emits two beams of light 40 with distinct wavelengths . the light detection apparatus 38 receives flashes of light caused as the dust particles 32 carried in the wind 30 pass through the individual beams of emitted light 40 and reflect light towards the light detection apparatus 38 . the flashes of light are transmitted from the light detection apparatus 38 to the light detector 64 in the optoelectronic equipment suite 26 via the associated optical fibre 60 . the flashes of light are processed by the controller 66 to determine the speed and / or direction of the motion of the dust 32 and hence the speed and / or direction of the wind 30 in which the dust 32 is carried . the controller 66 also uses the order in which the distinct wavelengths of light are reflected to determine the direction of motion of the dust particles 32 . referring still to fig3 and 4 , the operation of the heating system 44 will now be discussed in more detail . in addition to the lens 46 and adjacent optical fibre 48 described above , the heating system 44 further comprises the infrared optoelectronic light source 68 in the optoelectronic equipment suite 26 . the heating system 44 is arranged such that infrared light 54 emitted from the infrared optoelectronic light source 68 is transmitted via the optical fibre 48 and distributed via the lens 46 over the sensor apparatus 12 . the sensor apparatus 12 absorbs the infrared light 54 and converts the energy of the infrared light 54 into heat . the heat absorbed by the sensor apparatus 12 is sufficient to prevent or reduce ice accretion on the sensor apparatus 12 . this enables the sensor apparatus 12 to continue to operate even in low ambient temperatures which would usually cause ice accretion on the sensor apparatus 12 . in this embodiment , the system is configured to prevent ice from forming on the sensor . hence when the temperature sensor 78 indicates that the ambient temperature has fallen below a predetermined threshold that is above ice - forming temperatures the controller 66 activates the heating system 44 . in this example , the predetermined threshold is set at + 1 ° c . this leads to the heating system 44 irradiating the sensor apparatus 12 with infrared light 54 to ensure that the temperature of the sensor apparatus remains above ice - forming temperatures , thereby preventing ice accretion on the sensor apparatus 12 . the control software is configured to prevent the heating system 44 from interfering with the operation of the sensor apparatus 12 . when the heating system 44 is activated , the emitted infrared light 54 may be reflected or transmitted around the inside of the housing 34 and transmitted to the optoelectronic equipment suite 26 through the optical fibre 60 connected to the light detector 64 . any infrared light consequentially received by the light detector 64 is filtered out by the control software , which uses algorithms to remove signals resulting from wavelengths in the infrared range . the control software further defines a predetermined relationship between ambient temperature and power output of the infrared optoelectronic light source 68 where the power output of the infrared optoelectronic light source 68 generally increases with decreasing ambient temperature so that the sensor apparatus 12 is heated more as temperature falls . the predetermined relationship between ambient temperature and power output of the infrared optoelectronic light source 68 serves to conserve power by minimising the power required to maintain the sensor apparatus 12 temperature above ice - forming temperatures , whilst at the same time ensuring that the heating system 44 is fully - functional even in extremely cold conditions . in alternative embodiments , the heating system 44 could be used to melt ice rather than to prevent ice forming . if ice accretion has occurred , the sensor apparatus 12 may provide spurious wind speed and wind direction measurements . any spurious measurements are detected by the controller 66 through statistical comparison of the measurements with typical measurements to find any significant outliers in the data . the control software is configured to activate the heating system 44 on receiving a predetermined number of spurious measurements within a predetermined time period , if the temperature sensor also indicates ice - forming ambient temperatures . the heating system 44 then irradiates the sensor apparatus 12 with infrared light 54 , melting any ice on the sensor apparatus 12 . many modifications may be made to the above examples without departing from the scope of the present invention as defined in the accompanying claims . for example , the optoelectronic light source 62 and the infrared optoelectronic light source 68 need not be integrated into the same optoelectronic equipment suite . in alternative embodiments , a standalone sensor heating optoelectronic equipment suite may be connected to the optical fibre 48 adjacent to the lens 46 in the housing 34 . the sensor heating optoelectronic equipment suite may contain the infrared optoelectronic light source 68 , the temperature sensor 78 and a dedicated controller . whilst a temperature threshold of + 1 ° c . is used in the above examples , a different temperature threshold may be employed in other examples . for example , a lower temperature threshold may be employed in cases where air humidity is low . the apparatus may further comprise means for measuring air humidity , and the heating system 44 may only be activated when temperature falls below a predetermined threshold and air humidity exceeds a predetermined threshold . alternatively , the predetermined threshold temperature below which the heating system is activated may be calculated on the basis of an air humidity value ( either measured or otherwise provided ) and / or other potentially relevant factors such as air pressure . the temperature sensor 78 in the embodiment described above is configured to measure ambient temperature and could include a thermocouple , thermistor , analogue temperature sensor or digital temperature sensor . however , the ambient temperature can only be used to infer whether ice - forming temperatures are present at the sensor apparatus 12 itself . therefore , in other embodiments , the temperature sensor 78 may be a non - contact thermometer , such as an infrared pyrometer , configured to measure the temperature of the sensor apparatus directly . in such embodiments , the controller 66 uses the sensor apparatus temperature in the same way as ambient temperature as described above to prevent or reduce ice accretion on the sensor apparatus 12 . the benefit of this is that the sensor apparatus temperature is measured directly without increasing the vulnerability of the sensor apparatus 12 to lightning strikes because the temperature measurement equipment does not require metallic parts to be associated with the sensor apparatus 12 . in the embodiment described above , one lens 46 is used to distribute the electromagnetic radiation from the first end of the optical fibre 52 of the heating system 44 . however , depending on the configuration of the sensor apparatus 12 , one or more lenses and / or mirrors may be employed to distribute the electromagnetic radiation from the first end of the optical fibre over the sensor apparatus . whilst single optical fibres have been described above for convenience , in practice bundles of optical fibres , such as in a fibre optic cable , may be used to increase the transmission of electromagnetic radiation and for redundancy purposed making the apparatus more robust . | 8 |
while the invention will be described in connection with a preferred embodiment , it will be understood that it is not intended to limit the invention to that embodiment , rather , it is intended to cover all alternatives as may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention . referring now to the drawings , there is shown vehicles , namely a first - vehicle 12 and a second - vehicle 14 used to perform the double - stage repaving method . it will be appreciated however , that in carrying out the invention , both vehicles are used in end - to - end relationship . referring first to fig1 and 2 which show the repaving process schematically , and initially focusing on the first - stage of the repaving process , there is shown a conventional dump truck 16 providing a supply of new hot mix 18 to a receiving hopper 20 . the new hot mix 18 , of fresh unused asphalt compound , is carried away from the dump area , and rearwardly on the vehicle 12 , by a conveyor 22 which is operatively connected to the receiving hopper 20 for use at a later described work station in the repaving process . behind the receiving hopper 20 , opposite the direction of travel as indicated by the arrow in fig1 and 2 , there is shown a first - stage flat - flame heating means 24 . flat - flame heating means 24 forms a first work station of , and performs a first step in , the double - stage repaving operation . more specifically , the heating means 24 delivers radiant heat to penetrate an upper surface 26 of an existing roadway surface 28 over which the heating means 24 travels . design specifications contemplate heat penetration to a depth of approximately 1 inch . as illustrated , a first heater 30 is preferably rated at approximately 7 . 5 million btu and is spaced immediately ahead of a second heater 32 which is preferably rated at approximately 15 million btu . so arranged , the two heaters 30 and 32 pass over the road surface 28 at speeds of from 15 to 22 feet per minute and raise the upper inch of the roadway surface 26 to working temperatures of about 400 degrees farenheit . since a flashpoint of approximately 475 degrees farenheit is a common characteristic of most asphaltic cements which form part of the existing asphalt surface 28 as discussed above , the heating means 24 will heat the upper inch 26 without burning the road surface or affecting obstacles such a trees and buildings nearby . immediately following the heating of the upper layer 26 , unseparated by vehicle drive means or dump trucks , scarification of upper layer 26 comprises the next step in the repaving method . to this end , air bag scarifiers 34 form the next work station of the road repaving apparatus . constructed substantially as set forth in my earlier u . s . pat . no . 3 , 907 , 450 , the scarifiers 34 have blades 36 which are urged against the road surface by means of air - operated bags which apply pressure to scarifying blade holding arms ( not shown ). the blades 36 , which can be carbide tipped for maximum wear resistance , excavate the heated upper surface 26 leaving a broken , loosened road surface 38 as depicted in an enlarged sectional broken out view in fig3 . the broken , loosened road surface 38 is next treated with a recycling agent 40 by use of rotating applicators 42 located in line behind the scarifiers 34 . the recycling agent 40 is preferably a type of liquid maltene oil which is a constituent of asphalt cement and functions to bond the various components together . as is common knowledge in the repaving industry asphaltic oils , such as maltene , in asphalt pavements come to the surface of the road over time . this occurence leaves behind a layer of pavement lacking the desired characteristics of a superior roadway surface . the addition of a recycling agent 40 via applicators 42 forms a composite material 44 having the requisite components of a high quality asphalt compound . as final work stations of the first - stage of the repaving process , a mixing screw 46 , a leveling blade 48 and a repaving screed 50 are provided . these work stations pass over and thoroughly mix and level out the composite surface 44 to form a recycled hot mix 52 . the recycled hot mix 52 conforms substantially to the characteristics of new asphalt compound normally used for laying brand new roadways . before moving to a complete discussion and description of the second - stage of the repaving process , it will be recalled that at the outset , new hot mix 18 was delivered to the receiving hopper 20 to be carried off by first - stage conveyor 22 . the conveyor 22 conveys the new hot mix 18 vertically above the work stations already discussed , and deposits it in a distribution funnel 54 which , in a preferred embodiment , comprises a first work station of the second - stage of the repaving process . this second - stage distribution funnel 5 receives and distributes the new hot mix 18 , in quantities of approximately 35 to 200 pounds per square yard of production and at of temperatures of approximately 300 degrees farinheit , directly upon the recycled hot mix 52 on the roadway in a uniform and continuous manner . it will be noted that because of the close proximity of the first - stage work stations as described above , the recycled hot mix 52 will still be quite hot when the new hot mix 18 is added to it . having the temperatures of both the recycled hot mix 52 and the new hot mix 18 elevated at this point in the double - stage repaving process is important for two reasons . first , it creates proper conditions for combining the materials which occurs immediately after the distribution funnel 54 distributes the new hot mix 18 by way of staggered , contoured rotary milling cutters 56 , best shown in fig3 and 4 , which mix and work the recycled hot mix 52 and the new hot mix 18 together to form a mixed material 58 . as will be recalled , the asphalt cements in the road become flowable liquid at 300 degrees farenheit and will flow evenly over the asphalt components and bind them together during this milling operation . secondly , mixing the recycled hot mix 52 and the new hot mix 18 at temperatures above 300 degrees farenheit avoids problems associated with what is known in the repaving industry as &# 34 ; cold milling &# 34 ;. &# 34 ; cold milling &# 34 ;, meaning milling asphalts at ambient temperatures , quickly wears out the milling cutters 56 and requires rotating the cutters with very high horse power . moreover , &# 34 ; cold milling &# 34 ; tears apart the asphalt cements contained in the pavement surface , creates &# 34 ; fines &# 34 ;, or very fine particles , which are difficult to remove and leaves the pavement in a weakened condition that cannot carry heavy traffic . at temperatures above 300 , asphalt milling can be performed with lower horse power and the milling cutters 56 have a life span 15 to 20 times as long as cutters performing &# 34 ; cold milling &# 34 ;. during the milling operation , in addition to forming mixed material 58 , the milling cutters 56 , which are driven by sprocket and chain means 62 and 64 ( fig4 ), perform a second function . that is , the milling cutters 56 leave a cut in the road surface 28 which exposes a sub - layer 60 located beneath recycled hot mix 52 . it is important to control precisely a depth - of - cut d made by the milling cutters 56 due to problems associated with &# 34 ; cold milling &# 34 ;, discussed above . accordingly , depth control means 66 are provided employing the general principles of my earlier u . s . pat . no . 4 , 103 , 973 and to which reference may be had . fig4 shows an enlarged side elevational view of a work station comprising the milling cutters 56 , and the depth - of - cut control means depicted generally as 66 . in order to provide a smooth , controlled milling cut operation , the depth - of - cut control means 66 has elongated depth control shoes 68 which are securely mounted on each of two outwardly facing sidewalls 70 of the distribution funnel 54 . the distribution funnel 54 also has a rear wall 72 . extension arms 74 are provided to connect distribution funnel 54 with a milling cutter support frame 76 to allow for relative limited vertical movement therebetween by pivotally attaching extension arm ends 78 to pivot pins 80 provided on the rear wall 72 of the distribution funnel 54 and pivotally attaching the opposite ends 82 of arms 74 to ears 84 provided on support frame 76 . the support frame 76 , on which the milling cutters 56 are rotatably mounted , is in turn pivotally mounted on pivot pins 90 , 92 for limited vertical movement relative to a main frame 86 through the movement of brace arms 88 . the brace arm pivot pins 90 and 92 pivotally attach to rear support frame flanges 94 and main frame flange means 96 , respectively . pairs of fluid power cylinders at opposite sides of the apparatus ( one such cylinder of each pair 98 and 100 being shown ) provide for selectively controlling the vertical movement of both the distribution funnel 54 and the support frame 76 , independently , relative to main frame 86 . these cylinders are preferably supported on pairs of brackets 101 and 103 . in operation , elongated depth control shoes 68 ride upon a road surface at which new hot mix 18 has just been laid atop recycled hot mix 52 . the desired depth - of - cut d , in relation to the level of the control shoes 68 , can be determined by knowing the combined thickness of the recycled hot mix 52 and the new hot mix 18 . adjusting cylinder 1 will pre - set support frame 76 , and thus the milling cutters 56 , relative to the level of control shoes 68 to obtain the desired depth - of - cut d . an angle a will now exist between extension arms 74 and the distribution funnel rear wall 72 . likewise , a second angle b will exist between brace arms 88 and main frame 86 . in order to maintain the same variance , in degrees , between angles a and b , and thereby maintain the same vertical relationship between control shoes 68 and support frame 76 , first and second sensing means 102 and 104 are provided . it will be appreciated , that controlling these vertical relationships , also enables precise control of the depth - of - cut d . for example , when discontinuity in the road level 28 being treated by the double - stage repaving apparatus 10 is encountered , distribution funnel 54 will ride vertically upward or downward on elongated control shoes 68 , thereby extending or compressing fluid power cylinder assembly 98 . this in turn will cause angle a to increase or decrease accordingly . first sensing means 102 ( fig4 ), of known type and kind , will accurately detect any change in angle a and electronically signal second sensing means 104 , also of known type and kind , which consequently will electronically trigger a suitable solenoid value ( not shown ) to operate hydraulic cylinders 1 to raise or lower milling cutter support frame 76 such that the same variance initially existing between angles a and b is restored . the electro - hydraulic circuitry for operating the cylinders is conventional and need not be described in detail here . by this method , a constant depth - of - cut d is achieved despite road level discontinuity without putting unnecessary stresses and strains on the second - stage repaving apparatus 14 which would otherwise occur were the described apparatus 14 assembled in a rigid manner . referring again to the description of the road surface being treated , once the recycled hot mix 52 and the new hot mix 18 have been thoroughly milled and mixed together by milling cutters 56 , the rotating milling cutters 56 further serve to throw the mixed material 58 onto a double - chain second - stage conveyor 106 having one end 108 positioned directly behind the milling cutters 56 to receive the mixed material 58 and another end 110 disposed adjacent a paving station 112 described below . the second - stage conveyor 106 transports the mixed material 58 vertically overhead the remaining second - stage apparatus described below in much the same manner that the first - stage conveyor 22 transports the new hot mix 18 above the first - stage apparatus 12 . gates 114 , and gate adjustment means 116 , are provided for both the milling cutters 56 and the distribution funnel 54 in order to aid in leveling and containing the worked road surface as well as facilitate the loading of the mixed material 58 onto the conveyor 106 . treatment of the smooth , black sub - layer 60 exposed by the milling cutters can now be performed by first providing second - stage heating means 118 , which may for example be rated at 15 million btu . heating means 118 places heat deep into the road surface 28 by heating approximately one inch of sub - layer 60 in much the same manner as heating means 24 heated top layer 26 , above . next , a second sequence of workstations comprising second - stage vehicle 14 works the sub - layer 60 by scarifying with second - stage scarifiers 120 to form a broken , loosened surface , applying recycling agent 40 with second - stage rotary applicators 122 to form a sub - level composite layer 124 , and finally mixing and leveling the sub - layer 60 with second - stage mixing screws 126 , a leveling blade 128 and second - stage screed 130 . a treated , revitalized sub - layer plane 132 , devoid of cracks , separations and other defects which may have resulted from previous resurfacing attempts , now forms a smooth surface upon which the mixed material 58 can be laid . at the paving station 110 , the mixed material 58 is uniformly layered on top of the revitalized sub - level plane 132 and worked by a final screw mixer 134 and a final screed 136 . as a result of the rapid rate of movement of the repaving apparatus along the roadway as discussed above , both the mixed material 58 and the revitalized sub - level plane 132 remain heated above approximately 250 degrees fahrenheit at the paving station 110 . this heat enables proper material bonding and compaction and results in a new , welded , monolithic road pavement 138 , approximately 21 / 2 to 3 inches thick being produced at speeds of up to 22 f . p . m . the new pavement 138 has long lasting quality characteristics similar to those of brand new factory - made asphalt compounds . the high - quality new pavement 138 owes its existence to the innovative process described which allows deep heating and working of an existing roadway 28 . preferably , as shown in fig5 ( a ) and 5 ( b ), the first - stage vehicle 12 incorporates the first - stage work stations and the second - stage vehicle 14 incorporates the second - stage work stations . first - stage vehicle 12 has independent drive means 142 , heating means fuel supply 144 , and recycling agent supply means 146 . similarly , fig5 ( a ) shows that second - stage vehicle 14 houses second - stage heating means fuel supply 150 and recycling agent supply and independent drive means 152 . fig6 ( a ) and 6 ( b ) show an alternative embodiment of first - stage vehicle 12 and second stage vehicle 14 wherein the distribution funnel 54 and milling cutters 56 are located near the rearward end of vehicle 12 and wherein like parts are similar to corresponding parts in fig5 ( a ) and 5 ( b ). elevator 154 is also provided on vehicle 12 in fig6 ( a ) to elevate the mixed material 52 into a second receiving hopper 156 operatively connected to second conveyor 106 on vehicle 14 in fig6 ( b ). it will be apparent that fig5 ( b ) is a lengthwise continuation of fig5 ( a ) and that fig6 ( b ) is a lengthwise continuation of fig6 ( a ) when the two sets of figures are placed together in end - to - end relationship at broken lines , b and c , respectively and that the use of first and second - stage vehicles of the foregoing is by way of example only and is not a limitation on the invention . | 4 |
fig1 is a top view of an engine incorporating the first embodiment of the invention . in fig1 engine 10 includes a cylinder 12 , a spark plug housing 14 , a fuel tank 16 , a carburetor 18 , and a rotatable fan 20 , preferably of the radial - type . carburetor 18 includes a throttle valve 22 and a choke valve assembly 24 . radial fan 20 includes a plurality of spaced radially - extending blades 26 which , upon rotation of fan 20 , create an air flow that is used to operate the present invention . in fig1 the present invention also includes an air vane 28 having a paddle 30 that is pivotally mounted to a support 32 ( fig5 ). vane 28 is interconnected with a lever arm 34 which in turn is connected to a link arm 36 . link arm 36 engages a choke lever arm 38 that pivots choke valve 40 about a shaft 42 . spring 44 tends to rotate choke lever arm 38 so that choke valve 40 is at least partially closed after the engine has been stopped . as shown in fig1 intake air , represented by arrow 46 , flows past valve 40 and is received in intake passageway 48 . as shown in fig1 paddle 30 is positioned relatively close to fan 20 when the engine is at rest , since there is little air flow developed by the fan . paddle 30 moves radially outward , as shown in phantom in fig1 at engine operating speeds due to the air flow developed by rotating fan 20 . fig1 also depicts a thermally - responsive plate 49 , which is preferably a bimetallic disk or plate . the bimetallic disk is composed of two pieces of metal having different coefficients of thermal expansion . plate 49 , shown in fig1 is in a position corresponding to a relatively cold engine temperature . plate 49 is located adjacent to lever arm or abutment surface 34 , shown in fig1 , and 6 . plate 49 is made of a thermally - responsive material that deforms at a predetermined temperature . when plate 49 deforms it engages and actuates lever arm 34 , as shown in fig4 and 8 . thus , when the engine temperature is warm , plate 49 deforms and actuates lever arm 34 when the engine is stopped . this has the effect of at least partially opening choke valve 40 so that an overly enriched air / fuel mixture is not supplied to the engine during a hot restart . an overly enriched air / fuel mixture supplied to the engine when hot may cause stumbling or stalling of the engine and increased noxious exhaust emissions . when the engine cools down after the engine has been stopped for a period of time , thermally - responsive plate 49 will snap to the cold position depicted in fig6 . the bimetallic disk or snap plate is preferably set to snap at about 90 °- 110 ° fahrenheit , with a tolerance of plus or minus 5 ° fahrenheit . at elevated temperatures , the choke valve is sufficiently open for the engine to start and to accelerate during a hot restart of the engine . due to hysteresis in the bimetallic plate , and if we assume that the switching point is 110 ° fahrenheit , the reset point would be about 70 °- 90 ° fahrenheit . one suitable snap plate is made by precision controls inc . of ann arbor , mich . fig2 , and 6 depict the first embodiment of the engine when the engine is cold and at rest ( fig2 and 6 ), and cold and at engine operating speeds ( fig3 ). referring to fig2 when the engine is at rest or operating at a very low speed during starting , the position of paddle 30 causes lever arm 34 to pivot , thereby moving link arm 36 and choke lever arm 38 such that the choke valve 40 is in a substantially closed position . as a result , the air / fuel mixture is enrichened to increase startability of the engine . as shown in fig3 paddle 30 is moved radially outward away from fan 20 ( fig1 ), thereby pivoting lever arm 34 . as a result , link arm 36 and choke lever arm 38 move choke valve 40 to a substantially open position so that the intake air flow is not impeded at engine operating speeds . fig4 depicts the first embodiment of the invention when the engine is either warm and at rest or warm and at a very low speed . because the engine is warm , plate 49 is deformed and abuts lever arm 34 , which moves link 36 and at least partially opens choke valve 40 . as a result , the air / fuel mixture provided to the engine is leaner than when choke valve 40 is fully closed . fig7 depicts a possible shape for plate 49 , but it should be noted that the invention is not limited to this shape . other shapes for plate 49 can be used if they deform and are able to actuate lever arm 34 when the predetermined temperature is reached . as shown by the side view in fig5 paddle 30 has a substantial width to pick up a significant portion of the air flow generated by fins 26 as fan 20 rotates . fig9 through 13 depict a second embodiment of the present invention . in fig9 through 11 , vane 50 has a paddle 52 that is shaped like an air foil , as best shown in fig1 . paddle 52 is disposed generally tangential to the circumference of fan 20 . as best shown in fig1 and 11 , the air flow from fan 20 will cause paddle 52 to pivot about a pivot 54 such that the paddle moves in an arc having a segment that is generally parallel to the axis of rotation of fan 20 as the engine speed reaches an operating speed . as a result , link arm 56 pivots choke lever arm 58 to thereby substantially open the choke at engine operating speeds . when the engine is cold and either at rest or during engine starting , vane 52 is in the position depicted in solid lines in fig1 . at these speeds , the air flow , depicted by arrows 60 ( fig9 and 11 ), is insufficient to lift vane 52 ; as a result , choke valve 61 remains substantially closed . fig9 through 13 also depict a thermally - responsive plate 62 adjacent to a pivot 54 and vane 50 . plate 62 deforms when the engine temperature is warm . fig9 through 12 depict plate 62 in a state corresponding to a substantially cold engine temperature . fig1 depicts plate 62 in a state corresponding to a warm engine temperature . in the warm state , plate 62 is deformed and engages a substantially diagonal lever surface or abutment surface 63 . when plate 62 deforms and engages surface 63 , vane 50 rotates about pivot 54 , moving link 56 and thereby at least partially opening choke valve 61 . in this position the choke valve is at least partially open , providing air flow to the carburetor for a hot restart of the engine . fig1 through 18 depict a third embodiment of the invention that is similar to the embodiment of fig9 through 13 . in fig1 and 15 , paddle 64 includes a lift flange 66 that is positioned on support 67 to pick up air flow 60 from rotating fan 20 . at engine operating speeds , paddle 64 pivots along with lever arm 65 about pivot 68 in an arc to the positions shown in phantom lines in fig1 . this pivoting action causes movement of link arm 56 that pivots choke lever arm 58 to thereby substantially open choke valve 61 at engine operating speeds so that choke valve 61 does not impede the inlet air entering the carburetor throat . this third embodiment further includes a thermally - responsive plate 69 , that causes choke valve 61 to be at least partially open when the engine temperature is substantially warm . plate 69 may be located on support 67 so that it engages arm 65 below pivot 68 . when the engine temperature is warm , above a predetermined temperature , plate 69 deforms and actuates lever arm or abutment surface 65 as shown in fig1 and 18 . actuation of lever arm 65 causes movement of link 56 , which pivots choke lever arm 58 and at least partially opens choke valve 61 so that air may enter the carburetor during hot restarts of the engine . fig1 through 23 depict a fourth embodiment of the present invention . in fig1 , the engine includes a blower housing 70 , and a rewind starter 72 having a pull rope handle 74 . the rotatable fan is disposed within blower housing 70 . one side of blower housing 70 has an aperture 76 therein . an air vane 78 is pivotally attached to housing 70 at a pivot 80 . air vane 78 includes two opposed sidewalls 82 and 84 ( shown in fig2 ), which are connected by an intermediate wall 86 , and a link arm 88 that is pivotally connected to intermediate wall 86 at a pivot 90 . link arm 88 is in turn pivotally connected to a choke lever arm 92 , which in turn is connected to a choke valve 94 . further , a thermally - responsive plate 95 is mounted on housing 70 near the bottom of aperture 76 . the embodiment of fig1 through 23 operates in the following manner . the rotation of fan 20 within housing 70 creates an air flow in housing 70 , part of which impinges upon intermediate wall 86 to pivot wall 86 and sidewalls 82 and 84 about pivot 80 . sidewalls 82 and 84 direct the air flow to impinge upon intermediate wall 86 by preventing the air flow from escaping to the sides of intermediate wall 86 . when the air flow is below a predetermined level and the engine is cold , such as when the engine is at rest or at engine starting , choke valve 94 is in a substantially closed position . as the air flow increases , the choke valve is rotated to an increasingly open position , so that the choke valve is fully open at engine operating speeds . since it is desirable to have the choke valve open for warm engine restarts , thermally - responsive plate 95 is included . see fig2 through 23 . when the engine temperature is substantially at or above a predetermined level , plate 95 deforms . if the engine is at rest but the engine temperature is substantially at or above the temperature of deformation for plate 95 , plate 95 deforms and engages intermediate wall or abutment surface 86 to position wall 86 away from aperture 76 . this positioning of wall 86 causes link 88 to move , which in turn pivots lever arm 92 to at least partially open choke valve 94 . the location of plate 95 is not critical in the design . plate 95 may be located anywhere so that it abuts an abutment surface and engages and positions wall 86 away from aperture 76 in response to the engine being above a predetermined temperature . plate 95 may also be located so that it engages at least one of sidewalls or abutment surfaces 82 or 84 and intermediate wall 86 . fig2 through 27 depict a fifth embodiment of the present invention with yet another thermally - responsive device . as shown in fig2 and 26 , the thermally - responsive device 104 includes elongated housing 106 having a chamber 108 therein . housing 106 is affixed to vane 28 . a member 110 comprised of a thermal actuating material is disposed within chamber 108 . member 110 has an end 112 that extends out of housing 106 , with end 112 abutting an abutment surface 114 that is affixed to the engine . member 110 is made from a material which expands when heated to a desired temperature . as a result of the expansion , the elongation of member 110 causes end 112 to abut surface 114 , thereby moving vane 28 and keeping the choke valve in a partially open position during hot restarts of the engine . several materials may be suitable for member 110 . once such material is available from hoechst celanese corporation of summit , new jersey and is sold under the trade name hoechst actuating polymers . the specifications for this material are disclosed in a publication called &# 34 ; hoechst actuating polymers - material performance data &# 34 ; published by hoechst celanese at least as early as april , 1996 and incorporated by reference herein . other suitable materials are high density polyethylene and a nylon material sold under the trademark delrin available from e . i . dupont , wilmington , del . still other polymers which expand at a temperature that may be suitable for use with the invention are described in a paper by jang , b . z . and zhang , z . j . entitled &# 34 ; thermally - end phase transformation -- induced volume changes of polymers for actuator applications ,&# 34 ; published in the proceedings of the second international conference on intelligent materials , technomic publishing company , inc ., june , 1994 , pgs . 654 - 664 and incorporated by reference herein . another suitable thermally - responsive device is a wax actuator commercially available from either caltherm corporation of bloomfield hills , mich . ; standard - thompson of waltham , mass . ; or from robertshaw company sold under the trademark power pill . u . s . pat . no . 5 , 025 , 627 issued jun . 25 , 1991 , u . s . pat . no . 5 , 177 , 969 issued jan . 12 , 1993 , and u . s . pat . no . 5 , 419 , 133 issued may 30 , 1995 all described wax - filled actuators which may be used with the present invention and are incorporated by reference herein . in the event that a wax or a gel material is used , it may need to be encased . fig2 through 30 depict a sixth embodiment of the present invention with yet another thermally - responsive device . the thermally - responsive device 120 includes a housing 122 having a chamber 124 therein . chamber 124 contains a thermally actuating polymer , or a thermally - responsive wax or gel member 125 such as those described above . chamber 124 also contains portions of a piston 126 . piston 126 comprises a first end 128 substantially contained within housing 122 , and a shaft 130 which slides through a wall of housing 122 and connects to a second end 132 located substantially outside of housing 122 . housing 122 is affixed to the engine and is located adjacent to lever arm 34 . when the engine temperature is below a predetermined level , member 125 is contracted as shown in fig2 . when the engine temperature is above a predetermined level , member 125 expands , as shown in fig3 . expanded member 125 pushes first end 128 of piston 126 . first end 128 of piston 126 causes shaft 130 to move through a shaft aperture in housing 126 . the movement of shaft 130 causes second end 132 to move , then engage and actuate lever arm or abutment surface 34 . actuation of lever arm 34 causes link 36 to move , causing choke lever 38 to pivot about pin 42 and partially open choke valve 40 . fig3 through 35 depict another embodiment of the present invention with yet another thermally responsive device . the thermally - responsive device 140 includes a device housing 142 having two ends 144 , 146 , and a chamber 148 therein . chamber 148 contains a thermally - responsive member 150 which may be a thermally actuating polymer , or a thermally - responsive wax or gel material such as those described above . thermally - responsive member 150 is fixedly attached within device housing 142 at end 144 . thermally - responsive member 150 has an end 152 that extends out of end 146 of device housing 142 , with end 152 of thermally responsive member 150 abutting thermally responsive lever 151 . device housing 142 is interconnected with engine 10 and is located either under engine blower housing 70 ( as illustrated in fig3 ), or outside engine blower housing 70 adjacent to the engine cylinder . placing housing 142 under the blower housing will conserve space , whereas placing housing 142 adjacent the cylinder head may provide a more accurate indication of engine temperature . see fig3 . device housing 142 is interconnected with engine 10 by first and second clamps 154 , 156 . first clamp 154 is rigidly attached to engine 10 , and in slidable communication with device housing 142 . second clamp 156 is rigidly attached to device housing 142 , and is interconnected to engine 10 by a fastener 158 in a slot 160 provided in second clamp 156 . in the configurations depicted in fig3 - 35 , thermally responsive lever 151 provides the abutment surface . thermally responsive lever 151 is fixed to shaft 42 , which in turn is fixed to choke valve 40 such that movement of the thermally responsive lever 151 causes rotation of both the shaft 42 and choke valve 40 . thermally responsive device 140 can be positioned with respect to thermally responsive lever 151 by loosening fastener 158 , and sliding second clamp 156 relative to fastener 158 in slot 160 until the desired position is reached . then fastener 158 may be tightened to secure second clamp 156 in place , thereby rigidly securing device housing 142 with respect to engine 10 . as second clamp 156 is adjusted , thermally responsive device 140 is allowed to slide with respect to first clamp 154 so that bending or otherwise deforming thermally responsive device 140 is not required . this feature allows the thermally responsive device 140 to be calibrated to the particular engine 10 . when engine 10 is stopped , and the engine temperature is below a predetermined level , member 150 is contracted , thermally responsive lever 151 is in a first position , and choke valve 40 is in a closed position as shown in fig3 and 32 . when engine 10 is stopped , and the engine temperature is above a predetermined level , member 150 expands and abuts thermally responsive lever 151 , causing thermally responsive lever 151 to move to a second position shown in broken lines in fig3 , and thereby causing shaft 42 and choke valve 40 to pivot to a partially open position ( not illustrated ). while several embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described , alternate embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art and are within the intended scope of the present invention . therefore , the invention is to be limited only by the following claims . | 5 |
while this invention is susceptible of embodiments in many forms , there is shown in fig1 an embodiment suitable for use in the practice of this invention , with the understanding that the present disclosure is not intended to limit the invention to the embodiment illustrated . illustrated in fig1 is a tool for installing , testing , aligning and leveling electrical outlets . it includes a base member 10 including a top portion 12 and bottom portion 18 front portion 22 and rear portion 28 , and side portions 32 and 36 , said rear portion 28 including plugs 30 . more particularly , the top portion 12 of the base member 10 includes a handle means 14 which is indented or substantially grooved and adapted to receive a persons fingers or thumb comfortably . the top portion 12 also includes interconnecting means 16 for connecting a shield 40 to the base member 10 . in a preferred embodiment , the interconnecting means 16 includes an indentation or female portion adapted to receive a male portion . like the top portion 12 , the bottom portion 18 also includes a handle means 20 adapted to allow a technician to comfortably grasp and manipulate the tool . in a preferred embodiment , the handle means 14 and 20 , are situated substantially in the same place on top and bottom portions 14 and 18 , respectively , and are substantially adjacent and substantially traverse across a major portion of such portions 12 and 18 . referring to fig2 in a preferred embodiment the front portion 22 includes indicating means 24 and level means 26 . the indicating means 24 indicates whether the neutral , positive , and negative lines are appropriately installed when power is applied . the level means 36 indicates whether an outlet , such as 44 after installation , is leveled appropriately . referring to fig3 the rear portion 28 includes at least one set of outwardly extending conventional plugs 30 . in a preferred embodiment , plugs 30 can include a first set 30a and second set 30b of conventional plugs , for improved interconnection of the tool to the outlet 44 . the first side and second side portions 32 and 36 , each include handle means 34 and 38 , for improved manipulation of the tool . the handle means 34 and 38 include parallel grooves or the like , for improved manipulation of the tool . the handle means 34 and 38 have been configured so as to conform to a technicians fingers and / or thumbs and extend across most of side portions 32 and 36 . in a preferred embodiment , the tool includes a shield , plate or cover 40 , which is configured with interconnecting means for interconnecting the shield 40 to the base member 10 . the interconnecting means 42 includes a male portion , configured to be received in the interconnecting means or female portion 16 of the top portion 12 of base member 10 . it should be understood by those skilled in the art , that the instant invention is not limited to use in dual outlets , and is easily adapted to being used in other outlets and applications . in a preferred embodiment , the alignment tool base member 10 and plate 40 are made of any material which is substantially nonconductive and resilient to damage , cracking or chipping . preferably a thermoplastic material which has sufficient mechanical strength is used . at construction sites , for example , many times electrical power is turned on while electricians or technicians install outlets . in normal operation , the base member 10 of the tool , plugs 30 are inserted or plugged into dual outlet 44 in a conventional manner . next , the installer strips the wires and connects them in a conventional manner to the dual outlet 44 , often while the power is on . next , the installer tests the outlet 44 by inspecting the indicating means 24 , to determine whether it is properly wired , such as whether the power , neutral and ground are properly connected to outlet 44 . after the installer determines the outlet 44 is properly wired , the shield 40 interconnecting means 42 is interconnected to the top portion 12 of the base member 10 , and the tool is inserted partially into the junction box 46 , in fig1 which is adapted to receive the dual outlet 44 . the shield is nonconductive thereby helping to minimize the possibility of shorting out the electrical connections of outlet 44 with the metallic junction box 46 . referring to fig1 and 3 , the tool has been designed so as to allow access to the screw receiving tabs 48 to facilitate installation and interconnection of dual outlet 44 to junction box 46 . the level means 26 is utilized to level the dual outlet 44 when screwed to box 46 . after the dual outlet 44 is screwed into the junction box 46 , the base member 10 and shield 40 are removed and / or unplugged by the installer , to allow the installation of the face plate substantially over the dual outlet 44 . the shield 40 of the instant invention , allows the installer to insert the dual outlet 44 while the power is on , with minimal chances of shorting out the live wires within junction box 46 . the instant invention allows an installer to be more productive by installing more outlets in a shorter period of time , by making it less likely that the dual outlet 44 will short out or shock the installer when being inserted into the junction box 46 , because the shield 40 helps to minimize this possibility and the leveling means 26 helps to level the outlet 44 . since the chances of the installer being shocked is diminished , the installer can work faster and more efficiently . in a preferred embodiment , the invention includes diagnostic means or an electrical circuit 50 for helping a technician to trouble shoot or determine if the outlet is properly wired or not , and if not how to correct it as illustrated in fig5 . in a preferred embodiment , diagnostic means 50 comprises indicating means for indicating whether an outlet is properly wired and protective means for protecting diagnostic means 50 if outlet 44 is wired improperly . preferably , indicating means comprises light indicated as yellow &# 34 ; y &# 34 ;, red &# 34 ; r &# 34 ; and clear &# 34 ; c &# 34 ; in fig1 and 2 , which are utilized to indicate whether an outlet is properly wired or not , and if not properly wired , how to correct such wiring . preferably , protective means comprise at least one resistor in series with each of light y , r and c to protect diagnostic means 50 in the case of , for example , shorting out or improper wiring . referring to fig4 and 5 , the plugs 30a components 30c , 30d and 30b are electrically connected to line one 52 , line two 54 , and ground 56 , respectively . l1 52 is typically connected to power and l2 54 is typically connected to neutral . moving from l1 52 to ground 56 , is a resistor 58 and indicating means or light 60 . in a preferred embodiment , the resistor 50 is a 22 , 000 ohm resistor and light 60 is clear . moving from l1 52 to l2 54 is an indicating means or light 62 and resistor 64 . in a preferred embodiment , resistor 64 is a 20 , 000 ohm resistor and light 62 is yellow . and finally , going from l2 54 to ground 56 is indicating means or light 66 and resistor 68 . resistors 58 , 64 and 68 are utilized to protect the diagnostic means or circuit 50 in the case of shorting out the power line of l1 52 with neutral 54 or ground 56 . referring to fig5 diagnostic means 50 allows a technician to trouble shoot and determine what if anything is wrong with the wiring of an outlet 44 . referring to fig6 example 1 illustrates the case when an outlet is properly wired . power such as 120 volts is applied at l1 52 and neutral is applied at l2 54 . in this case , a voltage will travel from l1 52 through light 62 and resistor 64 to neutral 54 turning light 62 on , as well as a voltage will travel from l1 52 through resistor 58 and light 60 to ground 56 to turn light 60 on . since there is substantially no voltage difference from l2 54 to ground 56 , light 66 is not energized . in example 2 , power is applied to l1 52 and neutral is connected to l2 , but ground is not connected to ground 56 . in this case , a voltage will travel from l1 52 through light 62 and resistor 64 to l2 neutral 54 , resulting in turning light 62 on . lights 60 and 66 are not lit because a live circuit is missing since the ground 56 is disconnected . to correct this condition , a ground wire needs to be connected to ground 56 . in example 3 , l1 52 and l2 54 are reversed , or neutral is applied to l1 52 and power to l2 54 . if this occurs , lights 62 and 66 will light because voltage travels from l2 54 through resistor 64 and light 62 to neutral l1 52 and also travels from l2 54 through light 66 and resistor 68 to ground 56 . to correct this condition the wires connected to l1 52 and l2 54 need to be reversed , as in example 1 . in example 4 , power is not applied to l1 52 and neutral is not applied to l2 54 , and ground 56 may or may not be properly grounded . in this case , none of lights 60 , 62 and 66 light because there is no live circuit . to remedy this , power needs to be applied to l1 52 and neutral to l2 54 and ground to ground 56 . in example 5 , power is applied to l1 52 and ground to ground 56 , but neutral is not applied to l2 54 . in this case , a voltage travels from l1 52 through resistor 58 and light 60 to ground 56 . lights 62 and 66 do not light because the circuit from l1 52 to l2 54 and l2 54 to ground 56 , are both open since l2 54 is not properly connected to neutral . to correct this , the neutral wire must be connected to l2 54 . in example 6 , l1 52 and ground 56 are reversed so that l1 52 is grounded and power is wired to ground 56 . in this case , voltage travels from ground 56 through light 60 and resistor 58 to l1 52 which is grounded , as well as traveling from ground 56 through resistor 68 and light 66 , to power lights 60 and 66 on . to correct this situation , the wires connected to l1 52 and ground 56 must be reversed . in example 7 , power is wired to l2 54 and ground 56 is properly grounded , and l1 52 is left open . in this case , voltage travels from l2 54 through light 66 and resistor 68 to ground 56 , turning light 66 on . to remedy this situation , power is connected to l1 52 and neutral applied to l2 54 . in a preferred embodiment , audible means can be used in addition to the lights to give off a predetermined tone indicating proper or improper wiring of neutral , power and ground . although specific embodiments of this invention have been shown and described , it is to be understood that various modifications and substitutions , as well as rearrangements and combinations of the preceding embodiments , can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the novel spirit and scope of this invention . | 6 |
the following description of the preferred embodiment ( s ) is merely exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the invention , its application , or uses . a diagram of part of a vehicle incorporating a dig system according to the present invention is shown in fig1 , generally at 10 . the vehicle 10 includes an engine 12 connected to a transmission 14 , and a transfer case 16 connected to the transmission 14 . the transfer case 16 controls the power transfer from the engine 12 between a front drive shaft 18 , and rear drive shaft 20 . the front drive shaft 18 is connected to a front differential 22 , and the rear drive shaft 20 is connected to a rear differential 24 . the front differential 22 is connected to a front axle 26 , which transfers power to a first front wheel 28 a and a second front wheel 28 b . the rear differential 24 is connected to a rear axle 30 , and the rear axle 30 is connected to and transfers powers to a first rear wheel 32 a and a second rear wheel 32 b . the vehicle 10 also includes a brake system , where the brake system includes a hydraulic control unit 34 in electrical communication with an electronic control unit ( ecu ) 36 . there are several brake units in communication with the hydraulic control unit 34 . there is a first front brake unit 38 a which applies braking force to the first front wheel 28 a , a second front brake unit 38 b which applies braking force to the second front wheel 28 b , a first rear brake unit 38 c which applies for to the first rear wheel 32 a , and a second rear brake unit 38 d which applies force to the second rear wheel 32 b . there is also a first parking brake unit 38 e which applies braking force to the first rear wheel 32 a , and a second parking brake unit 38 f which applies braking force to the second rear wheel 32 b . each of the parking brake units 38 e , 38 f is controlled directly by the ecu 36 . the ecu 36 is in electrical communication with an instrument cluster , shown generally at 40 , which is part of a dashboard 42 of the vehicle 10 . the instrument cluster 40 may include several different gauges , such as a speedometer , tachometer , fuel gauge , temp gauge , and the like . the ecu 36 communicates to the instrument cluster 40 various information about the vehicle 10 , such as engine rpm , vehicle speed , engine temperature , and the like , such that the driver is aware of how the vehicle 10 is operating . there is also an accelerator pedal 44 and a brake pedal 46 which are positioned relative to the instrument cluster 40 . the instrument cluster 40 also includes an actuator , such as a button 48 located on the instrument cluster 40 , buttons 68 on a steering wheel 54 , or other type of actuator which is used with an interface to activate and control the operation of the dig system of the present invention . the dig system is used to rotate the vehicle 10 about a first axis 50 , a second axis 52 , a third axis 64 , or a fourth axis 66 , depending on the mode of operation of the dig system . the interface may be a screen 58 , such as a driver information center , which is used to provide warnings and notifications about the various operating conditions of the vehicle 10 . the screen 58 is part of the instrument cluster 40 , where the screen 58 may function as an indicator as part of the dig system , to indicate to the driver of the vehicle 10 that the dig system is active , as well as in which mode of operation the dig system is presently operating . the movement of the front wheels 28 a , 28 b during normal driving operation is controlled by the steering wheel 54 . the steering wheel 54 is rotated in a first direction , as indicated by arrow 56 , which causes the front wheels 28 a , 28 b to turn right , as shown in fig2 , or a second direction , as indicated by arrow 60 , which causes the front wheels 28 a , 28 b to turn left , as shown in fig3 . the degree which the front wheels 28 a , 28 b are pivoted to steer the vehicle is the steering angle 62 . the steering angle 62 may be negative , as shown in fig2 , or positive , as shown in fig3 . the steering angle 62 may also be controlled by the dig system , were the driver of the vehicle 10 may activate the dig system , and command the front wheels 28 a , 28 b to be placed at a specific steering angle 62 to perform a dig maneuver , where , along with the current active mode of operation , the steering angle 62 , and which of the brake units 38 a , 38 b , 38 c , 38 d , 38 e , 38 f are active and inactive , may be shown on part of the screen 58 . the dig system may be placed in two different modes of operation to perform a front dig . in the first mode of operation , the accelerator pedal 44 is released , the brake pedal 46 is applied such that the vehicle 10 is not moving , and the driver of the vehicle 10 activates the dig system by pressing one of the buttons 48 , 68 , or other type of actuator . once the dig system is activated , the front brake units 38 a , 38 b and either the rear brake units 38 c , 38 d or the parking brake units 38 e , 38 f remain activated such that each of the wheels 28 a , 28 b , 32 a , 32 b is prevented from rotating . the brake units 38 a , 38 b , 38 c , 38 d , may remain activated when the driver of the vehicle 10 continues to press the brake pedal 46 , such that the hydraulic control unit 34 actuates each of the brake units 38 a , 38 b , 38 c , 38 d , or any combination of the brake units 38 a , 38 b , 38 c , 38 d , 38 e , 38 f may remain activated automatically , where the ecu 36 actuates the parking brake units 38 e , 38 f , or the ecu 36 commands the hydraulic control unit 34 to continue to actuate one or more of the brake units 38 a , 38 b , 38 c , 38 d once the dig system is activated ( eliminating the need for the driver to continue to press the brake pedal 46 ). the front wheels 28 a , 28 b are then placed in a first configuration , as shown in fig2 , where the front wheels 28 a , 28 b are turned to the right , and are positioned at a specified steering angle 62 commanded by the driver of the vehicle 10 , either by rotating the steering wheel 54 in the first direction 56 , or when the driver of the vehicle 10 activates the dig system and a specific command is received from the driver of the vehicle 10 to place the front wheels 28 a , 28 b in the first configuration ( eliminating the need to rotate the steering wheel 54 ). the ecu 36 then detects the wheels 28 a , 28 b are in the first configuration , and configures the transfer case 16 such that power is no longer transferred to the rear wheels 32 a , 32 b , and power from the engine 12 transferred only to the front wheels 28 a , 28 b . the driver of the vehicle 10 is then notified by the indicator 58 that the dig system is active , and ( if the brake pedal 46 has been applied ) the brake pedal 46 is then to be released . after the front wheels 28 a , 28 b have been placed in the first configuration , the ecu 36 commands the hydraulic control unit 34 to release three of the brake units 38 a , 38 b , and 38 c ( or 38 e , depending on which of the brake units 38 c or 38 e were activated ), and maintains the activation of the second rear brake unit 38 d ( or parking brake unit 38 f ) such that the second rear wheel 32 b is still prevented from rotating . once the second rear brake unit 38 d ( or the parking brake unit 38 f ) is the only brake unit activated , the driver of the vehicle 10 then presses the accelerator pedal 44 such that power is transferred to the front wheels 28 a , 28 b , causing the front wheels 28 a , 28 b to rotate . the rotation of the front wheels 28 a , 28 b rotates the vehicle 10 about the second axis 52 , allowing the vehicle 10 to change direction without having to perform a back up or reverse maneuver . the amount the vehicle 10 pivots about the second axis 52 depends upon how long the driver of the vehicle 10 presses the accelerator pedal 44 , and the steering angle 62 of the front wheels 28 a , 28 b . if the driver of the vehicle 10 is aggressive , and the front wheels 28 a , 28 b are rotated at a high rate of speed , the vehicle 10 may not only pivot about the axis 52 , but also move across the ground such that the second rear wheel 32 b slides across the ground , as the remaining wheels 28 a , 28 b , 32 a rotate because of the front wheels 28 a , 28 b being driven by the transfer case 16 and the first rear wheel 32 a being allowed to rotate free . once the desired amount of rotation about the second axis 52 is achieved , the accelerator pedal 44 is released , such that the vehicle 10 stops rotating about the axis 52 . the driver of the vehicle 10 then deactivates the dig system by again pressing the button 48 ( or buttons 68 ), or touches the brake pedal 46 , where the ecu 36 then commands the hydraulic control unit 34 to release the second rear brake unit 38 d ( or the ecu 36 directly releases the parking brake unit 38 f ), such that all of the brake units 38 a , 38 b , 38 c , 38 d , 38 e , 38 f return to functioning as expected when the dig system is inactive , and the transfer case 16 is configured such that the transfer case 16 is transfers power to all four wheels 28 a , 28 b , 32 a , 32 b . in the second mode of operation , the accelerator pedal 44 is again released , the brake pedal 46 is applied such that the vehicle 10 is not moving , and the driver of the vehicle 10 activates the dig system by pressing the button 48 ( or buttons 68 ). once the dig system is activated , the front brake units 38 a , 38 b and either the rear brake units 38 c , 38 d or the parking brake units 38 e , 38 f remain activated such that each of the wheels 28 a , 28 b , 32 a , 32 b is prevented from rotating . as with the first mode of operation , the brake units 38 a , 38 b , 38 c , 38 d in the second mode of operation may remain activated when the driver of the vehicle 10 continues to press the brake pedal 46 , such that the hydraulic control unit 34 actuates each of the brake units 38 a , 38 b , 38 c , 38 d , or any combination of the brake units 38 a , 38 b , 38 c , 38 d , 38 e , 38 f may remain activated automatically , where the ecu 36 actuates the parking brake units 38 e , 38 f , or the ecu 36 commands the hydraulic control unit 34 to actuate one or more of the brake units 38 a , 38 b , 38 c , 38 d once the dig system is activated . the front wheels 28 a , 28 b are then placed in a second configuration , as shown in fig3 , where the front wheels 28 a , 28 b are turned to the left , and are positioned at a specified steering angle 62 as commanded by the driver of the vehicle 10 , either by rotating the steering wheel 54 in the second direction 60 , or when the driver of the vehicle 10 activates the dig system and a specific command is received from the driver of the vehicle 10 to place the front wheels 28 a , 28 b in the second configuration ( eliminating the need to rotate the steering wheel 54 ). the ecu 36 then detects the wheels 28 a , 28 b are in the second configuration , and configures the transfer case 16 such that power is no longer transferred to the rear wheels 32 a , 32 b , and power from the engine 12 transferred only to the front wheels 28 a , 28 b . the driver of the vehicle 10 is then notified by the indicator 58 , that the dig system is active , and ( if the brake pedal 46 has been applied ) the brake pedal 46 is to be released . after the front wheels 28 a , 28 b have been placed in the second configuration , the ecu 36 commands the hydraulic control unit 34 to release three of the brake units 38 a , 38 b , and 38 d ( or 38 f , depending on which of the brake units 38 d or 38 f were activated ), and maintains the activation of the first rear brake unit 38 c ( or parking brake unit 38 e ) such that the first rear wheel 32 a is still prevented from rotating . once the first rear brake unit 38 c ( or the parking brake unit 38 e ) is the only brake unit activated , the driver of the vehicle 10 then presses the accelerator pedal 44 such that power is transferred to the front wheels 28 a , 28 b , causing the front wheels 28 a , 28 b to rotate . the rotation of the front wheels 28 a , 28 b rotates the vehicle 10 about the first axis 50 , allowing the vehicle 10 to change direction without having to perform a back up or reverse maneuver . the amount the vehicle 10 pivots about the first axis 50 depends upon how long the driver of the vehicle 10 presses the accelerator pedal 44 , and the steering angle 62 of the front wheels 28 a , 28 b . if the driver of the vehicle 10 is aggressive during the second mode of operation , and the front wheels 28 a , 28 b are rotated at a high rate of speed , the vehicle 10 may not only pivot about the axis 50 , but also move across the ground such that the first rear wheel 32 a slides across the ground , as the remaining wheels 28 a , 28 b , 32 b rotate because of the front wheels 28 a , 28 b being driving by the transfer case 16 and the second rear wheel 32 b being allowed to rotate free . once the desired amount of rotation about the first axis 50 is achieved , the accelerator pedal 44 is released , such that the vehicle 10 stops rotating about the axis 50 . the driver of the vehicle 10 then deactivates the dig system by again pressing the button 48 ( or buttons 68 ), or touches the brake pedal 46 , where the ecu 36 then commands the hydraulic control unit 34 to release the first rear brake unit 38 c ( or the ecu 36 directly releases the parking brake unit 38 e ), such that all of the brake units 38 a , 38 b , 38 c , 38 d , 38 e , 38 f return to functioning as expected when the dig system is inactive , and the transfer case 16 is configured such that the transfer case 16 transfers power to all four wheels 28 a , 28 b , 32 a , 32 b . the dig system also includes a third mode of operation and a fourth mode of operation used to perform a rear dig . in the third mode of operation , the accelerator pedal 44 is again released , and the brake pedal 46 is applied such that the vehicle 10 is not moving , and the driver of the vehicle 10 activates the dig system by pressing the button 48 ( or buttons 68 ). once the dig system is activated , the brake pedal 46 is released , and the front brake units 38 a , 38 b and either the rear brake units 38 c , 38 d or the parking brake units 38 e , 38 f remain again activated such that each of the wheels 28 a , 28 b , 32 a , 32 b is prevented from rotating . the front wheels 28 a , 28 b are again placed in the first configuration , as shown in fig2 , where the front wheels 28 a , 28 b are turned to the right , and are positioned at a specific steering angle 62 commanded by the driver of the vehicle 10 . the ecu 36 then detects the wheels 28 a , 28 b are in the first configuration , and configures the transfer case 16 such that power is no longer transferred to the front wheels 28 a , 28 b , and power from the engine 12 transferred only to the rear wheels 32 a , 32 b . after the front wheels 28 a , 28 b have been placed in the first configuration , the ecu 36 releases the parking brake units 38 e , 38 f ( if the parking brake units 38 e , 38 f are activated ), and commands the hydraulic control unit 34 to release all of the other brake units 38 a , 38 c , 38 d , except the second front brake unit 38 b , where the activation of the second front brake unit 38 b is maintained such that the second front wheel 28 b is still prevented from rotating . once the second front brake unit 38 b is the only brake unit activated , the driver of the vehicle 10 then presses the accelerator pedal 44 such that power is transferred to the rear wheels 32 a , 32 b , causing the rear wheels 32 a , 32 b to rotate . the rotation of the rear wheels 32 a , 32 b rotates the vehicle 10 about a fourth axis 66 , again allowing the vehicle 10 to change direction without having to perform a back up or reverse maneuver . the amount the vehicle 10 pivots about the fourth axis 66 depends upon how long the driver of the vehicle 10 presses the accelerator pedal 44 , and the steering angle 62 of the front wheels 28 a , 28 b . if the driver of the vehicle 10 is aggressive , and the rear wheels 32 a , 32 b are rotated at a high rate of speed , the vehicle 10 may not only pivot about the axis 66 , but also move across the ground such that the second front wheel 28 b slides across the ground , as the remaining wheels 28 a , 32 a , 32 b rotate because of the rear wheels 32 a , 32 b being driven by the transfer case 16 and the first front wheel 28 a being allowed to rotate free . once the desired amount of rotation about the fourth axis 66 is achieved , the accelerator pedal 44 is released , such that the vehicle 10 stops rotating about the axis 66 . the driver of the vehicle 10 then deactivates the dig system by again pressing the button 48 , or touches the brake pedal 46 , where the ecu 36 then commands the hydraulic control unit 34 to release the second front brake unit 38 b , such that all of the brake units 38 a , 38 b , 38 c , 38 d , 38 e , 38 f return to functioning as expected when the dig system is inactive , and the transfer case 16 is configured such that the transfer case 16 transfers power to all four wheels 28 a , 28 b , 32 a , 32 b . in the fourth mode of operation , the accelerator pedal 44 is again released , and the brake pedal 46 is applied such that the vehicle 10 is not moving , and the driver of the vehicle 10 again activates the dig system by pressing the button 48 ( or buttons 68 ). once the dig system is activated , the brake pedal 46 is released , and the front brake units 38 a , 38 b and either the rear brake units 38 c , 38 d or the parking brake units 38 e , 38 f remain activated such that each of the wheels 28 a , 28 b , 32 a , 32 b is prevented from rotating . the front wheels 28 a , 28 b are then placed in the second configuration , as shown in fig3 , where the front wheels 28 a , 28 b are turned to the left , and are positioned at a specified steering angle 62 as commanded by the driver of the vehicle 10 . the ecu 36 then detects the wheels 28 a , 28 b are in the second configuration , and configures the transfer case 16 such that power is no longer transferred to the front wheels 28 a , 28 b , and power from the engine 12 transferred only to the rear wheels 32 a , 32 b . after the front wheels 28 a , 28 b have been placed in the second configuration , the ecu 36 releases the parking brake units 38 e , 38 f ( if the parking brake units 38 e , 38 f are activated ), and commands the hydraulic control unit 34 to release all of the other brake units 38 b , 38 c , 38 d except the first front brake unit 38 a , where the activation of the first front brake unit 38 a is maintained such that the first front wheel 28 a is still prevented from rotating . once the second front brake unit 38 b is the only brake unit activated , the driver of the vehicle 10 then presses the accelerator pedal 44 such that power is transferred to the rear wheels 32 a , 32 b , causing the rear wheels 32 a , 32 b to rotate . the rotation of the rear wheels 32 a , 32 b rotates the vehicle 10 about the third axis 64 , again allowing the vehicle 10 to change direction without having to perform a back up or reverse maneuver . the amount the vehicle 10 pivots about the third axis 64 depends upon how long the driver of the vehicle 10 presses the accelerator pedal 44 , and the steering angle 62 of the front wheels 28 a , 28 b . if the driver of the vehicle 10 is aggressive , and the rear wheels 32 a , 32 b are rotated at a high rate of speed , the vehicle 10 may not only pivot about the axis 64 , but also move across the ground such that the first front wheel 28 a slides across the ground , as the remaining wheels 28 b , 32 a , 32 b rotate because of the rear wheels 32 a , 32 b being driven by the transfer case 16 and the second front wheel 28 b being allowed to rotate free . once the desired amount of rotation about the third axis 64 is achieved , the accelerator pedal 44 is released , such that the vehicle 10 stops rotating about the axis 64 . the driver of the vehicle 10 then deactivates the dig system by again pressing the button 48 ( or buttons 68 ), or presses the brake pedal 46 , where the ecu 36 then commands the hydraulic control unit 34 to release the first front brake unit 38 a , such that all of the brake units 38 a , 38 b , 38 c , 38 d , 38 e , 38 f return to functioning as expected when the dig system is inactive , and the transfer case 16 is configured such that the transfer case 16 transfers power to all four wheels 28 a , 28 b , 32 a , 32 b . the dig system of the present invention also includes certain operational features to prevent damage to the components of the vehicle 10 . one of these features includes the ecu 36 automatically deactivating the dig system after the vehicle 10 reaches a certain speed , or if the steering wheel 54 to rotated such that the front wheels 28 a , 28 b are no longer in the first configuration or the second configuration . the dig system is also automatically deactivated if any one of the vehicle &# 39 ; s velocity , steering wheel angle , or transfer case mode is unavailable , faulted , or unknown . the description of the invention is merely exemplary in nature and , thus , variations that do not depart from the gist of the invention are intended to be within the scope of the invention . such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention . | 1 |
referring , now , to fig1 , there is shown a schematic block diagram of an arithmetic processing apparatus as a preferred embodiment of this invention . the processing apparatus includes a program execution device 1 and a memory 2 to execute information processing based on a program written by java . the program execution device 1 is a processor accommodating a circuit executing a byte code by java , and includes a program execution unit 3 , a method retrieval unit 4 , and a memory controller 5 . the memory 2 includes either or both of rom and ram provided with a storage area having a program data area 6 and a retrieval table area 7 . the program data area 6 stores a program of a byte code compiled by a source program of java ( a program for one address is called “ program data ” hereinafter ). the retrieval table area 7 houses therein a class table 8 and a method table 9 as described later to retrieve the location housing a called method on a method call . memory access in the program execution device 1 is controlled by the memory controller 5 . the program execution unit 3 is executed by assigning a program address designating a storage location for the program data to be read to the memory controller 5 to obtain the corresponding program data from the program data area 6 . particularly , when the program data is a message representing a method call , the program execution unit 3 transmits the message to method retrieval unit 4 to demand the retrieval for the storage location of the method . the message includes class name belonged by the object of the message , method name of the method to be executed , existence of an argument and a return value , and data showing its type . in response to the message , the method retrieval unit 4 recognizes a class belonged by the object of the message and the designated method to retrieve the storage location of the method by using the retrieval table . this retrieval process is executed by designating an address ( table address in fig1 ) of the stored location of the retrieval information necessary in the retrieval table area 7 to the controller 5 for reading information . the table address is given by a pointer designating an entry location of each retrieval table or a value representing address of area corresponding to the entry location in memory 2 . the method retrieval unit 4 obtains a starting address of the stored location of the designated method ( hereinafter called “ program starting address ”) as a result of the retrieval , and transmits the program starting address to the program execution unit 3 as a program counter . the program execution unit 3 sets a work area for the above - mentioned method in a memory area for stack ( not shown in drawings ), and subsequently reads out each program data providing the method from the program data area 6 starting at the address pointed by the program counter to execute the process of each program data . fig2 shows a class relationship representing an example in which a class is generated by the above - mentioned program , and the structure of the retrieval table for method retrieval will be explained hereinafter referring to the hierarchical relationship shown in fig2 . in fig2 , class names of ten classes are expressed by letters “ a to g ” and “ x to z ”, and the type (“ class ” plus “ class name ”) such as “ class a ” is employed to express each class individually . within the block of each class of fig2 , there is shown setting about a super class of the class and run method succeeded between classes . classes a an x are independent each other , and provided with run ( ) methods having different behavior and no overwriting relationship . six classes b to g are generated from the class a , in which each of classes e and c is overwritten by the run ( ) method of the class a and the class g is overwritten by the run ( ) method of the class c . two classes y and z are generated from the class x , and the run ( ) method of class x is overwritten in the class z . the classes b , d , f and y not provided with their own run ( ) methods succeed run ( ) methods from their super class in silence , respectively . in this embodiment , an to the designated method , there are provided two kinds of tables as shown in fig3 within the method retrieval table to retrieve a stored location of a method within the program data area 6 . a first table 8 is a class table showing a hierarchical relationship of each class , and one entry is assigned for each of the above - mentioned ten classes , wherein each entry stores information expressing a super class of the class . in this embodiment , each class is assigned by an identification number composed of two numbers in hexadecimal notation , such as 0 × 1 , 0 × 2 , . . . , 0 × a ( hereinafter this identification number is called “ object class number ”). this object class number serves as a pointer expressing an entry position of each class in the class table 8 , and each entry stores the object class number expressing a super class of the class assigned to the entry . empty data “ null ” is stored at the entries of most significant classes a and x having no super class . a second table 9 is a method table storing information about each method , and stores information about the respective run ( ) methods “ c . run ( ), e . run ( ), g . run ( ), and z . run ( )” generated by overwriting in classes c , e , g , and z in addition to run ( ) methods “ a . run ( ) and x . run ( )” belonging to the classes a and x . in this embodiment , the respective run ( ) methods same as the above - mentioned classes are assigned by unique numbers ( hereinafter called “ method number ”). this method number is also composed of the combination of numbers in hexadecimal notation , but numbering of low order is set to two digits to be distinguished from the above - mentioned class object numbers . each method number serves as a pointer expressing an entry position of each method . the method table 9 at each entry thereof , as to the method assigned by the entry , stores therein the object class number of the position class of the method ( for instance , if it is a . run ( ), the object class number [ 0 × 1 ] of class a ), the program starting address expressing the stored location of the method , and overwrite information expressing how the method is overwritten . the overwrite information is composed of the object class number of the class overwriting the corresponding run ( ) method , and the method number of the method generated by overwriting . though the relationship expressed in this overwrite information not always precisely expresses status of the actual overwrite , method information about the position class and the stored location of each method is connected in series along the hierarchy among a plurality of classes generated from one class ( class a or x ). this data structure is called “ connection list of method information ” hereinafter . relating to the respective classes generated from the class a in fig2 , a . run ( ) is overwritten in the classes c and e respectively , and c . run ( ) is overwritten in the class g . each method information in the method table 9 of fig3 is connected in series in the order of a . run ( )→ c . run ( )→ e . run ( )→ g . run ( ). as to the g . run ( ) at the end of the connection list , empty data “ null ” is stored in the object and method numbers of the overwrite information . a pair of connection lists “ a . run ( )→ e . run ( )” and “ a . run ( )→ c . run ( )→ g . run ( )” may be set in order to precisely trace the relationship of original overwrite . as described above , however , the size of the method table 9 may be minimized by uniting connection lists of method information between classes having a hierarchical relationship with the class a by the virtual overwrite information . the order of connection about the method information is not limited to the above order , and may be “ a . run ( )→ e . run ( )→ c . run ( )→ g . run ( )” or “ a . run ( )→ c . run ( )→ g . run ( )→ e . run ( )”. however , it is not allowed to locate e . run ( ) before a . run ( ) against the original hierarchical relationship . fig4 shows a class relationship rewritten from the class relationship view of fig2 to express a retrieval process flow according to the class table 9 and the method table 9 of fig3 . an arrow mark shown in solid lines expresses a retrieval path of a super class , and an arrow mark shown in dotted lines expresses a path retrieving an overwrite relationship of run ( ) method based on the connection list of the above - mentioned method information . within the block of each class , there is shown a class name and an object class number of the class together with an object number of the super class and overwrite information based on setting in the method table 9 of fig3 . fig5 is a flow chart showing a process in the method retrieval unit 4 by employing the class table 8 and the method table 9 . objectclass , methodpointer , methodclass , searchpointer , and searchclass in fig5 represent names of variables set for retrieval , first , the method retrieval unit 4 collates class name included in the call message provided from the program execution unit 3 with a reference table ( not shown in drawings ) to obtain an object class number of the class objected by the message to be set to a variable objectclass , step st 1 . next , same collation is executed about the method name included in the message to obtain a method class number of the designated method to be set to a variable methodpointer , step st 2 . subsequently , the method retrieval unit 4 obtains the object class number of the class belonged by the method which is designated by the entry shown by the variable methodpointer in the method table 9 , to be set to a variable methodclass , step st 3 . in step st 4 , the variable objectclass is compared with the variable methodclass . when both classes agree , the sequence moves from step st 4 to step st 5 to read out a program starting address stored at the entry pointed by the variable methodpointer in the method table 9 , the read out address is transmitted to the program execution unit 3 as a program counter designating the stored location of the method to complete the retrieval . when the variable objectclass does not agree with the variable methodclass , the sequence moves from step st 4 to step st 6 to read out overwrite information of entry pointed by the variable methodpointer in the method table 9 . the method number of the overwrite information is set to a variable searchpointer and the object class number is set to a variable searchclass for application to step st 7 . in step st 7 , the variable objectclass is compared with the variable searchclass . when both classes agree , the sequence moves to step st 8 wherein a program starting address is read out from the entry pointed by the variable searchpointer in the method table 9 to be transmitted to the program execution unit 3 as the program counter for completion of the retrieval when the variable objectclass does not agree with the variable searchclass in step st 7 , the sequence moves to step st 9 wherein overwrite information is read out from the entry pointed by the variable searchpointer of method retrieval table . the variables searchpointer and searchclass are revised by the method number and object number of the overwrite information , and the sequence returns to step st 7 through step st 10 . same sequence is repeated until the variable objectclass agrees with the variable searchclass . when the variable objectclass agrees with the variable searchclass , the sequence moves to step st 8 in which the program starting address pointed by the variable searchpointer at the current time point is read out to be transmitted to the program execution unit 3 as a program counter . when the overwrite information read out in step st 9 is located at the end of the connection list , searchclass = null is produced by a revise process of the variables , and an yes response from step st 10 is applied to step st 11 . in step st 11 , an object class number assigned to a super class of the class to be objected by the message is read out by retrieving the class table 8 by the variable objectclass , and the read out object class number revises the variable objectclass for application to step st 4 . when the program starting address of the above - mentioned method is read out in step st 5 or st 8 after execution of same process as the above - mentioned process , this retrieval process finishes . if the program starting address cannot be specified by retrieving the most significant class retroactively , the object class number revised in step st 11 becomes “ null ”, and an yes response is produced from step st 12 where a predetermined process against an anomaly condition is executed to finish the retrieval . an embodiment of a retrieval process according to the flow chart of fig5 will be described hereinafter based on the relationship of classes and the list structure of the overwrite information shown in fig2 to 4 . ( 1 ) in case the object of the class c executes the c . run ( ) method in steps st 1 and st 2 , the object class number [ 0 × 3 ] of the class c is set as an variable objectclass , and the method number [ 0 × 3 ] of c . run ( ) is set as a variable methodpointer . in step st 3 , the object number [ 0 × 3 ] of the class to which the method belongs is read out from the entry pointed by the variable methodpointer of the method table 9 in step st 3 to be set as the variable methodclass . in the comparison step st 4 , the agreement between the variables objectclass and methodclass is confirmed and the sequence moves to step st 5 , in step st 5 , the program starting address is read out from the entry pointed by the variable methodpointer of the method table 9 , viz . the entry of [ 0 × 02 ] to be transmitted to the program execution unit 3 as a program counter to finish the retrieval . the c . run ( ) method designated thereby is read out to be executed . about other class provided with run ( ) method , a program starting address is read out by same procedure as the above - described procedure when the object of the other class executes a method of its own class . ( 2 ) in case the object of the class c is cast as class a ( plays as class a ) to execute the a . run ( ) method in the same manner as the above ( 1 ), a subject of execution of the method is the object of class c , the object class number [ 0 × 03 ] of class c is set to a variable objectclass in step st 3 . in step st 2 , the method number [ 0 × 01 ] of the designated a . run ( ) method is set to a variable methodpointer . in step st 3 , the object class number [ × 1 ] of the position class of the a . run ( ) method is read out from the entry pointed by the variable methodpointer of the method table 9 to be set as a variable methodclass . the result of the inquiring step st 4 is “ objectclass ≠ methodclass ” to apply a no response to step st 6 . in step st 6 , the overwrite information of the entry pointed by the variable methodpointer in the method table 9 , viz . the entry of [ 0 × 01 ], is read out to set the method number [ 0 × 02 ] of the overwrite information as a variable searchpointer and the object class number [ 0 × 3 ] of the same as a variable searchclass respectively , and the sequence moves to step st 7 . in step st 7 , an yes response “ objectclass = methodclass ” is applied to step st 8 in which a program starting address is read out from the entry pointed by the variable searchpointer [ 0 × 02 ] set in the method table 9 by step st 6 , viz . the entry of the c . run ( ) method to which the class c belongs , to be transmitted as a program counter . thus , in the same manner as the above ( 1 ), the c . run ( ) method is read out to be executed . when , as to the class g , e or z provided with other run ( ) method , the object of the class is cast as a super class and the execution of the run ( ) method of the super class is designated , the run ( ) method of its own class is read out in the same manner as the above procedure . accordingly , the class provided with the overwritten method may keep a rule of java such that the method of its own class is executed during casting as the super class ( 3 ) in case the object of the class b executes the b . run ( ) method in step st 1 , [ 0 × 2 ] which is the object class number of the class b is set as a variable objectclass for application to step st 2 where a variable methodpointer is set . the class b does not overwrite the run ( ) method , thereby setting the method number [ 0 × 01 ] of the a . run ( ) method of the class a , a super class , as the variable methodpointer . subsequently , in step st 3 , the object number [ 0 × 1 ] of the position class of the a . run ( ) method is read out from the entry pointed by the variable methodpointer of the method table 9 to be set as a variable methodclass . the result of the inquiring step st 4 is “ objectclass ≠ methodclass ”, and a no response is applied to step st 6 . in step st 6 , [ 0 × 02 ] is set as a variable searchpointer and [ 0 × 3 ] is set as a variable searchclass , respectively , based on the overwrite information of the entry pointed by the variable methodpointer in the method table 9 . the sequence moves to the inquiry step st 7 where “ objectclass ≠ methodclass ” is judged to produce a no response . in response to the no response , the method retrieval unit 4 moves the sequence to step st 9 where , based on the overwrite information of the entry pointed by the above - mentioned variable searchpointer , the variable searchpointer is revised to [ 0 × 03 ] and the variable searchclass is revised to [ 0 × 5 ], to be returned to step st 7 . the result of the inquiring step st 7 is still no response , thereby repeating the inquiring process by step st 7 with revising the variables searchpointer and searchclass in the same manner . as the variable searchpointer is revised to [ 0 × 04 ], and the variables searchpointer and searchclass are revised according to the overwrite information read out from the entry pointed by the revised variable searchpointer , these variables become “ null ”. thereby , step st 10 produces an yes response to be applied to step st 11 where the object class number [ 0 × 1 ] of class a which is a super class of the above - mentioned class b is read out , and the variable objectclass is revised by the number . when the revised variable objectclass is compared with the variable methodclass upon returning to step st 4 , both classes agree so as to apply an yes response to step st 5 where the program starting address pointed by the above - mentioned variable methodpointer [ 0 × 01 ] is read out to be transmitted as the program counter for finishing the retrieval . thus , the a . run ( ) method succeeded by the class b is called to be executed . when the object of class b is cast as class a to execute the a . run ( ) method , the a . run ( ) method is called in the same manner as the above - mentioned procedure . in other class ( class d , f or y ) not provided with its own run ( ) method , when the execution of the run ( ) method in the other class is designated , retrieval is executed in a same procedure as the above - mentioned procedure , resulting in calling the run . ( ) method succeeding from the super class to be executed . ( 4 ) in case the object of the class c is cast as an object of the class x having no hierarchical relationship to execute an x . run ( ) method in the same manner as those of the above ( 1 ) and ( 2 ), the object class number [ 0 × 03 ] of the class c is set as a variable objectclass in step st 1 . in step st 2 , the method class number [ 0 × 05 ] of the designated x . run ( ) method is set as a variable methodpointer . next , in step st 3 , the object class number [ 0 × 08 ] of the position class of the method is read out from the entry pointed by the variable methodpointer in the method table 9 to be set as a variable methodclass . the result of the inquiring step st 4 is “ objectclass ≠ methodclass ”, a no response is applied to step st 6 . in step st 6 , the overwrite information of the entry pointed by the variable methodpointer in the method table 9 is read out to revise the variables searchpointer and searchclass , thereby revising the variable searchpointer to [ 0 × a ] and the variable searchclass to [ 0 × 06 ] respectively for application to step st 7 . in step st 7 , a no response is produced to be applied to step st 9 in which the variables searchpointer and searchclass are revised by the overwrite information pointed by the variable searchpointer . then , the respective variables become “ null ”, and the sequence moves from step st 10 to step st 11 in which the object class number [ 0 × 1 ] of class a which is a super class is read out from the class table 8 , and the read out number revises the variable objectclass . retrieval by the variable objectclass is executed , but the same process as the above - mentioned process is advanced to provide “ searchclass = null ”, and the variable objectclass is revised in step st 11 . the contents read out from the class table 8 in step st 11 is “ null ” stored in the entry of [ 0 × 1 ], so that step st 12 produces an yes response to finish the retrieval after processing an anomaly status . thus , when the execution of the method of class in which any hierarchical relationship is not set is designated , the execution becomes impossible , thereby regarding it as execution of an improper program to stop the process . accordingly , when the object of class overwriting a run ( ) method is designated to execute the run ( ) method , even if the designated method is a method of a super class , the method belonging to the own class is called to be executed by tracing the connection list of method information in which the object class number of the own class plays as a key . when the object of class succeeding a run ( ) method in silence from its super class is designated to execute the run ( ) method , the retrieval in which the object class number of the super class plays as a key is initiated after retrieving the method table wherein the object class number of the own class is the key , thereby easily obtaining the storage location of the run ( ) method belonging to the super class . thus , the storage location of the designated method may be correctly obtained by setting the retrieval key based on the class name and method name shown in the message of the method calling to trace the connection list of the method information and relation with the super class . the method information is connected in series and the storage location of the method is uniquely specified from the respective method information , thereby simplifying the data structure of the method table . the entry is set only about the produced class and method in the class table 8 and method table 9 , no that any unnecessary memory area like the conventional hash table is not necessary to be ensured , resulting in utilization of the memory resource . moreover , the entry to each table is executed by inherent numbers in each class and method , thereby avoiding the risk of collision caused by employing a hash table . simplification of the retrieval path may provide a high speed retrieval processing . according to the above - mentioned retrieval table , the revision of setting information may be smoothly executed when a class overwriting a method is revised or a new class is added . in fig6 , 8 , and 10 , there are shown examples of revising the retrieval table when the design of a program is changed . fig7 , 9 and 11 show a relationship between classes in the respective examples together with a retrieval path according to a list structure of overwrite information . examples of revision of retrieval tables shown in the figures will be described hereinafter . fig6 and 7 show an example of a new class h added into the class relationship shown in fig2 and 4 . the class h has a super class of the class g , and overwrites the g . run ( ) method included in the class g . according to this revision , a pointer [ 0 × b ] expressing a subsequent entry in the class table 8 is given as an object class number . at the entry of [ 0 × b ] there is stored an object class number [ 0 × 7 ] of the class g which is the super class of the class h . the pointer [ 0 × 07 ] expressing the subsequent entry in the class table 9 is assigned to the h . run ( ) method belonging to the class h as a method number . at the entry there are stored the object class number [ 0 × b ] of the h class which is the position class of the h . run ( ) method and a starting address of a storage location of the h . run ( ) method . this h . run ( ) method overwrites the g . run ( ) method which has been the end of the connection list . accordingly , the overwrite information at the entry of the g . run ( ) method is revised to the information expressing the connection to the h . run ( ) method , and the overwrite information of the h . run ( ) method is set to “ null ” together with the object class number and method number . unless the h class overwrites the run ( ) method , only an entry for the class table 9 is set . fig8 and 9 show an example where the c class is revised to a class in which the run ( ) method is not overwritten in the class relationship of fig7 . in this case , the hierarchical relationship between classes does not change , whereby the class table 8 is not changed . in the method table 9 , according to deletion of the c . run ( ) method , all data of the entry ( entry shown by the pointer [ 0 × 02 ]) of this method is revised to “ null ”. the overwrite information of the a . run ( ) method is so revised that the a . run ( ) method at a higher order of the c . run ( ) method may be connected with the e . run ( ) method subsequent to the c . run ( ) method in the connection list . fig1 and 11 shows an example in which the class b having no run ( ) method is revised to the class overwriting run ( ) method in the class relationship shown in fig9 . in this case , the hierarchical relationship between classes does not change , whereby the class table 8 is not changed . in the method table 9 , according to the production of the b . run ( ) method , the entry of the pointer [ 0 × 02 ] which is formed to be a blank area by deleting the c . run ( ) method is set to the entry of the b . run ( ) method , and the pointer [ 0 × 02 ] is set to the method number of the b . run ( ) method . at this entry there are stored an object class number [ 0 × 02 ] of the class b which is the position class of the b . run method and the starting address of the stored location of the b . run ( ) method . the class b is a super class of the class e , so that a new b . run ( ) method is required to be inserted between the a . run ( ) method and the e . run ( ) method . accordingly , each overwrite information of the a . run ( ) method and b . run ( ) method is revised to set the order of a . run ( )→ b . run ( )→ e . run ( ). in the class table b and method table 9 , entry information of each class and method is connected through the object class number and method number which serve as pointers of the respective entries , whereby , when new information is registered in each table , the registered information may be set to an optional area within the table as described in the above embodiments . in order to execute new registration or deletion of a method , overwrite information has only to be revised at a switching portion of the connection list of the method information , whereby design change of programs may be easily handled . the memory area used at the retrieval table area 7 may be dynamically ensured in response to new entry , thereby effectively utilizing the memory resource and flexibly handling the design change of programs . setting of the above - mentioned retrieval table may be applied not only to a system of java , but also in general to any system having a hierarchical relationship where super class is limited to a single one . when , in the system employing a multiple succession mode like c ++ wherein a method and property is succeeded from two super classes , there may be a relationship where only either one of the two super classes may overwrite the method , a method table like fig3 may be set , wherein the class table employs a conventional hash table . fig1 shows an example where the above - mentioned method table may be set between classes having a multiple succession relationship , in which classes p and q are super classes of a class s , and classes q and r are super class of a class t . there is produced a class u at lower order of the classes s and t which are supper classes of the class u . among three classes p , q and r at the higher order , only the class p has a run ( ) method which is overwritten in the order of class s and class u along the hierarchical relationship ( the relationship of overwrite of the run ( ) method is shown by thick solid lines ). in the same manner , the stop ( ) method belonging to the class q is overwritten in the order of class t and class u along the hierarchical relationship ( the relationship of overwrite of the stop ( ) method is shown by dotted lines ). the clear ( ) method belonging to the class r is overwritten in the order of class t and class u along the hierarchical relationship . thus , in each method of run ( ), stop ( ) and clear ( ), the direction of overwrite is limited to one direction along the hierarchical relationship between classes , whereby the information specifying the stored location of each method may be connected based on the hierarchical relationship between the classes . having described an embodiment of this invention , it will now be apparent to those skilled in the art that many changes may be made without departing from the inventive concepts . it should be understood , therefore , that the invention should not be restricted to its disclosed embodiment , but rather should be limited only by the spirit and scope of the appended claims . | 8 |
fig1 shows a block diagram of a preferred embodiment of the ophthalmic laser surgery system 100 of the present invention , and fig2 provides a schematic physical presentation of that which is shown in fig1 . as shown in fig1 and 2 , a laser beam is delivered by laser 10 , which is preferably an excimer laser outputting light at 193 nm although other ultraviolet energy levels suited for ablating corneal tissue can be relied upon . the laser beam outputted by excimer laser 10 is a large spot laser beam . a suitable excimer laser is provided by a lambda compex model 205 excimer laser manufactured by lambda physics gmbh , located in gottinggen , germany from which there can be achieved a circular beam with a diameter of 6 to 10 mm from the rectangular original beam shape of the excimer laser through optical treatment ( e . g ., a cylindrical and aspherical lenses ). this excimer laser beam size is well suited for accommodating most eye configurations and the excimer laser preferably outputs a pulse in excess of 400 mj which is sufficient for corneal ablation despite losses in the optical train components particularly the first in line polarizer discussed below . an 8 mm diameter large beam with an energy level of 400mj or higher is particularly well suited for the preferred applications of the present invention . the large spot beam output 11 by the laser is passed through a beam splitter 12 where a small quantity of the uv light is reflected by the beam splitter to be input and measured by the energy monitor 30 . the energy monitor 30 then inputs the monitored energy information to main computer or main processor 32 where a comparison is made between the actual energy being output by the laser and the desired energy level , and the processor directs an adjustment signal to the laser &# 39 ; s voltage source to effect any adjustments needed to obtain the desired energy level at the laser head to maintain a constant energy level . the uv light passing through the beam splitter is directed to safety shutter ( 14 ) preferably in the form of a mechanical , physical light beam blocking device . the safety shutter is placed “ on ” when the system is in surgical mode and is placed “ off ” in a blocking position whenever the processor receives an input from one of the laser system &# 39 ; s components suggesting a device is not working within established parameters or upon an operator &# 39 ; s activation of an emergency shut off . during a non - shut off state of operation , the uv light beam 11 is directed to first uv grade polarizer optic 16 suited for handling the relatively high energy densities associated with the uv light beam 11 such as the preferred 193 nm . the first polarizer 16 which the light beam reaches is transparent to the ultraviolet light and is used to polarize the excimer laser beam such that the light beam exiting the polarizer oscillates on a defined plane ( e . g ., has a common polarization vector ) according to the characteristics and orientation of the polarizer optic . the polarized light beam 11 ′ is then received by beam expander / collimator assembly 17 which includes beam expander 18 and collimator 19 . beam expander 18 provides a beam expansion function while collimator 19 functions to limit the degree of expansion to a predetermined level . under the present invention , the beam expander / collimator assembly distributes and lowers the energy density per area of the polarized large beam 11 ′ prior to the expanded beam being applied to the active matrix mask . because uv light energy at the typical wavelength suited for corneal ablations ( e . g ., 193 nm ) has relatively high energy levels , the expansion is helpful in prolonging the life of the liquid crystal active matrix mask 22 described in greater detail below . the resulting expanded light is preferably reflected or redirected ( due to the typical positioning of the laser head ) by turning mirror 21 so as to travel in a straight line into a transverse relationship with the projecting zone or surface 28 ( e . g ., exposed corneal surface being ablated ). the light beam is then directed to the active matrix mask 22 which has a controllable , reusable liquid crystal pixel array with each pixel being individually controlled to vary the light beam transmission characteristics of each pixel . fig1 also shows , by way of dashed lines a preferred controllable matrix mask system 102 which comprises , in the illustrated embodiment , first polarizer 16 , beam expander / collimator assembly 17 , turning mirror 21 ( desired for most system designs ), liquid crystal matrix mask 22 , focusing lens 24 and second polarizer 26 . fig3 a shows in greater detail a subsystem of controllable matrix mask system 102 , which is the same as system 102 except with beam expander / collimator assembly 17 , turning mirror 21 and focusing lens 24 not being present . this is illustrative of the possibility of positioning first polarizer 16 either upstream or downstream from beam expander / collimator assembly 17 , to achieve its desired function although , from the standpoint of being able to use a reduced size polarizer , a location such as shown in fig1 before beam expansion is preferred . the positioning of first polarizer 16 separate and distinct from the other optical components in the laser system 100 is also helpful from the standpoint of easier replacement of this first in line component of mask system 100 . however , as shown in fig3 a , first polarizer can be positioned in direct sequential beam travel fashion with respect to the liquid crystal material and downstream of the expander / collimator assembly . the important thing being that the polarizer polarizes the light before the light passes through the liquid crystal material . in fig3 a the unpolarized light beam from the excimer laser is directed through the first polarizer to produce polarized uv light 116 which oscillates along a common polar plane ( shown , by way of illustration only , as a vertical plane in fig3 a ). in the embodiment shown in fig3 a , the polarized light is then directed at active matrix mask 22 . with reference to fig3 a and 3b , a description of a preferred embodiment of the active mask 22 is provided . mask 22 comprises a multi - layer assembly 117 which includes first substrate plate 118 of , for example , uv grade synthetic fused silica ( i . e ., uvgsfs ( sio 2 )) or sapphire . this transparent substrate plate is followed by a first , transparent electrode layer 119 which , in the illustrated embodiment , is the electrode layer 119 having the pixel electrode cells 125 ( typically deposited ) ( fig5 and 6 ) and the ( typically deposited ) voltage lead lines 127 ( fig5 and 6 ). liquid crystal material 120 is provided between first transparent electrode layer 119 and second transparent electrode layer 121 , with the second electrode 121 layer in the illustrated embodiment being a full sheet electrode layer ( with respect to the pixel electrode cells 125 outer peripheral border ). thus , upon application of a low level voltage ( on or off ) to the electrodes ( depending on the preferred , preset condition ) on each individual pixel cell , a desired pixel mode can be achieved due to a change in orientation of the liquid crystal material associated with the activated pixel . preferably , the deposited 119 electrode layer is deposited directly on the substrate 118 as a thin layer of ( ito ) indium - tin oxide or sno 2 by means of conventional depositing techniques such as vacuum evaporation , chemical vapor deposition , electroplating , or other commonly known methods . as shown in fig5 and 6 , the pixel cells ( only some shown for draftsman convenience ) are preferably arranged in a square matrix which is sufficient in number to achieve the desired degree of ablation precision such as a 1024 × 1024 pixel array with a pixel size of 100μ or less being preferred , although other resolutions are also possible with lesser number pixel arrays ( e . g ., 512 × 512 ) and larger pixel sizes , ( e . g ., 100μ to 150μ ). in fig5 the deposited electrode material is shown darkened to facilitate explanation , although the material is transparent in a preferred mask embodiment . thus , in fig5 the pixels defined by the pertinent pixel electrode material is visible through the transparent substrate 118 . the transparent liquid crystal material which is normally sealed between the electrode layer is also not shown in fig5 . fig3 a further illustrates irregular pixel latent pattern 123 formed in active matrix 22 which is differentiated by the lighter shaded pixel area 123 in the mask ( transparent — transmission state ) and the darker shaded pixel area 125 ( non - transparent non - transmission ). for illustrative purposes , there is provided in fig3 c , the total volumetric ablation pattern 132 with the three dimensional topography associated with the irregular pixel pattern 123 . each topography level representation preferably corresponds to a single volumetric ablation segment of the entire ablation volume ( shown schematically as each ablation segment would , in a preferred embodiment , correspond with the ablation depth characteristic of the laser which , for a full duty cycle , is often around 0 . 21μ to 0 . 25μ ). in a preferred embodiment , the liquid crystal material 120 provides a twisted nematics ( tn ) effect on the polarized light 116 passing through matrix 22 . with a twisted nematic liquid crystal material , the polarization vector of the incoming light is rotated by a quarter turn ¼ ( 90 degrees ) by the liquid crystal molecules through the natural physical twisted nematics effect produced by the liquid crystal molecules . in other words , liquid nematic substance 120 ( typically sealed off by a peripheral frame structure surrounding or abutting the electrode material and sandwiched between the substrate supports ) is used as a rotator layer and is placed inside between the two electrodes 119 and 121 as well as between the first and second substrates 118 and 122 and also between polaraizers 16 and 26 . the second polarizer 26 is designed in one embodiment to have a polarization vector that is 90 ° offset from that of the first polarizer . in this preferred embodiment , when no voltage is applied on a pixel , the polarization vector of the incoming light is rotated by the liquid crystal molecules through the twisted nematic effect so as to have the rotated polarized light oriented for passage through the 90 ° offset second polarizer . thus , the second polarizer , placed at the output side of the liquid crystal mask , is used to transmit the light ( normally on ). on the other hand , with the first and second polarizers in a 90 ° offset relationship , when a proper voltage is applied to a pixel cell , the crystal liquid molecules tend to align with the electric field , such that the twisted nematic effect is lost and thus the polarization vector of the incoming light will be unchanged ( i . e ., not rotated ). the light will therefore be rejected ( off ) by the output polarizer as its polarization vector is not aligned with the non - twisted uv energy . alternatively , the first and second polarizers can be arranged to have their polarization vector initially aligned in which case the second polarizer will be normally off ( the twisted light is blocked ) and upon an electric field application the second polarizer will allow for transmission of the untwisted , polarized light traveling thereto . fig4 a to 4 d further illustrate a preferred arrangement of controllable matrix system 102 ( fig1 ) of the present invention , with fig4 a and 4b providing an optical representation of the on / off transmission states for a pixel cell within matrix 22 ( fig3 a ) in conjunction with schematically illustrated first and second polarizers 16 and 26 . fig4 c and 4d provide an electro - optical representation of the on / off transmission states for a pixel cell within matrix 22 . fig4 a and 4c illustrate the “ off ” state , while 4 b and 4 d illustrate the “ on ” state for the same pixel matrix segment section 105 . in fig4 b and 4d the unpolarized light 110 from excimer laser 10 is shown as being polarized along polarization vector a in similar fashion as shown in 3 a . when no voltage is applied to the pixel cell associated with the pixel array segment section shown in fig4 b and 4d , the polarized uv light passing through the liquid crystal material of matrix 22 is twisted 90 ° while going through the mask as represented by the resultant twisted polarized uv light 124 exiting the mask 22 . in the illustrated embodiment of fig4 b , the analyzer or second polarizer 26 has a polarization vector that coincides with the resultant twisted polarized uv light 124 such that the uv light is free to pass through the analyzer and on toward the projecting zone for ablation of the desired ablation volume segment in the case of the “ on ” state shown in fig4 b and 4d , the pixel segment section 105 of matrix 22 represented in fig4 b will be transparent . as shown in fig4 a and 4c , the incoming unpolarized excimer light 110 is directed through first polarizer 16 having a polarizing vector represented by arrow a . thus , the light exiting polarizer 16 in fig4 a and 4c assumes the polarizing orientation of polarization vector a as similarly shown by the polarized uv light representation 116 in fig3 a . in passing through the twisted nematic crystal material , the polarized uv light of fig4 a and 4c is not twisted 90 ° because an electric voltage has been applied and the liquid crystal molecules align with the electrical field such that the twisted nematic physical effect is lost due to the realignment of liquid crystal molecules . thus , the uv polarized light 124 exiting the matrix segment section 105 is blocked by analyzer 26 as the polarization vector b of analyzer 26 is not coincident with the polarization vector of the polarized uv light 124 . thus , this pixel segment section 105 of matrix 22 will appear dark in its blocking mode . with reference now to fig7 a to 8 f and 9 a - 9 f , a discussion is provided of a preferred ablation sequence involving ablating volumetric ablation segments from an exposed cornea to achieve a desired cornea sculpturing ( e . g ., a lasik procedure ) using the mask system 102 ( fig1 ) in conjunction with a laser system such as laser system 100 ( fig1 ). for simplifying the discussion , the pixels 125 ( fig6 ) in array 122 ( fig5 ) will be treated as each having either a fully “ on ” ( 100 % duty cycle ) or a fully “ off ” ( 0 ° duty cycle ) state during the pulse period of the main laser and with each matrix reconfiguration being made to coincide with the master pulse sequence of the excimer laser beam such that the array changes once between each pulse and each pixel cell is maintained fully on or off with a given array for the full pulse period . in other words , each pixel is maintained on for the full pulse period rather than switching a transmitting pixel to a blocking state at some point prior to completion of the pulse duration . also , with respect to fig8 a to 8 f , and in similar fashion to the presentation in fig3 a , the pixel grouping ( s ) which allow for transmission of the laser energy to the exposed corneal are shown by lighter areas 123 in each array of mask 22 while the blocking pixels 125 are shown by darker shading in mask 22 . fig7 shows a schematic visual image of a customized volumetric ablation pattern data set that has been formed , such as in a manner described in u . s . patent application ser . no . 09 / 267 , 926 to dr . luis antonio ruiz which application is incorporated herein by reference . fig1 also shows topographer 50 and aberrometer 52 which are useful either alone or in combination in determining the desired volumetric ablation pattern data set for achieving the desired resultant ablation volume in the cornea . regular ablation patterns used commonly for myopic , hyperopic , and astigmatism treatment ( e . g ., from a library of stored volumetric ablation volume patterns ) can also be relied upon ( either alone or in combination with different treatment requirements ) in forming the desired three dimensional volumetric ablation volume pattern . in addition , the present mask system and laser system are also well suited for ablations directed at presbyopia treatment such as described in u . s . pat . nos . 5 , 533 , 997 ; 5 , 928 , 129 ; and pct / us99 / 26242 each to dr . luis antonio ruiz and each incorporated herein by reference . while the borders of clear regions 123 ( e . g ., fig8 a ) are shown as being entirely smooth curvatures there would be some degree of stepped edging in view of the pixel array . however , with an n × m pixel array ( see fig5 ) of , for example , 1024 × 1024 cells and with each preferably being square shaped with 100μ or less sides a very fine resolution peripheral contour would be formed in any ablated material . fig8 a to 8 d show six different matrix array patterns that are each set based on a switch over time period ( in this embodiment , the matrix switch time is made in one - to - one correspondence with the pulse duration of the laser ). as shown by fig8 a and 9a the pixel array is set so as to remove the volume of material lying above reference line t 1 ( fig7 ) during a first laser pulse of the polarized large beam . fig8 a shows the pixel matrix array setting ( e . g ., an array of 1024 × 1024 with a 100μ square size ) for achieving the ablation volume removal segment lying above reference line t 1 . fig9 a shows a schematic presentation of an ablation segment that would be removed following a laser beam pulse application through the mask and to the projected surface . fig8 b shows the pixel matrix array setting for achieving the ablation volume removal segment ( predetermined by processor 32 following receipt of the overall desired volumetric ablation volume pattern data for the cornea being ablated as in the segment above t 1 ) lying between reference lines t 1 and t 2 in fig7 . fig9 b illustrates schematically the cumulative effect of removal of the ablation volume segments by the laser beam for two setting cycles of the matrix array . similarly , fig8 c shows the pixel matrix array setting for achieving the ablation segment lying between reference lines t 3 - t 2 with fig9 c showing the cumulative volumetric effect of the three represented different pixel matrix array settings . pair sets 8 d - 9 d ; 8 c - 9 c ; 8 f - 9 f show additional matrix array settings and the corresponding cumulative volumetric ablation following application of the laser beam pulse with fig8 d directed at the ablation segment defined between reference lines t 4 - t 3 , fig8 e directed at the ablation segment defined by reference lines t 5 - t 4 , fig8 f directed at the ablated segment defined by reference lines t 6 - t 5 the ablation segment t 7 - t 6 in fig7 is represented by the pixel pattern 123 shown in fig3 a with the stacked ablation segments lying above the best clinical sphere ( representation bs in fig7 ) intended to correspond with the topographical plan view of the three dimensional volumetric ablation pattern represented in fig3 c taken along cross - section lines 7 — 7 in fig3 c . the best clinical sphere bs shown in fig7 represents the desired final , resculptured profile for the exposed cornea believed to be best suited for that particular patient such as the technique explained in the aforementioned u . s . patent application ser . no . 09 / 267 , 926 filed mar . 10 , 1999 by dr . luis antonio ruiz . as can be seen from a comparison of fig8 a - 8f , for this volumetric ablation volume pattern being removed , the volumetric ablation segments expand and merge together in going from a removal of the outer exposed corneal topographical ( z - axis ) extremities toward the predetermined best clinical sphere bs reference line ( in cross - section ) lying below the irregularities . as the laser pulse applications are cumulative , the sequence of pattern settings could be altered ( e . g ., starting with the configuration of fig8 f and working in reverse and working in sequence back to 8 a or even a mixed application of array sets 8 a to 8 f ). also , while fig7 shows an over exaggerated extension of cornea tissue in a central region above the best clinical sphere , reference line bs could also represent the initial outer exposed cornea surface profile wherein a series of ablations based on conventional , preestablished volumetric ablation profiles such as in correcting myopia , hyperopia and astigmatism ( or presbyopia as discussed above are ablated ). for instance , generally circular , centralized ablation segments can be imposed upon the cornea to achieve a conventional corrective myopic central cap reduction in the center region of the cornea . also , as a typical ablation depth for an excimer laser pulse is 0 . 25μ , the number of ablation stacks would generally be much larger in number than the schematic representation in fig8 a - 8f ( e . g ., a number in the few hundreds corresponding with the aforementioned number of large spot laser beam pulses typically required to achieve typical diopter corrections ). thus , upon completion of the preset number of different pixel array settings and laser pulse applications following the matrix resettings , a removed volumetric ablation pattern conforming tothe predetermined volumetric ablation pattern determined by an analysis of the eye is achieved with high precision like a flying spot laser but with the avoidance of the time delays and overlapping problems associated with a flying spot laser . in addition , there is provided a multiuse matrix array which can be used for handling a plurality of different patient ablation requirements while using a speedier large beam application ; but without the complexities of the previous mechanical fixed mask arrangements or the erodible masks of the prior art . moreover , the laser system of the present invention provides for high resolution , extremely smooth walls and avoids ridge and valley formation due to excessive overlap . fig1 provides a flow chart illustrating a sequence of steps in carrying out a volumetric ablation removal technique such as that represented by fig8 a to 8 f . fig1 shows , in addition to the sequence of steps for carrying out a volumetric ablation removal sequence , some preliminary steps which are carried out prior to initiation of the volumetric ablation removal sequence . in an initial preliminary step , the patient is examined to determine what type of ablation requirements might exist . an applicable volumetric ablation pattern data set is subsequently formed or acquired which best suits the individual needs of the patient . reference is again made to u . s . ser . no . 09 / 267 , 926 which discusses in additional detail some of the various concerns and some of the applicable techniques for acquiring an ablation pattern data set , although any other conventional technique for determining desired ablation volumes to be ablated can be utilized under the present invention . the acquired volumetric ablation pattern data set for the ablation deemed best suited for the patient ( 48 ) ( e . g ., a matrix of x , y , z values conforming to the volume of cornea lying between a best clinical sphere and the analyzed topography of the cornea and / or the volume based on aberrometer determined characteristics of the different optical components and shapes of the eye by , for example , use of topographer ( 50 ) and / or aberrometer ( 52 )). this information is sent to a suitable processor such as main computer 32 . in a preferred embodiment , the received data set is broken down into volumetric ablation segments which preferably conform to a predetermined laser ablation depth defined by the laser characteristics and the laser energy densities utilized . this can be seen in a review of fig7 which illustrates , in schematic fashion , stacked individual volumetric ablation segments which , in the cumulative , remove with high precision the ablation volume defined by the acquired volumetric ablation pattern data fed to the processor . the processor then determines , for each volumetric ablation segment , the desired individual pixel array settings required to satisfy the desired volumetric ablation segment profile for the applicable ablation segment . for example , with an x , y , z corneal topograph matrix data set as the acquired customized volumetric ablation pattern data , the processor , based on the maximum and minimum z - axis points in the data set , determines the maximum distance ( md ) fig7 between the same points and , based on the ablation characteristics of the laser beam ( maximum ablation depth ) ( ld ), breaks down the maximum distance ( md ) into a number ( n ) of z - axis ablation segments that corresponds to the formula md = ld × n with n equal to the pulses × the duty cycle ratio ( which is preferably 1 : 1 for the above described embodiment ). with a typical corneal laser ablation depth of 0 . 21μ to 0 . 25μ and a preferred pixel window of between 100 to 150μ ( per side ) a very high precision capability is attained both with respect to ablation depth and with respect to peripheral or x - y plane boundary profiling . with an ablation depth value of 0 . 21μ or 0 . 25μ and pixel size of 100μ to 125μ per side , it is possible to achieve under the present invention a resolution of , for example , { fraction ( 1 / 50 )} th of a diopter , extremely smooth ablation surfaces , no (± 0 . 75 % with respect to pixel size ) overlap or spacing , or essentially no (± 1 to 5 %) overlap or spacing , and a very high accurate registration between the desired volumetric ablation pattern and the actually ablated volume . also , because of the very small ablation depth ( 0 . 21μ to 0 . 25μ ) each matrix array cycle ( preferably in a 1 to 1 ratio with respect to the laser pulse cycle ), any deviation ( due to n not being a whole number integer ) in having md = ld × n would still allow for higher precision contouring . as further shown by fig1 , after the volumetric ablation data is broken down into individual ablation formation segments , the processor then determines the individual pixel transmission state for every pixel in every segment . for example , a review of the corneal volume representation of the acquired volumetric ablation data set for a chosen matrix array segment is made and the pixel settings for achieving the corneal volume representation is implemented ( i . e ., setting to “ on ” those pixels which correspond in location to the matrix array segment for laser beam transmission , while placing all others in the matrix array in a blocking state ). while a direct feed following each determination of the required pixel transmission state for an ablation segment to an activated mask is possible , it is preferable to store in a memory stack each individual matrix array data set for each of the individual matrix array segments ( also described as an ablation segment ). each matrix array data set is assigned a number and then an ablation process is initiated wherein one of the numbered matrix array data sets is chosen and its information transferred ( e . g ., through computer interface 34 which transfers , for example , pixel on / off data representations into voltage pulse on / off voltage signals so as to achieve the desired overall pixel state for the matrix array ). the laser beam is then fired through the selected , activated mask pixel array and directed on toward the cornea to be sculptured . preferably the mask is varied between a preexisting state and a new state corresponding with the chosen segment between each pulse and with the “ switch over ” timing being achieved between laser shots , although it is also possible to carry out a number of pulses on the same matrix array setting prior to switching over to the next matrix array depending on , for example , the z - axis height of each segment . also , for a sufficiently long laser pulse duration or a continuously applied electromagnetic radiation source , the duty cycle for an “ on ” pixel can be made less than 100 % to accommodate any relative difference in material to be ablated along a common ablation volume segment &# 39 ; s lower reference line . this would alter the number of on / off switch overs per laser pulse . also , in one embodiment of the invention , the resetting of the mask includes first setting all pixels within the array to a common “ off ” position and then placing those pixels which are to be “ on ” in an on setting while leaving the other pixels unchanged ( or vice versa if the resetting involves switching all to “ on ” initially ). the former arrangement is preferable , as the resetting of all to “ off ” between the switching over to the next desired array pattern provides an additional safety blocking screen . in an alternate embodiment , the previous mask setting is maintained and a comparison is made via the processor between the chosen matrix array set and the preexisting matrix array set to determine which pixels require changeover and which can stay the same . this can lessen the number of individual pixel setting changes , particularly in situations wherein the next segment has many pixel settings in common with an earlier setting as in fig8 a - 8f illustrating a situation where the later pixel setting segment generally builds upon an earlier setting by expanding out the x - y plane ablation profile pixel representation ( or in an opposite matrix array segment processing ). as further shown by fig1 , the cycle of switching the matrix arrays from a prior to a new setting and firing the laser is repeated until it is determined that each memory segment has been implemented and that the memory segment stack is empty . the timing between mask refreshings in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention is preferably less than 100 milliseconds ( ms ) and more preferably less than 50 ms with the range of 25 to 50 ms being well suited for many applications of the present invention . the invention &# 39 ; s mask refreshing cycle is synchronized with the “ on ” main laser pulse , and also individual pixel cells can be controlled separately within the main laser pulse duration to achieve multiple on / off pixel modes during the laser pulse period and the synchronized refreshing period , if applicable . as described above , pixels that are in a transmitting state can be left “ on ” for the full time period of the synchronized laser pulse to achieve the characteristic full ablation depth of the laser beam &# 39 ; s pulse . this relationship can be seen by a comparison of fig1 a and 15b wherein the laser pulse duration p is in an on state for the entire main laser pulse period ( corresponding with the laser energy passage time period ) as represented by the darkened region r 1 in fig1 b . fig1 b represents a 100 % duty cycle with respect to the laser pulse period p . on the other hand , a pixel that is maintained entirely in an “ off ” state ( not shown ) during the laser pulse period p would thus have a 0 % duty cycle ( and no pulse representation ). to achieve an intermediate degree of ablation in sub - areas within an ablated segment area during pulse period p , the duty cycle can be varied from pixel to pixel by switching the duty cycle of respective pixels in a present matrix array . for example , fig1 c shows a 50 % duty cycle where a respective pixel cell is switched from a transmission “ yes ” state to a transmission “ no ” state so as to be on for 50 % of the pulse period p . in this way a partial ablation is carried out relative to the capability of a 100 % duty cycle period which is shown in fig1 c during the first half of the pulse period but could also be applied during the last half of the pulse period ( or refreshing period ) or an intermediate period of the pulse period as well to achieve a 50 % duty cycle . fig1 d and 15e illustrate even smaller duty cycles of 25 % and 12 . 5 %, respectively . adjacent each duty cycle pulse prevention , there is schematically illustrated the corresponding ablation depth for that duty cycle . the upper portion of fig1 f schematically illustrates the different ablation percentages made possible during one of the repetitive laser pulse periods , while the lower half shows the corresponding degree of ablation carried out on an underlying substrate . thus , with a varying of the individual duty cycle within a particular matrix array a variation in depth of ablation can be achieved with respect to the underlying substrate . whether a duty cycle of less than 100 % can be utilized will depend upon the time of the laser pulse period . the duty cycle manipulation would provide advantageous flexibility and precision ( considered above and beyond the capability of switching individual voltage levels within the pixels in a given matrix set ). this flexibility and added precision being made possible by varying the duty cycle amongst pixels in a particular pixel array set is also applicable to a variety of fields including for example , photoresist and photolithography applications , and with a variety of electromagnetic radiation sources including pulsed or continuously supplied electromagnetic radiation providers such as a xenon lamp , a mercury vapor lamp or the like . with reference again to fig1 and 2 , some additional preferred features for laser system 100 are discussed . to properly focus the exposure of the matrix transmitted laser beam onto the projecting zone , non - ablating lasers are preferably used . for example , two hene lasers such as a red hene laser ( 39 ) with a wavelength of about 632 . 8 nm and a green hene laser ( 40 ) with a wave length of about 543 . 5 nm , respectively , are preferred for alignment with a third hene laser ( 20 ) of about 632 . 8 nm used for patient fixation . as the third hene laser is used for patient fixation , it must be aligned with the patient eye and the alignment lasers . additionally , to accurately control x , y pattern exposure registration on the patient cornea , an infrared eye tracker system ( 36 ) is used to compensate patient eye movement during an ablation procedure . the eye tracker system monitors the center of the cornea ( or some other fixed point ) and assures that the uv light beam is precisely projected to the target area of the cornea following any eye movement . under the present invention , to achieve correlation between the laser beam application and a patient shifted projecting zone as determined by eye tracker 36 , the eye tracker outputs data to a processor such as processor 32 and the shift parameters provided by the eye tracker are processed by the processor and fed to the active pixel array in the form of signals to alter the pixel array pattern x - y reference coordinates whereupon an appropriate shift in the on / off states of the pixel array assigned for producing the latent image ( s ) for forming the ablation segment is made . in this way , a deviation in the patient &# 39 ; s eye can be accommodated by the present invention , without the need for mechanically moving components which can wear out or jam ( each which can produce serious implications in a surgical procedure ). while the avoidance of any mechanical moving components is preferred through use of electronic pixel shifting to achieve a shifted transmission configuration in the active mask , the present invention can also include an assembly comprising turning mirror 21 , active mask 22 , focusing lens 24 and polarizer 26 that can be implemented as a unit , and with an electronically driven moveable support or the like , the center axis of the projected beam can be maintained at the same location on the eye despite the eye movement picked up by the eye tracker ( e . g ., angular movement together with x - y plane movement of the unit ). fig1 schematically illustrates a shifting in the mask array pattern to accommodate a shift in the projected zone of a substrate to be ablated with the shifting being measured by substrate monitoring means which conveys shift information to a processor , which in turn controls the mask to initiate a new setting prior to the next energy application . thus , with respect to a laser system as shown in fig1 the transmission pattern 123 is shifted ( in conjunction with a shift determined by the eye tracker 36 and shift information processed by main computer 32 and relayed through interface 34 ) to new pattern position 123 ′ in mask 22 , to properly place the applied energy on the shifted cornea . fig1 also shows lengths d1 and d2 representing shifting distances in the image presented by the mask along the x - y plane of the matrix 22 . if d1 or d2 exceed a preset standard ( e . g ., a shift beyond a 3 to 5 mm acceptable outer limit range on the main computer or too many pixels out in an array having to be shifted ) the processor can initiate a laser shut down through use of beam shutter 14 . fig1 and 2 illustrate the use of a video camera system ( 37 ) provided to show the patient &# 39 ; s eye in a color monitor ( 38 ). initial positioning of patient is realized by a micro - processor controlled bed ( 46 ) that responds to commands generated by a joystick ( 44 ) which moves the patient bed on the axes x , y and z and interlocks the patient bed when the surgery is in progress . the patient bed is also interfaced with the main computer via computer interface ( 42 ). as earlier noted , prior to surgery , the patient ( 48 ) is accurately examined by a topographer ( 50 ) or an aberrometer ( 52 ) or any other type of medical device for analyzing the optical structure of the eye , and the information generated by the analyzer is then transferred to the main computer ( 32 ) which processes the information and generates the customized cornea ablation pattern deemed best suited by the surgeon for achieving the desired correction . the analyzer of the eye characteristics information can be a component of the overall system or can be a remote sub - system with the volumetric ablation pattern data set deemed best suited for that patient being stored by the main computer either by way of a direct feed to the main computer from the patient acquisition exam or stored on an appropriate storage medium for transfer to an input of the main computer , or transferred remotely from one location to another through any suitable information transmission means such as a telephone line . although the present invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments , the invention is not limited to the details thereof . various substitutions and modifications will occur to those of ordinary skill in the art following a review of this application , and all such substitutions and modifications are intended to fall within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims . | 0 |
the term “ comprising ” for purposes of this application means that the term is used inclusively , in the sense that there may be other features and / or steps included in the invention not expressly defined or comprehended in the features or steps subsequently defined or described . the term “ cosmetically acceptable carrier ” means hydrophobic liquid suitable for skin contact . such suitable carriers would for example be liquid silicones or polyorganosiloxanes , mineral oils , hydrogenated polyisobutene , polydecene , paraffins , isoparaffins of at least 10 carbon atoms , and aliphatic or aromatic ester oils ( e . g . isopropyl myristate , lauryl myristate , isopropyl palmitate , diisopropyl sebecate , diisopropyl adipate , or c 8 to c 18 alkyl benzoates ), cocoglycerides , caprylic / capric triglycerides , propylheptyl caprylate , dicaprylyl carbonate , ethylhexyl palmitate and ethylhexyl octanoate . water for example is excluded from the term “ cosmetic acceptable carrier ”. although , water may also be formulated with the cosmetic acceptable carrier . for example , the cosmetic acceptable carrier may be an oil and water or a water in oil emulsion . the hydrophobic liquid suitable for skin contact may be selected from the group listing above . zinc oxide for purposes of this application may be obtained by any means known in the art . for example u . s . pat . no . 6 , 203 , 768 uses mechano - chemical process to form zinc oxide . mechano - chemical processing involves a mechanically activated chemical reaction between a precursor metal compound and a suitable reactant during mechanical milling or during subsequent heat treatment of the milled powder . u . s . patent pub . no . 2003 / 0161795 describes in detail various mechano - chemical processes in paragraphs [ 00730 through [ 0081 ] and example 1 . however , it is highly preferable that the zinc oxide of the present application be formed directly from zinc metal fed into a plasma arc . the metal is then vaporized and oxygen is added to produce zinc oxide which upon cooling condenses to form nanocrystalline zinc oxide . the zinc oxide is therefore preferably formed directly as a dry powder . it is not milled , precipitated or derived from organic precursors ( fumed ). because of this , the particle surfaces are very “ clean ” chemically , which makes it straightforward to obtain dispersions with excellent stability over time . also , there are fewer impurities which impact the color of the final material . the plasma used to produce the zinc oxide may be for example dc plasma arc , rf plasma , electric heating , conductive heating , flame reactor , induction plasma or laser reactor . the plasma generation of particles is well known in the art . in particular , u . s . pat . nos . 5 , 200 , 595 , 6 , 669 , 823 and 7 , 517 , 513 teach the use of plasma systems for generating well controlled inorganic particles . further , u . s . pat . nos . 5 , 460 , 701 , 5 , 514 , 349 and 5 , 874 , 684 are also excellent references for reviewing controlled generation of inorganic particulates without aggregation using a plasma arc . mean particle size distribution is often abbreviated d50 . the mean particle size deviation may be a number or a volume distribution . when the term “ mean particle size distribution ” used in the present application , unless otherwise specified , the d50 is based on volume . measurements of the mean particle size distribution are dependent upon the method of measurement . different measurements will arrive at different values . for example , average particle size may be calculated from bet ( n2 adsorption ), static light scattering or dynamic light scattering . the d50 ( volume ) determination used by the applicants is based on dynamic light scattering ( dls ) using a malvern ® nano zs instrument . the zinc oxide particles taught herein have a mean particle size ( volume ) distribution - d50 of about 4 nm to about 650 nm , preferably about 450 to about 625 and most preferably about 475 nm to about 600 nm , measured by dynamic light scattering ( dls ). because the size distribution is highly controlled with virtually no particles falling below 100 nm , the zinc oxide particles form excellent dispersions of the primary particles ( no agglomeration ), which translates into higher transparency in formulation . as explained above it is highly preferred that virtually no particles of & lt ; 100 nm make up the mean particle distribution . by no particles of & lt ; 100 nm it is meant that 0 . 0 % of particles fall below 100 nm . the percent is based on the total number distribution . the zinc oxide particle crystal structure is zincite ( hexagonal ) determined by x - ray diffraction . the crystal morphology is elongated . this is not the same as rods or rod - like but the crystals have a low aspect ratio evident from transmission electron micrographs . the average crystal size ( d xrd ) of the zinc oxide varies from about 150 nm to about 350 nm , preferably about 175 nm to about 320 nm , more preferably about 200 nm to about 300 nm . there is substantially no secondary structure or aggregation of the present zinc oxide particles . the term “ secondary structure or agglomeration ” means for purposes of this application that the particles are discrete . small particles are not bound to form a composite aggregate . in the dry state the particles do agglomerate . however , the particles are dispersed to primary particles with proper treatment in fluids . thus the sunscreen composition will preferably further contains a cosmetically suitable carrier , preferably hydrophobic and the zinc oxide particles are well dispersed in said carrier so that discrete particles with no secondary structure are evident . aggregation or secondary structure is difficult to avoid in nanomaterials particularly coated nanomaterials . nanomaterials will likely aggregate during processing especially if produced by mechano - chemical processes , colloidal precipitation , mechanical grinding followed by coating or hydrophobic treatment resulting in aggregates which are bound together by the coating . however nanosized powders which are used in the present application are preferably produced by vaporization and gas phase nucleation ( plasma systems ) and growth . this makes it possible to generate nanoparticles with controlled size distribution of the primary particles and control the degree of aggregation by controlling process parameters such as pressure , temperature , and concentration that aid in the determination of the properties of the resulting particles . the zinc oxide particles is by its nature hydrophilic , which makes the particles non - wettable with organic solvents , oils and plastics that are frequently used as carrier media in the cosmetic or sunscreen applications . furthermore zinc oxide has high photo - activity , which may result in undesired effects caused by reactions between the metal oxides and other components in the sunscreen or cosmetic . additionally nanosized zinc oxide may also have high surface reactivity , which leads to increased interactions between neighboring particles . over time this can result in flocculation of the particles in the formulation . a generally accepted method of overcoming such problems has been to surface coat the metal oxide particles to render them hydrophobic . organosilicon compounds such as silicone and polysiloxane have been used to surface treat metal oxide powders in an attempt to overcome this problem . silicones are polymers that have a regular repeating backbone of — si — o — and contain side groups of varying functionality . most notably , organosilicon compounds containing methyl side group ( dimethyl polysiloxanes ), methyl and hydrogen side groups ( methyl hydrogen polysiloxanes ), and alkyl groups ( alkyl polysiloxanes ) have been utilized . additionally , the side groups of the silicone may be selected to match the chosen carrier media to enable a greater affinity between the surface treated powders and the carrier media . several prior art techniques have been developed for coating metal oxide fine particles with silicone or organosilicon . for example , organosilicon polymers in solvents or directly onto the dried powder have been used to coat zinc oxide particle . additional organosilicon monomers or oligomers can be applied to the dried powder or the dispersed powder and then polymerized . it is preferable that the dried powder or dispersed powder is treated with monomers or oligomers which polymerize in the presence of the particles . this controls agglomeration and is more likely to completely coat each discrete particle . of particular interest are trialkoxyalkly silane monomers which polymerize to form a polyalkylsilsesquioxane coating . for example triethoxyoctyl silane monomer may be polymerized to form a polysilsesquioxane coating on the zinc oxide . this monomer upon polymerization forms a polysilsesquioxane , in particular a poly - n - octylsilsesquioxane or polycaprylsilsesquioxane which is a preferred coating for the zinc oxide . the weight percent of the coating or surface treatment of the zinc oxide ranges from 0 . 01 to about 5 wt . %, preferably about 0 . 1 to about 3 wt . %, and most preferably about 0 . 2 to about 2 wt . % based on the coated zinc oxide . of special importance as sunscreen preparation are light - protective preparations for the skin , such as sun milks , lotions , creams , oils , sunblocks or tropicals , pretanning preparations or after - sun preparations . of particular interest are sun protection creams , sun protection lotions , sun protection milk and sun protection preparations in the form of a spray . the cosmetic or sunscreen preparations may be , for example in the form of , creams , gels , lotions , alcoholic and aqueous / alcoholic solutions , emulsions , wax / fat compositions , stick preparations , powders or ointments . in addition to the above mentioned zinc oxide particles , the cosmetic or sunscreen preparations may contain further cosmetically acceptable adjuvants . cosmetically acceptable adjuvants are virtually any ingredients which are suitable for skin exposure . thus the cosmetically acceptable adjuvants are selected from the group consisting of surfactants , super - fatting agents , oils , emulsifiers , consistency regulators , thickeners , polymers , stabilizers , biogenic active ingredients , swelling agents , further uv light - protective agents , antioxidants , hydrotropic agents , preservatives , solubilisers , perfume oils , colourants , bacteria - inhibiting agents and mixtures thereof . of particular interest are sunscreen compositions which contain water and oil . for example , w / o , o / w , o / w / o and w / o / w emulsions , or microemulsions . these emulsions may contain , for example , from 0 . 1 to 30 % by weight , preferably from 0 . 1 to 15 % by weight and especially from 0 . 5 to 10 % by weight , based on the total weight of the composition , of one or more uv absorbers in addition to the zinc oxide particles described above , from 1 to 60 % by weight , especially from 5 to 50 % by weight and preferably from 10 to 35 % by weight , based on the total weight of the composition , of at least one oil component , from 0 to 30 % by weight , especially from 1 to 30 % by weight and preferably from 4 to 20 % by weight , based on the total weight of the composition , of at least one emulsifier , from 10 to 90 % by weight , especially from 30 to 90 % by weight , based on the total weight of the composition , of water , and from 0 to 88 . 9 % by weight , especially from 1 to 50 % by weight , of further cosmetically acceptable adjuvants . zinc oxide particles of the invention may be added to cosmetics or sunprotective compositions including sunscreen compositions at virtually any amount . for example the weight percent of the zinc oxide particles in a cosmetic , sunprotective composition including sunscreen compositions will vary from about 0 . 01 to about 25 weight percent , preferably 0 . 1 to about 20 weight percent , most preferably 1 . 0 to about 15 weight percent wherein the weight percent is based on the total weight of the formulation . the cosmetic or sunscreen compositions / preparations according to the invention may also contain one or one more additional compounds as described below . guerbet alcohols based on fatty alcohols having from 6 to 18 , preferably from 8 to 10 carbon atoms including cetyl alcohol , stearyl alcohol , cetearyl alcohol , oleyl alcohol , octyldodecanol , benzoate of c12 - c15 alcohols , acetylated lanolin alcohol , etc . esters of linear c 6 - c 24 fatty acids with linear c 3 - c 24 alcohols , esters of branched c 6 - c 13 carboxyl acids with linear c 6 - c 24 fatty alcohols , esters of linear c 6 - c 24 fatty acids with branched alcohols , especially 2 - ethylhexanol , esters of hydroxycarboxylic acids with linear or branched c 6 - c 22 fatty alcohols , especially dioctyl malates , esters of linear and / or branched fatty acids with polyhydric alcohols ( for example propylene glycol , dimer diol or trimer triol ) and / or guerbet alcohols , for example caproic acid , caprylic acid , 2 - ethylhexanoic acid , capric acid , lauric acid , isotridecanoic acid , myristic acid , palmitic acid , palmitoleic acid , stearic acid , isostearic acid , oleic acid , elaidic acid , petroselinic acid , linoleic acid , linolenic acid , elaeostearic acid , arachidic acid , gadoleic acid , behenic acid and erucic acid and technical - grade mixtures thereof ( obtained , for example , in the pressure removal of natural fats and oils , in the reduction of aldehydes from roelen &# 39 ; s oxosynthesis or in the dimerisation of unsaturated fatty acids ) with alcohols , for example , isopropyl alcohol , caproic alcohol , capryl alcohol , 2 - ethylhexyl alcohol , capric alcohol , lauryl alcohol , isotridecyl alcohol , myristyl alcohol , cetyl alcohol , palmoleyl alcohol , stearyl alcohol , isostearyl alcohol , oleyl alcohol , elaidyl alcohol , petroselinyl alcohol , linoyl alcohol , linolenyl alcohol , elaeostearyl alcohol , arachidyl alcohol , gadoleyl alcohol , behenyl alcohol , erucyl alcohol and brassidyl alcohol and technical - grade mixtures thereof ( obtained , for example , in the high - pressure hydrogenation of technical - grade methyl esters based on fats and oils or aldehydes from roelen &# 39 ; s oxosynthesis and as monomer fractions in the dimerisation of unsaturated fatty alcohols ). examples of such ester oils are isopropylmyristate , isopropylpalmitate , isopropylstearate , isopropyl isostearate , isopropyloleate , n - butylstearate , n - hexyllaurate , n - decyloleate , isooctylstearate , iso - nonylstearate , isononyl isononanoate , 2 - ethylhexylpalmitate , 2 - hexyllaurate , 2 - hexyldecylstearate , 2 - octyldodecylpalmitate , oleyloleate , oleylerucate , erucyloleate , erucylerucate , cetearyl octanoate , cetyl palmitate , cetyl stearate , cetyl oleate , cetyl behenate , cetyl acetate , myristyl myristate , myristyl behenate , myristyl oleate , myristyl stearate , myristyl palmitate , myristyl lactate , propylene glycol dicaprylate / caprate , stearyl heptanoate , diisostearyl malate , octyl hydroxystearate , etc . diethylhexyl 2 , 6 - naphthalate , di - n - butyl adipate , di ( 2 - ethylhexyl )- adipate , di ( 2 - ethyl hexyl )- succinate and diisotridecyl acelaat , and also diol esters , such as ethylene glycol dioleate , ethylene glycol diisotridecanoate , propylene glycol di ( 2 - ethylhexanoate ), propylene glycol diisostearate , propylene glycol dipelargonate , butanediol diisostearate and neopentyl glycol dicaprylate . esters of c 6 - c 24 fatty alcohols and / or guerbet alcohols with aromatic carboxylic acids , saturated and / or unsaturated , especially benzoic acid , esters of c 2 - c 12 dicarboxylic acids with linear or branched alcohols having from 1 to 22 carbon atoms or polyols having from 2 to 10 carbon atoms and from 2 to 6 hydroxy groups . di - or tri - glycerides , based on c 6 - c 18 fatty acids , modified by reaction with other alcohols ( caprylic / capric triglyceride , wheat germ glycerides , etc .). fatty acid esters of polyglycerin ( polyglyceryl - n such as polyglyceryl - 4 caprate , polyglyceryl - 2 isostearate , etc . or castor oil , hydrogenated vegetable oil , sweet almond oil , wheat germ oil , sesame oil , hydrogenated cottonseed oil , coconut oil , avocado oil , corn oil , hydrogenated castor oil , shea butter , cocoa butter , soybean oil , mink oil , sunflower oil , safflower oil , macadamia nut oil , olive oil , hydrogenated tallow , apricot kernel oil , hazelnut oil , borago oil , etc . waxes including esters of long - chain acids and alcohols as well as compounds having wax - like properties , e . g ., carnauba wax , beeswax ( white or yellow ), lanolin wax , candellila wax , ozokerite , japan wax , paraffin wax , microcrystalline wax , ceresin , cetearyl esters wax , synthetic beeswax , etc . also , hydrophilic waxes as cetearyl alcohol or partial glycerides . alkylene glycol esters , especially ethylene glycol distearate ; fatty acid alkanolamides , especially coco fatty acid diethanolamide ; partial glycerides , especially stearic acid monoglyceride ; esters of polyvalent , unsubstituted or hydroxy - substituted carboxylic acids with fatty alcohols having from 6 to 22 carbon atoms , especially long - chained esters of tartaric acid ; fatty substances , for example fatty alcohols , fatty ketones , fatty aldehydes , fatty ethers and fatty carbonates , which in total have at least 24 carbon atoms , especially lauryl and distearyl ether ; fatty acids , such as stearic acid , hydroxystearic acid or behenic acid , ring - opening products of olefin epoxides having from 12 to 22 carbon atoms with fatty alcohols having from 12 to 22 carbon atoms and / or polyols having from 2 to 15 carbon atoms and from 2 to 10 hydroxy groups , and mixtures thereof . mineral oil ( light or heavy ), petrolatum ( yellow or white ), microcrystalline wax , paraffinic and isoparaffinic compounds , hydrogenated isoparaffinic molecules as polydecenes and polybutene , hydrogenated polyisobutene , squalane , isohexadecane , isododecane and others from plant and animal kingdom . dimethylpolysiloxanes , methylphenylpolysiloxanes , cyclic silicones , and also amino -, fatty acid -, alcohol -, polyether -, epoxy -, fluorine -, glycoside - and / or alkyl - modified silicone compounds , which at room temperature may be in either liquid or resinous form . linear polysiloxanes , dimethicone ( dow corning 200 fluid , rhodia mirasil dm ), dimethiconol , cyclic silicone fluids , cyclopentasiloxanes volatiles ( dow corning 345 fluid ), phenyltrimethicone ( dow corning 556 fluid ). also suitable are simethicones , which are mixtures of dimethicones having an average chain length of from 200 to 300 dimethylsiloxane units with hydrogenated silicates . a detailed survey by todd et al . of suitable volatile silicones may in addition be found in cosm . toil . 91 , 27 ( 1976 ). any conventionally usable emulsifier can be used for the compositions . emulsifier systems may comprise for example : carboxylic acids and their salts : alcalin soap of sodium , potassium and ammonium , metallic soap of calcium or magnesium , organic basis soap such as lauric , palmitic , stearic and oleic acid etc . . . . alkyl phosphates or phosphoric acid esters , acid phosphate , diethanolamine phosphate , potassium cetyl phosphate . ethoxylated carboxylic acids or polyethyleneglycol esters , peg - n acylates . linear fatty alcohols having from 8 to 22 carbon atoms , branched from 2 to 30 mol of ethylene oxide and / or from 0 to 5 mol propylene oxide with with fatty acids having from 12 to 22 carbon atoms and with alkylphenols having from 8 to 15 carbon atoms in the alkyl group . fatty alcohol polyglycolether such as laureth - n , ceteareth - n , steareth - n , oleth - n . fatty acid polyglycolether such as peg - n stearate , peg - n oleate , peg - n cocoate . monoglycerides and polyol esters . c12 - c22 fatty acid mono - and di - esters of addition products of from 1 to 30 mol of ethylene oxide with polyols . fatty acid and polyglycerol ester such as monostearate glycerol , diisostearoyl polyglyceryl - 3 - diisostearates , polyglyceryl - 3 - diisostearates , triglyceryl diisostearates , polyglyceryl - 2 - sesquiisostearates or polyglyceryl dimerates . mixtures of compounds from a plurality of those substance classes are also suitable . fatty acid polyglycolesters such as monostearate diethylene glycol , fatty acid and polyethylene glycol esters , fatty acid and saccharose esters such as sucro esters , glycerol and saccharose esters such as sucro glycerides . sorbitol and sorbitan , sorbitan mono - and di - esters of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids having from 6 to 22 carbon atoms and ethylene oxide addition products . polysorbate - n series , sorbitan esters such as sesquiisostearate , sorbitan , peg -( 6 )- isostearate sorbitan , peg -( 10 )- sorbitan laurate , peg - 17 - dioleate sorbitan . glucose derivatives , c8 - c22 alkyl - mono and oligo - glycosides and ethoxylated analogues with glucose being preferred as the sugar component . o / w emulsifiers such as methyl gluceth - 20 sesquistearate , sorbitan stearate / sucrose cocoate , methyl glucose sesquistearate , cetearyl alcohol / cetearyl glucoside . w / o emulsifiers such as methyl glucose dioleate / methyl glucose isostearate . sulfates and sulfonated derivatives , dialkylsulfosuccinates , dioctyl succinate , alkyl lauryl sulfonate , linear sulfonated parafins , sulfonated tetraproplyne sulfonate , sodium lauryl sulfates , amonium and ethanolamine lauryl sulfates , lauyl ether sulfates , sodium laureth sulfates , sulfosuccinates , aceyl isothionates , alkanolamide sulfates , taurines , methyl taurines , imidazole sulfates . polysiloxane / polyalkyl / polyether copolymers and derivatives , dimethicone , copolyols , silicone polyethylene oxide copolymer , silicone glycol copolymer . propoxylated or poe - n ethers ( meroxapols ), polaxamers or poly ( oxyethylene ) m - block - poly ( oxypropylene ) n - block ( oxyethylene ). zwitterionic surfactants that carry at least one quaternary ammonium group and at least one carboxylate and / or sulfonate group in the molecule . zwitterionic surfactants that are especially suitable are betaines , such as n - alkyl - n , n - dimethylammonium glycinates , cocoalkyldimethylammonium glycinate , n - acylaminopropyl - n , n - dimethylammonium glycinates , cocoacylaminopropyldimethylammonium glycinate and 2 - alkyl - 3 - carboxymethyl - 3 - hydroxyethylimidazolines each having from 8 to 18 carbon atoms in the alkyl or acyl group and also cocoacylaminoethylhydroxyethylcarboxymethylglycinate , n - alkyl betaine , n - alkylaminobetaines . alkylimidazolines , alkylopeptides , lipoaminoacides , self emulsifying bases and the compounds as described in k . f . depolo , a short textbook of cosmetology , chapter 8 , table 8 - 7 , p 250 - 251 . nonionic bases such as peg - 6 beeswax ( and ) peg - 6 stearate ( and ) polyglyceryl - 2 - isostearate , glyceryl stearate ( and ) peg - 100 stearate , peg - 5 glyceryl stearate , sorbitan oleate ( and ) polyglyceryl - 3 ricinoleate , sorbitan stearate and sucrose cocoate , glyceryl stearate and laureth - 23 , cetearyl alcohol and ceteth - 20 , cetearyl alcohol and colysorbate 60 and peg - 150 and stearate - 20 , cetearyl alcohol and cetearyl polyglucoside , cetearyl alcohol and ceteareth - 20 , cetearyl alcohol and peg - 40 castor oil , cetearyl alcohol and peg - 40 castor oil and sodium cetearyl sulfate , stearyl alcohol and steareth - 7 and steareth - 10 , cetearyl alcohol and szeareth - 7 and steareth - 10 , glyceryl stearate and peg - 75 stearate , propylene glycol ceteth - 3 acetate , propylene glycol isoceth - 3 acetate , cetearyl alcohol and ceteth - 12 and oleth - 12 , peg - 6 stearate and peg - 32 stearate , peg - 6 stearate and ceteth - 20 and steareth - 20 , peg - 6 stearate and ceteth - 20 and glyceryl stearate and steareth - 20 , glyceryl stearate and ceteareth - 20 . anionic alkaline bases such as peg - 2 stearate se , glyceryl stearate se , propylene glycol stearate . anionic acid bases such as cetearyl alcohol and sodium cetearyl sulfate , cetearyl alcohol and sodium lauryl sulfate , trilaneth - 4 phosphate and glycol stearate and peg - 2 stearate , glyceryl stearate and sodium lauryl sulfate . cationic acid bases such as cetearyl alcohol and cetrimonium bromide . the emulsifiers may be used in an amount of , for example , from 1 to 30 % by weight , especially from 4 to 20 % by weight and preferably from 5 to 10 % by weight , based on the total weight of the composition . when formulated in o / w emulsions , the preferably amount of such emulsifier system could represent 5 % to 20 % of the oil phase . the cosmetic sunscreen compositions , for example creams , gels , lotions , alcoholic and aqueous / alcoholic solutions , emulsions , wax / fat compositions , stick preparations , powders or ointments , may in addition contain , as further adjuvants and additives such as , mild surfactants , super - fatting agents , consistency regulators , thickeners , polymers , stabilisers , biogenic active ingredients , swelling agents , further uv light - protective factors , antioxidants , hydrotropic agents , preservatives , self - tanning agents , solubilisers , perfume oils , colourants , bacteria - inhibiting agents and the like . substances suitable for use as super - fatting agents are , for example , lanolin and lecithin and also polyethoxylated or acrylated lanolin and lecithin derivatives , polyol fatty acid esters , monoglycerides and fatty acid alkanolamides , the latter simultaneously acting as foam stabilisers . examples of suitable mild surfactants , that is to say surfactants especially well tolerated by the skin , include fatty alcohol polyglycol ether sulfates , monoglyceride sulfates , mono - and / or di - alkyl sulfosuccinates , fatty acid isethionates , fatty acid sarcosinates , fatty acid taurides , fatty acid glutamates , . alpha .- olefin sulfonates , ethercarboxylic acids , alkyl oligoglucosides , fatty acid glucamides , alkylamidobetaines and / or protein fatty acid condensation products , the latter preferably being based on wheat proteins . silicium dioxide , magnesium silicates , aluminium silicates , polysaccharides or derivatives thereof for example hyaluronic acid , xanthan gum , guar - guar , agar - agar , alginates , carraghenan , gellan , pectines , or modified cellulose such as hydroxycellulose , hydroxypropylmethylcellulose . in addition polyacrylates or homopolymer of reticulated acrylic acids and polyacrylamides , carbomer ( carbopol types 980 , 981 , 1382 , etd 2001 , etd2020 , ultrez 10 ) or salcare range such as salcare sc80 ( steareth - 10 allyl ether / acrylates copolymer ), salcare sc81 ( acrylates copolymer ), salcare sc91 and salcare ast ( sodium acrylates copolymer / ppg - 1 trideceth - 6 ), sepigel 305 ( polyacrylamide / laureth - 7 ), simulgel ns and simulgel eg ( hydroxyethyl acrylate / sodium acryloyldimethyl taurate copolymer ), stabilen 30 ( acrylates / vinyl isodecanoate crosspolymer ), pemulen tr - 1 ( acrylates / c10 - 30 alkyl acrylate crosspolymer ), luvigel em ( sodium acrylates copolymer ), aculyn 28 ( acrylates / beheneth - 25 methacrylate copolymer ), etc . as anionic , zwitterionic , amphoteric and non - ionic polymers there come into consideration , for example , vinyl acetate / crotonic acid copolymers , vinylpyrrolidone / vinyl acrylate copolymers , vinyl acetate / butyl maleate / isobornyl acrylate copolymers , methyl vinyl ether / maleic anhydride copolymers and esters thereof , uncrosslinked polyacrylic acids and polyacrylic acids crosslinked with polyols , acrylamidopropyl - trimethylammonium chloride / acrylate copolymers , octyl acrylamide / methyl methacrylate - tert - butylaminoethyl methacrylate / 2 - hydroxypropyl methacrylate copolymers , polyvinylpyrrolidone , vinylpyrrolidone / vinyl acetate copolymers , vinylpyrrolidone / dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate / vinyl caprolactam terpolymers and also optionally derivatised cellulose ethers and silicones . furthermore the polymers as described in ep 1093796 ( pages 3 - 8 , paragraphs 17 - 68 ) may be used . biogenic active ingredients are to be understood as meaning , for example , tocopherol , tocopherol acetate , tocopherol palmitate , ascorbic acid , deoxyribonucleic acid , retinol , bisabolol , allantoin , phytantriol , panthenol , aha acids , amino acids , ceramides , pseudoceramides , essential oils , plant extracts and vitamin complexes . in addition to the primary light - protective substances it is also possible to use secondary light - protective substances of the antioxidant kind that interrupt the photochemical reaction chain triggered when uv radiation penetrates the skin or hair . typical examples of such antioxidants are amino acids ( e . g . glycine , histidine , tyrosine , tryptophan ) and derivatives thereof , imidazoles ( e . g . urocanic acid ) and derivatives thereof , peptides , such as d , l - carnosine , d - carnosine , l - carnosine and derivatives thereof ( e . g . anserine ), carotinoids , carotenes , lycopene and derivatives thereof , chlorogenic acid and derivatives thereof , lipoic acid and derivatives thereof ( e . g . dihydrolipoic acid ), aurothioglycose , propylthiouracil and other thiols ( e . g . thioredoxin , glutathione , cysteine , cystine , cystamine and the glycosyl , n - acetyl , methyl , ethyl , propyl , amyl , butyl , lauryl , palmitoyl , oleyl , linoleyl , cholesteryl and glyceryl esters thereof ) and also salts thereof , dilauryl thiodipropionate , distearyl thiodipropionate , thiodipropionic acid and derivatives thereof ( esters , ethers , peptides , lipids , nucleotides , nucleosides and salts ) and also sulfoximine compounds ( e . g . buthionine sulfoximines , homocysteine sulfoximine , buthionine sulfones , penta -, hexa -, hepta - thionine sulfoximine ), also ( metal ) chelating agents ( e . g . hydroxy fatty acids , palmitic acid phytic acid , lactoferrin ), hydroxy acids ( e . g . citric acid , lactic acid , malic acid ), humic acid , bile acid , bile extracts , bilirubin , biliverdin , edta , edds , egta and derivatives thereof , unsaturated fatty acids and derivatives thereof ( e . g . linolenic acid , linoleic acid , oleic acid ), folic acid and derivatives thereof , ubiquinone and ubiquinol and derivatives thereof , vitamin c and derivatives ( e . g . ascorbyl palmitate , magnesium ascorbyl phosphate , ascorbyl acetate ), tocopherols and derivatives ( e . g . vitamin e acetate ), vitamin a and derivatives ( e . g . vitamin a palmitate ) and also coniferyl benzoate of benzoin resin , rutinic acid and derivatives thereof , glycosylrutin , ferulic acid , furfurylidene glucitol , carnosine , butyl hydroxytoluene , butyl hydroxyanisole , nordihydroguaiaretic acid , trihydroxybutyrophenone , uric acid and derivatives thereof , mannose and derivatives thereof , superoxide dismutase , n -[ 3 -( 3 , 5 - di - tert - butyl - 4 - hydroxyphenyl ) propionyl ] sulfanilic acid ( and salts thereof , for example the disodium salts ), selenium and derivatives thereof ( e . g . selenium methionine ), stilbene and derivatives thereof ( e . g . stilbene oxide , trans - stilbene oxide ) and the derivatives suitable according to the invention ( salts , esters , ethers , sugars , nucleotides , nucleosides , peptides and lipids ) of those mentioned active ingredients . hals (=“ hindered amine light stabilizers ”) compounds may also be mentioned . the amount of antioxidants present is usually from 0 . 001 to 30 % by weight , preferably from 0 . 01 to 3 % by weight , based on the weight of the sunscreen composition . particularly preferred antioxidants are those of the tinogard ® line available from basf . for example , tinogard ® tt ( pentaaerythrityl tetra - di - t - butyl hydroxyhydrocinnamate ) and tinogard ® tl ( benzotriazolyl dodecyl p - cresol ) to improve the flow behaviour it is also possible to employ hydrotropic agents , for example ethoxylated or non ethoxylated mono - alcohols , diols or polyols with a low number of carbon atoms or their ethers ( e . g . ethanol , isopropanol , 1 , 2 - dipropanediol , propyleneglycol , glyerin , ethylene glycol , ethylene glycol monoethylether , ethylene glycol monobutylether , propylene glycol monomethylether , propylene glycol monoethylether , propylene glycol monobutylether , diethylene glycol monomethylether ; diethylene glycol monoethylether , diethylene glycol monobutylether and similar products ). the polyols that come into consideration for that purpose have preferably from 2 to 15 carbon atoms and at least two hydroxy groups . the polyols may also contain further functional groups , especially amino groups , and / or may be modified with nitrogen . typical examples are as follows : glycerol , alkylene glycols , for example ethylene glycol , diethylene glycol , propylene glycol , butylene glycol , hexylene glycol and also polyethylene glycols having an average molecular weight of from 100 to 1000 dalton ; technical oligoglycerol mixtures having an intrinsic degree of condensation of from 1 . 5 to 10 , for example technical diglycerol mixtures having a diglycerol content of from 40 to 50 % by weight ; methylol compounds , such as , especially , trimethylolethane , trimethylolpropane , trimethylolbutane , pentaerythritol and dipentaerythritol ; lower alkyl - glucosides , especially those having from 1 to 8 carbon atoms in the alkyl radical , for example methyl and butyl glucoside ; sugar alcohols having from 5 to 12 carbon atoms , for example sorbitol or mannitol ; sugars having from 5 to 12 carbon atoms , for example glucose or saccharose ; amino sugars , for example glucamine ; dialcohol amines , such as diethanolamine or 2 - amino - 1 , 3 - propanediol . suitable preservatives include , for example , methyl -, ethyl -, propyl -, butyl - parabens , benzalkonium chloride , 2 - bromo - 2 - nitro - propane - 1 , 3 - diol , dehydroacetic acid , diazolidinyl urea , 2 - dichloro - benzyl alcohol , dmdm hydantoin , formaldehyde solution , methyldibromoglutanitrile , phenoxyethanol , sodium hydroxymethylglycinate , imidazolidinyl urea , triclosan and further substance classes listed in the following reference : k . f . depolo — a short textbook of cosmetology , chapter 7 , table 7 - 2 , 7 - 3 , 7 - 4 and 7 - 5 , p 210 - 219 . typical examples of bacteria - inhibiting agents are preservatives that have a specific action against gram - positive bacteria , such as 2 , 4 , 4 ′- trichloro - 2 ′- hydroxydiphenyl ether , chlorhexidine ( 1 , 6 - di ( 4 - chlorophenyl - biguanido ) hexane ) or tcc ( 3 , 4 , 4 ′- trichlorocarbanilide ). a large number of aromatic substances and ethereal oils also have antimicrobial properties . typical examples are the active ingredients eugenol , menthol and thymol in clove oil , mint oil and thyme oil . a natural deodorising agent of interest is the terpene alcohol farnesol ( 3 , 7 , 11 - trimethyl - 2 , 6 , 10 - dodecatrien - 1 - ol ), which is present in lime blossom oil . glycerol monolaurate has also proved to be a bacteriostatic agent . the amount of the additional bacteria - inhibiting agents present is usually from 0 . 1 to 2 % by weight , based on the solids content of the preparations . there may be mentioned as perfume oils mixtures of natural and / or synthetic aromatic substances . natural aromatic substances are , for example , extracts from blossom ( lilies , lavender , roses , jasmine , neroli , ylang - ylang ), from stems and leaves ( geranium , patchouli , petitgrain ), from fruit ( aniseed , coriander , carraway , juniper ), from fruit peel ( bergamot , lemons , oranges ), from roots ( mace , angelica , celery , cardamom , costus , iris , calmus ), from wood ( pinewood , sandalwood , guaiacum wood , cedarwood , rosewood ), from herbs and grasses ( tarragon , lemon grass , sage , thyme ), from needles and twigs ( spruce , pine , scots pine , mountain pine ), from resins and balsams ( galbanum , elemi , benzoin , myrrh , olibanum , opoponax ). animal raw materials also come into consideration , for example civet and castoreum . typical synthetic aromatic substances are , for example , products of the ester , ether , aldehyde , ketone , alcohol or hydrocarbon type . aromatic substance compounds of the ester type are , for example , benzyl acetate , phenoxyethyl isobutyrate , p - tert - butylcyclohexyl acetate , linalyl acetate , dimethylbenzylcarbinyl acetate , phenylethyl acetate , linalyl benzoate , benzyl formate , ethylmethylphenyl glycinate , allylcyclohexyl propionate , styrallyl propionate and benzyl salicylate . the ethers include , for example , benzyl ethyl ether ; the aldehydes include , for example , the linear alkanals having from 8 to 18 hydrocarbon atoms , citral , citronellal , citronellyl oxyacetaldehyde , cyclamen aldehyde , hydroxycitronellal , lilial and bourgeonal ; the ketones include , for example , the ionones , isomethylionone and methyl cedryl ketone ; the alcohols include , for example , anethol , citronellol , eugenol , isoeugenol , geraniol , linalool , phenyl ethyl alcohol and terpinol ; and the hydrocarbons include mainly the terpenes and balsams . it is preferable , however , to use mixtures of various aromatic substances that together produce an attractive scent . ethereal oils of relatively low volatility , which are chiefly used as aroma components , are also suitable as perfume oils , e . g . sage oil , camomile oil , clove oil , melissa oil , oil of cinnamon leaves , lime blossom oil , juniper berry oil , vetiver oil , olibanum oil , galbanum oil , labolanum oil and lavandin oil . preference is given to the use of bergamot oil , dihydromyrcenol , lilial , lyral , citronellol , phenyl ethyl alcohol , hexyl cinnamaldehyde , geraniol , benzyl acetone , cyclamen aldehyde , linalool , boisambrene forte , ambroxan , indole , hedione , sandelice , lemon oil , tangerine oil , orange oil , allyl amyl glycolate , cyclovertal , lavandin oil , muscatel sage oil , damascone , bourbon geranium oil , cyclohexyl salicylate , vertofix coeur , iso - e - super , fixolide np , evernyl , iraldein gamma , phenylacetic acid , geranyl acetate , benzyl acetate , rose oxide , romillat , irotyl and floramat alone or in admixture with one another . there may be used as colourants the substances that are suitable and permitted for cosmetic purposes , as compiled , for example , in the publication “ kosmetische farbemittel ” of the farbstoffkommission der deutschen forschungsgemeinschaft , verlag chemie , weinheim , 1984 , pages 81 to 106 . the colourants are usually used in concentrations of from 0 . 001 to 0 . 1 % by weight , based on the total mixture . sun screening agents which may be combined with the zinc oxide particles in the sunscreen compositions described above would include a range of organic uv screening agents selected from the group consisting of 1 (+/−)- 1 , 7 , 7 - trimethyl - 3 -[( 4 - methylphenyl ) methylene ] bicyclo -[ 2 . 2 . 1 ] heptan - 2 - one ; p - methyl benzylidene camphor , 1 , 7 , 7 - trimethyl - 3 -( phenylmethylene ) bicyclo [ 2 . 2 . 1 ] heptan - 2 - one ; benzylidene camphor , ( 2 - hydroxy - 4 - methoxyphenyl )( 4 - methylphenyl ) methanone , 2 , 4 - dihydroxybenzophenone , 2 , 2 ′, 4 , 4 ′- tetrahydroxybenzophenone , 2 - hydroxy - 4 - methoxy benzophenone , 2 - hydroxy - 4 - methoxy benzophenone - 5 - sulfonic acid , 2 , 2 ′- dihydroxy - 4 , 4 ′- dimethoxybenzophenone , 2 , 2 ′- dihydroxy - 4 - methoxybenzophenone , alpha -( 2 - oxoborn - 3 - ylidene ) toluene - 4 - sulphonic acid and its salts , 1 -[ 4 -( 1 , 1 - dimethylethyl ) phenyl ]- 3 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl ) propane - 1 , 3 - dione , methyl n , n , n - trimethyl - 4 -[( 4 , 7 , 7 - trimethyl - 3 - oxobicyclo [ 2 , 2 , 1 ]- hept - 2 - ylidene ) methyl ] anilinium sulphate , 3 , 3 , 5 - trimethyl cyclohexyl - 2 - hydroxy benzoate , isopentyl p - methoxycinnamate , menthyl - o - aminobenzoate , 2 - ethylhexyl 2 - cyano , 3 , 3 - diphenylacrylate , 2 - ethylhexyl 4 -( dimethylamino ) benzoate , 2 - ethylhexyl 4 - methoxycinnamate , 2 - ethylhexyl salicylate , benzoic acid , 4 , 4 ′, 4 ″-( 1 , 3 , 5 - triazine - 2 , 4 , 6 - triyltriimino ) tris -, tris ( 2 - ethylhexyl ) ester , 4 - aminobenzoic acid , benzoic acid , 4 - amino -, ethyl ester , polymer with oxirane , 2 - phenyl - 1h - benzimidazole - 5 - sulphonic acid , 2 - propenamide , n -[[ 4 -[( 4 , 7 , 7 - trimethyl - 3 - oxobicyclo [ 2 . 2 . 1 ] hept - 2 - ylidene ) methyl ] phenyl ] methyl ]-, homopolymer . triethanolamine salicylate , 3 , 3 ′-( 1 , 4 - phenylenedimethylene ) bis [ 7 , 7 - dimethyl - 2 - oxo - bicyclo [ 2 . 2 . 1 ] heptane - 1 methanesulfonic acid ], titanium dioxide , 2 , 2 ′- methylene - bis -[ 6 -( 2h - benzotriazol - 2 - yl )- 4 -( 1 , 1 , 3 , 3 - tetramethyl butyl )- phenol ], bis - ethylhexyloxyphenol methoxyphenyl triazine , 1h - benzimidazole - 4 , 6 - disulfonic acid , 2 , 2 ′-( 1 , 4 - phenylene ) bis -, disodium salt , benzoic acid , 4 , 4 ′-[[ 6 -[[ 4 -[[( 1 , 1 - dimethylethyl ) amino ] carbo nyl ]- phenyl ] amino ] 1 , 3 , 5 - triazine - 2 , 4 - diyl ] diimino ] bis -, phenol , 2 -( 2h - benzotriazol - 2 - yl )- 4 - methyl - 6 -[ 2 - methyl - 3 -[ 1 , 3 , 3 , 3 - tetramethyl - 1 -[( trimethylsily ) oxy ] disiloxanyl ] propyl ]-, dimethicodiethylbenzalmalonate , benzenesulfonic acid , 3 -( 2h - benzotriazol - 2 - yl )- 4 - hydroxy - 5 -( 1 - methyl propyl )-, monosodium salt , benzoic acid , 2 -[ 4 -( diethylamino )- 2 - hydroxybenzoyl ]-, hexyl ester , 1 - dodecanaminium , n -[ 3 -[[ 4 -( dimethylamino ) benzoyl ] amino ]- propyl ] n , n - dimethyl -, salt with 4 - methylbenzenesulfonic acid ( 1 : 1 ), 1 - propanaminium , n , n , n - trimethyl - 3 -[( 1 - oxo - 3 - phenyl - 2 - propenyl ) amino ]-, chloride , 1h - benzimidazole - 4 , 6 - disulfonic acid , 2 , 2 ′-( 1 , 4 - phenylene ) bis -, 1 , 3 , 5 - triazine , 2 , 4 , 6 - tris ( 4 - methoxyphenyl )-, 1 , 3 , 5 - triazine , 2 , 4 , 6 - tris [ 4 -[( 2 - ethylhexyl ) oxy ] phenyl ]-, 1 - propanaminium , 3 -[[ 3 -[ 3 -( 2h - benzotriazol - 2 - yl )- 5 -( 1 , 1 - dimethylethyl )- 4 - hydroxyphenyl ]- 1 - oxopropyl ] amino ]- n , n - diethyl - n - methyl -, methyl sulfate ( salt ), 2 - propenoic acid , 3 -( 1h - imidazol - 4 - yl )-, benzoic acid , 2 - hydroxy -, [ 4 -( 1 - methylethyl ) phenyl ] methyl ester , 1 , 2 , 3 - propanetriol , 1 -( 4 - aminobenzoate ), benzeneacetic acid , 3 , 4 - dimethoxy - a - oxo -, 2 - propenoic acid , 2 - cyano - 3 , 3 - diphenyl -, ethyl ester , anthralinic acid , p - menth - 3 - yl ester , 2 , 2 ′- bis ( 1 , 4 - phenylene )- 1h - benzimidazole - 4 , 6 - disulphonic acid mo no sodium salt or disodium phenyl dibenzimidazole tetrasulfonate , 1 , 3 , 5 - triazine - 2 , 4 , 6 - triamine and n , n ′- bis [ 4 -[ 5 -( 1 , 1 - dimethylpropyl )- 2 - benzoxazolyl ] phenyl ]- n ″-( 2 - ethylhexyl ). of particular interest are bis ( resorcinyl ) s - triazines uv absorbers having the formula ( 1 ) in combination with the zinc oxide above described . r 1 and r 2 , independently of one another , are c 3 - c 18 alkyl ; c 2 - c 18 alkenyl ; a radical of the formula — ch 2 — ch (— oh )— ch 2 — o - t 1 ; or r 1 and r 2 are a radical of the formula r 12 is a direct bond ; a straight - chain or branched c 1 - c 4 alkylene radical or a radical of the formula r 13 , r 14 and r 15 , independently of one another , are c 1 - c 18 alkyl ; c 1 - c 18 alkoxy or a radical of the formula m 1 and m 3 , independently of one another , are 1 to 4 ; p 1 is 0 or a number from 1 to 5 ; r 3 is hydrogen ; c 1 - c 10 alkyl , —( ch 2 chr 5 — o ) n 1 — r 4 ; or a radical of the formula — ch 2 — ch (— oh )— ch 2 — o - t 1 ; r 4 is hydrogen ; m ; c 1 - c 5 alkyl ; or a radical of the formula —( ch 2 ) m 2 — o - t 1 ; c 1 - c 5 alkyl , c 1 - c 10 alkyl , c 1 - c 10 alkyl , and c 3 - c 18 alkyl are straight - chain or branched alkyl radicals such as methyl , ethyl , n - propyl , isopropyl , n - butyl , sec - butyl , tert - butyl , amyl , isoamyl or tert - amyl , heptyl , octyl , isooctyl , nonyl , decyl , undecyl , dodecyl , tetradecyl , pentadecyl , hexadecyl , heptadecyl or octadecyl . c 2 - c 18 alkenyl is , for example , allyl , methallyl , isopropenyl , 2 - butenyl , 3 - butenyl , isobutenyl , n - penta - 2 , 4 - dienyl , 3 - methyl - but - 2 - enyl , n - oct - 2 - enyl , n - dodec - 2 - enyl , iso - dodecenyl , n - dodec - 2 - enyl or n - octadec - 4 - enyl . preferred bis ( resorcinyl ) compounds of the formula ( 1 ) are those in which r 3 and r 4 here are as defined in the formulae ( 1a ) and ( 1b ). r 6 and r 7 , independently of one another , are c 3 - c 18 alkyl ; or — ch 2 — ch (— oh )— ch 2 — o - t 1 ; r 8 is c 1 - c 10 alkyl or a radical of the formula r 9 is hydrogen ; m ; c 1 - c 5 alkyl ; or a radical of the formula —( ch 2 ) m — o - t 2 ; t 1 and t 2 , independently of one another , are hydrogen ; or c 1 - c 5 alkyl ; and uppermost of interest are compounds of the formulae ( 2a ) and ( 2b ), in which r 6 and r 7 , independently of one another , are c 3 - c 18 alkyl ; or — ch 2 — ch (— oh )— ch 2 — o - t 1 ; r 6 and r 7 , independently of one another , are c 3 - c 18 alkyl or — ch 2 — ch (— oh )— ch 2 — o - t 1 ; and very particularly preferred in this case are triazine compounds of the formula ( 2 ) or ( 3 ), in which r 6 and r 7 have the same meaning . examples of compounds of the formula ( 1 ) which may be mentioned are : 2 -( 4 ′- methoxyphenyl )- 4 , 6 - bis ( 2 ′- hydroxy - 4 ′- n - octyloxyphenyl )- 1 , 3 , 5 - triazine ; 2 , 4 - bis {[ 4 -( 3 -( 2 - propyloxy )- 2 - hydroxypropyloxy )- 2 - hydroxy ] phenyl }- 6 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl )- 1 , 3 , 5 - triazine ; 2 , 4 - bis {[ 4 -( 2 - ethylhexyloxy )- 2 - hydroxy ] phenyl }- 6 -[ 4 -( 2 - methoxyethylcarboxyl ) phenylamino ]- 1 , 3 , 5 - triazine ; 2 , 4 - bis {[ 4 -( tris ( trimethylsiloxysilylpropyloxy )- 2 - hydroxy ] phenyl }- 6 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl )- 1 , 3 , 5 - triazine ; 2 , 4 - bis {[ 4 -( 2 ″ methylpropenyloxy )- 2 - hydroxy ] phenyl }- 6 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl )- 1 , 3 , 5 - triazine ; 2 , 4 - bis {[ 4 -( 1 ′, 1 ′, 1 ′, 3 ′, 5 ′, 5 ′, 5 ′- heptamethyltrisilyl - 2 ″- methylpropyloxy )- 2 - hydroxy ] phenyl }- 6 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl )- 1 , 3 , 5 - triazine ; 2 , 4 - bis {[ 4 -( 3 -( 2 - propyloxy )- 2 - hydroxypropyloxy )- 2 - hydroxy ] phenyl }- 6 -[ 4 - ethylcarboxyl )- phenylamino ]- 1 , 3 , 5 - triazine ; 2 , 4 - bis {[ 4 -( 2 - ethylhexyloxy )- 2 - hydroxy ] phenyl }- 6 -( 1 - methylpyrrol - 2 - yl )- 1 , 3 , 5 - triazine or 2 , 4 - bis {[ 4 -( 2 - ethylhexyloxy )- 2 - hydroxy ] phenyl }- 6 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl )- 1 , 3 , 5 - triazine . surprisingly , the combination of these bisresorcinyl s - triazines gives an unexpected increase in uv absorbance in the uv - a region when combined with the zinc oxide particle distribution of the invention . the weight ratio of the bisresorcinyl triazine , preferably the bisresorcinyl triazines of formula ( 2a ), ( 2b ), ( 3a ) or ( 3b ), most preferably bisresorcinyl triazines of formulas ( 2a ) or ( 2b ) and especially 2 , 4 - bis {[ 4 -( 2 - ethylhexyloxy )- 2 - hydroxy ] phenyl }- 6 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl )- 1 , 3 , 5 - triazine , to the zinc oxide coated particles can be virtually any ratio but preferable the ratio of zinc oxide to bisresorcinyl triazine will range from about 25 : 1 to 1 : 25 in the sunscreen formulation . most typically however , the zinc oxide particles will exceed the weight of the bisresorcinyl triazine in the sunscreen formulation . for example the weight ratio of the zinc oxide to bisresorcinyl triazine will vary from about 25 : 1 to about 1 : 1 and most preferably 20 : 1 to about 5 : 1 . in the first step , high purity zinc metal is fed into a plasma arc , where it is vaporized . oxygen is added to the zinc metal vapour to produce zinc oxide . the newly formed zinc oxide molecules then begin to associate with one another and nanocrystalline zinc oxide condenses from the vapor . these nanoparticles are then cooled rapidly in order to get them below their sintering temperature ( to prevent particle size growth ). in the dry state , the nanoparticles of zno associate with one another in loose , non - durable electrostatic agglomerates , which allows for handling and packaging of the product using traditional powder conveyance equipment . there are no other reactions , by - products , or waste streams . the zinc oxide particles according to the invention ( before coating ) have a d50 mean particle distribution by volume determined by dynamic light scattering of 580 . 8 nm . 0 . 0 % of the particles in the distribution fall below 100 nm . the morphology of the crystal is zincite ( hexagonal ) and the average crystal size is 286 . 3 nm determined by x - ray diffraction using the scherrer equation . the nanoparticles of zinc oxide are prepared as above except that an alternative distribution of the particles are gathered . the particles before coating have a d50 mean particle distribution by volume determined by dynamic light scattering of 378 nm . 2 . 5 % of the particles in the distribution fall below 100 nm . the morphology of the crystal is zincite ( hexagonal ) and the average crystal size is 69 . 6 nm determined by the x - ray diffraction using the scherrer equation . in the second step , using different equipment , the zinc oxide according to the invention and the nanoparticulate zinc oxide is allowed to react with triethoxyoctyl silane monomer . in this reaction , the monomer reacts with itself on and around the surface of the zinc oxide producing ethanol as a by - product which is removed . the coated and uncoated particles are shown to be discrete once formulated . the transparency of the zinc oxide dispersion before coating ( in water ) and after coating of the particles ( in oil ) is of comparable transparency (% transmission ). the coating makes up about 1 wt . % based on the total weight of the coated particle in both the zinc oxide powder of the invention and the nanoparticulate zinc oxide powder . zinc oxide powder according to invention is produced in the first step , and then it is coated to make it hydrophobic in the second step . nano particulate zinc oxide powder is as produced in example 1 except the particle distribution falling below 100 nm , and the average crystal size determined by x - ray diffraction using the scherrer equation is different than that of example 1 . 70 grams of poly - n - octylsilsesquioxane coated zinc oxide particles of example 1 are mixed vigorously with 30 grams of caprylic capric triglyceride as a cosmetically suitable carrier ( myritol ® 312 ) to form a stable dispersion . ingredients % w / w phase a deionized water q / s dc 193 fluid ( dimethicone copolyol ) 2 0 . 10 edeta ® bd ( disodium edta ) 1 0 . 10 phase b glycerin ( glycerin ) 3 3 . 00 keltrol cg ( xanthan gum ) 4 0 . 20 veegum ultra ( magnesium aluminum silicate ) 5 0 . 60 phase c cremophor ® gs 32 ( polyglyceryl - 3 distearate ) 1 3 . 00 cremophor ® a 20 ( ceteareth - 20 ) 1 1 . 75 lanette o ( cetearyl alcohol ) 1 3 . 00 cetiol b ( dibutyl adipate ) 1 8 . 00 cetiol a ( hexyl laurate ) 1 5 . 00 uv cut tio2 - 55 - ac ( titanium dioxide and 8 . 00 c12 - 15 alkyl benzoate and cyclopentasiloxane and stearic acid and polyhydroxystearic acid and alumina ) 6 example 1 ( zinc oxide and triethoxycaprylysilane ) 1 11 . 50 phase d glydant plus liquid ( dmdm hydantoin ( and ) 0 . 50 lodopropynyl butylcarbamate ) 7 fragrance ( chamomile fragrance 6109505 ) 8 0 . 05 suppliers 1 basf 2 dow corning corp . 3 jeen 4 cp kelco 5 r . t . vanderbilt 6 grant 7 lonza inc 8 bell flavors and fragrances combine phase c , heat to 75 - 80 ° c ., and homogenize for 1 - 3 minutes . add phase c to phase nb using homogenizer and homogenize for 4 - 5 minutes . ingredients % w / w phase a lipovol ® co ( ricinus communis ( castor ) seed oil ) 2 q . s . cetiol ® sb - 45 ( butyrospermum parkii ( shea butter )) 1 4 . 33 white beeswax sp422p ( beeswax ) 3 6 . 00 candelilla wax sp 75 ( euphoria cerifera 6 . 00 ( candelilla ) wax ) 3 ozokerite ® wax pastilles sp273 p ( ozokerite ) 3 4 . 50 cetiol ® a ( hexyl laurate ) 1 2 . 13 cetiol ® sensoft ( propylheptyl caprylate ) 1 3 . 26 phase b lipovol ® co ( ricinus communis ( castor ) seed oil ) 2 10 . 00 cetiol ® b ( dibutyl adipate ) 1 4 . 60 pelemol ® phs - 8 ( polyhydroxystearic acid ) 4 0 . 50 uvinul ® mc 80 ( ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate ) 1 7 . 50 tinogard ® tl ( benzotriazolyl dodecyl p - cresol ) 1 0 . 50 uvinul ® n 539t ( octocrylene ) 1 5 . 50 lanette ® 18 ( stearyl alcohol ) 1 3 . 00 luvitol ® lite ( hydrogenated polyisobutene ) 1 4 . 00 example 1 ( zinc oxide and triethoxycaprylylsilane ) 1 11 . 50 tinogard ® tt ( pentaerythrityl tetra - di - t - buty 0 . 05 hydroxyhydrocinnamate ) 1 cetiol ® rlf ( caprylyl - caprylate caprate ) 1 4 . 50 vitamin e acetate ( tocopheryl acetate ) 1 0 . 75 bisabolol rac . ( bisabolol ) 1 0 . 75 euxyl k 300 ( phenoxyethanol and methylparaben and 0 . 75 ethylparaben and butylparaben and propylparaben and isobutylparaben ) 5 dow corning ep 9261 ti cosmetic powder 1 . 50 ( dimethicone / vinyl dimethicone crosspolymer and titanium dioxide ) 6 suppliers 1 basf 2 lipo 3 strahl & amp ; pitsch 4 phoenix chemical 5 schulke & amp ; mayr 6 dow corning combine phase b and heat 85 ° c . while mixing , then homogenize till uniform . add phase b to phase a while at 85 ° c . and homogenize at low to medium speed for 3 minutes . ingredients % w / w phase a cetiol ® sensoft ( propylheptyl caprylate ) 1 5 . 00 uvinul ® mc 80 ( octinoxate ) 1 7 . 50 cremophor ® wo7 ( peg - 7 hydrogenated castor oil ) 1 3 . 50 luvitol ® lite ( hydrogenated polyisobutene ) 1 5 . 00 example 1 ( zinc oxide ( and ) triethoxycaprylylsilane ) 1 6 . 00 cremophor ® gs32 ( polyglyceryl - 3 distearate ) 1 2 . 00 dehymulse ® le ( peg - 30 dipolyhydroxystearate ) 1 3 . 00 cetiol ® rlf ( caprylyl - caprylate caprate ) 1 6 . 00 white beeswax sp - 422p ( beeswax ) 2 1 . 75 myritol ® 331 ( cocoglycerides ) 1 5 . 00 vitamin e acetate ( tocopheryl acetate ) 1 0 . 50 bisabolol , rac ( bisabolol ) 1 0 . 20 dow corning 556 ( phenyl trimethicone ) 4 2 . 00 phase b deionized water q / s glycerin 99 . 7 % ( glycerin ) 3 2 . 00 dow corning 193 c fluid ( peg - 12 dimethicone ) 4 1 . 00 salt ( sodium chloride ) 5 0 . 50 oristar ® ms ( magnesium sulfate ) 6 0 . 10 phase c glydant plus liquid ( dmdm hydantoin 0 . 50 idopropynyl butylcarbamate ) 7 violet amber and sandalwood fragrance f - 138398 8 0 . 20 suppliers 1 basf 2 strahl & amp ; pitsch 3 jeen 4 dow corning 5 cargill 6 orient stars 7 lonza inc 8 intarome combine phase a and heat to 75 - 80 ° c . and homogenize till smooth and uniform . add phase b to phase a while at 75 - 80 ° c . and homogenize for 1 - 3 minutes at low / medium speed . add phase c at 40 ° c . or below one by one , mix well then stop . ingredients % w / w phase a deionized water q . s . d - panthenol 75w ( panthenol ) 1 0 . 75 edta bd ( disodium edta ) 1 0 . 10 phase b glycerin ( glycerin 99 %) 2 2 . 00 keltrol ® cg ( xantham gum ) 3 0 . 25 veegum ® ultra ( magnesium aluminum silicate ) 4 0 . 35 phase c lanette ® 22 ( behenyl alcohol ) 1 2 . 00 cremophor ® gs 32 ( polyglyceryl - 3 distearate gum ) 1 1 . 75 emulgade ® pl 68 / 50 ( cetearyl glucoside and 2 . 75 cetearyl alcohol ) 1 cremophor ® wo - 7 ( peg - 7 hydrogenated castor oil ) 1 0 . 20 myritol ® 331 ( cocoglycerides ) 1 3 . 50 uvinul ® 539t ( octocrylene ) 1 4 . 00 cetiol ® oe ( dicaprylyl ether ) 1 3 . 00 phase d example 1 ( zinc oxide and triethoxycaprylysilane ) 1 11 . 50 uvinul ® mc 80 ( ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate ) 1 7 . 50 cetiol ® rlf ( caprylyl - caprylate caprate ) 1 3 . 50 cetiol ® sensoft ( propylhetyl caprylate ) 1 3 . 50 phase e jeecide ® p ( phenoxyethanol and methylparaben and 0 . 75 ethylparaben and butylparaben and propylparaben and isobutylparaben ) 2 marine filling spheres ( pentaerytrityl tetraisostearate 1 . 00 and silica dimethyl sylilate and sodium chondroitin sulfate and atelocollagen and butylene glycol ) 1 deliner ( zea mays ( corn ) kernel extract and butylene 1 . 00 glycom and xanthan gum ) 1 fragrance ( unisex fragrance # 2 for skin care ) 5 0 . 10 suppliers 1 basf 2 jeen 3 cp kelco 4 rt vanderbilt 5 intarome premix phase b and add to phase a while heating to 75 - 80 ° c . combine phase d homogenize until smooth and heat to 75 - 80 ° c . add phase d to phase c while at 75 - 80 ° c . and homogenize for 1 - 3 minutes . add phase c / d to batch under homogenization , and homogenize until uniform add phase e ingredients one by one and mix well between additions six sunscreen formulations are compared all using the same basic formulation . pmma plates are coated with ˜ 0 . 75 mg / cm 2 sample formulations and glycerin for the control . the absorbance spectrum from 290 nm to 400 nm is compared for the control and each sample using a labsphere 2000s following the fda sunscreen analysis ( 2011 ) protocol . the raw instrument data are averaged over 9 locations on each test plates to obtain the average absorbance . for each sample , the absorbance of the formulation without any sunscreens is deducted from the data to correct for any background ( assuming linearity ). the excess absorbance for formulation 3 is determined by taking the absorbance of the formulation 3 ( containing both the zinc oxide of example 1 and tinosorb ® s ), then deducting the absorbances of the formulations 1 and 2 . the excess absorbance is clearly positive in the formulation 3 containing both the zinc oxide of example 1 and tinosorb ® s at wavelengths above 370 nm ( in the uva region ). the excess absorbance is also determined for formulation 5 ( containing nanoparticulate zinc oxide and tinosorb ® s ) in a similar way as above . the excess absorbance for formulation 5 is determined by taking the absorbance of the formulation 5 ( containing both the zinc oxide of example 2 and tinosorb ® s ), then deducting the absorbances of the formulations 4 and 2 . the excess absorbance is clearly positive in the formulation 3 containing both the zinc oxide of example 1 and tinosorb ® s at wavelengths above 370 nm ( in the uva region ). there is also an excess of absorbance in the formulation 5 at wavelengths above 380 nm ( but not as significant as that shown by the inventive combination of formula 5 ). but more significantly there is a clear lower absorbance performance in the range from 290 nm to 375 nm for formulation 5 when compared to formulation 3 . | 0 |
in the isothiazolone derivative ( i ), the substituent r is haloalkoxy , usually c 1 - c 8 haloalkoxy , and preferably c 1 - c 4 haloalkoxy . typical examples of the haloalkoxy are fluoroalkoxy such as difluoromethoxy , trifluoromethoxy , chlorodifluoromethoxy , pentafluoroethoxy and 1 , 1 , 2 , 2 - tetrafluoroethoxy . the isothiazolone derivative ( i ) of the present invention has excellent microbicidal activity against various microorganisms including the following bacteria and fungi . genera of bacillus , clostridium , enterococcus , flavobacterium , klebsiella , micrococcus , proteus , pseudomonas , escherichia , staphylococcus , desulphovibrio , enterobacter , achrcmobacter , cellulomonas , paracolabactrum , sphaerotilus ; sporocytophaga , gallionella , leptothrix , beggiatoa and aerobacter . genera of aspergillus , penicillium , cladosporium , aureobasidium , tyromyces , coriolus , myrothecium , fusarium , rhizopus , mucor , epicoccum , trichoderma , phoma , geotrichum and monilia . the isothiazolone derivative of the formula ( i ) wherein x 1 is hydrogen can be prepared by reacting a disulfide of the formula ( ii ): ## str3 ## wherein r is as defined above , with a halogenating agent . the isothiazolone derivative of the formula ( i ) wherein x 1 is chlorine or bromine can be prepared by reacting the isothiazolone derivative of the formula ( i ) wherein x 1 is hydrogen , with a halogenating agent . the above reaction is usually carried out in the presence or absence of a solvent at a temperature of 0 ° to 150 ° c . for a period of 1 to 24 hours . the halogenating agent is used in an amount of 1 to 10 equivalents to one equivalent of the disulfide ( ii ) or the isothiazolone derivative of the formula ( i ) wherein x 1 is hydrogen . typical examples of the halogenating agent are chlorine gas , sulfuryl chloride , bromine , n - chlorosuccinimide and n - bromosuccinimide . examples of the solvent are aliphatic hydrocarbons such as hexane , heptane , ligroin and petroleum ether ; aromatic hydrocarbons such as benzene , toluene and xylene ; halogenated hydrocarbons such as chloroform , carbon tetrachloride , dichloroethane , chlorobenzene and dichlorobenzene ; ketones such as acetone , methyl ethyl ketone , methyl isobutyl ketone , isophorone and cyclohexanone ; fatty acids such as formic acid , acetic acid and oleic acid ; alcohols such as methanol , ethanol , isopropanol , t - butanol , octanol , cyclohexanol , methyl cellosolve , diethylene glycol and glycerin ; esters such as ethyl formate , ethyl acetate , butyl acetate and diethyl carbonate ; nitro compounds such as nitroethane and nitrobenzene ; nitriles such as acetonitrile and isobutyronitrile ; tertiary amines such as pyridine , triethylamine , n , n - dimethylaniline , tributylamine and n - methyl - morpholine ; acid amides such as formamide , n , n - dimethylformamide and acetamide ; and sulfur compounds such as dimethyl sulfoxide and sulfolane . these solvents can be used alone or in combination . after completion of the reaction , the reaction mixture is subjected to an ordinary post - treatment such as organic solvent extraction and concentration . when sulfuryl chloride is used as the halogenating agent , a saturated aqueous solution of sodium hydrogen carbonate may be added to the reaction mixture , if necessary , before the organic solvent extraction and concentration . the reaction product may be purified , if necessary , by a purification procedure such as chromatography , distillation or recrystallization . thus , the isothiazolone derivative ( i ) of the present invention can be obtained . typical examples of the isothiazolone derivative ( i ) which can be prepared in this manner are shown in table 1 , these examples are , however , to be construed as merely illustrative , and not limitations of the present invention in any way whatsoever . table 1______________________________________ ## str4 ## compound no . x . sup . 1 x . sup . 2 r______________________________________ ( 1 ) h h 2 - ocf . sub . 3 ( 2 ) h h 3 - ocf . sub . 3 ( 3 ) h h 4 - ocf . sub . 3 ( 4 ) h h 2 - ocf . sub . 2 h ( 5 ) h h 3 - ocf . sub . 2 h ( 6 ) h h 4 - ocf . sub . 2 h ( 7 ) h h 2 - ocf . sub . 2 cf . sub . 2 h ( 8 ) h h 3 - ocf . sub . 2 cf . sub . 2 h ( 9 ) h h 4 - ocf . sub . 2 cf . sub . 2 h ( 10 ) h h 4 - ocf . sub . 2 cl ( 11 ) cl cl 2 - ocf . sub . 3 ( 12 ) cl cl 3 - ocf . sub . 3 ( 13 ) cl cl 4 - ocf . sub . 3 ( 14 ) cl cl 2 - ocf . sub . 2 h ( 15 ) cl cl 3 - ocf . sub . 2 h ( 16 ) cl cl 4 - ocf . sub . 2 h ( 17 ) cl cl 2 - ocf . sub . 2 cf . sub . 2 h ( 18 ) cl cl 3 - ocf . sub . 2 cf . sub . 2 h ( 19 ) cl cl 4 - ocf . sub . 2 cf . sub . 2 h ( 20 ) cl cl 4 - ocf . sub . 2 cl ( 21 ) h cl 2 - ocf . sub . 3 ( 22 ) h cl 3 - ocf . sub . 3 ( 23 ) h cl 4 - ocf . sub . 3 ( 24 ) h cl 2 - ocf . sub . 2 h ( 25 ) h cl 3 - ocf . sub . 2 h ( 26 ) h cl 4 - ocf . sub . 2 h ( 27 ) h cl 2 - ocf . sub . 2 cf . sub . 2 h ( 28 ) h cl 3 - ocf . sub . 2 cf . sub . 2 h ( 29 ) h cl 4 - ocf . sub . 2 cf . sub . 2 h ( 30 ) h cl 4 - ocf . sub . 2 cl ( 31 ) cl h 2 - ocf . sub . 3 ( 32 ) cl h 3 - ocf . sub . 3 ( 33 ) cl h 4 - ocf . sub . 3 ( 34 ) cl h 2 - ocf . sub . 2 h ( 35 ) cl h 3 - ocf . sub . 2 h ( 36 ) cl h 4 - ocf . sub . 2 h ( 37 ) cl h 2 - ocf . sub . 2 cf . sub . 2 h ( 38 ) cl h 3 - ocf . sub . 2 cf . sub . 2 h ( 39 ) cl h 4 - ocf . sub . 2 cf . sub . 2 h ( 40 ) cl h 4 - ocf . sub . 2 cl ( 41 ) br br 2 - ocf . sub . 3 ( 42 ) br br 3 - ocf . sub . 3 ( 43 ) br br 4 - ocf . sub . 3 ( 44 ) br br 2 - ocf . sub . 2 h ( 45 ) br br 3 - ocf . sub . 2 h ( 46 ) br br 4 - ocf . sub . 2 h ( 47 ) br br 2 - ocf . sub . 2 cf . sub . 2 h ( 48 ) br br 3 - ocf . sub . 2 cf . sub . 2 h ( 49 ) br br 4 - ocf . sub . 2 cf . sub . 2 h ( 50 ) br br 4 - ocf . sub . 2 cl______________________________________ the disulfide ( ii ) which is an intermediate compound for use in the production of the isothiazolone derivative ( i ) can be prepared through the following pathway : ## str5 ## wherein y is halogen and r is as defined above . that is , 3 , 3 &# 39 ;- dithiopropionic acid ( iii ) is halogenated with a halogenating agent to give an acid halide ( iv ), which is then reacted with aniline derivative ( v ) in the presence of a base to give the desired disulfide ( ii ). the reaction is usually carried out in a solvent and , if necessary , in the presence of a catalyst , at a temperature of 0 ° to 150 ° c . for a period of 0 . 5 to 20 hours . examples of the halogenating agent are thionyl chloride , phosphorus pentachloride , phosphorus trichloride and phosgene . examples of the catalyst are pyridine , triethylamine and n , n - dimethylformamide . the halogenating agent and catalyst are used in amounts of 2 to 5 equivalents and 0 . 05 to 0 . 25 equivalent , respectively , to one equivalent of 3 , 3 &# 39 ;- dithiopropionic acid ( iii ). step 2 : reaction of acid halide ( iv ) with aniline derivative ( v ) to give disulfide ( ii ) the reaction is usually carried out in a solvent and in the presence of a base at a temperature of 0 ° to 150 ° c . for a period of 1 to 24 hours . examples of the base are inorganic bases such as sodium hydroxide , potassium hydroxide and potassium carbonate ; and organic bases such as triethylamine and pyridine . the aniline derivative ( v ) and the base are used in amounts of 2 to 2 . 2 equivalents and 2 to 3 equivalents , respectively , to one equivalent of the acid halide ( iv ). typical examples of the solvent which can be used in steps 1 and 2 are aliphatic hydrocarbons such as hexane , heptane , ligroin and petroleum ether ; aromatic hydrocarbons such as benzene , toluene and xylene ; halogenated hydrocarbons such as chloroform , dichloroethane , chlorobenzene and dichlorobenzene ; ethers such as diethyl ether , diisopropyl ether , dioxane , tetrahydrofuran and diethylene glycol dimethyl ether ; esters such as ethyl formate , ethyl acetate , butyl acetate and diethyl carbonate ; nitro compounds such as nitroethane and nitrobenzene ; nitriles such as acetonitrile and isobutyronitrile ; acid amides such as formamide , n , n - dimethylformamide and acetamide ; and sulfur compounds such as dimethyl sulfoxide and sulfolane . these solvents can be used alone or in combination . in step 2 , water may be added to the reaction system for double phase reaction . after completion of the reaction in step 1 , the reaction mixture is subjected to an ordinary post - treatment such as removal of the solvent . the acid halide ( iv ) may be isolated , if necessary , by distilling or purifying the reaction product . alternatively , the reaction mixture obtained in step 1 may be used directly for the reaction in step 2 . after completion of the reaction in step 2 , the reaction mixture is subjected to an ordinary post - treatment such as removal of the solvent , extraction with a solvent and concentration , followed by , if necessary , depositing crystals with the addition of aqueous hydrochloric acid and washing the crystals with water . the disulfide ( ii ) may be isolated , if necessary , by purifying the reaction product by chromatography or recrystallization . typical examples of the disulfide ( ii ) which can be prepared in this manner are shown in table 2 , these examples are , however , to be construed as merely illustrative , and not limitations of the present invention in any way whatsoever . table 2______________________________________ ## str6 ## compound no . r______________________________________ ( 101 ) 2 - ocf . sub . 3 ( 102 ) 3 - ocf . sub . 3 ( 103 ) 4 - ocf . sub . 3 ( 104 ) 2 - ocf . sub . 2 h ( 105 ) 3 - ocf . sub . 2 h ( 106 ) 4 - ocf . sub . 2 h ( 107 ) 2 - ocf . sub . 2 cf . sub . 2 h ( 108 ) 3 - ocf . sub . 2 cf . sub . 2 h ( 109 ) 4 - ocf . sub . 2 cf . sub . 2 h ( 110 ) 4 - ocf . sub . 2 cl______________________________________ when used as an active ingredient of microbicidal compositions , the isothiazolone derivative ( i ) of the present invention can be in any possible form . the isothiazolone derivative ( i ) may be used as such or diluted with water , an organic solvent , a powdery substance or other appropriate carriers . alternatively , the isothiazolone derivative ( i ) may be mixed with an appropriate liquid or solid carrier and prepared into various formulations such as wettable powders , liquid formulations , emulsifiable concentrates , dusts , granules or fine granules by a conventional method for preparation of microbicides . if necessary , wetting agents , dispersing agents , emulsifiers , lubricants and other auxiliary agents may be added to these formulations . each formulation contains the isothiazolone derivative ( i ) as an active ingredient in an amount of 1 % to 99 % by weight , preferably 10 % to 90 % by weight , based on the total weight of the formulation . the liquid carrier used for formulation should serve as a solvent of the isothiazolone derivative ( i ) or should be able to disperse or dissolve the isothiazolone derivative ( i ) with the aid of auxiliary agents . examples of the liquid carrier are water , methanol and dimethyl sulfoxide . examples of the solid carrier are silica gel , diatomaceous earth , alumina , talc , calcium carbonate and clay . typical examples of the auxiliary agent are acetone and hexane . when used as an active ingredient of microbicidal compositions , the isothiazolone derivative ( i ) can be contained at an appropriate concentration which is determined depending upon the properties of target microorganisms . the optimum concentration can be determined by systematic examinations . in general , the desirable concentration of the isothiazolone derivative ( i ) is 0 . 01 to 100 , 000 ppm , based on the weight of a material to be protected . the microbicidal composition containing the isothiazolone derivative ( i ) of the present invention as an active ingredient is useful for preventing or inhibiting the growth of microorganisms in industrial fields , especially . the present invention will be further illustrated by the following production examples , reference example and test example , which are to be construed as merely illustrative , and not limitations of the present invention in any way whatsoever . the respective compounds are designated by the corresponding numbers shown in tables 1 and 2 . first , 18 . 73 g of n , n &# 39 ;- di ( 4 - trifluoromethoxyphenyl )- 3 , 3 &# 39 ;- dithiopropion - amine was suspended in 200 ml of toluene , after which 23 . 92 g of sulfuryl chloride was then added dropwise to the suspension at room temperature , and the resultant mixture was stirred for 12 hours . after completion of the reaction , the reaction mixture was concentrated , and 250 ml of a saturated aqueous solution of sodium hydrogencarbonate was added to the concentrate with taking care to prevent foaming . the product was extracted with ethyl acetate . the organic layer was washed with water , dried with magnesium sulfate , and concentrated . the concentrate was purified by column chromatography ( hexane : ethyl acetate = 3 : 1 to 1 : 1 ) to give 6 . 4 g of 2 -( 4 - trifluoromethoxy - phenyl )- 4 - isothiazolin - 3 - on ( compound ( 3 ); m . p ., 117 °- 118 ° c .) and 5 . 1 g of 2 -( 4 - trifluoromethoxyphenyl )- 5 - chloro - 4 - isothiazolin - 3 - on ( compound ( 23 ); m . p ., 51 °- 52 ° c .). first , a mixture containing 6 . 4 g of 2 -( 4 - trifluoromethoxyphenyl )- 4 - isothiazolin - 3 - on and 5 . 1 g of 2 -( 4 - trifluoromethoxyphenyl )- 5 - chloro - 4 - isothiazolin - 3 - on was suspended in 100 ml of dichloromethane , after which 19 g of sulfuryl chloride was then added dropwise to the suspension dropwise at room temperature , and the resultant mixture was stirred for 12 hours . after completion of the reaction , 200 ml of a saturated aqueous solution of sodium hydrogencarbonate was added to the reaction mixture , and the dichloromethane layer was separated . the aqueous layer was extracted with 150 ml of dichloromethane . the combined dichloromethane layer was washed with water , dried with magnesium sulfate , and concentrated . the concentrate was purified by column chromatography ( hexane : ethyl acetate = 6 : 1 ) to give 4 g of 2 -( 4 - trifluoromethoxy - phenyl )- 4 , 5 - dichloro - 4 - isothiazolin - 3on ( compound ( 13 ); m . p ., 129 °- 130 ° c .). first , a mixture containing 100 g of p - trifluoromethoxyaniline , 700 ml of toluene and 98 . 2 g of pyridine was cooled to 0 ° c ., after which 69 . 7 g of 3 , 3 &# 39 ;- dithiopropionic acid dichloride were added dropwise to the mixture , and the resultant mixture was stirred at room temperature ( approximately 20 ° c .) for 1 hour and then at 80 ° c . for 2 hours . after completion of the reaction , the solvent was removed from the reaction mixture , and 500 ml of a 5 % aqueous solution of hydrochloric acid was added to the residue for crystallization , and the deposited crystals were collected by filtration . the crystals were washed with water and dried under reduced pressure to give 160 . 3 g of n , n &# 39 ;- di ( 4 - trifluoromethoxyphenyl )- 3 , 3 &# 39 ;- dithiopropionamide . 1 h - nmr ( cdcl 3 - dmso - d 6 ) δ ( ppm ): 10 . 3 ( brs , 2h ), 7 . 7 ( d , 4h ), 7 . 1 ( d , 4h ), 2 . 9 ( m , 8h ) first , 100 g of 3 , 3 &# 39 ;- dithiopropionic acid was added to 500 ml of toluene , after which 2 . 5 ml of n , n - dimethylformamide was added to the mixture and 135 . 5 g of thionyl chloride was then added dropwise to the mixture , the resultant mixture was stirred at 50 ° c . for 2 hours . after completion of the reaction , the toluene was removed from the reaction mixture , which gave 122 g of 3 , 3 &# 39 ;- dithiopropionic acid dichloride as a brown liquid . 1 h - nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ ( ppm ): 3 . 3 ( 4h , t ), 3 . 0 ( 4h , t ) each test compound was dissolved in dimethyl sulfoxide , and the solution was mixed with potato dextrose agar ( pda ) so as to have a predetermined concentration . various fungi were independently inoculated on the compound - containing pdas and cultured at 27 ° c . for 5 days , after which the growth of the fungi was evaluated . the results are shown in table 3 , as the minimum inhibitory concentration ( m . i . c .) in ppm against each species of the fungi tested . table 3______________________________________compound fungi tested *. sup .) no . aa an ap cc pf cg fo______________________________________ ( 3 ) 4 4 4 4 4 4 20 ( 13 ) 4 4 4 4 4 4 4______________________________________ *. sup .) aa : alternaria alternata an : aspergillus niger ap : aureobasidium pullulans cc : cladosporium cladosporioides pf : penicillium funiculosum cg : chaetomium globosum fo : fusarium oxysporum each test compound was dissolved in dimethyl sulfoxide , and the solution was mixed with an lb liquid medium so as to have a predetermined concentration . various bacteria were independently inoculated in the compound - containing liquid media and cultured with shaking at 30 ° c . for 1 day , after which the growth of the bacteria was evaluated . the results are shown in table 4 , as the minimum inhibitory concentration ( m . i . c .) in ppm against each species of the bacteria tested . table 4______________________________________compound bacteria tested *. sup .) no . bs cb fa ml sa______________________________________ ( 3 ) & lt ; 0 . 08 0 . 4 2 . 0 2 . 0 2 . 0 ( 13 ) 0 . 4 & lt ; 0 . 08 & lt ; 0 . 08 & lt ; 0 . 08 & lt ; 0 . 08______________________________________ *. sup .) bs : bacillus subtilis cb : clostoridium butyrcum fa : flavobacterium aquatile ml : micrococcus luteus sa : staphylococcus aureus in sterile distilled water containing the test compound or reference compound at a predetermined concentration was inoculated bacteria ( pseudomonas fluorescens ) at a concentration of 10 6 cfu / ml , and the bacterial suspension was shaken ( 170 rpm ) at 30 ° c . after 4 and 8 hours from the treatment , part of the bacterial suspension was taken and inoculated on an lb agar medium with a spiral plater , followed by stationary cultivation at 30 ° c . for 2 days . the viable cell count ( cfu / ml ) was measured for the determination of bactericidal rates . the results are shown in table 5 . the bactericidal rate (%) was determined by the following equation . ## equ1 ## table 5______________________________________ concentration bactericidal rates (%) compound no . ( ppm ) after 4 hours after 8 hours______________________________________ ( 13 ) 1 53 & gt ; 99ref . compd . *) 1 27 23______________________________________ *) the reference compound is of the formula : ## str7 ## as described above , the isothiazolone derivative ( i ) of the present invention has excellent effects of destroying or inhibiting microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi . in particular , such effects are satisfactory at the initial stage and sustainable for a long period of time . thus , the isothiazolone derivative ( i ) of the present invention can find a wide variety of applications as a microbicide . | 2 |
fig1 shows in a simplified manner a lens as an individualized optical element 2 . 1 in a semi - perspective illustration . the individualized optical element 2 . 1 has a planar circumferential face which extends coaxially with an optical axis 2 . 3 running through the center point of the individualized optical element 2 . 1 . a lateral surface 2 . 2 of the optical individualized element 2 . 1 faces the observer . provided on the circumferential face of the individualized optical element 2 . 1 is a mark 3 in the form of a point . the mark 3 is applied such that it is offset toward that lateral surface 2 . 2 that faces in the direction of an object plane 7 . 1 in a virtual optical arrangement 1 ( see fig2 and 3 ). likewise provided on the circumferential face is an identifier 9 , by which the individualized optical element 2 . 1 is individualized by way of a unique letter / number sequence ( here symbolized by “ identifier ”) being assigned to an optical element 2 and being noted on the identifier 9 . a first exemplary embodiment of a virtual optical arrangement 1 , illustrated in fig2 , has , as essential components , a number of individualized optical elements 2 . 1 b to 2 . 1 g and a stop 10 along an optical axis 1 . 1 of the virtual optical arrangement 1 and an image plane 6 and an object plane 7 . 1 in which an object 7 can be located . the optical axes 2 . 3 of the individualized optical elements 2 . 1 b to 2 . 1 g and the optical axis 1 . 1 of the virtual optical arrangement 1 coincide . the first exemplary embodiment is strongly schematized and simplified , and serves only to illustrate and explain the invention . every individualized optical element 2 . 1 b to 2 . 1 g has two lateral surfaces , with the lateral surface facing the object plane 7 . 1 having the index 1 ( b 1 , c 1 , . . . g 1 ), and the lateral surface facing the image plane 6 having the index 2 ( b 2 , c 2 , . . . g 2 ). selected by way of example from any desired number of virtual beams , a first virtual beam 4 and a second virtual beam 5 are shown starting from the object 7 . the first virtual beam 4 is assigned to a field point a and the second virtual beam 5 is assigned to a field point b . the field points a and b are located in a matrix of field points ( see fig3 ). the first virtual beam 4 starts from the field point a of the object 7 and propagates along the optical axis 1 . 1 in the virtual optical arrangement 1 . in doing so , the rays of the first virtual beam 4 diverge . the rays of the first virtual beam 4 are parallelized by the effect of the individualized optical elements 2 . 1 b to 2 . 1 d . the first virtual beam 4 has its greatest cross section across a section of the virtual optical arrangement 1 between the optical elements 2 . 1 d and 2 . 1 e . owing to the effect of the individualized optical elements 2 . 1 e , 2 . 1 f and 2 . 1 g , the rays of the first virtual beam 4 converge again and image the field point a as the field point a ′ in the image plane 6 . the second virtual beam 5 propagates starting from the field point b . the field point b is arranged on the object plane 7 . 1 next to the point of intersection between the optical axis 1 . 1 and the object plane 7 . 1 . the second virtual beam 5 is likewise spread and parallelized by the individualized optical elements 2 . 1 b to 2 . 1 d and converges again by way of the individualized optical elements 2 . 1 e , 2 . 1 f and 2 . 1 g before it is imaged as the field point b ′ in the image plane 6 . the lateral surface d 1 is provided as a correction area . the individualized optical element 2 . 1 d is a selected optical element that is selected from the individualized optical elements 2 . 1 b to 2 . 1 g of the optical arrangement 1 for the correction of a total wavefront error . fig3 illustrates a face of the object 7 facing the virtual optical arrangement 1 and the lateral surfaces b 1 , c 1 and d 1 of the individualized optical elements 2 . 1 b , 2 . 1 c and 2 . 1 d ( see fig2 ) in plan view . field points are shown arranged in a matrix on the object 7 . owing to the matrix , the field points are arranged in a regular grid with identical grid spacings with respect to one another . the field points are designated a and b for illustrative purposes . the first and the second virtual beams 4 , 5 are spread relative to the field points a and b and are imaged as projections on the lateral surface b 1 . said projections have a shape and size that are determined by the cross section of the virtual beams 4 , 5 and by the shape of the lateral surface b 1 and are referred to as subapertures 8 . a relative position of each subaperture 8 to the optical axis 1 . 1 is determined by the position of the field points in the matrix and by the position of the respectively considered lateral surface b 1 to g 2 of the optical elements b to g in the optical arrangement . the subaperture 8 of the first virtual beam 4 extends symmetrically about the optical axis 1 . 1 . the subaperture 8 of the second virtual beam 5 is located on the lateral surface b 1 in a relative position to the optical axis 1 . 1 , which corresponds to the relative position of the field point b in the matrix . the subaperture 8 of the first virtual beam 4 present on the lateral surface c 1 is again symmetrical about the optical axis 1 . 1 and spread with respect to the subaperture 8 on the lateral surface b 1 . the size of the subaperture 8 of the second virtual beam 5 is likewise increased and the subaperture 8 partially overlaps with the subaperture 8 of the first virtual beam 4 . the subapertures 8 of the first and second virtual beams 4 , 5 are present on the lateral surface d 1 about the optical axis 1 . 1 and nearly completely overlap one another . additionally , a free surface , i . e . a surface not covered by a mount , of the individualized optical element 2 . 1 d is nearly completely filled by the subapertures 8 . a second exemplary embodiment of the optical arrangement 1 according to fig4 corresponds to the first exemplary embodiment , with the difference that an individualized optical element 2 . 1 h having lateral surfaces h 1 and h 2 is arranged between the individualized optical elements 2 . 1 d and 2 . 1 e next to the stop 10 . the rays of the virtual beams 4 , 5 , but also the rays of all virtual beams that are not shown extend parallel to one another between the individualized optical elements 2 . 1 d and 2 . 1 e . the individualized optical element 2 . 1 h is configured as a plane plate made of optical glass . the individualized optical element 2 . 1 h is neutral in terms of its optical effect . the method according to the invention will be explained below with reference to fig1 to 3 . a number of different optical elements 2 is produced . each optical element 2 is assigned an identifier 9 with which the optical element 2 is individually characterized , i . e . individualized ( fig1 ). in addition , a mark 3 is applied on the edge of the optical element 2 . 1 that is thus individualized . starting from the mark 3 , every point on the surface of the individualized optical element 2 . 1 can be uniquely described by a suitable coordinate system ( cartesian coordinate system , polar coordinate system ). every individualized optical element 2 . 1 is subsequently measured , and irregularities on the surface of the individualized optical element 2 . 1 are captured with the correct position and coordinate regarding their position , shape and extent on a surface of the individualized optical element 2 . 1 and with respect to the quality of the respective irregularity and the optical effects that can thus be expected , and are stored , in a manner in which they are assigned to the individualized optical element 2 . 1 , in a database ( not illustrated ) as measurement data . a position and the coordinates of the individualized optical element 2 . 1 are captured with respect to the mark 3 which is present on the individualized optical element 2 . 1 . in order to virtually produce a virtual optical arrangement 1 , individualized optical elements 2 . 1 b to 2 . 1 g are selected , in correspondence with the optical elements 2 that are necessary for production , from the database and the measurement data thereof is made available . the individualized optical elements 2 . 1 b to 2 . 1 g are arranged virtually along the optical axis 1 . 1 with known extents for the lateral surfaces ( position ) and with a known rotary position . the rotary position is given , and known , by the known position of the mark 3 with respect to a defined reference position about the optical axis 1 . 1 . a total wavefront error is ascertained by generating virtual beams 4 , 5 in a known grid and with known grid spacings with respect to one another . the profile of said virtual beams 4 , 5 through the virtual optical arrangement 1 is calculated ( fig3 ). convergences , divergences and parallelisms of the virtual beams 4 , 5 with respect to one another are calculated here in addition to the profile . since the measurement data and the position and the rotary position of each individualized optical element 2 . 1 used in a respective virtual optical arrangement 1 are known , it is possible to calculate the virtual beams 4 , 5 of the individual wavefront errors present on a lateral surface b 1 to h 2 and those present in each case at a subaperture 8 of an individualized optical element 2 . 1 b to 2 . 1 g with the correct coordinates by using methods that are known to a person skilled in the art . the respective subaperture 8 and / or the lateral surface or surfaces of each individualized optical elements 2 . 1 are thus described as coefficients of zernike polynomials . by way of using an addition operation with the correct sign , a total wavefront error for the virtual optical arrangement 1 is calculated from the individual wavefront errors . in a further embodiment of the method according to the invention , a nominal error ( residual error of the optical design ) for the virtual optical arrangement 1 is ascertained and included in the calculation of the total wavefront error . the lateral surface d 2 is established as the correction area from the start in the described embodiment of the method according to the invention . the individualized optical element 2 . 1 d is a bare part , while the other individualized optical elements 2 . 1 b , 2 . 1 c , 2 . 1 e , 2 . 1 f and 2 . 1 g have already been coated and mounted and are in the final states . after the total wavefront error is calculated , it is compared to permissible tolerance limits . if the total wavefront error is outside the permissible tolerance limits , a calculation that is correct in terms of position and coordinates is carried out as to what changes need to be carried out regarding the selected optical element 2 . 1 d , and specifically on the correction area d 2 , so as to obtain a total wavefront error that is within the permissible tolerance limits . the necessary virtual changes with which the tolerance limits are observed are stored as processing data . subsequently , the selected individualized optical element 2 . 1 d is processed and changed in correspondence with the processing data . after processing , the selected individualized optical element 2 . 1 d is coated and mounted . the individualized optical elements 2 . 1 b to 2 . 1 g , with which the virtual optical arrangement 1 was produced , are now used in reality to produce an optical arrangement and are arranged along an optical axis 1 . 1 of the actual optical arrangement ( not illustrated ) with the correct position and coordinates . if appropriate , the individualized optical elements 2 . 1 b to 2 . 1 g are then further adjusted . in a further embodiment of the method according to the invention , the individualized optical element 2 . 1 h in the virtual optical arrangement 1 according to fig4 is positioned in a section of the virtual optical arrangement 1 , above which the virtual beams nearly completely overlap and cover the free surface of the optical elements 2 . 1 d , 2 . 1 e which are arranged there . the individualized optical element 2 . 1 h theoretically has no optical effect . at least one of the lateral surfaces h 1 , h 2 is provided as the correction area . the individualized optical element 2 . 1 h is the selected individualized optical element , from which measurement data are likewise captured and stored with the correct position and coordinates . after the calculation of the total wavefront error for the virtual optical arrangement 1 , the changes to the correction area or areas h 1 and / or h 2 that need to be made are calculated , if necessary , and stored as processing data , with which a total wavefront error within permissible tolerance limits is achieved . if no changes are necessary , it is possible in a further embodiment of the invention to omit the arrangement of the individualized optical element 2 . 1 h . in a further embodiment of the method according to the invention , a contribution by the individualized optical element 2 . 1 h to the nominal error of the optical arrangement 1 is known and is taken into account . in further embodiments , at least one further individualized optical element 2 . 1 is selected in addition to the individualized optical element 2 . 1 h . 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 to be included within the scope of the following claims . | 6 |
referring more specifically to the drawings , the apparatus and process for producing a dry , pelletized and sterilized organic product from liquid waste sludge is designated generally 5 and constitutes an integrated unit which includes a dewatering section 6 , a drying , pelletizing and sterilizing section 7 , and an air - solids separation section 8 . the invention also includes an electrical control center 9 , fig2 for controlling the operation of the various motors of the apparatus of fig1 . referring to fig1 the dewatering section includes a receptacle 10 for storing liquid sludge from a sewage treatment plant and which has a water content of 97 to 99 per cent . a pump 11 conveys the sludge from the receptacle 10 to a chemical mixer 12 . the pump 11 operates simultaneously with a pump 13 which conveys a chemical from a storage receptacle 14 to the mixer 12 . only a small amount of the chemical is required to coagulate and floculate the solids contained in the liquid sludge in the chemical mixer . the mixture of liquid sludge and chemical is conveyed from the mixer 12 to a dewatering press 15 wherein the free water is pressed from the sludge to reduce the moisture content to about 80 per cent . a pump 16 supplies fresh water by means of a spray system to the dewatering press for continuously cleaning the elements of the press while said press is in operation . the parts 10 to 16 , previously described , all constitute elements of the dewatering section . a conveyor 17 conveys the sludge cake , having a moisture content of approximately 80 per cent , to a dewatered material storage bin 18 . water which has been extracted from the liquid sludge by the dewatering press 15 is returned by way of a conduit 15 &# 39 ; by gravity flow to the influent works of the sewage treatment plant . a conveyor 19 conveys the dewatered material from the bin 18 to a mixing chamber 20 where it is mixed with pellets , constituting the final product supplied to the chamber 20 by a conveyor 21 driven by an adjustable motor 22 . the final product supplied to the mixing chamber 20 has just been produced and constitutes a hot dry material which can be mixed with the dewatered sludge to a consistency containing a low moisture content , by regulation of the conveyor motor 22 , prior to deliver of the mixture from the chamber 20 to a dryer 23 , by means of a conveyor 24 . mixing of the final hot dried product with the moist dewatered sludge cake is necessary to enable drying temperatures to be low enough to prevent formation of clinkers and the ignition of the organic material being fed to the dryer . the percentage of the final product returned to the chamber 20 also determines the size of the pellets produced as the final product . the larger the percentage of the final product returned to the chamber 20 , the smaller will be the pellets formed in the dryer 23 . fuel , either gas or petroleum , and ignition is supplied to the dryer 23 by the equipment 25 . air required to support combustion in the dryer 23 is supplied by an air blower 26 which sucks air through the dryer 23 by means of a conduit 27 . the conduit 27 leads from the section 7 into the air - solids separation section 8 where it connects with the inlet of an air - solids separator 28 , in which the pelletized , dried and sterilized product falls to the bottom of the separator 28 to be discharged by gravity through a conduit 29 to a finished product storage bin 30 . the air from the dryer 23 and separator 28 , which contains dust and fine particles of sludge solids , is drawn through a conduit 31 to a wet scrubber 32 . water is conveyed by a pump 33 to the scrubber 32 for cleaning the dust and fine solids from the hot air . these solids in solution are returned to the treatment plant influent by the conduit 34 . the blower 26 extracts the waste water from the scrubber 32 and discharges it into the atmosphere as a clean plume of water vapor which condenses rapidly and presents no air pollution problem . the conveyor 21 , previously described , leads from the finished product storage 30 for returning the just produced hot dry pellets to the mixing chamber 20 . the remainder of the pellets of the storage bin 30 can either be discharged into a bagging machine 30 &# 39 ; for bagging prior to delivery to the market or may be discharged for conveyance in bulk to the market . referring to fig2 the electrical control center 9 automatically governs the operation of the motors and accessories of the apparatus as illustrated in fig1 in such a way as to require no attention of an operator . the control center 9 is operated by a time sequence on switch 35 and a time sequence off switch 36 , each of which may be located at some central point in the area of the apparatus of fig1 with wiring , as illustrated in fig2 to each of the motors and other electrical accessories of fig1 . each such motor or other accessory is preferably provided with a normally closed manually operated switch 37 , so that any individual motor or other electrically operated device may be shut off or started manually in the event of a breakdown or for necessary testing purposes . when the switch 35 is energized , circuit 38 will be energized for starting the motor of the dewatering press 15 and the water pump motor 16 , so that the press 15 will be entirely wet and in operation before it receives any sludge to be dewatered . simultaneously , the motor of the dryer 23 , the dryer ignition unit 25 , the blower 26 and the motor of the pump 33 are energized in order to preheat the drying equipment before the dryer 23 receives any material to be dried . after a variable predetermined time interval of one to five minutes following the closing of the switch 35 , circuit 39 is energized for starting the liquid sludge pump 11 and the chemical pump 13 . when this occurs , the liquid sludge together with the chemical are fed into the chemical mixer and this mixture flows to the dewatering press 15 . simultaneously , the motors of the conveyors 17 , 19 , 22 and 24 are energized together with the mixer motor 20 at which time all electrically actuated elements of the apparatus are functioning . after a predetermined time interval and when it is desired to discontinue operation of the apparatus , the switch 36 is energized . this initially energized the circuit 40 causing the motors of the sludge pump 11 and chemical feed pump 13 and the conveyor motor 22 to be deenergized . after a predetermined variable time lapse of 5 to 15 minutes , circuits 41 and 42 are deenergized for cutting off automatically the supply of current to all of the other motors and electrical devices . various modifictions and changes are contemplated and may be resorted to , without departing from the function or scope of the invention . | 2 |
referring now to the drawings , one embodiment of the present air gap device is shown in fig5 . it is illustrated as it would appear when slipped onto the upper end of a relatively large diameter waste standpipe 10 . in this position a portion of the air gap is located outside the standpipe 10 so that space remains for insertion of a high fluid flow discharge line 12 , such as the line from a water softener or the like ( not shown ). this adapts the present air gap device for service in certain household applications , such as that disclosed by me and my coinventor in u . s . pat . no . 3 , 411 , 524 . alternatively , if desired , the air gap device could be provided with a top cap having a single large inlet port so that the line 12 need not be located on the rim or lip of the standpipe , but can instead be attached to the single port . this will direct the flow into the air gap device where it can be vented as it travels through the device toward the outlet . however , in the preferred embodiment of fig1 - 4 and 7 , multiple inlet flows such as patient waste and ro flows from a dialysis unit ( not shown ) can be accepted through a twin inlet port top cap 16 . this embodiment is also characterized by an air gap device having a bottom portion that can be slipped or dropped within the upper portion of the interior of the standpipe . the device can be slipped not only into the top of the large standpipe 10 , as seen in phantom outline in fig7 but also into the top of the smaller waste standpipe 13 , as also seen in phantom outline . being able to simply allow the device to be dropped into proper vertical position under the force of gravity greatly facilitates easy insertion and removal of such devices . this is particularly desirable where , for example , several of the dialysis units are being used and their rapid servicing is important . in the preferred embodiment the dual effluent flows of patient fluid and reverse osmosis ( ro ) waste water would be discharged from the dialysis unit and vented through opposed or confronting air gaps 17 , and then emptied into one of the associated waste pipes 10 or 13 , as the case may be . in a hospital employing multiple dialysis units , the waste from each unit is emptied into a separate standpipe . the air gap device is molded or otherwise formed in one piece from suitable plastic material . it includes a housing 18 , having the air gaps 17 , and also the top cap 16 , which is mounted upon the upper end of the housing 18 . the top cap 16 includes a pair of inlet ports 20 and 22 and preferably is slightly canted or tilted away from the axes of discharge of the ports 20 and 22 to minimize splattering of incoming fluids out of the air gaps 17 . as best seen in fig3 and 6 , the pair of inlet ports 20 and 22 carried by the top cap 16 are conveniently arranged side by side to receive the patient fluid and ro discharges , respectively . the top cap 16 is preferably molded separately of the housing 18 , and thereafter fixed in position on the housing 18 with adhesive , as seen in fig1 , and 5 - 7 . the cap 16 includes a stiffener web or wall 19 , as best seen in fig6 for added strength and resistance to bending of the barbed shafts of the inlet ports 20 and 22 , which might otherwise occur from the weight of connecting hoses ( not shown ) which are generally several feet long . the cap 16 also includes a slot ( not shown ) which closely receives a vertically oriented wall or divider 24 that is fixed in position with adhesive , as best seen in fig6 and 7 . the divider 24 further rigidities the cap 16 , but its main purpose is to isolate the patient fluid and ro discharge flows from each other in the vicinity of the air gaps 17 . the divider 24 is located between the air gaps 17 and preferably extends close to the front and rear walls of the housing 18 . it also extends downwardly approximately to the critical level ( c / l ) of the air gap device . the c / l level is located just below the lower edges of the air gaps 17 . if a downstream blockage occurs , or if a vacuum occurs at either of the inlet ports 20 or 22 , both fluid flows entering the air gap device will be vented to atmosphere through the pair of air gaps 17 , respectively , just as would occur if two vacuum breakers had been used . an upper section 28 of the housing 18 defines the air gaps 17 , and a lower section 30 includes an integral , vertically elongated conduit 32 . the conduit 32 forms a downward continuation of the upper section 28 for draining fluids from the upper section and discharging them out of the lower end of the conduit 32 . the downwardly projecting conduit 32 , as best seen in fig4 has a curvilinear inner wall 34 . in the embodiment of fig5 wherein the air gap device clamps onto a wastepipe , the inner wall 34 is adapted to engage the curved inner surface of the upper extremity of the smaller standard size waste standpipe 13 , i . e . the one having the one and one - half inch diameter . the lower section 30 includes a curvilinear outer wall 36 opposite the wall 34 . the wall 36 is adapted to engage the curved outer surface of the standpipe 13 whereby the standpipe may be snugly received in a pipe recess 38 formed between the inner and outer walls 34 and 36 . the lower housing section 30 and the conduit 32 are joined at the top of the pipe recess 38 by a pair of webs or stops 53 . the stops 53 are adapted to engage the top of the standpipe 10 to rigidify the structure and properly locate the air gap device relative to the standpipe 10 . the rigidity provided by the webs 53 prevent unwanted widening or narrowing of the pipe recess 38 . in preferred embodiments , the air gap device fits within the upper end of the associated standpipe . for this purpose the lower housing section 30 includes five vertically elongated , radially outwardly directed , and circumferentially spaced apart ribs 40 . guide or upper portions 54 are located above the middle rib 40 and above the two outer ribs 40 , respectively , and extend upwardly to the top of the housing 18 . the lower ends of these upper portions 54 define shoulders or stops 44 which are dimensioned to engage the upper rim of the larger standpipe 10 when , as best seen in fig7 the air gap device is dropped or otherwise placed within the upper end of the standpipe 10 . this arrangement supports the air gap device on the stops 44 in stable vertical position within the upper end of the standpipe 10 . there is no tendency of the air gap device to tip or tilt and thereby misdirect the stream of fluids coming out of the lower end of the conduit 32 . if desired , the ribs 40 can be tapered or made larger at their upper extremities in order to fit snugly in the top of the standpipe 10 . the lower ends of all five ribs 40 are dimensioned to form shoulders or stops 48 which are adapted to rest upon the upper end of the smaller standpipe 13 when the smaller standpipe 13 is used . this arrangement allows dropping or locating of the air gap device within the upper end of the standpipe 13 for support of the air gap device by resting of the stops 48 on the top of the standpipe 13 . if desired , the lower portions of the ribs 40 can be tapered to snugly fit within the standpipe 13 . below the stops 48 all five ribs 40 are of reduced dimension so that as nearly as is possible they engage or are in close proximity with the curved inner surface of the standpipe 13 . any suitable means may be used to attach drain lines to the inlet ports 20 and 22 , according to the size of the drain lines and whether they are flexible or rigid . in addition , rather than using the illustrated combination of the externally barbed ports 20 and 22 with flexible plastic tubing ( not shown ), plastic pipe may be used in a slip fit arrangement with or without adhesive . also , complemental components may be used that are joined in a compression fit , or the so - called john guest push - in type of fitting can be used . however , in the low flow applications contemplated by the present invention , a leak - tight connection is easily achieved by pushing flexible tubing over the barbed inlet ports 20 and 22 . as described above , the air gap device is versatile in that it can be mounted upon either of the two most widely used standard sizes of standpipe , whether the standpipe is made of plastic or of metal , and whether the standpipe is threaded or unthreaded . the structure of the air gap device is relatively strong and rigid , establishes positive seating and support of the device , and ensures that the device will not be tilted from its normal vertical position during use . there are other features of this particular housing design which are important . the particular design and location of the rails 54 is such that the rails extend clear to the top of upper housing 18 , adding structural rigidity to the otherwise more flexible upper housing portion . in the embodiment of fig5 stops 53 , as best seen in fig4 are located at each end of the mounting slot 38 . the stops 53 help to maintain a uniform slot width throughout the length of the slot , and they provide solid and positive stops for the unit when the unit is inserted over either size of standpipe . thus , the unit cannot easily be tilted away from its desired vertical position . while several forms of the invention have been illustrated and described , it will be apparent that various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . | 4 |
fig1 illustrates a generalized embodiment of a modulation encoding scheme of the present invention . the embodiment of fig1 has a short block encoder that applies modulation constraints to a subset of each data block . a demultiplexer separates the even and odd interleaves in the data block including the bits generated by the short block encoder . two modulation encoders then apply constraints to the even and odd interleaves separately . the embodiment of fig1 has two fibonacci encoders that map n bit input numbers to n bit output numbers . the modulation encoding scheme of fig1 is able to perform n - bit to n - bit mappings on interleaved data by adding a short block encoder 101 to the data before the data is modulation encoded . the short block encoder applies a constraint to the data that reduces the number of possible values of the data . this technique allows the modulation encoders to map a reduced set of n - bit input numbers to n - bit output numbers on an n - bit to n - bit basis , even though the n - bit output numbers are constrained to having less than 2 n possible values . in the embodiment of fig1 , a portion p of 2n − x bits are fed into a short block encoder 101 . short block encoder 101 substitutes the first p bits in the block of data with a set of p + x short block bits . short block encoder 101 can , for example , be a lookup table that maps each possible set of p bits in the user data to a set of p + x short block bits . the p + x short block bits are selected from the table and substituted for the p bits . short block encoder 101 performs a simple mapping of p bits into p + x bits to enforce a particular set of constraints in order to reduce the number of possible values of each block of the input data . demultiplexer 102 receives the p + x output bits of encoder 101 and the remaining 2n − x − p bits of the data block . demultiplexer 102 divides the resulting 2n data bits into its even and odd interleaves . fibonacci encoder 103 converts the n even interleaves into n output bits that are constrained according to a global even bit constraint ge using a fibonacci base . fibonacci encoder 104 converts the n odd interleaves into n output bits that are constrained according to a global odd bit constraint go using a fibonacci base . fibonacci encoders 103 and 104 both convert reduced n bit input numbers into n bit output numbers , thus performing n - bit to n - bit mappings . according to further embodiments of the present invention , encoders 103 and 104 can also be other types modulation encoders other than fibonacci encoders . multiplexer 105 interleaves the constrained even and odd bits to generate the interleaved data output vectors . for each block of 2n − x data bits input into the system of fig1 , 2n bits are generated at the output of multiplexer 105 . the extra x bits are added by short block encoder 101 . the output vectors of multiplexer 105 have a global constraint of g and an interleaved constraint of i . the global constraint of the output data is determined by g = 1 + 2 × min ( ge , go ), if ge ≠ go ; and by g = 2 × ge , if ge = go . the interleaved constraint of the output data is determined by i = max ( ge , go ). fig2 illustrates a specific example of a modulation encoding scheme that includes a 3 / 4 short block encoder . short block encoder 201 maps the first 3 bits ( x 1 , x 2 , x 3 ) of the input data to 4 bits ( y 0 , y 1 , y 2 , y 3 ) selected from a lookup table . short block encoder 201 performs a 3 - to - 4 mapping to enforce the constraints ( y 0 , y 2 )≠( 1 , 1 ) and ( y 1 , y 3 )≠( 1 , 1 ). table 1 illustrates mappings that are performed by short block encoder 201 according to this example . thus , short block encoder 201 receives 3 - bit input vector ( x 1 , x 2 , x 3 ) and generates a 4 - bit output vector ( y 0 , y 1 , y 2 , y 3 ) for each 199 - bit data block . demultiplexer 202 receives the 4 - bit output ( y 0 , y 1 , y 2 , y 3 ) of short block encoder 201 and the remaining 196 - bit vector ( y 4 , y 5 , . . . , y 198 , y 199 ). demultiplexer 202 separates the even and odd interleaves to generate a stream of 100 even bits y 0 , y 2 , y 4 , . . . , y 198 and a stream of 100 odd bits y 1 , y 3 , y 5 , . . . , y 199 . fibonacci encoder 203 maps the 100 - bit even interleaves to a 100 - bit fibonacci code , and fibonacci encoder 204 maps the 100 - bits odd interleaves to a 100 - bit fibonacci code . multiplexer 205 interleaves the two fibonacci codes to generate a combined data stream that has 200 bits . short block encoder 201 reduces the number of values that can be sent as input to fibonacci encoders 203 and 204 by ( 25 %). by preventing the first two even bits in the user data from being 11 , only three of the four possible values for bits y 0 and y 2 are allowed ( 00 , 01 , and 10 ). the number of possible integer values for the 100 - bit even interleaves is reduced by 25 %, because one quarter of the possible 100 - bit integer values that begin with 11 are not allowed . as a result , fibonacci encoder 203 only has to map at the most 75 % of the 2 100 possible values for a 100 - bit even interleave . fibonacci encoder 203 can perform 100 - bit to 100 - bit ( n - bit to n - bit ) mappings , as long as no more than 25 % of the 2 100 possible values are forbidden by the global even bit constraint ge , i . e ., as long as the corresponding fibonacci code has at least 3 × 2 98 code sequences . the same principle holds for the odd interleaves . by preventing the first two odd bits ( y 1 and y 3 ) in a data block from being 11 , only three of the four possible values for bits y , and y 3 are allowed ( 00 , 01 , and 10 ). the number of possible integer values for a 100 - bit odd interleave is reduced by 25 %, because one quarter of the possible 100 - bit integer values that begin with 11 are not allowed . as a result , fibonacci encoder 204 only has to map at the most 75 % of the 2 100 possible values for a 100 - bit odd interleave . fibonacci encoder 204 can perform 100 - bit to 100 - bit ( n - bit to n - bit ) mappings , as long as no more than 25 % of the 2 100 possible values are forbidden by the global odd constraint go , i . e ., as long as the corresponding fibonacci code has at least 3 × 2 98 code sequences . the short block mapping of 3 - to - 4 bits allows fibonacci encoders 203 and 204 to map reduced 100 bit input numbers to 100 bit fibonacci output numbers ( 100 - bit to 100 - bit mappings ) for the following reasons . a fibonacci encoder can map a 199 bit block of data to a 200 bit constrained block of data on a 1 - to - 1 basis using the fibonacci encoding technique for rate ( n − 1 )/ n . to reduce the size of a 199 / 200 fibonacci encoder by half to reduce the storage space requirements , requires that an input number be 99 . 5 bits and the output number be 100 bits . a theoretical 99 . 5 bit block would have 2 99 . 5 possible values , i . e . √ 2 × 2 99 or about ( 1 . 41421 )× 2 99 . this means that a 99 . 5 bit block has about x =( 1 . 41421 )× 2 99 possible values . a 100 bit block has y = 2 × 2 99 possible values . a rate 99 . 5 / 100 modulation encoder needs to have at least x code sequences for mapping all of the possible input values to distinct output code sequences . therefore , from the possible 2 100 unconstrained 100 - bit sequences only about x =( 1 . 41421 )× 2 99 code sequences are required , which is about 70 . 7 % of the total number of possible 100 - bit sequences . the remaining 29 . 3 % of the values of the 100 bit block can be forbidden by a modulation constraint g . because short block encoder 201 constrains blocks of the user data bits to having only ¾ of their possible values , fibonacci encoders 203 and 204 only need to map at the most 75 % of the 2 100 possible values of the 100 bit input numbers in the range from 0 to 3 × 2 98 − 1 . short block encoder 201 can be replaced with another short block encoder of higher rate , thereby reducing the range of the 100 - bit input numbers . in the limiting case , where the rate of the short block encoder is 199 / 200 , the number of required code sequences can be reduced to about x , as long as x / y is at least √ 2 / 2 ( about 70 . 7 %). the modulation encoding schemes of fig1 – 2 substantially reduce the complexity and storage requirements of an interleaved modulation encoder by replacing a subset of the user bits with a set of constrained bits . a short block encoder of the present invention can replace any desired number of the user bits with constrained bits . short block encoder 201 is described merely as an example of the present invention and is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention to 3 - to - 4 bit mappings . one of skill in the art will understand that the present invention includes many different types of short block encoders . further embodiments of the present invention will now be described . a short block constrained coding of rate ( 2k − 1 )/ 2k transforms an input bit - sequence x 1 , x 2 , . . . , x 2k - 1 into an output bit - sequence y 0 , y 1 , . . . , y 2k - 1 , where both the even and the odd interleaves of the output sequence satisfy the same constraint , which is defined as follows . let z 1 2 k − 1 + z 2 2 k − 2 + . . . + z k - 1 2 + z k be the binary representation of ┌ 2 ( 2k − 1 )/ 2 ┐, i . e ., of the smallest integer larger or equal to the square root of 2 ( 2k − 1 ) . the constraint applied by the short block encoder is given by the requirement that the even and odd interleave y 0 , y 2 , . . . , y 2k - 2 and y 1 , y 3 , . . . , y 2k - 1 , respectively , are smaller than the k - bit sequence z 1 , z 2 , . . . , z k with respect to lexicographic ordering with the most significant bit being at the left most position . for instance , a rate — 9 / 10 short block encoder ensures that in each interleave the bit stream will start with a five bit sequence , which is less than 10111 . for example , the sequence 11000 is not allowed , but 10110 is a valid 5 - bit string . because both interleaves satisfy the same constraint , the resulting modulation code is balanced with respect to even and odd interleaves . an embodiment of a short block encoder having rate — 9 / 10 constrained codes is shown in fig3 . the embodiment of fig3 includes a short block encoder 301 , a demultiplexer 302 , fibonacci encoders 303 – 304 , and a parallel - to - serial converter ( or multiplexer ) 305 . short block encoder 301 imposes constraints on the first 9 bits of each data block received . short block encoder 301 maps the first 9 bits in each data block to 10 output bits to provide a 9 / 10 rate code . demultiplexer 302 separates the even and odd interleaves from the remaining 190 - bit vector ( y 10 , y 11 , . . . , y 199 ) of the original data block and the 10 - bit output vector of encoder 301 . fibonacci encoder 303 imposes a modulation constraint on the even interleave to generate a constrained even interleave , and fibonacci encoder 304 imposes a modulation constraint on the odd interleave to generate a constrained odd interleave , as described above . parallel - to - serial converter 305 combines the constrained even and constrained odd bits into one serial data stream . the constraints on the 10 - bit output sequence y 0 , y 1 , . . . , y 9 of the rate — 9 / 10 short block encoder 301 are given by : these constraints ensure that the largest even / odd output sequence has a 5 - bit prefix , that does not exceed 10110 . in terms of boolean equations , these constraints are characterized by : the symbol ˜ stands for negation , multiplication stands for and , and addition stands for or . among these three operations , negation has the highest precedence , and or has the lowest precedence . an efficient implementation of the rate — 9 / 10 encoder 301 is obtained using the technique of gated partitions . four partitions m 1 – m 4 are specified by the following boolean variables , where x 1 – x 9 represent the 9 - bit inputs to encoder 301 : m 2 = x 1 x 2 ˜( x 4 x 6 x 8 ) m 3 = x 1 ˜ x 2 ˜( x 5 x 7 x 9 ) y 5 =˜ m 4 x 5 + m 4 ( x 2 x 5 +˜ x 2 x 4 ) y 6 =˜ m 4 x 6 + m 4 ( x 2 x 7 + x 2 x 6 ˜ x 8 ) y 7 =˜ m 4 x 7 + m 4 ( x 2 x 9 +˜ x 2 x 6 x 8 ) the present invention also includes short block decoders that convert data block vectors that have been encoded by a short block encoder back to the original data pattern . the short block decoder that corresponds to encoder 301 converts sets of 10 - bit vectors back to 9 - bit vectors by reversing the short block mappings described above . an embodiment of such a short block decoder uses five auxiliary variables q 1 – q 5 and computes the inverse mapping via the boolean expressions given below : x 3 =( q 1 + q 2 ) y 3 + q 3 y 2 + q 4 y 4 x 4 =˜ q 4 y 4 + q 4 (˜ q 5 + y 5 ) x 5 =˜ q 4 y 5 + q 4 ( q 5 + y 5 ) x 6 =˜ q 4 y 6 + q 4 (˜ q 5 + y 6 + y 7 ) x 7 =˜ q 4 y 7 + q 4 ( q 5 + y 6 ) x 8 =˜ q 4 y 7 + q 4 (˜ q 5 + y 8 ) x 9 =˜ q 4 y 9 + q 4 ( q 5 + y 7 ) the rate — 9 / 10 short block encoder 301 has 47 two - input gates , and the corresponding short block decoder has 42 two - input gates . this gate count gives a total complexity for the encoder / decoder pair of 89 two - input gates . an embodiment of a short block encoder having rate — 13 / 14 constrained codes is shown in fig4 . the embodiment of fig4 includes a short block encoder 401 , a demultiplexer 402 , fibonacci encoders 403 – 404 , and parallel - to - serial converter ( or multiplexer ) 405 . short block encoder 401 imposes constraints on the first 13 bits of each data block received . short block encoder 401 maps a 13 - bit vector in each data block to a 14 - bit output vector to provide a 13 / 14 - rate code . demultiplexer 402 separates the even and odd interleaves from the remaining 186 - bit vector ( y 13 , y 14 , . . . , y 199 ) of the original data block and the 14 - bit output vector of encoder 401 . fibonacci encoder 403 imposes a modulation constraint on the even interleave to generate a constrained even interleave . fibonacci encoder 404 imposes a modulation constraint on the odd interleave to generate a constrained odd interleave . parallel - to - serial converter 405 combines the constrained even and constrained odd interleaves into one serial data stream . the constraints on the 14 - bit output sequence y 0 , y 1 , . . . , y 3 of the rate — 9 / 10 short block encoder 401 are given by : ( y 0 , y 2 , y 4 , y 6 , y 8 , y 10 , y 12 )≠( 1 , 0 , 1 , 101 , 1 ) ( y 1 , y 3 , y 5 , y 7 , y 9 , y 11 , y 13 )≠( 1 , 0 , 1 , 1 , 0 , 1 , 1 ) these constraints guarantee that the largest even / odd interleaved output sequence has a 7 - bit prefix that does not exceed 1011010 . the corresponding boolean equations are given by : y 0 ˜ y 2 y 4 y 6 ˜ y 8 y 10 y 12 = 0 y 1 ˜ y 3 y 5 y 7 ˜ y 9 y 11 y 13 = 0 an example of a boolean logic implementation of the rate — 13 / 14 encoder 401 maps input bit sequence x 1 , x 2 , x 3 , . . . , x 13 to output sequence y 0 , y 1 , y 2 , . . . , y 13 using the auxiliary variables r 1 – r 12 as shown by the following logic functions : the example boolean logic implementation of the encoder also uses seven partitions m 1 , m 2 , m 3 , m 5 , m 6 , m 7 , m 8 where : the input / output map of the boolean logic implementation of the 13 / 14 short block encoder 401 is specified by : y 4 =˜ m 4 x 4 + m 5 ˜ r 5 x 3 + m 6 + m 7 ˜ r 1 x 3 + m 8 ˜ r 1 x 3 y 5 =˜ m 4 x 5 + m 5 ˜ r 5 x 5 + m 6 ˜ r 5 x 3 + m 7 ˜ r 1 x 4 + m 8 y 6 =˜ m 4 x 6 + m 5 ˜ r 5 ˜ x 3 + m 6 + m 7 ˜ r 1 ˜ x 3 + m 8 ˜ r 1 ˜ x 3 y 7 =˜ m 4 x 7 + m 5 (˜ r 5 x 7 + r 6 )+ m 6 ˜ r 5 ˜ x 3 + m 7 (˜ r 1 x 6 + r 2 )+ m 8 y 9 =˜ m 4 x 9 + m 5 x 9 + m 6 x 9 + m 7 x 8 y 10 =˜ m 4 x 10 + m 5 x 10 + m 6 ˜ r 5 x 5 + m 7 x 10 + m 8 x 10 y 11 =˜ m 4 x 11 + m 5 x 11 + m 6 x 11 + m 7 x 11 + m 8 ˜ r 1 x 4 y 12 =˜ m 4 x 12 + m 5 x 12 + m 6 (˜ r 5 x 7 + r 6 )+ m 7 x 12 + m 8 x 12 y 13 =˜ m 4 x 13 + m 5 x 13 + m 6 x 13 + m 7 x 13 + m 8 (˜ r 1 x 6 + r 2 ) a short block decoder that corresponds to encoder 401 converts 14 - bit vectors back to 13 - bit vectors by reversing the short block mappings described above . the boolean logic implementation of the decoder for the rate — 13 / 14 short block encoder uses the auxiliary variables s 1 – s 6 given below : the boolean logic implementation of the decoder uses seven partitions q 1 , q 2 , q 3 , q 5 , q 6 , q 7 , q 8 where : q 3 =˜ y 0 ˜ s 4 ˜( s 3 ˜ y 9 y 11 y 13 ) the input / output map for the decoder is specified by the following mappings : x 2 = q 1 y 2 + q 2 +( q 5 + q 6 ) x 3 =( q 1 + q 2 ) y 3 + q 3 y 2 + q 5 ( y 4 +˜ s 5 y 7 )+ q 6 ( y 5 +˜ s 6 y 12 )+ q 7 ( y 4 +˜ s 5 y 7 )+ q 8 ( y 4 +˜ s 5 y 13 ) x 4 =˜ q 4 y 4 + q 5 + q 6 + q 7 ( y 5 +˜ s 5 )+ q 8 ( y 11 +˜ s 5 ) x 5 =˜ q 4 y 5 + q 5 ( y 5 +˜ s 5 )+ q 6 ( y 10 +˜ s 6 )+ q 7 + q 8 x 6 =˜ q 4 y 6 + q 5 + q 6 + q 7 ( s 5 y 7 +˜ s 5 )+ q 8 ( s 5 y 13 +˜ s 5 ) x 7 =˜ q 4 y 7 + q 5 ( s 5 y 7 +˜ s 5 )+ q 6 ( s 6 y 12 +˜ s 6 )+ q 7 + q 8 x 10 =˜ q 4 y 10 + q 5 y 10 + q 6 + q 7 y 10 + q 8 y 10 x 11 =˜ q 4 y 11 + q 5 y 11 + q 6 y 11 + q 7 y 11 + q 8 x 12 =˜ q 4 y 12 + q 5 y 12 + q 6 + q 7 y 12 + q 8 y 12 x 13 =˜ q 4 y 13 + q 5 y 13 + q 6 y 13 + q 7 y 13 + q 8 the rate — 13 / 14 encoder 401 has 93 two - input gates , and the corresponding decoder has 102 two - input gates . this gate count gives a total complexity for the encoder / decoder pair of 195 two - input gates . while the present invention has been described herein with reference to particular embodiments thereof , a latitude of modification , various changes , and substitutions are intended in the present invention . in some instances , features of the invention can be employed without a corresponding use of other features , without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth . therefore , many modifications may be made to adapt a particular configuration or method disclosed , without departing from the essential scope and spirit of the present invention . it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiment disclosed , but that the invention will include all embodiments and equivalents falling within the scope of the claims . | 7 |
for maintaining good adhesion among sidewall - constituting layers in the practice of the invention , the high - unsaturation rubber contents in the rubber compositions constituting the respective layers should preferably be such that , for neighboring two layers , the high - unsaturation rubber content in the outside layer is not less than 40 % of that in the inside layer . when the former content is less than 40 % of the latter , the difference in high - unsaturation rubber content between the two neighboring layers becomes too great and the adhesiveness may possibly become unsatisfactory . the antioxidant and wax addition levels in the rubber composition constituting the inner layer should preferably be higher than those in the rubber composition constituting the outer layer . since the extent of migration of antioxidants and waxes is small in rubbers having a low degree of unsaturation , blooming on the outer layer surface is reduced and the beautiful appearance can be maintained while , at the same time , blooming still takes place to a small extent , whereby the ozone cracking - preventing effect can be secured . for tires having the so - called swot structure in which the inside face of the upper end portion of each sidewall is in close connection with each side face of the tread rubber , it is preferable that the upper end portion of the sidewall should also have such a three - layer structure since , in that case , the tread made of a rubber or rubbers having a high degree of unsaturation comes adjacent to the adhesive layer rich in a rubber or rubbers having a high degree of unsaturation . on the other hand , for tires having the so - called tos structure in which each peripheral inside face of the tread rubber is adhered to the outside face of the upper end portion of each sidewall , it is advisable that the upper end portion of each sidewall , which is to be adhered to the inside face of the tread , should have no outer layer portion and the inner layer should be adhered directly to the tread . as the halogenated butyl rubber , which is one of the low - unsaturation rubbers to be used , there may be mentioned brominated butyl rubber and chlorinated butyl rubber in particular . the use of brominated butyl rubber , among others , results in improved adhesion to rubbers having a high degree of unsaturation , hence is preferred . the invention is now described with reference to some examples of the rubber composition . rubber compositions containing at least one rubber having a low degree of unsaturation in lieu of a part of a rubber or rubbers having a high degree of unsaturation were prepared according to the formulations ( in parts by weight ) shown below in table 1 for the purpose of confirming the improvement in ozone resistance of and the good adhesion between said rubber compositions . the results of the ozone resistance and staining or discoloration tests are shown in table 1 . various rubber composition combinations were tested for adhesive strength and the results obtained are shown in table 2 . a . ozone cracking test ( for evaluating dynamic ozone resistance and staining ) test specimens , 10 mm in width , 2 mm in thickness and 40 mm in mark - to - mark distance , were prepared from each rubber composition . the specimens were subjected to accelerated aging at 90 ° c . for 48 hours and then subjected to repeated stretching at a percent stretch [(. sup . δ l / l )× 100 ] of 25 % at a frequency of 60 times per minute in an atmosphere containing 50 pphm of ozone and maintained at 40 ° c ., and the time required for 50 % of the test specimens to have been broken was determined . the test specimens were continuedly maintained in the ozone atmosphere under the same test conditions even after breakage thereof and , after 24 hours of ozone exposure , they were evaluated for staining . the criteria for staining evaluation were as follows : distinct staining -- remarkable ; slight staining -- slight ; no change in color -- no change . an organic textile - backed rubber sheet was laid on top of another so that rubber - rubber peeling could be realized . the assembly was cured at 160 ° c . for 20 minutes and cut to strips having a width of 2 . 5 cm , and the strips were tested for rubber - to - rubber adhesive strength . table 1__________________________________________________________________________rubbercomposition carcass a b c d e f__________________________________________________________________________natural rubber 80 60 30 30 20 30 20butadiene rubber -- 20 60 40 30 -- -- sbr 1500 20 20 -- -- -- -- -- brominated butyl -- -- 10 10 40 70 50rubberepdm -- -- -- 20 10 -- 30zinc oxide 3 3 3 3 5 5 5stearic acid 2 2 2 2 2 2 2antioxidant sp *. sup . 1 1 -- -- -- -- -- -- antioxidant 6c *. sup . 2 -- 5 5 1 -- -- -- wax -- 2 2 2 -- -- -- carbon black 40 50 50 50 50 50 50aromatic oil 5 10 10 10 10 10 10accelerator dm *. sup . 3 -- -- -- -- 0 . 9 1 . 1 1 . 1accelerator cz *. sup . 4 1 0 . 8 0 . 8 1 -- -- -- vultac *. sup . 5 -- -- -- -- 1 . 1 1 . 1 1 . 1sulfur 2 1 . 8 1 . 8 1 . 8 0 . 6 0 . 6 0 . 6ozone resistance -- 12 18 16 20 16 24 ( hours ) staining -- re - re - slight no no no mark - mark - change change change able able__________________________________________________________________________ *. sup . 1 antioxidant sp : styrenated phenol *. sup . 2 antioxidant 6c : n ( 1 , 3 - dimethylbutyl )- nphenyl - p - phenylenediamine *. sup . 3 accelerator dm : dibenzothiazyl disulfide *. sup . 4 accelerator cz : ncyclohexyl - 2 - benzothiazylsulfenamide *. sup . 5 vultac : alkylphenol disulfide ( pennsalt chem .) table 2______________________________________ ( kg / cm width ) rubber compositionrubber composition a b c d e f______________________________________carcass st st 12 8 -- -- a -- st 16 8 4 2b -- st 16 14 4 2c -- -- st 16 10 7d -- -- -- st 14 8______________________________________ st : specimens were torn and measurement failed . as can be seen from the data shown in table 1 , the rubber compositions c to f in which the content of a rubber or rubbers having a low degree of unsaturation in the rubber component is not less than 30 % by weight are superior in ozone resistance to the conventional rubber composition exclusively composed of rubbers having a high degree of unsaturation . furthermore , the compositions c to f show only slight staining or no staining . however , as indicated by the data in table 2 , the rubber compositions e or f are relatively less adhesive to the rubber compositions a and b . even when layers made of such rubber compositions e to f are caused to adhere to layers made of the rubber composition a or b , the possibility of separation during use is thus high . when , however , the rubber compositions of the two layers to be adhered to each other each contains an adequate amount of at least one rubber having a low degree of unsaturation ( in other words , when each composition contains at least one rubber having a high degree of unsaturation in an appropriate amount ), for example when , for the two neighboring layers to be adhered together , the high - unsaturation rubber content in the outside layer is adjusted to not less than 40 % of that in the inside layer , an adhesive strength of not less than 8 kg / cm width ( a standard value for the adhesive strength to be acceptable from the practical viewpoint ) can be attained , as shown in table 2 . the combinations shown below may be mentioned as preferred examples of the adhesive layer - inner layer - outer layer rubber composition combination for constructing three - layer sidewalls using the rubber compositions a to e . ( the rubber composition f , which has an excessively high low - unsaturation rubber content , has a low rubber strength and readily gets damaged , hence is not suited for practical use .) ______________________________________ ( 1 ) a - b - c ( 2 ) a - b - d ( 3 ) a - c - d ( 4 ) a - c - e ( 5 ) a - d - e ( 6 ) b - c - d ( 7 ) b - c - e ( 8 ) b - d - e______________________________________ now , referring to the drawing , one example of the radial tire according to the invention is described . fig1 schematically shows the structure of the so - called swot type tire . in the figure , the carcass ( 1 ) has a radial structure . a sidewall ( 2 ) is disposed on each side of carcass ( 1 ) in close connection therewith . the main portion ( 3 ) of sidewall ( 2 ) has a uniform thickness except for the letters and / or marks in relief . said sidewall ( 2 ) has a three - layer structure consisting of an adhesive layer ( 4 ) adjacent to carcass ( 1 ), an inner layer ( 5 ) disposed outwardly thereon and an outer layer ( 6 ) disposed further outwardly thereon . the upper end portion ( 7 ) of sidewall ( 2 ) is disposed on the side of the tread rubber ( 8 ) and is gradually tapering in thickness toward the upper end . the lower end portion ( 9 ) of the sidewall is tapering in thickness toward the lower end and is followed by the rim strip ( 10 ). the adhesive layer ( 4 ) each of main portion ( 3 ), upper end portion ( 7 ) and lower end portion ( 9 ) consists essentially of a rubber composition containing , as the rubber component thereof , 0 to 10 % by weight of at least one rubber having a low degree of unsaturation and 100 to 90 % by weight of at least one rubber having a high degree of unsaturation . the inner layer ( 5 ) of main portion ( 3 ), upper end portion ( 7 ) and lower end portion ( 9 ) consists essentially of a rubber composition containing , as the rubber component thereof , 10 to 50 % by weight of at least one rubber having a low degree of unsaturation and 90 to 50 % by weight of at least one rubber having a high degree of unsaturation . the outer layer ( 6 ) of main portion ( 3 ), upper end portion ( 7 ) and lower end portion ( 9 ) consists essentially of a rubber composition containing , as the rubber component thereof , 30 to 70 % by weight of at least one rubber having a low degree of unsaturation and 70 to 30 % by weight of at least one rubber having a high degree of unsaturation . since , as mentioned above , the adhesive layer ( 4 ) of the sidewall is in contact with tread rubber ( 8 ), carcass ( 1 ) and rim strip ( 10 ), the content of the rubber or rubbers having a low degree of unsaturation in the rubber component for said adhesive layer should be not more than 10 % by weight . the tread rubber ( 8 ) is made of a rubber composition containing at least one rubber having a high degree of unsaturation as in the prior art . since , however , it is reinforced with hard carbon black , which has good reinforcing effect , and accordingly has poor adhesiveness , it is preferable to dispose a tread side rubber ( 11 ), which is made of a rubber composition similar to the rubber composition of adhesive layer ( 4 ), on the side face of tread rubber ( 8 ) by the coextrusion technique by using a dual extruder and to thereby increase the adhesion to the sidewall . for the purpose of demonstrating the utility of the radial tire according to the invention , sample tires for passenger cars were produced in which the rubber composition b defined above in table 1 was used for constructing the adhesive layer ( 4 ) of sidewall ( 2 ), the rubber composition c defined in table 1 for constituting the inner layer ( 5 ) and the rubber composition d for constituting the outer layer ( 6 ). for comparison , control tires of the conventional construction were produced in which the rubber composition a defined in table 1 was used to construct single - layer sidewalls . these tires were allowed to stand under the eaves with a southern exposure in a condition protected from rainwater and exposed to sunlight for one month and then examined for sidewall staining . the tires according to the invention did not show any blooming , staining or cracks . on the contrary , the control tires showed the occurrence of blooming on the side surface although no cracks were observed . the area of blooming had a red brown color , spoiling the appearance of the tires to a remarkable extent . after exposure to sunlight , the tires were subjected to a drum test under the endurance test conditions described in the federal motor vehicle safety standards fmvss 109 . the tires according to the invention as well as the control tires met the relevant requirements . | 8 |
referring now to fig1 a dryer section of the serpentine or unifelt type with which my suction transfer device is especially adapted to be used is indicated generally by the reference character 10 . the unit 10 is adapted to receive a paper web 14 from the last press roll 12 at the wet end of the web forming section of the paper machine . the paper web is received by the dryer unit fabric or felt 16 in the region of a suction roll 18 . from the suction roll 18 the fabric 16 passes to a baby dryer 20 and then around the first bottom dryer 22 from which it extends around the first top dryer 24 and then around the second bottom dryer 26 . upper return rolls 28 and 30 and a lower return roll 32 guide the fabric 16 back to the suction roll 18 . by way of illustration i have shown the fabric 16 as a double line in fig1 and have shown the paper web 14 as a broken line . it will readily be appreciated that there are as many dryer sections following that illustrated as are necessary to effect complete drying of the web . as can be seen from fig1 and has been pointed out hereinabove over the distance from the suction roll 18 to the baby dryer 20 , the paper web 14 is outside of and below the felt 16 . at this point the paper begins to delaminate from the fabric , the problem being particularly severe in the case of &# 34 ; fine papers &# 34 ; such as writing papers which are light in weight and which are very full in the sense that they have very little porosity . such papers are very weak when they come out of the press section of the machine . my suction transfer device indicated generally by the reference character 34 which is disposed just above the felt 16 in the transfer region between the suction roll 18 and the baby dryer 20 overcomes the problem pointed out hereinabove in connection with high speed operation of the dryer . referring now to fig2 and 3 of the drawings , my suction transfer device 34 is divided into a center section 36 and side sections 38 and 40 . a top plate 42 common to all of the sections extends between respective side wall 44 and 46 . respective front and back walls 48 and 50 extend across the front and back of the unit 34 . i dispose a transverse partition 52 across the unit slightly spaced behind the front wall 48 . a center section bottom wall 54 closes the bottom of the center section while respective end section bottom walls 56 and 58 close the bottoms of the end sections . i provide the unit 34 with a plurality of stiffeners 60 spaced across the unit . a rear brace 62 extending across the device adds to its rigidity . it is to be understood that i form the entire structure of the device 34 so as to provide a high degree of rigidity , much in the manner of an aircraft wing . it will be appreciated that the device spans 300 or more inches and deflection should be minimized so that there will be close contact with the felt 16 at all points . i mount a blank 66 in the center of the space between wall 48 and the partition 52 to divide the space into two suction chambers from which respective ducts 68 and 70 lead . individual exhaust fans 72 and 74 may be employed . it will readily be appreciated , of course , that any other suitable system may be provided for drawing air from the ducts 68 and 70 . as can best be seen by reference to fig5 we provide the portion of the partition 52 associated with each of the side sections 38 and 40 with a plurality of perforations 76 through which air can be drawn . further , as can best be seen by reference to fig2 and 4 , we provide the bottom walls 56 and 58 with a plurality of groups of perforations 78 through which air can be drawn from below the unit 34 into the side sections 38 and 34 and thence outwardly through the ducts 68 and 70 . it is to be noted that further , we provide each of the side section bottom walls with a plurality of undulations 80 extending in a direction across the felt 16 . the groups of perforations 78 are at the crests of the undulations 80 as viewed from above . i provide the device 34 with a first or upper seal 82 extending across the entire width of the felt at a location at which it returns to the roll 18 . a bracket 84 adjustably mounts the seal 82 on the front wall 48 . a second seal 86 extending across the entire width of the felt 16 at a location at which it leaves the roll 18 is carried by a bracket 88 which adjustably secures the seal on the assembly 34 . i provide each of the side sections 38 and 40 with respective edge seals 90 extending in the direction of movement of the web 16 . brackets 92 adjustably mount the seals 90 on the unit 34 . each of the side sections 38 and 40 also is provided with an end edge seal 94 carried by a bracket 96 which adjustably supports the seal on the unit . from the description just given it will be seen that the entire periphery of each of the side sections 38 and 40 below the associated bottom plates 56 and 58 is sealed to the surface of the felt 16 . preferably the seals 82 , 86 , 90 and 94 do not contact the felt but leave a gap of 1 / 8 inch , for example , between the edge of the seal and the felt . moreover , while the entry to the center section below plate 54 is sealed by the seal 86 , the exit of the center section below plate 54 and between seals 94 is open . thus , the two side sections 36 and 38 are what might be termed &# 34 ; active &# 34 ; sections relative to the center section . these two side sections are approximately 18 inches wide . it has been found that in the usual installation a negative pressure of between about 1 / 4 to 1 / 2 static pressure h 2 o column is satisfactory for each of the side sections . it is to be noted that the groups of perforations 78 in the bottom walls 56 and 58 are located in crests of the undulations 80 as viewed from the top of the device . this arrangement ensures that the negative pressure is distributed as evenly as possible over these active side sections . these undulations diffuse the suction pressure since the velocity through the perforations 78 can be fairly high and a preferential effect in the area of the perforations is undesirable . the undulations 80 also provide additional structural strength at points where maximum stresses will be found . it will be appreciated of course that flat perforated plates could be used in place of the undulating plates . as can be seen from fig3 and 4 , the bottom plate 54 of the center section diverges outwardly from the plane of the felt 16 going from the entrance to the exit of the device 34 . this plate causes the felt to develop a very slight negative pressure below the plate as a result of its velocity in travelling past the plate . that is to say , as the air is carried downwardly with the felt to a larger area it expands so as to develop a very slight negative pressure . this pressure is of the order of 1 / 100th of an inch of water of negative pressure . while it is very small , it is sufficient to keep &# 34 ; pucker - like &# 34 ; wrinkles out of the web . preferably the center bottom plate 54 is at least partially perforated with the space thereabove connected to a source of negative pressure . it will readily be appreciated that the device 34 is located outside of the dryer hood . owing to the fact that there may be a great deal of moisture in the region of the device the possibility exists that condensation on parts of the device 34 could result in dripping on the web with the consequent damage thereto . in order to obviate such a possibility , i provide the device 34 with a heating system including an inlet line 98 connected to a suitable source of low pressure steam ( not shown ). the inlet pipe 98 leads to a distributor 100 which feeds a plurality of branch lines 102 respectively associated with the portions of the device 34 between adjacent stiffeners 60 . condensation from the branch pipes 102 flows into a drain line 104 which leads to a suitable disposal area . it is to be noted that in the form of my suction transfer device illustrated in fig1 to 5 , the respective exhaust pipes 68 and 70 , together with extensions at the ends of the drain pipes 104 , not only perform the functions described above , but also provide a means by which my transfer device is readily supported in operative position on the paper machine frame . preferably , i provide my vacuum transfer device 34 with means for automatically regulating the vacuum within the active side sections 38 and 40 . referring to fig4 by way of example , i locate a pressure sensing device 106 of any suitable type known to the art within the section 38 above the bottom wall 56 . the sensor 106 is adapted to put out an electrical or pneumatic signal which is the measure of the pressure within this section 38 above the bottom wall 56 . i feed this signal to a suitable controller 108 which regulates the exhaust fan 72 to maintain the pressure at the desired value . referring now to fig6 as an alternative to using the relatively cumbersome air exhaust system illustrated in fig1 to 5 of the drawings , i may employ an injection device indicated generally by a reference character 108 . this device 108 may , for example , be screwed into a suitable fitting 110 mounted on the end wall 50 at the trailing end of each of the sections 38 and 40 . the device 108 includes an annular chamber 112 having an annular output 114 opening toward an outlet opening 116 in the wall 50 . compressed air may be fed to the chamber 112 through a pipe 120 under the control of the valve 122 . this compressed air passes outwardly through the openings 114 and 116 . in so doing it draws air from within the section through the opening 118 surrounded by the annular chamber 112 . the result is a slight negative pressure within the section 38 or 40 . a sensor 124 may control the value 122 so as to produce the desired negative pressure . it will be seen that i have accomplished the objects of my invention . i have provided a suction transfer device for use with a high speed paper dryer . my device is especially adapted for use in a machine employing a serpentine or unifelt dryer configuration . my transfer device is readily adapted to existing dryers . it will be understood that certain features and subcombinations are of utility and may be employed without reference to other features and subcombinations . this is contemplated by and is within the scope of my claims . it is further obvious that various changes may be made in details within the scope of my claims without departing from the spirit of my invention . it is , therefore , to be understood that my invention is not to be limited to the specific details shown and described . | 3 |
referring to fig1 a and 1b of the accompanying drawings , there is shown a glass - making furnace 1 having a crown 2 and containing molten glass 3 . the crown 2 of the furnace 1 supports a cylinder 4 through which heated glass batch and flame are fed into the interior of the furnace . waste gases from the furnace 1 exit through a vertical duct 5 and are drawn through upper part of heat exchanger 6 , ducting 17 , upper part of heat exchanger 7 and further ducting 18 by a fan 19 to the base of a chimney stack 8 through which the waste gases are vented to atmosphere after suitable filtration . the heat exchangers 6 and 7 each comprise a moving pebble bed regenerator based on the pebble bed heater described by c . l . norton jr . in the journal of the american ceramic society , volume 29 , ( 1946 ) no . 7 , pages 187 - 193 . the pebble bed regenerators 6 and 7 may be additionally used to remove oxides of nitrogen ( no x ) and oxides of sulphur ( so x ) by addition of ammoniacal water and alkali respectively , as described in my co - pending international patent application no . pct / gb 89 / 01361 . however , by use of the preferred method in accordance with the present invention , the quantities of no x produced on combustion may be so small that a special treatment with ammoniacal water to remove no x from the waste gases may not be required . air from ambient atmosphere is drawn by a fan 9 through a lower part of pebble bed regenerator 7 and thereafter through a lower part of pebble bed regenerator 6 so that the air acquires heat in the pebble bed regenerators 7 and 6 . the air is heated during its passage through the pebble bed regenerators 7 and 6 by taking heat from the heated pebbles moving under gravity in those pebble bed regenerators so that the air is heated to a temperature of the order of 1200 ° c . the heated air is then fed through ducts 10 and 11 and down a vertical cylinder 12 , which is concentric with cylinder 4 above the crown of furnace 1 . an infra - sound generator 13 generates sound waves at a frequency of 15 - 20 cycles per second at a level of the order of 140 decibels , and these sound waves are passed directly down the cylinder 12 , through a wider cylinder 20 , and further through cylinder 4 into the interior of the furnace 1 where the sound waves are reflected from the surface of the molten glass 3 . a glass batch in powder form is fed from a hopper 14 through a channel 15 into the heated air in the wider cylinder 20 . the particles of glass batch so introduced are in suspension in the heated air which is being vibrated in the wider cylinder 20 by the action of the infra - sound . the infra - sound causes a vibrational relative movement between the heated air and the particles of powdered glass batch . an enhanced heat transfer between the hot airstream and the powdered glass batch is thus effected and the temperature of the heated air is reduced to a temperature in the range of 500 ° c . to 600 ° c . accordingly much of the waste heat recovered from the glass - melting furnace is transferred to the glass batch before any fuel is added . the lowering of the temperature of the heated air as a result of this heat transfer results in a lowering of the temperature of the furnace waste gases and therefore a lowering of the propensity of the air to produce no x as will be discussed later in relation to fig2 of the accompanying drawings . the partially heated glass batch passes downwardly from cylinder 20 to cylinder 4 , into which fuel , for example gas or oil , is injected vertically downwardly through vertical inlets in a part 16 , which surrounds the lower end of cylinder 20 and enables fuel to be injected to mix with the air and glass batch passing through cylinder 4 where the fuel ignites . as the glass batch passes down through cylinder 4 , the burning fuel in cylinder 4 raises the temperature of the glass batch substantially to the melting temperature of the components of the glass batch and the flame and heated batch both contact the surface of molten glass 3 in the furnace 1 . the direct flame contact upon thinly distributed batch on the hot molten surface in the furnace 1 encourages melting and maturing of the batch into hot molten glass . in operation of a furnace as described above , in which the batch was a mixture of flyash and limestone which was difficult to melt , an output of 24 tonnes per day of glass was obtained from a batch area of 7 m 2 in the furnace , when the furnace was operating on cold air and the melting point of the glass was 1440 ° c . the constitution of the final glass was the balance being fe 2 o 3 , tio 2 , a little alkali etc . reference is now made to fig2 of the accompanying drawings , which is a graph showing the relationship between the production of nitrogen oxides ( no x ) upon gaseous combustion in pre - heated air and the temperature of the pre - heated air when the fuel is introduced and combustion is commenced . the graph of fig2 shows that the rate of no x production in the presence of fossil fuels , gas or oil is low when the preheat temperature of the air is below 700 ° c . above 700 ° c . the rate of no x production increases very significantly and from 800 ° c . upwards the rate of no x production escalates at a rapid rate . typically on conventional furnaces , fuel is introduced into air pre - heated to a temperature in a range of about 1000 °- 1100 ° c . as indicated by arrows c , d in fig2 which results in the production of no x to an extent of about 2000 ppm of no x per cubic foot of waste gas . however , by the use of the method according to the present invention as described with reference to fig1 a and 1b , the pre - heat temperature of the air is reduced to be within the range of 500 °- 600 ° c . as indicated by arrows e and f in fig2 and the amount of no x produced is only of the order of 300 ppm of no x per cubic foot of waste gas . in fig3 of the accompanying drawings there is shown diagrammatically an alternative apparatus for carrying out the method of the present invention using static bed heat regenerators for preheating the air . referring to fig3 there is shown a glass melting furnace 25 having a reaction tower 26 through which the furnace 25 is vertically fired and fed . tower 26 has upper and lower co - axial cylindrical sections and an infrasound generator 29 mounted to direct infrasound waves down the tower 26 . preferaby the sound waves have a frequency of 15 to 20 cycles per second and an energy level of 140 decibels . the infrasound waves are directed vertically down the tower 26 and reflected from the surface of molten glass 30 in the furnace 25 , to impart vertical vibrations to the gas in the tower 26 . powdered glass batch is fed intermittently and substantially axially into the top of the tower 26 as shown at 31 . heated air is also introduced substantially at the top of the upper section 27 of the tower 26 as shown at 32 . the heated air introduced at 32 is at a temperature of the order of 1200 ° c . and by virtue of the infrasound waves the molecules of the heated gas will be vibrated in the upper cylindrical section 27 of the tower 26 so that a good heat transfer from the hot air to the powdered glass batch introduced at 31 occurs in the upper cylindrical section 27 of the tower 26 . the temperature of the hot air is reduced to a temperature in the range 500 ° to 600 ° c . by the time the pre - heated glass batch reaches the junction between the upper and lower cylindrical sections 27 and 28 immediately below which the fuel , which may be oil or gas , is introduced into the wider lower cylindrical section 28 of the tower 26 . the resulting combustion in the lower cylindrical section 28 raises the temperature of the glass batch substantially to the melting temperatures of the components of the batch and the heated glass batch drops fall on the surface of the molten glass 30 . the flame from the combustion in the lower cylindrical section 28 also impinges on the surface of the molten glass 30 and fans out over the surface of the molten glass 30 ensuring full melting of the glass batch components and maturing of the glass of the desired composition which is recovered from the furnace through feeder tube 33 . in the apparatus of fig3 the hot air is ambient air heated by waste gases from the furnace using static regenerator beds 34 and 35 . waste gases are taken from the furnace 25 as shown at 36 and fed alternatively to static bed regenerator 34 or static bed regenerator 35 according to the position of valves v1 and v2 . in the position illustrated in fig3 valve v1 is closed and valve v2 is open , so that the waste gases can pass to the top of regenerator bed 35 but cannot enter regenerator bed 34 . fan 37 is therefore able to draw the hot waste gases through open valve v2 , regenerator bed 35 and open valve v6 , after which the waste gases are passed to a chimney ( not shown ) for discharge into the atmosphere after suitable filtration . regenerator bed 35 is thus in the waste gas receiving part of its cycle , whereas regenerator bed 34 , as will now be described , is in the air delivery part of its cycle . air from the atmosphere is drawn under the influence of a fan 38 through ducts to feed either valve v7 or valve v8 . in the operating position of the apparatus shown in fig3 where waste gases are heating regenerator bed 35 , valve v8 is closed and air drawn from the atmosphere by fan 38 passes through open valve v7 into the base of regenerator bed 34 which was heated by furnace waste gases in the immediately preceding waste gas receiving part of its cycle . the air passes through regenerator bed 34 and is removed from the upper part of that bed 34 through open valve v3 and fed to the top of the upper cylindrical section 27 of the reaction tower 26 at 32 as previously described . the positions of all of the valves v1 to v8 are reversed from the closed to the open or the open to the closed position at regular intervals of between 15 seconds and 3 minutes depending on the size of the regenerator beds 34 and 35 , in order to maintain both regenerator beds 34 and 35 at maximum temperature . when a reversal of the regenerator system is to be made the operating conditions of the valves are changed in the following order . first , valves v2 and v6 are closed and valves v8 and v4 are opened . these valve changes stop the introduction of waste gases into regenerator bed 35 and allow atmospheric air drawn into the system by fan 38 to be passed through valve v8 , heated regenerator bed 35 and valve v4 to the line or ducting 32 and the upper end of upper cylindrical section 27 of the reaction tower 26 . at this instant heated gas is being supplied to the upper cylindrical section 27 of the reaction tower 26 through both regenerator beds 34 and 35 . once the flow of heated air to the reaction tower 26 through regenerator bed 35 has been established , the operating conditions of valves v3 , v7 , v5 and v1 are changed so that valves v3 and v7 become closed and valves v5 and v1 are opened . waste gases received from the furnace through line or ducting 36 are now directed into the top of the regenerator bed 34 and drawn by fan 37 through regenerator bed 34 before being passed to the chimney for discharge . the operation of the valve as described ensures that there is always a flow of hot air to the reaction tower 26 . the static regenerator beds 34 and 35 may consist of refractory or metal balls of 19 mm diameter . the bed material which in this example consists of the 19 mm balls can be discharged intermittently for cleaning , and replaced by clean balls fed into the beds under gravity . in operation of the apparatus of fig3 in a method in which glass is melted at 1440 ° c ., waste gases at about 1300 ° c . are passed through the regenerator bed 34 or 35 which is in the waste gas receiving part of its cycle , and the relevant bed is heated near to this temperature . during the succeeding air delivery part of the cycle of that regenerator bed , atmospheric air to be used for combustion is heated to a temperature of the order of 1200 ° c ., a heat transfer from waste gases to combustion air in excess of 90 % being achieved . by the use of the apparatus of fig3 in which the upper cylindrical section 27 of reaction tower 26 allows time between the point where the glass batch is mixed with the heated combustion air introduced at 32 and the point where fuel is added at the top of lower cylindrical section 28 , the glass is preheated at the expense of the heat contained in the combustion air introduced at 32 . in consequence the temperature of the combustion air is reduced to a temperature below 700 ° c . before the fuel is added , and the quantity of no x which results from the introduction of the fuel and the consequent combustion is also reduced to the order of 300 ppm of the waste gas as explained above with reference to fig2 . | 2 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[ 0079 ] fig1 is a block diagram representing a supercritical resist development apparatus according to the present invention . a supercritical carbon dioxide container 3 filled with supercritical carbon dioxide 13 at a pressure of 20 mpa and a temperature of 40 degrees celsius is connected through a valve 4 to the development processing chamber 1 controlled to have a temperature of 30 degrees celsius . after a resist substrate 5 coated with exposed fluorine - containing polymeric material has been installed in the substrate holder 6 inside the development processing chamber 1 , the development processing chamber 1 is enclosed with a cover 2 . the valves 4 , 8 , 11 , 12 and 23 connected to the development processing chamber 1 are closed and a valve 20 connected to the high pressure carbon dioxide gas container 10 is opened . when the siphon - based liquid carbon dioxide container 9 is controlled to 25 degrees celsius by the temperature regulator 22 , the internal pressure can be set to 6 mpa because of the characteristics of carbon dioxide . if the valve 8 is opened , liquid carbon dioxide 14 is introduced into the development processing chamber 1 from the siphon - based liquid carbon dioxide container 9 . if the pressure of the development processing chamber 1 has reached the same pressure of the siphon - based liquid carbon dioxide container 9 , the valve 8 is closed . since the development processing chamber 1 is controlled to 36 degrees celsius , the liquid carbon dioxide introduced is turned into gas because of the characteristics , and the development processing chamber is filled with gas carbon dioxide having a pressure of 6 mpa and a temperature of 36 degrees celsius . the supercritical carbon dioxide container 3 filled with supercritical carbon dioxide 13 having a temperature of 40 degrees celsius and a pressure of 20 mpa is connected to the development processing chamber 1 through a valve 4 . when the valve 4 is opened , the supercritical carbon dioxide 13 is introduced into the development processing chamber 1 and the development processing chamber 1 is filled with supercritical carbon dioxide having a pressure of 14 mpa and a temperature of 38 degrees celsius , thereby allowing the development of the resist substrate 5 to be started . when the pressure of the development processing chamber 1 has become equal to that of the supercritical carbon dioxide container 3 , the valve 4 is closed . in this case , even if supercritical carbon dioxide filling the development processing chamber 1 has dissolved the resist , solubility is kept constant without changing . accordingly , the valve 8 has opened , and the liquid carbon dioxide 14 is pumped into the development processing chamber 1 by the high pressure force supply pump 7 at the rate of 50 ml per minute . the liquid carbon dioxide introduced into the development processing chamber 1 is turned into supercritical state by heat transfer and is mixed with supercritical carbon dioxide filling the development processing chamber 1 . the valve 12 opens concurrently as the pumping of liquid carbon dioxide has started the high pressure force supply pump 7 . when liquid carbon dioxide is pumped by the high pressure force supply pump 7 , the pressure of the development processing chamber 1 is boosted . however , it is discharged by the back pressure regulator 33 set at 14 mpa , and the development processing chamber 1 is held to a set pressure of 14 mpa . after liquid carbon dioxide has been pumped by the high pressure force supply pump 7 for 200 seconds , the valve 8 is closed to discontinue pumping . to discontinue development , the state of carbon dioxide filling the development processing chamber 1 is changed into gas . the high pressure carbon dioxide gas container 10 filling the carbon dioxide gas 15 having a temperature of 36 degrees celsius and a pressure of 4 mpa is connected to the development processing chamber 1 through the valve 11 . when the valve 11 is opened for a short time , supercritical carbon dioxide filling the development processing chamber 1 is discharged into the high pressure carbon dioxide gas container 10 . supercritical carbon dioxide filling the development processing chamber 1 is changed into gas having a pressure of 6 mpa and a temperature of 35 degrees celsius , whereby development is stopped . in this case , the pressure of the high pressure carbon dioxide gas container 10 is boosted by the supercritical carbon dioxide introduced , but the gas is discharged from the back pressure regulator 26 and the pressure is maintained to 4 mpa . when development has been discontinued , the carbon dioxide filling the development processing chamber 1 is discharged . the valve 23 is opened to discharge carbon dioxide from the pressure control valve 24 . when it is discharged , the development processing chamber is controlled to a temperature of 36 degrees celsius above the critical temperature in such a way that carbon dioxide filling the development processing chamber 1 is not be liquefied . when the pressure in the development processing chamber 1 has reached the atmospheric pressure , the development processing chamber cover 2 is opened to take out the resist substrate 5 . [ 0087 ] fig4 is a cross section representing part of the configuration of a resist development apparatus for filling the supercritical carbon dioxide container with supercritical carbon dioxide , according to the present invention . the supercritical carbon dioxide container 3 is controlled to 20 degrees celsius by a temperature regulator 27 . a siphon - based liquid carbon dioxide container 30 is installed separately from the siphon - based liquid carbon dioxide container 9 given in fig1 . the temperature is controlled to about 25 degrees celsius by a temperature regulator 32 . when valves 4 and 18 are closed and valve 19 is opened , the liquid carbon dioxide 31 is introduced into the supercritical carbon dioxide container 3 . when the pressure of liquid carbon dioxide container 30 has become equal to that of the supercritical carbon dioxide container 3 , the valve 18 is opened and the liquid carbon dioxide 31 is pumped into the supercritical carbon dioxide container 3 by a high pressure force supply pump 29 . concurrently as pumping of the high pressure force supply pump 29 has started , the supercritical carbon dioxide container 3 is controlled to 40 degrees celsius by the temperature regulator 27 , whereby the liquid carbon dioxide introduced in the supercritical carbon dioxide container 3 is changed into supercritical carbon dioxide 13 . the pressure is kept at 20 mpa by the back pressure regulator 25 . when the carbon dioxide filling the supercritical carbon dioxide container 3 has reached a pressure of 20 mpa and a temperature of 40 degrees celsius , filling operation terminates . the siphon - based liquid carbon dioxide container 30 is installed separately from the siphon - based liquid carbon dioxide container 9 given in fig1 and can be connected through the high pressure force supply pump 7 of the siphon - based liquid carbon dioxide container 9 . [ 0088 ] fig5 is a cross sectional view representing a part of the configuration of a resist development apparatus for filling the supercritical carbon dioxide gas container with supercritical carbon dioxide gas , according to the present invention . when the valve 21 is opened , carbon dioxide gas 36 is introduced until the pressures of liquid carbon dioxide container 34 and high pressure carbon dioxide gas container 10 are equal to each other . for the liquid carbon dioxide container 34 , carbon dioxide gas introduced in excess of the set pressure of 4 mpa is discharged from the back pressure regulator 26 by opening the valve 20 and the pressure is kept at 4 mpa . the liquid carbon dioxide container 34 is installed separately from the liquid carbon dioxide container 9 given in fig1 and can be connected to the gaseous portion of the liquid carbon dioxide container 9 . [ 0089 ] fig6 is a schematic diagram representing the state of carbon dioxide filling the development processing chamber during resist development by the resist development apparatus according to the present invention for filling the liquid carbon dioxide container with liquid carbon dioxide . during development , liquid carbon dioxide 14 is pumped into the development processing chamber 1 from the liquid carbon dioxide inlet 39 by the high pressure force supply pump 7 . immediately after introduction , it remains in the bottom of the development processing chamber in the liquid form . if the resist substrate holder is configured in a flat plate shape as shown in fig7 the resist substrate 5 is immersed in liquid carbon dioxide 38 , and development out of control will occur . to prevent the resist substrate 5 from being immersed in liquid carbon dioxide 38 , the resist substrate holder 6 is shaped in a cut form , as shown in fig6 . [ 0090 ] fig3 is a diagram representing the temperature state of carbon dioxide in the development processing chamber in this case . development is started by opening the valve 4 , and is stopped by opening the valve 11 . as described above , supercritical carbon dioxide is introduced into the development processing chamber and development is carried out . when development is discontinued , the supercritical carbon dioxide is discharged in the gaseous form , whereby gaseous state is created in the development processing chamber , and development is stopped . to be more specific , much time is required to convert liquid carbon dioxide in supercritical carbon dioxide by heating the development processing chamber , as shown in fig2 . this gives rise to the time of development out of control . according to the present embodiment , however , such time hardly occurs . to put it another way , such time is minimized , and accurate setting of the development time is ensured according to the present embodiment , whereby the optimum development result can be obtained . according to the present embodiment , minute resist development can be controlled under the optimum resist development conditions by using the supercritical fluid such as carbon dioxide . especially , this allows time control of the solubility of supercritical fluid used for development , thereby providing development results free from variations . as described above , the resist substrate coated with resist soluble in carbon dioxide such as fluorine - containing polymeric material after having been exposed can be developed by supercritical carbon dioxide . at the same time , use of a waste processing facility is eliminated since no chemical solution is used in the step of development processing . further , as shown in the present embodiment , no chemical solution is used in the development and rinsing steps . this eliminates the need of using a prior art drying process , and avoids minute pattern collapse — a problem in the drying process . further , in the aforementioned step of development processing according to the prior art , a plurality of processing facilities are required in each step of cleaning and drying at least in the subsequent process . by contrast , the present embodiment allows simultaneous processing of development , cleaning and drying to be performed by one and the same development processor . according to the present invention , a plurality of large - diameter resist substrates having a diameter of 200 mm and more can be developed simultaneously under the optimum resist development conditions , using supercritical fluid such as carbon dioxide . especially the present invention provides time control of the solubility of the supercritical fluid used for development , and allows precise setting of development conditions . as described above , the resist substrate coated with resist soluble in carbon dioxide such as fluorine - containing polymeric material after having been exposed can be developed by supercritical carbon dioxide . at the same time , use of a waste processing facility is eliminated since no chemical solution is used in the step of development processing . further , according to the present invention , no chemical solution is used in the development and rinsing steps . this eliminates the need of using a prior art drying process , and avoids minute pattern collapse — a problem in the drying process . further , in the aforementioned step of development processing according to the prior art , a plurality of processing facilities are required in each step . by contrast , the present invention uses only one apparatus to handle these jobs . | 6 |
in fig3 an actuator device 10 has the general structure described with reference to fig1 and 2 , and further comprises a platform 12 integrated in a position - control structure 11 arranged between the gimbal 8 and the slider 6 . the position - control structure 11 is formed by a chip micromachined according to micromachining techniques used in the micro - electronics industry . the platform 12 is suspended , by suspension arms ( also referred to as spring elements ) 13 a , 13 b , to a load - bearing structure 14 and is made to rotate about two orthogonal axes x and y to roll and pitch . the platform 12 , of electrically conductive material or at least provided with conductive regions , is controlled by electrodes 15 ( fig4 ) arranged underneath the platform 12 and selectively biased by a control circuit 16 that forms part of a signal - processing device ( not shown ) fixed to the motherboard of a personal computer or other apparatus comprising hard disks for data storage , or else directly to the board of the hard disk . the control circuit 16 , operating in closed - loop on the basis of information on the position and / or movement of the suspension 5 and represented only schematically in fig3 controls attraction or release of the platform 12 towards or from an electrode 15 or two adjacent electrodes 15 , and thus the desired rotation , as explained hereinafter . as shown in detail in fig4 - 8 , the platform 12 is formed in a structural layer of doped polycrystalline silicon that extends on top of a substrate 19 of semiconductor material , for example monocrystalline silicon , and is insulated from the latter by an intermediate region 20 , of insulating material . in detail , as may be better seen from the cross - sectional views of fig6 - 8 , the intermediate region 20 comprises an insulating layer 21 , for example of silicon dioxide , which completely covers the substrate 19 , insulating it electrically from the overlying structure , and an insulating region 22 , also , for instance , of silicon dioxide . the insulating region 22 extends only on the periphery of the position - control structure 11 on top of the insulating layer 21 and surrounds an air gap 29 , obtained by removing a sacrificial layer ( which forms also the insulating region 22 ) so as to enable freeing of the mobile structure and formation of the through electrical connections . the platform 12 ( see in particular fig3 - 5 ) has a rectangular shape , is surrounded by a first trench 24 and is connected to an intermediate frame 25 by a first pair of spring elements 13 a that traverse the first trench 24 and extend along the axis x ( roll axis ). the intermediate frame 25 is surrounded by a second trench 27 and is connected to an outer frame 28 ( belonging to the load - bearing structure 14 ) by a second pair of spring elements 13 b that traverse the second trench 27 and extend along the axis y ( pitch axis ) perpendicular to the axis x . the second pair of spring elements 13 b is thus in phase opposition to the first pair of spring elements 13 a . as may be clearly seen in fig6 - 8 , the platform 12 , the first pair 13 a and second pair 13 b of spring elements , the intermediate frame 25 and the outer frame 28 are all formed in the same structural layer 18 . in addition , as shown in fig6 and 7 , the air gap 29 extends underneath the platform 12 , the first and second pairs of spring elements 13 a , 13 b , and the intermediate frame 25 . the electrodes 15 are formed by regions of doped polycrystalline silicon , on top of the insulating layer 21 , below the platform 12 , underneath the air gap 29 . in particular , as may be seen in fig4 which shows a top plan view of the position - control structure from which the slider 6 and the regions formed on top of the structural layer 18 ( and described hereinafter ) have been removed , there are four electrodes 15 , which have a rectangular shape and are arranged adjacent in pairs , as four quadrants of a square , so as to cover almost entirely the area defined by the platform 12 , the first trench 24 , the intermediate frame 25 , and a big portion of the second trench 27 . each electrode 15 is moreover connected to a respective biasing line 30 , also of polycrystalline silicon and extending on top of the insulating layer 21 ( fig7 and 8 ), underneath the insulating region 22 and the outer frame 28 . the biasing lines 30 are connected to through regions 31 ( which extend in the outer frame 28 on one side 28 a of the latter facing the connection portion 8 b of the plate 8 a — fig3 ) through connection portions 32 that pass through the insulating region 22 , as shown in detail in fig7 . the through regions 31 are electrically insulated from the remainder of the outer frame 28 by trench insulation . a protective layer 36 , for example of silicon dioxide , extends above the platform 12 , the pairs of spring elements 13 a , 13 b , the intermediate frame 25 and the outer frame 28 ; metal lines 37 and pads 38 a , 38 b , 38 c , 38 d are formed on top of the protective layer 36 . in detail , four first pads 38 a are formed on the platform 12 , in proximity of the slider 6 , to be connected to corresponding pads 39 ( fig3 ) formed on the slider 6 and electrically connected to a head 44 ( magneto - resistive or inductive — not illustrated ) which forms a reading and writing device . four metal lines extend from the four first pads 38 a and extend , in pairs , above the first spring elements 13 , above the intermediate frame 25 , above the second spring elements 13 b , and above the outer frame 28 as far as the side 28 a of the latter , where the metal lines are connected to respective four second pads 38 b . moreover four third pads 38 c extend on the side 28 a of the outer frame 28 , above and in direct electrical contact with the through regions 31 ; to this aim , the protective layer 36 is here removed ( fig7 ). finally , a fourth pad 38 d is in direct electrical contact with the outer frame 28 , on the side 28 a thereof , for biasing the platform 12 through the outer frame 28 . of course , the protective layer 36 is removed also underneath the fourth pad , similarly to the third pads 38 c . the second pads 38 b , third pads 38 c and fourth pad 38 d are wire - connected to corresponding pads 40 formed on the plate 8 a ( fig3 ); electrical - connection lines 41 extend from plate 8 a along the suspension 5 , as far as the control circuit 16 . in practice , by applying a potential difference between a single electrode 15 or two adjacent electrodes 15 and the platform 12 it is possible to cause the platform 12 to rotate about the axes x and y . this is shown by way of example in fig9 and 10 , wherein the platform respectively performs a simple rotation about the axis x ( that passes through the first spring elements 13 a ) and about the axis y ( that passes through the spring elements 13 b ). of course , also a complex rotation about both the axes is possible . thereby , by measuring or detecting in a known way the torsions of the suspension 5 ( see , for example , data storage , october 1999 , “ design head positioning servos : changes ahead ”), it is possible to control a contrary and counterphase movement of the platform 12 so as to keep the slider 6 constantly in the correct reading / writing position . fig9 and 10 show two possible torsional modes of the platform 12 , and hence of the slider 6 . thereby , the r / w head 44 can operate continuously , without the need to inhibit reading / writing in order to enable resettlement of the system . initially , an insulating layer 21 , for example a thin - oxide layer , is deposited on top of the substrate 19 . then a polycrystalline silicon layer is deposited for a thickness of , for instance , 450 nm . the polycrystalline silicon layer is defined to form the electrodes 15 and the biasing lines 30 . a sacrificial layer ( designed to form the insulating region 22 ), for example of oxide and having a thickness of 2 μm , is deposited . the sacrificial layer is opened to form vias for electrical connection of the biasing lines 30 . an epitaxial layer ( structural layer 18 ) of silicon is grown , possibly after deposition of a silicon germ layer . the epitaxial layer , having a thickness of , for instance , 35 μm , moreover fills the vias , forming the connection portions 32 . next , the protective layer 36 is deposited and opened above the through regions 31 and where the fourth pad 38 d is to be formed . a metal layer is deposited and defined , so as to form the pads 38 a - 38 d and the metal lines 37 . a trench etch is then performed for defining the platform 12 , the spring elements 13 a , 13 b , the intermediate frame 25 and outer frame 28 . finally , the second insulating layer , where accessible , is removed through the trenches 24 , 27 that have just been formed , thus freeing the mobile structures and forming the air gap 29 . after separating the position - control structure 11 from the similar structures in the same wafer , the slider 6 is bonded , the position - control structure 11 is bonded to the plate 8 a , and soldering is carried out for electrical connection between the parts , in a known way . in the position - control structure 11 , the force that causes torsion of the platform 12 and is generated by the electrodes 15 can be calculated according to the following formula : where v is the potential difference applied between the selected electrodes and the platform , and dc / dx is the capacitance variation as a function of the gap variation ( distance between the electrodes and the platform ). the spring elements 13 a , 13 b undergo a torsion given by the equation where t = fb ; f is the force applied , given by eq . ( 1 ); b is the mean arm on which the force f is exerted , and is equal to the distance between the center of the biased electrode 15 or the centroid of the biased electrodes 15 and the considered spring element 13 a , 13 b ; l is the length of the spring element 13 a , 13 b ; g is the torsion modulus of polycrystalline silicon ; and j is the second polar moment of inertia . thereby , through the position - control structure 11 and the corresponding control circuitry 16 it is possible to adjust the position of the slider 6 ( and hence of the r / w head ) in a simple and accurate way , compensating the movements due to the vibration modes of the suspension 5 , and thus reducing off - track errors , without entailing any dead times . the described solution is simple and inexpensive and can be implemented using customary micromachining techniques . finally , it is clear that modifications and variations may be made to the device described herein without departing from the scope of the present invention . for example , although the invention has been described with particular reference to the problems of suspensions in actuators for hard disks , it is equally applicable to other situations where the angular position of a body carried by a suspension subject to undesired vibrations is to be electrostatically controlled . in addition , the invention is also applicable to optical - switching devices , where the platform 12 is coated with a metal layer that acts as a reflecting surface ( mirror ) for light beams and laser beams . in addition , the position - control structure can be applied also to hard disk actuators with two actuation stages , having a microactuator arranged between the platform 12 and the slider 6 , or formed inside the platform 12 and obtained by digging the structural layer 18 so as to define the stator region and rotor region of the microactuator . in addition , instead of electrically conductive material , the platform 12 may be of insulating material and may carry the conductive regions on its bottom surface or on its sides , for example metal regions that interact with the electrodes 15 . | 6 |
in accordance with various embodiments taught herein are single sideband edge enhancement volume holographic imaging systems that employ a phase filter to obtain phase contrast enhanced images from multiple depths within an object . an exemplary volume holographic imaging system can obtain contrast enhanced information from multiple depths within biological samples without scanning . an exemplary volume holographic imaging system enhances weak phase information of the displayed images which are from different depths within biological samples by introducing a phase filter at the plane conjugate to the volume holographic pupil during imaging . this enhances weak phase features from multiple depths . an exemplary volume holographic imaging system images the entire object volume in real time without electrical or mechanical scanning , and provides enhanced edge and phase information at all slices simultaneously . the volume holographic imaging system may be a microscope , spectroscope , endoscope , and the like and may be known as single sideband edge enhancement volume holographic microscope . a mouse colon placed in the exemplary imaging system as taught herein results in two - depth resolved images separated by approximately 50 μm simultaneously displayed on an imaging plane . with the exemplary volume hologram imaging method for weak phase enhancement , the exemplary system improves phase contrast of the object by up to 89 . 0 times over conventional vhm methods . fig1 illustrates an exemplary recording arrangement 100 for multiplexing holographic gratings , or recording multiple holographic gratings , within a volume hologram 124 using a source of electromagnetic radiation such as a collimated laser beam . a holographic grating may be created in a transmissive volume hologram by recording the interference pattern of two mutually coherent light beams . in an exemplary embodiment , a collimated laser beam , not shown , is split into a reference arm 115 and a signal arm 117 . a point source 120 along the reference arm 115 is formed by lens 116 . the point source 120 provides the source of electromagnetic radiation along the reference arm 115 which interferes with the signal arm 117 to record a grating in the multiplexed volume hologram 124 . more than one grating is formed in multiplexed volume hologram 124 by varying the position of the point source 120 in the reference arm , for example , by moving lens 116 while lens 118 stays fixed , between different exposures of electromagnetic radiation from the collimated laser beam . the nominal inter - beam angle θ is the angle between signal arm 117 and reference arm 115 at the volume hologram 124 surface and is changed by δθ between exposures . in some embodiments , the nominal inter - beam angle in air is 68 °, δθ is 1 °, and δz is 50 μm . in the same embodiment , the recording medium of volume hologram 124 is phenanthrenquinone doped poly methyl methacrylate ( pq - doped pmma ) and the collimated laser beam is an argon - ion ( ar + ) laser operating at a wavelength of approximately 488 nm . other materials may be used as a recording medium . by way of example , aprilis ulsh - 500 , linbo 3 including zn - doped linbo 3 and dupont photopolymers may be used as recording material . ( see atsushi sato et al , applied optics vol . 42 , pp . 778 - 784 , ( 2003 ), yasuo tomita et al , optics express vol . 14 , pp . 5773 - 5778 ( 2006 ), and raymond k . kostuk et al , applied optics vol . 38 , pp . 1357 - 1363 ( 1999 )). those skilled in the art will appreciate that each material has a range of sensitivity for recording and that another source of electromagnetic radiation with appropriate wavelength in the corresponding range of sensitivity may be used for recording . with proper fabrication , the multiplexed holographic gratings within a volume hologram can operate at wavelengths longer than the recording wavelength of signal arm 117 and reference arm 115 . ( see y . luo , p . j . gelsinger , j . k . barton , g . barbastathis , and r . k . kostuk , opt . lett . vol . 33 , 566 - 568 ( 2008 ) which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety ). in the same embodiment , the diffraction efficiencies of the two multiplexed gratings are approximately 40 % and approximately 35 %, the thickness of the pq - doped pmma recording material is approximately 1 . 5 mm , and the numerical apertures of lens 116 and lens 118 are 0 . 65 and 0 . 55 , respectively . fig2 illustrates an exemplary imaging system 200 which may be a ssee - vhm system as taught herein . the system 200 includes an optional source of electromagnetic radiation 201 , an objective lens 222 , the multiplexed volume hologram 124 , relay lenses 232 and 234 , a phase filter 236 , a collector lens 226 , and an imaging plane 240 . source 201 emits an electromagnetic field along signal arm 203 to object 210 . an objective lens 222 acts to collimate the optical field emitted or scattered from the object 210 . the collimated field passes through the multiplexed volume hologram 124 towards relay lenses 232 and 234 . the emitted holographic representation from the multiplexed volume hologram 124 is relayed by lenses 232 and 234 towards the knife filter 236 . the filtered representation from the knife filter 236 is collected by the collector lens 226 which projects images to the imaging plane 240 . in an exemplary embodiment , the multiplexed volume hologram 124 has two multiplexed gratings . each grating is bragg matched to a different two - dimensional ( 2d ) slices of the object 210 taken along the y - axis at first focal plane 212 and second focal plane 214 . thus , in the same embodiment , images of focal planes 212 and 214 are simultaneously projected by the system 200 to non - overlapping lateral locations , 242 and 244 , respectively , on the image plane 240 . the gratings are diffractive elements consisting of a periodic phase or absorption perturbation throughout the entire volume of the holographic element . when a beam of incident light satisfies the bragg phase matching condition it is diffracted by the periodic perturbation . those skilled in the art would appreciate that bragg matched refers to satisfying the bragg matching condition which occurs when the diffraction efficiency of a transmissive volume hologram is maximized . in an exemplary embodiment , the multiplexed volume hologram 124 is located at the fourier plane of the objective lens 222 . similarly , the imaging plane 240 is located at the fourier plane of the collector lens 226 . in the same embodiment , the distance f o is the distance between the second focal plane 214 and the objective lens 222 . those skilled in the art would appreciate that the grating within multiplexed volume hologram 124 that is bragged matched to the second focal plane 214 is located a distance of f o from the objective lens 222 . relatively positioned between the multiplexed volume hologram 124 and the collector lens 226 is a relay system composed of relay lenses 232 and 234 . phase filter 236 is located such that it images the pupil of the multiplexed volume hologram onto the front focal plane of the collector lens 226 . the distance f c is the distance between the phase filter 236 and the collector lens 226 , which is the same distance between the collector lens 226 and the imaging plane 240 . in exemplary embodiments , the source of electromagnetic radiation may be a plurality of coherent light sources , a broadband light source such as a dispersed white - light source with chromatic foci , a plurality of light emitting diodes or the like . the imaging plane 240 may be part of a charge couple device or camera which may be connected to or part of a computer , projector , or other such device . in some embodiments , the phase filter may be a knife edge filter , zernike filter , or the like . fig3 depicts an exemplary placement relationship of the relay system located between lenses 232 and 234 of the imaging system of fig2 . the relay system located between lenses 232 and 234 is a 4 - f telecentric system . the distance f r is the distance between the multiplexed volume hologram 124 and the relay lens 232 . the distance between the relay lenses 232 and 234 is two times the length of distance f r . the distance f r is also the distance between the relay lens 234 and the phase filter 236 . phase filter 236 is therefore located on the conjugate plane of the multiplexed volume hologram 124 relayed through the 4 - f telecentric relay system , i . e . on the 4 - f telecentric relay system &# 39 ; s fourier plane . the phase filter 236 eliminates all components to the one side of the dc component in the spatial frequency domain to achieve the single sideband edge enhancement method , as taught herein . the one - dimensional transmittance of the phase filter 236 at the fourier space is given in equation 1 as : where sgn is the signum function and sgn ( f y )= 1 at f y & gt ; 0 ; sgn ( f y )= 0 at f y = 0 ; sgn ( f y )=− 1 at f y & lt ; 0 . for a weak phase object , exp [ jφ ( y )]≈ 1 + jφ ( y ) where φ ( y ) is the phase in the y - direction . when a weak phase object is placed in the exemplary imaging system , the resultant image , centered at the appropriate transverse location on the image plane , can be written in equation 2 as : where i i is the irradiance distribution of the image and ft is the fourier transform . the hilbert transform reduces the dc component and significantly enhances the detection sensitivity of phase jumps or edges . this enhancement is observed in parallel at all the multiplexed focal planes ( slice - wise images from multiple depths within object 210 ) of the imaging system 200 . fig4 depicts an exemplary method of imaging an object defined in four - dimensional space and real time using an exemplary volume holographic imaging system as taught herein . in step 400 , multiplexed volume hologram 124 receives an optical field that has been scattered or emitted from the object 210 of interest . in some embodiments , the scattered or emitted optical field may be processed by one or more optical elements , such as the objective lens 222 , to focus the received optical field onto the volume hologram 124 . in step 410 , a grating within the multiplexed volume hologram 124 diffracts the received optical field into one or more plane beams . the plane beam is a holographic representation of a 2 - d slice of the object 210 taken at a plane within the object 210 that is bragg matched to the grating in the volume hologram 124 . in step 420 , the fourier transform of the plane beam is formed by the relay lenses 232 and 234 at an intermediate plane located at the phase filter 236 . in step 430 , the fourier transform of the plane beam is filtered by the phase filter 236 to a filtered fourier transform of the plane beam . in step 440 , the fourier transform of the plane beam diffracted from the phase filter 236 is projected onto an imaging plane 240 . in some embodiments , the volume hologram 124 has two or more gratings recorded therein . in the same embodiment , the number of 2 - d images that are simultaneously projected onto the imaging plane 240 in a non - overlapping manner corresponding to the number of gratings . advantageously , the multiple images are simultaneously projected to non - overlapping portions of the imaging plane . fig5 depicts a depth - resolved image of a mouse colon obtained using conventional vhm . fig6 depicts an arbitrarily zoomed - in section of the mouse colon of fig5 with interesting features visible in it . fig6 is the correspondingly noted portion of fig5 . fig7 depicts another arbitrarily zoomed - in section of the mouse colon of fig5 with interesting features visible in it . fig7 is also the correspondingly noted of fig5 . fig8 depicts a depth - resolved image of mouse colon obtained using the exemplary imaging system as taught herein . fig9 depicts a zoomed - in section of the mouse colon of fig8 corresponding to the zoomed - in section of the mouse colon of fig6 . fig1 depicts a zoomed - in section of the mouse colon of fig8 corresponding to the zoomed - in section of the mouse colon of fig7 . the images in fig5 - 8 were obtained by the same pq - doped pmma volume hologram with two multiplexed gratings , each grating imaging in parallel a different slice through the object : one slice just below the tissue surface and one approximately 50 μm in to the tissue . the mouse colon specimen was illuminated using a red led with central wavelength of approximately 630 nm and spectral bandwidth of approximately 25 nm using the exemplary imaging system of fig2 . an olympus objective lens ( ulwdmsplan50x ), a mitutuyo collector lens ( mplanapo20x ), and an andor ixon ccd array ( andor x - 2647 ) were used to produce the images of fig5 - 8 . the field of view of this embodiment was approximately 1 mm by 0 . 8 mm . fig5 and 8 further include the contrast ratio of different tissue features calculated along an arbitrarily selected vertical line on the same corresponding locations between the conventional vhm and exemplary imaging system &# 39 ; s images ( right - hand side inset of fig5 and fig8 ). at four arbitrarily selected features , 501 , 503 , 505 and 507 in the two images , the contrast ratio in fig5 with conventional vhm was 4 . 6 %, 0 . 1 %, 2 . 6 %, and 0 . 5 %, respectively , while at corresponding locations , 801 , 803 , 805 and 807 , in fig8 using the exemplary imaging system as taught herein the contrast ratio was 15 %, 8 . 9 %, 8 . 5 %, and 8 . 6 %, respectively . the improvement in contrast ratio over the conventional vhm system varied from advantageously the exemplary imaging systems taught herein increase the identification of structures , such as the turbid media depicted in fig5 - 8 . the resulting images are contrast - enhanced , two - dimensional and observable in real time . furthermore , exemplary imaging systems as taught herein can be applied to both fluorescence and non - fluorescence imaging and collects both spectral and spatial information of an object without mechanically scanning in the x - y - z direction for a given field of view . fig1 - 14 are graphical representations of the modulation transfer function ( mtf ) against line pairs per millimeter which shows the improvement in contrast ratio between a conventional vhm system and an exemplary imaging system as taught herein . those skilled in the art will understand that mtf , also known as spatial frequency response , is used to measure the contrast and resolution of an imaging system . the higher the mtf values the greater the contrast and resolution of an imaging system . mtf is the modulus , or absolute value , of the optical transfer function ( otf ) of an imaging system . those skilled in the art will understand that the otf describes the spectral variation of a electromagnetic signal as a function of spectral angular frequency . fig1 depicts exemplary on - axis mtf measurements along the x - direction or sagittal direction for both a conventional vhm and an exemplary imaging system , as taught herein . the results for a conventional vhm system are depicted by trace 1101 . the results for an exemplary imaging system are depicted by trace 1103 . trace 1103 quantifies that the exemplary imaging system has a higher mtf value for almost all number of line pairs per millimeter . fig1 depicts exemplary on - axis mtf measurements along the y - direction or tangential direction for both a conventional vhm and an exemplary imaging system , as taught herein . the results for a conventional vhm system are depicted by trace 1201 . the results for an exemplary imaging system are depicted by trace 1203 . trace 1203 quantifies that the exemplary imaging system has a higher mtf value for almost all number of line pairs per millimeter . fig1 depicts an off - axis mtf measurements along the x - direction or sagittal direction for both a conventional vhm and an exemplary imaging system , as taught herein . the results for a conventional vhm system are depicted by trace 1301 . the results for an exemplary imaging system are depicted by trace 1303 . trace 1303 quantifies that the exemplary imaging system has a higher mtf value for almost all number of line pairs per millimeter . fig1 depicts an off - axis mtf measurements along the y - direction or tangential direction for both a conventional vhm and an exemplary imaging system , as taught herein . the results for a conventional vhm system are depicted by trace 1401 . the results for an exemplary imaging system are depicted by trace 1403 . trace 1403 quantifies that the exemplary imaging system has a higher mtf value for almost all number of line pairs per millimeter . fig1 - 14 quantify that the exemplary imaging system displays significantly enhanced information in the higher frequencies when compared to conventional vhm systems . although the teachings herein have been described with reference to exemplary embodiments and implementations thereof , the disclosed methods , systems and apparatus are not limited to such exemplary embodiments / implementations . rather , as will be readily apparent to persons skilled in the art from the description taught herein , the disclosed methods , systems and apparatus are susceptible to modifications , alterations and enhancements without departing from the spirit or scope hereof . accordingly , all such modifications , alterations and enhancements within the scope hereof are encompassed herein . | 6 |
the invention will be described hereinafter in reference to the lamp 10 shown in fig1 , though it will be appreciated that the teachings of the invention are not limited to the lamp 10 and instead are more generally applicable to various lighting applications in which visible light is generated with the use of phosphor compounds , such as non - linear fluorescent lamps , or compact fluorescent lamps ( cfls ), or other types of lamps . the invention relates to coating systems that include a phosphor - containing coating , such as the single phosphor - containing coating 22 of fig1 , applied to a transparent or translucent substrate , such as the glass shell or envelope 12 of the fluorescent lamp 10 . in the nonlimiting example of fig1 , a discrete uv - reflecting layer 24 is represented as a constituent of a coating system that includes the phosphor - containing coating 22 . the uv - reflecting layer 24 may contain a scattering agent selected on the basis of its ability to scatter incoming uv rays emitted from an ionized constituent ( for example , mercury ) within the chamber 14 of the lamp 10 . the scattered uv rays are then absorbed by the adjacent phosphor - containing coating 22 , which as a result emits visible light . according to an aspect of the invention , the phosphor - containing coating 22 has a composition that enables the lamp 10 to have a cri of at least 87 , and preferably to emit visible light emitted having a cct at a value in a range of about 3000k to about 4100k , for example , at 3000k , 3500k , or 4100k . in addition , rare earth - containing phosphors constitute not more than about 10 weight percent of the phosphor content of the coating 22 , with the balance of the phosphor content being non - rare earth phosphors , of which at least one is at least one white halophosphor . a preferred aspect of the invention is the capability of improving fluorescent lamp lumen output without significantly lowering cri through the use of a white halophosphor . according to a preferred but nonlimiting embodiment of the invention , the entire phosphor content of the phosphor - containing coating 22 is a mixture of phosphors consisting of at least one white halophosphor , at least one strontium red phosphor , at least one blue halophosphor , and at least one green - blue emitting rare earth phosphor . the strontium red phosphor and the blue and white halophosphors are “ non - re ” phosphors having broadband emitting distribution , which are believed to significantly improve lamp cri . the green - blue emitting rare earth ( re ) phosphor represents a relatively small fraction ( not more than 10 weight percent ) of the phosphor mixture , yet is preferably present in an amount capable of promoting the cri of the coating 22 while also obtaining a color temperature consistent with the aforementioned cct range . various phosphors that can be employed by the invention are commercially manufactured and available . the processes for manufacturing and introducing these phosphors into a phosphor mix are known to those skilled in the art , and therefore do not require further discussion here . a nonlimiting list of notable phosphors that are suitable for use in this invention is found in table 1 . in investigations leading to the present invention , evaluations performed on phosphor mixtures confirmed that appropriate additions of a white halophosphor to phosphor mixtures containing a strontium red phosphor , a blue halophosphor , and a green - blue emitting rare earth phosphor were capable of improving lamp lumen output while maintaining nearly the same performance in cri . in table 2 below , relative amounts ( by weight percent ) of ca 5 ( po 4 ) 3 ( f , cl ): sb 3 + , mn 2 + as the white halophosphor ( white halo ) are indicated in relation to a phosphor mixture containing , respectively , about 72 %, about 22 %, and about 6 % ( by weight ) of sr 3 ( po 4 ) 2 : sn 2 + , ca 5 f ( po 4 ) 3 : sb , and bamgal 10 o 17 : eu 2 + , mn 2 + as the strontium red ( sr ) phosphor , blue halophosphor ( blue halo ), and green - blue emitting rare earth phosphor ( bamn ) ( respectively ). the test data indicate that increasing the proportion of white halophosphor within the phosphor mixture improved lumen output without significantly reducing lamp cri . such a capability enables a lamp to achieve improved lumen performance while reducing the amount of rare earth phosphor ( s ) within the mixture and without negatively affecting the apparent or perceived color ( described in terms of color temperature ) of the light . in the particular examples evaluated during the investigation , an addition of 15 weight percent white halophosphor increased lumen output by about 6 % while cri was reduced by only 3 points , while still meeting standards for assessing light sources for suitability of use in a wide variety of applications , including retail , residential , hospitality , etc . in addition to samples b and c of table 2 , based on the results of the investigation it was concluded that a lamp utilizing a phosphor mixture of strontium red , blue halophosphor , and green - blue rare earth phosphor and modified to contain a white halophosphor should be capable of exhibiting improved cri as compared to lamps that only utilize the same or similar tri - phosphor mixture of strontium red , blue halophosphor , and green - blue rare earth phosphor . the relative amounts of each phosphor component in phosphor mixtures of this invention include ( but are not limited to ), by weight , about 55 % to about 90 % and more preferably about 65 % to about 80 % of a strontium red ( non - re ) phosphor , from about 10 % to about 30 % and more preferably about 15 % to about 25 % of a blue ( non - re ) halophosphor , above 0 % to about 20 % and more preferably about 5 % to about 15 % of a white ( non - re ) halophosphor , and about 0 % to about 10 % and more preferably about 4 % to about 8 % of a green - blue rare earth phosphor . while the invention has been described in terms of specific embodiments , it is apparent that other forms could be adopted by one skilled in the art . for example , the physical configuration of a lamp could differ from that shown , and materials and processes other than those noted could be used . therefore , the scope of the invention is to be limited only by the following claims . | 2 |
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