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referring now to the several views of the drawings , there are depicted several exemplary embodiments of the present invention . referring now to fig1 , a mobile host ( mh ) 100 roams between a cellular network 102 , such as a cellular digit packet data ( cdpd ), and a wireless local area network ( wlan ) 104 . when disposed within the coverage of the wlan 104 , the mh 100 connects to the wlan 104 via an access point ( ap ) 106 . the wlan is connected to the internet 124 . the wlan 104 communicates with the ha 108 via a firewall ( which could be a packet filter plus nat / napt ) 126 . the ha 108 also communicates with the cdpd network 102 . in this embodiment , the ha 108 is bundled together with a remote access server or gateway ( ras ) 118 on a corporate lan 120 through a firewall 122 . referring now to fig2 , a mobile host 200 is a network access device such as a personal computer , information appliance , personal data assistant , data - enabled wireless handset , or any other type of device capable of accessing information through a packet - switched data network . each mh 200 has an intelligent device that is identified generally by the reference numeral 202 . the intelligent device 202 emulates a standard network interface device on a mobile host 200 and controls multiple network interfaces to enable mh 200 to access different networks . the intelligent device 200 includes a dedicated central processing unit ( cpu ) 204 and memory 206 , thereby operating as an independent microcomputer . in lieu of a pure hardware implementation , the intelligent interface can be a logical module that appears as an intermediate network device driver ( such as an ndis - complaint driver in windows system ), to control a plurality of different network interface devices installed on the mobile host . in this instance , the logical module obtains the mobile host &# 39 ; s cpu cycles whenever a layer - 3 packet is written to the device driver by the mobile host or a layer - 2 frame is admitted by one of network interface devices . utilizing a timer callback function , the logical module periodically “ steals ” the mobile host &# 39 ; s cpu cycles for monitoring all network interfaces . in the illustrative embodiment , the intelligent device emulates an ethernet card installed on the mh 200 . to access , for example , a cdpd network and wlan , the intelligent device 202 has two network interface devices , a cdpd modem 208 and a wlan card 210 . the components of the intelligent device 202 are connected via a bus in accordance with conventional practice . the intelligent device 202 has an appropriate interface 205 , like a pcmcia card , for connecting to the mh 200 via a corresponding interface 207 . the intelligent device 202 has two ethernet mac addresses — mac 1 and mac 2 . mac 1 is “ owned ” by the “ emulated ethernet card ” 202 and is therefore known to the mh 200 . the intelligent device 202 utilizes mac 2 to emulate the mac address of the first - hop router to the mh 200 . in the exemplary embodiment , wlan is considered to be the “ best ” access network . that is , if the mobile host is under coverage of a wlan , the intelligent device 202 will always use the wlan as the access network . in the first group of examples , the dynamic host configuration protocol ( dhcp ) is utilized to configure the network address . see r . droms , “ dynamic host configuration protocol ,” ietf network working group , rfc 2131 ( march 1997 ); s . alexander , r . droms , “ dhcp options and bootp vendor extensions ,” ietf network working group , rfc 2132 ( march 1997 ); which are incorporated by reference herein . referring now to fig3 , the mh 300 does not differentiate between the cdpd and wlan interfaces . instead , it “ sees ” an “ emulated ” ethernet interface at the intelligent device 302 . at 304 , the mh 300 sends a dhcp discover message to the intelligent device 302 in an ip packet with 0 . 0 . 0 . 0 as the source ip address and 255 . 255 . 255 . 255 as the destination ip address . the ip packet is packaged into an ethernet frame with mac 1 as the source mac address and an ethernet broadcast address ( mac broadcast ) as the destination broadcast message . after receiving the dhcp_discover message , the intelligent device 302 connects to the cdpd network 306 by following a standard cdpd connection process , which is conceptually illustrated by a cdpd access request at 308 and a cdpd access response at 310 ( the cdpd connection procedure details are more complicated and thus being omitted ). as part of the cdpd service agreement , an ip address ip mh @ cdpd is allocated by the cdpd network 306 to the mh 300 in advance . after the intelligent device 302 is connected to the cdpd network , it generates a dhcp_offer message with ip mh @ cdpd and other configuration parameters for the mh 300 . the intelligent device 302 selects an ip address ip dhcp @ cdpd which belongs to the same subnet as ip mh @ cdpd . ip dhcp @ cdpd is used as the source ip address in a “ faked ” dhcp_offer message to the mh 300 . the intelligent device 302 then packages the dhcp_offer message into an ethernet frame with mac 2 as the source mac address and mac 1 as the destination mac address , and sends the frame to the mh 300 at 312 . the emulated ethernet device will cause a hardware interruption to notify the operating system of the mh 300 . the mh 300 accepts the “ faked ” dhcp_offer message from the intelligent device 302 , and then sends a dhcp_request message back to the intelligent device 302 at 314 . this message uses ip mh @ cdpd as the source ip address and the “ faked ” ip dhcp @ cdpd as the destination ip address . at 316 , the intelligent device 302 responds with a dhcp_acknowledge message with mac 2 as the source mac address , mac 1 as the destination mac address and ip dhcp @ cdpd as the source ip address and ip mh @ cdpd as the destination ip address . the mh 300 is now “ statically ” connected to the cdpd network and will permanently use ip nh @ cdpd as its ip address for data communications until shutdown . when the mh 300 sends a datagram to a target host 318 on the internet , the intelligent device 302 sends a packet 320 to the access network ( cdpd ) with ip mh @ cdpd as the source ip address and ip dst @ int as the destination ip address of the target host 318 . this datagram is then routed to host 318 in a conventional manner . referring now to fig4 , the mh 400 is assumed to be within the coverage of a wlan . using the same methodology described above with respect to the cdpd network , the mh 400 sends a dhcp_discover message to the intelligent device 402 in an ip packet with 0 . 0 . 0 . 0 as the source ip address and 255 . 255 . 255 . 255 as the destination ip address at 404 . the ip packet is packaged into an ethernet frame with mac 1 as the source mac address and an ethernet broadcast address ( mac broadcast ) as the destination mac address . after receiving the dhcp_discover message , the intelligent device 402 checks if the mh 400 is under the coverage of a wlan . assuming this is the case , at 406 the intelligent device 402 utilizes its wlan interface to submit authentication credentials and to request an access ip address from the wlan in the form of a wlan access request . the message is received at the wlan access point ( ap ) 408 . the wlan authenticates the mobile user and an ip address ip mh @ wlan is assigned to the mh 400 using the dhcp procedure ( not shown ). at 410 , this information is sent to the intelligent device 402 . the intelligent device 402 then sends a remote access request at 412 with ip mh @ wlan to the home agent ( ha ) and remote access server or gateway ( ras ) ( collectively ha + ras ) 414 on the office network . the intelligent device 402 may have to resubmit authentication credentials to the ha + ras again . the authentication process is omitted here for brevity . once the mobile user is authenticated , at 416 a remote access granted message containing an ip address on the office network ip mh @ on is communicated to the intelligent device 402 . in this manner , a secure ip tunnel is established between the intelligent device 402 and the ha - eras 414 ( ip ha @ on ). the intelligent device 402 then constructs a dhcp_offer message with ip mh @ on and other configuration parameters . the intelligent device 402 selects an ip address ip dhcp @ on which belongs to the same subnet as ip mh @ on . this address is used as the source ip address in a “ faked ” dhcp_offer message which is packaged into an ethernet frame with mac 2 as the source mac address and mac 1 as the destination mac address , and ip dhcp @ on for the source ip address and ip mh @ on for the destination ip address . at 418 this ethernet frame is sent to the mh 400 via the emulated ethernet interface causes a hardware interrupt to notify the operating system of the mh 400 . the mh 400 accepts the dhcp_offer message from the intelligent device 402 and at 420 then sends a dhcp_request message back to the intelligent device 402 . the message is packaged into an ethernet frame with mac 1 as the source mac address , mac 2 as the destination mac address , ip mh @ on as the source ip address and the faked ip dhcp @ on as the destination ip address . at 422 , the intelligent device 402 sends a dhcp_acknowledge message in the same format to the mh 400 . the mh 400 is now “ statically ” connected to the office network and will use ip mh @ wlan as its new ip address until shutdown or reset . any ip packets that are sent or received by the mh 400 are encapsulated in ip packets with ip mh @ wlan as the source address and ip ha @ on as the destination address . for example , in the case of sending a datagram to a host 424 on the internet or an intranet , at 426 the intelligent device 402 sends an ip - in - ip packet to the wlan ap 408 of the form [ ip mh @ wlan , ip ha @ on [ ip mh @ on , ip dst @ int , ip payload ]]. this ip packet is forwarded to the ha + ras 414 at 428 , where ip mh @ wlan and ip ha @ on are stripped off and the packet then sent to the host 424 at 430 . referring now to fig5 , there is depicted a flow diagram illustrating a disconnection sequence corresponding to the dhcp protocol shown in fig3 . specifically , before the mh 500 shuts down , it sends a dhcp_release message to the dhcp server using ip dhcp @ cdpd . again , this is the “ faked ” ip address generated by the intelligent device 502 . the message is encapsulated in an ethernet frame with mac 1 as the source mac address and mac 2 as the destination mac address . ip mh @ cdpd is the source ip address and ip dhcp @ cdpd is the destination ip address . the message is sent at 504 from the mh 500 to the intelligent device 502 . the intelligent device 502 then disconnects from the cdpd network by following a standard cdpd disconnection procedure , which is illustrated by a cdpd disconnect request message 506 to the cdpd network 508 and a cdpd disconnect acknowledge message 510 . the intelligent device 502 need not wait for response from the cdpd network 508 prior to powering down the cdpd interface . referring to fig6 , there is shown a flow diagram of a disconnection sequence for the dhcp embodiment illustrated in fig4 . the mh 600 sends a dhcp_release message to the dhcp server using ip dhcp @ on . here again , this is the “ faked ” ip address generated by the intelligent device 602 . the message is encapsulated in an ethernet frame with mac 1 as the source mac address and mac 2 as the destination mac address . ip mh @ on is the source ip address and ip dhcp @ on is the destination ip address . the message is sent at 604 from the mh 600 to the intelligent device 602 . after receiving the dhcp_release message from the mh 600 , the intelligent device 602 disconnects from the ha + ras 606 on the office network via a remote disconnect request 608 . the message is relayed over the ap 610 . at 612 , the ha + ras 606 sends a remote disconnect response 612 to the intelligent device 602 . the intelligent device 602 need not wait for the remote disconnect response 612 prior to initiating the release of the ip mh @ wlan by sending a wlan disconnect request at 614 . the wlan 610 then sends a wlan disconnect response at 616 . as described above with respect to the cdpd interface , the intelligent device 602 need not wait for a response from the wlan network prior to powering down the wlan interface . referring now to fig7 , there is depicted a flow diagram of handoff signaling as a mh 700 roams between a cdpd network 704 and a foreign wlan 706 . while the mh 700 roams within the coverage of the cdpd network 704 , ip packets are transported to the ultimate destination , i . e ., a host on the intranet or internet 708 using the tunneling technique described above . specifically , at 710 and ip payload encapsulated in an ethernet frame using mac 1 as the source mac address and mac 2 as the destination mac address with ip mh @ on as the source ip address and ip dst @ int as the destination ip address , is sent from the mh 700 to the intelligent device 702 . at 712 the intelligent device 702 sends an ip - in - ip packet to the cdpd network 704 of the form [ ip mh @ cdpd , ip ha @ on , [ ip mh @ on , ip dst @ int , ip payload ]]. this packet is forwarded at 714 to the ha + ras 716 , which unwraps the packet by stripping off ip mh @ cdpd and ip ha @ on . at 718 the ha + ras 716 sends the original packet with ip source address ip mh @ on and destination address ip dst @ int to the host 708 . when the mh 700 roams into coverage of the foreign wlan 706 , the handoff is initiated when the intelligent device 702 sends a wlan access request 720 to the wlan 706 as shown in fig4 and described above . the wlan 706 authenticates the mobile user and at 722 responds to the intelligent device 702 with a wlan access granted 722 containing ip mh @ wlan . the intelligent device then sends a care - of address update request 724 to the ha + ras 716 to update the mobility association from & lt ; ip mh @ cdpd , ip ha @ on & gt ; to & lt ; ip mh @ wlan , ip ha @ on & gt ;. at 726 , a care - of address update response is sent back to the intelligent device 702 acknowledging the update . the intelligent device 702 next sends a cdpd disconnect request 728 to the cdpd network 704 . a cdpd disconnect response 730 is then sent from the cdpd network 704 to the intelligent device 702 thereby disconnecting the mh 700 from the cdpd network 704 . after the handoff , the ip packets are tunneled between the mh 700 via the intelligent device 702 and the host 708 using the ip address ip mh @ wlan . the mh 700 sends an ip packet 732 to the intelligent device 702 having the same format as 710 described above . at 734 , the intelligent device 702 then sends an ip - in - ip packet of the form [ ip mh @ wlan , ip ha @ on , [ ip mh @ on , ip dst @ int , ip payload ]] to the wlan 706 . the ip packet is forwarded from the ap to the ha + ras 716 at 736 . the ha + ras 716 then unwraps the packet by stripping off ip mh @ wlan and ip ha @ on and at 738 sends the original ip packet to the host 708 . referring now to fig8 , there is depicted a flow diagram of handoff signaling as a mh 800 roams between a cdpd network 804 and an office lan 806 , assuming the mobile host is already “ statically ” connected to the office network . prior to handoff , ip packets are tunneled between the intelligent device 802 and the ha + ras 808 using the ip addresses ip mh @ cdpd and ip ha @ on . at 810 the mh 800 sends the intelligent device 802 an ip payload encapsulated in an ethernet frame using mac 1 as the source mac address and mac 2 as the destination mac address with ip mh @ on as the source ip address and ip dst @ int as the destination ip address . the intelligent device 802 then sends an ip - in - ip packet having the form [ ip mh @ cdpd , ip ha @ on , [ ip mh @ on , ip dst @ int , ip payload ]] to the cdpd network 804 . at 814 , the cdpd network 804 sends the ip - in - ip packet to the ha + ras 808 . the ha + ras 808 unwraps the ip - in - ip packet into the original ip packet from the mh 800 and forwards the packet at 816 to the host 809 . in the meantime , the ha maintains the mobility association & lt ; ip mh @ on , ip mh @ cdpd & gt ; for the mh 800 in memory and runs a proxy arp to claim ownership of ip mh @ on in the office network . to effect a handoff from the cdpd network 804 to the office wlan 806 , the intelligent device 802 sends a wlan access request at 818 to the office wlan . the wlan authenticates the user ( not shown ) and , if access is granted , then sends a wlan access granted message 820 back to the intelligent device 802 . the intelligent device 802 then sends a stop proxyarp request 822 to the ha + ras 808 such that the mobility association & lt ; ip mh @ on , ip mh @ cdpd & gt ; is removed from the routing database of the ha + ras 808 . the ha + ras 808 responds to the intelligent device 802 with a stop proxyarp response 824 . the intelligent device 802 then initiates the disconnect sequence of the mh 800 from the cdpd network 804 by sending a cdpd disconnect request 826 . a cdpd disconnect response 828 is then sent from the cdpd network 804 to the intelligent device 802 . after the handoff , ip packets are communicated from the mh 800 to the host 809 through the wlan using any regular methodology . here , an ip payload from the mh 800 is encapsulated in an ethernet frame 830 with mac 1 as the source mac address and mac 2 as the destination mac address , ip mh @ on as the source ip address of the mh 800 and ip dst @ int as the destination ip address of the target host 809 . at 832 the intelligent device 802 sends the ip packet over the wlan interface to the wlan 806 using mac wlan as the source mac address and mac ap as the destination mac address of the ap on the wlan 806 . the office wlan 806 then forwards the packet at 834 to the host 809 using mac wlan as the source mac address and mac dst as the destination mac address . referring now to fig9 , there is shown a flow diagram of arp protocol signaling in a case where the mobile host sends an arp query message to obtain the mac address of another host to the office network , to which the mobile host is remotely connected , so that the mobile host can send an ip packet to the destination host directly . here , the mh 900 has an ip address ip mh @ on and desires to send a datagram to a host on the office intranet 906 with ip address ip dst @ on . the mh 900 is assumed to be within the coverage of a foreign wlan . at 908 , the mh 900 sends an arp request to the intelligent device 902 with a source mac address mac 1 and the destination mac address mac broadcast . the message is packaged into an ethernet frame as described above . if no reply message is received within a specified period of time , the mh 900 assumes the link has been broken . after the intelligent device 902 receives this message , it sends a fake arp reply message at 910 to the mh 900 with ip dst @ on corresponding to mac 2 as the source ip address . at 912 , the mh 900 then packages an ip packet into an ethernet frame with mac 1 as the source mac address and mac 2 as the destination mac address , and ip mh @ on as the source ip address and ip dst · on as the destination ip address . the intelligent device 902 then uses a mobile ip routing mechanism to forward the packet to the intended destination . the intelligent device 902 extracts the ip packet from the ethernet frame , and encapsulates this packet at 916 into ip - in - ip packet in a wlan frame with mac ntc ( the mac associated with the wlan interface card ) as the source mac address and mac ap ( the mac of the access point 914 ) as the destination mac address . the ip - in - ip packet in the wlan frame has the form [ mac nic , mac ap [ ip mh @ an , ip ras @ on [ ip mh @ on , ip dst @ on , ip payload ]]]. the ap 914 strips off the mac address and forwards the ip - in - ip packet in the form [ ip mh @ an , ip ras @ on [ ip mh @ an , ip dst @ on , ip payload ]] over the internet to the ha + ras 920 . the ha + ras then removes ip mh @ an and ip ras @ on and at 922 forwards the packet in the form [ mac ras , mac dst [ ip mh @ on , ip dst @ on , ip payload ]] to the target host 906 . the present invention has been shown in what are considered to be the most preferred and practical embodiments . it is anticipated , however , that departures may be made therefrom and that obvious modifications will be implemented by persons skilled in the art . | 7 |
referring to fig1 and 3 of the drawings , the slip - resistant sole according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention is illustrated . according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention , the slip - resistant sole comprises a bottom sole 1 and a plurality of protruded units 2 outwardly extended from and spacedly positioned on the bottom sole 1 . the protruded unit 2 is resilient and has a columnar structure . the protruded unit 2 has a bottom end 23 and a protruded unit cavity 22 provided at the middle portion of the protruded unit 2 in the bottom end 23 . a side wall of the protruded unit cavity 22 has a curved or inclined cross - section . the provision of the protruded unit cavity 22 not only facilitate the protruded unit to deform flexibly and easily , but also creating an adsorption force through a supporting and sucking relationship with a floor surface , thereby enhancing the slip - resistant ability . the position of the protruded unit cavity 22 with curved or inclined side wall 221 can be designed or arranged based on different needs of a user . for example , the edge of an opening of the protruded unit cavity 22 is overlapped with the edge of the bottom end 23 of the protruded unit 2 , or is at a distance from the edge of the bottom end 23 of the protruded unit 2 . a cross - section of the protruded unit 2 is trapezium in shape defining a long side and a short side . the protruded unit is extended from the bottom sole through the short side of the protruded unit 2 . an angle “ a ” is defined between an outer side of the protruded unit 2 and the bottom sole 1 , wherein the angle is between 60 ° and 90 °. because the cross - section of the protruded unit is trapezium in shape while the connecting portion between the protruded unit 2 and the bottom sole 1 has a surface area smaller than a surface area of the bottom end 23 of the protruded unit 2 , the protruded unit will be deformed outwardly when a force is acted onto the bottom sole and a height of the protruded unit 2 will be decreased . accordingly , a contacting area between the floor surface and the protruded unit 2 is increased , thereby increasing a friction between the bottom sole and the floor surface . in addition , a gap is provided between each of the protruded units 2 . accordingly , when the slip - resistant sole is used in wet smooth floor surface with water or oil , a weight of a user will cause the protruded units 2 on the bottom sole 1 to deform , thereby causing the water or the oil to be quickly removed through the gap between two adjacently positioned protruded units 2 , thereby further increasing the slip - resistant ability . referring to fig4 and 6 of the drawings , another structural construction is provided based on the above preferred embodiment of the present invention . in particular , at least one guiding groove 21 is provided on the bottom end 23 of the protruded unit 21 and the guiding groove 21 is positioned uniformly on the bottom end 23 . the guiding groove 21 is channeled to the protruded unit cavity 22 through a distal end of the guiding groove 21 . when the slip - resistant sole is used in wet smooth floor surface with water or oil , the guiding groove 21 can direct a small amount of water or oil to flow from the protruded unit cavity 22 to outside of the protruded unit 2 , thereby increasing a coefficient of friction between the bottom sole and the floor surface and increasing the slip - resistant ability of the slip - resistant sole of the present invention . on the other hand , the protruded unit 2 is pressed to deform , therefore creating a force at three different directions on the bottom end 23 of which the force at each direction is equal , thereby the protruded unit 2 is supported through the force at three different directions . at the same time , the protruded unit cavity 22 and the floor surface have created an absorption force through their supporting and sucking relationship , thereby a coefficient of friction between the bottom sole 1 and the floor surface is increased and the slip - resistant ability of the sole is further increased . the number of the guiding groove as mentioned above can be uniformly provided on the curved surface according to the design need . for example , the number of guiding groove can be 1 , 2 or more . when the number of guiding groove is two or more , the guiding grooves are spacedly provided on the bottom end 22 and a distal end of each guiding groove is channeled to the protruded unit cavity 22 respectively . according to the above embodiment , a junction groove 24 is further provided and is positioned at a connecting junction 30 between the protruded unit 2 and the bottom sole 1 . the connecting junction 30 is the junction at which the protruded unit 2 and the bottom sole 1 are connected . the junction groove 24 is not only capable of increasing a height of the protruded unit 2 , but also increasing the softness of the protruded unit 2 . in addition , when the bottom sole 1 is being acted by force from different directions , the resilient protruded unit 2 can absorb a portion of the energy and therefore the slip - resistant ability of the bottom sole 1 is enhanced . the protruded unit 2 can be made by resilient materials such as rubber and pu . the number of protruded unit 2 on the bottom sole 1 can also be adjusted according to the design need . when the number of protruded unit 2 is increased , the slip - resistant ability is increased . referring to fig7 and 9 of the drawings , the bottom end of the protruded unit 2 can be rectangular or square shape in which four guiding groove 21 is provided in the bottom end of the protruded unit 2 . the four guiding grooves 21 divide the bottom end into four sections . when the protruded unit is pressed to deform , equal forces are created through the bottom end 23 at four opposite directions . therefore the protruded unit 2 is supported by the force at four directions and hence the bottom sole 1 is provided with slip - resistant ability . when the number of guiding groove is one , the bottom end of the protruded unit 2 is divided into two symmetrical portions . when the bottom end is pressed to deform , two equal forces are created from the bottom end 23 at two opposite directions , therefore the protruded unit 2 is supported by the force at two different directions and hence the bottom sole 1 is provided with slip - resistant ability . the number of guiding groove can be 1 , 2 or more . when the number of guiding groove is two or more , the guiding grooves are spacedly provided on the bottom end 23 and a distal end of each guiding groove is channeled to the protruded unit cavity 22 respectively . one skilled in the art will understand that the embodiment of the present invention as shown in the drawings and described above is exemplary only and not intended to be limiting . it will thus be seen that the objects of the present invention have been fully and effectively accomplished . it embodiments have been shown and described for the purposes of illustrating the functional and structural principles of the present invention and is subject to change without departure from such principles . therefore , this invention includes all modifications encompassed within the spirit and scope of the following claims . | 0 |
at first , some terms used in the description will be defined in the following list of abbreviations . cms cloud management system drs distributed resource scheduler nfv network functions virtualization nfvi nfv infrastructure nfvo nfv orchestrator vim virtual infrastructure manager vnf virtual network function vnfm vnf manager the specifications for nfv are being driven by an industry specification group ( isg ) in the european telecommunications standards institute ( etsi ). etsi nfv has defined an nfv architectural framework , which focuses on the new functional blocks and reference points brought by the virtualization of an operator &# 39 ; s network . an overview of the nfv architectural framework is shown in fig1 . the nfv architectural framework describes the functional blocks and the reference points in between such functional blocks . the split of functionalities and the declared reference points support the management and orchestration of vnfs 101 in a multi - vendor ecosystem . specifically , the framework provides the required split of functionalities to ensure that the vnf software can be decoupled from the underlying infrastructure . in this scenario , vnf vendors and implementers become actual tenants on using the infrastructure likely managed by another entity , like for instance a mobile network operator . this infrastructure is composed of computing , storage and network resources placed in one or several data centers . the infrastructure is also meant to be shared : by using virtualization techniques , several vms can be allocated and run on a single physical server . throughout the description , the term “ vendor ” and the term “ tenant ” will be used interchangeably . the technology disclosed herein mainly deals with the following functional blocks of the nfv architectural framework which are shown in fig1 : the nfv orchestrator ( nfvo ) 102 , which is in charge of the orchestration and management of nfv infrastructure and software resources and realizes network services on nfvi . a network service is realized by a collection of one or multiple vnfs . vnf manager ( vnfm ) 103 , responsible for the vnf lifecycle management ( e . g . instantiation , update , query , scaling , termination of vnfs ). the virtualized infrastructure manager ( vim ) 104 , which controls and manages the nfvi compute , storage and network resources . in the case of a cloud - based nfvi , the vim can be implemented as a cloud management system ( cms ). the nfv infrastructure ( nfvi ) 105 , which comprises the set of compute , storage and network resources over which virtualized resources are allocated . while the nfvo provides global resource allocation , the vnfms can interact directly with the vim ( e . g . cms ) to request management of virtualized resources as part of the deployment and management of vnfs . an example for such an interaction is a capacity extension for a deployed vnf : this extension can consist of the vnfm requesting additional vms from the cms that are then added to the vnf . the teachings of the present disclosure tackle the following problem in the context of the nfv architectural framework : given a multi - vendor vnf scenario , with vnfs coming from different vendors , each with their particular resource requirements , how can one ensure that physical clustering of resources can be avoided , thus guaranteeing better statistical gains on sharing resources among different vendors ? the technology disclosed herein is based on declaring explicit affinity rules based on tenant / vendor information . by declaring such information , the virtualized resource manager engine ( part of a cloud management system , or of a vim ) can then allocate virtualized resources ( e . g ., vms ) as part of a virtualized deployment ( e . g ., vnf ) without having to pre - plan in advance the partitioning of physical and software resources in the data center . the parameters about tenant - affinity on interfaces involving functional blocks of the nfv architectural framework . the method for the resource allocation based on tenant affinity information . the tenant - affinity parameter , which is referred to in the claims as affinity information , gives information whether the virtualized resources requested by the tenant ( vendor ) can or cannot be collocated on the same physical and / or software resources with other virtualized resources from other tenants ( vendors ). the tenant - affinity is a parameter , which is different from other affinity parameters known in the state of the art , e . g ., those described in the background section as offered by vmware &# 39 ; s drs . fig3 explains and illustrates the tenant affinity parameter according to an embodiment and how the use of the tenant - affinity information is complementary to vm - affinity information ( i . e . vm - to - vm affinity as defined above ) as used in the state of the art . this vm - affinity information refers only to affinity among selected vms , not servers . here vm - affinity = 0 means that the new selected vms cannot be allocated on the same server , while vm - affinity = 1 would mean that the selected vms have to be allocated on the same server . in this example , virtual resources ( vms ) c 3 and c 4 of tenant “ c ” are selected vms having vm - affinity = 0 and are allocated on servers 1 and 2 , while making use of “ vm - affinity = 0 ” information ( case 301 ). therefore they are allocated on different servers ( server 1 and server 2 ). however , when “ tenant - affinity = 1 ” information is additionally considered , this means that each of the new vms of a tenant has to be allocated to a server , where only vms of this tenant are allocated or where no vms are allocated yet . therefore , as shown on the right - hand side of fig3 , the allocation is performed on servers 2 and 3 ( case 302 ) which are only used by the same tenant c ( referring to server 2 ) or which were not used at all and thus are fully available ( referring to server 3 ). it will be understood by the skilled person that while fig3 shows an example with only two selected vms , the same principle can also be applied to more than two selected vms , which are to be allocated . fig4 compares the prior art ( based on drs clusters ) and the technology according to the present disclosure . the left hand side of the figure shows the above described “ physical clustering ” approach . the right hand side shows an example of using the tenant - affinity parameter . in this case , an affinity value of “ 1 ” means that resources cannot be shared among tenants , thus virtualized resources with this value can only share servers with other virtualized resources from the same tenant . besides , there also exist virtualized resources that have an affinity value of “ 0 ”, which means that they can share servers with virtualized resources from other tenants . several embodiments that use this basic idea are possible , and some of them are detailed in the following . this technology described herein and specified in the claims has the following advantages : it allows the resources in the data center to be allocated in a more dynamic way , and at run - time without having to pre - plan and pre - allocate physical and software resources to tenants ( vendors ). fewer resources are needed in the data center , as the pool of resources is statistically shared among tenants . therefore , savings on resources and capital expenditure are possible as shown in fig4 , which means that at the same time operational costs can be reduced due to the reduced amount of required resources . it avoids fragmenting resources by tenant . this gives more flexibility to perform such fragmentation based on other parameters or resource capabilities , e . g ., the type of resources ( if some specific hardware acceleration is available on certain hosts ), quality of the resources , resiliency levels , etc . it allows the administrator of the virtualized infrastructure ( in our case the network operator ) to decouple the computing , storage , and network resources in the data center from the vendor &# 39 ; s implementation of the vnf software . it allows the tenants ( vendors ) to decide on a per vnf deployment / operation case how such vnf and the corresponding virtualized resources should be deployed in terms of being or not collocated with other tenant virtualized resources . this allows vendors to have different vnf provisioning strategy under different situations , like traffic load in the data center , priority of their vnfs , and / or additional network service and resource policy constraints . in the following , the method to allocate virtualized resources based on tenant - affinity information is described . fig5 illustrates an example where the inter - tenant - affinity value is “ 1 ”. this means that vms cannot be collocated with vms from other tenants . fig6 illustrates an example where the inter - tenant - affinity value is “ 0 ”. in such an example , the request is that vms can be allocated and collocated with vms from other tenants . the method illustrated in fig5 and 6 comprises the following four main steps : 1 . step 1 ( s 501 ): a request to allocate one or more than one virtualized resources ( for simplicity , it is assumed that such resources are virtual machines , vm ) is performed . such a request includes information ( parameters ) that identify the tenant issuing such a request and the tenant - affinity value per virtualized resource . 2 . step 2 ( s 502 ): a virtualized resource management engine 511 collects the input information from the request of step 1 . furthermore , it may collect additional information ( either stored or retrieved from another entity ) about the current placement of virtualized resources on the pool of shared physical and software resources in the data center . this additional information contains for each identified physical host ( identified by a “ server - id ” parameter 521 ) at least the following information elements in the table shown with the examples in fig5 and 6 : a . the used - affinity 522 ( how the current host / server is used ); this corresponds to the tenant - affinity parameter signaled in step 1 , but here identifies whether the current physical host can be shared with other tenants ( used - affinity “ 0 ”) or is tenant exclusive ( used - affinity “ 1 ”) b . the tenant or tenants using such a resource ( used - tenant - id 523 ), and c . the identifiers of the virtualized resources ( e . g ., vms ) ( vm - id 524 ): a list of virtual machines that are instantiated on this physical host 3 . step 3 ( s 503 ): the virtualized resource management engine finds a physical host ( server ) using the resource and tenant - affinity requirements . 4 . step 4 ( s 504 ): the virtualized resource management engine issues an allocation request to the hypervisor or virtual machine manager for the selected servers / hosts to allocate the virtualized resources ( e . g ., vms ) in the data center ( cloud infrastructure ) 512 . several embodiments are possible based on who issues and processes the request with the tenant - affinity information , and how such information is processed , for instance , based on actual resource requests on interfaces , or by mapping resource requests to the actual reservation of resources ( note : in this case , the reservation is logical , e . g ., number of vcpus , virtual memory , etc . ; that is , more in terms of quotas rather than physical host reservation ), or by setting up and using policies . fig7 to 10 illustrate exemplary information flows flow between functional blocks of the nfv architecture framework when performing the exemplary embodiments of the method to allocate virtualized resources based on tenant - affinity information , which are described in the following as embodiment 1 to embodiment 4 respectively . other possible embodiments , which are referred to as embodiments a to embodiment d , include making use of the invention during resource management operations such as scaling - out a virtualized deployment ( e . g ., a vnf ), or during partial or full migration of virtualized resources , or during partial or full healing of a virtualized deployment . also , the tenant - affinity parameter could be extended not only to hold one of the binary values of “ 0 ” and “ 1 ” that have been used as example up to now , but rather to hold a value from a set with more than two values . all these embodiments are summarized and explained in the following sections . the first set of embodiments 1 to 4 covers the usage of the invention during the resource allocation request procedure : embodiment 1 is the main and basic embodiment that has been used as example throughout the above text . here , the resource allocation request includes in addition to existing parameters ( like the specific resource requirements , and possibly reservation information ) the identification of the tenant ( tenant - id ) and the tenant - affinity per virtualized resource requested as presented in this disclosure . in this case , the resource request is made by a vnfm and issued against the vim as in step s 701 . the mapping of the tenant - affinity and handling such a requirement during the selection of resources is realized by the vim . the sequence of steps and the signaling between functional blocks according to embodiment 1 is illustrated in fig7 . embodiment 2 is another embodiment which also aims at the signaling of the tenant affinity and the tenant - id as part of the allocation request , however in this case it is made indirectly through the nfvo ( as shown in steps s 801 and s 802 ) instead of directly between vnfm and vim as outlined in embodiment 1 . the tenant - affinity information is still signaled by the vnfm . during this process , the nfvo can also map the resource request by the vnfm to a particular reservation . the sequence of steps and the signaling between functional blocks according to embodiment 2 is illustrated in fig8 . embodiment 3 differs from embodiment 2 in that not all information needs to be signaled from the vnfm . part of the information is rather derived by the nfvo which maps the tenant - id from the resource request from the vnfm . the nfvo here keeps internal information that allows it to derive the tenant affinity information . the nfvo can also map the resource request by the vnfm to a particular reservation . then the nfvo can proceed with signaling the resource allocation request to the vim ( as in step s 902 ) similarly to embodiment 2 . the sequence of steps and the signaling between functional blocks according to embodiment 3 is illustrated in fig9 . in this case , the signaling of the tenant - affinity information is part of a policy creation process . in this exemplary case , which is illustrated in fig1 , the nfvo is the issuer of the “ create policy ”, and the vim is the entity keeping such a policy . such a policy creation request ( step s 1001 ) contains information about the tenant identifier ( tenant - id ), the tenant - affinity parameter and the class or list of classes of vnfs ([ vnf - class ]) from the tenant that should follow such affinity placement requirement . the parameter notation uses square brackets “[” “]” to indicate that one or a list of values may be specified . the vim stores such information which can be used later on to take allocation decisions . once the policy is created , another third element , e . g ., the vnfm can directly issue a resource allocation request ( step s 1003 ) which only needs to specify the resource requirements and the type or class of the vnf ( vnf - class ) for such a resource allocation . then , the vim maps such information with that contained in the policies and determines the resource allocation accordingly . the second set of embodiments relate to different types of resource operations like scaling the capacity of a vnf , or partially or fully migrating virtual machines of a vnf from one physical host to another for which such tenant - affinity can be used , or partially or fully healing a vnf . these embodiments are thus orthogonal to the first set of embodiments : the first set describes different ways to implement the signaling procedure to support tenant - affinity related information being passed through different functional blocks within the nfv architecture framework ; the second set describes different operations on the virtualized resources that can be supported . hence the features of embodiments from both sets of embodiments may be combined . embodiment a uses the tenant - affinity information as part of an actual virtualized resource allocation request during the new instantiation process of a vnf ( virtualized deployment ). this is the example that has been used in this description so far . in embodiment b , it is assumed that the vnf should be scaled - out , e . g . by adding more virtual machines to this vnf . this scale - out procedure thus also requires the allocation of new resources and tenant - affinity information is used to ensure proper instantiation of such resources . in such a case , new virtualized resources may be requested as part of such vnf , or expansion on the existing ones , for example , allocation of more vcpus or virtual memory to an existing virtualized resource ( vm ). note that also a scale - in procedure , in which the capacity of a vnf is reduced , might need tenant - affinity information . examples are the case that the vim wants to decide which vm to remove first , or for the case that a vm in the wake of resource consolidation after scale - in should be migrated ( as described in the following embodiment c ). embodiment c assumes a migration scenario , i . e . either the complete vnf or parts of it are to be migrated to different servers within or among datacenters . this is feasible with standard virtual machine migration technologies as commonly used in datacenters . here , the tenant - affinity information is used to determine to which servers the vms of a vnf can or cannot be migrated . embodiment d covers virtualized resource healing ( failure recovery ) of the vnf , either for the complete vnf or for parts of it . an example here is the failure of certain vms of a vnf that then need to be redeployed on new servers . also in this case , the tenant - affinity information is used to determine suitable candidate servers for such a re - deployment . finally , in a third set of embodiments i to iii , the possible values of the tenant - affinity parameter are varied . either they are binary as described up to now , or they take different values from a pre - defined value set . in embodiment i , the tenant - affinity parameter is a binary value that determines if virtualized resources can be collocated with virtualized resources from other tenants or not : if the parameter is equal to “ 0 ”, the virtualized resources can be collocated on shared physical and software resources in the data center with other virtualized resources from other tenants ; whereas if this parameter is equal to “ 1 ”, the virtualized resources cannot be collocated with those from other tenants . this is the embodiment that has been described in the above text . in embodiment ii , the tenant - affinity parameter can take values from a value set , wherein the different values denote information to affinity or anti - affinity to a certain part of or a whole set of tenants ( vendors ). for instance , tenant - affinity = a : affinity to any tenant ( vendor ) of group a . tenant - affinity = b : affinity to any tenant ( vendor ) different than tenant - id = x . tenant - affinity = c : affinity to tenant - id = z , but not to tenant - id = y . etc . in embodiment iii , the tenant - affinity parameter can take values from a value set with more than two values , wherein the different values denote information to affinity or anti - affinity to collocated virtualized resources with certain capabilities . for instance , tenant - affinity = m : anti - affinity to compute intensive vms from other tenants . tenant - affinity = n : anti - affinity to intensive input / output data vms from other tenants . etc . it will be readily apparent to the skilled person that the methods , the elements , units and apparatuses described in connection with embodiments of the invention may be implemented in hardware , in software , or as a combination of both . in particular it will be appreciated that the embodiments of the invention and the elements of modules described in connection therewith may be implemented by a computer program or computer programs running on a computer or being executed by a microprocessor . any apparatus implementing the invention may in particular take the form of a computing device acting as a network entity . | 6 |
referring to the drawings , fig1 illustrates an example of the related art problem discussed supra . the driver circuit 100 shown in fig1 illustrates a typical two - power - supply level - shifting cmos output driver circuit . the driver circuit 100 includes an input stage 110 , a pre - drive stage 120 , and an output stage 130 . the internal integrated circuit core voltage , vdd , is nominally about 2 . 5 volts , and the output driver voltage , ovdd , is nominally about 3 . 3 volts . a first input , labeled data , is the driver input and a second input , labeled enable , is used to switch the output stage 130 into a high impedance state . under normal operation , 2 . 5 volt logic data from the integrated circuit core is present at the data and enable inputs to the driver circuit 100 . buffers b 1 and b 2 pass the data to buffers b 3 and b 4 , respectively , which convert , or level shift , the 2 . 5 volt logic to 3 . 3 volt logic . from this point , the remaining circuitry is a typical 3 . 3 volt driver consisting of the pre - drive stage 120 and the output stage 130 . the pre - drive stage 120 is a nand / nor pre - drive used to control the rate of change of the driver output current ( di / dt ). in operation , when the 3 . 3 volt supply , ovdd , powers up before the 2 . 5 volt supply , vdd , or when there is a sudden loss of the 2 . 5 volt supply , vdd , during otherwise normal operation , the logic levels at the inputs , data , enable , to the driver circuit 100 become indeterminate . because the driver circuit 100 output devices , transistor t 9 and transistor t 10 , are powered by the 3 . 3 volt supply , the driver circuit 100 is capable of supplying current from 3 . 3 volts to ground through transistor t 9 and transistor t 10 . according to the present invention , a novel method of preventing the inputs ( data , enable ) to the driver circuit 100 from becoming indeterminate involves detecting the loss of the 2 . 5 volt supply and forcing a logic zero at nodes n 1 and n 5 . a logic zero at nodes n 1 and n 5 is a valid input to buffers b 3 and b 4 , respectively , which are powered by the 3 . 3 volt supply while it is still active . the outputs of buffers b 3 and b 4 are also at a logic zero , or ground potential , which is passed to the nand / nor pre - drive stage 120 . transistors t 1 , t 2 , t 3 , and t 4 form the nand gate 140 of the pre - drive stage 120 that controls the output p - channel field effect transistor ( pfet ) t 9 . a zero logic level at the gates of transistor t 1 and transistor t 4 forces the output of the nand gate 140 to 3 . 3 volts at the gate of transistor t 9 , independent of the indeterminate voltage at the gates of transistor t 2 and transistor t 3 . the 3 . 3 volt level at the gate of transistor t 9 shuts off the output pfet transistor t 9 thus preventing any current through this device . the forced - zero logic level at the outputs of buffers b 3 and b 4 is also fed to the nor gate 150 of the pre - drive 120 , comprising transistors t 5 , t 6 , t 7 , and t 8 , through inverter i 1 . since inverter i 1 is powered from the 3 . 3 volt supply , this forces a 3 . 3 volt ( high ) logic level to the gates of transistors t 5 and t 8 . this in turn forces the output of the nor gate 150 to ground , independent of the indeterminate voltage at the gates of transistor t 6 and transistor t 7 . the gate of transistor t 10 is at ground potential , which turns off transistor t 10 , preventing any current flow through this device . because transistors t 9 and t 10 are both turned off , the driver circuit 100 is in a true high impedance state , preventing any crossover current from the 3 . 3 volt supply , ovdd , to ground , or from the signal connection pad ( pad ) 160 to ground , or from the 3 . 3 volt supply , ovdd , to pad 160 . fig2 shows the i / o protection circuit 200 , for loss of vdd , of the present invention that detects the loss of the 2 . 5 volt supply , vdd , and forces the nodes n 1 and n 5 to a logic zero or ground potential . the protection circuit 200 of fig2 operates as follows . transistors tn 1 and tn 2 are two diode - connected n - channel fets ( nfets ). the function of transistors tn 1 and tn 2 is to lower the maximum voltage at node n 3 from ovdd to a voltage level less than or equal to vdd . this will ensure that transistor tp 1 is off when the gate of tp 1 is held at vdd . the n - well of transistor tp 1 is also tied to node n 3 . in the normal functioning mode , vdd is powered up . in this case , transistors tp 1 and tn 3 form an inverter with its input or gates tied to vdd . when vdd is powered up , the input to the inverter is high , which forces transistor tp 1 off and transistor tn 3 on . transistor tn 3 pulls down the gates of transistors tn 4 and tn 5 thereby shutting off tn 4 and tn 5 . with tn 4 and tn 5 off , nodes n 1 and n 5 float and have no effect on the driver circuit 100 shown in fig1 . in the failure mode , wherein the vdd supply either drops to ground or fails to turn on , the input to the inverter stage 220 formed by tp 1 and tn 3 is at ground . this turns off transistor tn 3 , and turns on transistor tp 1 , pulling up the gates of transistors tn 4 and tn 5 to the voltage level at node n 3 . this turns on transistors tn 4 and tn 5 , pulling down nodes n 1 and n 5 , and forcing the driver circuit 100 to a high impedance state as described in the description of the driver circuit 100 of fig1 . note that the effect of transistor tn 4 pulling down node n 1 is sufficient , by itself and without the application of tn 5 , to force the driver circuit 100 to a high impedance state . also , the effect of transistor tn 5 pulling down node n 5 is to force the input of buffer b 4 to a stable state at logic zero when the loss of the 2 . 5 volt supply is detected . this condition ( i . e ., wherein buffer b 4 is in a stable state at logic zero ) will prevent buffer b 4 from floating , which would cause unnecessary power dissipation in buffer b 4 . this protection circuit 200 ( fig2 ) dissipates zero dc power because node n 3 is kept below the minimum vdd voltage level . more or fewer diode connected nfets may be used depending on the range of voltage for vdd and ovdd . the protection circuit 200 illustrated in fig2 describes the preferred embodiment of the invention for a nominal vdd value of about 2 . 5 volts and a nominal ovdd value of about 3 . 3 volts . slight modifications can be made to this protection circuit 200 to accommodate higher or lower values of vdd and ovdd by adding or subtracting the number of diode - connected nfets , shown here as tn 1 and tn 2 in fig2 . while preferred and particular embodiments of the present invention have been described herein for purposes of illustration , many modifications and changes will become apparent to those skilled in the art . accordingly , the appended claims are intended to encompass all such modifications and changes as fall within the true spirit and scope of this invention . | 7 |
fig1 . illustrates the system containing the preferred embodiment of the invention . the wireless network ( 100 ) used may be a gsm network . one retailer site which may be a restaurant , a taxi or a boot for selling theater or transportation tickets has a workstation ( 110 ), which could be a palm or any thin user pc , has connectivity equipment to an application server ( 120 ). the connection of the workstation ( 110 ) to the application server ( 120 ) may be of any kind but is secure , the connection is usually imposed by the owner of the application server , if the owner is not the retailer himself as it is the case for small business . this workstation is a point of sale or point of entry ( pos / poe ) for the application server ( 120 ). this implies that the server ( 120 ) provides support for transactions to all the retailer company pos / poe ( 110 ) connected to it . also , the application server may be in charge of performing other transactions on behalf of the retailers with banking servers ( 130 ), for instance through any other kind of network which is secure . as described in detail in reference with the following figures , according to the preferred embodiment , the server ( 120 ) is able to perform registrations and reservations for a customer of retailer services . the customer sends sms messages to the server ( 120 ) from his standard mobile phone ( 140 ). according to the preferred embodiment , the server ( 120 ) can execute a program ( 125 ) able to process the sms messages from the customer mobile phone and performs the customer registration steps of the method . the program ( 125 ) allows also communication with the pos / poe ( 110 ) for customer identification . in the preferred embodiment , the pos / poe can execute a program ( 115 ) performing customer identification and exchanging information with the server for customer identification and request for payment transaction . it is noted that the preferred embodiment of the invention can be implemented by modifying existing pos / poe programs and existing transaction server . fig2 is the general flow chart of the booking and payment process a customer performs to buy goods or services from a retailer according to the preferred embodiment . it is noted that only the customers having already subscribed to this kind of booking / payment service can perform this method . the initial step for a customer of registering himself is described later in the document in reference to fig3 . it is noted also that , even if in the preferred embodiment the retailer application server implementing the booking / payment method is dedicated to one retailer , the method and system of the invention can be used by a group of retailers , in one city for instance , commonly providing this secure booking / payment and sharing the services of a same application server service provider in support of their transactions . the process of booking and paying goods or services comprises six main steps . the first step ( 200 ) is performed by a customer who , in any location including his home or a retailer location , has , for instance a mobile phone connected to the mobile gsm network ( 100 ), and manifests his / her intention to book for some goods or services from the retailer . he / she ( 140 ) sends an sms messages to the main application server ( 120 ). in the second step ( 210 ), the main server ( 120 ) receives the sms messages from mobile gsm network ( 100 ) and , using the information provided in the call , verifies caller &# 39 ; s authorization to the service , according to some specific user &# 39 ; s service profiling data already stored in the computer ( 220 ). at this stage the main server ( 120 ) decides whether the user ( 140 ) can or cannot continue his / her transaction . if the caller is not known from the server as a registered customer , the server denies access to the service and ends the communication ( 225 ). the process continues to the third step if ( and only if ) the user ( 140 ) is permitted to continue on his / her way to book for the goods or services he / she needs . the main server ( 120 ) sends ( 230 ) user &# 39 ; s related data ( credentials , pin , profiling etc . . . ) to the service provider &# 39 ; s pos / poe thin client ( 110 ) in order to prepare at the retailer location the payment transaction . the information is stored in the pos . in the fourth step the user is approaching the service provider &# 39 ; s location ( the restaurant , the taxi cab . . . ). he / she goes by the pos / poe thin client and is required ( 240 ) to enter his / her authentication credentials . the pos / poe ( 110 ) is capable to match the information the user enters against the credentials received during the preceding step ( 230 ) from the server . the access to the payment transaction is refused ( 245 ) to the user and the process stopped if the user &# 39 ; s authentication credentials is not recognized by the pos . the process continues to the next step ( 250 ) if ( and only if ) the user is authenticated . the authenticated user can get the requested good or service . in the following step ( 250 ), the main server ( 120 ) is updated from pos / poe thin client ( 110 ) with the fee the authenticated user has to pay to the service provider for the services or goods he / she just received . in a following step of fig2 ( 260 ), a financial settlement transaction occurs between the main server ( 120 ) and the banking server ( 130 ). this step is optional and is not essential to the secure booking / payment method of the preferred embodiment . as a matter of fact , according to the service usage agreement between the customers and the service provider , financial settlement can even occur on a monthly basis , not necessarily on a per - transaction basis . this can be useful when the average value of the user &# 39 ; s transactions is relatively small . the service usage agreement between the customer and the service provider may imply any kind of payment system ( direct banking account , credit card , prepaid account etc . . . ). fig3 ( 3 a , 3 b ) describes in more details the steps of the general flow chart of method according to the preferred embodiment . in fig3 are shown the messages exchanged between the different components of the system ( 140 , 100 , 120 , 110 , 130 ). to operate the method of the preferred embodiment , an initial step ( 305 ) is performed by the customer to register himself to the main server ( 120 ) before using the service of secure booking / payment operations according to the preferred embodiment . this is relevant in that the customer must provide all the information the system needs for proper working . in particular , for the sake of security , it is mandatory to provide the following information : cellphone , user identification string , pin and preferred payment system ( credit card , or bank account and the like . . . ). this initial registration step ( 305 ) can be performed by the customer by phone , talking with an operator or by mail . the information are stored on the main server ( 300 ). by return the customer receives a mail or by phone from an operator a confirmation that the registration is done on the main server ( 310 ) and that he can start using the secure booking / payment service . a user identification is provided to this new customer as well as his balance summary , the maximum number of allowed transactions and any other useful information to start using this service . the step of booking by calling on a mobile phone ( 200 ) is performed by the customer keying in and sending ( 315 ) an sms string containing a service identification number through the wireless network , for instance a gsm network ( 100 ). the format of the sms the user has to send to the system during this registration step ( 305 ) is just an alphanumeric string , whose formatting rules and length are defined by the service provider , and have to be known to the service users . by this alphanumeric string , the service provider uniquely identifies the ( several ) pos / poe that are enabled for the service . note that the user is not sending over the wireless network any readable sensitive information , nor is he / she keying in any security pin on his / her cellphone . the sms for booking is received ( 320 ) by a well known service phone number at the main server ( 120 ). the checking ( 210 ) that the calling customer is registered is performed by the main server ( 330 ). an exception handling sms is sent back ( 340 ) by the server to the network carrier in case of service usage denial ( because of out of balance or user expired ext . . . ). the network delivers the sms denial message to the customer ( 350 ). throughout this detailed flowchart of fig3 , courtesy sms messages are sent back to the user , in order to notify the him / her about his / her progressing between the steps . the next step ( 230 ) is performed only if the customer has been authenticated and is all set to perform a payment transaction . the server sends ( 360 ) a message to the pos subsystem to open wireless payment transaction comprising the user identification string and the user &# 39 ; s pin . the messages exchanged between the server and the pos are following the application communication protocol of the transaction support . the handling of sensitive information ( user identification and pin ) is carried out by the main server and can leverage on the computing power of the main system ( 120 ) and pos / poe thin client ( 110 ) for commercial - grade data encryption . deciding which encryption algorithm to use for exchanges between the server and the pos is just a matter of computing capabilities on the pos / poe device ( 110 ). for example , a secure hashing technique could be used to send hashed pin and user identification string from main server ( 120 ) to pos / poe ( 110 ) in the steps of communication between the server and the pos ( 360 ), so that a secure hash of the data the user keys in is re - computed by pos / poe ( 110 ) and checked against the ( hashed ) data received from the main server ( 120 ). if the two hashed data match , the user and his / her transaction are authenticated . otherwise , the transaction should be aborted . when the user is authenticated , the operator at the pos / poe can key in pricing information and ask user confirmation . the user has just to key in his / her pin to confirm his / her will to pay . when the customer intends to pay for the good and service at the retailer location ( 240 ), he first keys in his user identification string on the pos keyboard ( 362 ). the pos finds a match towards open transactions . an exception handling message is displayed on the pos screen ( 365 ) if no match is found between the user identification and an existing opened transaction . if an opened transaction is found , the retailer keys in the price and the customer is required to key in his pin ( 370 ). if the pos does not match the pin with the opened transaction information , it displays an exception handling message ( 375 ). if the keyed in data are valid , the payment operation is accepted ( 250 ), the pos sends ( 380 ) information of completed transaction to the server which updates the corresponding transaction record with price date and time . as with the other communication between the server and the pos ( 360 ), commercial - grade data encryption techniques may be adopted to guarantee security and consistency for pos / poe updating the main server ( 120 ) with the closed transaction data ( price , date and time of closed transaction ). a further exchange between the main server and a banking server may be performed ( 260 ) in the way of a financial settlement transaction request from the main server to the banking server ( 385 ) and the answer from the banking server to the main server for settlement confirmation ( 390 ). it is noted also that completed transaction information are available for browsing on the main server for service provider and the users . accounting and billing processes can be performed by reading on the main server the transaction database , according to an agreement between the service provider and the users . | 6 |
the following examples are given to illustrate the invention and are not intended to be limiting . 1 — in vitro study of the activity of phosphonic acid on p . expansum as table 1 shows , the activity of pa at ambient temperature is partial , even at 4 , 000 ppm . the combination with thermotherapy considerably intensifies efficacy , even at 1 , 000 ppm . given the weak in vitro activity of pa at ambient temperature on p . expansum , it is not surprising that this experiment found the same to be true in vivo , that is to say an activity close to 0 . in contrast , in combination with thermotherapy , efficacy is comparable to and even greater than that of the best synthetic fungicides currently available . 3 — efficacy of pa and thermotherapy on p . digitatum infections in oranges the complementary effect of pa was noticed at 9 days and , above all , at 18 days , when the rate of decay was 2 . 3 times lower in the presence of pa ( 26 % in bioxeda , 60 % and 100 % in the control ). 4 — efficacy of pa on p . digitatum infections in oranges . comparison with a mixture of three fungicides . all treatments were combined with thermotherapy this time , as table 4 shows , the efficacy of pa on natural infections proved to be greater than or equivalent to the treatment applied with three fungicides conventionally used in cases of penicillium decay in oranges . 5 — efficacy of pa on natural p . digitatum infections in oranges combined with thermotherapy a new experiment which took place under conditions very similar to those in real life was carried out : natural infections , storage in cold conditions , simulation of storage periods ( spc ). the table shows excellent efficacy of pa , in particular at 4 , 000 ppm , combined with thermotherapy ( 73 . 5 %). no phytotoxicity was found , which implies that an increase in the concentration and therefore efficacy is still possible . with a residual solution on the fruit of 1 . 5 l / tonne at 4 , 000 ppm , i . e . 6 g / tonne , the amount of theoretical residue , approximately 6 ppm , would be very weak for this molecule . as mrls are 50 ppm the dose could be increased if necessary . these different experiments show that thermotherapy potentiates , in a synergistic manner , the fungicidal effect of pa . it will be noted that the fungicides currently used generate strains with a high level of resistance which leads to low levels of defense against infections ( such is the case with thiabendazole , carbendazim and imazalil in particular ). however , there is no resistance with pa . washington oranges inoculated with penicillium digitatum came into contact with a eugenol / potassium phosphite solution containing 1 , 100 ppm of eugenol and 1 , 600 ppm of potassium phosphite for 2 minutes at 38 ° c . and 48 ° c . the treated fruit was kept at 7 ° c . and then examined after 9 and 18 days . the fruit was compared with fruit treated with only eugenol in the same conditions and with inoculated fruits that had not been treated . these results show that an increase in temperature has a definite effect on the activity of eugenol and , above all , that this activity progresses strongly in the presence of phosphite at the same doses and for the same duration of contact . valencia oranges inoculated with a strain of penicillium digitatum resistant to imazalil were treated at 52 ° c . and were in contact for 2 minutes with : 300 ppm imazalil ; 3 , 000 ppm potassium phosphite the two products mixed in proportions of 300 ppm imazalil and 3 , 000 ppm potassium phosphite . as is evident from the table above , the rate of decay was halved when each product was applied individually ( 42 . 5 % in contrast to 85 %), whereas the rate of decay was 8 . 5 times lower with a combination of the two products . these results clearly show the synergistic effect of the combinations according to the invention . | 0 |
referring now specifically to fig2 there is shown a cross section of a gate electrode 22 formed on the surface of a substrate 20 . a layer 24 of spacer material has been deposited over the gate structure 22 and over the exposed surface of the substrate 20 . over the layer 24 of spacer material in turn has been deposited a layer 26 of photoresist . a number of materials can be used for the gate dielectric such as oxides ( rto oxide , jvd oxide ), nitrides ( rtp s i n , rtp sio x n y ) and polysilicon . the preferred material for the gate electrode of the invention is polysilicon . the gate electrode 22 is typically created by first depositing an in - situ doped polysilicon layer using lpcvd processing at a temperature between about 550 and 850 degrees c . to a thickness between about 2000 and 4000 angstrom using sih 4 and ph 3 . the polysilicon structure is created by standard photolithographic masking techniques followed by rie processing which uses hbr and cl 2 etch ambient to define the desired pattern in the layer of polysilicon . a variety of materials can be used in the formation of spacers for a gate electrode structure . gate spacer materials that are known in the art can contain silicon nitride , silicon oxide , bsg , psg , polysilicon and other materials preferably of a dielectric nature , cvd oxide formed from a teos source . often amorphous materials are used that inhibit the deposition of epitaxial silicon thereupon . the preferred spacer material to be used for the process of the invention is teos . the layer 24 of spacer material can be formed by thermal deposition or by using cvd techniques and is typically deposited to a thickness between about 700 and 3000 angstrom . the layer 26 of photoresist can be formed using thermal deposition ( spin - coating and baking ) or by using cvd techniques and is typically deposited to a thickness between about 250 and 1000 angstrom . it must be emphasized that , as a result of the deposition of the layer 26 of photoresist as shown in fig2 a thinner layer of photoresist 26 is deposited over that surface of the layer 24 of spacer material that is above the structure 22 of the gate electrode . fig3 shows a cross section of the gate electrode 22 after the layer 26 of photoresist has been partially stripped and thereby significantly reduced in thickness . the photoresist layer 26 can be partially removed using plasma oxygen ashing and careful wet clean . the oxygen plasma ashing is heating the photoresist in a highly oxidized environment , such as an oxygen plasma , thereby converting the photoresist to an easily removed ash . the oxygen plasma ashing can be followed by a native oxide dip for 90 seconds in a 200 : 1 diluted solution of hydrofluoric acid . fig3 shows that the layer of photoresist is essentially removed from above the poly gate structure 22 while that layer 26 of photoresist that overlays the gate material 24 has been reduced in thickness to between about 400 and 800 angstrom . the purpose of the remaining layer 26 of photoresist is to function as a partial etch stop layer during the subsequent etch of the layer 24 of spacer material . this will become apparent during the following discussion . fig4 shows a cross section after a dry etch has been applied to the exposed surface of the spacer material 24 thereby reducing the spacer material that is overlying the gate structure to a thickness between about 250 and 1000 angstrom , the preferred thickness of this layer is 400 angstrom . the process of dry etching can be performed in a chlorine - based plasma or a sequence of chlorine - based and fluorine based dry etches . typically , one or more halogenated compounds are used as an etchant gas . for example cf 4 , chf 3 ( freon 23 ), sf 6 , nf 3 , can be used . added can be gases such as o 2 , ar , n 2 . the etch can be performed in an etcher such as a parallel plate rie apparatus or an electron cyclotron resonance ( ecr ) plasma reactor . the preferred etching conditions for the teos etch are as follows : etchant gas : cf 4 or chf 3 at a flow rate of about 15 sccm , gas pressure about 800 mtorr , rf power density about 400 watts , no magnetic field applied , wafer temperature about − 17 degrees c . ( which is the chuck temperature ), time of the etch about 10 seconds . fig5 shows a cross section after the layer of photoresist has been removed from above the surface of the substrate thereby leaving the layer 24 of spacer material essentially in place . the methods that can be used for the process of removing the photoresist have already been highlighted above under fig3 ; these same methods can be applied for the removal of the layer of photoresist that has been indicated in fig5 . fig6 shows a partial removal of the layer 24 of spacer material . the partial removal of the layer 24 can be achieved by an anisotropic dry etch using ar / cf 4 as an etchant at a temperature of between about 120 and 160 degrees c . and a pressure of between about 0 . 30 and 0 . 40 torr for a time of between about 33 and 39 seconds . the partial removal of the layer 24 of gate material has completely removed the gate material 24 from above the structure 22 of the gate electrode while the thickness of the gate material that overlies the surface of the substrate 10 has been reduced to a thickness of between about 200 and 400 angstrom . this thinner layer of teos oxide remains in place above the regions of the source and drain areas of the gate structure , that is essentially the surface of the substrate 10 that surrounds the gate structure 22 . this latter point is of importance since this layer of teos oxide which overlies the surface of the substrate 10 serves to protect the surface of the substrate 10 during the final etch of the spacer material . fig7 shows a cross section of the gate structure after the completion of the final etch of the spacers of the gate structure . during this etch , the layer of teos oxide that was left on the surface of the substrate has been removed . it must also be noted that the spacers 24 on the side of the gate structure 22 have been considerably reduced as part of this etch . the processing steps to remove the spacer material as reflected in fig7 is a wet dip process using a hf solution . a hf wet dip is a one time process performed at atmospheric pressure using a conventional wet bench process with a gas source of h 2 o : hf = 100 : 1 for a duration of about 2 minutes . the processing sequence of the invention can be summarized as follows : fig2 a layer of spacer material is , deposited over the gate electrode and the surrounding surface of the substrate fig2 a thin layer of photoresist is deposited over the layer of spacer material . prior art does not use this layer of photoresist , the layer of photoresist serves the purpose of a partial stop layer during the spacer etch fig3 partially strip the layer of photoresist removing the photoresist from above the gate electrode structure but leaving photoresist in place adjacent to the gate electrode so that this photoresist can serve as a partial stop layer when forming the gate spacers fig4 partially etch the layer of spacer material that is overlying the gate electrode structure reducing the thickness of the layer of spacer material that is overlying the gate structure to preferably about 400 angstrom thick . during this process of partially etching the spacer material , the layer of photoresist has served as stop layer thereby leaving the layer of spacer material essentially in place in the areas surrounding the gate structure while essentially removing the spacer material where the photoresist is not present , that is from above the gate structure fig5 removing the remainder of the photoresist since the function of partial stop layer for the etch of the spacer material has been performed fig6 perform a dry etch of the layer of spacer material leaving a thinner layer of spacer material overlying the source / drain regions of the gate structure fig7 perform the final etch for the gate spacers with a wet etch using a hf solution . essential in the above indicated processing sequence is the deposition of the layer of photoresist , the partial stripping of the photoresist and the function that the photoresist plays of stop layer during the etch of the spacer material thereby enabling a partial etch of the spacer material . this sets the stage for etching of the spacer material using a two step sequence , a dry etch followed by a wet etch . the dry etch leaves a layer of oxide over the surface of the substrate which acts as a protective layer . the final wet etch does therefore not result in the typical plasma damage to the surface of the substrate . as an added benefit , the two step etch of the spacer material ( a partial etch followed by a final etch ) extends the overall processing time ( enlarges the processing window ) which makes it easier to detect the end point for the etch of the spacer material . although the invention has been described and illustrated with reference to specific illustrative embodiments thereof , it is not intended that the invention be limited to those illustrative embodiments . those skilled in the art will recognize that variations and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention . it is therefore intended to include within the invention all such variations and modifications which fall within the scope of the appended claims and equivalents thereof . | 7 |
the fig1 - 6 illustrate sections of semiconductors after carrying out the method steps essential to the invention , identical parts being provided with the same reference numerals in all figures . the particular embodiment illustrated relates to an n - well cmos process although the same process sequence can be used with appropriate changes for a p - type process . as seen in fig1 well regions and active regions are defined by means of a conventional cmos process . the gate oxide of the transistors is grown , the channel implantation of the n - channel and p - channel transistors is introduced , and the gate electrodes composed , for example , of polysilicon or polycide are deposited and structured . fig1 illustrates the cross - section through an n - channel and p - channel transistor at this point . the p - doped silicone substrate is referred to at reference numeral 1 and the n - well for the p - channel transistor is referred to at reference numeral 2 . a field oxide 3 separates the active transistor regions . channel implantations 4 and 5 are provided in accordance with the usual procedure , and a gate oxide 6 is provided in keeping with standard operating technique . structured gate electrodes 7 and 8 are also formed on the surface of the substrate as illustrated . referring to fig2 a first sio 2 layer 9 is produced by chemical vapor deposition to a thickness in excess of 100 nm , and typically in the range of 100 to 200 nm . a chemically vapor deposited silicon nitride layer 10 is then deposited to a thickness of from 50 to 100 nm , and preferably at about 50 nm . the layer thickness of the first sio 2 layer 9 is thus matched to the spacer oxide width of the gate of the p - channel transistor to be generated subsequently . the silicon nitride layer 10 serves as a protective layer for the anisotropic re - etching step for generating an oxide spacer 14 of the n - channel transistors . in a subsequent photolithographic step , the later produced p - channel regions ( well 2 ) are covered with a first photo - resist mask 11 and the double layer 9 , 10 composed of sio 2 and silicon nitride is then structured . the arrangement shown in fig2 is thus produced . as seen in fig3 the photo - resist mask 11 is removed and a thermal oxidation is carried out to grow an oxide layer 13 having a thickness of 30 to 50 nm . the following step involves implantation for the n - channel transistor ( ldd ) with phosphorus ions with a dosage of 5 × 10 12 through 1 × 10 13 cm - 2 and a dosage level of 80 kev . an implanted zone 12 is thus produced . referring next to fig4 after the deposition of a second sio 2 layer 14 by a chemical vapor deposition process to a thickness of 150 to 300 nm and preferably about 200 nm , a spacer oxide 14 is formed at the sidewalls of the n - channel gate electrode 7 . the spacer oxide 14 is formed by means of anisotropic re - etching of the chemically vapor deposited sio 2 layer 14 which was deposited in conformity to the configuration of the gates . residues of the oxide layer appear as layer portions 14a at the steps of the p - channel gate electrode 8 and over the field oxide in the region of the p - channel transistors . instead of using a second sio 2 layer 14 for spacer formation , an undoped polysilicon layer can also be deposited . in this case , the silicon nitride layer 10 shown in fig2 is not required . the source / drain regions 15 of the n - channel transistors are now formed by arsenic ion implantation at a dosage of 3 × 10 15 through 8 × 10 15 cm - 2 and at an energy level of about 80 kev . when an sio 2 layer 14 is used for spacer formation , a scatter oxide of a thickness of 30 to 50 nm ( not shown ) must also be grown . finally , there is a thermal activation of the n + diffusion for setting the desired resistance . the structure shown in fig4 results . in the next sequence of operations shown in fig5 the n - channel regions are covered by means of a second photoresist mask 16 after which there is a isotropic over - etching for the removal of the oxide residue 14a at the steps in the p - channel region . the silicon nitride layer 10 is then removed , leaving the structure as shown in fig5 . fig6 illustrates a spacer oxide 17 which is defined at the side walls of the gate electrode 8 in the p - channel region by anisotropic re - etching of the first sio 2 layer 9 . the etching is controlled such that a residual oxide 9 in a thickness of about 50 nm still remains on the active transistor regions . the source / drain regions 18 of the p - channel transistors are formed by boron ion implantations with an energy level of 5 × 10 15 cm - 2 , and a dosage of 25 kev . after removal of the photo - resist mask 16 the structure shown in fig6 results , illustrating the regions for the n - channel transistor and for the p - channel transistors . further process steps such as intermediate oxide deposition and flowing , contact hole formation and metallization are carried out in accordance with conventional processings and are not shown in fig6 . a further alternative form of the invention is shown in fig7 . an ldd n - channel transistor and p - channel transistor with source / drain pull - back is produced from the process sequence described in connection with fig1 - 6 . the re - etching step provided for in fig6 is eliminated . in this alternative , there is provided a conforming spacer 19 for the source / drain implantation 18 before the p - channel transistors . the thickness of the first sio 2 layer 9 , the implantation zones 18 and the following high temperature processing are selected such that the source / drain doping 18 extends barely under the gate electrode 8 as shown in fig7 . in a further alternative shown in fig8 an ldd n - channel transistor and ldd p - channel transistor are produced from the process sequence indicated in fig1 - 6 . prior to the deposition of the first sio 2 layer 9 , however , a surface - wide boron implantation of about 10 12 cm - 2 is deposited at 25 - 50 kev . this boron ion implantation functions as a boron &# 34 ; pocket &# 34 ; implantation 20 for the n - channel transistor . ( in this connection , see the report of s . ogura et al in iedm ( 1982 ), pages 718 - 721 , which is incorporated herein by reference ). the boron ion implantation also serves to produce an implant zone 21 in the ldd p - channel transistor . it will be evident that various modifications can be made to the described embodiments without departing from the scope of the present invention . | 7 |
a detailed description will now be given of the best mode for carrying out the present invention , with reference to the attached drawings . [ 0039 ] fig2 is a sectional view showing an oil control valve according to a first embodiment of the present invention . fig3 a - 3 e show a portion of the oil control valve shown in fig2 fig3 a being a top view , fig3 b being a front view , fig3 c being a bottom view , fig3 d being a saggital sectional view taken at a line a - a , line c - c or line e - e of fig3 b , and fig3 e being a saggital sectional view taken at a line b - b or line d - d of fig3 b . fig4 is an enlarged front view showing displacement of a port in the oil control valve shown in fig2 with respect to a pipeline of an engine block . those elements that constitute the oil control valve according to the first embodiment that are substantially identical to those constituting elements of the oil control valve according to the related art shown in fig1 are designated by the same reference numerals and the description thereof is omitted . referring to figures , numeral 41 indicates a port formed in the valve housing 28 so as to correspond to the first pipeline 34 ; 42 indicates a port formed in the valve housing 28 so as to correspond to the second pipeline 35 ; 43 indicates a port formed in the valve housing 28 so as to correspond to the supply pipeline 32 ; 44 indicates a port formed in the valve housing 8 so as to correspond to the drain pipeline 33 ; 45 and 46 indicate annular grooves ( hereinafter , referred to as peripheral grooves ) that communicate with the ports 41 and 42 , respectively , and extending in the periphery of the valve housing 28 in a circumferential direction thereof . the width of the peripheral grooves 45 and 46 is smaller than that of the ports 41 and 42 . that is , the width of the peripheral grooves 45 and 46 is smaller than the length of the ports 41 and 42 in an axial direction of the valve housing 28 . referring to the figures , numeral 61 indicates a bracket ; 62 and 63 indicate sleeves ; 64 indicates a rod ; 65 indicates a case ; 66 indicates a bobbin ; 67 indicates a core ; 68 indicates a spacer ; 69 indicates an o ring ; 70 indicates a cover ; 71 indicates a terminal ; 72 indicates a plunger ; 73 indicates a boss ; and 74 - 76 indicate o rings . according to the first embodiment , even when an open end f of the first pipeline 34 is displaced as shown in fig4 with respect to the port 41 in a circumferential direction of the valve housing 28 , communication between the open end f and the port 41 is maintained since the open end f communicates with the peripheral groove 45 communicating with the port 41 . thus , reduction in the quantity of hydraulic oil in the first pipeline 34 and the second pipeline 35 is prevented . in the description of the first embodiment given above , it is assumed that the peripheral grooves 45 and 46 are provided in the ports 41 and 42 , respectively . however , the port 43 may also be provided with a peripheral groove . in this case , reduction in the quantity of hydraulic oil supplied from the oil pump 37 is prevented . [ 0044 ] fig5 is a sectional view showing the oil control valve according to a second embodiment . fig6 a - 6 e show a portion of the oil control valve shown in fig5 fig6 a being a top view , fig6 b being a front view , fig6 c being a bottom view , fig6 d being a saggital sectional view taken at a line a - a , line c - c or line e - e of fig6 b , and fig6 e being a saggital sectional view taken at a line b - b or line d - d of fig6 b . fig7 is an enlarged front view showing displacement of a port in the oil control valve shown in fig5 with respect to a pipeline of an engine block . those elements that constitute the oil control valve according to the second embodiment that are substantially identical to those constituting elements of the oil control valve according to the related art or the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals and the description thereof is omitted . the feature of the second embodiment is that the width of the peripheral grooves 45 and 46 is the same as the width of the ports 41 and 42 , respectively . as shown in fig7 as a result of this arrangement , even when the open end f of the first pipeline 34 is displaced with respect to the port 41 in a circumferential direction of the valve housing 28 , communication between the open end f and the port 41 is maintained since the open end f communicates with the peripheral groove 45 communicating with the port 41 . the second embodiment is advantageous in that , in case of displacement , in a circumferential direction of the valve housing 28 , between the first pipeline 34 and the port 41 of the housing 28 or between the second pipeline 35 and the port 42 of the housing 28 , any portion of the groove , provided around the entirety of the valve housing 28 , is available to replace the port 41 or port 42 for supply of the hydraulic oil . accordingly , reduction in the quantity of hydraulic oil is successfully prevented . in the description of the second embodiment given above , it is assumed that the peripheral grooves 45 and 46 are provided in the ports 41 and 42 , respectively . however , the port 43 may also be provided with a peripheral groove . in this case , reduction in the quantity of hydraulic oil supplied from the oil pump 37 is prevented . [ 0047 ] fig8 is an enlarged front view showing displacement of a port in the oil control valve according to a variation of the second embodiment with respect to a pipeline of an engine block . the feature of the variation of the second embodiment is that the width of the peripheral grooves 45 and 46 is larger than that of the ports 41 and 42 . as shown in fig8 as a result of this arrangement , even when the open end f of the first pipeline 34 is displaced with respect to the port 41 in a circumferential direction of the valve housing 28 , communication between the open end f and the port 41 is maintained since the open end f communicates with the peripheral groove 45 communicating with the port 41 . this variation is advantageous in that , in case of displacement , in a circumferential direction of the valve housing 28 , between the first pipeline 34 and the port 41 of the housing 28 or between the second pipeline 35 and the port 42 of the housing 28 , any portion of the groove , provided around the entirety of the valve housing 28 , is available to replace the port 41 or port 42 for supply of the hydraulic oil . accordingly , reduction in the quantity of hydraulic oil is successfully prevented . [ 0049 ] fig9 is a sectional view showing the oil control valve according to a third embodiment . fig1 a - 10 e show a portion of the oil control valve shown in fig9 fig1 a being a top view , fig1 b being a front view , fig1 c being a bottom view , fig1 d being a saggital sectional view taken at a line a - a or line e - e of fig1 b , and fig1 e being a saggital sectional view taken at a line b - b , line c - c or line d - d of fig1 b . fig1 is an enlarged front view showing displacement of a port in the oil control valve shown in fig9 with respect to a pipeline of an engine block . those elements that constitute the oil control valve according to the third embodiment that are substantially identical to those constituting elements of the oil control valve according to the related art or the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals and the description thereof is omitted . the feature of the third embodiment is that , instead of providing the peripheral grooves in the valve housing 28 as in the first or second embodiment , tapers 47 , 48 and 49 are provided adjacent to the ports 41 , 42 and 43 , respectively , in an axial direction of the valve housing 28 . the tapers 47 , 48 and 49 function to extend the width of the ports 41 , 42 and 43 , respectively . therefore , as shown in fig1 , the in case of displacement , in an axial direction of the valve housing 28 , between the port 41 and the open end f of the first pipeline 34 , obstruction of communication between the pipeline and the port is prevented so that reduction in the quantity of the hydraulic oil is prevented . in the foregoing description of the third embodiment , a taper is employed as a groove ( hereinafter , referred to as a breadth groove ) for extending the width of the port . alternatively , a groove of any configuration may be employed as long as it extends from an edge of the port in an axial direction of the valve housing 28 . in the foregoing description of the first through third embodiments , the peripheral grooves or the breadth grooves are discussed as means for mediating communication between the port and the pipeline . alternatively , the peripheral grooves and breadth grooves may be used in combination so as to achieve the effect of further preventing reduction in the quantity of hydraulic oil . the ocv according to any of the first through third embodiments may be built into the actuator 3 of the related art shown in fig1 . in this case , even when displacement occurs between the port of the valve housing 28 and the pipeline of the engine block when building the ocv into the actuator 3 , reduction in the quantity of the hydraulic oil is prevented due to the operation of the ocv according to any of the first through third embodiments . therefore , normal operation of the oil hydraulic actuator is ensured . the oil control valve according to the present invention is advantageously applied in that , even when displacement occurs between the port of the valve housing and the pipeline in the engine block , grooves ensure communication between the port and the pipeline . accordingly , reduction in the quantity of hydraulic oil is prevented . the oil control valve of this construction finds a useful application in the oil hydraulic actuator . the present invention is not limited to the above - described embodiments , and variations and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention . | 5 |
currently , metal powders and more particularly iron and steel powdered metal parts , are pressed to shape in a die at relatively high compaction pressures to create a green part . p / m parts are first formed by injecting the metal powder into a die cavity shaped to some desired configuration , and applying pressure to form a compact . these compacts are then sintered . sintering at temperatures typically in the range of 1100 to 1250 ° c . for a controlled period of time increases the strength of the bond between particles . where alloys such as graphite ( 0 - 0 . 8 %) and copper ( 0 - 2 . 5 %) are present , this sintering results in the diffusion of the alloys throughout the metal matrix . when higher carbon levels are present , liquid phase sintering may occur in where a liquid phase forms between particles . the end result of this sintering process is an increase in mechanical properties of the part , an increase in part density and a change in the dimension of the parts themselves ( a growth of + 0 . 2 % to a shrinkage in liquid phase sintering of − 4 . 0 %). because of the inherent problems of controlling the temperature precisely in conventional radiant tube muffle furnaces , significant variation in dimensional and physical part properties occur . essentially any ferrous powder having a maximum particle size less than about 300 microns can be used in the composition of this invention . typical iron powders are the atomet ® iron powders manufactured by quebec metal powders limited of tracy , quebec , canada . the iron powder of this invention may also be an iron - carbon - silicon alloy comprising about 2 % to about 4 . 5 % by weight carbon and about 0 . 05 % to about 2 . 5 % by weight silicon . preferably , the composite powder comprises about 3 % to about 4 % by weight carbon and about 0 . 1 % to about 2 % by weight silicon . in one preferred embodiment , the composite powder comprises about 3 % to about 4 % by weight carbon and about 0 . 3 % to about 2 % by weight silicon . exemplary iron - graphite composite powders according to this invention , having a microstructure comprised of carbon clusters embedded in a ferrous matrix , comprise about 3 . 2 % to about 3 . 7 % by weight carbon and about 0 . 8 % to about 1 . 3 % by weight silicon . the composite iron powder and / or resulting sintered articles of this invention may also contain at least one other alloying element conventionally used in the art . in the present invention , compacted parts are introduced into a batch or continuous fluid bed for a controlled period of time at a particular temperature or range of temperatures . in its preferred embodiment , this invention involves the placement of parts in a multi layer part container where each part is held in place on a ceramic or other type of high temperature resistant fixture . the fixtures are then introduced into a furnace with a tightly controlled temperature , preferably under a tightly controlled atmosphere . fluidized beds have traditionally been used for batch heat treating of parts but not for the sintering of metal powder parts . fluidized beds are commercially available , e . g ., from procedyne corp ., newark , n . j . fluidized beds in their simple form consist of a retort filled with an inert aggregate media through which heat is introduced in some manner , preferably through the walls and by preheating the fluidizing gas . the bed is fluidized through the introduction of a controlled volume of gas through the bottom . the continuous stirring and mixing that occurs as a result of the fluidization results in a isotherm condition throughout the bed and almost instantaneous heat transfer to any part introduced in the bed . the fluidized bed can operate in a continuous fashion in a rectangular configuration , with parts introduced at one end conveyed through the bed at a controlled rate of speed and then removed at the other . nitrogen is the prime fluidizing gas with preferably at least 10 % hydrogen added to achieve the best part properties . hydrogen at elevated levels can be used as required . a steady state temperature profile is created from one end of the bed to the other and controlled by the rate and temperature of fluidizing gas that is introduced along the length of the bed as well as the amount of heat that is introduced to the bed through the metal shell or retort . the bed itself is composed of aluminum oxide ca .- 80 mesh . as the parts move through the bed they are initially rapidly heated to approximately 600 ° c . where they are held for the vaporization and removal of lubricant (& lt ; 1 % by weight within the green part ). delubing generally takes about 10 minutes . as the parts continue through the bed they are then rapidly heated to the final sintering temperature in the range of 1120 to 1160 ° c . and held at this constant temperature ± 1 ° c . for 5 to 15 minutes , as evidenced in fig2 . at the end of the cycle they are rapidly cooled to 100 ° c . at which time the fixtures exit the bed and the parts are removed . the sintered article thus formed may then be subjected to post - sintering treatments , e . g ., heat - treatment ( such as quenching and tempering , and the like ), coining , forging and cutting or machining , to produce a final article . the examples which follow are intended as an illustration of certain preferred embodiments of the invention , and no limitation of the invention is implied . an iron powder was produced by water - atomization of a liquid iron containing 0 . 94 % silicon and 3 . 29 % carbon . the water - atomized iron powder was then thoroughly dried . five samples of the powder were consecutively heated in a lindberg tubular furnace under a vacuum atmosphere ( less than approximately 30 mm hg ) at a temperature of 1020 ° c ., maintained at that temperature for three hours , then cooled in a stepwise process for approximately 4 hours . the samples were cooled from 1020 ° c . to approximately 760 ° c . and were maintained at that temperature for approximately 1 . 25 hours , cooled to approximately 730 ° c . and maintained at that temperature for approximately 1 . 25 hours , then cooled to approximately 700 ° c . and maintained at that temperature for approximately 1 . 5 hours . the samples were thereafter cooled to room temperature . the degree of graphitization of the powder was determined by computerized image analysis using conventional procedures . the five iron - graphite composite samples had an average graphite volume of approximately 10 %. a part was pressed conventionally using a sample of the water - atomized iron powder described in reference example 1 . the green compact was sintered at 1150 ° c . ± 1 ° c . for 5 to 15 minutes under a nitrogen atmosphere with 20 % hydrogen . following sintering , the part was tested for transverse rupture strength ( trs ) and was determined to have a trs of 115 , 000 pounds per square inch ( psi ) or 115 ksi . a part was pressed conventionally using a sample of the water - atomized iron powder described in reference example 1 . the green compact was sintered at 1153 ° c . ± 1 ° c . for 5 to 15 minutes under a nitrogen atmosphere with 20 % hydrogen . following sintering , the part was tested for transverse rupture strength and was determined to have a trs of 134 ksi . a part was pressed conventionally using a sample of the water - atomized iron powder described in reference example 1 . the green compact was sintered at 1156 ° c . ± 1 ° c . for 5 to 15 minutes under a nitrogen atmosphere with 20 % hydrogen . following sintering , the part was tested for transverse rupture strength and was determined to have a trs of 180 ksi . a part was pressed conventionally using a sample of the water - atomized iron powder described in reference example 1 . the green compact was sintered at 1158 ° c . ± 1 ° c . for 5 to 15 minutes under a nitrogen atmosphere with 20 % hydrogen . following sintering , the part was tested for transverse rupture strength and was determined to have a trs of 170 ksi . a part was pressed conventionally using a sample of the water - atomized iron powder described in reference example 1 . the green compact was sintered at 1160 ° c . ± 1 ° c . for 5 to 15 minutes under a nitrogen atmosphere with 20 % hydrogen . following sintering , the part was tested for transverse rupture strength and was determined to have a trs of 168 ksi . as a result of examples 1 - 5 , it is seen that a 6 degree change in sintering temperature resulted in a 57 % increase in trs . moreover , it was determined that parts sintered at 1156 ° c .± 1 ° c . exhibited 3 . 5 % shrinkage and were fully dense . in contrast , parts sintered at 1130 - 1140 ° c .± 1 ° c . retained some porosity but exhibited only 1 . 5 % shrinkage . other variations or modifications , which will be obvious to those skilled in the art through routine experimentation , are within the scope and teachings of this invention . this invention is not to be limited except as set forth in the following claims . | 2 |
the features and implementation of the preferred embodiment of the invention will be described in detail with the accompanying drawings . fig3 illustrates a first embodiment of a high voltage charging circuit according to the invention . referring to fig3 , the circuit 40 includes three units , which are a turn - off control circuit 50 , turn - on control circuit 60 and a standby detection circuit 70 . the turn - on control circuit 60 is used to enable a positive output signal q of the positive output of a flip - flop 46 to output a high logic level signal to control the turn - on time of a power transistor 44 by controlling an output with a low logic level to a reset terminal of the flip - flop 46 . the turn - off control circuit 50 enables the positive output signal q of the positive output of the flip - flop 46 to have a low logic level to control the turn - off time of the power transistor by outputting a low logic level signal to the set terminal of the flip - flop . the standby detection circuit 70 is used to detect the voltage level of the charging capacitor 28 . if the charging capacitor is charged to a predetermined voltage level , e . g ., 300v , the standby detection circuit 70 outputs a detection signal to enable an operation of the standby control circuit 32 , which stops the charging capacitor of the invention . as such , the high voltage charging circuit 40 does not charge the high voltage charging capacitor 24 any more . in the above , the primary side windings n 1 of the transformer 42 have an inductance of lp , and a secondary side windings n 2 have an inductance of ls . the secondary side windings n 2 have n times windings as compared to the primary side windings n 1 . when the high voltage charging circuit 40 is initialized , the secondary side current is zero , the voltage across a resistor 52 is zero and the comparator 54 outputs a high logic level signal . at this time , the flip - flop 46 has a high logic level at its set terminal , enabling the positive output signal q of the positive output of the flip - flop 46 to have a high logic level , causing the power transistor 44 to turn on and enter into a saturation state . because of the current mirror 62 , a current begins to charge an internal capacitor 66 of the turn - on control circuit 60 from a zero voltage and the current is as large as the current flowing through a resistor 64 . when the voltage across the capacitor 66 is less than v 3 , the power transistor 44 continues to be turned on . when the capacitor 66 is charged to a voltage greater than v 3 , the comparator 69 outputs a high logic level signal to the reset terminal of the flip - flop 46 , enabling the positive signal q of the positive output of the flip - flop 46 to be a low logic level signal of flip - flop 46 . the low logic level output signal is driven by a driver 48 and then turns off the power transistor 44 , i . e . the power transistor 44 enters into a cut - off state . when the power transistor 44 is turned on by the turn - on control circuit 60 , this is referred to as the on time . when the power transistor 44 is in the on state , the dc source 12 provides a primary side current ip to the transformer 42 . since the polarity of the secondary side of the transformer may not turn on the diode , the energy generated by the primary side current ip is stored in the transformer 42 in the form of magnetic energy . the primary side current ip has its maximum ip , max , presented in the following equation : i p , max = ( ( v i n - v ds ) / l p ) × t on ( 1 ) wherein vin is the input voltage provided by the dc source 12 , vds is the voltage across the power transistor 44 . when the power transistor 44 turns on , vds is considerably low and thus neglected , so equation ( 2 ) may be simplified as : i p , max = ( v i n / l p ) × t on ( 2 ) wherein vin / lp is the slope of the increase of the primary side current ip and ton is the turn - on time of the power transistor 44 , which is identical to the turn - on time of the primary side windings n 1 and is also called a turn - on time . the ton may be determined by the resistance of the resistor 64 and the capacitance of the capacitor 66 . since the charging current for the capacitor 66 is a ratio of the voltage v 1 to the resistance of the resistor 64 , simply adjusting the resistance of the resistor 64 may change the value of ton and consequently change the maximum ip , max of the primary side current ip . also , a change of the charging current may lead to a change of ton . when a user selects the resistance of the resistor 64 , ton is fixed . it may be seen from equation ( 2 ) that the less vin is , the less the maximum ip , max of the primary side current ip is . when vin falls , the charging current also decreases , so the high voltage charging circuit 40 according to the invention may provide a charging mode with a varied current , which may lengthen the lifetime of the dc source 12 when vin is low . in addition , it may be seen through equation ( 2 ) that a user may obtain the same maximum ip , max of the primary side current ip by use of a lesser lp . in this case , ton may be lessened , which prevents the smaller transformer 14 from being saturated . hence , the object of reducing the volume of the high voltage charging circuit 40 may be achieved . when the flip - flop 46 outputs a low logic level signal at its positive output terminal , the flip - flop 46 simultaneously outputs a high logic level signal − q at its negative output terminal . the high logic level output signal turns the transistor 68 on , and the energy stored in the capacitor 66 is removed . in the above , the capacitor 41 is a regulated capacitor , and the power transistor 44 is preferably an nmos transistor with its gate connected to the driver 48 to maintain its operation . the preferred power transistor has the advantages of fast response speed and reduced turn - on resistance ( rds , on ). certainly , the power transistor 44 may also be a pmos transistor and its gate has to be connected to a negative driver . the counter 67 adds 1 to its value every 1 μs . when the value of the counter 67 exceeds a threshold , e . g . 10 , the counter 67 outputs a high logic level to the reset terminal of the flip - flop 46 and the value of the counter 46 is reset to 0 . therefore , the turn - on time controlled by the turn - on control circuit 60 may be controlled by the counter and thus the primary side current ip may be limited as well . in this case , the primary side current ip may be prevented from continuous increase due to the open state of the resistor 64 . during the turn - on time , the polarity at the secondary side of the transformer 42 may not turn on the diode 22 . at this time , the secondary side current is is zero , and the voltage across the resistor 52 is zero . when the voltage across the capacitor 66 is greater than the voltage v 3 , the flip - flop 46 closes the power transistor 44 , i . e ., the transistor 44 enters into a cut - off state . when the power transistor 44 is cut off , the diode 22 is turned on because the magnetic energy has to be continuous , enabling the transformer 42 to charge the high voltage capacitor 24 with its previously stored magnetic energy . at this time , the transformer 42 has current is at its secondary side and the current is reduces . the current is decreases with the rate of the ratio between vout , the voltage level of the high voltage capacitor , ls , and the inductance of the secondary side of the transformer 42 . since vout increases at a slow rate in the whole charging process , the secondary side current is has a varied decrease rate . when the voltage across the resistor 52 is greater than the voltage v 2 , the comparator 54 outputs a low logic signal to a set terminal of the flip - flop 46 and the power transistor 44 continues to be in a cut - off state . the turn - off control circuit 50 continues to cut off the power transistor 44 . when the voltage across the resistor 52 is less than v 2 , the comparator 54 outputs a high logic level signal to the set terminal of the flip - flop 46 , which turns on the power transistor 44 after the operation of the driver 48 . when the turn - off control circuit 50 turns off the power transistor 44 , this is termed off time . the maximum is , max of the secondary side current is may be presented in the following equation : when the secondary side current is decreases to the ratio between the voltage v 2 and the resistance of the resistor 52 ( the current of the secondary side current is is defined as a minimum imin / n ), the comparator 54 outputs a high logic level signal to the set terminal of the flip - flop , enabling the power transistor 44 to enter into a saturation state . the primary side windings n 1 then begin to conduct and the primary side current ip begins to flow from the minimum current imin . when the above steps are repeated , the transformer 42 may continuously charge the high voltage capacitor 24 until the high voltage capacitor 24 reaches a voltage level of 300v . now the standby detection circuit 70 is described . when the high voltage capacitor 24 reaches a voltage level of 300 v , the zener diode 26 breaks down and charges the capacitor 28 . until the capacitor 28 has a greater voltage difference than the voltage v 3 , the comparator 72 outputs a detection signal to the standby control circuit 32 , enabling the high voltage charging circuit 40 to stop . the minimum current imin may be set by a user . for example , when the minimum current imin is greater than zero , the high voltage charging circuit 40 in the invention continues to charge the high voltage capacitor 24 , which is referred to as in a continuous charging mode . the variations of the primary side current ip , the secondary side current is and vout may be readily known through fig4 during the period the power transistor 44 turns on and off . since the high voltage charging circuit 40 charges the high voltage capacitor 24 in a continuous charging mode , the charging efficacy is better than the continuous / non - continuous charging efficacy used in the prior art . in addition , the minimum current imin may be set as zero . the high voltage charging circuit 40 then charges the high voltage capacitor 24 in a continuous / non - continuous mode , also termed the boundary charging mode . referring fig5 , the variations of the primary side current ip , the secondary side current is and vout when the power transistor 44 is on and off may be clearly known . in the embodiment illustrated in fig3 , when v 1 = vin , the higher the input voltage vin , the faster the charging speed of the capacitor 66 and ton , wherein the value of ton may be determined by the resistor 64 and the capacitor 66 since the charging current for the capacitor 66 is equal to the value of the ratio of the input voltage vin and the resistance of the resistor 64 . on the other hand , the less input voltage vin , the slower the charging of the capacitor 66 and the greater ton . that is , the value of vin × ton may be kept constant . therefore , a user may change the value of vin × ton by adjusting the resistance of the resistor 64 , and the value of the maximum current ip , max of the primary side current ip may also be changed . when the resistance of the resistor 64 is fixed , the value of vin * ton is also fixed , and the maximum current ip , max of the primary side current ip may not change with vin , so the invention provides a constant - current charging mode . fig6 illustrates a second embodiment of the high voltage charging circuit 40 according to the invention . referring to fig6 , the high voltage charging circuit 40 also comprises the turn - off control circuit 50 and the turn - on control circuit 60 . the turn - on control circuit 60 is used to receive the input voltage vin and is connected to the negative output (− q ) and the reset terminal ( r ) of the flip - flop 46 . the turn - off control circuit 50 is connected to the set terminal ( s ) of the flip - flop 46 . in this embodiment , the turn - off control circuit 50 operates according to the voltage vin provided by the dc source 12 and the voltage difference of the power transistor 44 vds . the transformer 42 is connected at one terminal of its secondary side to the ground . in the second embodiment , the turn - on control circuit 60 comprises a first current source 63 , a capacitor 66 , a comparator 69 and a transistor 68 . the first current source 63 and the capacitor 66 are coupled together , providing a first charging current to the capacitor 66 and charging the capacitor 66 , wherein the first charging current ip =( vin × ton )/ lp . when the voltage across the capacitor 66 is the first reference voltage 3 , the power transistor 44 is always turned on . when the capacitor 66 is charged to a voltage level greater than the first reference voltage v 3 , the comparator 69 outputs a reset signal to the reset terminal ( r ) of the flip - flop 46 to control a positive output signal at the positive output + q of the flip - flop 46 , and cuts off the power transistor 44 through the driver 46 . at this time , the negative signal of the negative output − q of the flip - flop 46 turns on the transistor 68 , enabling the transistor 68 to provide a discharging path for the capacitor 66 . when the capacitor 66 is charged , the power transistor 44 is in an on state . in this embodiment , the value of the current provided by the first current source 63 is related with the voltage vin provided by the dc source 64 and the resistor 65 , and is a function of the input voltage vin or the resistor 65 . the outputted current charges the capacitor 66 , and the turn - on time of the power transistor 44 is determined by the charging period of the capacitor 66 . referring fig7 , the turn - on period of the power transistor 44 is kept constant at all times and may be determined by changing the first reference voltage v 3 or the resistance of the resistor 64 . in the second embodiment , during a turn - on period , the polarity of the transformer 42 at its secondary side results in the un - conductivity of the diode 28 . the secondary side current is at this time is zero . when the capacitor 66 has a voltage difference between its two terminals greater than the voltage v 3 , the flip - flop 46 turns off the power transistor 44 , i . e ., the transistor 44 enters into a cut - off state . after the power transistor 44 is cut off , the diode 28 is turned on , enabling the previously stored magnetic energy in the transformer 42 to charge the high voltage capacitor 24 . at this time , the transformer 42 has a current is flowing through in its secondary side , and the current is reduces . when the voltage vds across the power transistor 44 is greater than the sum of vin and the voltage v 2 , the comparator 54 outputs a low level signal to the set terminal of the flip - flop 46 and the power transistor 44 is kept in a cut off state . the turn - off control circuit 50 maintains the power transistor 44 in the cut - off state . until the power transistor 44 has the voltage drop vds smaller than the sum of vin and the voltage v 2 , the comparator 54 outputs a high level signal to the set terminal of the flip - flop 46 , and the power transistor 44 turns on after the operation of the driver 48 . in other words , the power transistor is turned on by the turn - off control circuit 50 when the energy of the transformer is released to a threshold defined by the summation of vin and v 2 . the time that the turn - off control circuit 50 turns off the power transistor 44 is termed an off time . in the second embodiment , the turn - off time of the power transistor 44 is determined by the current is flowing through the secondary side of the transformer 42 . when the current is in the secondary side falls to zero , the voltage on the primary side of the transformer falls to 0v at a rapid speed and the voltage drop vds of the power transistor 44 rapidly falls to vin . since the energy stored in the secondary side of the transformer has been totally released , the power transistor 44 again turns on when the power transistor 44 has the vds falling to the sum of vin and the voltage v 2 . for example , when vds is 50 mv , the flip - flop 46 has a set terminal ( s ) output of 1 . the time period that the secondary side current is falls from ipeak / n to 0 is determined by the turn - off time of the power transistor 44 . with the circuit in the second embodiment , a maximum turn - on time is set so as to avoid transformer saturation . turning to fig7 , when the power transistor 44 turns on and off in the second embodiment , the variations of the primary side current ip , secondary side current is and the output voltage vout may be clearly seen . the transformer 42 at its secondary side has the is of the ramp - down slope of vout / ls and the turn - off time of the power transistor 44 becomes shorter and shorter . since the turn - on time is fixed , the turn - off time reduces and the switching frequency of the power transistor 44 is frequency variable . in the second embodiment , the standby detection circuit 70 further comprises a third comparator 74 comparing the voltage across the resistor 30 and the second reference voltage v 4 , and a fourth comparator 76 comparing the voltage across the resistor 30 and the third reference voltage v 5 . the second and third reference voltages v 4 and v 5 have a particular relationship . for example , the third reference voltage v 5 is 0 . 9 times the fourth reference voltage v 4 . when the voltage of the resistor 30 , equal to the voltage across the capacitor 28 , reaches the second reference voltage v 4 , the third comparator 74 outputs a turn - off signal to turn off the turn - off control circuit 50 and the turn - on control circuit 60 . when the voltage of the resistor 30 reaches the third reference voltage v 5 , the fourth comparator 76 outputs a signal to turn on the turn - off control circuit 50 and the turn - on control circuit 60 . through the operation of the comparator 74 and the fourth comparator 76 , the high voltage charging circuit 40 is equipped with an automatic recharging function , i . e ., when the voltage drop of the capacitor 28 falls to the third reference voltage v 5 , the high voltage charging circuit 40 automatically restarts to charge the capacitor 28 . the time of automatic recharging trefresh =− in ( v 5 / v 4 )× resistor 30 × capacitor 28 . fig8 illustrates a third embodiment according to the invention . in this embodiment , the configuration and operation of the circuit is the same as in the second embodiment except for the turn - off control . in the third embodiment , the turn - off control circuit 50 is similar to the turn - on control circuit 60 . the turn - off control circuit 50 comprises a second current source 53 , a leading edge blanking circuit ( hereinafter leb circuit ) 55 , a comparator 54 , a capacitor 56 and a transistor 58 . in addition , the turn - off control circuit comprises a single shot circuit 80 coupled to the set terminal s of the flip - flop 46 to trigger the turn - on control circuit 60 . the leb circuit 55 leaves blank on the rising edge of the pulse for the voltage difference of vds and vin . for example , by setting the leb time to about 200 ns , the generated pulse may be neglected . the second current source 53 is coupled to the leb circuit 55 and outputs a current as a function of the voltage difference vds − vin , i . e ., i = f ( vds − vin ). the capacitor 56 is coupled to the second current source 53 . the transistor 58 is coupled to the positive input of the comparator 54 and to the positive output of the flip - flop 46 with the gate thereof . the single shot circuit 80 is used to trigger the turn - on control circuit 60 . the first current source 63 has the linear output current i 1 = f ( vin ) as described above to charge the capacitor 66 . the time during which the capacitor 68 is charged to the first reference voltage v 3 is used to determine the turn - on time of the power transistor 44 . the second current source 53 has a current of i 2 = f ( vds − vin ), which is consistent with the first current source 63 and is used to charge the capacitor 56 . the time during which the capacitor 68 is charged to the first reference voltage v 3 determines the turn - off time of the power transistor 44 . in the third embodiment , the first current source 63 and the second current source 53 charge the capacitor 68 so that the averaged voltage of the inductor is zero when the magnetic element is in a stable state , i . e ., the relation vin × ton =( vds − vin )× toff is satisfied . referring to fig9 , during the turn - on and turn - off time of the power transistor 44 , the variations of the primary side current ip , secondary side current is and the output voltage vout in the third embodiment may be clearly known . according to the principle of the invention , the high voltage charging circuit 40 has the following advantages : 1 . auxiliary windings n 3 are not necessary . a smaller lp may be used to set a smaller value of the turn - on time ton so that a small - sized transformer 14 may be used . the transformer will not become saturated , thus allowing reduction in volume of the high voltage charging circuit . 2 . the high voltage charging circuit may operate in a continuous turn - on mode and thus has a higher power conversion efficiency and a shorter charging time . 3 . a constant current ( the charging current does not vary with vin ) or a variable current ( the charging current decreases as vin falls ) may be used in the charging mode , depending upon the user . 4 . an automatic recharging function may be set by the user . the invention being thus described , it will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways . such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention , and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims . | 7 |
fig1 shows an embodiment of a video camera according to the present invention . the camera 8 has an objective lens 4 , an optical filter 9 , an image sensor 1 , a sampling device 6 , a clock 42 , a control device 43 , a delay device 44 and a video signal output 7 . the objective lens 4 forms an image on the image sensor 1 . the image formation is carried out via optical filter 9 . the purpose of the optical filter 9 is to reduce the transmission of the signals of high diagonal spatial frequencies . the video output of the sensor 1 is connected to the input of the sampling device 6 . the clock 42 is connected , input of the control device 43 of the sensor 1 , and on to an input of the delay device 44 . the control device is a device of known type suitable for the type ( vacuum tube , ccd or matrix sensor ) and for the configuration of the sensor . the delay device 44 is , for example , a delay line . the control device 43 supplies the control and synchronisation signals which are required by the sensor 1 . the delay device 44 compensates the paths of the signal via the control device 43 , and the sensor 1 , as far as the sampling device 6 . the sampling device 6 carries out a sampling of the video signal and supplies a digitised video signal at the output 7 . advantageously , the sampling frequency is divided , for example , by two in the device 6 . for example , a sampling of the luminance y is carried out at a frequency of 72 mhz instead of 144 mhz and a sampling of the chrominance at 36 mhz instead of 72 mhz . a subsampling does not cause any spectrum folding described by shanon &# 39 ; s theorem , since the diagonal spatial frequencies have been filtered out by the optical filter 9 . such a subsampling permits operation at lower frequencies and thus a reduction of the cost of the equipment . the filter 9 induces a diminution of the diagonal resolution of the image . this loss of resolution is not very troublesome to the extent that the eye is not very sensitive to the diagonal resolution of the image . the filter 9 eliminating the high diagonal spatial frequencies is , for example , a birefringent quartz filter with a plurality of quartz plates with the orientation of the crystal mesh offset by 90 °. it is possible , for example , to use the filter of known type , the vertical axis of which has been turned through 45 °. in a modified embodiment illustrated in fig2 the filtering is carried out after a fourier transformation with respect to the spectrum of spatial frequencies . to do this , use is made , for example , of a lens 91 which provides the fourier transform of the image , and the filtering is carried out by placing a diaphragm 92 exhibiting an aperture 93 , for example in the form of a lozenge or a rectangle , the diagonals of which are vertical and horizontal . the size of the aperture 93 of the diaphragm 92 determines the spatial frequencies eliminated . the possibility of optically obtaining the fourier transform of an image is well known . it is employed , especially , in phase contrast microscopy . a camera 8 comprising a filter 9 placed in front of the objective lens 4 does not depart from the scope of the present invention . fig3 shows the face of a vacuum tube image sensor 1 permitting a quincuncial scanning . in the case of an analysis tube , the target is scanned line 130 by line 130 by causing the spot to oscillate vertically . typically , the frequency of oscillation is equal to one half of the scanning frequency , for example 72 mhz , and the peak amplitude is equal to v / n , v being the vertical scanning amplitude , for example 7 . 85 mm and n the number of lines , for example 1152 useful lines in the proposed hdp european standard . these vertical oscillations are advantageously obtained by using the deflection circuits of the tube 1 , to which there are applied periodic signals of , for example , 36 mhz . the sampling of the signal is carried out in the course of passing through the end points 134 of the lines 130 . it is seen in fig3 that there are points 133 belonging to lines 135 corresponding to an orthogonal progressive scanning which are not sampled with the device according to the present invention . the reference 131 has been used to designate the lines delimiting the space scanned on the target of the camera according to the present invention . it is seen that the vertical distance between two successive limits 131 is twice that between two lines 135 corresponding to a camera of known type . thus , the camera according to the present invention includes one photosensitive surface per sample of the signal , which surface is twice that of the camera of the known type ( hdp ). consequently , the camera according to the present invention offers a sensitivity which is twice as great as the sensitivity of the cameras of known type ( hdp ) and a sensitivity equal to that of conventional interlaced type . fig4 shows an embodiment of charge transfer image sensors according to the present invention . these sensors include n lines of p image elements . a line is understood as referring to a widthwise arrangement forming a sinusoid , the arches of which correspond to p cells . the charge transfers are carried out in line quincunx , that is to say cell 1 , 1 , cell 1 , 2 , cell 1 , 3 , cell 1 , 4 , cell 1 , 5 , cell 1 , 6 . . . , as far as the cell 1 , p at the end of the line , cell 2 , 1 , cell 2 , 2 , . . . , as far as 2 , p at the end of the line ; as far as the last line n , 1 , n , 2 , n , 3 , . . . , n , ( p - 2 ), n , ( p - 1 ), n , p . advantageously , each cell 1 , 1 to n , p has a lozenge or square shape comprising a vertical diagonal and a horizontal diagonal . thus , it is possible to construct cells exploiting the maximum surface of the sensor and to increase the size of each cell . this facilitates the construction of the sensor , and its sensitivity is improved . advantageously , the width of each cell is proportional to 2 / p , p being the number of cells in one line , for example 1920 points according to a proposed european standard . advantageously , the height of a cell is proportional to 2 / n , n being the number of lines of the sensor of orthogonal structure . nevertheless , these are the maximum dimensions of the cells and these may have to be reduced , for example , in order to make connections . in this case , it is important that the centres ( for example 110 , 120 , 140 , 210 ) of the cells should respect the vertical spacings of 2 / n and horizontal spacings of 2 / p with a quincuncial structure . the image sensor 1 has an output 2 providing a video signal . it is fully understood that other types of sensors such as , for example , matrix - structure sensors , do not depart from the scope of the present invention , to the extent that they adopt the line quincunx structure . likewise , the use of colour sensor does not depart from the scope of the present invention . fig5 shows a television receiver according to the present invention . the receiver comprises a signal source , for example an antenna 40 , or a video recorder , a receiving device 41 ( tuner in english - language terminology ), a clock 42 , an interface 50 , a visual display device 10 , a filter 9 and a shaping device 45 . the output of the antenna 40 is connected to an input of the receiver 41 . the clock 42 is connected to an input of the receiver 41 and of the interface 50 . an output of the receiver 41 is connected to a first input of the shaping device 45 . an output of the interface 50 is connected to a synchronisation input of the visual display device 10 and to a second input of the shaping device 45 . the filter 9 is placed in front of the visual display device 10 . receiver 41 is a receiver of the known type , for example an hdq - type receiver . this type of receiver provides images with a sampling frequency which is half that of the hdp orthogonal high - definition devices . these images , which are shaped by the device 45 , are displayed by visual display device 10 which has a cathode - ray tube or a device as illustrated in fig6 . in the case of a cathode - ray tube , the spot is caused to oscillate in a manner similar to that illustrated in fig3 . a filter 9 similar to the filter 9 of fig3 permits the elimination of the high diagonal spatial frequencies and the avoidance of the aberrations of the image which are caused by the sub - sampling . it is recalled , at this point , that in the hdp orthogonal high - definition device the image field is sampled on the basis of 1920 points which are aligned in rectilinear columns and according to 1152 rectilinear lines in terms of width . the system thus comprises a grid of orthogonal strokes , each line - column intersection defining a sampling point . this grid represents the tightest sampling . with the invention , which provides a quincuncial arrangement , there is omission of sampling certain diagonal alignments of the hdp reference grid . the device according to the present invention is , of course , applicable to back projection . for example , back projectors comprising a liquid - crystal device will be equipped with a filter 9 placed in proximity to this device . the back projector comprising three visual display devices 10 will have , for example , a device for the superposition of images and also a single filter . fig6 shows an embodiment of visual display device which is particularly well suited to the device according to the present invention . the visual display device illustrated in fig6 is , for example , a black - and - white liquid - crystal device . it is entirely understood that the use of visual display devices of monochrome or colour plasma panel type or of colour liquidcrystal type comprising three display cells per image element do not depart from the scope of the present invention . thus , in the cells 3 , 3 one possible arrangement has been followed of elements 331 , 332 and 333 of primary colours , typically red , blue or green . the display of the successive image elements is carried out in line quincunx , that is to say cell 1 , 1 , cell 1 , 2 , cell 1 , 3 , cell 1 , 4 , cell 1 , 5 , cell 1 , 6 , . . . , as far as the cell 1p at the end of the line , cell 2 , 1 , cell 2 , 2 , . . . , as far as 2 , p at the end of the line ; as far as the last line n , 1 , n , 2 , n , 3 , . . . , n ( p - 2 ), n , ( p - 1 ), n , p . advantageously , each cell 1 , 1 to n , p has a lozenge or square shape comprising a vertical diagonal and a horizontal diagonal . thus , it is possible to construct cells exploiting the maximum surface of the sensor and to increase the size of each cell . this facilitates the construction of the display system , and its contrast is improved . advantageously , the width of each cell is proportional to 2 / p , p being the number of cells in a line according to the hdp standard , i . e . 1920 points . advantageously , the height of a cell is proportional to 2 / n , n being the number of lines of the display system according to the hdp standard , i . e . 1152 lines . the visual display device 10 has an input 3 for the video signal . fig8 shows an example of distribution of elements r , g and b of colours red , green and blue respectively of a display device 10 . this corresponds both to the luminophores of a cathode - ray tube and to the cells of a liquid - crystal or plasma device . in the example illustrated in fig8 the screen 10 is divided into columns . each column comprises a cyclic distribution of the elements r , g and b . each column is offset by 0 . 5 times the pitch of the triplet in relation to the preceding line and to the following line . thus , elements of identical colours reappear at the same height every two columns . the display is carried out in line quincunx for each colour . in the figure , an example of a red line bears the reference 401 . it is entirely understood that only a few elements are represented in fig8 . an actual visual display device comprises a far greater number of elements r , g and b . in order that the display device should not introduce any deformation of the image , it is necessary for the pitch of the image elements to be less than or equal to the pitch of the scanning , that is to say the distance between two successive points 134 of fig7 . the present invention is applicable to television , and especially high - definition television using only a restricted pass band and using low sampling frequencies . the present invention is applicable in particular to the acquisition and to the visual display of the image in hdq mode . | 7 |
in the instant invention , the polyurethane is a water - based sulfonated polyurethane wherein the sulfonate functional group is in the soft segment of the polyurethane . the term &# 34 ; polyurethane &# 34 ; is defined as a polymer containing two or more urethane groups and is also intended to cover polyurethane - urea polymers . examples of such polymers are described in copending application ser . no . 08 / 304 / 653 , filed sep . 9 , 1994 now u . s . pat . no . 5 , 608 , 000 . the diisocyanates which are used in forming the sulfonated polyurethane can be aliphatic or aromatic diisocyanates or their mixtures . examples of suitable aliphatic diisocyanates are isophorone diisocyanate ( ipdi ), cyclopentylenediisocyanate , cyclohexylenediisocyanate , methylcyclohexylenediisocyanate , dicyclohexylmethanediisocyanate , hexamethylenediisocyanate ( hdi ), dicyclohexylmethanediisocyanate ( h12mdi ), and tetramethylxylyenediisocyanate ( tmxdi ). examples of suitable aromatic diisocyanates are phenylenediisocyanate , tolylenediisocyanate ( tdi ), xylylenediisocyanate , biphenylenediisocyanate , naphthylenediisocyanate and diphenylmethanediisocyanate ( mdi ). preferably , the alkylene diol component of the sulfonated polyurethane is a c 2 - c 8 alkylene diol or mixture thereof , most preferably a c 3 - c 6 alkylene diol or mixture thereof . examples of the diols are ethylene glycol , 1 , 3 - propylene glycol , 1 , 4 - butanediol ( 1 , 4 - bd ) and 1 , 6 - hexanediol . the sulfonated polyester polyols used to form the sulfonated polyurethane may be any polyester polyol which incorporates sulfonate groups via sulfonate functional dicarboxylic acid residues and / or sulfonate functional diol residues . the sulfonate functional groups are in alkali salt form . typically such sulfonate functional dicarboxylic acid residues and / or sulfonate functional diol residues are a minor portion of the diol and / diacid moieties of the polyester , preferably 1 . 0 %- 10 . 0 % by weight of the polyester . the non - sulfonated diacids and diols used in forming the sulfonated polyesters may be aromatic or aliphatic . examples of the non - sulfonated diacids include adipic , azelaic , succinic , suberic and phthalic acids . examples of the non - sulfonated diols include ethylene glycol , condensates of ethylene glycols , butanediol , butenediol , propanediol , neopentylglycol , hexanediol , 1 , 4 - cyclohexane dimethanol , 1 , 2 - propylene glycol and 2 - methyl - 1 , 3 propanediol . examples of the sulfonate diacids include sulfoisophthalic acid , 1 , 3 - dihydroxybutane sulfonic acid and sulfosuccinic acid . examples of the sulfonate diols include 1 , 4 dihydroxybutane sulfonic acid and succinaldehyde disodium bisulfite . the dihydroxy carboxylic acids used to form the sulfonated polyurethane are compounds of the formula : wherein r represents a straight or branched , hydrocarbon radical containing 1 to 12 carbon atoms . preferably , the dihydroxy carboxylic acid is an α , α - dimethylol alkanoic acid represented by the formula : ## str1 ## where r 1 denotes hydrogen or an alkyl group with up to about 20 carbon atoms . examples of such compounds are 2 , 2 - dimethylolacetic acid , 2 , 2 - dimethylolpropionic acid , 2 , 2 - dimethylolbutyric acid and 2 , 2 - dimethylolpentanic acid . the preferred dihydroxyalkanoic acid is 2 , 2 - dimethylolpropionic acid ( dmpa ). the carboxylate groups of the dihydroxy carboxylic acid is neutralized to form alkali or tertiary amine alkali groups in order to stabilize the dispersion of the sulfonated polyurethane . the neutralization may be accomplished before , or during dispersion of the sulfonated polyurethane polymer in water . the preferred water - based sulfonated polyurethane is a high molecular weight , crystalline , polyester based polyurethane polymer formed from mixtures of isophorone diisocyanate and hexamethylene diisocyanate . the water - based sulfonated polyurethane solids are present from about 15 parts to about 95 parts by weight , and preferably from about 50 parts to about 95 parts by weight , based on 100 parts total solids . these polymers contain unique properties important in the development of improved adhesives , coatings and primers for footwear . the water - based sulfonated polyurethane compositions contain ionomers , in the soft and hard segments of the molecule , capable of strong hydrogen bonding and ionic dipole interactions . it is surmised that the strong intermolecular forces and high degree of crystallization , inherent in these polymers , generate enhanced thermal and solvent resistance properties as well as good adhesion through mechanical interlocking . a surprising feature of the invention is that the polymers have low heat activation temperatures in a range from about 50 ° c . to about 95 ° c . and rapidly develop high heat resistant bonds greater than about 110 ° c ., preferably greater than about 120 ° c ., without internal or external crosslinking agents . the adhesives , coatings and primers of the invention may also include other non - polyurethane based water dispersible polymers and copolymers selected from a group consisting of acrylics , vinyl / acrylics , styrenelacrylics , vinyl acetate - ethylene copolymers , polychloroprenes , styrene emulsions , styrene - butadiene emulsions , starches , dextrins , caseins , animal pectins and mixtures thereof . when present in the formulations , the water - based polymer and copolymer solids comprise from about 5 parts to about 95 parts by weight , and preferably from about 5 parts to about 50 parts by weight based on 100 parts total solids . the adhesives , primers , and coatings of the invention may also include compounding additives . compounding additives include thickening agents , surfactants , coalescing aids and plasticizers . a preferred associative thickening agent is dsx - 1550 from henkel corporation . a preferred non - ionic surfactant is pentex 99 from rhone poulenc . a particularly preferred coalescing aid is reentry kni - 2000 which is a terpene mixture from environmental solvents corporation . useful plasticizers are selected from the group consisting of alkyl and aryl sulfonamides , benzoates esters , phthalate esters , adipates , citrates and mixtures thereof . a preferred plasticizer is uniplex 108 from initex chemical corporation . when compounding additives are present in the formulations , their solids content can vary from about 0 . 5 parts to about 30 parts by weight , and preferably from about 0 . 5 parts to about 25 parts by weight , based on 100 parts total solids . as two - component adhesives , primers , and coatings , the formulations may include water dispersible polyfunctional crosslinking agents selected from the group consisting of isocyanates , aziridines , melamine resins , epoxies , oxazolines , and carbodiimides . particularly preferred crosslinking agents are water dispersible polyfunctional isocyanates . when present in the formulations , the amount of crosslinking agent solids can vary from about 3 parts to about 35 parts by weight , and preferably from about 8 parts to about 20 parts by weight , based on 100 parts total solids . as an adhesive , the water - based polymer compositions or formulations of the invention can be accomplished in one - side mode or two - side mode . in the one - side mode , the adhesive is applied to one of two substrates and dried . the adhesive is heat activated and the substrates are brought together with pressure . in the two - side mode , the adhesive is applied to both substrates , dried , then heat activated and brought together with pressure . it is possible , in both modes , to dry and heat activate the adhesive in the same step . the adhesives can be used either in the aqueous form or in the form of a cast film and are useful in the construction of uppers made of leather , polyurethane , polyvinyl chloride , and textile materials . the adhesives are also useful in sole bonding operations employing cup - sole , welt and stitch - down constructions and can be used for attaching direct injection molded soles . to successfully prepare the adhesive , primer , and coating formulations a sequential mix process is used . the water - based sulfonated polyurethane and water - based sulfonated polyurethane / acrylic - or - vinyl polymers are blended with other non - polyurethane based water dispersible polymers and copolymers . compounding additives are then blended in with mild agitation . if two - component formulations are required , the water dispersible polyfunctional crosslinking agents must be mixed into the formulations directly before use . the present invention is further illustrated by the following non - limiting examples . example 1 describes the synthesis of a preferred water - based sulfonated polyurethane polymer , useful as an adhesive , coating and primer in the manufacture of footwear . to a reaction flask was charged 21 . 43 grams ( 0 . 021 hydroxyl equivalents ) of molten rucoflex ® xs - 5483 - 55 which is a sulfonated polyester polyol from ruco polymer corporation , 1 . 00 grams ( 0 . 015 hydroxyl equivalents ) dimethylolpropionic acid , and 1 . 127 grams ( 0 . 025 hydroxyl equivalents ) 1 , 4 - butanediol . the mixture was heated to 55 ° c . then charged with 3 . 11 grams ( 0 . 0279 isocyanate equivalents ) isophorone diisocyanate , 4 . 71 grams ( 0 . 056 isocyanate equivalents ) 1 , 6 - diisocyantohexane , and 7 . 01 grams ( solvent ) anhydrous acetone . the mixture was heated at 70 ° c . for approximately 3 hours then cooled to 55 ° c . the isocyanate terminated prepolymer was charged with 0 . 60 grams ( 0 . 006 moles ) triethylamine then stirred for 10 minutes . the prepolymer was then dispersed in 55 . 43 grams deionized water and chain extended with a solution containing 0 . 54 grams ( 0 . 02 amine equivalents ) ethylenediamine and 5 . 0 grams deionized water . the aqueous properties are described below : the formulation of comparative example 1 - c is dispercoll u ka - 8464 , a commercially available water - based sulfonated polyurethane from mobay corporation . the formulations of example 1 and example 1 - c were tested for peel adhesion failure temperatures according to the test method described below : 180 ° peel adhesion failure temperature procedure : the wet samples were drawn down on untreated , pressed , and polished polyvinyl chloride ( pvc ) sheets with a # 40 meyer rod and dried twenty four hours at ambient room temperature . a second pvc sheet was placed over the dried films and 2 . 54 × 15 . 24 centimeter strips were cut . the individual strips were heat activated , using variable temperatures , on a sentinel heat sealer at 3 . 515 kilograms per square centimeter for 30 seconds . after 7 days of aging , at ambient room temperature , the strips were placed in a tenny ® oven using 0 . 1 kilogram weights and subjected to a 25 ° c . increase each hour until bond failure . bond failure temperatures were recorded up to 126 ° c . by the tenny ® oven sensing unit , and the results are provided below : ______________________________________test sample 51 . 6 ° c . 65 . 5 ° c . 79 . 4 ° c . 93 . 3 ° c . example 1 & gt ; 126 ° c . & gt ; 126 ° c . & gt ; 126 ° c . & gt ; 126 ° c . polymerexample 1 - c 93 ° c . 104 ° c 105 ° c . 106 ° c . ______________________________________ example 2 was made to compare the 180 ° peel strengths , bonding various substrates using dispercoll u ka - 8464 and the polymer described in example 1 . the adhesive formulations , test procedures and results are described below . the water - based sulfonated polyurethane viscosities were increased to approximately 3000 mpa . s with the associative thickener dsx - 1550 from henkel corporation . the surfactant pentex 99 from rhone poulenc was also added to improve the formulations &# 39 ; s wet out characteristics . the formulations were as described below : ______________________________________ comparative example example 2 2 - cmaterials ( grams ) ( grams ) ______________________________________example # 1 polymer 99 . 18 -- dispercoll u ka - 8464 -- 94 . 40dsx - 1550 / water ( 50 / 50 ) 0 . 56 0 . 32pentex 99 0 . 26 0 . 24desmodur da -- 5 . 0______________________________________ test procedures were performed in accordance with the association of european adhesive manufacturers ( feica ). initially , 2 . 54 centimeter by 15 . 24 centimeter strips of substrate were surface treated using the following materials and methods : ______________________________________substrate surface preparation______________________________________leather roughed with 36 grit sandpaper using a belt sanderstyrene - butadiene rubber ( sbr ) roughed with 36 grit sandpaper using a belt sandernitrile rubber ( nbr ) roughed with 36 grit sandpaper using a belt sanderthermoplastic rubber ( sbs or tpr ) halogenated with a 2 % solution of trichloroisocyanuric acid ( tcica ) in ethyl acetate allowed to air dry for 1 hour before applying adhesivepolyvinylchloride ( pvc ) wiped with ethyl acetate______________________________________ the adhesive formulations were then coated on each of the two pieces to be bonded using meyer rods to generate a total dried coat weight of approximately 175 g / m 2 . the dry adhesive films were heat activated at 70 ° c . and pressed at 85 psi for 15 seconds . after 5 days aging at 23 ° c . and 50 % relative humidity , 180 ° peel strengths were tested on an instron ® 1123 using a cross - head speed of 100 mm / min . the peel strengths were recorded in n / mm . the feica specification for sole bonding adhesives is 5 . 0 n / mm , with an industry standard coat weight of 175 g / m2 . the results of these samples are shown below , with coating weights normalized to the standard coating weight . ______________________________________leather / sbr sbr / sbr nbr / nbr pvc / pvc sbs / sbs______________________________________example 2 3 . 47 3 . 89 2 . 40 5 . 36 7 . 60comparative 2 . 80 1 . 63 3 . 20 1 . 46 1 . 27example 2 - c______________________________________ different coating weights , actual , were also made for bonding pvc to pvc . the results of these weight variations , and the peel adhesion differences , are shown below : ______________________________________coat weight 76 ˜ 152 ˜ 228 ˜ 304 ˜ 380 ( g / m . sup . 2 ) example 2 3 . 66 4 . 87 6 . 48 8 . 63 11 . 49______________________________________ example 3 was made to compare the adhesive properties of a two - component water - based sulfonated polyurethane of the present invention with a two - component water - based sulfonated polyurethane currently available for use in the manufacture of footwear . the formulation of example 2 above was further blended with 5 parts crosslinker per 95 parts of wet sample . the crosslinker employed was desmodur da which is a water dispersible polyfunctional isocyanate from miles inc . the formulations were tested exactly as described in example 2 bonding sbr to sbr . at an approximate dried coat weight of 130 g / m2 , example 3 exhibited an average peel strength of 7 . 00 n / mm while the average peel strength of example 3 - c was 4 . 75 n / mm . example 3 - c is the same as 2 - c , except at a coating weight of 135 g / m2 . this example describes the synthesis and properties of a preferred water - based sulfonated polyurethane / acrylic polymer . to a reaction flask was charged 213 . 8 grams ( 0 . 21 hydroxyl equivalents ) of molten rucoflex xs - 5483 - 55 which is a sulfonated polyester polyol from ruco corporation , 10 . 05 grams ( 0 . 15 hydroxyl equivalents ) dimethylolpropionic acid , 6 . 75 grams ( 0 . 15 hydroxyl equivalents ) 1 , 4 - butanediol , 37 . 97 grams methyl methacrylate and 37 . 97 grams butyl acrylate . the mixture was heated to 55 ° c . then charged with 25 . 9 grams ( 0 . 23 isocyanate equivalents ) isophorone diisocyanate and 39 . 2 grams ( 0 . 46 isocyanate equivalents ) 1 , 6 - diisocyantohexane . the mixture was heated at 70 ° c . for approximately 3 hours . the isocyanate terminated sulfonated polyurethane prepolymerimonomer mixture was then charged with 8 . 0 grams ( 0 . 8 moles ) triethylamine and stirred for 10 minutes . the prepolymer was dispersed in 554 . 5 grams deionized water . to the dispersion was charged , over a 10 minute period , a solution containing 0 . 20 grams ammonium peroxydisulfate and 20 grams deionized water . free radical emulsion polymerization was completed by heating to 80 ° c . for approximately 3 hours . the aqueous and dried polymer properties are described below : the wet sample was drawn down on an untreated , pressed and polished pvc sheet using a number 40 meyer rod and dried 24 hours at ambient room temperature . a second pvc sheet was placed over the dried film and 2 . 54 cm × 15 . 24 cm strips were cut . the individual strips were heat activated , using variable temperatures , on a sentinel ® heat sealer at 3 . 515 kilograms per square centimeter for 30 seconds . after 24 and 168 hours aging , at ambient room temperature , the strips were tested on a intellect ® 500 for 180 ° peel values . the results are provided below : ______________________________________aging 51 . 6 ° c . 65 . 5 ° c . 79 . 4 ° c . 93 . 3 ° c . ______________________________________24 hours 2 . 1 kg / cm 3 . 0 kg / cm 4 . 4 kg / cm 5 . 3 kg / cm168 hours 3 . 2 kg / cm sf sf sf______________________________________ sf = substrate failure the 180 ° peel adhesion failure temperature was tested using the procedure as described in example 2 . the results are provided below : ______________________________________heat activation 51 . 6 ° c . 65 . 5 ° c . 79 . 4 ° c . 93 . 3 ° c . temperaturefailure 58 . 7 ° c . & gt ; 126 ° c . & gt ; 126 ° c . & gt ; 126 ° c . temperature______________________________________ this was made in the same manner as example 1 except the composition of this example did not contain a chain extender . the polymer of example 5 was used to prepare a formulation as follows : ______________________________________ example 6______________________________________example 5 polymer 99 . 45dsx - 1550 / water ( 50 / 50 ) 0 . 05surfynol 465 0 . 05______________________________________ the example 6 formulation was tested in the same manner as described in example 2 and the results are shown below : ______________________________________leather / sbr sbr / sbr nbr / nbr pvc / pvc sbs / sbs______________________________________example 6 3 . 84 7 . 30 7 . 43 11 . 30 11 . 47comparative 2 . 80 1 . 63 3 . 20 1 . 46 1 . 27example 2 - c______________________________________ | 8 |
detailed explanation follows regarding exemplary embodiments of the present invention , with reference to the drawings . fig1 shows a configuration of a vacuum fluorescent display apparatus ( referred to below as “ display apparatus ”) 10 according to a present exemplary embodiment . as shown in fig1 , the display apparatus 10 according to the present exemplary embodiment is configured including a fluorescent display section 12 and a controller driver 20 . the fluorescent display section 12 according to the present exemplary embodiment includes grid electrodes 14 - 1 to 14 - m ( wherein “ m ” is the number of grid electrodes ) connected to corresponding respective grids , and anode electrodes 16 - 1 to 16 - n ( wherein “ n ” is the number of anode electrodes ) connected to corresponding respective anodes . in the explanation below , reference will be made with suffixes 1 to m applied to the reference numeral representing the grid electrode when discrimination is made between each of the grid electrodes 14 - 1 to 14 - m , as above . however , reference will be made to grid electrodes 14 when no discrimination is made between each of the grid electrodes 14 - 1 to 14 - m . similarly , in the explanation below , reference will be made with suffixes 1 to n applied to the reference numeral representing the anode electrode when discrimination is made between each of the anode electrodes 16 - 1 to 16 - n , as above . however , reference will be made to anode electrodes 16 when no discrimination is made between each of the anode electrodes 16 - 1 to 16 - n . note that the number m of the grid electrodes 14 and the number n of the anode electrodes 16 may be the same as each other or different from each other . the controller driver 20 includes a control section 22 and ram 24 . the control section 22 controls the overall operation of the controller driver 20 . the ram 24 is stored in advance with grid data expressing the necessity of applying voltage to the grid electrodes 14 , and anode data expressing the necessity of applying voltage to the anode electrodes 16 , according to contents for display using the fluorescent display section 12 . the controller driver 20 includes a grid driver limiting section 26 , a grid data latch section 28 and a grid driver 32 . the grid driver limiting section 26 limits the number of grid electrodes 14 to which voltage is simultaneously applied by the grid driver 32 to less than a predetermined threshold value . the grid data latch section 28 is input with grid data that has been output from the ram 24 . furthermore , the grid data latch section 28 first latches ( holds ) the input grid data , then transmits the latched grid data to the grid driver 32 . the grid driver 32 applies a voltage for driving the grid electrodes 14 provided to the fluorescent display section 12 , based on the grid data output from the grid data latch section 28 . the controller driver 20 includes an anode data latch section 30 and an anode driver 34 . the anode data latch section 30 is input with the anode data that has been output from the ram 24 . furthermore , the anode data latch section 30 first latches the output anode data then transmits the latched grid data to the anode driver 34 . the anode driver 34 applies a voltage for driving to the anode electrodes 16 provided to the fluorescent display section 12 , based on the anode data output from the anode data latch section 30 . the control section 22 , for example , includes a duty counter 36 that repeatedly counts values for 0 ( zero ) to 255 . the grid driver limiting section 26 , the grid data latch section 28 , and the anode data latch section 30 are controlled according to the count values output from the duty counter 36 . the duty counter 36 controls the driving duration of the grid driver 32 and the anode driver 34 ( namely , the duration of voltage application to the grid electrodes 14 and the anode electrodes 16 ) based on the count value for output , and performs brightness adjustment of the fluorescent display section 12 . the controller driver 20 stores in the ram 24 as grid data “ 1 ” and “ 0 ” for each of the grid electrodes 14 and for each display contents . “ 1 ” expresses the application of voltage to the corresponding grid electrode 14 and “ 0 ” expresses no application of voltage thereto . in a similar manner , the controller driver 20 stores in the ram 24 as anode data “ 1 ” and “ 0 ” for each of the anode electrodes 16 and for each display contents . “ 1 ” expresses the application of voltage to the corresponding anode electrode 16 and “ 0 ” expresses no application of voltage thereto . note that the grid driver limiting section 26 is configured as a digital circuit as shown in fig4 . “ 1 ” in the digital circuit corresponds to high level and “ 0 ” corresponds to low level in the digital circuit . when the number of grid electrodes 14 to which voltage is simultaneously applied by the grid driver 32 has become a predetermined threshold value or greater , the grid driver limiting section 26 limits the number of grid electrodes 14 to which voltage is simultaneously applied to less than the predetermined threshold value ( to zero in the present exemplary embodiment ). note that the threshold value is a predetermined number according to the permissible current value of the power lines of the grid driver 32 . specifically , the threshold value is determined based on the size of the current flowing in the power lines due to the voltage applied to the grid electrodes 14 . note that in the present exemplary embodiment , the threshold value is determined such that the current flowing in the power lines due to application of voltage to the grid electrodes 14 is the permissible current value of the power lines or lower . fig2 shows the fluorescent display section 12 according to the present exemplary embodiment . as shown in fig2 , the fluorescent display section 12 is configured including a segment 40 a expressing a number of characters or letters of the alphabet , a graphic 40 b expressing “ start ”, and a graphic 40 c expressing “ stop ”. note that there is no limitation thereto and the vacuum fluorescent display may be configured with images such as dots , symbols , other graphics or the like . there are also grids 1 g to mg provided to the fluorescent display section 12 , corresponding to each of the segments 40 . the reference numbers of the grids 1 g to mg and the reference numbers of the grid electrodes 14 - 1 to 14 - m correspond to the connection relationships between each of the grids and the grid electrodes . for example , the grid 1 g is connected to the grid electrode 14 - 1 and the grid 2 g is connected to the grid electrode 14 - 2 , and the grid mg is connected to the grid electrode 14 - m . the graphic 40 b straddles the grids 1 g to 3 g , the graphic 40 c straddles the grid m - 1 g and the grid mg . namely , to display graphic 40 b , the grid driver 32 applies a voltage simultaneously to the three grids 1 g to 3 g . in a similar manner , to display graphic 40 c , the grid driver 32 applies a voltage simultaneously to the two grid m - 1 g and grid mg . note there is no limitation to graphics straddling two or three grids , and configuration may be made with graphics straddling four or more grids . explanation follows of a configuration of the grid driver limiting section 26 , with reference to fig3 . as shown in fig3 , the grid driver limiting section 26 includes a selecting section 50 and a gate section 54 that are connected via wiring lines ( referred to below as “ grid data lines ”) 56 - 1 to 56 - m connected to output terminals of the ram 24 for outputting grid data , and a latch section 52 disposed between the selecting section 50 and the gate section 54 . the selecting section 50 selects one at a time from plural grid data , corresponding to each of the respective grid electrodes 14 and output from the ram 24 via the grid data lines 56 - 1 to 56 - m , and successively outputs to the latch section 52 . the value of the suffixes of the grid data lines 56 - 1 to 56 - m corresponds to the value of the reference numbers of the grid electrodes 14 - 1 to 14 - m . for example , the grid data transmitted by the grid data line 56 - 1 corresponds to the grid electrode 14 - 1 , the grid data transmitted by the grid data line 56 - 2 corresponds to the grid electrode 14 - 2 , and the grid data transmitted by the grid data line 56 - m corresponds to the grid electrode 14 - m . the latch section 52 is configured with plural serially connected latch circuits 52 - 1 to 52 - s . in the latch section 52 high level is latched in sequence from the most upstream latch circuit 52 - 1 every time the signal output from the selecting section 50 ( referred to below as the “ select signal ”) is “ 1 ”, equivalent to high level . the gate section 54 interrupts output of grid data from the ram 24 to the grid data latch section 28 when the most downstream latch circuit 52 - s is latched to high level . the gate section 54 continues to output grid data to the grid data latch section 28 as long as the latch circuit 52 - s is latched to low level . accordingly , the number s of the latch circuits provided to the latch section 52 is a threshold value for switching between output of grid data to the grid data latch section 28 and stopping output thereof . consequently , the number s of the latch circuits needs to be a number that is one more than the upper limit number of the number of grid electrodes 14 that may be simultaneously applied with driving voltage . next explanation follows regarding a specific circuit configuration of the grid driver limiting section 26 according to the present exemplary embodiment . as shown in fig4 , the selecting section 50 includes a decoder 60 and a selector circuit 61 . the decoder 60 decodes a count value output from the duty counter 36 and outputs a decode signal corresponding to the count value . note there are output terminals 66 - 0 to 66 - m provided in the decoder 60 for outputting a decode signal corresponding to the count value that is the same value as the value of the suffix to each of their respective reference numerals . the output terminal 66 - 0 is connected to each of the latch circuits 52 - 1 to 52 - s and the grid data latch section 28 . the output terminals 66 - 1 to 66 - m are connected to the selector circuit 61 . the duty counter 36 includes a clock signal input terminal that is input with a clock signal of predetermined cycle , and a reset signal input terminal that is input with a reset signal . the duty counter 36 synchronizes to the input clock signal and outputs the count value from its output terminal to the input terminal of the decoder 60 . the selector circuit 61 includes two - input and circuits 62 - 1 to 62 - m , this being the same number m as the m grid electrodes 14 and an m - input or circuit 64 . one of the input terminals of each of the and circuits 62 - 1 to 62 - m is connected to the respective grid data line 56 - 1 to 56 - m having the same value as the suffix of the reference numeral . the other input terminal of each of the and circuits 62 - 1 to 62 - m is connected to the respective output terminal 66 - 1 to 66 - m of the decoder 60 having the same value as the suffix of the reference numeral . the output terminals of the and circuits 62 - 1 to 62 - m are connected separately to individual input terminals of the respective or circuits 64 . when a signal of high level is output from at least one of the output terminals of the and circuits 62 - 1 to 62 - m , a selector signal output from the or circuit 64 is high level . however , when all of the output terminals of the and circuits 62 - 1 to 62 - m are low level , the selector signal becomes low level . the output terminal of the or circuit 64 is connected to the input terminal of the latch circuit 52 - 1 that is positioned most upstream in the latch section 52 . as a result thereof , the selector signal is input to the latch circuit 52 - 1 . next , explanation follows of a configuration of the latch circuits 52 - 1 to 52 - s . the latch circuit 52 - 1 includes two - input and circuits 70 a , 70 b each having one input terminal which is a negative logic terminal , a two - input one - output selector circuit 72 , and a d flip - flop circuit 74 . the negative logic terminals of the and circuits 70 a , 70 b of the latch circuit 52 - 1 are connected to the output terminal 66 - 0 of the decoder 60 . the output terminal of the or circuit 64 is connected to the other input terminal of the and circuit 70 b . the output terminal of the and circuit 70 a is connected to one of the input terminals of the selector circuit 72 . the output terminal of the and circuit 70 b is connected to the other input terminal of the selector circuit 72 and is connected to the selector terminal s of the selector circuit 72 . the output terminal of the selector circuit 72 is connected to the d input terminal of the d flip - flop circuit 74 . the output terminal of the d flip - flop circuit 74 is connected to the input terminal of the latch circuit 52 - 2 and is also connected to the input terminal of the and circuit 70 a that is not the negative logic terminal . the clock signal is input to the clock terminal ck of the d flip - flop circuit 74 . a reset signal is input to a reset terminal r of the d flip - flop circuit 74 . when the clock signal is input together with the selector signal being at high level , the latch circuit 52 - 1 outputs a high level signal to the latch circuit 52 - 2 at the timing when the next clock signal has been input . when a high level signal has been input from the output terminal 66 - 0 and the reset signal has been input , the latch circuit 52 - 1 according to the present exemplary embodiment clears the signal that is being latched . the latch circuit 52 - 2 , similarly to the latch circuit 52 - 1 , includes an and circuit 70 a , an and circuit 70 c , a selector circuit 72 and a d flip - flop circuit 74 . the output terminal 66 - 0 of the decoder 60 is connected to the negative logic terminal of the and circuit 70 a of the latch circuit 52 - 2 . the output terminal of the latch circuit 52 - 1 is connected to one of the input terminals of the and circuit 70 c . the clock signal is input to the other input terminal of the and circuit 70 c . the output terminal of the and circuit 70 a is connected to one of the input terminals of the selector circuit 72 . the output terminal of the and circuit 70 c is connected to the other of the input terminals of the selector circuit 72 . the output terminal of the and circuit 70 b of the latch circuit 52 - 1 is connected to a selector terminal s of the selector circuit 72 in the latch circuit 52 - 2 . since the connection relationships between the d flip - flop circuit 74 of the latch circuit 52 - 2 , such as the selector circuit 72 and the like , are similar to those of the d flip - flop circuit 74 of the latch circuit 52 - 1 , and therefore further explanation thereof will be omitted . the latch circuits 52 - 3 to 52 - s are configured similarly to the latch circuit 52 - 2 . the output terminal of the most downstream latch circuit 52 - s , namely the output terminal of the d flip - flop circuit 74 provided in the latch circuit 52 - s , is connected to the input terminal of the gate section 54 . next , explanation follows regarding configuration of the gate section 54 . the gate section 54 according to the present exemplary embodiment includes an inverter circuit 80 and a gate circuit 82 . the input terminal of the inverter circuit 80 , connected to the output terminal of the latch circuit 52 - s , inverts the input signal from the latch circuit 52 - s and outputs to a gate circuit 82 . the gate circuit 82 includes two - input and circuits 84 - 1 to 84 - m , these being of the same number m as the grid electrodes 14 . one of the input terminals of the and circuits 84 - 1 to 84 - m is connected to the respective grid data line 56 - 1 to 56 - m having the same value for the suffix to the reference numeral , and the other input terminal is connected to the output terminal of the inverter circuit 80 . the output terminals of the and circuits 84 - 1 to 84 - m are connected to the grid data latch section 28 . next , as shown in fig5 , explanation follows regarding the application of driving voltage to the grid electrodes 14 when performing display with the fluorescent display section 12 of the present exemplary embodiment . note that explanation is of a case in the present exemplary embodiment where the latch section 52 has four latch circuits 52 - 1 to 52 - 4 . the control section 22 synchronizes to the clock signal and makes the reset signal adopt the state during reset ( low level in the present exemplary embodiment ). in response thereto , the duty counter 36 starts to count from zero synchronizes to the clock signal . next , the control section 22 starts operation to read out from the ram 24 grid data according to the display contents with the fluorescent display section 12 ( referred to below as “ grid data for display ”) in a synchronized state with the count from the duty counter 36 . the decoder 60 of the selecting section 50 outputs a decode signal according to the count value being input from the duty counter 36 . in response thereto , each of the and circuits 62 - 1 to 62 - m outputs grid data corresponding to separate individual respective grid electrodes 14 ( referred to below as “ individual grid data ”) in sequence one at a time in synchronization with the clock signal . as a result thereof , the individual grid data corresponding to each of the grid electrodes 14 is serially output from the or circuit 64 as a selector signal in a synchronized state with the clock signal . every time the selector signal in the latch section 52 is “ 1 ”, corresponding to high level , high level is latched by each of the d flip - flop circuits 74 in sequence from the most upstream latch circuit 52 - 1 . at the point in time when the numbers of “ 1 ” in the grid data corresponding to high level , is the same number as the number of latch circuits , high level is latched in the most downstream latch circuit 52 - 4 . individual grid data corresponding to one of the input terminals of the and circuits 84 - 1 to 84 - m is input from the ram 24 to the gate section 54 . furthermore , the signal output from the most downstream latch circuit 52 - 4 in the latch section 52 is input via the inverter circuit 80 to the other input terminals of the and circuits 84 - 1 to 84 - m . accordingly , when the signal output from the latch circuit 52 - 4 is high level ( namely , when the number of grid electrodes 14 simultaneously applied with voltage is the number of latch circuits or greater ), application of voltage to the grid electrodes 14 by the grid driver 32 is interrupted . however , when the signal output from the latch circuit 52 - 4 is low level ( namely , when the number of grid electrodes 14 simultaneously applied with voltage is less than the number of latch circuits ), application of voltage by the grid driver 32 to the grid electrodes 14 is performed . when the duty counter 36 has overflowed , the grid data latch section 28 latches the grid data for display input via the gate circuit 82 . the d flip - flop circuits 74 - 1 to 74 - m reset the signal being latched . furthermore , the control section 22 switches over the grid data for display output from the ram 24 to the next grid data for display . for example , when the grid data stored in the grid driver 32 is , as shown in fig5 , “ 10 . . . 001011 ” ( wherein “ . . . ” are all “ 0 ”, and the highest position is the m th bit ), the individual grid data corresponding to the grid electrodes 14 - 1 , 14 - 2 , 14 - 4 , 14 - m is “ 1 ”. consequently , the selector signal is high level every time the duty counter 36 counts “ 1 ”, “ 2 ”, “ 4 ”, “ m ”. every time the selector signal is high level , a high level signal is latched in sequence from the most upstream latch circuit 52 - 1 to the latch circuit 52 - 4 . when a high level signal is output from the latch circuit 52 - 4 , a low level signal is output from the inverter circuit 80 . as a result thereof , the signals output from and circuits 84 - 1 to 84 - m provided in the gate circuit 82 all becomes low level (“ 00 . . . 000000 ”). then , when the duty counter 36 overflows , the grid data latch section 28 latches the grid data for display that has become “ 00 . . . 000000 ” due to the gate circuit 82 . next , the d flip - flop circuits 74 - 1 to 74 - 4 reset the signal being latched . furthermore , the control section 22 switches over the grid data for display output from the ram 24 to the next grid data for display “ 00 . . . 000010 ”. due thereto , when the number of the grid electrodes 14 to be simultaneously applied with voltage is 4 or greater , the number of grid electrodes 14 to which voltage is simultaneously applied can be made zero . however , in the present exemplary embodiment , excessively large load on the power lines may be prevented without increasing the size of the display apparatus 10 . in the present second exemplary embodiment , configuration is made such that sum of the number of grid electrodes 14 and the number of anode electrodes 16 to which voltage is simultaneously applied is less than a predetermined threshold value . fig6 is a diagram showing a circuit configuration of a grid driver limiting section 26 and an anode driver limiting section 26 ′ according to the second exemplary embodiment . for configuration similar to that of the grid driver limiting section 26 of the first exemplary embodiment , the same reference numerals are appended and explanation thereof is omitted . as an example , explanation follows of a case where the number of grid electrodes 14 is 10 , and the number of anode electrodes 16 is 16 . the anode driver limiting section 26 ′ includes a selector circuit 61 ′ connected to output terminals of the ram 24 outputting anode data through connection lines ( referred to below as “ anode data lines ”) 90 - 1 to 90 - 16 , and a latch section 52 ′. the selector circuit 61 is equipped with two - input and circuits 92 - 1 to 92 - 16 , and an or circuit 94 . one of the input terminals of the and circuits 92 - 1 to 92 - 16 is connected to the anode data line 90 - 1 to 90 - 16 that has the same value for the suffix of the reference numeral . the other input terminal of the and circuits 92 - 1 to 92 - 16 is connected to respective output terminals 66 - 1 to 66 - 16 of the decoder 60 . the latch section 52 ′ includes , as an example , plural ( 12 in the present second exemplary embodiment ) latch circuits 52 ′- 1 to 52 ′- 12 . the output terminal of the latch section 52 ′- 6 is connected to the input terminal of the latch section 52 ′- 7 , and also is connected to the selector circuit 61 of the selecting section 50 provided in the grid driver limiting section 26 . the output terminal of the latch section 52 ′- 12 is connected to the selector circuit 61 . and circuits 62 - 1 to 62 - 12 are provided in the selector circuit 61 of the grid driver limiting section 26 . one of the input terminals of the and circuits 62 - 1 to 62 - 10 is connected to the grid data lines 56 - 1 to 56 - 10 having the same value for the suffix of the reference numeral . the other input terminal of the and circuits 62 - 1 to 62 - 10 is connected to the respective output terminal 66 - 1 to 66 - 10 of the decoder 60 . one of the input terminals of the and circuit 62 - 11 is connected to the output terminal of the latch section 52 ′- 6 , and the other input terminal thereof is connected to the output terminal 66 - 17 of the decoder 60 . furthermore , one of the input terminals of the and circuit 62 - 12 is connected to the output terminal of the latch section 52 ′- 12 and the other input terminal thereof is connected to the output terminal 66 - 18 of the decoder 60 . in the second exemplary embodiment , as an example , the current flowing in the power lines of the controller driver 20 due to application of voltage to a single grid electrode 14 is 30 ma , the current flowing in the power lines of the controller driver 20 due to application of voltage to a single anode electrode 16 is 5 ma , and the permissible current value of the power lines of the controller driver 20 is up to 150 ma . therefore , in order to make the maximum number of grid electrodes 14 to which voltage can be simultaneously applied four , the number of latch circuits of the grid driver limiting section 26 is set at five . according to the configuration as described above , when the number of anode data elements that are “ 1 ” is 6 or more , the signal output from the latch section 52 ′- 6 is high level . furthermore , when the number of anode data elements that are “ 1 ” is 12 or more , the signal output from the latch section 52 ′- 12 is high level . the number of “ 1 ” of the grid data is handled in a similar manner in order to select with the selector circuit 61 of the grid driver limiting section 26 at timings when the duty counter 36 has a count value of “ 17 ”, “ 18 ”. namely , the sum of the grid electrodes 14 and the anode electrodes 16 to which voltage is simultaneously applied is limited to less than a predetermined threshold value . then , in a case in which voltage is applied simultaneously to 6 of the anode electrodes 16 and voltage is applied simultaneously to 4 of the grid electrodes 14 , the signals output from gate circuits 92 are all low level . as a result , application of voltage by the grid driver 32 to the grid electrodes 14 is limited . furthermore , in cases where voltage is applied simultaneously to 12 of the anode electrodes 16 and voltage is applied simultaneously to 3 of the grid electrodes 14 , the signals output from the gate circuits 92 are all low level , and application of voltage by the grid driver 32 to the grid electrodes 14 is limited . the present invention has been explained by way of each of the above exemplary embodiments . however , the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the descriptions of each of the exemplary embodiments above . for example , in each of the above exemplary embodiments , explanation is of cases in which only limitation is made to the number of grid electrodes 14 and / or anode electrodes 16 to which voltage is applied simultaneously , however , the present invention is not limited thereto . in an alternative exemplary embodiment , configuration may be made such that in addition to limitation itself , the fact that limitation has been executed is notified . in this alternative exemplary embodiment , the usability of the display apparatus 10 can be raised . furthermore , in each of the above exemplary embodiment , explanation is of cases in which , for the numbers of grid electrodes 14 and / or anode electrodes 16 to which voltage is applied simultaneously , limitation to zero is applied as the limitation . however , the present invention is not limited thereto . in an alternative exemplary embodiment , for example , configuration may be made such that the number of grid electrodes 14 and / or anode electrodes 16 to which voltage is simultaneously applied is made 1 or more , and less than a predetermined threshold value . similar effects are obtained by this alternative exemplary embodiment to those of the above exemplary embodiments . furthermore , explanation is of cases in the first exemplary embodiment where only the grid electrodes 14 are subject to limitation , and in the second exemplary embodiment both the grid electrodes 14 and the anode electrodes 16 are subject to limitation . however , the present invention is not limited thereto . in an alternative exemplary embodiment , for example , configuration may be made such that only the anode electrodes 16 are subject to limitation . similar effects are obtained by this alternative exemplary embodiment to those of the above exemplary embodiments . furthermore , in the second exemplary embodiment , explanation is of cases in which only voltage application to the grid electrodes 14 is interrupted when the sum of the number of grid electrodes 14 and anode electrodes 16 to which voltage is simultaneously applied is the predetermined threshold value or greater . however , the present invention is not limited thereto . in an alternative exemplary embodiment , for example , configuration may be made such that under such circumstances voltage application is interrupted to both the grid electrodes 14 and the anode electrodes 16 . in this alternative exemplary embodiment , excessively large load on the power lines is prevented . in each the above exemplary embodiments , explanation is of a case in which the grid driver limiting section 26 and / or the anode driver limiting section 26 ′ are configured by a selecting section , a latch section and a gate section . however , the present invention is not limited thereto . application may be made to various configurations as long as they are configurations in which limitation can be made to at least one of the numbers of electrodes to which voltage is applied simultaneously , namely the number of grid electrodes 14 and / or the number of anode electrodes 16 . furthermore , in each of the above exemplary embodiments , explanation is of cases in which the present invention is realized by means of hardware . however , the present invention is not limited thereto , and the present invention may be realized using software , or in an embodiment realized through a combination of both hardware and software . similar effects are obtained thereby to those of the above exemplary embodiments . | 6 |
the composition of this invention may be said aryl perfluoropolyether or the composition may comprise added components as described hereinbelow . the monofunctional perfluoropolyether of this invention has the formula of r f —( y ) a —( c t r ( u + v ) )—( o — c t r 1 ( u + v )) b — r and the difunctional perfluoropolyether of this invention has the formula of r f 1 —[( y ) a —( c t r ( u + v ) )—( o — c t r 1 ( u + v ) ) b — r ] 2 o — c t r 1 ( u + v ) is a divalent aryl oxy group ; r f is a polyether chain having a formula weight ranging from about 400 to about 15 , 000 and comprises repeat units selected from the group consisting of : ( b ) j 1 - o —( cf 2 cf 2 o ) e ( cf 2 o ) f cfz 1 -, ( d ) j 3 - o —( cq 2 - cf 2 cf 2 — o ) k — cq 2 -, ( e ) j 3 - o —( cf ( cf 3 ) cf 2 o ) g ( cf 2 cf 2 o ) h ( cfx — o ) i — cfz -, the units with formulae cf 2 cf 2 o and cf 2 o are randomly distributed along the chain ; j is a fluoroalkyl group selected from the group consisting of cf 3 , c 2 f 5 , c 3 f 7 , cf 2 cl , c 2 f 4 cl , c 3 f 6 cl , and combinations of two or more thereof ; c and d are numbers such that the c / d ratio ranges from about 0 . 01 to about 0 . 5 ; j 1 is a fluoroalkyl group selected from the group consisting of — cf 3 , — c 2 f 5 , — c 3 f 7 , — cf 2 cl , — c 2 f 4 cl , and combinations of two or more thereof ; e and f are numbers such that the e / f ratio ranges from about 0 . 3 to about 5 ; j 2 is — c 2 f 5 , — c 3 f 7 , or combinations thereof ; j is an average number such that the formula weight of r f ranges from about 400 to about 15 , 000 ; j 3 is selected from the group consisting of — cf 3 , — c 2 f 5 , — c 3 f 7 , and combinations of two or more thereof ; k is an average number such that the formula weight of r f ranges from about 400 to about 15 , 000 ; g , h and i are numbers such that ( g + h ) ranges from about 1 to about 50 , the i /( g + h ) ratio ranges from about 0 . 1 to about 0 . 5 ; j 4 is — cf 3 , — c 2 f 5 , or combinations thereof ; k ′ is an average number such that the formula weight of r f ranges from about 400 to about 15 , 000 ; each r is independently — h , a halogen , — oh , — so 3 m , nr 3 2 , — no 2 , — r 4 oh , — r 4 so 3 m , — r 4 nr 3 2 , — r 4 no 2 , — r 4 cn , — c ( o ) or 4 , — c ( o ) om , — c ( o ) r 4 , or — c ( o ) nr 3 2 , or combinations of two or more thereof ; except that when b = 0 , r cannot be four hydrogen atoms and — oh , or — br , or — nh 2 ; or r cannot be solely h or — no 2 or combinations thereof ; each r 1 is independently h , — r 4 , — or 4 , a halogen , — oh , — so 3 m , — nr 3 2 , — no 2 , — cn , — r 4 oh , — r 4 so 3 m , — r 4 nr 3 2 , — r 4 no 2 , — r 4 cn , — c ( o ) or 4 , — c ( o ) om , — c ( o ) r 4 , or c ( o ) nr 3 2 , or combinations of two or more thereof ; each r 3 is independently h , c 1 - c 10 alkyl , or combinations of two or more thereof ; m is a hydrogen or metal ion ( alkali metal , alkaline earth metal , transition metal , or combinations of two or more thereof ) such as li , na , k , rb , cs , be , mg , ca , sr , ba , cu , co , zn , ni , fe , ti , zr , va ; preferably m is not aluminum ; more preferably m is h , li , na , k , ca , or combinations of two or more thereof ; y is a linking divalent radical — ch 2 och 2 —, —( ch 2 ) o — o —, —( cf 2 ) n —, — cf 2 o —, — cf 2 ocf 2 —, — c ( o )—, — c ( s )—, or combinations of two or more thereof ; u is any combination of 0 , 2 , 4 , 6 , 8 , 10 , 12 , 14 , 16 ; rf 1 is a divalent perfluoropolyether chain segment that can have a number average formula weight of about 400 to about 15 , 000 and can be selected from the group consisting of : ( ii ) —( c 3 f 6 o ) p ( cf 2 cf 2 o ) q ( cfxo ) r cf 2 —, ( iii ) —( cf 2 cf 2 o )( c 3 f 6 o ) w cf ( cf 3 )—, ( iv ) — cf ( cf 3 ) o ( c 3 f 6 o ) w - rf 2 - o —( c 3 f 6 o ) w cf ( cf 3 )—, the units with formulae cf 2 cf 2 o and cf 2 o can be randomly distributed along the chain ; p , q and r are numbers such that ( p + q ) ranges from 1 to 50 , and the r /( p + q ) ratio ranges from 0 . 1 to 0 . 05 , and the formula weight of r f 1 is from 400 to 15 , 000 ; rf 2 is linear or branched — c m f 2m —; s is an average number such that the formula weight of r f 1 ranges from 400 to 15 , 000 . in the aryl perfluoropolyether of this invention , y is preferably —( cf 2 ) n —. thus , the monofunctional perfluoropolyether preferably has the formula of r f —( cf 2 ) n —( c t r ( u + v ) )—( o — c t r 1 ( u + v ) ) b — r and the difunctional perfluoropolyether preferably has the formula r f 1 -[( cf 2 ) n —( c t r ( u + v ) )—( o — c t r 1 ( u + v ) ) b — r ] 2 , where r f , r f 1 , n , t , r , r 1 , u , v , and b are as defined above . examples of aryl perfluoropolyethers useful in the composition of this invention when y is —( cf 2 ) n — include , but are not limited to cf 3 ( cf 2 ) 2 ( ocf ( cf 3 ) cf 2 ) y ocf ( cf 3 ) cf 2 c 6 br 3 h 2 , cf 3 ( cf 2 ) 2 ( ocf ( cf 3 ) cf 2 ) y ocf ( cf 3 ) cf 2 c 6 f 3 h 2 , cf 3 ( cf 2 ) 2 ( ocf ( cf 3 ) cf 2 ) y ocf ( cf 3 ) cf 2 c 6 h 4 cl , cf 3 ( cf 2 ) 2 ( ocf ( cf 3 ) cf 2 ) y ocf ( cf 3 ) cf 2 c 6 h 4 n ( ch 3 ) 2 , cf 3 ( cf 2 ) 2 ( ocf ( cf 3 ) cf 2 ) y ocf ( cf 3 ) cf 2 c 6 h 3 [ oc ( o ) ch 3 ] 2 , cf 3 ( cf 2 ) 2 ( ocf ( cf 3 ) cf 2 ) y ocf ( cf 3 ) cf 2 c 6 h 4 so 3 m , cf 3 ( cf 2 ) 2 ( ocf ( cf 3 ) cf 2 ) y ocf ( cf 3 ) cf 2 c 6 h 3 ( oh ) 2 , cf 3 ( cf 2 ) 2 ( ocf ( cf 3 ) cf 2 ) y ocf ( cf 3 ) cf 2 c 6 h4oc 6 h 5 , cf 3 ( cf 2 ) 2 ( ocf ( cf 3 ) cf 2 ) y ocf ( cf 3 ) cf 2 ( c 6 h4o ) 2 c 6 h 5 , cf 3 ( cf 2 ) 2 ( ocf ( cf 3 ) cf 2 ) y ocf ( cf 3 ) cf 2 c 6 h 4 oc 6 h 4 so 3 m , cf 3 ( cf 2 ) 2 ( ocf ( cf 3 ) cf 2 ) y ocf ( cf 3 ) cf 2 oc 6 h 4 oc 6 h 4 no 2 , cf 3 ( cf 2 ) 2 ( ocf ( cf 3 ) cf 2 ) y ocf ( cf 3 ) cf 2 c 10 h 6 so 3 m , or combinations of two or more thereof where y is a number from about 3 to about 100 . preferred examples of aryl perfluoropolyethers useful in the composition of this invention include , but are not limited to cf 3 ( cf 2 ) 2 ( ocf ( cf 3 ) cf 2 ) y ocf ( cf 3 ) cf 2 c 6 h 4 so 3 m , cf 3 ( cf 2 ) 2 ( ocf ( cf 3 ) cf 2 ) y ocf ( cf 3 ) cf 2 c 6 h 3 ( oh ) 2 , cf 3 ( cf 2 ) 2 ( ocf ( cf 3 ) cf 2 ) y ocf ( cf 3 ) cf 2 c 6 h 4 oc 6 h 5 , cf 3 ( cf 2 ) 2 ( ocf ( cf 3 ) cf 2 ) y ocf ( cf 3 ) cf 2 ( c 6 h 4 o ) 2 c 6 h 5 , cf 3 ( cf 2 ) 2 ( ocf ( cf 3 ) cf 2 ) y ocf ( cf 3 ) cf 2 c 6 h 4 oc 6 h 4 so 3 m , cf 3 ( cf 2 ) 2 ( ocf ( cf 3 ) cf 2 ) y ocf ( cf 3 ) cf 2 oc 6 h 4 oc 6 h 4 no 2 , cf 3 ( cf 2 ) 2 ( ocf ( cf 3 ) cf 2 ) ocf ( cf 3 ) cf 2 c 10 h 6 so 3 m , or combinations of two or more thereof where y is as defined above and m is h , li , na , k , ca , or combinations of two or more thereof . still , more preferred , examples of aryl perfluoropolyethers useful in the composition of this invention include , but are not limited to : cf 3 ( cf 2 ) 2 ( ocf ( cf 3 ) cf 2 ) y ocf ( cf 3 ) cf 2 c 6 h 4 so 3 m , cf 3 ( cf 2 ) 2 ( ocf ( cf 3 ) cf 2 ) y ocf ( cf 3 ) cf 2 c 6 h 4 oc 6 h 4 so 3 m , cf 3 ( cf 2 ) 2 ( ocf ( cf 3 ) cf 2 ) y ocf ( cf 3 ) cf 2 c 10 h 6 so 3 m , or combinations of two or more thereof where y is as defined above and m is h , li , na , k , ca , or combinations of two or more thereof . an aryl perfluoropolyether useful in the composition of this invention is cf 3 ( cf 2 ) 2 ( ocf ( cf 3 ) cf 2 ) y ocf ( cf 3 ) cf 2 c 6 h 4 so 3 m where y and m are as defined above . another aryl perfluoropolyether useful in the composition of this invention is cf 3 ( cf 2 ) 2 ( ocf ( cf 3 ) cf 2 ) y ocf ( cf 3 ) cf 2 c 6 h 4 oc 6 h 4 so 3 m where y and m are as defined above . still another aryl perfluoropolyether useful in the composition of this invention is cf 3 ( cf 2 ) 2 ( ocf ( cf 3 ) cf 2 ) y ocf ( cf 3 ) cf 2 c 10 h 6 so 3 m where y and m are as defined above . the aryl perfluoropolyethers useful in the compositions of the invention can be produced by any means known to one skilled in the art such as those disclosed in journal of organic chemistry 1997 , 62 , pages 7128 - 7136 and in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 941 , 987 , the disclosures of these references are incorporated herein by reference . for example , one process for producing an aryl perfluoropolyether comprises contacting a - perfluoropolyether primary halide such as perfluoropolyether iodide , optionally in the presence of a catalytic amount of a catalyst , with an aromatic compound to produce an aryl - substituted perfluoropolyether . an example of perfluoropolyether primary halide is a perfluoropolyether iodide , which is disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 653 , 511 , the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference . alternatively , the product of the reaction of perfluoropolyether primary halide with an aromatic compound can be further reacted to produce additional lubricating oils or additives . any compound that can promote the formation of a perfluoroalkyl or perfluoropolyether free radical can be used as catalyst . cupric acetate , ferric acetate , ferric chloride , potassium hydroxide or combinations of two or more thereof is an example of suitable catalyst . such catalyst can be present in the range of from about 0 . 0001 to about 5 % of the primary iodide compound by weight . the contacting can also be carried out in the presence of an oxidizing agent such as , for example , hydrogen peroxide , butyl peroxide , ferrous chloride , benzoyl peroxide , potassium permanganate , or combinations of two or more thereof . a solvent can be present to solubilized the mixture and aid in the formation of aryl perfluoropolyether products . examples of solvents include acetone , acetic acid , formic acid , methanol , a mineral acid , or combinations of two or more thereof . any aromatic compound that can under go an aromatic substitution with a perfluoropolyether radical can be used as the aromatic compound . examples of aromatic compounds include benzene , toluene , aniline , anisole , diacetoxybenezene , phenyl acetate , dimethoxybenzene , cresol , nitrophenol , diphenyl ether , phenol , diphenoxy benzene , or combinations of two or more thereof . the aryl perfluoropolyether can be , if desired , neutralized , sulfonated , nitrated or halogenated , for example , with an alkali metal hydroxide , alkali metal oxide , alkali metal salt , alkaline earth metal hydroxide , alkaline earth metal oxide , alkaline earth metal salt , sulfur trioxide , or halide . specific preparations are provided in the examples . the reaction to prepare the aryl perfluoropolyether can be carried out at a temperature from about 30 ° c . to about 250 ° c . in a reaction vessel that can contain the autogenous pressure sufficient to complete the reaction as determined by analysis , such as , for instance , up to about 60 hours . the products can be recovered or purified by any means known to one skilled in the art such as distillation , washing with a solvent such as water or acetone or both , filtration , or distillation following washing to remove traces of water or solvent . the composition of this invention comprising an aryl perfluoropolyether can be used as a lubricant alone or as a lubricant additive . when used as an additive , the composition may be mixed with an oil or grease , such as a halogenated oil , or a grease to produce an oil or grease mixture , in an amount sufficient to provide a concentration of from 0 . 01 to 99 %, or from about 0 . 1 to about 95 %, or from 1 to 25 % by weight , of the aryl perfluoropolyether in the mixture . the composition comprising the aryl perfluoropolyether disclosed herein can be readily mixed using any and any method providing adequate stirring suffices for preparing the mixtures . the oil or grease can be any oil or grease known to one skilled in the art , for example , any perfluoropolyethers or perfluoroalkyl ethers produced by e . i . du pont de nemours and company , wilmington , del ., usa ( dupont ); by ausimont , s . p . a ., milan , italy ; and by daikin industries , ltd ., japan can be used . the term “ halogenated oil ” used herein referred to a perfluoropolyether , a fluorosilicone , a polytrifluorochloroethylene , or combinations of two or more thereof . a common characteristic of perfluoropolyethers is the presence of perfluoroalkyl ether moieties . perfluoropolyether is synonymous to perfluoropolyalkylether . other synonymous terms frequently used include “ pfpe ”, “ pfpe oil ”, “ pfpe fluid ”, and “ pfpae ”. for example , krytox available from dupont is a perfluoropolyether having the formula of cf 3 —( cf 2 ) 2 — o —[ cf ( cf 3 )— cf 2 — o ] j ′ — r ′ f . in the formula , j ′ is 2 - 100 , inclusive and r ′ f is cf 2 cf 3 , a c 3 to c 6 perfluoroalkyl group , or combinations thereof . fomblin and galden fluids , available from ausimont , milan , italy and produced by perfluoroolefin photooxidation , can also be used . fomblin - y can have the formula of cf 3 o ( cf 2 cf ( cf 3 )— o —) m ′ ( cf 2 — o —) n ′ r 1 f . also suitable is cf 3 o [ cf 2 cf ( cf 3 ) o ] m ′ ( cf 2 cf 2 o ) o ′ ( cf 2 o ) n ′ — r 1 f . in the formulae r 1 f is cf 3 , c 2 f 5 , c 3 f 7 , or combinations of two or more thereof ; ( m ′+ n ′) is 8 - 45 , inclusive ; and m / n is 20 - 1000 , inclusive ; o ′ is & gt ; 1 ; ( m ′+ n ′+ o ′) is 8 - 45 , inclusive ; m ′/ n ′ is 20 - 1000 , inclusive . fomblin - z can have the formula of cf 3 o ( cf 2 cf 2 — o —) p ′ ( cf 2 — o ) q ′ cf 3 where ( p ′+ q ′) is 40 - 180 and p ′/ q ′ is 0 . 5 - 2 , inclusive . demnum fluids , available from daikin industries , japan , can also be used . it can be produced by sequential oligomerization and fluorination of 2 , 2 , 3 , 3 - tetrafluorooxetane , yielding the formula of f —[( cf 2 ) 3 — o ] t ′ — r 2 f where r 2 f is cf 3 , c 2 f 5 , or combinations thereof and t ′ is 2 - 200 , inclusive . perfluoropolyethers comprising branched or straight chain perfluoroalkyl radical end groups , each of which having 3 or more carbon atoms per end group can also be used . examples of such perfluoropolyethers can have the formula of c r f ( 2r ′+ 1 ) - a - c r f ( 2r ′+ 1 ) in which each r ′ is independently 3 to 6 ; a can be o —( cf ( cf 3 ) cf 2 — o ) w ′, o —( cf 2 — o ) x ′( cf 2 cf 2 — o ) y ′, o —( c 2 f 4 — o ) w ′ , o —( c 2 f 4 — o ) x ′( c 3 f 6 — o ) y ′ , o —( cf ( cf 3 ) cf 2 — o ) x ′ ( cf 2 — o ) y ′ , o —( cf 2 cf 2 cf — o ) w ′ , o —( cf ( cf 3 ) cf 2 — o ) x ′ ( cf 2 cf 2 — o ) y ′ —( cf 2 — o ) z ′ , or combinations of two or more thereof ; preferably a is o —( cf ( cf 3 ) cf 2 — o ) w ′ , o —( c 2 f 4 — o ) w ′ , o —( c 2 f 4 — o ) x ′ ( c 3 f 6 — o ) y ′ , o —( cf 2 cf 2 cf 2 — o ) w ′ , or combinations of two or more thereof ; w ′ is 4 to 100 ; x ′ and y ′ are each independently 1 to 100 . specific examples include , but are not limited to , f ( cf ( cf 3 )— cf 2 — o ) 9 — cf 2 cf 3 , f ( cf ( cf 3 )— cf 2 — o ) 9 — cf ( cf 3 ) 2 , and combinations thereof . in such pfpes , up to 30 % of the halogen atoms can be halogens other than fluorine , such as , for example , chlorine atoms . fluorosilicones suitable for use in the invention can be any fluorocarbon containing silicone fluid . the preferred fluorosilicone is a fluorosilane , a fluorosiloxane , or combinations thereof . a suitable fluorosilicone can have the formula of r ′ f —( ch 2 ) n ″ — si — r 2 3 in which r ′ f can be the same as disclosed above , n ″ can be 1 to 100 , and each r 2 can be independently an alkyl group , an alkoxy group , a thioalkyl group , an amino group , an aryl group , or combinations of two or more thereof . an example of suitable fluorosilicone is dow corning fs - 1265 fluorosilicone oil from dow coming , midland , mich . polytrifluorochloroethylenes suitable for use in the invention can have the formula of (— ccl 2 cfcl —) s ′ where s ′ is 2 - 100 , inclusive . example of suitable polytrifluorochloroethylenes are halocarbon oils from halocarbon , riveredge , n . j . the preferred polytrifluorochloroethylene is halocarbon 200 . the composition of this invention can also comprise a thickening agent to produce a grease . thickening agents include , but are not limited to , polytetrafluoroethylene , talc , silica , clay , boron nitride , metal soaps , titanium dioxide , polydimethylsiloxane , polyurea , polyurethane or combinations of two or more thereof . minor amounts of other additive such as perfluoroalkyl surfactants or polyoxyperfluoroalkyl surfactants , or other additives known in the art ( stabilizers , anticorrosive agents , anti - wear agents ) may also be present in the composition of this invention . the thickening agent and / or additive can be present in the composition from about 0 . 01 to about 60 %, or about 0 . 1 to about 20 % by weight . the upper limit can be determined by the national lubricating grease institute ( nlgi ) grade specification requirement . greases are graded according to nlgi from 000 to 6 as measured by penetration ( mm ). formulations for greases based on halogenated oils are well known to one skilled in the art . for example , the aryl perfluoropolyether of this invention can be present in the grease in an amount of from about 0 . 01 to about 90 %, or about 0 . 1 to about 10 %, by total weight of the grease composition . an oil or grease comprising a composition of this invention can be produced by any means known to one skilled in the art such as , for example , mixing the components , that is , mixing a composition of this invention with an oil or grease or mixing a composition of this invention with an oil and a thickening agent , together . since the means are well known , the discussion is omitted herein in the interest of brevity . test method 1 . heat treatment of mixtures of perfluoropolyether and aryl perfluoropolyether compositions . two parts by weight of the perfluoropolyether derivative prepared according to the examples were thoroughly mixed with 98 parts of krytox gpl107 - 500 ( a perfluoropolyether oil available from e . i . du pont de nemours and company ). an aliquot was placed in a preheated oven at 200 ° c . for 24 hours . the sample was removed , allowed to cool , and subjected to the pin corrosion test ( test method 2 ). in each example below , the composition was subjected to this heat treatment prior to evaluation using the pin corrosion test . the pin corrosion test ( antirust test ), fully detailed in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 184 , 187 , incorporated herein by reference , was used . in summary , anti - rust properties of oil additives were tested using a variation of astm d - 665 , otherwise known as the “ pin test ”. the test used , a c1018 centerless ground cylindrical coupon [ ¼ inch diameter × 2½ inch length ( 0 . 64 cm × 6 . 4 cm ), 1 / 16 inch slot ( 0 . 16 mm ), p / n # 2200 from metal samples co ., munford ala .). the coupon was cleaned and stored in toluene and thoroughly air dried ( for 10 minutes ) prior to use . the coupon was placed in the test fluid for 1 minute and excess fluid was allowed to drip off for 1 hour . it was then immersed in a beaker of medium hard water , which was held at 80 ° c . for 24 hours with the use of a teflon - coated thermocouple and temperature controller . ( the preparation of medium hard water is provided in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 184 , 187 ). after the 24 - hour period , the pin was removed from the water , wiped gently to remove loose rust and evaluated . evaluation was based on the following : fair : severe rust occurring in a 24 - hour period , but not covering more than 35 % of the surface . wear testing was conducted according to the america society for testing and materials ( astm ) test d3233 - 93 ( re - approved 1998 ), standard test methods for measurement of extreme pressure properties of fluid lubricants ( falex pin and vee block methods ). celite 521 is a diatomaceous earth filter aid available from aldrich chemical , milwaukee , wis . hfe - 7100 is perfluorobutyl methyl ether available from 3m company , minneapolis , minn . krytox ( perfluoroalkylether ; gpl ( general purpose lubricants ) 107 - 500 is a grade of krytox ) is available from dupont . krytox iodide [ cf 3 ( cf 2 ) 2 ( ocf ( cf 3 ) cf 2 ) z ocf ( cf 3 ) cf 2 i where z is about 8 ] is available from dupont . it is produced by the methods described in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 653 , 511 , incorporated herein by reference . acrodisc syringe filters with ptfe membrane , 0 . 45 μm , are available from vwr ( west chester , pa .). gas chromatography / mass spectroscopy ( gc / ms ) was used to determine reaction completion and product characterization . distillation under vacuum was conducted under 1 mm hg ( 0 . 13 kpa ). preparation of krytox benzene — cf 3 ( cf 2 ) 2 ( ocf ( cf 3 ) cf 2 ) z ocf ( cf 3 ) cf 2 c 6 h 5 krytox iodide ( 200 g ; mw 1345 ) was placed in a 500 - ml 4 - neck round - bottom flask equipped with a mechanical stirrer , thermocouple and a reflux condenser . glacial acetic acid ( 85 ml ), 0 . 5 g of copper ( ii ) acetate , and 55 g of benzene were added . the mixture was heated to 100 ° c . benzoyl peroxide ( 160 g ) was added in three increments over one and a half days . when analysis indicated all the iodide was reacted , the oil was washed sequentially with water and acetone ( 100 ml each ) and then distilled under vacuum at 100 ° c . the resulting sample was then filtered in a buchner funnel through a 0 . 25 inch ( 6 . 4 mm ) layer of celite 521 supported on a whatman filter paper . product ( 175 g ) was retained . preparation of krytox benzene sulfonic acid — cf 3 ( cf 2 ) 2 ( ocf ( cf 3 ) cf 2 ) z ocf ( cf 3 ) cf 2 c 6 h 4 so 3 h krytox benzene ( 100 g ), prepared as in example 1 , was added to a 250 - ml , 4 - neck round bottom flask equipped as in example 1 . oleum ( 20 %; 28 g ) was dispensed into a dropping funnel and slowly dripped into the flask over a 15 minute period . the flask contents were heated to 100 ° c . and stirred overnight . the flask was cooled to less than 30 ° c ., and , while cooling , water ( about 100 ml ) was slowly added , maintaining the temperature at less than 30 ° c . this was followed by addition of hfe - 7100 ( about 50 ml ) and acetone ( 50 ml ) to separate the oil . the oil was washed three times with premixed acetone and water solution ( 100 ml each ) and distilled at 100 ° c . under vacuum . product ( 82 g ) was retained . preparation of krytox diacetoxybenzene — cf 3 ( cf 2 ) 2 ( ocf ( cf 3 ) cf 2 ) z ocf ( cf 3 ) cf 2 c 6 h 3 ( oc ( o ) ch 3 ) 2 krytox iodide ( 526 g ) and 108 . 2 g of diacetoxybenzene were added to a 1 - l round bottom flask . glacial acetic acid ( 500 ml ) and 0 . 5 g of copper ( ii ) acetate were then added to flask . the reactants were heated to 90 ° c . and benzoyl peroxide ( 75 g ) was added in 5 - g aliquots over a 3 - day period until the iodide had all reacted . the reaction product was cooled to room temperature . the mixture was washed twice with 500 ml methanol to remove the non - fluorinated organic products . the solvent was distilled off at 90 ° c . under vacuum . the resulting sample was then filtered as in example 1 , to produce the product ( 506 . 65 g ). preparation of krytox dihydroxybenzene — cf 3 ( cf 2 ) 2 ( ocf ( cf 3 ) cf 2 ) z ocf ( cf 3 ) cf 2 c 6 h 3 ( oh ) 2 krytox diacetoxybenzene , prepared as in example 3 ( 525 g ) and hfe 7100 ( 250 ml ) were added to a 1 - l round bottom flask . potassium hydroxide ( 45 g ), water ( 250 ml ) and methanol ( 250 ml ) were added to the flask . the reactants were heated to reflux at 60 ° c . after 4 hours of refluxing , 10 % hydrochloric acid ( 500 g ) was added . the reaction mixture was stirred until the krytox diacetoxybenzene had reacted . the bottom product layer was separated and washed three times with equal volumes of premixed acetone and water ( 1 : 1 ). the product was distilled to 100 ° c . under vacuum and then filtered as in example 1 to produce the product ( 465 . 30 g ). preparation of krytox dimethoxybenzene — cf 3 ( cf 2 ) 2 ( ocf ( cf 3 ) cf 2 ) z ocf ( cf 3 ) cf 2 c 6 h 3 ( och 3 ) 2 krytox iodide ( 100 g ) and dimethoxybenzene ( 25 . 6 g ) were added to a 1 - l round bottom flask equipped with a mechanical stirrer , thermocouple and a condenser . glacial acetic acid ( 500 ml ) and copper ( ii ) acetate ( 1 . 0 g ) were then added to flask . the reactants were heated to 90 ° c . benzoyl peroxide ( 75 g ) was added in 5 g increments over a period of 6 days , until the iodide had all reacted as determined by analysis . after the reaction was complete , the mixture was washed twice with 250 - ml of methanol . perfluorohexane ( 50 ml ) was added to assist in separations . the product was distilled to 100 ° c . under vacuum to produce final product ( 85 g ). preparation of krytox dihydroxybenzene — cf 3 ( cf 2 ) 2 ( ocf ( cf 3 ) cf 2 ) z ocf ( cf 3 ) cf 2 c 6 h 3 ( oh ) 2 boron tribromide ( 18 g ) was placed in a 250 - ml 4 - neck round - bottomed flask as described in example 2 . krytox dimethoxybenzene ( 50 g ), prepared as in example 5 was dripped into the flask over a 15 minute period . the mixture was stirred for 5 hours followed by the addition over 15 minutes , of about 50 g each of water , acetone and perfluorohexane . the oil layer was separated , filtered as in example 1 and then distilled to 100 ° c . under vacuum to produce 44 g of product . preparation of krytox diphenyl ether — cf 3 ( cf 2 ) 2 ( ocf ( cf 3 ) cf 2 ) z ocf ( cf 3 ) cf 2 c 6 h 4 oc 6 h 5 krytox iodide ( 150 g ) was placed in a 500 - ml 4 - neck round - bottom flask as described in example 1 . glacial acetic acid ( 75 ml ), copper ( ii ) acetate ( 0 . 4 g ), and diphenyl ether ( 85 g ) were added . the mixture was heated to 100 ° c . followed by adding benzoyl peroxide ( 48 g ). after 45 minutes , more benzoyl peroxide ( 48 g ) was added . completion of the reaction within one day was indicated by consumption of the iodide as determined by analysis . when the reaction was complete , the oil was washed sequentially with water and acetone ( 50 ml each ), then distilled at 100 ° c . under vacuum , and then filtered as in example 1 to produce final product ( 130 g ). preparation of krytox nitrodiphenyl ether — cf 3 ( cf 2 ) 2 ( ocf ( cf 3 ) cf 2 ) z ocf ( cf 3 ) cf 2 c 6 h 4 oc 6 h 4 ( no 2 ) 100 ml hfe - 7100 was added to a 4 - neck round bottom flask equipped with a mechanical stirrer , thermocouple and a condenser . to the flask , 25 g of tetramethylammonium nitrate and 50g of trifluoromethanesulfonic anhydride were added to the flask . the mixture was allowed to stir at room temperature for 1 . 5 hours . after stirring , 89 g of krytox diphenyl ether , as prepared in example 7 , was dripped in using an addition funnel . the mixture stirred and heated for 8 hours at 80 ° c . once the reaction was done , 100 ml of water was slowly added . the oil was separated with hfe 7100 and acetone . the product was then isolated , washed several times with acetone and water , distilled with an oil pump vacuum at 100 ° c ., and filtered through celite and whatman # 1 filter paper . 79 . 8 g of product was retained . preparation of krytox diphenoxy benzene — cf 3 ( cf 2 ) 2 ( ocf ( cf 3 ) cf 2 ) z ocf ( cf 3 ) cf 2 ( c 6 h 4 o ) 2 c 6 h 5 krytox iodide ( 50 g ) was added to a 250 - ml , 4 - neck round - bottom flask described in example 2 . to the flask , glacial acetic acid ( 50 ml ), copper ( ii ) acetate ( 0 . 13 g ), and diphenoxy benzene ( 70 g ) were added . the contents were stirred and heated to 90 ° c . then , three portions of benzoyl peroxide ( 17 g each , total 51 g ) were added at 45 minute , intervals . the mixture was stirred at 90 ° c . for two days . completion of the reaction was confirmed by analysis . the oil was separated with hfe 7100 as described in example 2 . the product layer was then isolated , washed three times with water and acetone ( 50 ml each ), distilled under vacuum at 100 ° c . and then filtered as described in example 1 to produce product ( 35 g ). krytox diphenyl ether sulfonic acid — cf 3 ( cf 2 ) 2 ( ocf ( cf 3 ) cf 2 ) z ocf ( cf 3 ) cf 2 oc 6 h4oc 6 h 4 so 3 h krytox diphenyl ether ( 78 g , prepared as in example 7 ) was added to a 250 - ml , 4 - neck round - bottom flask described in example 2 , followed by dripping into the flask over a 15 - minute period 20 % oleum ( 28 g ) through a dropping funnel . the flask contents were heated to 100 ° c . and stirred overnight . with cooling as in example 2 , water ( 100 ml ) was slowly added . hfe - 7100 ( 50 ml ) and acetone ( 50 ml ) were added to separate the oil . the oil was then isolated , washed three times with acetone and three times with water ( 50 ml each washing ) and distilled at 100 ° c . under vacuum to produce viscous product ( 69 . 5 g ). preparation of krytox benzene sulfonic acid ca salt ( cf 3 ( cf 2 ) 2 ( ocf ( cf 3 ) cf 2 ) z ocf ( cf 3 ) cf 2 c 6 h4so 3 ) 2 ca krytox benzene sulfonic acid ( 50 g , prepared as in example 3 ) was placed in a 250 - ml round - bottom flask as described in example 2 . calcium acetate ( 6 g ) dissolved in water ( 60 ml ) and hfe 7100 ( 50 ml ) were added to the flask . the contents were stirred and refluxed at 60 ° c . after 24 hours of reflux and stirring , the product was distilled under vacuum at 100 ° c . to produce viscous product ( 49 g ). preparation of 2 % krytox benzene sulfonic acid ca salt in gpl 107 - 500 gpl 107 - 500 ( 98 g ) was placed in a 250 - ml round - bottom flask as described in example 2 . krytox benzene sulfonic acid ( 2 g , prepared as in example 2 ) and calcium oxide ( 0 . 08 g ) were added to the flask . the mixture was heated to 200 ° c . and stirred for 24 hours . the mixture was filtered through a 0 . 45 μm poly ( tetrafluoroethylene ) syringe filter to produce oil product ( 90 g ). preparation of krytox benzene sulfonic acid li salt — cf 3 ( cf 2 ) 2 ( ocf ( cf 3 ) cf 2 ) z ocf ( cf 3 ) cf 2 c 6 h 4 so 3 li krytox benzene sulfonic acid ( 50 g , prepared as in example 2 ) was placed in a 250 - ml round - bottom flask as described in example 2 . lithium acetate ( 3 . 6 g ) and hfe 7100 ( 50 ml ) were added to the flask . the contents were stirred and refluxed at 60 ° c . for 24 hours followed by distillation under vacuum at 100 ° c . to produce viscous product ( 45 g ). preparation of 2 % krytox benzene sulfonic acid li salt in gpl 107 - 500 gpl 107 - 500 ( 98 g ) was placed in a 250 - ml round - bottom flask equipped as described in example 2 . krytox benzene sulfonic acid ( 2 g , prepared as in example 2 ) and lithium acetate dihydrate ( 0 . 15 g ) were added . the mixture was heated to 200 ° c . and stirred for 24 hours , followed by filtration through whatman # 1 filter paper to produce an oil product ( 90 . 8 g ). preparation of krytox benzene sulfonic acid na salt — cf 3 ( cf 2 ) 2 ( ocf ( cf 3 ) cf 2 ) z ocf ( cf 3 ) cf 2 c 6 h 4 so 3 na krytox benzene sulfonic acid ( 50 g , prepared as in example 2 ) was placed in a 250 - ml round - bottom flask as described in example 2 . sodium acetate ( 2 . 9 g ) and hfe 7100 ( 50 ml ) were added and the contents were stirred and refluxed at 60 ° c . for 48 hours . the product was filtered as described in example 12 ( syringe filter ) and then distilled under vacuum to 100 ° c . to produce final product ( 36 g ). preparation of 2 % krytox benzene sulfonic acid na salt in gpl 107 - 500 gpl 107 - 500 ( 98 g ) was placed in a 250 - ml round - bottom flask as described for example 2 . krytox benzene sulfonic acid ( 2 g , prepared as in example 2 ) and sodium acetate ( 0 . 2 g ) were added . the mixture was heated to 200 ° c . and stirred for 24 hours , followed by filtration through whatman # 1 paper to produce an oil product ( 91 . 6 g ). preparation of 2 % krytox benzene sulfonic acid ni salt in gpl 107 - 500 gpl 107 - 500 ( 98 g ) was placed in a 250 - ml round - bottom flask as described in example 2 . krytox benzene sulfonic acid ( 2 g , prepared as in example 2 ) and nickel acetate tetrahydrate ( 0 . 36 g ) were added to the flask . the mixture was heated to 200 ° c . and stirred for 24 hours , followed by filtration as described in example 12 ( syringe filter ) to produce an oil product ( 90 . 2 g ). preparation of 2 % krytox benzene sulfonic acid fe salt in gpl 107 - 500 the process was the same as described in example 12 except that calcium oxide ( 0 . 08 g ) was replaced with iron acetate ( 0 . 25 g ). the reaction was heated for 24 hours at 200 ° c . ; no filtration was needed to produce an oil product ( 93 . 5 g ). a sample was prepared according to the procedure of example 3 in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 184 , 187 . the above - described products were tested , after the heat treatment of test method 1 , using the pin corrosion test ( test method 2 ). wear tests were conducted according to test method 3 . the load to failure ( pin on v - block ) test was run according to astm d - 3233 . the results are shown in table 1 below . the conditions for wear test : 5 % compound in krytox gpl 106 . the results show improved performance of the formulations comprising a composition the invention comprising an aryl perfluoropolyether , as anticorrosion additive , and with performance in the wear test comparable to control tests . | 2 |
crossing the blood brain barrier is always a difficult hurdle with neurological treatments . the transferrin protein is a protein that delivers iron to cells in the brain and the transferrin receptor is what it binds to the transferrin receptor to be taken across the blood brain barrier . by attaching the enzyme to the transferrin protein the enzyme could then enter the brain and degrade the amyloid fibrils . single chain variable fragments are just the variable region of an antibody . by using only this fragment you lower the immunogenicity of the protein , since most of the immunogenicity occurs as a result of the constant region of an antibody . the idea again would be to attach the enzyme to a single chain variable fragment that had an affinity for the transferrin receptor in order to cross the blood brain barrier and treat a patient . some common methods of attaching two proteins are either coupling them together or creating a chimeric protein using a vector like yeast or bacteria to produce the protein . if using a vector yeast would probably be the better option since it is eukaryotic and would then glycosylate the protein giving it a lower immunogenicity . nasal mucosal adjuvants have been shown to allow proteins passive entrance to the brain through the olfactory nerve ( cutting edge : the mucosal adjuvant cholera toxin redirects vaccine proteins into olfactory tissues , fredrick w . van ginkel ). the idea here would be to exploit this by including keratinase in the adjuvant in order to allow it to access the brain . | 0 |
fig1 shows a partial cross section of a first embodiment of a lifesaver apparatus generally indicated by the reference numeral 21 according to the invention having a frame , generally indicated by reference numerals 63 and 64 . frame 63 and 64 carries a single spool 27 and a clutch arrangement generally indicated by the reference numeral 76 . frame 63 and 64 with spool 27 and clutch arrangement 76 is enclosed in a rectangular aluminum housing 74 . fig1 is a top plan view of embodiment 1 with cover 36 removed . frame 63 and 64 also carries a plate 62 with sides bent down and secured to frame 63 and 64 by four countersunk bolts 82 ( see also fig4 ). the purpose of this plate 62 is to provide a lower cord guide hole 66 . a strong flat bar beam 75 ( see also fig4 ) is provided towards the end portion of housing 74 and acts as a securing point by which lifesaver apparatus 21 can be attached to a building . the beam 75 is secured to aluminum housing 74 by way of two countersunk bolts indicated by the reference numeral 89 . two smaller countersunk bolts 81 and two large countersunk bolts 33 and 33 a connect frame 63 and 64 to housing 74 . the rectangular tubular housing 74 is closed off at the top by bent plate 36 . this plate also provides a top cord guide hole 67 and is secured by six countersunk bolts 85 . below cord guide hole 67 is a cord clamp arrangement 50 and is bolted by two bolts 54 not shown in fig1 but shown in fig1 and fig1 a which is a clearer view at right angles to the view in fig1 . a bottom closing - off plate 37 is secured in position by six countersunk bolts 80 ( see also fig4 ). there are two slots 31 provided at either end of plate 37 to accommodate attachment beam 75 ( see fig4 a ). fig4 a is a partial view of plate 37 from the bottom of fig1 with beam 75 removed . mention has to be made of the method of assembly . firstly , bottom closing - off plate 37 is bolted into position by using six countersunk bolts 80 ( see also fig4 ). a steel or stainless steel flat bar beam 75 is then pushed through two slots 31 cut out in plate 37 until the two holes in the beam align up with the two countersunk holes in casing 74 . from the access provided by the top opening two nuts and bolts 89 can be assembled and secured . now spool 27 fully wound with cord 55 is assembled in frame 63 and 64 with two countersunk bolts 70 . then plate 62 is bolted into position with four countersunk set - screws 82 ( see also fig4 ). then the complete clutch assembly 76 is pushed in between frame 63 and 64 and secured with two countersunk bolts 83 in frame 63 only . the end of cord 55 is passed through cord guide hole 66 and around clutch pulley 34 . then the whole assembly is slid bottom first into housing 74 through the top opening . then cord 55 is passed through a cord - clamping device 50 and out of top guide hole 67 in top closing - off plate 36 . then two large countersunk bolts 33 and 33 a and two countersunk set - screws 81 are inserted and tightened from the outside of the casing . the final assembly is complete after plate 36 is secured in position by six countersunk set - screws 85 in the same manner , as was bottom closing - off plate 37 . a lifeline 55 schematically shown on fig1 and 8 of the drawings is wound around spool 27 . in this embodiment of the invention lifeline 55 is a synthetic cord commercially sold under the trademarks spectra ®, vectran ® or a heat - resistant corded yarn sintered with a ptfe polymer resin sold under the trade name fiberline ®. such cords all have a diameter of ⅛ ″ and a minimum breaking strength of approximately 2000 lbs . with a safety factor of 5 these cords 55 would be suitable for a person is weighing not more than 400 lbs . thus even two people simultaneously could use the apparatus providing their combined weight does not exceed 400 lbs . for heavier loads the diameter of the cord could be increased . a cross - sectional front view of a spool 27 provided in fig3 of the drawings , shows that it is rotatably located on a stationery steel shaft 71 . shaft 71 is secured to a frame 63 and 64 with two countersunk bolts 70 and carries a coil spring 35 as well as two friction clutch plates 29 . clutch plates 29 are kept in contact with a brake friction disc 28 in the spool via a coil spring 35 and are prevented from rotating relative to shaft 71 by steel pins 30 , which pass through shaft 71 . a front view of a clutch plate 29 shown below fig3 reveals that it includes cutout sections , which houses steel pins 30 . fig3 also shows two aluminum discs 79 having a thickness of ⅜ ″. each disc 79 is provided with eight equally spaced holes . four of these holes receive screws indicated by the reference numeral 86 , while the remainder receives screws indicated by the reference numeral 87 . disc 79 serves to attach spool side discs 73 to a tubular spool hub 46 . discs 79 also serve to support friction disc 28 which is trapped between disc 79 which rotates and plate 29 which is non - rotating . fig3 and 4 also illustrate the method of securely attaching the beginning of cord 55 . the cord passes through a hole 59 in a tube 46 and is looped in a circle around spring 35 and shaft 71 and crimped with a crimping lug 65 . there are two thin flat washers 51 between a disc 73 and frame 63 and 64 to prevent similar metal to metal contact between these surfaces whilst rotating . there are also two thin washers 48 at either end of spring 35 . these washers cover the slots in clutch plate 29 and make a good bearing surface with spring 35 to bear against . to unwind cord 55 from spool 27 , tension has to be applied to cord 55 . the tension in such cord will result from the weight of the user that is being supported . clutch plates 29 are kept in contact with friction surfaces 28 , and therefore resist any rotation of spool 27 . however as soon as static friction between clutch plates 29 and friction surface 28 is overcome , spool 27 will start to rotate around stationery shaft 71 , allowing cord 55 to be unwound . to understand the first function of clutch plates 29 , mention has to be made of clutch arrangement 76 ( see fig1 and 5 ). the gist of a lifesaver apparatus 21 is to allow a user to descend from a building at a descent rate that will not injure such user . this is achieved by controlling the rate at which cord 55 is allowed to unwind from spool 27 by clutch arrangement 76 . it will be understood that should such cord be allowed to unwind uncontrollably , the user will free - fall to the ground with possible fatal consequences . such uncontrolled movement of cord 55 through clutch arrangement 76 is referred to as slipping . this result follows when there is not sufficient friction between cord 55 and the contact surfaces in clutch arrangement 76 to maintain the contact between them . in the light of what was said above it will be appreciated that it is of paramount importance that cord 55 should not be allowed to slip in clutch arrangement 76 . one way to address slip is to maintain tension between clutch arrangement 76 and spool 27 so that cord 55 is kept in contact with the contact areas in such clutch arrangement . this is achieved by ensuring that the spool 27 only rotates when a tension is applied to cord 55 . this is a function of clutch plates 29 , which prevents rotation of spool 27 when there is no tension in cord 55 . a further function of clutch plates 29 can be described by way of an example . when using lifesaver apparatus 21 , it may be desirable that spool 27 stops rotating immediately when no tension is applied to cord 55 . the reason for this is that uncontrolled rotation of spool 27 may cause cord 55 to knot and foul , rendering lifesaver apparatus 21 ineffective . this can happen when , for example , a user is evacuating a building , which does not slope vertically to ground level but which has tapering sections . in this case the user may have to land after descending a number of stories , thereafter walk on a ledge , only after which he can continue his descent to the ground . fig1 of the drawings shows a cross - sectional side view of a clutch arrangement 76 having non - rotating shaft 32 , bolted to frame 63 and 64 with bolts 33 and 33 a and on which a pulley 34 is located . pulley 34 has a v shaped groove , the base of which is slightly narrower than the diameter of cord 55 . the v shaped groove is a further measure to prevent slipping , of cord 55 in clutch arrangement 76 and is dimensioned for the specific purpose of gripping such cord in a friction fit . fig8 shows a diagrammatic representation of cord 55 caught in pulley groove 34 ( 1 ) of a pulley 34 as well as the path followed by cord 55 around pulley 34 . in this embodiment of the invention cord 55 is wound approximately land ⅛ times around pulley 34 . if the pulley with the groove diameter of 1⅛ ″ ( 28 mm ) is used the cord will be rotated around the pulley through an angle of approximately 400 °. cord 55 is guided to and from a clutch arrangement 76 by two guide holes indicated by the reference numerals 66 and 67 . clutch arrangement 76 further comprises a centrifugal clutch 77 , a front view a a which is shown in fig5 of the drawings . centrifugal clutch 77 has two heavy shoes 38 that are connected to each other via two coil springs 40 and which are also connected to pulley 34 by 4 linkages 39 . 4 bolts and nuts 41 serve to connect 4 links 39 to shoes 38 and pulley 34 . fig7 illustrates the method by which springs 40 are connected to shoes 38 . the heads of two cheese - head screws 78 locate each spring . centrifugal clutch 77 operates on the same principal as most centrifugal clutches in that as the rotation of centrifugal clutch 77 increases , centrifugal forces that are exerted on shoes 38 , will cause the shoes to move radially outwards towards the drum . in this embodiment of the invention the drum is made from aluminum and is indicated by the reference numeral 42 ( see fig5 ). the function of two biased coil springs 40 are to ensure that contact is maintained between shoes 38 and drum 42 even during periods of relatively slow rotation of centrifugal clutch 77 . centrifugal clutch brake drum 42 is lined with a friction material 43 , which provides a friction grip between shoes 38 and drum 42 . friction material 43 typically used is similar to that used in the motor vehicle industry to line motor vehicle brake drum and clutches . it is preferred that friction material 43 should be bonded to drum 42 and not to shoes 38 . the reason for this is that it has been found that such an arrangement reduces the transfer of heat created due to the movement between shoes 38 and drum 42 from such drum to a pulley 34 . as pulley 34 carries cord 55 which should , as a matter of caution , be exposed to as little heat as possible this arrangement is considerably preferred . also steel shoes 38 are able to handle more heat than the lower temperature - resisting aluminum drum 42 which could become so overheated as to distort , when exposed to heavy loads off high buildings . a further measure to minimize heat transfer to cord 55 is to ensure that friction material 43 is of a lower thermal conductivity than drum 42 . in this embodiment of the invention drum 42 is manufactured from aluminum and friction material 43 is as described earlier in this paragraph . this combination has been found to have the desired performance . the effectiveness of lifesaver apparatus 21 is largely dependent on the centrifugal forces that are exerted on shoes 38 of centrifugal clutch 77 . shoes 38 are forced against drum 42 , which in effect controls the rate at which cord 55 , which is connected to a user , is fed and thus the user &# 39 ; s descent rate . it is a known scientific fact that the centrifugal forces that are experienced at the circumference of a rotating object are a function of the angular velocity of the object . this , in turn , is a function of the diameter of the object . in this first embodiment 21 of the invention , pulley 34 has a diameter of 1⅛ ″ at the bottom of the groove , which translates into an angular velocity of centrifugal clutch 77 . this is sufficient to retard the rate of descent of a 2201 b user to approximately 6 mph . this speed should not normally cause any injuries to a user when the ground is reached after an emergency exit from a building . the impact force on landing at this speed has been calculated to be the same as that of a person jumping off an 18 ″ high pedestal . in order to reduce the possibility of any shock in cord 55 when a user / s commences his descent from a building a second end of cord 55 is attached to a shock - relieving device illustrated in fig1 . a shock - cord 88 as illustrated in fig1 comprises a rubber bar 90 through which a { fraction ( 3 / 16 )}″ multi - strand flexible wire cable 91 is wound . rubber bar 90 is molded from a flexible strong rubber compound in the shape illustrated in fig9 . flexible steel cable 91 is passed through one flared end of bar 90 and is wound several times around bar 90 before exiting out its other flared end in a similar manner . the length of cable 91 is approximately double the un - stretched length of bar 90 . cable 91 serves as a safety measure to ensure that bar 90 does not stretch beyond its breaking point . one of the lifesaver apparatus in embodiments 1 - 6 is set up for use by a connecting bar 75 to an eye - bolt or other suitable fixtures in the building which is to be evacuated such as bed , desk , sofa etc . one end of shock - cord 88 is connected to the end of cord 55 typically by means of a snap shackle not illustrated in the drawings whilst the other end of shock - cord 88 is connected to a harness worn by the user , also not shown in the drawings . a second shock - relieving device , which would be quite suitable , is a device which is commonly used in the fall protection industry . these devices are readily available in the market and comprise of webbing material similar to that used in car safety seat belts . the webbing is sewn back on itself in such a manner that when subject to a shock - load the stitches in the webbing tear thus absorbing energy . as this device is prior art it is not necessary to further describe it other than to point out its use in this application . the device is available in a compact folded up arrangement usually encapsulated in plastic shrink - wrapping and would be attached between the second end of cord 55 and the harness that the person is using typically by means of a snap - shackle . during an emergency descent from a building a user eases himself from the building creating tension in cord 55 . the shock absorber described above cushions any possible initial shock experienced by a user as soon as cord 55 is exposed to a tension exceeding approximately 200 lbs . the tension created by the user &# 39 ; s weight , unwinds cord 55 from spool 27 . supply of a cord 55 to a user is controlled by clutch arrangement 76 allowing the user to make a slow automatically controlled descent to ground level . lifesaver apparatus 21 is remained anchored to the floor or ceiling or other suitable attachment points in the building . it is important for lifesaver apparatus 21 to remain behind and attached in the building and not accompany the person descending for the following reasons : 1 . the cord / cable will not have to carry the extra weight of the apparatus which can be up to 35 lbs in very high buildings 2 . suppose a situation should arise where the entire building is on fire and the user is forced to descend through heat and flames from burning floors below . in this case it is much better to have fresh cable passing through the flames continuously instead of a stationary cable in the flames as would be the case if the device were to be travelling with the person . if the cable were stationary the same section of cable would be exposed to continuous heat and would rapidly adversely affect its strength . a user would wear a harness on his / her body and his / her hands and feet would be free to allow him / her to steer himself / herself down along the side of a building towards safety . a typical body harness such as used in water - sport para sailing has been found to be effective . the harness is attached in the front and the user retains a semi - sitting position allowing use of arms and legs to gently ward off from the building during a slow controlled descent . it will be appreciated that in the event of a fire in a building , the heat of the fire may damage cord 55 . this problem can be addressed by using a steel wire cable as a lifeline . however , the steel wire cable does have two major disadvantages compared to a cord lifeline . these are mainly that steel wire cable is not nearly as flexible as the cord and secondly there is less friction between contact areas and clutch arrangements 76 and the steel wire cable , than is the case for cord 55 . the reduction in friction between contact areas could lead to the cable slipping with possible fatal consequences to a user . these characteristics of the steel wire cable necessitate changes to the construction of lifesaver apparatus 21 and will be described below : a second preferred embodiment , generally indicated by the numeral 22 of lifesaver apparatus 21 is illustrated in fig2 and 13 of the drawings , will now be described with reference only to the components which differ from those in the first embodiment of the invention . one solution to enhance the friction in clutch arrangement 76 and the steel wire cable is to use a jockey pulley 60 having a single groove and a pulley 58 having two grooves 58 ( 1 ) and 58 ( 2 ). jockey pulley 60 is essential to allow the steel wire cable to make two independent turns in the two grooves of pulley 58 . it also assists to ensure that the cable does not rub against itself unduly . this will increase the friction in clutch arrangement 76 a substantially . the path of a steel wire cable 56 is shown in fig9 and 9 a of the drawings . it will be noted that cable 56 makes two complete turns around pulley 58 as opposed to the single turn in the first embodiment . in fig9 a cable 56 is fed from spool 27 through a guide hole 66 and makes an anti - clockwise turn through groove 58 ( 1 ) in the pulley 58 . hereafter it travels to jockey pulley 60 where it makes a half anti - clockwise turn and moves to groove 58 ( 2 ) in pulley 58 in fig9 where it makes another anti - clockwise turn in groove 58 ( 2 ) where - after it exits clutch arrangement 76 a via a guide hole 67 . centrifugal clutch 77 and spool 27 , similar to those used in the first embodiment of the device , are incorporated in the second embodiment and need therefore not be discussed again . fig6 and 13 illustrate jockey pulley 60 located on a non - rotating shaft 68 , which in turn is located in a drum casing 42 a and a plate 72 to support the other end of shaft 68 . plate 72 is connected to frame 64 , which can be seen in fig2 , via two countersunk set - screws 84 . the larger countersunk set - screw 33 a clamps rectangular tubular casing 74 , frame 64 and plate 72 to shaft 32 . the function of set - screws 33 and 33 a is to attach clutch arrangement 76 a to frame 63 and 64 and casing 74 and prevent shaft 32 from rotating . this embodiment 2 of the lifesaver apparatus is designated by the numeral 22 and is attached to the building and used in a similar manner as was described for the first embodiment . tests have shown that the second embodiment of the invention is suitable for use with 7 × 19 multi - strand flexible wire cable , where 7 × 19 means 7 bundles of cable each having 19 strands . the overall diameter of the cable is ⅛ ″. this cable has a breaking strain of about 2000 lbs . a third embodiment generally designated by the numeral 23 of the lifesaver apparatus is shown in fig1 which is a plan cross - sectional view through the centerline of a twin clutch arrangement and jockey pulley 60 . here twin identical centrifugal clutches 77 are used either side of a twin groove clutch pulley 58 . the operation is the same as described for embodiment 2 except that there is more braking effect because of the twin clutch arrangements which result in a slower descent rate . the path of the steel cable is identical to that already described in embodiment 2 . similarly fig1 illustrates a fourth embodiment of the invention designated by the numeral 24 which is merely the addition of an extra clutch arrangement to embodiment 1 . again this twin clutch arrangement reduces speed as in embodiment 3 . fig1 is a top plan view of embodiment 4 with the top cover removed . the path of the cord is identical to that described in embodiment 1 . tests have indicated that the operation of these four embodiments is quite satisfactory . however , in order to preserve the steel cable 56 for long periods against corrosion it may be necessary to pre - grease the cable . this may affect the friction between the cable and the pulleys in embodiments 2 and 3 . embodiments 5 and 6 illustrated in fig1 and 17 show single and double clutch arrangements with triple groove clutch pulleys and double groove jockey pulleys . diagrammatic path of the cable can be seen in fig1 , 10 a and 10 b for both embodiments 5 and 6 which results in an extra 180 ° turn on a clutch pulley 69 . this extra 180 ° turn is illustrated in fig1 a and ensures that even with a pre - greased cable slip does not occur . the identical path of cable 56 in embodiments 5 and 6 are described as follows : the cable in each case leaves spool 27 and passes through guide holes 66 in fig 10 b . as embodiment 2 it performs one anti - clockwise turn in a first groove 69 ( 1 ) in a three groove clutch pulley 69 and then 180 ° around a first groove 61 ( 1 ) of the twin groove jockey pulley . it then makes a 180 ° turn around groove 69 ( 2 ) of clutch pulley 69 and 180 ° turn anti - clockwise around the second jockey pulley groove 61 ( 2 ) in a twin groove jockey pulley 61 as illustrated in fig1 a . lastly in fig1 it makes one more anti - clockwise turn around a third groove 69 ( 3 ) in a three - groove clutch pulley and exits through guide hole 67 . embodiments 5 and 6 are designated with numeral 25 and 26 respectively . during testing of the cable , versions of the lifesaver apparatus 22 fig2 , it was found that the resilience of the cable caused it to be pulled back through the upper guide hole 67 when no tension was applied . a portion of cable was then located in an area between upper guide hole 67 and lower guide hole 66 . often this portion of the cable formed loops and it is envisaged that these loops could in some instances prevent the cable from moving out of guide hole 67 when tension is applied again . this occurrence could jam the clutch arrangement and leave a user stranded . the problem is addressed by using a cable - clamping clamp 50 shown in fig1 and 11 a of the drawings which is to be mounted on the underside of the top cover plate 36 above which is the exit guide hole 67 . this is illustrated in fig2 and fig1 and 11 a of the drawings . the cable clamp 50 comprises a tube 78 which houses 2 jaws , a female jaw 44 and a male jaw 45 that are biased to each other by coil springs 49 . in use a single cable or cord is pinched between jaws 44 and 45 thereby preventing the cord / cable 55 / 56 from being pulled back through guide hole 67 . | 0 |
referring now specifically to fig5 there is shown a method of measuring the relative wafer position by using four alignment sub - patterns 40 through 43 on the surface of substrate 30 . it must be emphased for clarity that the totality of the alignment marks provided on the surface of the wafer is referred to as the alignment pattern , this totality is divided into for alignment sub - patterns , that is sub - patterns 40 though 43 . each alignment sub - patterns in turn is divided into four alignment measurement scales ( to be discussed under fig6 following ). an alignment pattern is provided on a test or alignment reference wafer ( that is used for the creation of the wee ) and on all production wafers . the wafer position ( of the production wafer ) is measured in order to compare the location of the exposed wee ( on the production wafer ) with the expected location of the wee . the four areas 40 through 43 ( fig5 ) do not show the alignment pattern itself , the areas 40 through 43 mark where the four alignment patterns are located on the surface of substrate 30 . the four areas 40 through 43 with their corresponding alignment sub - patterns and measurement scales ( not shown in fig5 ) allow the calibration of the wafer position in both the x / y direction and in the rotational positioning of the wafer . a further detailed explanation of the alignment procedure is as follows . the alignment sub - pattern associated with area 40 will be used for this explanation . the location of alignment sub - pattern 40 is represented by the small square highlighted with 40 . superimposed over this alignment sub - pattern 40 are two lines 44 and 48 . the small square 40 , together with lines 44 and 48 , are reference lines within the tool that is used to expose the wee . the lines 44 and 48 can be moved relative to the small square 40 , this movement is measured and indicates the amount of alignment correction that is required in order to assure that the wafer alignment is correct . for the creation of the wee , the test or reference wafer , on the surface of which is the alignment test or reference pattern of the present invention , is positioned in the wee exposure tool . the pattern of the exposure tool is aligned using the test wafer alignment pattern as described herein . after this alignment of the exposure tool has been completed , the test wafer is removed and replaced with the production wafer . the production wafer also contains an alignment pattern on the surface of the wafer . the alignment pattern on the production wafer is used to align the production wafer with respect to the exposure tool , the wee for the production wafer is then exposed . because the position of the production wafer has been aligned with the position of a test or reference wafer , both positions relative to the tool that exposes the wee area of the production wafer , the wee exposure on the production wafer is in the desired position . fig6 shows a top view of one of the four alignment sub - patterns , that is a detailed view of one of the areas 40 , 41 , 42 or 43 of fig5 . each of the four alignment sub - patterns consists of four alignment measurement scales , that is measurement scales 50 through 53 . each measurement scale is represented by a plurality of dots that make up the measurement scale . the lines 54 and 55 and square 56 do not form part of the alignment sub - pattern but are used here to illustrate the relative positioning of the measurement scales ( each collection of 20 alignment marks or dots ) of one of the four alignment sub - pattern . the measurement scales 51 and 53 are used to calibrate wafer alignment in the x - direction , measurement scales 50 and 52 are used to calibrate wafer alignment in the rotational direction . the unique configuration or geometric structure of the alignment marks within each sub - pattern must be noted . each measurement scale contains a total of 20 alignment marks , these alignment marks are in geometric design divided into two groups , each group forming an equilateral rectangle . the two groups of alignment marks meet at the extremities of their longest side ( the hypotenuse ) whereby these longest sides further form one line with each of the two equilateral rectangles being positioned at opposite sides of this line . this point of intersection allows for very accurate , fast and convenient application of the alignment technique of the present invention . this point of intersection will henceforth be referred to the center of the alignment measurement scale . fig7 shows further detail of a size and relative positioning of four of the alignment marks within each a sub - pattern . each alignment marker forms a square with sides 60 equal to 0 . 05 mm . the distance 62 between the alignment marks is 0 . 05 mm , the distance 64 also equals 0 . 05 mm . fig8 shows an example of the wafer alignment procedure . alignment reference lines 74 and 76 ( of the wsee exposure tool ) are positioned as shown , that is so that they intersect the alignment measurement scales 70 , 71 , 72 and 73 as shown , that is these lines 74 and 76 pass through the previously defined center of the alignment measurement scales . the reference rectangle 75 is now adjusted with reference to the position of lines 74 and 76 to the point where the rectangle 75 no longer intersects with any of the individual dots of each of the alignment measurement scales . this can also be stated by saying that the intersection of lines 74 and 76 will be made to coincide with the intersection of the ( not shown ) diagonals of the square 75 . for each of the alignment marks that crosses or touches the alignment measurement scale an adjustment or offset of 10 um . must be performed . in the example shown alignment measurement scale 70 shows that 3 alignment marks cross the alignment reference pattern 75 . since alignment measurement scale 70 is used to perform rotational alignment , an adjustment of 30 um . must be made to the rotational setting of the wafer to correct the rotational position of the wafer . alignment measurement scale 71 shows that the x - position of the wafer must be adjusted by 20 um . adding 20 um . to the position of the wafer will correct the position of the wafer in the x - direction . standard procedure requires that the x - direction parameter be corrected first after which the rotational parameter is corrected . fig9 shows the calibration procedure used for the formation of the positioning of the wee using the present invention . step 1 indicates that a test or reference wafer is secured . the calibration pattern of the present invention is provided on the surface of the test wafer . step 2 indicates the deposition of a layer of pr on the surface of a production wafer . step 3 indicates the creation of the wee area . prior art technique used a rotating stepper in which the wafer was mounted and whereby the wafer edge was exposed by rotating the wafer while the wafer is exposed to uv light . with the present invention the wee is formed by aligning the four alignment measurement scales of the test wafer under the source of exposure with the four alignment measurement scales on the production wafer and , after the alignment has been completed , exposing the wee on production wafer . for the creation of the wee , the test or reference wafer , on the surface of which is the alignment test or reference pattern of the present invention , is positioned in the wee exposure tool . the pattern of the exposure tool is aligned using the test wafer alignment scales as described herein . after this alignment of the exposure tool has been completed , the test wafer is removed and replaced with the production wafer . the production wafer also contains an alignment pattern on the surface of the wafer . the alignment pattern on the production wafer is used to align the production wafer with respect to the exposure tool , the wee for the production wafer is then exposed . because the position of the production wafer has been aligned with the position of a test or reference wafer , both positions relative to the tool that exposes the wee area of the production wafer , the wee exposure on the production wafer is in the desired position . step 4 shows the developing of the exposed pr , step 5 shows that the exposed pattern is further measured or validated with the pattern that is expected to be created for the wee . this latter procedure again uses the test wafer and is identical to the procedure used under step 3 above with the exception of the exposure of the pr . it will be apparent to those skilled in the art , that other embodiments , improvements , details and uses can be made consistent with the letter and spirit of the present invention and within the scope of the present invention , which is limited only by the following claims , construed in accordance with the patent law , including the doctrine of equivalents . | 6 |
as shown in fig1 and 2 , the material handling assembly of the present invention is generally indicated as 10 and comprises in combination a carrying and transporting helicopter type structure generally indicated as 12 used in combination with a pick - up device commonly known as a clamshell and generally indicated as 14 . the clamshell or pick - up device 14 comprises a pick - up bucket shown in detail in fig2 having two relatively movable shell portions and 18 pivotally interconnected by an elongated hinge 20 and having mating peripheral edges which come together in confronting relation as at 22 and 24 when bucket is in a closed and material retaining position . an activating means is generally indicated as 24 includes preferably a hydraulic piston and cylinder arrangement . the piston and cylinder arrangement is specifically disposed and structured such that an outwardly depending piston arm 26 engages a portion of the hinge at 28 . supporting arms or like interconnecting members 30 interconnect outboard portions of the two segments 16 and 18 as clearly shown in both fig1 and 2 in such a that the outward extension of the piston member 26 will cause the clamshell segments 16 and 18 to separate thereby serving to open the pick - up structure 14 in the manner and position shown in fig1 and 2 . to the contrary , the contraction or inward direction of the piston member 26 into the cylinder 26 &# 39 ; will cause the segments 16 and 18 to move into a closed retaining position such that the edges 22 and 24 of each segment are effectively disposed in confronting relation to one another and the material on the interior of the now closed clamshell structure is retained therein . a suspension means is generally indicated as 30 and preferably includes an elongated cable or like suspension structure having one end connected as at 32 at an appropriate location to the clamshell device 14 . the opposite end as at 34 is connected by a releasable coupling assembly 36 to an under portion or other appropriate location of the supporting and carrying helicopter type vehicle 12 . the connecting and or coupling assembly 36 may be any type conventionally available which allows for the ready detachment of the one end 34 of the suspension cable or like structure 30 for release and storage of the suspension cable and structure 14 . the subject invention further includes a control generally indicated as 38 and specifically mounted on interior or being considered a part of the structure of helicopter 12 . such control means includes a reservoir of hydraulic fluid 40 interconnected by appropriate conduit 42 to an activating or control valve 44 . by virtue of this arrangement and further through the existence of a hydraulic conduit assembly generally indicated as 46 fluid is regulated into and out of the interior of the cylinder 26 &# 39 ; associated with the piston and cylinder assembly defining the activation means 24 and mounted on the clamshell pick - up device 14 . while not specifically shown , the suspension means 30 may be connected to and even at least partially surrounding and / or encasing the hydraulic conduit assembly 46 and of course , bares most of the suspended weight of the clamshell assembly 14 . other features associated with the hydraulic conduit assembly includes a quick release coupling as at 48 interconnecting the hydraulic conduit assembly 46 to the helicopter 12 . the control means also includes a hydraulic pump 50 interconnected in fluid communication to the reservoir 40 so as to control the force flow of fluid into and out of the reservoir 40 for the purpose of operating the activating means 24 . an electric drive motor 52 serves to drive the pump and itself may be powered from a conventional electrical power supply associated with the helicopter 12 and generally indicated as 54 . the motor and / or the regulating valve 44 are controlled by a switch assembly generally indicated as 56 which may be mounted in any applicable location on the aircraft as long as such location is accessible to appropriate personnel of the helicopter . such personnel may very well be the pilot wherein such instance the switching assembly 56 is located on the flight or control panel assembly . obviously , such a switching assembly 56 may be at any other appropriate location and operated by a second or third party not associated with the flight or control of the vehicle per se . the switching assembly 56 may have any number of a variety of switches used to adequate control the opening and closing of the clamshell 14 through the direction of hydraulic fluid to the activating means 24 in the manner described above . appropriate electrical connection as at 58 may be incorporated to connected the switching assembly 56 with the appropriate motor 52 and / or regulating valve 44 . | 1 |
with reference to the drawings , fig1 shows a standard cut - check valve assembly as installed on the surface of an inflatable ( 2 ). the cut - check valve assembly is composed of a hollow tube ( 12 ) of uniform diameter and made of a suitably pliable material such as rubber or plastic . the end of the tube ( 12 ) which protrudes above the surface of the inflatable ( 2 ), referred to as the valve stem ( 3 ), has an end which is open ( 11 ), equipped with a stopper cap ( 1 ) that is removably affixed to the top of the tube ( 12 ). the end of the tube ( 12 ), which extends into the inside of the surface of the inflatable ( 2 ), is closed , but a short distance from the closed end , referred to as the valve seat ( 5 ), there is a slit cut perpendicular into the wall of the hollow tube ( 12 ), said slit penetrating at least one - half of the diameter of the hollow tube ( 12 ), which is the cut - check valve ( 4 ). when air is forced through the open end of the tube ( 11 ), it pushes against the valve seat ( 5 ) which rotates to open the cut check valve ( 4 ). as the air pressure within the inflatable rises , the valve seat ( 5 ) exerts more and more resistance to the air flow from the open end of the tube ( 11 ) and tries to close the cut - check valve ( 4 ). when the desired air pressure is reached inside the inflatable , the stopper - cap ( 1 ) is inserted into the open end of the tube ( 11 ). when it is desired to deflate the inflatable , the stopper - cap ( 1 ) is removed from the open end of the tube ( 11 ). however , due to the pressure of the air within the surface of the inflatable ( 2 ) acting against the valve seat ( 5 ), the cut - check valve ( 4 ) tends to close , thus making it difficult to rapidly force the air out of the inflatable . fig2 illustrates a preferred embodiment of the invention . the embodiment is a disk ( 6 ) of suitable material , such as polystyrene , being of suitable diameter and thickness to accommodate the valve stem ( 3 ) of an inflatable within a slot ( 7 ) cut into its body and converging at a constant rate to its base ( 8 ), just beyond its center , so as to be approximately one - half the diameter of the valve stem ( 3 ) at its narrowest point and comfortable wider than the diameter of the valve stem ( 3 ) at its mouth ( 10 ). the edges of the slot ( 9 ) and its base ( 8 ) are curved so as to prevent damage to the surface of the inflatable ( 2 ) or the valve stem ( 3 ). in order to hold the cut - check valve open , the mouth of the slot ( 10 ) of the invention is place around the valve stem ( 3 ) and the invention is moved passed the valve stem ( 3 ) so that the valve stem ( 3 ) is drawn toward the narrow end of the slot near the base ( 8 ). the sides of the slot compress the walls of the valve stem ( 3 ), as shown in fig3 which results in changing the shape of the entire length of the hollow tube ( 12 ) so that the valve seat ( 5 ) no longer closes the cut check valve ( 4 ). thus the invention holds open the cut - check valve assembly allowing the person desiring to deflate the inflatable to use both hands to fold and compress the inflatable so that the air will be such as numbers 3 , 257 , 695 , 3 , 925 , 852 , and 2 , 396 , 906 . forced out faster . other embodiments and applications of the invention will now become obvious to those skilled in the art with out departing from the inventive concept of the invention . the scope of the invention disclosed herein is found by reference to the following claims . | 8 |
the present invention provides a pharmaceutical composition comprising a compound of formula ( i ) or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof , and a non - metallic salt lubricant : each ingredient of the inventive pharmaceutical composition is described in detail as follows . the pharmaceutical composition according to the present invention comprises a compound of formula ( i ) or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof as a pharmaceutically active ingredient . the compound of formula ( i ) ( hereinafter referred to as the code name “ hm781 - 36b ”), as disclosed in korea patent laid - open publication no . 2008 - 0107294 , can selectively and effectively inhibit the growth of cancer cells and the development of drug resistance induced by the egfr and its mutants , while causing no adverse side effects . the pharmaceutically acceptable salt of the compound of formula ( i ) includes , but is not limited to , an acid - addition salt of an inorganic or organic acid . examples of the inorganic acid - addition salt may include salts of hydrochloric acid , sulfuric acid , disulfonic acid , nitric acid , phosphoric acid , perchloric acid , or bromic acid ; examples of the organic acid - addition salt may include salts of formic acid , acetic acid , propionic acid , oxalic acid , succinic acid , benzoic acid , citric acid , maleic acid , malonic acid , malic acid , tartaric acid , gluconic acid , lactic acid , gestisic acid , fumaric acid , lactobionic acid , salicylic acid , phthalic acid , embonic acid , aspartic acid , glutamic acid , camsylic acid , besylic acid , or acetylsalicylic acid ( aspirin ). the pharmaceutically acceptable salt may also include metal salts derived from alkali metals such as calcium , sodium , magnesium , strontium , potassium , and the like . in the present invention , the compound of formula ( i ) may be employed in an amount ranging from 0 . 1 to 50 % by weight , preferably 0 . 5 to 10 % by weight , based on the total weight of the composition . the compound may be contained in the composition in an amount ranging from 0 . 1 mg to 100 mg , preferably 0 . 5 to 50 mg , per 1 dosage unit of the composition . lubricants are ingredients added to improve the compression process of granules , and they are considered as a critical excipient , which plays important roles in the manufacture of solid compressed compositions . advantages of employing lubricants include an improved flow of the powder or granular materials , which allows them to be more readily filled in a die ; a reduced friction of the powder or granular materials as well as that between the powder or granular materials and the punch or the die ; and enhanced compressibility and dischargeability of the tablets . lubricants can be categorized as shown in table 1 . the pharmaceutical composition of the present invention comprising a compound of formula ( i ) is characterized by the use of a non - metallic salt lubricant in order to prevent the formation of the related compound iv , which may otherwise be formed due to a metallic salt if it is contained in the composition . the term “ non - metallic salt lubricant ” according to the present invention refers to a lubricant that is free of metallic materials , e . g ., such metallic salts as calcium stearate , magnesium stearate , sodium stearayl fumarate , zinc stearate , and the like . examples of the non - metallic salt lubricant according to the present invention may include fatty acid esters , fatty acids , fatty alcohols , oils , fumaric acid , polyethylene glycols ( pegs ), polytetrafluoroethylenes , starch , talc , and the like . the enhanced storage stability of the inventive pharmaceutical composition can be achieved by employing such non - metallic salt lubricants . specifically , examples of the non - metallic salt lubricant , which can be used in the present invention , may include , but are not limited to , fatty acid esters ( e . g ., glyceryl behenate , glyceryl palmitostearate , glyceryl monostearate , glyceryl trimyristate , glyceryl tristearate , sucrose fatty acid ester , and the like ); fatty acids and fatty alcohols ( e . g ., palmitic acid , palmitoyl alcohol , stearic acid , stearyl alcohol , and the like ); oils ( e . g ., hydrogenated castor oil , mineral oil , hydrogenated vegetable oil , and the like ); fumaric acid ; polyethylene glycol ( e . g ., peg 4000 or peg 6000 ); polytetrafluoroethylene ; starch ; and talc . the non - metallic salt lubricants may be used solely or as a mixture thereof . preferably , examplary non - metallic salt lubricants according to the present invention may include sucrose fatty acid ester , hydrogenated vegetable oil , stearic acid , glyceryl behenate , glyceryl palmitostearate , talc , starch , and peg 6000 , more preferably sucrose fatty acid ester and hydrogenated vegetable oil . in the present invention , the non - metallic salt lubricant may be employed in an amount ranging from 0 . 1 to 100 parts by weight , preferably 0 . 1 to 50 parts by weight , more preferably 0 . 25 to 10 parts by weight , based on 1 part by weight of the compound of formula ( i ). if the amount of the non - metallic salt lubricant employed is less than 0 . 1 parts by weight , a tablet formed would not be readily released from the die cast or may stick to the die cast during the tablet formation . on the other hand , if the amount is greater than 100 parts by weight , a tablet would suffer from such problems as capping or delamination . moreover , since lubricants are in general hydrophobic , if they are employed in a large amount , they may cause such unintended problems as a delayed disintegration and a low dissolution rate . the pharmaceutical composition of the present invention may further comprise pharmaceutically acceptable additives and can be formulated into a variety of administration forms , preferably an oral administration form . representative examples of the formulation for oral administration may include powder , tablet , pill , capsule , liquid , suspension , emulsion , syrup , and granule , preferably tablet and capsule , but are not limited thereto . in the present invention , the pharmaceutically acceptable additives may include a diluent , a binder , a disintegrant , and the like . examples of the diluent may include microcrystalline cellulose , lactose , mannitol , calcium phosphate , and the like ; examples of the binder may include povidone , hydroxypropyl cellulose ( hpc ), hydroxypropyl methylcellulose ( hpmc ), polyvinyl alcohol ( pva ), sodium carboxymethyl cellulose , and the like ; and examples of the disintegrant may include crospovidone , sodium croscarmellose , sodium starch glycolate , and the like . the diluent may be used in an amount ranging from 20 to 95 % by weight , the binder may be used in an amount ranging from 1 to 10 % by weight , and the disintegrant may be used in an amount ranging from 1 to 30 % by weight , based on the total weight of the composition . the pharmaceutical composition of the present invention may be coated with a coating substrate to prevent the composition from being in direct contact with the hand or skin of a user . the coating substrate that can be used in the present invention may include a rapid release coating substrate , an enteric coating substrate , or a sustained release coating substrate . the rapid release coating substrate may be selected from the group consisting of hydroxypropyl cellulose , hydroxypropyl methylcellulose , polyvinyl alcohol , polyvinyl alcohol - polyethylene glycol graft polymer ( kollocoat ir ®, basf ), and a mixture thereof . the enteric coating substrate may be selected from the group consisting of ( meth ) acrylate copolymer ( eudragit ®, evonik ), hydroxypropyl methylcellulose phthalate , cellulose acetate phthalate , and a mixture thereof . the sustained release coating substrate may be selected from the group consisting of cellulose acetate , ethyl cellulose , polyvinyl acetate , and a mixture thereof . the coating substrate may be coated on the surface of the composition in an amount ranging from 1 to 50 parts by weight , preferably 1 to 30 parts by weight , based on 100 parts by weight of the uncoated core . the present invention also provides a method for preparing the pharmaceutical composition comprising a compound of formula ( i ) or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof and a non - metallic salt lubricant . a formulation of the pharmaceutical composition comprising the above - mentioned ingredients can be prepared by the following method , which comprises the steps of : ( 1 ) mixing a compound of formula ( i ) or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof with such a pharmaceutically acceptable additive as a diluent and a binder , and granulating the mixture to obtain granules ; ( 2 ) mixing the granules prepared in step ( 1 ) with such a pharmaceutically acceptable additive as a diluent and a disintegrant , and adding a non - metallic salt lubricant thereto to obtain mixed granules ; and ( 3 ) subjecting the mixed granules prepared in step ( 2 ) to a formulating step . in one embodiment of the present invention , the inventive pharmaceutical composition can be prepared by admixing a compound of formula ( i ) and mannitol in a solution of povidone in purified water , subjecting the prepared mixture to wet granulation , and then drying the resulting granules . the prepared granules can be formed into a tablet by mixing the prepared granules with mannitol and crospovidone , adding a non - metallic salt lubricant thereto , and then tableting the mixed granules by a tablet machine . the various steps related with the formulation of the pharmaceutical composition of the present invention can be conducted according to conventional techniques known in the art . further , the method of the present invention may further comprise the step of coating the formulation prepared in step ( 3 ) with the above - mentioned coating substrates for convenient storage and ease of use . the pharmaceutical composition of the present invention can effectively inhibit the growth of cancer cells by comprising the compound of formula ( i ), which selectively and effectively inhibits the growth of cancer cells and the development of drug resistance induced by the egfr and its mutants . also , the pharmaceutical composition of the present invention can inhibit the formation of impurities ( i . e ., the related compounds iv ) to less than 0 . 5 % by weight under extreme conditions ( e . g ., kept in an airtight hdpe container at 60 ° c . for 4 weeks ), and under accelerated conditions ( e . g ., kept in an airtight hdpe container at 40 ° c ./ 75 % rh for 6 months ) by comprising the non - metallic salt lubricant . therefore , the pharmaceutical composition of the present invention can enhance the efficacy and improve the stability of the compound of formula ( i ). therefore , the present invention provides a method to stabilize a pharmaceutical composition comprising the compound of formula ( i ) or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof , comprising adding the non - metallic salt lubricant to the pharmaceutical composition . the following examples are intended to further illustrate the present invention without limiting its scope . pharmaceutical compositions of examples 1 to 3 were prepared by employing a compound of formula ( i ) ( hereinafter , referred to as “ hm781 - 36b ,” dongwoo syntech co ., ltd ., korea ); mannitol ( roquette ); povidone ® ( basf ); crospovidone ® ( basf ); and sucrose fatty acid ester ( daiichi kogyo seiyaku , japan ), hydrogenated vegetable oil ( lubritab ®, jrs pharma ), or stearic acid ( emery oleochemicals . ), as a non - metallic salt lubricant , in accordance with the composition and the amount ( unit : mg ) described in table 2 . specifically , hm781 - 36b and mannitol were mixed and the mixture was subjected to a wet - granulation process by a conventional method with employing a binder solution of povidone dissolved in purified water . the wet granules thus obtained were dried , mixed with mannitol and crospovidone , and subsequently added with a lubricant , which was previously sieved through a 30 mesh screen , to prepare a final mixture . the final mixture thus prepared was formed into a tablet having a hardness of about 5 to 10 kp by a tablet machine ( sejong , korea ) according to a conventional method . pharmaceutical compositions of examples 4 to 8 were prepared by the same method as above by employing a compound of formula ( i ) ( hm781 - 36b , dongwoo syntech co ., ltd ., korea ); mannitol ( roquette ); povidone ® ( basf ); crospovidone ® ( basf ); and glyceryl behenate ( compritol 888 ato ®, gattefosse ), glyceryl palmitostearate ( compritol hd5 ®, gatefosse ), talc ( nippon talc corp ., japan ), starch ( roquette ), or peg 6000 ( sanyo chemical , japan ), as a non - metallic salt lubricant , in accordance with the composition and the amount ( unit : mg ) described in table 3 . pharmaceutical compositions of examples 9 to 15 were prepared by the same method as above by employing a compound of formula ( i ) ( hm781 - 36b , dongwoo syntech co ., ltd ., korea ); mannitol ( roquette ); povidone ® ( basf ); crospovidone ® ( basf ); and glyceryl monostearate ( capmul gms - 50 ), palmitoyl alcohol ( landz international company ltd ., china ), stearyl alcohol ( lubrizol advanced materials , u . s . ), hydrogenated castor oil ( basf ), mineral oil ( alfa aesar , u . s . ), fumaric acid ( merck ), or silicon dioxide ( grace davison , u . s . ), as a non - metallic salt lubricant , in accordance with the composition and the amount ( unit : mg ) described in table 4 . the procedures of the above examples were repeated by employing the composition and the amount ( unit : mg ) described in table 5 , to prepare pharmaceutical compositions of comparative examples 1 to 4 comprising metallic salt lubricants . in order to evaluate the storage stability of the pharmaceutical compositions prepared in examples 1 to 8 and comparative examples 1 to 4 , the pharmaceutical compositions were each packaged with 1 g of silica gel in an hdpe bottle and stored in a chamber ( 60 ° c .). after 2 and 4 weeks , respectively , the related compound iv , a major degradation product of hm781 - 36b , was extracted by 60 % acetonitrile as a solvent , and then hplc analyses were performed . the results of examples 1 to 8 are shown in table 6 and fig1 , and those of comparative examples 1 to 4 are shown in table 7 and fig2 . in order to observe the changes of stability of the pharmaceutical compositions prepared in accordance with examples 1 and 2 and comparative examples 1 and 3 against temperature and humidity , the pharmaceutical compositions were exposed to 40 ° c . and 75 % rh . after 1 and 2 weeks , respectively , the related compound iv , a major degradation product of hm781 - 36b , was extracted by 60 % acetonitrile as a solvent , and then hplc analyses were performed . the results are shown in table 8 and fig3 . in order to observe the changes of stability of the pharmaceutical compositions prepared in accordance with examples 1 and 2 and comparative examples 1 and 3 against temperature and humidity under accelerated conditions , the compositions were exposed to 40 ° c . and 75 % rh in sealed hdpe containers for 1 , 3 and 6 months . the related compound iv of each composition was extracted by 60 % acetonitrile as a solvent , and then hplc analyses were performed . the results are shown in table 9 and fig4 . as shown in tables 6 to 9 and fig1 to 4 , the formation of the related compound iv was reduced by about 4 to 10 times or more in the pharmaceutical compositions comprising any of the non - metallic salt lubricants compared with the pharmaceutical compositions comprising the metallic salt lubricants . thus , the storage stability of the pharmaceutical compositions containing hm781 - 36b as an active ingredient can significantly be enhanced by adding any of the non - metallic salt lubricants to the pharmaceutical compositions . according to the guidelines of the international conference on harmonisation of technical requirements for registration of pharmaceuticals for human use ( ich ), the limits of unknown and known impurities are prescribed as 0 . 2 % and 0 . 5 %, respectively . the pharmaceutical compositions of examples 1 and 2 according to the present invention showed satisfactory results of less than 0 . 5 % at 40 ° c . in an accelerated stability test as described in the ich guideline . in contrast , the pharmaceutical compositions of comparative examples 1 and 3 comprising conventional metallic salt lubricants exceeded the predetermined limits of the ich guideline . while the invention has been described with respect to the above specific embodiments , it should be recognized that various modifications and changes may be made to the invention by those skilled in the art which also fall within the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims . | 0 |
referring to fig1 of the drawing , a turbine in accordance with the invention is illustrated and designated generally by the numeral 10 . the turbine includes a housing having a generally cylindrical configuration defined by an outer somewhat tooth - shaped peripheral wall 12 and a pair of end walls 14 and 16 enclosing and defining a somewhat cylindrical rotor chamber 18 . the housing includes a central outlet opening from the chamber 18 defined by a generally tubular axial extension 20 of the housing in which is formed an outlet or exhaust passage 22 . a rotor 24 is rotatably mounted on a drive shaft 26 rotatably mounted within journal bearings 28 and 30 in the walls 14 and 22 of the housing . the rotor has a somewhat cylindrical or circular sawtooth configuration as shown in fig1 . the rotor is constructed of a plurality of identical stepped fluid passage modules defined essentially by a pair of circular end plates 32 and 34 enclosed at the outer periphery by means of a plurality of overlapping spiral outer wall panels 36 , 38 , 40 , 42 , 44 and 46 . these step spiral outer walls overlap to the extent of approximately two - thirds of the adjacent outer wall . disposed between the end walls and each adjacent outer wall is a plurality of wedge - shaped central wall sections 48 , 50 , 52 , 54 and 56 only five of which is shown . these in combination with the outer walls form pairs of spiral passages only three pair of which are shown 58 , 60 , 62 , 64 , 66 and 68 . these spiral passages have an inlet at the outer periphery of the rotor that opens or extends at right angles to a radial therethrough or essentially tangential to the rotor at the opening thereof and spiral inward to open into an internal collection chamber or passage 70 which opens into an outlet or exhaust passage 72 formed by the housing extension portions 20 , 22 . these spiral passages are progressively restricted from the outer end ( inlet ) to the inner end ( outlet ). the outer housing as previously explained , forms a somewhat saw - toothed configuration conforming somewhat to that of the rotor , however , in a preferred arrangement having one less node or inlet nozzle than passageways in the rotor . this , as will become apparent later , provides an arrangement wherein at least one of the passages face directly into an incoming nozzle at all times . the housing is shaped as illustrated with a plurality of nodes having a plurality of inlet nozzles 74 , 76 , 78 , 80 and 82 directed inward into the housing or rotor chamber at an angle of on the order of about 45 degrees to a radial at the nozzle outlet . this presents the nozzle at an angle that puts it approximately tangential to the outer diameter or median diameter of the rotor at the point of maximum engagement or impact with the inlet to the respective fluid passages within the rotor . the nozzles are connected by a plurality of inlet lines only two of which are shown , 84 and 86 , to a manifold 88 which is supplied a motive fluid by a supply line 90 . a control valve 92 is provided for controlling or throttling the flow of fluid into the turbine . the turbine rotor configuration above described provides an arrangement of passages that imposes a forced vortex flow of fluid injected from the nozzles into the inlet to the passages . this flow extends substantially parallel to the periphery of the chamber and in view of the converging nature of the passages imparts a rotary motion to the rotor . the energy from the high pressure fluid is rapidly imparted to the rotor through frictional engagement with the walls of the passageway as the fluid is forced into the converging passages and moves toward the center of the rotor into the collection chamber 70 . the contact of the fluid flow with the fluid channel walls as it flows through the channels in the rotor results in a boundary layer drag causing the energy from the fluid to be transferred to the turbine rotor forcing the rotor to rotate . the high frictional drag of the layer of fluid adjacent the walls of the passage is termed boundary layer drag , and quickly transfers the energy from the fluid to the rotor . in addition to the boundary layer drag , the progressive restriction of the passage also transfers energy from the flowing fluid as it flows through the passage . this imposes a driving force on the rotor extracting the energy from the high pressure fluid injected through the passages from inlet nozzles . the source of fluid for driving the turbine may be any suitable source of fluid . however , the present turbine was designed with the source of geothermal fluid being of primary interest . the gas / steam conditions of typical geothermal sources of fluid frequently include suspended particles which would easily pass through the turbine passages due to the clearance . entrained gasses in the fluid would expand along with the water for example as it passes out of the injection nozzles passing into the chamber toward the inlets of the respective fluid passages within the rotor . each of the fluid channels extend through a radius around the axis of the rotor of approximately 150 degrees . adjacent pairs of channels overlap adjacent pairs by approximately two - thirds . fluid passing through the passage into the collection chamber 70 has given up some energy and is moving in a direction or spiral along with the rotor and is diverted by a diverter 92 having a generally conical configuration extending axially along the collection chamber 70 toward the outlet from the housing . while i have illustrated and described my invention by means of a specific embodiment , it is to be understood that numerous changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims . | 5 |
fig1 is a schematic block diagram illustrating aspects of a peer - to - peer telephone system relevant to the present dialling arrangements . reference numeral 2 denotes a world wide network such as the world wide web or internet . although the network is itself not country specific and in fact crosses country boundaries without necessarily recognising them as such , as far as effecting communication over a phone network ( such as the public switched telephone network ( pstn ) or mobile networks ) is concerned , it is considered to encompass a plurality of geo zones g 1 , g 2 , g 3 , etc . only three geo zones are shown for the sake of clarity , but it will be appreciated that there are a large number of such geo zones in the world . each geo zone represents a country and is associated with an appropriate country prefix p 1 , p 2 . in fig1 , the geo zone g 1 is shown associated with estonia for which the country prefix p 1 is 372 . the geo zone g 3 is shown associated with afghanistan for which the country prefix p 3 is 93 . reference numerals u 1 , u 2 and u 3 denote users of the phone system and in particular user terminals such as personal computers pcs . users u 1 and u 2 are shown communicating via the geo zone g 1 which we will refer to herein as the home country ( in the example discussed herein this is estonia ). the user u 3 is shown located in an overseas country , in this case afghanistan . on each user terminal is installed client software 100 which implements the functionality discussed herein to effect calls to allow voice communication to be effected . the communication is in the form of voice over internet protocol ( voip ) or any other suitable protocol and includes video , chat , messaging , and other forms of real - time communications . fig2 is a schematic block diagram of components at the user terminal u 1 , u 2 , u 3 . as in fig1 , reference numeral 100 denotes the calling client software . the client software includes settings 102 which incorporate a user &# 39 ; s profile country . the user terminal also has applications software 104 , for example windows which has its own country registry settings . reference numeral 106 denotes a predictive dialler component which is associated with a dialpad wizard 108 and an address bar 110 . the client 100 , applications software 104 , predictive dialler 106 , dialpad wizard 108 and address bar 110 are all software components executed by a suitable processor 4 at the user terminal . a database 112 holds formatting rules and symbols for a plurality of countries . there is a display 114 which shows the screens of subsequent figures to a user . reference numeral 116 denotes a user interface which is in the form of a keyboard , and reference numeral 118 denotes a display interface such as a mouse and cursor arrangement which allows a user to interact with the screen in a known way . an aspect of the invention allows an internet voice application to behave as a local phone . this can be accomplished using predictive dialler 106 with the dialpad wizard 108 or with the address bar 110 . the dialpad wizard will be described first . fig3 is a screen print showing the display launched by the wizard 108 when the user first launches the client software 100 to make a phone call . the display shows a call button 6 and an end call button 8 and includes a field 10 in which the number to be called by the client software 100 is displayed . next to this field is the image of a country icon 12 representing the local country , in this case the estonian flag . the client software 100 detects the country in which the user terminal is located either using the country settings of the application software 104 or the profile settings 102 in the client software 100 . the display also has three tabs , a contacts tab 14 , a dial tab 15 and a history tab 16 . fig4 illustrates the effect of a user actuating the dial tab 15 to select the dial screen 18 . the dial screen shows the call button 6 , end call button 8 , number field 10 and country icon 12 as before . in addition , it displays a dialling keypad 20 , a field 22 for displaying the country in which the user to be called is located and a field 24 which displays the number entered at the keypad 20 . the field 22 holds a country name 22 a , a country prefix 22 b and a country icon 22 c . in order to make a local call , the user types in a local number , either using the display interface 118 to actuate the correct buttons on the displayed keyboard 20 , or using the keyboard 116 . as shown in fig5 , this is displayed in the field 24 and also in field 10 . in this case the call that is being made is from one user terminal u 1 in estonia to another user terminal u 2 in estonia . the user need only enter the estonian local number as shown in fig5 . however , in order to make the call the predictive dialler 106 adds the country prefix for estonia , 372 , together with the international dialling sign +, and supplies the formatted number to the client 100 . fig6 illustrates the screen showing the number 30 in the form in which it is dialled by the client software 100 after the user has clicked on the call button 6 . in addition to showing the number , the display also shows the country name 32 , the country icon 34 and the rate for the call 36 . the rate is the cost per minute of the call and is dependent on the number which is being called . fig7 illustrates a screen when a user wishes to dial an international number , that is for example to make a call from estonia to afghanistan . when a menu tab 38 in the field 22 is activated by a user , the screen displays a menu in the form of a list 40 of countries associated with their country icons and country prefixes . the user can scroll through the list in a known way . assume that the user selects afghanistan then fig8 illustrates the screen with the country afghanistan now displayed in the field 22 . the user again types into the field 24 the local number using the dialpad 20 and then clicks on the call button 6 . fig9 illustrates the screen as the call is being made which shows the number which has been dialled including the appropriate country prefix for afghanistan (+ 93 ), the country name and the rate . after the call , the country is automatically set back to the home country , in this case estonia , as shown in field 24 in fig1 . in order to append the correct prefix , the predictive dialler component recalls formatting rules from the database which holds relevant information for each country in the form of a table . a table could be held in an xml file or other resource . the format of the table is shown in fig1 . in the table of fig1 , each country name is associated with a number of data elements . the prefix is the country code . the area code minimum digits is the minimum number of digits allowed in an area code for the country . the area code maximum digits is the maximum number of digits allowed for an area code in the country . subscriber minimum digits is the minimum number of digits in a subscribed number for that country . the subscriber maximum digits is the maximum number of digits in the subscriber number for that country . the country icon field holds an icon for the country in the form of a country flag . the table also indicates whether there are any characters to be removed ( usually zero ) before prepending the country prefix . it will be appreciated that the database could alternatively be located at a remote server to which the user terminal has access . the database also holds rate information for calls , the rate depending on the number being called . the functionality which has been described above is provided by the dialpad wizard ( 108 ) in combination with a predictive dialler component 106 . the dialpad wizard is used to initiate pstn ( public switched telephone network ) communication by selecting a country code and a local number . the address bar 110 is a tool that provides a similar but not identical functionality . the address bar can be used to initiate a pstn communication ( by inputting a complete phone number , country code plus local number , or a local number only if the default country can be assumed ), an internet protocol voice communication , or an instant messaging chat communication . the address bar is suitable for more sophisticated users of the peer - to - peer system , and can be used as a local phone when the default country is assumed . when the default country is achieved , and a user enters the international calling sign “+” and a country code , e . g . 72 ( russia ) the predictive dialler component automatically enter the global mode , and the country ?? charges , in this case from estonia to russia . fig1 is a flow chart illustrating the steps implemented by the predictive dialler component to provide a suitably formatted number to the client software 100 for making a call . at step s 1 , the menu of country options is displayed to the user using the drop - down menu 40 shown in fig7 . at step s 2 , it is checked whether or not a user has selected a country . if no country is selected , at step s 3 a default country is selected . the default country is detected as described above . at step s 4 it is checked whether or not a user has entered a phone number . this number is entered in local form . when the user has entered the number , at step s 5 formatting rules are recalled from the database 112 for the selected country . at step s 6 , the correct country prefix is appended to the number , and any characters which need to be removed as shown in the formatting rules is removed . the result is a correctly formatted number which can be displayed to the user at step s 7 and supplied to the client software 100 at step s 8 . fig1 is a flow chart illustrating the sequence of steps to be taken by a user for effecting a voice communication using the user terminal . at step s 12 a user checks the format of the number being dialled . at step s 10 , the user selects from a menu of user options a destination country for the communication . at step s 11 , the user enters a local number using the user interface , in this case using the dialpad which is displayed to the user . at step s 13 , voice communication is instigated by clicking on the call button displayed to a user on the computer terminal . | 7 |
fig1 is an isometric view showing a surgical biopsy system 10 comprising biopsy device 40 , a control unit 100 , and remote 20 . biopsy device 40 comprises probe assembly 42 operatively and removably attached to base 44 . base 44 is removably attached to a moveable table 12 such as a stereotactic guidance system as may be found on mammographic x - ray machines , an example of which is model mammotest plus / s available from fischer imaging , inc ., denver , colo . probe assembly 42 includes an elongated piercer 70 having a piercer tip 72 for penetrating soft tissue of a surgical patent . piercer 70 comprises a piercer tube 74 and vacuum chamber tube 76 . vacuum chamber tube 76 of piercer 70 may be fluidly connected to control unit 100 . similarly , axial vacuum to probe assembly 42 may be obtained by fluid connection to control unit 100 . mammotome ™ system tubing set model no . mvac1 available from ethicon endo - surgery inc ., cincinnati , ohio is suitable for use to permit detachable fluid connection of lateral vacuum line 32 and axial vacuum line 34 to control unit 100 . lateral vacuum line 32 and axial vacuum line 34 are made from a flexible , transparent or translucent material , such as silicone tubing , allowing for visualization of the material flowing through them . lateral connector 33 and axial connector 35 are female and male luer connectors , respectively , commonly known and used in the medical industry . base 44 is operatively connected to control unit 100 by control cord 26 , translation shaft 22 , and rotation shaft 24 . translation shaft 22 and rotation shaft 24 are preferably flexible so as to permit for ease of mounting of biopsy device 40 to moveable table 12 . control unit 100 is used to control the sequence of actions performed by biopsy device 40 in order to obtain a biopsy sample from a surgical patient . control unit 100 includes motors and a vacuum pump , and controls the activation of vacuum to probe assembly 42 and the translation and rotation of the cutter ( not visible ) in probe assembly 42 . a suitable control unit 100 is a mammotome ™ system control module model no . scm12 with software model no . scms1 available from ethicon endo - surgery inc ., cincinnati , ohio . remote 20 is operatively and removably connected to control unit 100 . remote 20 may be used by the surgical biopsy system operator to control the sequence of actions performed by biopsy device 40 . remote 20 may be a hand operated or foot operated device . a suitable remote 20 is mammotome ™ remote key - pad model no . mkey1 available from ethicon endo - surgery inc ., cincinnati , ohio . fig2 is an isometric view showing probe assembly 42 and base 44 separated . upper base housing 50 is normally fixedly attached to base 44 , but has been shown removed from base 44 to provide a view of transmission 301 . top shell tab 46 is located on the distal end of cantilever beam 41 and projects above the top surface of gear shell 18 . top shell tab 46 inserts into tab window 48 in upper base housing 50 upon assembly of probe assembly 42 to base 44 . once probe assembly 42 and base 44 are properly assembled , top shell tab 46 must be pushed down through tab window 48 by the user before probe assembly 42 and base 44 can be separated . a plurality of raised ribs 58 is provided on gear shell 18 to improve the user &# 39 ; s grip on the instrument . post 14 extends above the top surface of base shell 38 and inserts into keyhole 16 ( not visible ) located on the underside of gear shell 18 . tube slot 68 in upper base housing 50 provides clearance for axial vacuum line 34 . first tang 54 and second tang 56 protrude from opposite sides of probe housing 52 and insert into first recess 64 and second recess 66 , respectively , in firing fork 62 . the proximal end of probe housing 52 fits slidably within gear shell 18 and firing fork 62 fits slidably within base shell 38 . thus , once probe assembly 42 and base 44 are operatively assembled , probe housing 52 and firing fork 62 are able to move a fixed linear distance in a distal and proximal direction in front of gear shell 18 and base shell 38 . fig1 and 2 show probe housing 52 and firing fork 62 in their most distal position . fig3 and 4 are views of probe assembly 42 . fig3 is an isometric view of probe assembly 42 with the top shell 17 and bottom shell 19 shown separated , the top shell 17 rotated ninety degrees , to expose internal components . fig4 is an exploded isometric view of the same probe assembly 42 without top shell 17 or bottom shell 19 . gear shell 18 is formed from top shell 17 and bottom shell 19 , each injection molded from a rigid , biocompatible thermoplastic material such as polycarbonate . upon final assembly of probe assembly 42 , top shell 17 and bottom shell 19 are joined together by ultrasonic welding along joining edge 15 , or joined by other methods well known in the art . probe assembly 42 comprises piercer 70 having an elongated , metallic piercer tube 74 and a piercer lumen 80 ( see fig4 and 5 ). on the side of the distal end of piercer tube 74 is port 78 for receiving tissue to be extracted from the surgical patient . joined along side piercer tube 74 is an elongated , tubular , metallic vacuum chamber tube 76 having a vacuum lumen 82 ( see fig4 and 5 ). piercer lumen 80 is in fluid connection with vacuum lumen 82 via a plurality of vacuum holes 77 ( see fig5 ) located in the bottom of the “ bowl ” defined by port 78 . vacuum holes 77 are small enough to remove the fluids but not large enough to allow excised tissue portions to be removed through lateral vacuum line 32 , which is fluidly connected to vacuum lumen 82 . a metallic , sharpened piercer tip 72 is fixedly attached to the distal end of piercer 70 . it is designed to penetrate soft tissue , such as the breast tissue of a female surgical patient . in the present embodiment piercer tip 72 is a three sided , pyramidal shaped point , although the tip configuration may also have other shapes . refer now , momentarily , to fig5 . fig5 is a section view of the distal end of probe assembly 42 , illustrating primarily probe housing 52 , piercer 70 , and union sleeve 90 . the proximal end of piercer 70 is fixedly attached to union sleeve 90 having a longitudinal bore 84 through it . union sleeve 90 contains a first o - ring groove 27 and second o - ring groove 28 , spaced apart so as to allow for a traverse opening 37 between them in fluid communication with longitudinal bore 84 . first o - ring 29 and second o - ring 30 mount in first o - ring groove 27 and second o - ring groove 28 , respectively . sleeve gear 36 is integral to union sleeve 90 and is located at its most proximal end . lead - in cone 25 is a conical shaped metallic structure that attaches to the proximal end of union sleeve 90 . union sleeve 90 is inserted into housing bore 57 located in the distal end of probe housing 52 , and rotatably supports the proximal end of piercer 70 . positioning wheel 31 slides over piercer 70 and the distal end of union sleeve 90 and rotatably attaches to probe housing 52 , hence trapping lead - in cone 25 and union sleeve 90 within housing bore 57 in the distal end of probe housing 52 . locating projection 11 on the distal end of union sleeve 90 functionally engages alignment notch 13 in positioning wheel 31 . thus , rotating positioning wheel 31 likewise causes the rotation of piercer 70 . this allows port 78 to be readily positioned anywhere within the 360 ° axis of rotation of piercer 70 . referring again to fig3 and 4 , housing extension 47 is located at the proximal end of probe housing 52 . housing flange 53 is located at the most proximal end of housing extension 47 on probe housing 52 and is assembled just inside of top shell front slot 55 in top shell 17 . shell insert 39 is assembled into top shell front slot 55 . first insert tab 59 and second insert tab 60 , both located on shell insert 39 , engage first shell recess 61 and second shell recess 63 , located within top shell front slot 55 , respectively . thus , upon complete assembly of probe assembly 42 , the most proximal end of probe housing 52 containing housing flange 53 is trapped within gear shell 18 , yet slideable along housing extension 47 distal and proximal within top shell front slot 55 . tissue sampling surface 65 is a recessed surface within probe housing 52 which provides a surface where each tissue sample will be deposited during the operation of the present invention , prior to retrieval by the clinician . an elongated , metallic , tubular cutter 96 ( see fig5 ) is axially aligned within cutter bore 51 of probe housing 52 , longitudinal bore 84 of union sleeve 90 , and piercer lumen 80 of piercer 70 so that cutter 96 may slide easily in both the distal and proximal directions . cutter 96 has a cutter lumen 95 through the entire length of cutter 96 . the distal end of cutter 96 is sharpened to form a cutter blade 97 for cutting tissue held against cutter blade 97 as cutter 96 is rotated . the proximal end of cutter 96 is fixedly attached to the inside of cutter gear bore 102 of cutter gear 98 . cutter gear 98 may be metal or thermoplastic , and has a plurality of cutter gear teeth 99 , each tooth having a typical spur gear tooth configuration as is well known in the art . cutter seal 79 is a lip type seal and is fixedly attached to the proximal end of cutter gear 98 , and is made of a flexible material such as silicone . tissue remover 132 fits rotatably and slidably through cutter seal 79 . probe seal 81 is also a lip type seal made of a flexible material such as silicone rubber and is fixedly inserted into the proximal end of cutter bore 51 at the proximal end of probe housing 52 . cutter 96 fits rotatably and slidably through cutter seal 79 . cutter seal 79 and probe seal 81 operate to prevent fluids from entering the space within gear shell 18 during a surgical biopsy procedure . still in fig3 and 4 , cutter gear 98 is driven by elongated drive gear 104 having a plurality of drive gear teeth 106 designed to mesh with cutter gear teeth 99 . the function of elongated drive gear 104 is to rotate cutter gear 98 and cutter 96 as they translate in both longitudinal directions . elongated drive gear 104 is preferably made of a thermoplastic material , such as liquid crystal polymer . distal drive axle 108 projects from the distal end of elongated drive gear 104 and mounts rotatably into an axle support rib ( not visible ) molded on the inside of top shell 17 and held in place by first gear support rib located on bottom shell 19 . gear shaft 110 projects from the proximal end of drive gear 104 and is rotatably supported by a gear shaft slot 69 located in the proximal end of top shell 17 and by second gear support rib 137 located on bottom shell 19 . drive gear slot 101 is located on the most proximal end of gear shaft 110 as a means for rotationally engaging drive gear 104 . still referring to fig3 and 4 , cutter carriage 124 is provided to hold cutter gear 98 and to carry cutter gear 98 as it is rotated and translated in the distal and proximal directions . cutter carriage 124 is preferably molded from a thermoplastic material and is generally cylindrically shaped with a threaded bore 126 through it and with carriage foot 130 extending from its side . carriage foot 130 has a foot recess 128 formed into it and foot slot 127 for rotatably holding cutter gear 98 in the proper orientation for cutter gear teeth 99 to mesh properly with drive gear teeth 106 . lower carriage guide 103 projects down from cutter carriage 124 and slidably engages lower guide slot 107 molded , on the inside surface of bottom shell 19 . upper carriage guide 105 projects up from carriage foot 130 and slidably engages a upper guide slot 109 molded on the inside of top shell 17 . cutter carriage 124 is attached via threaded bore 126 to elongated screw 114 , which is parallel to drive gear 104 . screw 114 has a plurality of conventional lead screw threads 116 and is preferably made of a thermoplastic material . the rotation of elongated screw 114 in one direction causes cutter carriage 124 to move distally , while the reverse rotation of elongated screw 114 causes cutter carriage 124 to move proximally . as a result , cutter gear 98 moves distally and proximally according to the direction of the screw rotation , which in turn advances cutter 96 distally or retracts it proximally . in the present embodiment , elongated screw 114 is shown with a right hand thread so that clockwise rotation ( looking from the proximal to distal direction ) causes cutter carriage 124 to translate in the proximal direction . distal screw axle 118 projects from the distal end of elongated screw 114 and mounts rotatably into an axle support rib ( not visible ) molded on the inside of top shell 17 and held in place by first screw support rib 111 located on bottom shell 19 . screw shaft 120 projects from the proximal end of elongated screw 114 and is rotatably supported by a screw shaft slot 71 located in the proximal end of top shell 17 and by second screw support rib 112 located on bottom shell 19 . lead screw slot 122 is located on the most proximal end of screw shaft 120 as a means for rotationally engaging elongated screw 114 . at this point in the detailed description it should be pointed out that during the operation of the biopsy instrument cutter 96 translates in either direction between a fully retracted position , just proximal to tissue sampling surface 65 as referenced by cutter blade 97 , and a fully deployed position wherein cutter blade 97 is located just distal to port 78 . as cutter 96 translates between these end points there are a number of intermediate positions wherein adjustments may be made to 110 the cutter rotational and translational speed as commanded by control unit 100 . these intermediate positions and the adjustments made to the cutter depend on the programming of control unit 100 . referring now to fig5 , the distal end of lateral vacuum line 32 is attached to lateral fitting 92 located on the distal end of probe housing 52 . lateral fitting 92 has lateral hole 117 through it along its axis in fluid communication with housing bore 57 . lateral hole 117 in lateral fitting 92 is positioned within housing bore 57 such that when union sleeve 90 is inserted into housing bore 57 lateral hole 117 is located in the space created between first and second o - rings , 29 and 30 respectively . locating lateral hole 117 in the space between first and second o - rings 29 and 30 , respectively , allows for the communication of fluids between vacuum lumen 82 and control unit 100 . referring again to fig3 and 4 , axial vacuum line 34 is fluidly attached to tissue remover support 129 which is in turn fluidly attached to the proximal end of an elongated , metallic , tubular tissue remover 132 . axial vacuum line 34 allows for the communication of fluids between piercer lumen 80 , cutter lumen 95 , and control unit 100 . tissue remover support 129 fits into axial support slot 73 located in the proximal end of top shell 17 . strainer 134 is located on the distal end of tissue remover 132 and functions to prevent passage of fragmented tissue portions through it and into control unit 100 . tissue remover 132 inserts slidably into cutter lumen 95 of cutter 96 . during the operation of the biopsy instrument , tissue remover 132 is always stationary , being fixedly attached at its proximal end to tissue remover support 129 which is fixed within axial support slot 73 located in the proximal end of top shell 17 . when cutter 96 is fully retracted to its most proximal position , the distal end of tissue remover 132 is approximately even with the distal end of cutter 96 ( see fig5 ). the distal end of cutter 96 , when at its most proximal position , and probe housing 52 at its most distal position , is slightly distal to housing wall 67 which is proximal and perpendicular to tissue sampling surface 65 . probe rotation rod 85 is an elongated , solid metal rod . rotation rod gear 86 is a spur gear fixedly attached to the distal end of probe rotation rod 85 . rotation rod flat 87 is located at the proximal end of probe rotation rod 85 . rotation rod flat 87 is approximately one - third to one - half the rod diameter in depth and extending from its proximal end approximately one inch in length . rotation rod flat 87 thus creates a “ d ” shaped geometry at the proximal end of probe rotation rod 85 . rod bushing 88 is made of molded thermoplastic and is cylindrical in shape . at its distal end is bushing bore 89 which is a “ d ” shaped hole approximately one inch in depth , designed to slidably receive the proximal end of probe rotation rod 85 . rod bushing 88 fits rotatably into axial support slot 73 below tissue remover support 129 at the proximal end of top shell 17 . the longitudinal position of rod bushing 88 is fixed by the raised sections on both sides of bushing groove 93 , upon assembly into the proximal end of top shell 17 . rod bushing drive slot 91 is located on the most proximal end of rod bushing 88 as a means for rotationally engaging rod bushing 88 . rotation gear 86 is rotatably fixed into gear cavity 115 on the underside of probe housing 52 , the opening being in communication with housing bore 57 ( see fig5 ). rotation rod gear 86 operably engages sleeve gear 36 located at the proximal end of union sleeve 90 . the distal end of probe rotation rod 85 with rotation rod gear 86 attached is rotatably fixed to the underside of probe housing 52 by rotation gear cover 94 . rotation gear cover 94 is molded from a thermoplastic material and is fixedly attached to probe housing 52 by four raised cylindrical pins which press fit into four holes ( not visible ) in probe housing 52 . probe rotation rod 85 inserts rotatably and slidably through rod hole 43 in shell insert 39 . the proximal end of probe rotation rod 85 slidably engages bushing bore 89 in rod bushing 88 . thus , rotation of rod bushing 88 causes rotation of probe rotation rod 85 which is fixedly attached to rotation rod gear 86 causing rotation of union sleeve 90 which is fixedly attached to piercer 70 , which contains port 78 . it is important for the user of the surgical biopsy system of the present invention to be able to “ fire ” the piercer 70 into the tissue of a surgical patient . it is also important that the user be able to rotate piercer 70 about its axis so as to properly position port 78 , regardless of linear position of piercer 70 pre - fired vs . post - fired ( positions discussed later ). the slidable interface between probe rotation rod 85 and rod bushing 88 plays an important role in providing this capability . probe rotation rod 85 follows the linear movement of piercer 70 , while the linear movement of rod bushing 88 is restricted by the fact that it is rotatably attached to top shell 17 . thus the “ d ” shaped geometry on the proximal end of rotation rod 85 and the “ d ” shaped hole in the distal end of rod bushing 88 , designed to slidably receive the proximal end of rotation rod 85 , permit the user to turn port rotation knob 45 , which is operably connected to rod - bushing 88 through a chain of elements described later , and effect the rotation of piercer 70 , irrelevant of the linear position of piercer 70 . bottom shell 19 fixedly attaches to top shell 17 as described earlier . its function is to hold in place and contain the elements previously described , which have been assembled into top shell 17 . keyhole 16 is centered at the distal end of bottom shell 19 . it slidably and removably engages post 14 ( see fig2 ), permitting probe assembly 42 to be operatively and removably connected to base 44 . first screw support rib 111 and second screw support rib 112 are each integrally molded to bottom shell 19 and support the distal and proximal ends , respectively , of elongated screw 114 . first gear support rib 136 and second gear support rib 137 likewise are each integrally molded to bottom shell 19 and support the distal and proximal ends , respectively , of elongated drive gear 104 . rod bushing support rib 139 integrally molded to bottom shell 19 supports the distal end of rod bushing 88 . fig6 is an exploded isometric view of lower transmission assembly 302 . translation shaft 22 and rotation shaft 24 is each a flexible coaxial cable comprising a flexible rotatable center core surrounded by a flexible tubular casing , as is well known in the art . at their most proximal ends is provided a coupling means for removably and operatively connecting translation shaft 22 and rotation shaft 24 to control unit 100 . the distal ends of translation shaft 22 and rotation shaft 24 each insert through first boot bore 309 and second boot bore 311 , respectively . flex boot 303 is molded from a thermoplastic elastomer such as , for example , polyurethane , and functions as a “ flex relief ” for translation shaft 22 , rotation shaft 24 , and control cord 26 . rotation shaft ferrule 305 is a metallic tubular structure comprising a through bore with a counter bore at its proximal end for fixedly attaching , via crimping or swaging as is well known in the art , to the outer tubular casing of rotation shaft 24 . at the distal end of rotation shaft ferrule 305 is a flared , counter bored section for receiving first bearing assembly 315 . a suitable example of first bearing assembly 315 is model no . s9912y - e1531pso , available from stock drive products , new hyde park , n . y . rotation shaft adapter 319 is made of stainless steel and has a proximal end with a counter bore . its proximal end inserts through the bore of first bearing assembly 315 and the counter bore slips over the distal end of the rotatable center core of rotation shaft 24 and is fixedly attached by crimping or swaging . the distal end of rotation shaft adapter 319 is inserted through the bore in first bevel gear 321 and is fixedly attached by a slotted spring pin . similarly , translation shaft ferrule 307 is a metallic tubular structure comprising a through bore with a counter bore at its proximal end for fixedly attaching , via crimping or swaging , to the outer tubular casing of translation shaft 22 . at the distal end of translation shaft ferrule 307 is a flared , counter bored section for receiving thrust washer 317 . translation shaft adapter 323 is made of stainless steel and has a proximal end with a counter bore . its proximal end inserts through the bore of thrust washer 317 and the counter bore slips over the distal end of the rotatable center core of translation shaft 22 and is fixedly attached by crimping or swaging . the distal end of translation shaft adapter 323 is slotted as a means to engage the proximal end of encoder shaft 312 , which extends through encoder 310 . encoder 310 communicates information to control unit 100 about the translation position and translation speed of cutter 96 . encoder 310 includes an electrical cord containing a plurality of electrical conductors , which has an electrical connector affixed at its most distal end for removable electrical connection to printed circuit board 262 ( see fig9 ). a suitable miniature encoder 310 is commercially available as model sed10 - 300 - eth2 from cui stack , inc . encoder shaft 312 has two opposing flats on its proximal end , which engage translation shaft adapter 323 , and a cylindrical distal end which is inserted into a counter bore in the proximal end of gear adapter 316 and is fixedly attached by a slotted spring pin . the distal end of gear adapter 316 is inserted through the bore of second bearing assembly 318 , through the bore of shaft spacer 322 , and finally through the bore in second bevel gear 325 which is fixedly attached to gear adapter 316 by a slotted spring pin . encoder housing assembly 329 comprises left encoder housing half 326 and right encoder housing half 328 , which are molded thermoplastic shells . when assembled , left encoder housing half 326 and right encoder housing half 328 encase encoder 310 and capture the distal end of translation shaft 22 and rotation shaft 24 . left encoder housing half is attached to transmission plate 330 ( see fig7 ) using a cap screw . encoder 310 is placed in first shell cavity 332 , preventing rotational or lateral movement of the outer housing of encoder 310 . the distal end of rotation shaft ferrule 305 rests in second shell cavity 334 , which prevents lateral movement of rotation shaft 24 . the distal end of translation shaft ferrule 307 rests in third shell cavity 336 , which again prevents lateral movement of translation shaft 22 . second bearing assembly 318 rests in fourth shell cavity 338 . right encoder housing half 328 , containing essentially a mirror image of the cavities found inside left encoder housing half 326 , assembles to left encoder housing half 326 and transmission plate 330 via two cap screws . still referring to fig6 , control cord 26 is flexible and contains a plurality of electrical conductors for communication information between biopsy device 40 and control unit 100 ( see fig1 ). at the proximal end of control cord 26 is provided a means of removable electrical connection to control unit 100 . the distal end of control cord 26 inserts through third boot bore 313 located in flex boot 303 . control cord strain relief 369 is a flexible thermoplastic material and is over molded to the distal end of control cord 26 and is fixedly attached to transmission plate 330 in a recessed area at strain relief bore 371 ( see fig7 ), to restrict linear and rotational movement of the distal end of the cord . the most distal end of control cord 26 contains a connector for removably and electrically affixing control cord 26 to printed circuit board 262 ( see fig9 ). fig7 is an isometric view of transmission 301 . upper transmission assembly 304 is shown exploded . translation coupling assembly 337 consists of translation drive coupling 340 , third bearing assembly 344 , first coupling spacer 348 , and third bevel gear 350 . third bearing assembly 344 is press fit into first counter bore 345 in transmission plate 330 . translation drive coupling 340 has a flat bladed distal end which will operatively couple with lead screw slot 122 ( see fig8 ) located at the proximal end of elongated screw 114 . the cylindrical proximal end of translation drive coupling 340 inserts through first counter bore 345 , through the bore of third bearing assembly 344 , through the bore of first coupling spacer 348 , and finally through the bore in third bevel gear 350 which is fixedly attached to translation drive coupling 340 by a slotted spring pin . the gear teeth of third bevel gear 350 mesh with the gear teeth of second bevel gear 325 . thus , rotation of the center core of translation shaft 22 results in the rotation of translation drive coupling 340 . when translation drive coupling 340 is operatively coupled to elongated screw 114 via lead screw slot 122 , rotation of translation shaft 22 causes rotation of elongated screw 114 which results , as discussed earlier , in the distal or proximal translation of cutter 96 , depending on the direction of translation shaft 22 rotation . in a similar manner , rotation coupling assembly 339 consists of rotation drive coupling 342 , fourth bearing assembly 346 , second coupling spacer 349 , and fourth bevel gear 351 . fourth bearing assembly 346 is press fit into second counter bore 347 in transmission plate 330 . a suitable example of fourth bearing assembly 346 , as well as second and third bearing assemblies 318 and 344 , respectively , is available as model no . s9912y - e1837pso , available from stock drive products , new hyde park , n . y . rotation drive coupling 342 has a flat bladed distal end which will operatively couple with drive gear slot 101 ( see fig8 ) located at the proximal end of elongated drive gear 104 . the cylindrical proximal end of rotation drive coupling 342 inserts through second counter bore 347 , through the bore of fourth bearing assembly 346 , through the bore of second coupling spacer 349 , and finally through the bore in fourth bevel gear 351 , which is fixedly attached to rotation drive coupling 342 by a slotted spring pin . the gear teeth of fourth bevel gear 351 mesh with the gear teeth of first bevel gear 321 . thus , rotation of the center core of rotation shaft 24 results in the rotation of rotation drive coupling 342 . when rotation drive coupling 342 is operatively coupled to elongated drive gear 104 via drive gear slot 101 , rotation of rotation shaft 24 causes rotation of elongated drive gear 104 , which results in the rotation of cutter 96 . a suitable example of first , second , third , and fourth bevel gears 321 , 325 , 350 , and 351 , respectively , is model no . a1m4 - y32016 - m available from stock drive products , new hyde park , n . y . continuing in fig7 , port drive coupling 353 has a flat bladed distal end which will operatively couple with rod bushing drive slot 91 ( see fig8 ) located at the proximal end of rod bushing 88 . the cylindrical proximal end of port drive coupling 353 inserts through the bore in first port gear 355 , which is fixedly attached by a slotted spring pin , then inserted through first port coupling bore 359 . first coupling washer 362 slips over the proximal end of drive port coupling 353 and first coupling e - ring 364 snaps into a groove at the most proximal end of drive port coupling 353 , which now rotatably secures the assembly to transmission plate 330 . knob post 367 is made of stainless steel , is generally cylindrical , and has a flange on its most distal end and a flat approximately one - third to one - half its diameter in depth and extending from its proximal end one half inch in length . knob post 367 inserts through the bore of second port gear 357 , which is fixedly attached by a slotted spring pin to the distal end of knob post 367 . suitable examples of first and second port gears 355 and 357 , respectively , are available as model no . a1n1 - n32012 , available from stock drive products , new hyde park , n . y . the proximal end of knob post 367 is inserted through second port coupling bore 360 until second port gear 357 aligns and meshes with first port gear 355 . second coupling washer 363 slips over the proximal end of knob post 367 and second coupling e - ring 365 snaps into a groove located adjacent to the distal end of knob post 367 , thus rotatable securing the assembly to transmission plate 330 . port rotation knob 45 fixedly attaches to the proximal end of knob post 367 . a suitable port rotation knob 45 is model no . pt - 3 - p - s available from rogan corp ., northbrook , ill . thus , when port drive coupling 353 is operatively coupled to rod bushing 88 via rod bushing drive slot 91 , user rotation of port rotation knob 45 causes rotation of rod bushing 88 which results in the rotation of piercer 70 . this allows port 78 to be readily positioned anywhere within the 360 ° axis of rotation of piercer 70 . transmission plate 330 attaches to the proximal end of upper base shell 161 via two screws . there is an important benefit derived from the design of transmission 301 just described . the fact that the translation shaft 22 , rotation shaft 24 , and control cord 26 enter the biopsy device 40 at a right angle to the device &# 39 ; s center axis permits for a short overall length for the biopsy device . this allows the device to fit into a smaller area than would accommodate a device with the shafts protruding directly out the back ( proximal end ) parallel to the center axis . fig8 is an isometric view of probe assembly 42 and base 44 , as viewed from their proximal ends . upper base housing 50 is not shown so as to permit a clear view of transmission 301 fully assembled . also clearly visible are lead screw slot 122 , drive gear slot 101 , and rod bushing drive slot 91 , which operably connect to transmission 301 as previously described . fig9 is an exploded isometric view of firing mechanism 160 . upper base shell 161 is shown exploded and lower base shell 204 is shown exploded and rotated 90 degrees clockwise . also exploded and rotated 90 degrees clockwise for clarity is printed circuit board 262 and frame screw 163 . firing mechanism 160 , shown in fig9 , operates to fire the distal end of probe assembly 42 into tissue . base shell 38 ( see fig2 ) supports and houses firing mechanism 160 , and is assembled from upper base shell 161 and lower base shell 204 . base hooks 165 on lower base shell 204 insert into base slots 162 in upper base shell 161 to enable assembly of the components to create base shell 38 . frame screw 163 inserts through a clearance hole in frame bottom 204 and fastens into firing latch block 242 to tie upper base shell 161 and lower base shell 204 together . firing fork 62 extends from firing mechanism 160 through to the exterior of base shell 38 to accept probe housing 52 of probe assembly 42 ( see fig2 ). fig9 shows firing fork 62 in its most distal allowable position and shows other components of firing mechanism 160 in appropriate positions for firing fork 62 to be at its most distal allowable position . upon mating of the probe assembly 42 with the base 44 , first tang 54 and second tang 56 insert into first recess 64 and second recess 66 , respectively , in firing fork 62 at the distal end of firing fork assembly 164 . features on firing fork 62 also include probe slot 167 , which is approximately “ u ” shaped to accept probe assembly 42 , and clearance slot 169 , allowing clearance for probe rotation rod 85 . firing fork assembly 164 , shown exploded in fig1 , is a unique assembly detachable from the rest of firing mechanism 160 ′ without the use of tools . firing fork 62 slides over the outer diameter of firing spade 178 while firing fork keys 181 insert into firing spade slots 180 . firing spade slots 180 prevent rotation of firing fork 62 relative to firing spade 178 . firing spade 178 possesses a threaded internal diameter at its distal end and a proximal spade end 196 at its proximal end . proximal spade end 196 can comprise a flattened section , resembling , for example , the working end of a flathead screwdriver . the threaded diameter at the distal end of firing spade 178 receives screw 182 to hold firing fork 62 to firing spade 178 . the head 184 of screw 182 abuts the distal end of firing spade 178 upon tightening . abutting the head 184 of screw 182 against the distal end of firing spade 178 prevents tightening of the screw against the firing fork 62 . the head 184 of screw 182 and the proximal end 186 of firing spade slot 180 provide proximal and distal stops for firing fork 62 while allowing slight axial play . firing spacer 188 attaches at the proximal end of firing spade 178 with the aid of dowel pins 190 . firing spacer 188 slips onto and is rotatable relative to firing spade 178 . it should be noted that minimizing the clearance between the inside diameter of firing spacer 188 and the outside diameter of firing spade 178 improves the stability of firing fork assembly 164 , an important attribute . near the proximal end of firing spacer 188 , easily visible depth marker line 189 is inscribed . dowel pins 190 press into receiving holes 192 on firing spacer 188 and ride within firing spade groove 194 to allow rotation of firing spacer 188 relative to firing spade 178 while preventing axial movement of firing spacer 188 relative to firing spade 178 . a threaded internal diameter at the proximal end of firing spacer 188 facilitates assembly and removal of the firing fork assembly 164 for cleaning . fig9 shows that firing fork assembly 164 threads onto end fitting 166 , pinned at the distal end of firing fork shaft 168 . end fitting 166 can be made of a soft stainless steel for easy machining of slot and threads while firing fork shaft 168 can be made of a hardenable stainless to accommodate induced stress . proximal spade end 196 fits into spade slot 198 of end fitting 166 to prevent rotation of firing fork assembly 164 relative to firing fork shaft 168 . the threaded internal diameter of the proximal end of firing spacer 188 screws onto the threaded outer diameter of end fitting 166 to removably attach firing fork assembly 164 . small firing bushings 170 , fashioned from a plastic such as acetal , support firing fork shaft 168 and allow it to move proximally and distally . proximal saddle support 172 and distal saddle support 173 , machined into upper base shell 161 , support small firing bushings 170 while long clamp plate 174 and short clamp plate 175 capture and retain small firing bushings 170 into proximal and distal saddle supports 172 and 173 , respectively . long clamp plate 174 and short clamp plate 175 can attach to proximal saddle support 172 and distal saddle support 173 using fasteners , such as , for example , clamp plate mounting screws 176 . flanges at each end of the small firing bushings 170 bear against the proximal and distal sides of saddle supports 172 and clamp plates 174 to restrain small firing bushings 170 from moving proximally and distally with the movement of firing fork shaft 168 . additional support is gained by the large firing bushing 200 surrounding firing spacer 188 . large firing bushing 200 , split for easy assembly , resides in firing bushing housing 202 machined into upper base shell 161 and lower base shell 204 . firing fork shaft 168 carries other parts that facilitate the operation of firing mechanism 160 . spring collar roll pin 212 fixedly attaches spring collar 214 to firing fork shaft 168 . shock pad 216 adheres to the distal side of spring collar 214 and contacts distal interior wall 218 of base shell 38 when firing fork shaft 168 is in its distal position . shock pad 216 can be made from many shock - absorbing materials , such as , for example , rubber . main spring 217 surrounds firing fork shaft 168 and bears against the distal side of distal saddle support 173 and the proximal side of spring collar 214 to force firing fork shaft 168 distally . magnet holder roll pin 208 fixedly attaches magnet holder 206 to firing fork shaft 168 . magnet 210 is crimped into magnet holder 206 . nearer the proximal end of firing fork shaft 168 , firing main link pin 224 passes through firing fork shaft slot 225 to hold firing fork shaft 168 to carriage 220 . firing main link pin 224 also captures curved firing levers 222 retaining them to the carriage 220 . firing main link pin 224 is flanged on one end . the other end of firing main link pin 224 extends through carriage 220 to retain carriage 220 , firing fork shaft 168 , and curved firing levers 222 , where it is retained by welding to the lower curved firing lever . curved firing levers 222 and firing linkages 226 drive the arming of firing mechanism 160 . curved firing levers 222 pin to firing linkages 226 using firing link pins 228 which are welded to firing levers 222 . firing linkages 226 in turn pin to upper base shell 161 using frame link dowel pins 230 pressed into upper base shell 161 . long clamp plate 174 retains firing linkages 226 using clamp plate mounting screws 176 . each pinned joint of curved firing levers 222 , firing linkages 226 , and carriage 220 is rotatably movable about the axis of the pin . each curved firing lever 222 has a portion that extends laterally outwards through a slot located on either side of base shell 38 ( see fig2 ). a curved firing lever end 232 is attached to each curved firing lever 222 on the extension of curved firing lever 222 external to base shell 38 . curved firing lever end 232 provides a convenient user interface for arming the firing mechanism . arming the mechanism will be described later . the coil of torsion spring 234 surrounds each pinned joint of curved firing levers 222 and firing linkages 226 . the legs of link torsion springs 234 extend outwardly to hook into curved firing levers 222 and firing linkages 226 , applying a torque rotating them relative to each other . locating firing linkages 226 and curved firing levers 222 at different distances from upper base shell 161 allows them clearance to pass by each other upon operation . curved firing levers 222 have bends to offset them in a direction perpendicular to upper base shell 161 . the offset bends let them move within planes at different distances from upper base shell 161 while having the curved firing lever ends emerge from the slot created for that purpose in upper base shell 161 . spacer 223 separates the links on the pin 230 . having a curved firing lever 222 and firing linkage 226 on each side of the longitudinal centerline allows access by the user to operate firing mechanism 160 from either side of base shell 38 . fasteners secure a printed circuit board 262 to lower base shell 204 and latch block 242 . printed circuit board 262 contains hall - effect switch 264 for sensing the proximity of magnet 210 . a suitable hall - effect switch 264 is model no . a3142elt available from allegro microsystems , inc ., worcester , mass . when firing fork 168 and associated magnet 210 are in the most proximal position ( pre - fired position , as described later ), magnet 210 is held in a position near hall - effect switch 264 . fig1 is an exploded isometric view of triggering mechanism 235 , seen in fig9 . triggering mechanism 235 safely latches and fires firing fork shaft 168 . triggering mechanism 235 comprises firing latch 236 , firing latch block 242 , firing button shaft 244 and roller 241 , firing latch spring 246 , firing button shaft spring 247 , safety block 248 , safety latch 250 , safety latch torsion spring 251 , safety latch cover 252 , and firing button 254 . firing latch block 242 encloses the proximal portion of firing latch 236 and serves as a mounting platform for components of triggering mechanism 235 . firing latch pin 237 and firing block pin 239 rigidly retain firing latch block 242 to upper base shell 161 . firing latch pin 237 rotatably pins firing latch 236 to upper base shell 161 while passing through firing latch block 242 . firing latch 236 pivots within a slot in upper base shell 161 . firing latch spring 246 is compressed between firing latch block 242 and firing latch 236 , thereby forcing the distal end of firing latch 236 towards firing fork shaft 168 . firing latch 236 possesses a firing latch hook 238 at its distal end , which removably latches into a firing fork shaft retainer 240 located at the proximal end of firing fork shaft 168 . firing button shaft 244 slidably moves proximally and distally within a bore in firing latch block 242 and has roller 241 rotatably pinned to its distal portion to engage firing latch 236 to cause rotation of firing latch 236 . firing button shaft spring 247 forces firing button shaft 244 proximally . firing button shaft 244 is retained by safety block 248 , which is mounted to the proximal side of firing latch block 242 . safety latch 250 resides within a counter bore on the proximal side of safety block 248 and is retained by safety latch cover 252 . fasteners such as screws hold safety latch cover 252 in place . safety latch 250 is designed to facilitate locking and unlocking of the firing mechanism . safety latch 250 can be rotated within the counter bore on safety block 248 through a rotation angle , while safety latch torsion spring 251 has extending legs hooked into safety block 248 and safety latch 250 to apply torque to safety latch 250 . safety block 248 defines a locked position safety latch stop 245 and an unlocked position safety latch stop 243 separated by the rotation angle . safety latch handle 249 extends radially from safety latch 250 to facilitate grasping and rotating of safety latch 250 by the user . safety latch handle 249 also forms surfaces to abut safety latch stops 245 and 243 to limit the rotation angle . in the locked position , safety latch torsion spring 251 forces safety latch handle 249 ′ against the locked position safety latch stop 245 , while in the unlocked position , the user forces safety latch handle 249 against unlocked position safety latch stop 243 . in the illustrated embodiment of the invention , the rotation angle through which safety latch 250 can be rotated is about thirty - five degrees . fig1 shows that safety latch 250 contains two firing button stops 256 with one firing button stop 256 on each side of the longitudinal axis of firing button 254 at assembly . the firing button stops 256 interact with firing button 254 to effect locking ( preventing lateral movement ) and unlocking ( allowing lateral movement ) of firing button 254 . fig1 shows an isometric view of firing button 254 . firing button 254 fixedly attaches to firing button shaft 244 ( see fig1 ), extends proximally through the center of safety latch 250 ( see fig1 ), and presents a proximal , flattened , cylindrical thumb pad 257 located at its most proximal end to the user . firing button 254 comprises a smaller firing button outer diameter 258 having narrow flats 259 and wide flats 261 angularly offset from each other by the rotation angle traveled by safety latch 250 . larger firing button outer diameter 260 is free of flats . a distal contact surface 255 exists proximally of narrow flats 259 and is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of firing button 254 . firing button stops 256 , located on safety latch 250 , are separated by a distance slightly larger than the distance between wide flats 261 and less than the smaller firing button outer diameter 258 . firing button stops 256 can flex in the radial direction , but resist flexing in the axial direction . the difference in stiffness in different directions can be accomplished by , for example , different thicknesses of the firing button stops 256 in the axial direction and in the radial direction . when safety latch 250 is in the locked position , pushing firing button 254 will force distal contact surface 255 against firing button stops 256 . firing button stops 256 prevent further proximal axial movement of firing button 254 because of rigidity in the axial direction . following is a functional description of the operation of the firing mechanism of the present invention : a user arms and fires the firing mechanism during use of the probe assembly 42 in a surgical procedure . the user begins in the fired position depicted in fig1 and 15 , grasps one of the curved firing lever ends 232 , and moves outboard end of curved firing lever 222 proximally . this begins action wherein each grasped curved firing lever 222 , each firing linkage 226 , carriage 220 , and upper base shell 161 act as four - bar linkage systems with upper base shell 161 being the stationary link and carriage 220 being a translational link . motion can be described of all three movable links relative to the upper base shell 161 . either curved firing lever end 232 , can be moved by the user . duplicity exists in the illustrated embodiment of the invention to facilitate user access from either side of base 44 . rotating either curved firing lever 222 in a direction that moves the curved firing lever end 232 proximally effects motion of the two members pinned to curved firing member 222 . curved firing member 222 transfers motion through one pinned joint to carriage 220 to move it proximally along firing fork shaft 168 . curved firing member 222 also transfers motion through a second pinned joint to firing linkage 226 , rotating the pinned joint towards firing fork shaft 168 . firing linkage 226 is pinned to stationary upper base shell 161 and rotates about the pinned joint located on upper base shell 161 . carriage 220 , driven by curved firing member 222 , translates proximally along firing fork shaft 168 carrying main link pin 224 within firing fork shaft slot 225 until firing main link pin 224 reaches the proximal end of firing fork shaft slot 225 . further proximal motion of carriage 220 and firing main link pin 224 begins to drive proximal motion of firing fork shaft 168 . firing fork shaft 168 translates proximally through small firing bushings 170 . as firing fork shaft 168 translates proximally , it carries with it attached firing fork assembly 164 . firing fork shaft 168 also carries proximally attached spring collar 214 , decreasing the distance between spring collar 214 and distal saddle support 173 . main spring 217 , located between spring collar 214 and distal saddle support 173 , becomes more compressed exerting more force against spring collar 214 . firing fork shaft 168 continues to move proximally and continues to compress main spring 217 until the proximal end of firing fork shaft 168 reaches firing latch 236 ( see fig1 ). the proximal end of firing fork shaft 168 contacts firing latch 236 and exerts a force rotating it out of the path of proximally advancing firing fork shaft 168 . the proximal end of firing fork shaft 168 and the distal end of firing latch 236 have contoured surfaces to act as cams to assist in lifting firing latch 236 . rotating firing latch 236 compresses firing latch spring 246 , exerting a force to hold firing latch 236 onto the proximal end of firing fork shaft 168 . once the firing fork shaft retainer 240 has proceeded proximally to a position under firing latch hook 238 , firing latch spring 246 urges firing latch hook 238 into firing fork shaft retainer 240 by rotating firing latch 236 towards firing fork 168 . firing assembly 160 is now in the pre - fire position shown in fig1 and 17 . the user can now release curved firing lever end 232 . once the user releases curved firing lever end 232 , main spring 217 applies force urging firing fork 168 distally along its axis . the distal force moves firing fork shaft retainer 240 towards firing latch hook 238 extending down into firing fork shaft retainer 240 ( see fig1 ). the proximal wall of firing fork shaft retainer 240 is angled so that the reactive force of the proximal wall of firing fork shaft retainer 240 against firing latch hook 238 rotates firing latch hook 238 further into the firing fork shaft retainer 240 , preventing inadvertent release . the proximal wall of firing latch hook 238 is angled to mate with the angle of the proximal wall of firing fork shaft retainer 240 . after the user has released curved firing lever end 232 , link torsion springs 234 apply torque to curved firing levers 222 and firing linkages 226 rotating them towards each other . rotating curved firing levers 222 and firing linkages 226 towards each other initiates motion that returns carriage 220 to its distal position . with firing fork 168 held by firing latch 236 while firing levers 222 and firing linkages 226 are in the most distal position , firing mechanism 160 is in the relaxed position shown in fig1 and 19 . when carriage 220 returns to its distal position , curved firing levers 222 contact stops on the sides of raised bosses on upper base shell 161 . firing fork shaft 168 has now carried magnet 210 ( see fig9 ) which is located within magnet holder 206 proximally into a position near hall - effect switch 264 on printed circuit board 262 . hall - effect switch 264 senses the presence of magnet 210 and communicates with control unit 100 that firing fork 168 is in a proximal position and ready to fire . safety latch 250 “ guards ” firing button 254 . in the locked position shown in fig2 , firing button stops 256 on the safety latch 250 are located distally of distal contact surface 255 on firing button 254 . firing button stops 256 on safety latch 250 are also located on either side of narrow flats 259 ( see fig1 ). smaller firing button outer diameter 258 is larger than the distance between firing button stops 256 . attempting to push firing button 254 distally will cause distal contact surface 255 to contact firing button stops 256 . the rigidity of the firing button stops 256 in the axial direction prevents further distal movement of the firing button and prevents inadvertent firing of the mechanism . after the user has determined the proper location in which to insert the piercer 70 of biopsy device 40 into a surgical patient , the user can now unlock and fire firing mechanism 160 . unlocking and firing the mechanism requires two separate actions , rotating the safety latch 250 and pressing the firing button 254 . the operator first grasps safety latch handle 249 to rotate safety latch 250 against the torque applied to it by safety latch torsion spring 251 ( not visible ). fig2 shows rotating safety latch 250 so that safety latch handle 249 travels from locked position safety latch stop 245 to unlocked position safety latch stop 243 which aligns firing button stops 256 with wide flats 261 on smaller firing button outer diameter 258 . since the distance between firing button stops 256 is larger than the distance between wide flats 261 , clearance now exists for wide flats 261 to pass between firing button stops 256 . safety latch 250 is now in the “ firing ” position . in the next step , the operator presses firing button 254 by placing force on cylindrical thumb pad 257 to urge firing button 254 distally . when firing button 254 is pressed , wide flats 261 move between firing button stops 256 allowing firing button 254 to proceed distally . firing button 254 , attached to firing button shaft 244 , pushes firing button shaft 244 distally . the roller 241 on firing button shaft 244 contacts the cam surface on firing latch 236 to rotate firing latch 236 so that firing latch hook 238 lifts out of firing fork shaft retainer 240 ( see fig1 ). once firing latch hook 238 is clear of firing fork shaft retainer 240 , main spring 217 drives firing fork shaft 168 distally carrying firing fork assembly 164 and piercer 70 of probe assembly 42 towards the target . distal motion of firing fork shaft 168 continues until shock pad 216 contacts distal interior wall 218 of base shell 38 ( see fig1 ). hall - effect switch 264 senses the departure of magnet 210 distally and communicates the departure to control unit 100 . after firing the firing mechanism 160 the user releases firing button 254 , then releases safety latch handle 249 . when the user releases firing button 254 , firing button shaft spring 247 forces firing button shaft 244 proximally . firing button 254 moves proximally as well , returning distal contact surface 255 and firing button smaller diameter 258 proximal of firing button stops 256 . the proximal movement of firing button 254 also places narrow flats 259 between firing button stops 256 . releasing safety latch handle 249 allows safety latch torsion spring 251 to rotate safety latch 250 back towards the locked position with safety latch handle 249 forced against locked position safety latch stop 245 . with only narrow flats 259 and wide fiats 261 between firing button stops 256 , safety latch 250 can freely rotate without interference from firing button stops 256 . when firing button shaft 244 travels proximally , the roller 241 of firing button shaft 244 and cammed surface of firing latch 236 separate ( see fig1 ). firing latch spring 246 then rotates firing latch 236 into a position where firing latch hook 238 is moved towards firing fork shaft 168 . an arming and firing cycle is now complete . firing assembly 160 has returned to the post - fired position depicted in fig1 and 15 . it should be noted that if , after firing , the user of the firing mechanism 160 does not release firing button 254 before releasing safety latch handle 249 , the mechanism still operates properly because of incorporated unique design features . when firing button 254 is in the distal , pressed position , smaller firing button outer diameter 258 is between firing button stops 256 . clearance for firing button stops 256 is made by alignment of firing button stops 256 with wide flats 261 . releasing safety latch handle 249 before releasing firing button 254 causes safety latch torsion spring 251 to rotate safety latch 250 back towards the locked position and causes firing button stops 256 to rotate out of alignment with wide flats 261 . when the firing button stops 256 rotate out of alignment with wide flats 261 smaller firing button outer diameter 258 comes between firing button stops 256 . smaller firing button outer diameter 258 is larger than the distance between firing button stops 256 . however , firing button stops 256 , designed to flex in the radial direction , separate by bending away from each other in the center when forced apart by smaller firing button outer diameter 258 . because of the radial flexibility of firing stops 256 , firing button stops 256 apply little force to smaller firing button outer diameter 258 . with little force applied , firing button 254 slides easily through firing button stops 256 while returning to the proximal position . firing button 254 returning to its proximal position brings smaller firing button outer diameter 258 between firing button stops 256 to allow safety latch 250 to continue to rotate back to the locked position . the difference in flexibility of the firing button stops radially and axially allows latching and release of triggering mechanism 235 regardless of order of operation of the components . rigidity in the axial direction stops inadvertent operation of firing button 254 and flexibility in the radial direction allows interference with smaller firing button outer diameter 258 while still maintaining smooth release operation . if desired , firing fork assembly 164 can be disassembled without tools from the rest of firing mechanism 160 and cleaned . before a subsequent firing , an operator can attach a clean firing fork assembly 164 by mating proximal spade end 196 with spade slot 198 and threading firing spacer 188 onto end fitting 166 . when assembling firing fork assembly 164 with the firing mechanism in the post - fired position , an assembler can use depth marker line 189 to ensure proper assembly . the assembler can check alignment of depth marker line 189 with the outside surface of base shell 38 . a depth marker line 189 aligned with base shell 38 denotes a proper assembly . a depth marker line 189 that is misaligned with base shell 38 could indicate an improper assembly such as cross threading of firing spacer 188 or incomplete tightening of firing spacer 188 . fig2 shows an alternate embodiment of firing fork assembly 164 . thumbscrew 191 threads into a threaded hole 187 on firing fork 62 . threaded hole 187 on firing fork 62 passes through to a larger counter bore hole with flats on either side , commonly called a double - d hole 213 . firing fork assembly 164 comprises thumbscrew 191 threaded onto firing fork 62 . undercut 195 has an outer diameter less than the minor diameter of threaded hole 187 on firing fork 62 and thus maintains clearance between threaded hole 187 and undercut 195 . thumbscrew 191 , after assembly to firing fork 62 , can thus turn freely on firing fork 62 utilizing the clearance between threaded hole 187 and undercut 195 . an alternate embodiment of firing fork shaft end fitting 166 , shown in fig2 , has end fitting flats 211 machined on either side of the second embodiment of end fitting 166 . end fitting 166 is welded to the distal end of firing fork shaft 168 . the configuration of end fitting 166 with end fitting flats 211 will accept double - d hole 213 of the alternate embodiment of firing fork 62 . use of end fitting flats 211 with double - d hole 213 prevents rotation of firing fork 62 relative to end fitting 166 and firing fork shaft 168 . the alternate embodiment of firing fork assembly 164 threads into alternate embodiment of end fitting 166 which is welded onto firing fork shaft 168 . the alternate embodiment end fitting 166 has a threaded internal diameter 193 to accept the threaded proximal end of thumbscrew 191 . thumbscrew 191 has a knurled , easily grasped surface so that the alternate embodiment of firing fork assembly 164 can be assembled and disassembled without the use of tools . dual four - bar mechanisms have been utilized in the present embodiment of the invention to facilitate ease of use by providing access by the user from either side of base 44 . a variation that would become evident to one skilled in the art after reading the description would be a single four - bar mechanism to create the firing mechanism . while preferred embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described herein , it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that such embodiments are provided by way of example only . numerous variations , changes , and substitutions will now occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the invention . accordingly , it is intended that the invention be limited only by the spirit and scope of the appended claims . | 0 |
the present invention comprises a unique method for forming a unique material from an expanded polytetrafluoroethylene ( ptfe ) material . the present invention may be better understood through a review of previous ptfe surface treatment techniques , as are illustrated in fig1 a through 3b and described below . an expanded ptfe surface treatment process is taught in u . s . pat . nos . 5 , 462 , 781 and 5 , 437 , 900 to zukowski . zukowski employs a plasma surface treatment process , in which the surface fibrils are removed to a selected depth to leave freestanding nodal ridges . the modification process taught by zukowski results in freestanding nodes on its surface that maintain their untreated , vertical orientation . fig1 a and b depict cross - section views of an expanded ptfe material before and after , respectively , a zukowski surface treatment . shown in fig1 a is an expanded ptfe surface 2 prior to the plasma treatment having typical nodes 4 interconnected by fibrils 6 . shown in fig1 b is an expanded ptfe surface 8 after the plasma treatment having the same nodes 4 and fibrils 6 in its depth , but having a modified surface with freestanding nodes 10 and open valleys 12 between them . surface fibrils have been removed by the plasma treatment to a selected depth . although having the cross - sectional appearance of a “ rough ” of textured surface , the freestanding nodes 10 are in actuality easily bent or deflected due to the lack of interconnecting fibrils or other support structure . the resulting treated surface has a soft , felt - like texture . such a treated surface affects the hydrophobicity , bondability , and appearance , but will not necessarily elicit an optimum tissue response due to the lack of true roughness . u . s . pat . nos . 4 , 550 , 447 and 4 , 647 , 416 to seiler , jr . et al ., teach a ptfe surface treatment process using a laser to partially scribe circumferentially through the wall of an un - expanded ptfe tube . the tube is subsequently expanded , resulting in densified , unexpanded ribs on the outer surface of the tube . the stiff , densified ridges may act as circumferential rings to improve the radial strength and kink resistance of the tube . the resulting wall cross section has a castellated ridge and valley appearance . shown in fig2 is what is believed to be a typical cross - section view of the wall of an expanded ptfe tube after processing as taught by seiler , jr . et al . shown are outer ridges 14 , valleys 16 , densified ridge portions 18 , and internal expanded ptfe 20 , having nodes 4 interconnected by fibrils 6 . although the macro - roughness has been increased by the presence of the stiff ridges 14 , the ridges are unexpanded and are thus non - porous . this process results in non - porous unexpanded ridges that may compromise or eliminate any tissue attachment and ingrowth into the ridges . u . s . pat . nos . 4 , 332 , 035 and 4 , 713 , 070 to mano teach an expanded ptfe treatment wherein differential heat is applied to opposing surfaces of a tubular wall . the process results in an alteration of the orientation of strength between the two walls . this difference in strength orientation increases the kink resistance and radial strength of the tube . also altered by the mano process is the surface texture of the tubular wall . it is believed that the process as taught by mano was utilized in the production of commercially available vascular grafts . results from an analysis of such a vascular graft are depicted in fig3 a and b . shown in fig3 a is a partial cross - section view of an outer surface of the vascular graft . shown is the treated vascular graft 22 , having a microstructure of nodes 4 interconnected by fibrils 6 , ridges 14 , and valleys 16 . the ridges 14 are comprised of angular , coalesced node groupings or clusters 24 . the valleys 16 have long fibrils 26 , which interconnect the angular , coalesced node groupings 24 . the ridges 14 are relatively stiff due to the interconnecting fibrils 28 present within the coalesced node clusters 24 . the interconnecting fibrils 28 within the node clusters preserve a degree of porosity . thus the node clusters typically have some porosity although less porosity than the valleys or untreated lower sections within the graft wall . although the surface “ roughness ” has been increased due to the relatively stiff coalesced node clusters , the valleys remain soft due to the long interconnecting fibrils 26 . thus the valleys resulting from the mano process are believed contribute little to the overall macro - roughness of the final device . the process as taught by mano also results in a random , undefined pattern of ridges and valleys . shown in fig3 b , is a partial cross - section view of an angular , coalesced node grouping 24 and angular node axes 30 . as can be seen by following angular node axis 30 , the axis 30 of the coalesced node articulate or bend between approximately 0 and 900 along the axis length . none of the above - described processes provides all the features that may be desired in an optimal surface - treated product . although incorporating various desirable aspects , the known processes do not generate an optimized and ordered surface texture having a high degree of macro - roughness along with a high degree of porosity along both the ridges and the valleys . the process of the present invention provides such an enhanced surface . [ 0038 ] fig4 a through 4e show enlarged partial cross - section views of an expanded ptfe surface at sequential stages that are believed to occur during the process of the present invention . precursor expanded ptfe material may take any of various forms , including material made in accordance with any of u . s . pat . nos . 3 , 953 , 566 , 3 , 962 , 153 , 4 , 096 , 227 , 4 , 187 , 390 , and 4 , 902 , 423 , all incorporated by reference . additionally , suitable precursor material is also commercially available from a number of sources in a wide variety of forms , including , for example , from w . l . gore & amp ; associates , inc ., elkton , md ., under the trademarks gore - tex ® and gore - tex ® gr gasketing materials , and from w . l . gore & amp ; associates , inc ., flagstaff , ariz ., under the trademarks gore - tex ®, dualmesh ®, and mycromesh ® implantable patch materials . it is believed preferred that the nodes of the precursor material be oriented substantially perpendicular to the surface to be treated . [ 0039 ] fig4 a is a partial cross - section view of an initial , untreated expanded ptfe material 2 having a microstructure of nodes 4 interconnected by fibrils 6 . [ 0040 ] fig4 b is a partial cross - section view of the expanded ptfe material 2 during the initial exposure to laser energy 32 . the initial exposure to the laser energy results in elongated fibrils 34 and shortened fibrils 36 . as shown in fig4 c , continued exposure to the laser energy results in the removal of the surface portion of some nodes , along with the removal of the elongated fibrils . thus a valley 40 is formed , along with a clustered , coalesced node structure 38 , interconnected with fibrils 6 . disposed on the valley floor is the initial formation of a rough , gnarled node structure 42 . as shown in fig4 d , continued application of the laser energy 32 results in the formation of a ridge 48 comprising coalesced nodes 46 interconnected by fibrils 6 . valleys 50 are formed having a microstructure of nodes 4 interconnected by fibrils 6 on valley floor 51 . irregularly shaped gnarled node structures 44 remain in the valleys 50 . shown in fig4 e is a partial cross - sectional view of an expanded ptfe surface after processing according to the present invention . shown are ridges 48 , valleys 50 , coalesced node clusters 46 , and the distorted , crooked , gnarled node structures 44 . laser energy for the present invention should be generated by an unfocused laser beam delivering sufficient energy to the ptfe surface to cause ptfe surface alteration in the manner described . specifically , it is preferred to use a co 2 laser with a wavelength output of about 10 . 6 microns . other lasers , such as eximer , yag , ruby , etc ., may also be suitable for use with the present invention . it is preferred that the laser beam is “ unfocused ” so that energy is delivered over a wider path than a fully focused beam . the preferred beam width at contact with the surface is less than about 1 mm to 3 mm or more , with the most preferred width being between about 1 . 5 and 3 mm . the amount of power delivered is a function of the speed of the laser beam &# 39 ; s passage over the ptfe surface . for slow laser treatment , for instance at a movement of about 10 inches ( 25 . 4 cm ) per minute , a low power laser down to about 20 watts may be acceptable . for fast production applications , for instance at a movement of about 500 inches ( 1 , 270 cm ) or more per second , a high powered laser up to about 1000 watts or more may be required . as a balance between speed and power , laser wattage of about 350 watts can treat at a rate of about 20 inches ( 50 . 8 cm ) per second . similarly , the pulse duration and spacing of the laser beam delivery may also be adjusted . laser settings may vary from a low of about 0 . 1 msec pulse duration at about 0 . 001 inch ( 0 . 254 mm ) spacing , up to continuous delivery ( for speeds above 200 inches ( 508 cm ) per minute . preferred delivery is about 1 . 5 msec pulse duration at about 0 . 005 inch ( 1 . 27 mm ) spacing . the characteristics and definition of a “ node cluster ” is further clarified by fig4 f . illustrated are valleys 50 and a ridge 48 that is primarily formed by a node cluster 46 . the node cluster 46 comprises nodes 4 interconnected by fibrils 6 . the nodes 4 within the node cluster 46 are interconnected with shortened fibrils 36 on the outer , or treated , surface and interconnected with longer , untreated fibrils 6 in the lower portions of the material . the shortened fibril length causes the fibrils to bend , deflect together , and coalesce on the outer surface , as depicted in fig4 f . the shortened fibrils 36 are at least 25 % shorter than the deeper untreated fibrils 6 . as the term “ node cluster ” is used herein , it is a grouping of at least 5 nodes , the nodes being significantly interconnected on the outer surface , with fibrils that are at least 25 % shorter ( and more preferably at least 50 % shorter ) than the interconnecting fibrils of the untreated lower surface . the exact form the “ gnarled nodes ” take may vary considerably from structure to structure due to differences in expanded ptfe precursor material and the exact processing parameters employed . as such , “ gnarled nodes ” may be identified as one or more of a number of similar structures that are defined below with reference to fig5 and 6a through 6 d . the characteristics and definition of a “ gnarled node structures ” may first be clarified by reference to fig5 . shown in fig5 is a partial cross - section view of a gnarled node structure 44 having an angular or bent longitudinal axis 52 . the angular or bent longitudinal axis 52 has a length that approximates the overall length of the gnarled node ( that is , the entire length of the node extending into ( and perhaps all the way through ) the material ( even beneath the floor of the valley )). the interconnecting fibrils 6 are absent along a substantial portion of the gnarled node length . a substantial portion of the gnarled node length is defined as more than 25 % of the entire length of the gnarled node , and more preferably 50 to 75 % or more of the entire length . the longitudinal axis 52 of the gnarled node also has at least two angular deflection points , or bends in the axis 54 . an “ angular deflection point ” is defined as a bend or change of direction of at least 30 degrees of the node longitudinal axis . thus a “ gnarled node ” can be identified as a node having at least two angular deflection points of at least 30 degrees along its longitudinal axis and being devoid of interconnecting fibrils along at least 25 % of the entire node length . [ 0049 ] fig6 a provides a further description of a “ gnarled node .” shown in fig6 a is a partial cross - sectional view of a gnarled node structure 44 having an angular or bent longitudinal axis 52 . again , the angular or bent longitudinal axis 52 has a length that approximates the overall length of the gnarled node . the interconnecting fibrils 6 are absent along a length of the gnarled node . the portion of the gnarled node length that is devoid of interconnecting fibrils is as least as long as ( and , as is described below , can be even longer than ) the approximate height 56 of an adjacent ridge . again , the longitudinal axis 52 also has at least two angular deflection points or bends in the axis 54 , of at least 30 degrees of the node longitudinal axis . thus a gnarled node may also be identified as a node having at least two angular deflection points along its longitudinal axis , and the node being devoid of interconnecting fibrils along a length at least equal to the height of an adjacent ridge . surprisingly it has been determined that many gnarled nodes have a longitudinal axis length that is actually longer than the height of adjacent ridges . it is believed that this occurs as an artifact of the laser distortion process described in reference to fig4 a through 4f , above , whereby the gnarled nodes are first stretched during laser treatment before breaking loose from the adjacent ridges to become freestanding . as a result , a gnarled node can be further identified as a node having a protruding ( that is , exposed ) length that is longer than the approximate height of an adjacent ridge 56 and the node being substantially devoid of fibrils along its protruding length . the “ approximate height of an adjacent ridge ” is further clarified and defined by fig6 b and 6c , which show valleys 50 having an irregular or uneven valley surface or floor . in these or similar configurations having uneven valley floors , the height of an adjacent ridge 56 may be approximated by establishing an average valley floor plane 57 . the average valley floor plane 57 can be visually determined by enlarged visual inspection approximating a plane at a depth equal to the average height of the valley floor nodes , which do not include gnarled nodes , as illustrated in fig6 b and 6c . shown in fig6 d are a ridge 48 , a valley 50 , an average valley floor plane 57 , and a gnarled node 44 . the gnarled node 44 has a partial longitudinal axis 58 that transverses the portion of the gnarled node protruding from the average valley floor plane 57 . thus , the length of the axis 58 defines the protruding length of the gnarled node measured from the average valley floor plane 57 . again , the axis 58 has angular deflection points 54 , as previously defined . accordingly , a gnarled node may also be determined as a node having at least two angular deflection points along its longitudinal axis , and the node being substantially devoid of interconnecting fibrils along its protruding length . groupings of adjacent gnarled nodes may have the additional attribute of being twisted , entwined , and / or interlocked together . this interaction of adjacent gnarled nodes can add additional degrees of stiffness , macro - roughness , and texturing to a small cluster or grouping of gnarled nodes . by way of example , in a preferred embodiment of the present invention , gore - tex ® soft tissue patch , available from w . l . gore and associates , inc ., flagstaff , ariz ., is used as an expanded ptfe precursor material for the process of the present invention . the expanded ptfe patch material is initially placed onto a fixture having vertical pins located along the periphery of the patch material to be treated . the patch material is forced over and punctured by the periphery pins on the holding fixture . the patch material is thus constrained from significant contraction and is maintained in an essentially planer state . the fixture and patch are then located onto a laser . a preferred laser is an 80 watt co 2 laser , procured from laser machining , inc ., 500 laser drive , somerset , wis ., 54025 , model number c - 42 . such a laser has a directed energy , or laser beam output . the approximate , preferred process parameters are set as follows : output power of 70 watts , cutting head vacuum of 30 mbar , pulse spacing of 0 . 13 mm ( 0 . 005 ″) and pulse duration of 1 . 5 milliseconds . the focusing , or final lens set , is removed , resulting in an “ unfocused ” laser beam having an approximate diameter of about 2 . 5 mm ( 0 . 1 ″). the laser beam is still highly collimated and the removal of the focusing lenses eliminates the highly focused , convergence of the beam , which is normally used in cutting or welding applications . the approximate distance between the laser beam turn - down mirror and the sheet being treated is determined by the specific laser used and in a preferred case is about 40 cm . a specific pattern is then used to expose the constrained patch material to the laser beam . as is explained in greater detail below , the exact pattern to be applied may be take a variety of forms . one possible exposure pattern is a serpentine path having a pattern center to center spacing of approximately 3 . 8 mm ( 0 . 15 ″) and table motion speed of approximately 2 . 5 m / min ( 100 ″/ min .). one serpentine path comprises essentially parallel , straight - line segments , over the patch area to be treated and 180 ° turns , of approximate 3 . 8 mm ( 0 . 15 ″) diameter , occurring outside of the patch area to be treated . the laser is cycled off during the 180 ° turns . thus the patch material is exposed to a laser energy pattern of essentially straight , parallel repeating lines . the resulting expanded ptfe treated surface has a linear striping (“ ribbed ”) appearance . the process of the present invention can be employed to establish ridge and valley structures of a wide variety of shapes and dimensions . in the example above , the final ribbed structure has a ridge height ( or valley depth ) of about 0 . 3 mm ( 0 . 01 inch ) and a centerline to centerline distance between ridges of about 3 . 8 mm ( 0 . 15 inch ). for implantable patch material in most cases , it is believed to be generally preferred to have ribbed material dimensions with a ridge height of about 0 . 1 to 1 mm ( 0 . 004 to 0 . 04 inch ) and a centerline to centerline distance between ridges of about 0 . 2 to 13 mm ( 0 . 01 to 0 . 5 inch ). shown in fig7 is a typical top surface view of an expanded ptfe sheet after being exposed to a treatment of the present invention . shown are ridges 48 , valleys 50 , and angular clusters of gnarled nodes 60 . the laser exposure essentially occurred over the valleys , parallel to the vertical axis 62 . present on , and projecting from , the valley floors are clusters of gnarled nodes 60 , oriented approximately 45 degrees to the vertical axis 62 . the 45 ° orientation of the valley node clusters renders a “ herringbone ” appearance to the treated surface . this angular orientation of the gnarled node clusters also imparts a “ directionality ” to specific physical properties of the treated surface . for example , the static and sliding friction can vary depending upon the direction of relative motion between the treated sheet and another material . for example , coefficients of friction will vary if a material is moved “ along with ” or “ against ” the direction of the herringbone pattern , as depicted by axis 62 . the coefficients of friction will also be affected if the relative motion is along axis 64 compared to axis 62 . thus different coefficients of friction can be derived depending upon the directions of relative motion . other physical properties having a “ directionality ” relative to the treated surface , or being affected by the treated surface , may include , but are not limited to , liquid roll - off angle , flow turbulence or resistance , sound reflection or abatement , abrasion , ablation , bond peel strength , mass transfer and heat transfer . in addition the absorption , reflectance or transmission of electromagnetic energy , including the visible spectrum , can be altered or have “ directionality ” imparted to , by the surface treatment of the present invention . the laser treatment process parameters can be manipulated to produce other patterns and textures . the focusing lenses may be replaced and the process of the present invention can be used to generate finely detailed , small geometry patterns . shown in fig8 a through 8i , are various patterns that may be used to treat surfaces according to the present invention . shown in fig8 a is a serpentine laser pattern 70 and a typical surface outline 72 . shown in fig8 b through 8i are alternate examples of possible patterns . shown in fig8 b through 8e are serpentine , wave - like and two axes crossing patterns 70 used to generate specific textures or patterns . a mask can be used to expose and generate a wide variety of patterns . for example , a stainless steel mask , having an array of circular holes , can be placed over the sheet material prior to laser exposure , generating a pattern as shown in fig8 f . alternately , shaped masking holes can generate patterns such as depicted in fig8 g . exposure patterns can also include alpha and numeric symbols for lot numbers , part numbers , dates , etc ., such as depicted in fig8 h . in addition , symbols , such as trademarks , logos , etc ., can be generated and textured onto a surface , as shown in fig8 i . multiple patterns of exposure can be utilized , for example the pattern of fig8 b can be superimposed onto the pattern of fig8 f . the process of the present invention is not limited to planer surfaces . the unfocused laser beam is relatively insensitive to the distance between the laser turn - down mirror and the surface being treated , therefore the laser has a long “ depth of field ” along the vertical axis . the process of the present invention is therefore well suited for the treatment of highly irregular , three - dimensional surfaces . by the incorporation of additional controlled motion axes , forms such as tubes , rods or items with polygon shaped cross - sections can be treated using the process of the present invention . [ 0062 ] fig9 a through d are scanning electron microscope ( s . e . m .) photographs , showing various expanded ptfe surfaces treated by the process of the present invention . these s . e . m . s illustrate the ridges 48 , valleys 50 , coalesced nodes 46 , fibrils 6 , and gnarled nodes 44 of the present invention . shown in fig1 , is an implantable patch or sheet 80 being placed in a sub - dermal location in a patient during a tissue repair procedure . shown is tissue 82 , tissue retractors 84 , suture needle 86 , and suture 88 . the outside ( or dermal ) surface 90 of the repair patch 80 has been treated by the process of the present invention . the opposing surface 92 has also been treated by the process of the present invention . the treated surfaces 90 , 92 have both a highly porous node and fibril microstructure along with a high degree of texturing or roughness . the treated surfaces thus encourage and promote rapid tissue ingrowth and attachment , which anchors and secures the repair sheet 80 to the tissue 82 . the ingrowth therefore enhances the attachment strength of the repair sheet to the tissue , beyond that of the sutures alone . it should be evident from the above description that the present invention has a wide variety of possible uses in numerous applications , including in medical , industrial , electronic , and consumer products . other changes and modifications of the present invention may be incorporated without departing from its intent . for instance , although microporosity can be maintained in the process of the present invention , it may be desirable in certain applications to partially or completely fill the microporous structure to provide other desirable features ( such as liquid impermeability ). while particular embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described herein , the present invention should not be limited to such illustrations and descriptions . it should be apparent that changes and modifications may be incorporated and embodied as part of the present invention within the scope of the following claims . | 8 |
referring to fig1 of the drawings , a power train control module ( pcm ) 1 is a device which integrates a control unit for controlling an engine of a vehicle and a control unit for controlling an automatic transmission of the vehicle . power train is a term for representing the drive system comprising the engine and the transmission . the pcm 1 comprises a cpu 3 , rom 4 , various non - volatile memories including a ram 5 and an i / o interface 6 , and the cpu3 controls the power train according to a control program stored in the rom 4 . the rom 4 comprises a flash memory which permits write and erase , or an electric erasable programmable rom ( eeprom ). the contents of the rom 4 are updated by an external tool 2 connected to the pcm 1 via a serial cable 7 . the external tool 2 comprises a microcomputer comprising a cpu , memory and i / o interface . the serial cable 7 is applied only for the purpose of updating the contents of the rom 4 . in other situations , the serial cable 7 is not present and the control of the power train by the pcm 1 is performed when there is no connection to the external tool 2 . the non - volatile ram 5 comprises a static random access memory ( sram ) or a dynamic ram ( dram ) which continues operating due to battery current even after the engine has stopped . the control of the power train performed by the pcm 1 also comprises control of the above - mentioned engine idle rotation speed . the values related to learning control of the engine idle rotation speed are stored by the non - volatile ram 5 after the engine has stopped , and are applied when the engine is run on the next occasion . in this pcm 1 , information such as a learning experience flag showing whether a learnt value was updated from an initial value and a value of an update frequency counter showing a learnt value update state , is stored along with the learnt value in the non - volatile ram 5 . when for example a bug is discovered in the idle rotation speed control program , there is a need to replace the program with a new version in which the bug has been fixed . in such a case , the external tool 2 is connected to the pcm 1 by the serial cable 7 as shown in fig1 data for updating the program in the rom 4 are transmitted to the pcm 1 from the external tool 2 , and the control program stored by the rom 4 is updated to a new version . this updating is performed in a state where the ignition switch of the vehicle is on without removing the pcm 1 from the vehicle . the pcm 1 determines whether or not the updating of the learnt value has been performed from the above - mentioned learning experience flag , and when the learnt value has been updated , a signal prohibiting updating of the rom 4 is transmitted to the external tool 2 . on the other hand when the learnt value has not been updated , i . e . when the initial value is simply maintained as the learnt value , updating of the rom 4 is permitted and the control program is updated . next , exchange of signals between the external tool 2 and pcm 1 is described . when the rom 4 is to be updated , a security check is first performed between the external tool 2 and pcm 1 . this security check is the exchange of a code that is performed before memory updating so that only an authorized person can update the contents of the rom 4 . in the pcm 1 , updating of the contents of the rom 4 is prohibited in a default state . when a prohibition removal code is sent to the pcm 1 from the external tool 2 , the pcm 1 compares this code with prestored data , and when it coincides with the prestored data the prohibition of the memory updating is removed and a signal informing the fact is transmitted to the outside tool 2 . this completes the security check . when the correct external tool 2 is not used , the prohibition of the memory updating is not removed because the code does not coincide . after the security check is complete , a memory updating request signal is then sent to the pcm 1 by the external tool 2 . when this signal is received , the pcm 1 executes a memory updating request signal receive process shown in the flowchart of fig3 . this process is performed at an interval of ten milliseconds . first , in a step s1 , it is determined whether or not a memory updating request signal was received . when the updating request signal was received , it is determined in a step s2 whether or not the prohibition of memory updating has been removed . when either of the determination results of the steps s1 and s2 is negative , the process is terminated without performing subsequent processing . when both the determination results of the steps s1 and s2 are affirmative , in a step s3 , it is determined whether or not the learnt value stored in the non - volatile ram 5 has been updated . this is done by determining the value of the aforementioned learning experience flag . during idle rotation speed control , due to intake throttle opening errors , auxiliary air valve flowrate characteristic errors , bypass flowpath surface area errors or time dependent deterioration of a control mechanism , a constant deviation may occur between a target rotation speed and a true rotation speed . the learnt value is a means of absorbing this steady deviation by experience . for example , when the flow coefficient of the auxiliary air valve is smaller than a standard value , the idle rotation speed will always be lower than the target value due to insufficient auxiliary air volume . in feedback control of idle rotation speed , it is attempted to eliminate this deviation by supplying a feedback signal which always tends to correct the opening of the auxiliary air valve in the direction of larger opening , to a step motor which opens and closes the auxiliary air valve . this feedback signal is learned , and by supplying the learnt value which has converged , to a step motor beforehand , the idle rotation speed is controlled to a target value immediately after engine startup . when this learnt value is updated even on one occasion , the pcm 1 modifies the learning experience flag from &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; to &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ;. the aforementioned updating frequency counter is also incremented whenever the learnt value is updated . as this flag and counter value are stored in the non - volatile ram 5 , it can be determined from the flags and counter value whether or not the learnt value has been updated . as a result , when the learning experience flag = 0 or the learning update frequency counter = 0 , the routine proceeds to a step s4 and a memory update permission signal is returned to the external tool 2 . when the learning experience flag = 1 or the learning update frequency counter = 1 or more , a memory update prohibiting signal is returned to the external tool 2 in a step s5 . the determination performed in the step s3 as to whether or not the learnt value is updated may be based either on the learning experience flag or the learning update frequency counter . however if the routine is allowed to proceed to step s3 only when both are 0 , confirmation that learnt value has not been updated from their initial value is more reliable . when the aforesaid memory update request signal receive process is executed by the pcm 1 , and a memory update permission signal is consequently output to the external tool 2 , the external tool 2 executes a memory update permission signal receive process . next , this process will be described referring to fig4 . this process is also executed at an interval of ten milliseconds . first , in a step s11 , the memory update permission signal is determined . when the memory update permission signal is received , memory updating data are transmitted to the pcm 1 in a step s12 . when the update permission signal is not received , or when the memory update prohibiting signal is received , the process is terminated without performing any operation . referring again to fig2 when the pcm 1 receives memory updating data , it updates the contents of the rom 4 by the received data . a new control program is stored in the rom 4 of the pcm 1 due to this updating . when this updating is complete , the pcm 1 again prohibits the updating of the contents of the rom 4 which was once permitted , and transmits an updating termination signal to the outside tool 2 . upon receipt of this signal , the external tool 2 verifies that updating of rom 4 is complete . by thus permitting updating the contents of rom 4 only when the learnt value has not been updated from the initial value , response delay of idle rotation speed control due to application of the initial value to the learnt value is prevented . a second embodiment of this invention will now be described referring to fig5 . this flowchart is similar to the process of fig3 of the aforesaid first embodiment . a difference from the first embodiment is the addition of a step s21 . when the learnt value is determined to be updated in the step s3 , in the step s21 , the learnt value is initialized to the initial value , and the learning experience flag and learning update frequency counter are each reset to 0 . the memory update prohibiting signal is then transmitted to the external tool 2 in the step s5 . therefore , when this process is next executed , it is determined that the learnt value is not updated in step s3 , and the memory update permission signal is transmitted to the external tool 2 in the step s4 . when the rom 4 is updated without asking for learnt value as in the prior art device , the learnt value is reset to the initial value at a time point when the updated control program first operates . in this embodiment , the learnt value is returned to its initial value before the updating of the control program . when the learning value returns to its initial value , the step number output from the pcm 1 to the step motor which operates an auxiliary air valve varies , and the opening of an auxiliary air valve varies accordingly . however , due to a delay in the operation of the step motor and auxiliary air valve , a predetermined operating time elapses from output of the signal to when the opening changes . in the prior art device , as the learnt value is initialized immediately after the updated control program starts , the auxiliary air valve still has an opening corresponding to the learnt value before initialization at the time point when the updated control program operates . although learning is performed in this state , the learnt value begins to converge only after the auxiliary air valve has an opening corresponding to the initial value . according to the second embodiment , a time of ten milliseconds elapses after the learnt value was initialized until updating of the memory is permitted . further , as the contents of the rom 4 are updated after memory updating is permitted , more time elapses until the updated control program functions . therefore during this interval , the opening of the auxiliary air valve is changed to a position corresponding to the initial value . as a result , less time is required for convergence of the learnt value after update of the program as compared to the prior art device . a third embodiment of this invention will now be described referring to fig6 and 7 . the flowchart of fig6 is similar to that of fig5 and the flowchart of fig7 is similar to that of fig4 . a difference between this embodiment and the second embodiment is that in the rom updating request signal receive process performed by the pcm 1 , steps s31 , s32 are provided before the step s21 . specifically , in the step s31 , a difference between the learnt value and initial value is calculated when the learnt value is determined to be updated in the step s3 . it the step s32 , this difference is transmitted to the external tool 2 . in the step s21 the learnt value is returned to the initial value , and the learning experience flag and learning update frequency counter are reset to 0 respectively . then , a memory update prohibiting signal is transmitted to the external tool 2 in the step s5 . on the other hand , in the rom update permission signal process performed by the external tool 2 , new steps s41 and s42 are provided between the step s11 and s12 . in the step s41 , it is determined whether or not the difference between a learnt value and initial value was received from the pcm 1 . when it was received , a correction according to this difference is applied to the memory updating data in the step s42 . the corrected memory updating data are transmitted to the pcm 1 in the step s12 . for example , assume that the learnt value before initialization is 55h and the initial value is ffh . h on the far right edge of these values is a symbol indicating a hexadecimal number , the two left - hand digits indicating the value . therefore , 55h corresponds to 85 and ffh corresponds to 256 in decimal notation . ffh - 55h = aah , which is the difference between these two values , is transmitted to the external tool 2 . the external tool 2 subtracts aah from ffh which is the initial value , and the result 55h is stored in the storage location of the initial value of the learnt value set in the memory updating data . then , at a point in time when the updated control program first operates , the learnt value in the non - volatile ram 5 of the pcm 1 is initialized to 55h . when the initial value is ooh , the learnt value is equal to the difference . in this case , the calculation in the step s31 of fig6 may be omitted and the learnt value may directly be transmitted to the external tool 2 as the difference between the learnt value and the initial value . this value is then stored in the storage location of the initial value in the step s42 of fig7 . according to this embodiment , after updating of the rom 4 , the learnt value obtained before updating of the rom 4 is reflected in the initial value of the learnt value applied when the control program first operates . therefore , even when the control program in the rom 4 is updated while a learnt value different from the initial value is in the non - volatile ram 5 , precise idle rotation speed control is assured from the first time when the updated program operates . a difference in the handling of the initial value of the learnt value in the aforesaid second and third embodiments will now be described with reference to fig8 a , 8b and fig9 a , 9b . for example , consider the case where parts a and b of a control program x have a bug . in both cases , these bugs are corrected due to updating of the rom 4 by the external tool 2 . ( 1 ) the effect of the bug extends to the learnt value ( case of fig8 a ), ( 2 ) the effect of the bug does not extend to the learnt value ( case of fig8 b ). it will be assumed that bug a is of type ( 1 ), and bug b is of type ( 2 ). consider the case where there are no production error and time dependent deterioration in the auxiliary air valve and the step motor . if the learnt value before performing update of the program is 55h while the initial value of the learnt value is ffh , the learnt value is incorrect due to incorrect learning as a result of bug a . in this case , the learnt value should not be preserved . according to the second embodiment , after updating the program , the learnt value in the non - volatile ram 5 is initialized to the initial value ffh as shown in fig8 b , and the incorrect learnt value due to bug a is therefore eliminated by updating the control program of the rom 4 . on the other hand , as bug b does not lead to incorrect learning , it is desirable to save the learnt value in order to maintain continuity of control before and after update of the control program . the third embodiment meets this demand . as shown in fig9 b , the learnt value 55h before update is stored as it is in the non - volatile ram 5 even after updating of the control program stored in the rom 4 . according to the first embodiment , if the learnt value in the non - volatile ram 5 is updated , updating of the rom 4 is not performed and therefore the learnt value is not initialized , but there are less opportunities for updating the rom 4 . the aforementioned embodiments described the case where the idle rotation speed of an engine is controlled through an auxiliary air valve and step motor , however this invention may more generally be applied to all control units which control actuators including a control unit for an automatic transmission . | 5 |
hereinafter , exemplary embodiments will be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings . exemplary embodiments are described herein with reference to cross - sectional illustrations that are schematic illustrations of exemplary embodiments ( and intermediate structures ). as such , variations from the shapes of the illustrations as a result , for example , of manufacturing techniques and / or tolerances , are to be expected . thus , exemplary embodiments should not be construed as limited to the particular shapes of regions illustrated herein but may be to include deviations in shapes that result , for example , from manufacturing . in the drawings , lengths and sizes of layers and regions may be exaggerated for clarity . like reference numerals in the drawings denote like elements . it is also understood that when a layer is referred to as being “ on ” another layer or substrate , it can be directly on the other or substrate , or intervening layers may also be present . referring to fig2 , a word line 110 extending to a first direction is formed on the semiconductor substrate 100 through a conventional method . an insulating layer 115 is formed in a space between word lines 110 to insulate adjacent word lines 110 from each other . a semiconductor layer 125 is formed on the semiconductor substrate including the word line 110 . the semiconductor layer 125 may include a polysilicon layer , an amorphous layer , or a crystalline silicon layer . the semiconductor layer 125 may be an intrinsic semiconductor layer or a semiconductor layer doped with first conductivity type impurities , for example , n - type impurities . subsequently , impurities are implanted into the exposed semiconductor layer 125 to perform a diode operation . when the semiconductor layer 125 is an intrinsic layer , for example , n - type impurities are ion - implanted into a lower region of the semiconductor layer 125 as a target , and p - type impurities are ion - implanted into an upper region of the semiconductor layer 125 as a target . when the semiconductor layer 125 is an n - doped layer , p - type impurities are ion - implanted into the upper region of the semiconductor layer 125 as a target . therefore , the semiconductor layer 125 is divided into a high concentration p - type impurity region , a low concentration p - type impurity region , a low concentration n - type impurity region , and a high concentration n - type impurity region from a top thereof to a bottom thereof . a barrier layer 120 may be interposed between the semiconductor layer 125 and the word line 110 and a barrier layer 130 may be also formed on the semiconductor layer 125 . in the exemplary embodiment , for clarity , the barrier layer 120 disposed below the semiconductor layer 125 may be referred to as a lower barrier layer 120 and the barrier layer 130 disposed on the semiconductor layer 125 may be referred to as an upper barrier layer 130 . each of the upper and lower barrier layers 130 and 120 may include titanium / titanium nitride ( ti / tin ), but the upper and lower barrier layers 130 and 120 are not limited thereto . various materials serving as a conductive barrier may be used as the upper and lower barrier layers 130 and 120 . a phase - change material layer 135 , a connection layer 140 , and a hard mask layer 150 are sequentially formed on the upper barrier layer 130 . the phase - change material layer 135 may include a chalcogenide material containing ge , sb , and / or te . the connection layer 140 may include the same material as an upper electrode to be formed in a subsequent process . referring to fig3 , a mask pattern ( not shown ) is formed on a hard mask layer 150 through a spt method , and the hard mask layer 150 is etched in the same shape as the mask pattern to form a hard mask layer pattern 150 a . as illustrated in fig1 , in the spt method , a sacrificial pattern 210 is formed on the layer 200 to be etched , and spacers 220 are formed on both sides of the sacrificial pattern 210 through a conventional spacer forming method . as illustrated in fig1 , the sacrificial pattern 210 is removed , and the etched pattern 200 a is formed using the remaining spacers 210 as a mask . therefore , the hard mask layer pattern 150 a in the exemplary embodiment may correspond to the etched pattern 200 a of fig1 . referring back to fig3 , the connection layer 140 , the phase - change material layer 135 , and the upper barrier layer 130 below the hard mask layer pattern 150 a are sequentially patterned using the hard mask layer pattern 150 a obtained the above - described spt method . a structure including the connection layer pattern 140 a , phase - change material layer pattern 135 a , and upper barrier layer pattern 130 a has a line pattern shape extending to the first direction ( for example , a direction parallel to the word line ). the structure having the line pattern shape ( hereinafter , referred to as a phase - change line ) may be disposed to correspond to the word line 110 therebelow parallel to the word line . referring to fig4 , heat - resistance spacers 155 are formed on the sidewalls of the phase - change line extending to the first direction through a conventional method . the heat - resistance spacers 155 may be provided to protect the phase - change material layer pattern 135 a . the heat - resistance spacers 155 are formed on the sidewalls of the phase - change material layer pattern 135 a to prevent heat from moving to adjacent cells in phase - change . the heat - resistance spacers 155 may include a silicon nitride layer . referring to fig5 , the underlying semiconductor layer 125 and the lower barrier layer 120 are patterned using the heat - resistance spacers 155 and the hard mask layer pattern 150 a as a mask to form a diode line 125 a and a lower barrier layer pattern 120 a . the diode line 125 a is disposed on the word line 110 , and the hard mask layer pattern 150 a may be removed in the patterning process to expose the connection layer pattern 140 a . as illustrated in fig6 , an interlayer insulating layer 160 is buried between diode lines 125 a and the phase - change lines . a surface planarization is performed on the buried interlayer insulating layer 160 . referring to fig7 , an upper metal layer 165 is formed on the semiconductor substrate including the planarized interlayer insulating layer 160 . the upper metal layer 165 is electrically connected to the exposed connection layer pattern 140 a . referring to fig8 , a mask pattern ( not shown ) is formed on the upper metal layer 165 using the spt method illustrated in fig1 and 12 , and the upper metal layer 165 is patterned in the same shape as the mask pattern to define the bit line 165 a . the phase - change line exposed by the bit line 165 a is removed to define a phase - change line pattern . the phase - change line pattern includes a second connection layer pattern 140 b , a second phase - change material layer pattern 135 b , and a second upper barrier layer pattern 130 b ( see fig1 ). phase - change line patterns are separated between cells . as illustrated in fig9 , the semiconductor layer 125 a exposed by the bit line 165 a is partially etched . the partial etching process is a process that etches a partial thickness of a total thickness of a film . in the exemplary embodiment , only a portion of the exposed semiconductor layer 125 a corresponding to the high concentration p - type impurity region is etched to form a semiconductor layer 125 c . fig1 is a cross - sectional view illustrating the phase - change memory device taken along line y - y ′ of fig9 . as illustrated in fig1 , the semiconductor layer 125 c ( hereinafter , referred to as a high concentration p - type layer ) corresponding to the patterned high concentration p - type impurity region serves as a heating electrode in the phase - change memory device , a low concentration p - type impurity region 125 b - 3 , a low concentration n - type impurity region 125 b - 2 , and a high concentration n - type impurity region 125 b - 1 together serve as a line - shaped diode 125 b . specifically , as illustrated in fig1 , since the high concentration p - type layer 125 c corresponds to a substantial conductive layer , the node separation between cells is done through the partial patterning of the high concentration p - type impurity region . in particular , since a semiconductor layer such as a polysilicon layer has superior heating characteristics , the polysilicon layer may be used as a heating electrode of the phase - change memory device . on the other hand , even when the low concentration p - type impurity region 125 b - 3 and the n - type impurity regions 125 b - 2 and 125 b - 1 are not patterned , but remain in a line shape , there is no electrical issue . as known , in the pn junction , current flows from a p - type impurity region to an n - type impurity region when a threshold voltage or more is applied , while current does not flow from the n - type impurity region to the p - type impurity region unless a breakdown voltage or more is applied . therefore , even when a specific cell operates , a diode operation does not occur in other cells adjacent to the specific cell and disturbance is not caused . further , since the line - shaped low concentration p - type impurity region , low concentration n - type impurity region , and high concentration n - type impurity region extend parallel to the word line , an electric issue is not caused even when a corresponding word line is selected . therefore , in the exemplary embodiment , since the phase - change material layer and the heating electrode layer ( high concentration p - type impurity region ) are separately etched in different steps , the pattern leaning and positive slope occurring in etching of a thick film are not caused and a phase - change error may be reduced . further , as in the related art , since the phase - change layer , heating electrode , and diode layer are not collectively etched , a processing time may be considerably reduced . the above embodiment of the present invention is illustrative and not limitative . various alternatives and equivalents are possible . the invention is not limited by the embodiment described herein . nor is the invention limited to any specific type of semiconductor device . other additions , subtractions , or modifications are obvious in view of the present disclosure and are intended to fall within the scope of the appended claims . | 7 |
the conveying apparatus shown by way of example is intended for conveying articles in the shape of flat plates through a succession of processing stations comprising a row of six tanks which hold baths into which the plates are to be dipped . in fig1 and 3 , such plates are indicated in phantom lines and designated by s . in the interest of simplicity of illustration , the row of tanks is shown only in fig2 and 3 where it is designated by t . while it is being conveyed through the processing stations , that is , from one end of the row of tanks t to the other , each plate s is held by an article carrier in the shape of a slider 11 having a plate holder 12 provided with two clamps 12a , 12b . the sliders 11 are moved in a circulatory system in a manner described in greater detail below . the conveying apparatus comprises eight lifting devices 13a - 13h . each lifting device operates to displace a slider 11 vertically between an upper position and a lower position ; in fig1 one slider 11 , namely the slider shown together with the lifting device 13d , is in the lower position , while the other sliders are in the upper position , see also fig3 . the lifting devices are arranged in a row by the side of the row of tanks t along one of the long sides of a frame 14 which is rectangular in plan view and in elevation . associated with the first lifting device 13a is a feed storage rack mi which is adapted to hold a stack , positioned edgeways , of plates s to be conveyed through the processing stations of the plate treating installation so as to be treated in them . from this storage rack the plates are picked one by one by the plate holders 12 with the aid of the lifting device 13a . a discharge storage rack mu is associated with the last lifting device 13h and adapted to receive the treated plates . each lifting device comprises a vertical guideway formed of a pair of parallel guide bars 15 supporting a sliding head 16 to which a slider support 17 is attached . the sliding head 16 is movable along the vertical guideway by means of a fluid pressure cylinder 18 to displace a slider 11 positioned on the slider support 17 between the upper and lower positions . as shown in the drawings , each slider support 17 comprises a slightly inclined plate having a horizontal upper edge 17a . a slider positioned on the slider support is horizontally movable along this upper edge which thus forms a section of a track for the slider . moreover , the sliders and the slider supports are shaped and arranged such that a slider can at any time , in one single manipulation by an operator , be unhooked or removed in some other way from the slider support on which it is supported at that time . from fig1 it is seen that the slider supports are very closely spaced in the longitudinal direction of the frame 14 , so that the track sections of adjacent slider supports positioned at the same level follow one upon the other almost without any intervening gap or , in other words , so that a slider positioned on one slider support can be moved directly over to the adjacent slider support . this is true both when the adjacent slider supports are in the upper position and when they are in the lower position . sliders 11 positioned on the slider supports 17 which are in the upper position are displaced or advanced by means of a fluid pressure cylinder 20 and a horizontal driving bar 21 which is connected to the piston rod of the cylinder and extends along one of the upper lateral members of the frame 14 . the driving bar 21 is provided with a number of pivotable driving lugs 22 , one for each slider support 17 except the one belonging to the last lifting device 13a , and is reciprocable by means of the cylinder 20 over a distance slightly longer than the distance between the vertical center lines of adjacent slider supports . the position of the zone in which the driving bar 21 is reciprocated and the arrangement of the driving lugs 22 on the driving bar are such that when the driving bar is moved forwardly , to the right in fig1 the driving lugs engage a finger 12c on a slider 11 located on the respective associated slider support 17 and push the slider over to a predetermined position on the next slider support . upon retraction of the driving bar the driving lugs are pivoted upwardly by the fingers of the respective next succeeding sliders and then return to the driving position in readiness for the next forward movement of the driving bar . as a slider 11 is advanced from one slider support to the next slider and is received in the predetermined position on the latter , its finger 12c actuates a sensor k which is in the shape of an electric switch in the illustrated embodiment . as a consequence , a control system of the conveying apparatus -- a portion of this control system is shown diagrammatically in fig5 -- triggers a vertical displacement , downwardly in this case , of the receiving slider support . an upward vertical displacement is then triggered when a set time has elapsed after the triggering of the downward movement . fig5 is a simplified illustration of a portion of the above - mentioned control system , namely a portion that is operative to control the vertical displacement of a single slider ; all sliders are controlled in substantially the same manner . in fig5 the just - mentioned sensor is represented by a normally open switch ( microswitch ) k1 . when this switch is closed as a result of the actuation of the sensor by the slider finger 12c , current can pass both through a relay r1 , which then closes a contact r1a and thereby completes a circuit through a solenoid valve m1 and which simultaneously closes a holding contact r1b , and through a timing relay t1 , which completes a holding circuit of relay r1 through its holding contact r1b . the energization of the solenoid valve m1 causes this valve to pass fluid pressure to one side of the cylinder 18 so that the slider support 17 is moved downwardly . when the time set for the timing relay t1 has elapsed , this relay opens the holding circuit of the relay r1 which in turn interrupts the energization of the solenoid valve m1 so that this valve causes the fluid pressure cylinder 18 to return the slider support 17 , to the upper position . during the downward movement of the slider support 17 the slider is displaced a short distance forwardly ( to the right when viewed as in fig1 ) because the slider finger 12c engages a stationary camming member c on the lifting device . such a camming member c is provided on all lifting devices 13a - 13h but is shown in fig1 only at the lifting device 13d . if , for one reason or other , the slider should have been moved rearwardly when the upward movement takes place , the camming member c causes the slider to move forwardly again a sufficient distance to ensure that the slider finger 12c does not engage the sensor k in the final phase of the upward movement ; such engagement would immediately trigger a new downward movement of the slider . plates s to be treated with the help of the illustrator conveying apparatus are picked up from the storage rack mi at the left end of the apparatus ( viewed as in fig1 and 2 ). the picking up is effected by means of the plate holder 12 of that slider 11 which is positioned on the slider support 17 of the sliding head 16 of the first lifting device 13a . the movement of this slider , hereinafter sometimes referred to as &# 34 ; the observed slider &# 34 ;, through the conveying apparatus is described below . to pick up a plate , the slider support together with its slider , the observed slider , is moved down to the lower position . the two clamps 12a , 12b of the plate holder 12 are caused to engage a plate s brought into a ready position in the storage rack , whereupon the sliding head 16 with the slider support 17 , which carries the slider 11 with the plate holder 12 and the plate s , is moved to the upper position . the means by which the plates s in the storage rack mi are successively brought to the ready position for picking up form no part of the present invention and for that reason are not described . the driving bar 21 then feeds the slider 11 over to the slider support of the second lifting device 13b . when the sensor k associated with that lifting device has indicated that the slider 11 is in the proper position on the slider support , the latter is moved together with the slider to the lower position ( at the same time the abovementioned short advancement of the slider by the camming member c takes place ), so that the plate s is dipped into the bath held in the first tank of the row t of tanks . when the plate s has been kept in the bath for a set time , the control system , through its timing relay t1 , triggers a displacement of the slider support together with the slider and the plate held by the slider back to the upper position . prior to , or possibly simultaneously with , the pushing over of the observed slider 11 to the slider support 17 of the second lifting device 13b , a different slider located on this slider support is pushed over to the slider support of the third lifting device 13c . a predetermined period of time after the pushing over of the observed slider 11 to the slider support of the second lifting device 13b , a new slider 11 is positioned on the slider support 17 of the first lifting device 13a in a manner described below . this period of time is at least as long as , and preferably is slightly longer than , the time required for the longest - lasting step of the treatment of the plate s ( in the illustrated exemplary embodiment the longest time that the slider is positioned on any of the slider supports 17 ). after the observed slider 11 has been returned to the upper position , the driving bar 21 advances this slider 11 and the plate s it carries to the slider support 17 of the third lifting device 13c ( at the same time , one or more of the sliders on the other slider supports may , but do not necessarily have to , be advanced from one slider support to the next ). the arrival of the observed slider to this slider support is detected by the associated sensor k which triggers a lowering of the slider support and the slider to the lower position so that the plate s is dipped into the bath of the second tank of the row t of tanks . after a predetermined dwell time of the plate s in the bath the slider support is returned together with the slider to the upper position , whereupon the slider is fed over to the next slider support in the manner described above . a monitoring system , not shown , ensures that a slider is not advanced from one slider support to the next until the latter has returned to its upper position so that the track sections formed by the slider supports are aligned . this monitoring system comprises , for each lifting device 13a - 13h , a normally open switch mounted on the driving bar 21 , a magnet mounted on the slider and adapted to close the switch when the switch is directly above the magnet and the slider support is in its upper position , and a normally closed switch mounted on the frame 14 of the conveying apparatus and adapted to be opened when the slider support of the next ( as viewed in the conveying direction ) lifting device arrives at its upper position . in order that the fluid pressure cylinder 20 of the driving bar may perform its forward stroke , one of the two switches has to be open , and this is the case only if both slider supports are in the upper position . while the observed slider is being advanced from the slider support 17 of the first lifting device 13a to the slider support 17 of the last lifting device 13h along the track formed by the upper edges 17a of the slider supports , the plate s is dipped into the treating baths according to a preset treating program . if desired , one or more baths may be skipped . such a skip is brought about by making the sensor of the associated lifting device inoperative . in its simplest form , the program is determined by preselected plate dwell times in the baths . when the slider is advanced to the slider support of the last lifting device 13h , it is displaced , in the same manner as at the preceding lifting devices , to the lower position in which it is caused to deliver the now treated plate s to the discharge storage rack mu . after the plate has been delivered , the slider support with the slider is returned to the upper position . in connection with the displacement of the slider support and the slider to the upper position , the slider is transferred to a return track 24 which runs parallel to , and is positioned some distance behind , the row of lifting devices 13a - 13h and which is situated at approximately the same level as the advancing or processing track the slider supports define when they are in their upper position . this transfer is effected by the last lifting device 13h . to this end , the last lifting device is pivotable about a horizontal axis 25 which runs parallel to the longitudinal direction of the frame 14 and is located at the lower end of the lifting device . a fluid pressure cylinder 26 ( fig2 , 4 ) pivots the lifting device between a front position in which the slider support 17 in its upper position is aligned with the other slider supports in their upper positions , and a rear position in which the slider support is aligned with the return track 24 ( see fig4 and 6 ) which is stationary . when the observed slider 11 has been moved to its upper position and the lifting device 13h has been pivoted to its rear position , the slider can thus be fed over to the return track 24 and then moved further thereon towards the end of the conveying device where the slider picked up the now delivered plate s . the feeding of the slider from the slider support 17 of the last lifting device to the return track 24 is effected by a fluid pressure cylinder 31 which extends parallel to the return track and is made operative by a sensor l mounted on the rear end of the frame 14 . this sensor is operated to complete an energising circuit of a solenoid valve ( not shown ), which causes the piston rod 32 of the cylinder 31 to be extended to push the slider over to the return track . any sliders which have previously been pushed over to the return track are then displaced in the return direction ( to the left in fig1 and 2 ) by the slider that is being pushed over . adjacent the return track 24 there is also a return feeding device 27 , 29 similar to the advancing device 20 , 21 , 22 . the return feeding device is adapted to displace those sliders on the return track which are positioned ahead of , as viewed in the return direction , i . e . to the left of , the position on the return track to which the fluid pressure cylinder 31 feeds the sliders from the lifting device 13h . at the end of the stationary return track 24 , the observed slider 11 is transferred to the slider support 17 of the first lifting device 13a . to this end , the first lifting device is arranged in the same manner as the lifting device 13h and thus is pivotable about a bottom - level axis 30 between a front position in alignment with the lifting devices 13b - 13g and a rear position in which the slider support 17 in the upper position thereof is aligned with the return track . this rear position is shown in fig6 . a fluid pressure cylinder similar to the cylinder 26 effects the pivotal movement . the feeding of the slider 11 to the slider support 17 of the first lifting device 13a is effected by the return feeding device 27 , 29 after a sensor m ( fig6 ) has signalled the positioning of this slider support in the upper position . when the slider being fed has reached the proper position on the slider support , the slider actuates a further sensor n which renders the return feed device 27 , 29 inoperative . after the slider has been transferred , the lifting device 13a is pivoted to its front position and at the same time the slider support starts moving downwardly so that it is at least slightly below the upper position when the lifting device reaches its vertical front position , because if the slider support were to remain in its upper position , it might happen that the advancing device 20 , 21 , 22 advances the slider to the second lifting device 13b as soon as the first lifting device 13a reaches its front position . the slider may then be moved through a further cycle of movements in the above - described manner . in the above - described exemplary treatment process the sliders 11 are advanced only when the slider supports 17 are in their upper position . in other words , the entire track , the processing track , on which the sliders 11 are displaced as the treatment proceeds , is situated at the level corresponding to the upper position of the slider supports . however , it is quite feasible to have a smaller or greater portion of the processing track positioned at the level corresponding to the lower position of the slider supports 17 . in such case , one or more of the tanks indicated in fig2 have to have an extension in the direction of displacement which is sufficient to permit displacement of the sliders 11 along such a portion of the track . in the illustrated embodiment of the conveying device , the displacement of the sliders 11 along such a low - level track portion may be effected by means of a feeding device 35 ( fig3 ). this feeding device is similar to the feeding device 20 , 21 , 22 and coacts with a finger 12d which is similar to the finger 12c but is attached to the lower portion of each slider 11 . sensors corresponding to the sensors k are also provided for the lower track portion , although they are not shown in the drawings . as is apparent from the foregoing description , the dwell time may be chosen arbitrarily for each station , i . e . for each bath , as long as it does not exceed the time that elapses between two successive transfers of sliders from the first lifting device 13a to the second lifting device 13b . this means , for example , that if in any particular treating process dipping into one or more of the baths is not required or permissible , the lifting devices associated with such baths may be rendered inoperative in the above - described manner so that the sliders move past them without performing a vertical movement . if any single bath requires much longer immersion time than the other baths , it may be advantageous to divide the immersion time for this bath into a plurality of shorter immersion times with intervening advancements of the slider . the pace at which sliders are transferred from the first lifting device to the second can thereby be increased . a further important advantage of the conveying device according to the invention is that if for one reason or other a plate s has to be withdrawn from the treating process in the course of the treatment , this can be done by unhooking the slider 11 carrying this plate from the slider support on which it is positioned at the moment . the treatment of the other plates is not affected thereby in any way . this advantage is achieved by the feature which consists in the sliders themselves triggering their vertical displacement by means of the sensors k . in fig1 one slider has been removed in this way so that the lifting device 13f has no slider in the illustrated phase of a treating cycle . in the embodiment shown in the drawings , all slider supports 17 are of equal length , as measured in the direction of movement . that is , all of the track sections defined by the upper edges 17a of the slider supports are of equal lengths . it is within the scope of the invention , however , to make them different in respect of their length . it may be advantageous to do so for example in the above - mentioned case where the immersion time for a given bath is distributed over several immersions in that bath . in such a case , the slider support for this bath may be long enough to support a number of sliders equal to the number of immersions in the bath . it is also within the scope of the invention to interpose a stationary track section between successive lifting devices . | 1 |
the heat treatments used to strengthen the matrix were the standard t6 conditioning treatment or a t5 conditioning treatment ( a low temperature post fabrication aging treatment ). the standard t6 conditioning treatment is commonly used to strengthen the al 6061 wrought alloy . the t5 conditioning treatment , although not commonly applied to 6061 wrought alloy , is used to increase the strength of some alloys after high temperature processing . in the present invention both treatments were conducted in circulating air furnaces . the furnace temperatures during treatment were continuously monitored by a chromel - alumel thermocouple and were maintained within ± 5 ° f . of the desired temperature . the standard t6 conditioning treatment consists of a solution anneal at 985 ° f . for one - half hour followed by a water quench at room temperature . specimen aging was initiated within one day after the solution anneal and in most cases within one hour after annealing . a solution anneal is simply bringing the panel to a temperature where the different constituents in the panel go into solid solution . all t6 conditioned specimens were refrigerated at about 32 ° f . during the time between the water quench and the artificial aging to prevent natural aging . this refrigeration step may be omitted if the artificially aging is started immediately or soon after the quenching . artificial aging was done at a temperature of 340 ° f . for 20 hours . the t5 aging treatment consisted of a 23 or 24 hour exposure at 300 ° f ., followed by static air cooling to room temperature . several different cryogenic stress relief temperatures are used . in all cases the temperature of the stress relief environment was continuously monitored by a chromel - alumel thermocouple attached to a reference specimen . for temperatures warmer than - 175 ° f ., a cold bath consisting of ethyl alcohol is cooled to the desired temperature using ln 2 . cryogenic stress relief involved submerging the specimen into the bath , allowing several minutes to ensure the specimen temperature has stabilized , and removing the specimen to warm in ambient air . for temperatures colder than - 175 ° f ., a cold chamber cooled by ln 2 capable of a temperature of - 285 ° f . was used . two high - flow fans located at the rear of the chamber maintains a uniform temperature distribution . stress relief was accomplished by inserting the specimen into the pre - cooled chamber , allowing several minutes for the specimen to reach the desired temperature , and then removing the specimen to warm to room temperature in ambient air . a fizeau type laser interferometric dilatometer was used to measure the length changes of each specimen relative to changes in a reference material and may be purchased commercially . the nbs standard reference material , 739 fused - silica , was used in preliminary testing . the dilatometer system used is schematically shown in fig1 and designated generally by reference numeral 10 . specimens 11 , about 3 . 0 inches by 1 . 0 inch , were machined from sheet supplied by each manufacturer such that the fibers were oriented longitudinally . each end of the specimen was rounded and beveled to provide single point contact in the interferometer . final adjustment in the length to maintain practical fringe densities of between 20 to 40 fringes / inch over the temperature range was made by very light polishing with 600 grit paper . the surfaces of the interferometer in contact with the reference rods and specimen were cleaned with alcohol . the cleaned interferometer with reference rods and specimen was placed in chamber 12 for testing . during testing , the test chamber set point temperature was changed in 40 ° f . steps every 45 minutes . the rate of specimen temperature change never exceeded about 3 ° f . per minute . at the end of each temperature step , the fringe pattern was recorded on 35 - mm film and the specimen temperature was recorded . at the conclusion of each test , the 35 - mm film was developed and negatives were placed in a microfiche reader and the fringes were visually counted over a defined gage length . the fringe density ( fringes / length ) was determined as a function of temperature . the specimen strain relative to the reference material is given by the equation : where δn is the change in fringe density with temperature changes , λ is the laser wavelength , l g is the length between specimen and reference rods , and l s is the specimen length . since the thermal strain of the reference material , ε r , is known , the total strain of the specimen is given by : microhardness measurements in the surface foils of metallographically prepared laminate cross - sections were used to evaluate the affects of heat treatments . the test procedure used was the astm e - 384 - 73 , the standard method of test for microhardness of materials . most microhardness measurements were made within the surface foils . only limited hardness measurements were made in the matrix because of interference with the graphite fibers . microhardness values are averages of at least ten separate measurements , each at different random locations on the specimen . a typical thermal expansion curve for an as received p100 / 6061 metal matrix composite is shown in fig2 . the shape of this curve might be explained , qualitatively , by the following series of events . during initial heat up from room temperature , the matrix expands while the fibers contract . at higher temperatures , about 170 ° f ., the matrix plastically deforms under compression and the laminate expansion becomes dominated by the fiber and the cte decreases . the matrix continues to deform to maximum temperature , about 250 ° f . on cool down from the maximum temperature the fiber expands while the matrix contracts leading to a reversal of thermal strains until the matrix plastically deforms agains under tension below about 100 ° f . as the matrix deforms , the laminate again follows the fiber response . on heat up from the coldest temperature , about - 250 ° f ., the matrix again expands while the fiber contracts and the laminate cte is similar to the cte during the initial heat up from room temperature . elimination of the loop and the residual offset will require an increased matrix elastic range and / or a reduced residual stress within the composite . heat treatment is a proven method to increase the elastic limit and yield strength , and cryogenic exposure is a proven method to alter the residual stress in metal matrix composites . the standard t6 heat treatment is used commercially to increase the elastic limit , the yield and ultimate strengths of 6061 al panels . the effects of using the t6 conditioning treatment on the metal matrix composite fabricated by hot roll bonding are shown in fig3 . a t6 conditioning treatment eliminated the residual dimensional changes during the initial high temperature part of the thermal cycle but a large , residual strain was present after cycling from rt to - 250 ° f . to rt . this behavior is inconsistent with previous tests which showed elimination of the thermal strain hysteresis over the entire temperature range by t6 conditioning a hot roll bonded 6061 al reinforced with p50 graphite fibers . the difference between the two tests is due to the different graphite fibers used . the gr / al laminate used in the first test was reinforced with p50 graphite fibers with an average coefficient expansion ( α ) of about - 1 . 3 × 10 - 6 /° f ., which is less than half that of the p100 fibers ( α =- 2 . 9 × 10 - 6 /° f .) used . therefore , for a given increase in the elastic range , the thermal strains associated with p50 fibers can be more easily accommodated than with p100 fibers . cryogenic stress relief provides a means to reduce the as fabricated residual stresses within composite laminates by plastic deformation of the matrix . this stress relief can also provide a slight additional increase in the matrix elastic range due to work hardening . the effect of reduced residual stresses on the thermal expansion behavior of heat treated p100 gr / 6061 al composition is shown in fig4 . the data show a decrease in the residual strain , i . e ., the dimensional set resulting from one thermal cycle , and a decrease in the magnitude of the thermal strain hysteresis , with lower stress relief temperatures . test results indicate that thermal strain hysteresis is minimized in p100 gr / 6061 al composites by stress relief at temperatures between - 265 ° f . and - 270 ° f . fig5 shows the thermal expansion behavior of hot roll bonded metal matrix composite before and after processing to minimize the thermal strain hysteresis . this processing consists of t6 conditioning to maximize the elastic range and cryogenic stress relief at a temperature of - 268 ° f . the data show that the post fabrication processing methodology , i . e ., heat treatment followed by cryogenic stress relief completely removes residual strain after one cycle and considerably reduces hysteresis . attempts to achieve similar reductions in thermal strain hysteresis in diffusion bonded panels were initially less successful due to the poor response of the material to t6 conditioning ( fig6 ). this heat treatment did not eliminate residual dimensional changes after the high temperature part of the thermal cycle , as it did for the hot roll bonded material , which indicates only a minor increase in the matrix elasti range . this small increase in elastic limit was corroborated by microhardness measurements taken in the surface foils of metallographically prepared cross - sections . fig7 shows microhardness measurements for diffusion bonded and hot roll bonded metal matrix composite in the as fabricated condition and after t6 conditioning . the high hardness values of the hot roll bonded material compared to the diffusion bonded material after t6 conditioning indicates a high strength is induced in the hot roll bonded material . fig8 shows the hardness of each material , after a 20 - hour age at 340 ° f ., as a function of solution annealing time . the decrease in hardness attained by each material with times longer than the optimum solutioning annealing time is very significant . this accounts for the low hardness and perhaps low elastic range of the as received diffusion bonded material after the t6 conditioning which involved the typical 20 - to 30 - minute solution anneal . since the enhancement of mechanical properties of 6061 al by t6 conditioning result from the precipitation of magnesium silicide ( mg 2 si ), changes in alloy chemistry during the solution anneal may account for the decreased aging response . magnesium depletion was investigated by atomic absorption ( aa ) chemical analyses . these results show that each of the three specimens solution annealed for one hour at 980 ° f . had a lower magnesium concentration than in the as fabricated condition . although this does not conclusively prove that magnesium depletion is responsible for the lower hardness after prolonged solution annealing ( fig8 ), the results are consistent with the microhardness measurements . the difference in the optimum solution annealing times for each composite ( fig8 ) may indicate differences in the as fabricated metallurgical conditions . the time needed to reach peak hardness was approximately five minutes for diffusion bonded material and 25 to 30 minutes for hot roll bonded material , which indicates these composites , in the as fabricated condition , are underaged and overaged , respectively . this is verified by the responses of each material to t5 conditioning as shown in fig9 . the t5 treatment parameters for maximum hardness are experimentally determined for the diffusion bonded material to be 23 hours at 300 ° f . collectively , these data show that the elastic range of the matrix in diffusion bonded material may be increased by either t6 conditioning ( with a nonstandard , short five minute solution anneal ) or by t5 conditioning . since solution annealing often produced severe warpage , especially in single ply material samples , t5 conditioning is considered advantageous over t6 conditioning . the thermal expansion behavior of diffusion bonded single ply material after t5 conditioning and cryogenic stress relief at - 268 ° f . is shown in fig1 . this t5 treatment on diffusion bonded material significantly reduces the thermal cycle hysteresis . these methods of post fabrication treatment and other variations and modifications of the invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art in the light of the above teachings . thus , within the scope of the appended claims , the invention may be practiced other than as specifically described herein . | 1 |
in a first preferred subgeneric chemical compound aspect , the present invention provides compounds of formula ia and formula ib above wherein x is -- ch2ch2 --, and n , r 1 , r 2 , r 3 , r 4 , r 6 , and r 7 are as defined above . in a second preferred subgenric chemical compound aspect , the present invention provides compounds of formula ia and formula ib above where x is -- ch ═ ch . as used throughout this specification and the appended claims , the term &# 34 ; alkyl &# 34 ; denotes a branched or unbranched saturated hydrocarbon group derived by the removal of one hydrogen atom from an alkane . the term &# 34 ; lower alkyl &# 34 ; denotes alkyl of from one to four carbon atoms . the term &# 34 ; alkoxy &# 34 ; denotes an alkyl group , as just defined , attached to the parent molecular residue through an oxygen atom . specific examples of compounds contemplated as falling within the scope of the present invention include the following : 3 , 5 - dihydroxy - 7 -[ 3 -( 4 - fluorophenyl )- 5 - methylene - 1 -( 1 - methylethyl ) bicyclo [ 2 . 2 . 1 ] hept - 2 - en - 2 - yl ] heptanoic acid , or a lower alkyl ester or pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof . 3 , 5 - dihydroxy - 7 -[ 3 - cyclohexylmethyl - 5 - methyl - 1 -( 1 - methylethyl ) bicyclo [ 2 . 2 . 1 ] hept - 2 - en - 2 - yl ]- 6 - heptenoic acid , or a lower alkyl ester or pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof . 3 , 5 - dihydroxy - 7 -[ 3 -( 4 - fluorophenyl )- 5 - methylene - 1 -( 1 - trifluoromethylbicyclo [ 2 . 2 . 2 ] oct - 2 - en - 2 - yl ]- 6 - heptanoic acid , or a lower alkyl ester or pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof . 3 , 5 - dihydroxy - 7 -[ 3 -( 4 - hydroxyphenyl )- 5 - methylene - 1 -( 1 - methylethylbicyclo [ 2 . 2 . 1 ] 2 , 5 - heptadien - 2 - yl ]- 6 - heptenoic acid , or a lower alkyl ester or pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof . compounds of the present invention in which x is -- ch ═ ch -- are prepared by the general synthetic method outlined in reaction scheme 1 . the preparation of compounds of the present invention where x is -- ch2ch2 -- is outlined in reaction scheme 2 . ## str5 ## referring to reaction scheme 1 , the cycloalkylenone represented by 3 - methyl - 2 - cyclopenten - 1 - one , 1 , and t - butyldimethylsilyl chloride , 2 , are reacted in an anhydrous polar solvent such as dry tetrahydrofuran at lower temperature preferably between - 60 ° c . and 80 ° c . under dry nitrogen . the resulting cyclopentadiene , 3 , is reacted with phenyl propargyl aldehyde , 4 , in an inert solvent such as toluene to provide the 1 - alkyl - 3 - phenyl - 5 - trialkylsilyloxy - bicyclo [ 2 . 2 . 1 ] hept - 2 - ene - 2 - carboxaldehyde , 5 . wittig reaction of the aldehyde , 5 , with an ylide such as carbomethoxy triphenylphosphorane in methylene chloride at room temperature produces the unsaturated trans - ester , 6 , which is converted to the 5 - oxobicycloheptene , 7 , by reaction at room temperature in thf - acetic acid - water ( 3 : 1 : 1 ). the 5 - oxo compound , 7 , is converted to the 5 - methylene compound , 11a , by reaction at low temperature with methylene wittig reagent generated by reaction of methyltriphenylphosphonium bromide and butyllithium in dry ether . alternatively , the 5 - oxo compound , 7 , is converted to the 5 - alkyl or 5 - phenyl compound , 11b , by grignard reaction . the ester , 11a , or 11b , is reduced by the action of dibal to the corresponding alcohol , 12a , or 12b which in turn is oxidized by swern oxidation to the aldehyde , 13a or 13b , which by aldol condensation to the sodium lithium dianion of ethyl acetoacetate at - 78 ° c . in thf forms the 5 - hydroxy - 3 - oxo - 6 - heptenoate , 14a or 14b . the product of this condensation , 14a , or 14b , is then reduced in a sequence of steps in which it is first dissolved in a polar solvent such as tetrahydrofuran under a dry atmosphere . a small excess of triethylborane and a catalytic amount of 2 , 2 - dimethylpropionic acid are next added . the mixture is stirred at room temperature for a short period , after which it is cooled to a temperature preferably between about - 60 ° c . and - 80 ° c . dry methanol is added , followed by sodium borohydride . the mixture is kept at low temperature for 4 - 8 hours before treating it with hydrogen peroxide and ice water . the substituted 3 , 5 - dihydroxy - 6 - heptenoic acid ethyl ester , 15a or 15b is isolated having the preferred r *, s * configuration . the ester , 15a or 15b , may be utilized as such in the pharmaceutical method of this invention , or may be converted , if desired , to the corresponding acid salt form such as the sodium salt employing basic hydrolysis by generally well - known methods , and the free acid , iia or iib , produced by neutralization of the sodium salt can be dehydrated to the lactone , ia or ib , by heating in an inert solvent such as toluene with concomitant azeotropic removal of water . referring to reaction scheme 2 , the unsaturated propenoate esters , 11a - 2 and 11b - 2 obtained by methods described above in reaction scheme 1 , are reduced by the action of hydrogen over pd / c to produce the corresponding saturated propanoate ester compounds , 16a , and 16b . the saturated esters are reduced by the action of diisobutyl aluminum hydride to the corresponding alcohols , 17a and 17b , which in turn are converted through the same reaction sequence shown in reaction scheme 1 to the compounds of this invention . alternatively , the propenoate esters may be reduced directly to alcohols 17a and b by reaction with lithium aluminum hydride . in the ring - opened dihydroxy acid form , compounds of the present invention react to form salts with pharmaceutically acceptable metal and amine cations formed from organic and inorganic bases . the term &# 34 ; pharmaceutically acceptable metal cation &# 34 ; contemplates positively charged metal ions derived from sodium , potassium , calcium , magnesium , aluminum , iron , zinc and the like . the &# 34 ; pharmaceutically acceptable amine cation &# 34 ; contemplates the positively charged ions derived from ammonia and organic nitrogenous bases strong enough to form such cations . bases useful for the formation of pharmaceutically acceptable nontoxic base addition salts of compounds of the present invention form a class whose limits are readily understood by those skilled in the art . ( see , for example , berge , et al , &# 34 ; pharmaceutical salts ,&# 34 ; j . pharm . sci ., 66 : 1 - 19 ( 1977 ). the free acid form of the compound may be regenerated from the salt , if desired , by contacting the salt with a dilute aqueous solution of an acid such as hydrochloric acid . the base addition salts may differ from the free acid form of compounds of this invention in such physical characteristics as melting point and solubility in polar solvents , but are considered equivalent to the free acid forms for purposes of this invention . the compounds of this invention can exist in unsolvated as well as solvated forms . in general , the solvated forms , with pharmaceutically acceptable solvents such as water , ethanol , and the like , are equivalent to the unsolvated forms for purposes of this invention . the compounds of this invention are useful as hypocholesterolemic or hypolipidemic agents by virtue of their ability to inhibit the bisoynthesis of cholesterol through inhibition of the enzyme 3 - hydroxy - 3 - methylglutaryl - coenzyme a reductase ( hmg - coa reductase ). the ability of compounds of the present invention to inhibit the biosynthesis of cholesterol was measured by a method ( designated csi screen ) which utilizes the procedure described by r . e . dugan , et al , archiv . biochem . biophys ., ( 1972 ), 152 , 21 - 27 . in this method , the level of hmg - coa enzyme activity in standard laboratory rats is increased by feeding the rats a chow diet containing 5 % cholestryramine for four days , after which the rats are sacrificed . the rat livers are homogenized , and the incorporation of chloesterol - 14c - acetate into non - saponifiable lipid by the rat liver homogenate is measured . the micromolar concentration of compound required for 50 % inhibition of sterol synthesis over a one - hour period is measured , and expressed as an ic50 value . the ability of compounds of the present invention to inhibit the biosynthesis of cholesterol was also measured by a method ( designated aics screen ) which utilized the procedure described by a . w . alberts et al , proc . natl . acad . sci ., ( 1980 ), 77 , pp 3957 - 3961 . in this method male sprague - dawley rats ( 200 g body weight ) previously fed 5 % cholestyramine for three days were randomly divided into groups ( n = 5 / group ) and given a single dose of vehicle ( controls ) or compound by an oral gavage at the indicated doses . one hour after drug dosing , all rats were injected intraperitoneally with sodium [ 1 - 14 c ]- acetate ( 18 . 75 ci / rat in 0 . 2 ml saline ). after 50 minutes , blood samples were taken , plasma obtained by centrifugation , and plasma [ 14 c ] cholesterol measured after saponification and extraction . activities representative of compounds in accordance with the present invention appear in tables 1 and 2 . table 1______________________________________ ## str6 ## csi ic . sub . 50x r . sub . 1 r . sub . 2 r . sub . 3 μmole / liter______________________________________chch ph ch . sub . 3 h 0 . 44______________________________________ table 2______________________________________ ## str7 ## csi ic . sub . 50x r . sub . 1 r . sub . 2 r . sub . 3 μmole / liter______________________________________chch ph ch . sub . 3 h 0 . 44______________________________________ for preparing pharmaceutical compositions from the compounds described by this invention , inert , pharmaceutically acceptable carriers can be either solid or liquid . solid form preparations include powders , tablets , dispersible granules , capsules , cachets , and suppositories . a solid carrier can be one or more substances which may also act as diluents , flavoring agents , solubilizers , lubricants , suspending agents , binders , or tablet disintegrating agents ; it can also be an encapsulating material . in powders , the carrier is a finely divided solid which is in a mixture with finely divided active compound . in tablets , the active compound is mixed with the carrier having the necessary binding properties in suitable proportions and compacted in the shape and size desired . for preparing suppository preparations , a low - melting wax such as a mixture of fatty - acid glycerides and cocoa butter is first melted , and the active ingredient is dispersed homogeneously therein , as by stirring . the molten homogeneous mixture is then poured into convenient sized molds and allowed to cool and solidify . the powders and tablets preferably contain 5 to about 70 % of the active ingredient . suitable solid carriers are magnesium carbonate , magnesium stearate , talc , sugar , lactose , pectin , dextrin , starch , tragacanth , methyl cellulose , sodium carboxymethyl cellulose , a low - melting wax , cocoa butter , and the like . the term &# 34 ; preparation &# 34 ; is intended to include the formulation of the active compound with encapsulating material as carrier providing a capsule in which the active component ( with or without other carriers ) is surrounded by a carrier , which is thus in association with it . similarly , cachets are included . tablets , powders , cachets , and capsules can be used as solid dosage forms suitable for oral administration . liquid form preparations include solutions , suspensions , and emulsions . as an example may be mentioned water or water - propylene glycol solutions for parenteral injection . liquid preparations can also be formulated in solution in aqueous polyethylene glycol solution . aqueous solutions for oral use can be prepared by dissolving the active component in water and adding suitable colorants , flavoring agents , stabilizers , and thickening agents as desired . aqueous suspensions for oral use can be made by dispersing the finely divided active component in water with viscous material , i . e ., natural or synthetic gums , resins , methylcellulose , sodium carboxymethyl cellulose , and other well - known suspending agents . preferably , the pharmaceutical preparation is in unit dosage form . in such form , the preparation is subdivided into unit doses containing appropriate quantities of the active component . the unit dosage form can be a packaged preparation , the package containing discrete quantities of preparation , for example , packeted tablets , capsules , and powders in vials or ampoules . the unit dosage form can also be a capsule , cachet , or tablet itself or it can be the appropriate number of any of these packaged forms . in therapeutic use as hypolipidemic or hypocholesterolemic agents , the compounds utilized in the pharmaceutical method of this invention are administered to the patient at dosage levels of from 20 mg to 600 mg per day . for a normal human adult of approximately 70 kg of body weight , this translates to a dosage of from about 0 . 5 mg / kg to about 8 . 0 mg / kg of body weight per day . the dosages , however , may be varied depending upon the requirements of the patient , the severity of the condition being treated , and the compound being employed . determination of optimum dosages for a particular situation is within the skill of the art . the following examples illustrate particular methods for preparing compounds in accordance with this invention . these examples are illustrative and are not to be read as limiting the scope of the invention as it is defined by the appended claims . n - butyl lithium ( 65 . 6 ml of 1 . 6m hexane solution , see j . a . c . s . 103 , 6677 , 1981 ) was added dropwise to a stirred solution of i - pr 2 nh ( 15 . 4 ml , 110 ml , aldrich ) in dry thf ( 50 ml distilled from ketyl ), stirring at - 78 ° c . under dry nitrogen . the solution was stirred 30 minutes ( suspension formed ) and then 3 - methyl - 2 - cyclopenten - 1 - one ( 9 . 89 ml , 100 millimoles , aldrich ) in 50 ml of anhyd . thf was added dropwise over 30 minutes . the light yellow solution was stirred 30 minutes and then t - bume 2 sicl ( 17 . 3 g , 115 millimoles , aldrich ) in 30 ml of anhyd . thf was added rapidly ( ca . 1 min ). the mixture was then allowed to warm slowly to room temperature and stirred overnight . it was then poured into ether and hexane washed with bicarbonate , brine , and dried ( mgso 4 ). filtration and concentration provided 15 g of silyl enol ether ; 90 mhz nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ 0 . 13 ( s , 6h ), 0 . 95 ( s , 9h ), 1 . 95 ( m , 3h ), 2 . 7 ( m , 2h ), 4 . 9 ( m , 1h ), 5 . 78 ( m , 1h ). a solution of the diene ( example 1 , 12 . 3 g , 58 . 5 mmol . ), phenyl propargyl aldehyde ( 7 . 34 ml , 60 mmol ) and hydroquinone ( 20 mg ) was stirred at room temp . in 50 ml of toluene for 24 hours . concentration afforded 19 g of pure diels - alder adduct which was taken on without further purification . a solution of the aldehyde ( 19 . 8 g , 58 . 1 mmoles ) and methyl ( triphenylphosphoranylidene ) acetate ( 29 . 16 g , 87 . 2 mmoles ) in 100 ml . ch2cl 2 was stirred and heated at reflux overnight . an nmr analysis of an aliquot indicated that some starting material remained such that 4 . 86 g , ( 14 . 5 mmoles ) of the ylide were added . reflux was continued for 6 hours . the cooled solution was concentrated , taken up in phch3 and filtered to remove p ( phenyl ) 3 . the filtrate was concentrated and the residue dissolved in 400 ml . of 3 : 1 : 1 thf - hoac - h 2 o and stirred at room temperature for 6 hours . it was concentrated and partitioned between ether and water ( 500 ml each ). the organic layer was washed with h 2 o , bicarbonate , brine and dried ( mgso 4 ). flash chromatography provided 7 g of the pure ketone . n - buli ( 2 . 6 ml of 1 . 6m ) was added dropwise to a stirred suspension of methyl triphenylphosphonium bromide ( 1 . 43 g ) in 10 ml of ether at 25 ° c . the light orange solution which resulted was stirred for 30 minutes , cooled to - 78 ° c ., and methyl - 2 -[ 2 -( 1 - methyl - 3 - phenyl - 5 - oxo - bicyclo [ 2 . 2 . 1 ] hept - 2 - enyl )] propenoate ( 1 . 0 g ) in 10 ml of ether was added dropwise . the mixture was stirred briefly at - 78 ° c ., then allowed to warm slowly to room temperature . it was stirred a further 1 . 5 hrs at room temperature , diluted with ethyl acetate and poured carefully into water . the layers were separated and the aqueous layer extracted with ethyl acetate . the combined organic layers were washed with brine , dried ( mgso 4 ), filtered and evaporated . flash chromatography ( 2x ) on silica gel eluting with hexane - ethyl acetate ( 50 : 50 v / v ) afforded 0 . 51 g ( 51 %) of the desired product . a solution of methyl - 3 -( 1 - methyl - 5 - methylene - 3 - phenyl - bicyclo [ 2 . 2 . 1 ] hept - 2 - en - 2 - yl ) propenoate ( 1 . 66 g ) in dichloromethane ( 50 ml ) was cooled to - 78 ° c . and dibal ( 16 ml of a 1m dichloromethane solution ) was added dropwise . the solution was stirred for 90 minutes at - 78 ° c . and then a further 5 ml of dibal were added . the solution was stirred for 30 minutes , then quenched by addition of a saturated aqueous solution of na 2 so 4 . the mixture was filtered through celite ( filter cell ), dried ( mgso 4 ), filtered , and evaporated to provide 1 . 28 g ( 86 %) of the alcohol as a liquid . ir ( film ): 3300 , 2931 , 1661 , 1600 , 1492 , 766 , 700 cm - 1 . 200 mhz nmr ( cdcl 3 ) 1 . 5 ( m , 1h ), 1 . 57 ( s , 3h ), 1 . 77 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 20 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 40 ( s , 1h ), 4 . 16 ( dd , 1h , j = 16 , 1 hz ), 4 . 78 ( s , 1h ), 5 . 08 ( s , 1h ), 6 . 10 ( dt , 1h , j = 16 , 6 hz ), 6 . 42 ( d , 1h , j = 16 hz ), 7 . 30 ( m , 5h ). dimethylsulfoxide ( 1 . 4 ml ) was added dropwise to a stirred solution of oxalyl chloride ( 0 . 80 ml ) in 25 ml of dichloromethane ( ch 2 cl 2 ) cooled to - 78 ° c . under dry nitrogen . the mixture was stirred for 10 minutes and then a solution of the alcohol ( 1 . 54 g ) in ch 2 cl 2 ( 30 ml ) was added dropwise . the mixture was stirred 30 minutes , et 3 n was added ( 5ml ), and the cooling bath was removed . the mixture was stirred for 10 minutes , quenched with nh 4 cl ( sat &# 39 ; d aq . ), and stirred for 90 minutes at room temperature . the layers were separated and the organic layer washed with brine , dried ( mgso 4 ), filtered , and evaporated . two chromatographies ( silica gel eluting with 4 : 1 v / v hexane - ethyl acetate ) afforded 0 . 57 g of pure aldehyde ; ir ( film ) 1677 , 1604 , 1126 , 769 , 701 cm - 1 . 200 mhz nmr ( cdcl 3 ): 1 . 53 ( brdd , 1h , j = 8 , 1 hz ), 1 . 63 ( s , 3h ), 1 . 88 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 06 ( br d , 1h , j = 16 hz ), 2 . 30 ( dd , 1h , j = 15 , 2 hz ), 3 . 54 ( s , 1h ), 4 . 85 ( s , 1h ), 5 . 12 ( t , 1h , j = 1 hz ), 6 . 45 ( dd , 1h , j = 16 , 8 hz ), 7 . 4 ( m , 6h ), 9 . 45 ( d , j = 8 hz ). ethyl acetoacetate ( 0 . 87 g ) was added dropwise to a stirred suspension of sodium hydride ( 0 . 31 g , 60 % in oil ) in thf at 0 ° c . the mixture was stirred for 15 min . after gas evolution was completed , then n - buli ( 1 . 5 ml of a 1 . 6m hexane solution ). the mixture was stirred a further 30 minutes at 0 ° c ., then cooled to - 78 ° c . a solution of 3 -( 1 - methyl - 5 - methylene - 3 - phenylbicyclo [ 2 . 2 . 1 ] hept - 2 - en - 2 - yl )- 2 - propen - 1 - al ( 0 . 57 g ) in dry thf ( 15 ml ) was added dropwise . the solution was stirred 30 minutes at - 78 ° c ., warmed to 0 ° c . and quenched by addition of 2 ml of acetic acid . the mixture was partitioned between ethyl acetate and sat &# 39 ; d aq . nahco 3 and the layers were separated . the aqueous layer was further extracted with ethyl acetate and the combined organic extracts were washed with brine and dried ( mgso 4 ). filtration and concentration provided an oil which was flash chromatographed on silica gel eluting with 4 : 1 v / v hexane - ethyl acetate . this provided 0 . 54 g ( 62 %) of the product as a yellow oil ; ir ( film ) 3500 , 1742 , 1716 , 701 cm . 200 mhz nmr ( cdcl 3 ): δ 1 . 28 ( m , 3h ), 1 . 44 ( m , 1h ), 1 . 54 ( s , 3h ), 1 . 76 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 10 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 75 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 40 ( s , 1h ), 3 . 47 ( 2 singlets , 2h ), 4 . 23 ( m , 2h ), 4 . 60 ( m , 1h ), 4 . 78 ( s , 1h ), 5 . 07 ( brs , 1h ), 5 . 90 ( m , 1h ), 6 . 45 ( d , 1h , j = 16 hz ), 7 . 30 ( m , 5h ). pivalic acid ( 0 . 029 g ) and et 3 b ( 1 . 5 ml of 1m thf ) were mixed in 15 ml of dry thf and stirred for 60 minutes at room temperature ( rt ). to this solution was added a solution of ethyl , 5 - hydroxy - 7 -( 1 - methyl - 5 - methylene - 3 - phenylbicyclo [ 2 . 2 . 1 ] hept - 2 - en - 2 - yl ]- 6 - heptenoate ( 0 . 52 g ) in 2 ml of dry thf . after stirring for 1 hour , the solution was cooled to - 78 ° c . and ch 3 oh ( 0 . 5 ml ) and nabh 4 ( 0 . 066 g ) were added . the mixture was stirred 4 hours at - 78 ° c ., then poured into 10 ml of 30 % h 2 o 2 cooled to 0 ° c . the vigorously stirred mixture was allowed to warm to rt overnight and extracted with ethyl acetate . the organic extracts were washed with h 2 o ( 3x ), brine , dried ( mgso 4 ), filtered and concentrated . chromatography on silica gel eluting with hexane - ethyl acetate ( 4 : 1 v / v ) afforded 0 . 32 g of product ; ir ( film ) 3500 , 2932 , 1735 cm - 1 . 200 mhz nmr ( cdcl 3 ): δ 1 . 30 ( m , 3h ), 1 . 45 ( m , 1h ), 1 . 56 ( s , 3h ), 1 . 80 ( m , 3h ), 2 . 10 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 48 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 40 ( s , 1h ), 3 . 70 ( br s , 1h ), 4 . 17 ( m , 3h ), 4 . 33 ( m , 1h ), 4 . 78 ( s , 1h ), 5 . 07 ( m , 1h ), 5 . 87 ( m , 1h ), 6 . 39 ( d , 1h , j = 16 hz ), 7 . 25 ( m , 5h ). the ester product of example 8 ( 0 . 163 g ) was taken up in ca . 3 ml of methanol , 0 . 50 ml 1m naoh was added , the solvent was removed in vacuo , water was added and the mixture was freeze - dried to provide the title heptenoate salt product ; ir ( kbr ) 3500 , 1581 cm - 1 . sodium hydroxide ( 04 . ml , 1m ) was added to a solution in 2 ml methanol of 0 . 147 g . of the ester product of example 8 , the resulting solution was stripped on the rotary , made acid with citric acid , partitioned between ethyl acetate and h 2 o , dried over mgso 4 , filtered and concentrated . the residue was taken up in ch 2 cl 2 and 0 . 090 g of dicyclohexylcarbodimide was added at room temperature . the mixture was stirred overnight at rt , concentrated , then chromatographed on silica gel ( 20 - 230 ) using 50 / 50 hexane / ethyl acetate as eluant . combination of the appropriate fractions gave 0 . 1098 g ( 88 %) of the title product . this material was purified by taking it up in ether and filtering and concentrating the solution to dryness ; ir ( film ): 3500 , 1719 , 1037 , 414 cm - 1 . 200 mhz nmr ( cdcl 3 ): δ 1 . 25 ( m , 1h ), 1 . 48 ( m , 2h ) 1 . 55 , 1 . 56 ( 2s , 3h ), 1 . 6 - 2 . 3 ( m , 6h ), 2 . 70 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 40 ( s , 1h ), 4 . 38 ( m , 1h ), 4 . 80 ( s , 1h ), 5 . 10 ( m , 2h ), 5 . 93 ( dd , 1h , j = 16 , 7 . 5 hz ), 6 . 44 ( dd , 1h , j = 16 , 3 hz ), 7 . 30 ( m , 5h ). | 8 |
fig1 a and 1b show two examples of systems for implementing the invention . on fig1 a , a source s o of polychromatic light is located at the focus of a collimating lens o 1 . the parallel light beam coming from the lens o 1 illuminates a sample to be tested , which is diagrammatically represented as a plate la with parallel faces , arranged in the plane p d , and having a planarity defect d 1 . the sample can be any other optical system ( a lens or a mirror , in particularly a telescope mirror ), or even simply a region in a gas medium being disturbed by a flow , for example . in the case of an application in the astronomy field , a system for implementing the invention is illustrated on fig1 b . a planar wave from a very distant source , such a star , for example crosses a turbulent medium whose index variations are represented by sinuous lines . an input arrangement performs the optical adaptation necessary for implementing the method according to the invention . such an adaptation is preferably achieved by an afocal system consisting in two lenses o 2 and o 4 , with a field lens o 3 at an intermediary position . such an afocal system has the function of , on the one hand , matching the diameter of the beam analyzed in the plane p d , to the dimensions of the two - dimensional grating arranged in a plane p c , and , on the other hand , conjugating the plane p d where the defect to be analyzed optically with the plane p c . other means achieving such an optical conjugation between such two planes can also be suitable . a diffraction grating gr adapted for achieving the combination of intensity and phase functions is arranged in the analysis plane p c . materially , such a grating can be constructed as for example those on fig5 a or 5 b . it is the particular combination of functions that characterizes the grating of the invention rather than a particular embodiment . in the example of the embodiment shown , the diffraction grating gr is made up of a two - dimensional intensity grating gi and a two - dimensional phase grating gp . the intensity grating gi implements an intensity function fi which defines a hexagonal meshing of sub - pupils transmitting the light from the beam to be analyzed into a plurality of secondary beams . the phase grating gp implements a phase function fp which introduces an mean phase shift between two adjacent secondary beams close to 2π / 3 ( modulo 2π ). the order in which the two functions are effected in the plane is of no importance . according to the invention , the interferogram is made up of a hexagonal meshing of spots . the plane p c is a zero sensitivity plane . the observation is effected in a plane p s located at a chosen observation distance d from the plane p c . the dynamics and the sensitivity of the system vary with the observation distance . thus if d is zero , the observation plane p s is coincident with the analysis plane p c in which the grating is located and the sensitivity is zero . generally , an additional means of observing the plane p s , comprising , for example , a lens , which optically conjugates the plane ps and a more accessible working plane , can be used . fig2 a and 2b show elementary meshes of the two - dimensional gratings , the patterns being represented serving as an illustration . the patterns of the invention are shown in fig3 and 4 . fig2 a shows a two - dimensional intensity grating gi having a hexagonal meshing characterized by a hexagonal elementary mesh with a surface s . fig2 b shows a two - dimensional phase grating gp having a hexagonal meshing characterized by a hexagonal elementary mesh with a surface 3 s . the meshing , shown as broken lines , is not necessarily visible in the final grating . in each mesh of gi , a pattern moi introducing intensity variations into the incident light beam is shown . in each mesh of gp , a pattern mop introducing phase variations into the incident light beam is shown . fig2 c shows the relative positioning of elementary meshes of both gratings . this positioning is essential for a good operation of the invention . the surface of the elementary phase mesh mep is equal to three times the surface of the elementary intensity mesh mei . in order to facilitate the description of the relative positioning of hexagonal elementary meshes , a large diagonal of a hexagon is defined as linking two opposite apexes and a small diagonal is defined as linking two non adjacent and non opposed apexes . the phase mesh mep is centred on the common apex of three adjacent intensity meshes mei . the apexes of a phase mesh mep match with the apexes located at one of the ends of the six small diagonals of three adjacent intensity meshes mei . the other end of said small diagonals is located at the common apex of said three adjacent intensity meshes , i . e . at the centre of the phase mesh mep . fig3 a and 3b show examples of elementary patterns for the gi two - dimensional intensity grating on fig2 a allowing for performing the intensity function according to the method of the invention . fig3 a illustrates an elementary pattern moi of a grating gi with a hexagonal meshing mei of surface s having a continuously variable opacity . the lightest areas at the centre of the pattern are those where the transparency is highest , and the dark areas in the periphery are characterized by a higher opacity . the area of the sub - pupil can be defined here as the area where the transmission is higher than 33 % of the maximum value of the grating transmission . a means for characterizing this grating comprises defining the transmission profiles over a period t along the directions of a small diagonal pd and a median me , and the period t ′ along the direction of a large diagonal gd of the intensity mesh . the corresponding values are indicated in the appended table at the end of the description . the intensity grating gi obtained from such an elementary pattern is the ideal intensity grating . it makes it possible producing an interferometer with metrological qualities equivalent to those obtained with the spatial filtering as described in fr 2 712 978 but with a much simpler implementation . fig3 b illustrates an elementary pattern moi of a ronchi type grating gi having a hexagonal meshing mei with a surface s . the black areas have a zero transmission and the light areas are transparent . the elementary pattern comprises a central transparent hexagonal area whose apexes are located at the middle of the sides of the hexagon of the elementary intensity mesh , and six opaque peripheral isosceles triangles whose apexes are the centres of two adjacent sides and the common apex for said two sides . thus , the maximum transmission surface of the sub - pupil is close to 67 % of the surface of the elementary mesh . the light yield is thus substantially improved in comparison with intensity masks with rectangular or hexagonal meshes , more particularly those shown on fig8 of french patent 2 712 978 . this embodiment less expensive than the previous one is particularly valuable for common applications , more particularly with polychromatic light . the elementary intensity patterns are such that they introduce an intensity variation of the secondary beam crossing them lying between a maximum value of 100 % at the centre of the hexagonal pattern with a surface s and a minimum value of 0 % on the apexes of said pattern . fig4 a shows a perspective view of one example of a two - dimensional phase grating gp which offers a simple means of implementing the phase function according to the method of the invention . fig4 b shows the same grating gp , observed along an axis perpendicular to the plane of the grating , onto which the elementary meshing with a surface 3 s is represented in black broken lines . the grating gp of the checkerboard type has stepped periodic thickness variations so that the thickness difference e between two adjacent steps satisfies the equation : n is the refractive index of the material when the phase grating is used in transmission mode , and on fig4 b , there can be seen that the pattern mop of the hexagonal checkerboard type in the phase grating gp overlaps the meshing of the intensity grating . the various levels of grey of the checkerboard in the grating gp in this figure only illustrate thickness variations of the various steps of the grating , in no means the transmission variations between the steps . this grating is transparent in transmission mode . an advantageous means of implementing the two - dimensional gratings gi and gp is to use the masking and photolithography etching techniques widely used in the semiconductor industry ; gi can thus be implemented by depositing a metallic mask onto a substrate wafer and gp by etching a substrate wafer . with these techniques it is possible to make using a two - dimensional phase and intensity grating which combines both fi and fp functions of gi and gp , respectively , from a single substrate wafer . in addition , the recent developments in the field of photolithography allow for contemplating coding in grey levels of the intensity function . such various levels of grey can be obtained coding various thicknesses of metallic mask or drilling the latter with small openings of a size lower than the analysis mean wavelength . other methods of implementing both functions fi and fp by gratings gi and gp can be contemplated , for example on the principle of registering interferograms on photosensitive plates so as to thereby achieve the production of holographic gratings . similarly , the description of this invention has been provided within the scope of gratings operating in transmission mode . the one skilled in the art will be able to apply this invention to gratings operating in reflection mode . the overlap of gratings gi and gp allows for producing two - dimensional gratings gr . fig5 a shows a grating gr 1 obtained by overlapping the intensity grating having the pattern in fig3 a and the phase grating in fig4 b . fig5 b shows a grating gr 2 obtained by overlapping the intensity grating having the pattern in fig3 b and the phase grating in fig4 b . for an appropriate understanding of fig5 a , there should be considered the effect linked to the various grey levels of the gp grating checkerboards overlapping on that linked to the grating gi . for fig5 b , understanding is easier , black triangles showing the opaque parts of the grating gi , the white and grey hexagons representing the various thicknesses of the gp grating steps . combining the gratings gi and gp allows for generating a meshing of light spots whose contrast is substantially independent of the observation distance d and the wavelength used . because of the sudden intensity variations introduced by the intensity grating gi of the ronchi type whose elementary pattern are shown in fig3 b , contrast fluctuations occur during the propagation which cause high - frequency local deformations of the light spots . those unwanted deformations remain small compared to the sinusoidal intensity modulation observed in the two directions and do not disturb the analysis of the wavefront . a means for reducing such small fluctuations due to the residual energy diffracted in the secondary sub - beams comprises coding the intensity function using an intensity grating , the transmission of which is continuously variable between 100 % at the centre of the mesh with a surface s and 0 % on the edges , according to an apodization surface of the hanning window type commonly encountered in digital signal processing . in french patent application no . 2 , 682 , 761 , a technique is proposed for acquiring and analyzing interference images obtained in order to reach gradients of the wavefront by means of a ut processing unit ut . those techniques are directly applicable to the meshing of light spots obtained according to the present invention . | 6 |
this section of the specification consists of two parts . the first part introduces components and describes their orientation and interconnections . the second part describes the operation of the components and provides some examples of acceptable components . referring now in greater detail to the drawings , in which like numerals represent like components throughout the several views , fig1 shows a partially cut - away view of a combination heat treating furnace 19 and in - furnace sand reclamation unit 20 , in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention . the in - furnace sand reclamation unit 20 includes a hopper 30 which has a hopper wall 31 and defines a hopper inlet 33 and a hopper outlet 35 . a portion of the hopper wall 31 and other elements are cut - away in fig1 so that elements shown can be clearly seen . the in - furnace sand reclamation unit 20 further includes a fluidizer 40 , guidance tube 80 , abrasion disk 90 and a discharge valve assembly 100 . the fluidizer 40 is shown passing through the hopper wall 31 . the guidance tube 80 is shown oriented above the fluidizer within the hopper 30 . the abrasion disk 90 is shown oriented above the guidance tube 80 within the hopper 30 . the discharge valve assembly 100 is shown connected to the hopper outlet 35 . in the preferred embodiment of the present invention , the hopper 30 of the in - furnace sand reclamation unit 20 doubles as the hopper 30 of the heat treating furnace 19 . an appropriate heat treating furnace 19 is disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 294 , 094 . the specification of u . s . patent application ser . no . 07 / 705 , 626 is hereby incorporated herein by reference . the discharge valve assembly 100 provides a path to the outside of the furnace . fig2 which is a cut - away side view of selected elements of fig1 shows the fluidizer 40 of the preferred embodiment of the present invention , in greater detail . sand 25 is also shown , in representative form , collected at the hopper outlet 35 . the fluidizer 40 is seen as including a fluidizer conduit 41 ; the fluidizer conduit 41 has a fluidizing end 42 that is within the lopper 30 and a source end 43 that is outside of the hopper 30 . a portion of the fluidizer conduit 41 has been cut - away to expose a conduit interior 44 which is defined by the fluidizing conduit 41 . the source end 43 of the fluidizer conduit 41 is sealed by an end plate 47 . the end plate 47 is attached to the source end 43 in a manner that would be understood by those reasonably skilled in the industry ; for example , by welding . a portion of the end plate 47 is cut away in fig2 to fully expose a heater 60 . the heater 60 is secured through the end plate 47 in a manner that facilitates removal for repair or replacement with a different type of heater . the heater 60 has an exhaust end 61 located within the conduit interior 44 and an intake end 62 outside of the fluidizer conduit 41 . pressurized air is supplied into the intake end 62 of the heater 60 through an air intake 65 . in the preferred embodiment of the present invention , the heater 60 is a high pressure gas burner . in an alternate embodiment of the present invention , the heater 60 consists of an electric heating element . other heater types are acceptable . a signal generating pressure gauge 70 is connected to the fluidizer conduit 41 by a gauge conduit 71 . this connection is such that the signal generating pressure gauge 70 is in communication with the conduit interior 44 and can sense the pressure within the fluidizer conduit 41 . a signal adjuster 74 is associated with the signal generating pressure gauge 70 . the signal generating pressure gauge 70 is connected to an electric power supply by a gauge power cable 72 . the signal generating pressure gauge 70 is connected by a signal cable 73 to the discharge valve assembly 100 , which is not shown in fig2 . the fluidizer end 42 of the fluidizer conduit 41 is turned upward in fig2 toward a the guidance tube 80 and the abrasion disk 90 . the guidance tube 80 , part of which is cut away in fig2 has a tube wall 81 and defines a tube passage 82 . the abrasion disk 90 , part of which is cut away in fig2 has disk back 92 and a concave disk face 91 . fig3 is a top view of the apparatus of fig2 in greater detail and with the abrasion disk 90 removed . as shown in fig3 the guidance tube 80 is connected to tube support rods 85a , b which are connected to the hopper wall 31 . these connections are made in a manner as would be understood by those reasonably skilled in the industry ; for example , by welding or bolting . the guidance tube 80 is positioned such that the guidance tube 80 is oriented above the fluidizer end 42 of the fluidizer conduit 41 and the tube passage 82 is in - line with the conduit interior 44 at the fluidizer end 42 . fig4 is a top view of the apparatus of fig2 in greater detail . in fig4 the disk face 91 of the abrasion disk 90 is oriented toward the fluidizer end 42 and is therefore not seen . as seen in fig2 and 4 , the abrasion disk 90 is connected to disk support cables 95 which are attached to the lopper wall 31 . the cables 95 have a disk end 96 , a hook end 97 , and a turnbuckle 98 disposed between the disk end 96 and the hook end 97 . the disk ends 96 of the cables 95 are attached to the abrasion disk 90 in a manner that would be understood by those reasonably skilled in the industry ; for example , by welding or bolting . the hook end 97 of each cable 95 is attached to the inner hopper wall 31 by an eyehook 99 ; the hook ends 97 are hooked to eyehooks 99 . the eyehooks 99 are connected to the hopper wall 31 in a manner that would be understood by those reasonably skilled in the industry ; for example , by welding or bolting . there are a plurality of eyehooks 99 , each of which is oriented so that the height of the abrasion disk 90 above the fluidizer end 42 is capable of being adjusted , as will be explained below . the fluidizer end 42 , conduit interior 44 , and guidance tube 80 are not seen in fig4 because they are concealed by the abrasion disk 90 . fig5 is a cut - away side view of the discharge valve assembly shown in fig1 . the discharge valve assembly 100 includes a double dump valve 110 and a pneumatic valve operator 130 . the double dump valve 110 has a valve inlet 111 and a valve outlet 112 . the valve inlet 111 is connected to the hopper outlet 35 ( see fig1 ) in a manner that would be understood by those reasonably skilled in the industry ; for example , by welding or bolting . the valve outlet 112 is located outside of the heat treating furnace 19 such that the double dump valve 110 provides a path from within the hopper 30 to the outside of the furnace 19 . a portion of the double dump valve 110 is cut away in fig5 to expose a first disk 116 , a second disk 117 , a first seat 118 , and a second seat 119 . the pneumatic valve operator 130 is connected to the double dump valve 110 , in a manner that is understood by those reasonably skilled in the art , such that the pneumatic valve operator 130 controls the operation of the double dump valve 110 . the pneumatic valve operator 130 is connected to a pneumatic supply line 131 and the signal cable 73 . in an alternate embodiment of the present invention , the pneumatic valve operator 130 is replaced with an electric , motorized valve operator ; hydraulic valve operator ; or some other type of valve operator . fig6 and fig7 show an alternate , preferred embodiment of the present invention . fig6 is a cutaway top view of portions of the present invention in accordance with the alternate embodiment . this alternate embodiment does not include the guidance tube 80 or abrasion disk 90 . this alternate embodiment does include a fluidizer 40 &# 39 ; which is somewhat similar to the fluidizer 40 of the preferred embodiment . however , the fluidizer 40 &# 39 ; has a fluidizer conduit 41 &# 39 ; that splits into three fluidizer conduits 41 &# 39 ; a , b , c , each of which pass through the hopper wall 31 . the fluidizer conduits 41 &# 39 ; a , b , c originate from a conduit header 55 . the conduit header 55 originates from the source end 43 of the fluidizer conduit 41 &# 39 ;. also , the fluidizer ends 43 &# 39 ; a , b , c are sealed in a manner that would be understood by those reasonably skilled in the industry ; for example , with a plug 50 . also , as is indicated by fig7 which is a side view of the fluidizer 40 &# 39 ; showing a portion of the hopper 30 , each fluidizer conduit 41 &# 39 ; a , b , c defines a plurality of fluidizing holes 51 that are oriented toward the hopper outlet 35 . ( in fig7 two of the fluidizer conduits 41 &# 39 ; a , b , c are concealed by one of the fluidizer conduits 41 &# 39 ; a .) fig8 is a cross - sectional view taken along line 8 -- 8 in fig7 ; only one fluidizer conduit 41 &# 39 ; a is shown for simplicity ; the other conduits 41 &# 39 ; b , c being similarly constructed . as seen in fig8 the fluidizing holes are in communication with the conduit interior 44 &# 39 ;. also , in the embodiment shown in fig7 and 8 , the fluidizing holes 51 are spaced linearly and radially along the portion of the fluidizer conduit 41 &# 39 ; a that faces the hopper outlet 35 . preferably , the angle between the center - lines 52 defined by two fluidizing holes 51 that are radially positioned with respect to one another is ninety degrees . in alternate embodiments of the present invention , the fluidizing holes 51 are spaced in a different manner . another alternate embodiment of the present invention , which is not shown , is similar to the previously disclosed alternate embodiment of fig6 - 8 , except that the fluidizer conduit 40 splits into six fluidizer conduits . three of the six fluidizer conduits penetrate one furnace hopper 30 and the other three of the six fluidizer conduits penetrate a different furnace hopper 30 . actually , there are a variety of alternate embodiments of the present invention that are variations upon those just disclosed . although not shown in fig6 and 7 , the signal generating pressure gauge 70 , with all of its associated elements , is included in these alternate embodiments of the present invention . fig9 shows an alternate , preferred embodiment of the present invention which does not include the guidance tube 80 or the abrasion disk 90 . in this alternate embodiment , a fluidizing ring 140 is disposed between the hopper outlet 35 and the valve inlet 111 . the fluidizing ring 140 is connected to the hopper outlet 35 and the valve inlet 111 in a manner that would be understood by those reasonably skilled in the industry ; for example , by welding or bolting . also shown in fig9 is a fluidizer conduit 41 &# 34 ;. the fluidizer conduit 41 &# 34 ; defines a conduit interior 44 &# 34 ; ( not shown ). the fluidizer conduit 41 &# 34 ; has a fluidizing end 42 &# 34 ;, which is connected to the fluidizing ring 140 , and a source end 43 &# 34 ;, into which pressurized air is supplied . fig1 is a detailed perspective view of the fluidizing ring 140 of fig9 . the fluidizing ring 140 includes a hollow ring frame 141 which defines a ring interior 142 ( see fig1 ). the fluidizing ring 140 bounds an open area 145 that is in communication with the ring interior 142 by way of a plurality of fluidizing holes 146 that are defined by the ring frame 141 . only two of the fluidizing holes are labeled in fig1 for simplicity . the ring frame 141 further defines a conduit connection hole 147 . the ring frame 141 is connected at the conduit connector hole 147 to the fluidizing end 42 &# 34 ; of the fluidizer conduit 41 &# 34 ; such that the conduit interior 44 &# 34 ; is in communication with the ring interior 142 . this connection is made in a manner that would be understood by those reasonably skilled in the industry ; for example , by welding . fig1 is a cross - sectional view taken along line 11 -- 11 in fig1 . fig1 shows the ring interior 142 . fig1 is a cross sectional view taken along line 12 -- 12 in fig1 . fig1 shows one of the plurality of fluidizing holes 146 defined by the ring frame 141 . the fluidizing holes 146 are angled steeply enough so that portions of sand core which pass through the open area 145 defined by the ring frame 141 cannot easily migrate up , through the fluidizing holes 146 , into the ring interior 142 . in an alternate embodiment of the present invention , no signal generating pressure gauge 70 is included . as shown in fig1 , which is a cut - away view , this alternate embodiment of the present invention includes signal generating sensors 170a , b , c that are mounted within the hopper 30 , to the hopper wall 31 . the sensors 170a , b , c are mounted such that they detect a predetermined level of sand core in the hopper 30 . each signal generating sensor 170a , b , c is connected by signal cable 73 &# 39 ; to the discharge valve assembly 100 ( not shown in fig1 ). a selector 171 is associated with the signal generating sensors 170a , b , c . in the preferred embodiment of this alternate embodiment , the signal generating sensors 170a , b , c are electric probes . fig1 shows a multi - zone embodiment of the present invention , which includes a multi - zone furnace 211 employing several embodiments of the in - furnace sand reclamation unit 20 . an example of furnace 211 is disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 294 , 094 . as disclosed , in fig1 hereof , the furnace 211 includes : a work chamber 215 ; zones 216a - h ; furnace heaters 218 ; a pre - heat chamber 224 ; a furnace input door 225 ; a furnace upper end 226 ; a furnace discharge door 227 ; a furnace lower end 228 ; a roller hearth 234 ; rollers 236 ; baskets 240 , for transporting castings ; axial fans 244 ; a furnace top 245 ; screens 252 ; baffles 253 ; a sand conveyor 259 ; and a central collection bin 260 . for a clear understanding of the furnace 211 , please refer to u . s . pat . no . 5 , 294 , 094 , which has been incorporated into this specification . the furnace 211 further includes hoppers 30 and discharge valve assemblies 100 . zones 216a , b are equipped with the fluidizer 40 ( see fig1 , 3 , and 4 ) guidance tube 80 , and abrasion disk 60 . the pre - heat chamber and zone 216e are equipped with the fluidizer 40 &# 39 ; ( see fig6 , and 8 ), and zones 216f , g , h are equipped with the fluidizer 40 &# 34 ; ( see fig9 , 11 , and 12 ). sand 25 is shown , in representative form , collected at the hopper outlet 35 . fig1 shows a supplemental sand reclamation unit 180 which is part of an alternate embodiment of the present invention . the supplemental sand reclaiming unit 180 includes a reclaimer hopper 181 which has a reclaimer inlet 182 , a reclaimer outlet 183 , and a reclaimer wall 184 . the supplemental sand reclamation unit 180 further includes a discharger 190 that has a discharger inlet 191 and a discharger outlet 192 . in the preferred , alternate embodiment , the discharger 190 is a screw auger . the discharger inlet 191 is connected to the hopper outlet 183 in a manner that would be understood by those reasonably skilled in the industry ; for example , by welding or bolting . the supplemental sand reclamation unit 180 further includes a delivery tube 195 that defines a tube interior 199 . the delivery tube 195 also has a tube inlet 196 , a tube outlet 197 , and an oxygen supply line 198 that is in communication with the tube interior 199 . the tube inlet 196 is connected to the discharger outlet 192 in a manner that would be understood by those reasonably skilled in the industry ; for example , by welding or bolting . fig1 is a cut - away view of the supplemental sand reclamation unit 180 of fig1 mounted on top of the combination heat treating furnace 19 and in - furnace sand reclamation unit 20 in accordance with an alternate embodiment of the present invention . the reclaimer hopper 181 and discharger 190 are located outside of the heat treating furnace 19 . the delivery tube 195 penetrates the heat treating furnace 19 and is in close proximity to u - tube furnace heaters 218 &# 39 ;. the tube outlet 197 is oriented toward the hopper inlet 33 . fig1 is a cut - away view of the reclaimer hopper 181 of fig1 . a portion of the reclaimer wall 184 is cut - away to show a reclaimer interior 185 that is defined by the reclaimer wall 184 . included within the reclaimer interior 185 are heaters 186 , oxygen suppliers 187 and a level indicator 188 . the reclaimer hopper 181 also includes a recycle exhaust duct 189 that exhausts into the heat treating furnace 19 and a baghouse exhaust duct 198 . referring back to fig1 and 14 , as the casting , with sand core attached thereto , is acted upon in accordance with the method and apparatus disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 294 , 094 , portions of sand and sand core fall through the lopper inlet 33 and sand collects within the hopper 30 toward the hopper outlet . before a defined level of sand accumulates in the hopper 30 , the first disk 116 and second disk 117 within the double dump valve 110 are maintained in contact with the first seat 118 and second seat 119 , respectively . therefore , as portions of sand and sand core continue to fall through the lopper inlet 33 , the level of sand core within the hopper 30 increases . fig1 , 3 , and 4 disclose the first , preferred embodiment of the present invention . the equipment and process that are at the heart of the first , preferred embodiment are referred to as &# 34 ; high temperature fluidization with a target &# 34 ;. in this embodiment , pressurized air is supplied through the air intake 65 . oxygenated and heated exhaust from the heater 60 discharges from the fluidizer end 42 of the fluidizer conduit 41 . as the level of sand rises above the level of the fluidizer end 42 , fluidization begins ; the oxygenated and heated exhaust fluidizes portions of sand core that are alcove the fluidizer end 42 . that is , the exhaust passes lip through the sand , causing the sand to be suspended and act like a turbulent fluid . the fluidization further propels portions of sand through the guidance tube passage 82 where the trajectory of the entrained portions of sand is oriented toward the disk face 91 of the abrasion disk 90 . portions of sand contact the abrasion disk 90 and fall back toward the fluidizer end 42 where they are further fluidized . the portions of sand that are fluidized abrade against each other and the disk face 91 . the abrasion caused by tills process knocks away ash that is adhered to the sand . this exposes unburned binder and thus promotes binder combustion . in addition to promoting binder combustion by exposing unburned binder , the fluidizer 40 promotes combustion by providing a hot and oxygenated environment . thus , the exposed binder combusts to promote purification of the sand reclaimed from the sand core . since the &# 34 ; high temperature fluidization with a target &# 34 ; incorporates a variety of techniques to reclaim sand ( which include , at least , fluidization , fluidization in combination with an abrasion disk , heating to promote combustion , and oxygenating to promote combustion ) it has a relatively high capacity as compared the processes referred to below . some alternate embodiments of the present invention , one of which is shown in fig6 , and 8 , are referred to as &# 34 ; hot fluidization &# 34 ;. &# 34 ; hot fluidization &# 34 ; does not propel portions of sand core toward a target . however , &# 34 ; hot fluidization &# 34 ; is otherwise similar to &# 34 ; hot fluidization with a target &# 34 ;. pressurized air is supplied through the air intake 65 . oxygenated and heated exhaust from the heater 60 discharges from the fluidizer holes 51 . as the level of sand approaches the level of the fluidizing holes 51 , fluidization begins . fluidization is promoted and enhanced by the placement and orientation of the fluidizing holes 51 . the portions of sand that are fluidized abrade against each other . the abrasion caused by this process knocks away ash that is adhered to the sand . this exposes unburned binder and thus promotes binder combustion . in addition to promoting binder combustion by exposing unburned binder , the fluidizer 40 &# 39 ; promotes combustion by providing a hot and oxygenated environment . thus , the exposed binder combusts to promote purification of the sand reclaimed from the sand core . since &# 34 ; hot fluidization &# 34 ; does not utilize a target , it does not typically cause as much abrasion as &# 34 ; lot fluidization with a target &# 34 ;. thus , &# 34 ; hot fluidization &# 34 ; typically exposes less binder than and therefore causes less combustion than &# 34 ; hot fluidization with a target &# 34 ;. therefore , &# 34 ; hot fluidization &# 34 ; typically has less capacity than &# 34 ; hot fluidization with a target &# 34 ;. thus , &# 34 ; hot fluidization with a target &# 34 ; is used where relatively large portions of sand and sand core fall through the hopper inlet 33 and &# 34 ; hot fluidization &# 34 ; is used where relatively moderate portions of sand and sand core fall through the hopper inlet 33 . other alternate embodiments of the present invention , one of which is shown in fig9 , 11 , and 12 , are referred to as &# 34 ; cool fluidization &# 34 ;. &# 34 ; cool fluidization &# 34 ; is somewhat similar to &# 34 ; hot fluidization &# 34 ; except that it does not incorporate heating . pressurized air is supplied to the source end 43 &# 34 ; of the fluidizer conduit 41 &# 34 ;. the pressurized air passes into the ring interior 142 by way of the fluidizer end 42 &# 34 ; of the fluidizer conduit 41 &# 34 ; and the conduit connection hole 147 . the pressurized air then escapes from the fluidizing ring 140 through the fluidizing holes 146 . as the level of sand rises above the fluidizing holes 146 , fluidization begins . the portions of sand that are fluidized abrade against each other . the abrasion caused by this process knocks away ash that is adhered to the sand . this exposes unburned binder and thus promotes binder combustion . in addition to promoting binder combustion by exposing unburned binder , the fluidizer 40 &# 34 ; promotes combustion by providing added oxygen to the environment ( the heat necessary for combustion is provided by the heat treating furnace 19 ). thus , the exposed binder combusts to promote purification of the sand reclaimed from the sand core . since &# 34 ; cool fluidization &# 34 ; does not add heat to promote combustion , it does not typically cause as much combustion as &# 34 ; hot fluidization &# 34 ;. therefore , &# 34 ; cool fluidization &# 34 ; typically has less capacity than &# 34 ; hot fluidization &# 34 ;. thus , &# 34 ; cool fluidization &# 34 ; is used where relatively small portions of relatively clean sand fall through the hopper inlet 33 . &# 34 ; cool fluidization &# 34 ;, in addition to reclaiming sand , cools portions of sand before they pass through the double dump valve 110 . this protects the double dump valve 110 from heat related stress and strain and allows for the use of a less expensive double dump valve 110 . as specified above , the different embodiments of the present invention have different capacities . as specified in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 294 , 094 , different zones 216 ( see fig1 ) within a continuous - process furnace 211 have different capacities for loosening sand core from castings . therefore , it is necessary to reclaim more sand in some zones 216 and less from others . in accordance with one multi - zone embodiment of the present invention , as shown in fig1 , higher capacity embodiments of the in - furnace sand reclamation unit 20 ( for example fig1 - 4 ) are employed in high capacity zones 216a , b ; moderate capacity embodiments of the in - furnace sand reclamation unit 20 ( for example fig6 - 8 ) are employed in the pre - heat chamber 224 and moderate capacity zones 216e ; and lower capacity embodiments of the in - furnace sand reclamation unit 20 ( for example fig9 - 12 ) are employed in lower capacity zones 216f , g , h of the furnace 211 . likewise , it is preferred to employ higher capacity embodiments of the present invention in higher capacity batch - type furnaces and lower capacity embodiments of the present invention in lower capacity batch - type furnaces . 7in several embodiments of the present invention , the signal generating pressure gauge 70 and the equipment associated with it , serves to provide positive control over the level , and therefore the volume , of sand that accumulates within the hopper 30 ( refer to fig2 and 9 ). as portions of sand continue to fall through the hopper inlet 33 , the level of sand within the hopper 30 increases . as the level increases there is more resistance to the flow of air from the fluidizer end of the conduit 42 and the back - pressure in the fluidizer conduit 41 increases . the signal adjuster 74 associated with the signal generating pressure gauge 70 is set such that when a certain back - pressure is detected within the conduit interior 44 by the signal generating pressure gauge 70 , a &# 34 ; high level &# 34 ; signal is generated . the pneumatic valve operator 140 receives the &# 34 ; high level &# 34 ; signal by way of the signal cable 73 . while the pneumatic valve operator 140 receives the signal it operates the double dump valve 120 . the double dump valve 120 is operated such that the first disk 126 and second disk 127 alternately move away from and then return to the first seat 118 and second seat 119 , respectively . this operation is such that while the first disk 116 is not in contact with the first seat 118 , the second disk 117 is in contact with the second seat 119 , and visa - versa . thus , while the double dump valve 110 is operating and sand is flowing from within the hopper 30 to outside of the heat treating furnace 19 by way of the double dump valve 110 , back - pressure is maintained at the hopper outlet 35 such that fluidization is not disrupted . it is important that back - pressure is maintained at the hopper outlet 35 because the pressurized air that is being supplied through the fluidizer conduit 41 will take the path of least resistance . if both the first disk 116 and the second disk 117 where off of their seats , and there was a level of sand within the hopper , the path of least resistance would be through the doubled dump valve 110 to the atmosphere outside of the furnace . there fore , the pressurized air would flow through the double dump valve 110 rather than forcing its way up through the sand accumulated in the hopper . in an alternate embodiment of the present invention , the double dump valve 110 is replaced with a star valve or screw auger , or another type of device that performs a discharging and a sealing function . in alternate embodiments of the present invention , signal generating sensors 170 , mounted to the hopper wall 31 ( see fig1 ), serve to provide positive control over the level , and therefore the volume , of sand that accumulates within the hopper 30 . in one embodiment the signal generating sensors 170 consist of electric capacitance probes . an electric capacitance probe is mounted to the hopper wall at each position that corresponds to a level at which it is desired to operate the double dump valve 110 . the particular level at which the double dump valve will operate is established by operating the selector 171 which establishes which electric probe is controlling . as the level of sand increases and comes into contact with the controlling electric probe , a &# 34 ; high level &# 34 ; signal is generated . the pneumatic valve operator 140 receives the &# 34 ; high level &# 34 ; signal by way of the signal cable 73 &# 39 ;. when the pneumatic valve operator 140 receives the signal it operates the double dump valve 110 as is disclosed above . the characteristics of reclaimed sand are controlled by controlling the dwell time of portions of sand within the hopper 30 . the longer the dwell time , the longer the amount of time that the portions of sand are fluidized . when portions of binder coated sand are fluidized for a relatively longer period of time , less binder is contained in the reclaimed sand but more fines are contained in the reclaimed sand . when portions of binder coated sand are fluidized for a relatively shorter period of time , more binder is contained in the reclaimed sand but less fines are contained in the reclaimed sand . the dwell time is controlled by controlling the volume of sand that is allowed to accumulate in the hopper 30 . the greater the volume of sand allowed to accumulate in the hopper 30 , the greater the dwell time ( assuming a constant input of sand ). the volume of sand that is allowed to accumulate in the hopper 30 is selected by adjusting the signal adjuster 74 in the one disclosed preferred embodiment of the present invention or by adjusting the selector 171 in the second disclosed embodiment of the present invention . in the embodiment which includes the signal generating pressure gauge 70 , a larger volume of sand accumulates in the lopper 30 when the signal adjuster 74 is adjusted so that the signal generating pressure gauge 70 emits a &# 34 ; high level &# 34 ; signal at a higher pressure . a smaller volume of sand accumulates in the hopper 30 when the signal adjuster 74 is adjusted so that the signal generating pressure gauge 70 emits a &# 34 ; high level &# 34 ; signal at a lower pressure . in the embodiment which includes signal generating sensors 170 a larger or smaller volume of sand is allowed to accumulate in the hopper 30 by adjusting the selector 171 to select the signal generating sensor 170 that is mounted at the level that corresponds to the desired volume . referring back to fig2 and 4 , the characteristics of the reclaimed sand are also controlled , in the preferred embodiment of the present invention , by adjusting the height of the abrasion disk 90 above the fluidizer end 42 of the fluidizer conduit 41 . the height is adjusted by loosening the turnbuckles 98 , unhooking the hook ends 97 from the eyehooks 99 , hooking the hook ends 97 to the appropriate eyehooks 99 , and tightening the turnbuckles 98 . these components can be accessed by entering the hopper 30 through the furnace 19 or through trap doors in the hopper wall 31 . generally , when the height of the abrasion disk 90 is decreased more abrasion occurs because propelled portions of sand impact the abrasion disk 90 with more force ; therefore , less binder is contained in the reclaimed sand and more fines are contained in the reclaimed sand . generally , when the height is increased less abrasion occurs because propelled portions of sand impact the abrasion disk 90 with less force ; therefore , more binder is contained in the reclaimed sand and less fines are contained in the reclaimed sand . referring back to fig1 - 17 , the supplemental sand reclamation unit 180 is used , in conjunction with the fluidizer 40 and other components in the heat treating furnace 19 , to further purify sand that has already been reclaimed by some other process , and to reclaim sand from portions of sand core initially reclaimed by another process . the portions of sand core and coated sand that are introduced into the supplemental sand reclamation unit 180 are not adhered to castings . for example only , if a core was accidently molded into the wrong shape such that it could not be used for casting , it could be crushed and the portions thereof could be introduced into the supplemental sand reclamation unit 180 . portions of sand core and coated sand are introduced into the supplemental sand reclamation unit 180 through the reclaimer inlet 182 . the heaters 186 and oxygen suppliers 187 maintain an atmosphere within the reclaimer interior 185 that causes some of the binder associated with the introduced sand and portions of sand core to combust such that sand is reclaimed within the reclaimer hopper 181 . the reclaimed sand is transferred from the reclaimer hopper 181 to the delivery tube 195 by the discharger 190 . the sand within the delivery tube 195 is drawn by gravity from the tube inlet 196 toward the tube outlet 197 . the sand in the delivery tube 195 is lea ted due to the fact that the delivery tube 195 is in close proximity to u - tube furnace heaters 218 &# 39 ;. the sand in the delivery tube 195 is also exposed to oxygen that is supplied through the oxygen supply line 198 . therefore , at least some exposed binder that passes through the delivery tube 195 is combusted . as sand passes from the tube outlet 197 it falls into the hopper 30 where it is further purified by fluidization , as is discussed above . the embodiments of the present invention can be constructed from a variety of materials and include a variety of components . the following is offered for example only . the hopper 30 , guidance tube 80 , and abrasion disk could be made out of various abrasion resistant alloys . more specifically , the hopper 30 and guidance tube 80 could be made out of 4130 , 4140 or 1020 steel , and the abrasion disk 90 could be made out of a cast high manganese alloy . the fluidizing ring 140 could be constructed of a36 structural steel square tubing . the high pressure burner , which serves as the heater 60 in one embodiment of the present invention , could be an eclipse brand . the signal generating pressure gauge 70 could be a dwyer brand photoelectric gauge . the electric capacitance probes , that serve as the signal generating sensors 170 in one embodiment of the present invention , and the level indicator 188 could be an endress hauser brand , lsc 1110 series capacitance probe . a low voltage is applied to these probes , and when the probe comes into contact with some material ( for example sand ) current flows into the material and the probe senses the current flow . the double dump valve 110 could be a ni - hard and nickel chrome alloy high temperature double dump valve made by plattco corporation . the fluidizer conduit 41 can be constructed from stainless steel . the heater 186 could be a national brand silicon carbide heating element . whereas this invention has been described in detail with particular reference to preferred embodiments and alternate embodiments thereof , it will be understood that variations and modifications can be effected within the spirit and scope of the invention , as described herein before and as defined in the appended claims . | 1 |
there is shown in fig1 a display panel 1 having parallel front and back glass plates 3 , 5 bearing on their inner facing surfaces electrode structures 7 , 9 . these structures may be formed by conventional photolithographic techniques and of these structures , at least the front structure 7 is transparent and may be of tin oxide or other suitable conductive material . a typical tin oxide film thickness is ˜ 10 4 a with resistivity ˜ 1 to 1000ω /□. the plates 3 , 5 are spaced apart and have , in the space between , an electrically sensitive medium 11 , the medium being characterized by the property that , in regions where the two electrode structures overlap , it may be changed from one optical state ( eg opaque ) to another ( eg transparent ) when suitable voltages are applied to the electrodes of each of the structures 7 , 9 . in front of the front plate 3 there is a cover glass 13 and between these an opaque graduated scale 15 and a central masking blank 17 . though the medium 11 may be a solid layer of electroluminescent material , as in the case of an electroluminescent display panel ; or , a rarefied gas , as in the case of an ac plasma discharge panel ; for the purposes of this example it is a layer of liquid crystal material . the display panel thus adapted , is in the form of a liquid crystal cell where the liquid crystal material is enclosed in the space between the glass plates 3 , 5 by a peripheral spacer 19 of insulating material . for added rigidity there is also a central support 21 , also of insulating material . the plates 3 , 5 are spaced apart by a short distance , typically of the order of 12 μm , to allow surface effect alignment of the liquid crystal material molecules to propagate across the width of the cell . to facilitate initial alignment of these molecules , the electrode bearing plates 3 , 5 may be assembled : after unidirectionally rubbing , or , coating the electrodes by suitable oblique evaporation ; or after treatment with a surfactant , such as organo - silane or lecithin , according to the liquid crystal effect used to define the different optical states , and the alignment required for display . in particular , for a cell using the cholesteric - to - nematic phase change effect the liquid crystal material is cholesteric and the plates may be treated by surfactant to give focal conic alignment . examples of suitable cholesteric mixtures for such a cell are the mixtures : e8 * ( nematic ) with approx 6 wt % cb 15 * ( cholesteric ), or preferably these cholesteric materials include in addition a small amount of pleochroic dye . for example an anthraquinone dye such as d16 * ( see also european patent application no . 002104 ): ## str1 ## or one or more of the azo dyes ( a ) to ( c ) appearing below , of which the colors are ( a ) orange - red , ( b ) blue , and ( c ) magenta : ## str2 ## while the liquid crystal cell , so far as described above , may be viewed with back illumination , it is here shown as a reflective device and has , adjacent the back plate 5 , a reflector 23 which may be a specular or diffusely reflecting metal film ( eg silver , aluminum ), or , a diffusely reflecting white paint , or card . the electrode bearing plates 3 , 5 extend beyond the spacer 19 to facilitate external connection to the electrode structures 7 , 9 . particular configurations of the electrode structures 7 , 9 are now described with reference to fig2 and 4 . these configurations are suited to displays operated to perform as meters requiring the simultaneous display of two index characters . the back electrode structure 9 is divided into ten segments s0 to s9 and these segments are arranged in a circular array , as shown in fig2 . each of these segments lies within a circular boundary and is further divided into two portions , each electrically separate from the other , an outer portion and an inner portion . thus , as shown in fig3 the segment s0 is divided into an outer portion s0a and an inner portion s0b . the outer portion of each segment has five inwardly extending limbs l all spaced about the inner circumference of an arcuate strip ll . the inner portion of each segment similarly has five outwardly extending limbs s all spaced about the outer circumference of an inner arcuate strip ss . the limbs l and s of each segment are inter - related having an intergital construction , as shown . the limbs l and s are arranged about a circle and correspond to one or other of the inner and outer segment portions taken alternatively in consecutive order around the circle . each of these limbs is shaped to provide , respectively , long and short hand pointer shaped regions of overlap with the front - plate electrode structure 7 , these overlap regions l and s being shown in broken and in full outline in fig3 . each of the outer segment portions s0a to s9a is connected to one of a corresponding number of terminal pads ta by a conductive strip st ( shown schematically ). inner segment portions s0b to s9b are connected in similar manner to another set of terminal pads tb . the front - plate electrode structure 7 has a modified meander configuration and comprises ten electrodes e0 to e9 . as shown in fig4 electrodes e1 to e9 have a folded configuration . in each fold of this configuration there is interposed a limb of the electrode e0 . the electrode e0 is of complex shape having inwardly extending limbs ea connected by an outer arcuate strip eb , and alternating with these , outwardly extending limbs ec connected by an inner arcuate strip ed . one of the outwardly extending limbs edb extends to the periphery of the meander construction and connects with the outer arcuate strip eb . all limbs of electrode e0 , therefore , form a single electrically connected structure . alternate electrodes e0 , e2 to e8 are shaped so that when the frontplate electrode structure 7 is superimposed , across the liquid crystal layer 11 , upon the back - plate electrode structure 9 , in the position of registration indicated by arrows , fig3 and 4 , electrically selectable index positions l each corresponding to regions having the shape of a long - hand pointer character are defined by the overlap of these electrodes e0 , e2 , . . . , e8 with the electrodes s0a to s9a . the electrode e9 is also shaped ; and electrically selectable index positions s , each corresponding to regions having the shape of a short - hand pointer character , are similarly defined by the overlap of electrodes e1 , e3 , . . . , e9 with the electrodes s0b to s9b . circuitry , for operating the display panel 1 , described above , is shown in fig5 and 6 . alternating electrical signals for driving the display are derived from a signal generator in the form of an astable multivibrator 31 . depending on the compatability of the voltages accepted by following selector logic and the voltages required to drive the panel 1 , the signals provided by the astable multivibrator may be applied directly to the panel 1 through the selector logic , as shown , or alternatively they may be applied indirectly to the panel through the selector logic and thereafter through driver amplifiers to boost the provided voltages to the required driving levels . in this example the signals are applied directly to the panel 1 and have rms magnitudes 2 v c and v c , where the voltage v c is a voltage not greater than the threshold voltage v th at an operative temperature of the panel . these voltages may be compensated in a conventional manner by temperature sensitive scaling electronics ( not shown ), so that the display may be operated over a wider range of temperatures . the signals are provided at three outputs of the multivibrator 31 . there is provided at the first of these outputs a signal + 2 v having rms magnitude 2 v c . at the second of these outputs there is provided a second signal - v , having rms magnitude v c , in anti - phase with the signal + 2 v . at the third of these outputs there is provided a third signal + v , having rms magnitude v c , in phase with the signal + 2 v . it is arranged that these signals have compatible waveforms so that the rms difference between signals + 2 v and + v is of value v c , and between signals + 2 v and - v is of value 3 v c . the signals have a frequency f √ 25 hz to avoid display flicker . the selector logic , for controlling the selection of these signals and their application to the electrodes of panel 1 , comprises : two 1 : 16 demultiplexers 33a , 33b ; two 1 : 10 analogue demultiplexers 35a , 35b ; ten or gates 40 to 49 ; and , ten 2 : 1 multiplexers 50 to 59 . each of the demultiplexers 33a , 33b , 35a and 35b respond to digital data applied to their control inputs . the digital data is provided by a data source 61 . this data source 61 may comprise a transducer ( not shown ), capable of responding to a scalar quantity , and an analogue to digital converter ( not shown ). the digital data is provided in binary - coded - decimal form at the binary coded hundreds ( 100 &# 39 ; s ), tens ( 10 &# 39 ; s ), and units ( 1 &# 39 ; s ) outputs of the data source 61 . the tens and hundreds outputs of the data source 61 are connected to the control inputs of the 1 : 10 demultiplexers 35a and 35b , respectively . the demultiplexers 35a serves to channel the signal + 2 v , applied at its signal input , onto one of its ten outputs according to the data address it receives . the ten outputs of demultiplexer 35a are connected to the outer segment electrodes s0a to s9a . demultiplexer 35a controls the selection of a segment electrode to apply the signal + 2 v , a zero voltage being applied to all the other segment electrodes connected to the outputs of this demultiplexer 35a . in similar manner , the demultiplexer 35b controls selection of one of the inner segment electrodes s0b to s9b . thus demultiplexers 35a , 35b control segment selection for the selected positioning of the long - hand and short - hand , pointer indices , respectively . meander electrodes are selected by means of the two 1 : 16 demultiplexers 33a and 33b , the or gates 40 to 49 and the multiplexers 50 to 59 . in particular , the selection of the appropriate long - hand position is determined by the response of demultiplexer 33a . the control inputs of this demultiplexer 33a are connected to the three most significant bits of the units output , and to the least significant bit of the tens output , of the data source 61 . ten of the sixteen outputs of this demultiplexer 33a are connected in pairs to five of the or gates 40 , 42 , . . . , 48 . demultiplexer outputs 0 to 4 are connected to or gates 40 , 42 , 44 , 46 , 48 respectively , and demultiplexer outputs 8 to 12 are connected to or gates 40 , 48 , 46 , 44 , 42 . this arrangement of connections provides compensation for the modified meander order of the electrodes and thus ensures a unidirectional change of index position with progressive increase in the appropriate scale - value of the scalar quantity measured . demultiplexer 33b determines selection of the appropriate short - hand position . the control inputs of this demultiplexer 33b are connected to the three most significant bits of the tens output , and to the least significant bit of the hundreds output , of the data source 61 . the outputs 0 to 4 of this demultiplexer 33b are connected to or gates 41 , 43 , 45 , 47 and 49 respectively , and outputs 8 to 12 to or gates 49 , 47 , 45 , 43 and 41 respectively . the output of each or gate 40 to 49 is connected to a corresponding multiplexer 50 to 59 at each control input d0 to d9 . the output of each multiplexer 50 to 59 is connected to a corresponding one of the meander electrodes e 0 to e 9 . each multiplexer 50 to 59 has two signal inputs , one connected to the - v signal output , the other to the + v signal output , of the multivibrator 31 . it is arranged that the - v signal is channelled to a selected one of the electrodes e0 to e9 when a signal of digital ` 1 ` level is applied to the controlling input d0 to d9 of the corresponding selected multiplexer 50 to 59 . to this end a digital ` 1 ` level control voltage v cc is applied to the signal input of demultiplexer 33a , and to the signal input of demultiplexer 33b . in consequence , and according to the data address applied to each demultiplexer 33a , 33b , digital ` 1 ` level signals are applied to each selected output 0 to 4 and 8 to 12 of both demultiplexers 33a and 33b , through one of the or gates 40 , 42 , . . . , 48 and through one of the or gates 41 , 43 , . . . , 49 , to one of the multiplexers 50 , 52 , . . . , 58 and to one of the multiplexers 51 , 53 , . . . , 59 . the - v signal is then channelled by the selected multiplexers onto a selected one of the electrodes e0 , e2 , . . . , e8 , and onto a selected one of the electrodes e1 , e3 , . . . , e9 , for simultaneous positioning of the long - hand and the short - hand indices . there is thus a + 2 v signal applied to a selected one of the segment electrodes s0a to s9a and to + v signal applied to a selected one of the meander electrodes e0 , e2 , . . . , e8 . at the intersection of these electrodes a voltage difference of rms value 3 v c is developed and the region of the liquid crystal material 11 bounded by this intersection is driven and maintained in the bright optical on state , this region having the form of a longhand position index character . similarly , another selected region of the material is driven and maintained in the bright optical on state , and has the form of a short - hand pointer index character . this region corresponds to the intersection of a selected one of the segment electrodes s0b to s9b and a selected one of the meander electrodes e1 , e3 , . . . , e9 . a digital ` 0 ` level voltage is applied by demultiplexers 33a and 33b through the remaining or gates , onto the non - selected multiplexers . these non - selected multiplexers channel the + v signal onto the remaining meander electrodes . thus at all other intersections between the segment and meander electrodes , voltage signals + 2 v and + v , 0 and - v , and 0 and + v are applied across the liquid crystal material 11 and voltage differences , all of rms magnitude v c , developed . these regions of the liquid crystal material 11 are driven and maintained in the dark optical off state . accordingly , the long - hand and short - hand pointer index characters appear against an optically contrasting background , each at a selected position on the dial display area . with modification of the above circuit and simple redesign of the front and back - plate electrode structures 7 , 9 a time - piece display may be provided . for example , the back - plate electrode 9 may be divided into twelve segments rather than ten . accordingly , the 1 : 10 analogue demultiplexers 35a , 35b may be replaced by 1 : 12 analogue demultiplexers connected to the twelve segments . selection control data may then be derived , not from an analogue - to - digital convertor , but from a data source consisting of a clocked divider / counter chain having suitable binary coded data outputs ( eg 1 - minute , 5 - minute , 12 - minute and 1 - hour divider / counter outputs ). while in the above example , the segmented electrodes 9 are on the rear plate 5 , and the meander electrodes 7 are on the front plate 3 , their position is interchangeable . in reflective devices , the use of a reflector 23 at the rear of rear plate 5 is not always desirable . due to the parallax introduced , character definition can be degraded by shadowing . in preference , the rear electrodes may be constructed to be reflecting . for example they may be of thick film silver or aluminum . preferably the reflecting electrodes are constructed to give diffuse reflection . thus the thick film may be formed by deposit on a roughened plate surface , or the thick film may be provided with a rough finish by known deposit techniques . where , as just described , the rear electrodes 9 are of thick film , it also proves advantageous if these electrodes 9 are those of meander configuration . in this case the higher conductivity of the thick film thus allows a reduction in the voltage drop that occurs along the length of each meander electrode , this voltage drop arising from unavoidable leakage current associated with capacitive , inductive effects as well as conductance through the electrically sensitive medium . as shown in fig7 there is twisted nematic effect panel 1 comprising front and back glass plates 3 and 5 bearing on their inner facing surfaces , electrode structures 7 and 9 . an electrically sensitive medium 11 of liquid crystal material for example , the nematic mixture e7 containing 1 wt % of c15 cholesteric mixture [ e7 , c15 mixtures are listed in the catalogues of bdh ltd , poole , dorset , england ], is enclosed between these electrode structures 7 , 9 and the molecules of this material are ( in the off state ) constrained to adopt a 90 ° helical twist . two polarizers 4 and 6 are arranged one adjacent each plate 3 and 5 . the polarizers are crossed with respect to each other and aligned parallel with or perpendicular to the alignment direction of the liquid crystal on the electrode bearing plates 3 and 5 so that in the absence of applied field , ie in the off state , light may be transmitted through the polarizers . thus when the electrode structures 7 and 9 are constructed and arranged in the manner of the structures described above , and address signals are applied by the circuitry also described above , dark characters ( on state ) may be displayed against a bright background ( off state ). it is an advantage of this construction of a twisted nematic effect panel diaplay that the bright background corresponds to the off state where the molecules of the liquid crystal material are arranged with their long axes arranged in a helical twist . this arrangement give little change in the transmission of the display with angle so that the display may be viewed and / or illuminated over a wide range of angles without substantial change in either the contrast or the brightness . | 6 |
the regulating system shown in the drawing serves to provide a gas / air mixture for a gas burner ( not shown ). with reference to fig1 a gas flow can be fed to the burner ( not shown ) via a first line 10 . a gas - regulating valve 11 and two gas safety valves 12 , 13 are assigned to the first line 10 carrying the gas flow . the gas - regulating valve 11 and the gas safety valves 12 , 13 may be of any desired design . the construction and mode of operation of gas safety valves and gas - regulating valves are sufficiently known from the prior art . furthermore , a combustion - air flow can be fed to the burner ( not shown ) via a second line 14 . the combustion - air flow is produced by a fan 15 , the rotational speed of which is determined by a motor 16 assigned to the fan 15 . a restrictor or choke point 17 is arranged inside the second line 14 carrying the combustion - air flow . in the region downstream of the choke point 17 , the first line 10 carrying the gas flow opens into the second line 14 carrying the air flow . in this region , the first line 10 carrying the gas flow is terminated by gas nozzle 18 . a sensor 19 is arranged between the first line 10 carrying the gas flow and the second line 14 carrying the combustion - air flow . the sensor 19 is connected by a first measuring point 20 to the first line 10 carrying the gas flow , namely upstream of the gas nozzle 18 in the direction of flow of the gas . furthermore , the sensor 19 is connected by a second measuring point 21 to the second line 14 carrying the combustion - air flow , namely upstream of the choke point 17 in the direction of flow of the combustion air . the sensor 19 is designed as a differential - pressure sensor , in particular as a flow - rate meter or anemometer . the pressure difference between the gas pressure and the combustion - air pressure can therefore be determined by means of the sensor 19 . if the gas pressure matches the combustion air , the flow through the sensor 19 designed as flow - rate meter or anemometer is equal to zero . if the combustion - air pressure is higher than the gas pressure , a flow from the second measuring point 21 in the direction of the first measuring point 20 can be detected . on the other hand , if the combustion - air pressure is lower than the gas pressure , a flow from the first measuring point 20 in the direction of the second measuring point 21 can be detected by the sensor 19 . the pressure ratios of gas pressure and combustion - air pressure can therefore be determined by the sensor 19 from the rate of flow through the sensor 19 and from the direction of flow . depending on these pressure ratios , the sensor 19 generates an electrical or electronic signal 22 . this electrical or electronic signal 22 is fed to a control unit or regulating unit 23 , which generates a regulating signal 24 for an actuator 25 of the gas - regulating valve 11 . to insure a variable transmission ratio between gas pressure and combustion - air pressure or gas flow and combustion - air flow , the electrical or electronic signal 22 of the sensor 19 is balanced with an auxiliary signal 27 in a summing device 26 , specifically before the signal 22 is fed to the regulating unit 23 . the output signal 30 of the summing device 26 is therefore fed as input signal to the regulating unit 23 , the output signal 30 being an additive superimposition of the signals 22 , 27 . the auxiliary signal 27 is a signal which functionally depends on a rotational speed of the fan 15 . the auxiliary signal 27 is obtained in an evaluating device 28 from a rotational - speed signal 29 of the fan 15 or of the motor 16 of the fan 15 . since the auxiliary signal 27 functionally depends on the rotational speed of the fan 15 , it directly follows that the auxiliary signal 27 depends on the combustion - air flow or combustion - air pressure . unlike the exemplary embodiment shown , it is possible to generate the auxiliary signal 27 in another way . thus it is not absolutely necessary for the auxiliary signal 27 to be determined from the rotational speed of the fan . it is also conceivable to provide an additional sensor ( not shown ) for determining the combustion - air flow and thus for generating the auxiliary signal 27 . to provide a gas / air mixture with a variable transmission ratio between gas pressure and combustion - air pressure , the procedure with the regulating system according to the invention is therefore as follows : an electrical or electronic signal 22 which corresponds to the pressure difference between the gas pressure and the combustion - air pressure is determined by means of the sensor 19 . this electrical or electronic signal 22 is balanced with an auxiliary signal 27 . to this end , the electrical or electronic signal 22 and the auxiliary signal 27 are added . the auxiliary signal 27 depends on the combustion - air flow , in particular on the rotational speed of the fan 15 . the output signal 30 , determined from the signals 22 , 27 , of the summing device 26 is fed to a regulating unit 23 , which generates a regulating signal 24 for the actuator 25 of the gas - regulating valve 11 . in this case , the regulating signal 24 is determined in such a way that the regulating unit 23 changes the gas flow to the effect that the input signal for the regulating unit 23 , that is the signal 30 determined from the signals 22 , 27 , assumes a value of zero . a factor which determines the transmission ratio between gas flow and combustion - air flow can be determined in the evaluating device 28 . this factor is a multiplication factor . the higher this multiplication factor is , the higher is the transmission ratio . the transmission ratio can be varied by varying the multiplication factor . list of designations 10 line 11 gas - regulating valve 12 gas safety valve 13 gas safety valve 14 line 15 fan 16 motor 17 choke point 18 gas nozzle 19 sensor 20 measuring point 21 measuring point 22 signal 23 regulating unit 24 regulating signal 25 actuator 26 summing device 27 auxiliary signal 28 evaluating device 29 rotational - speed signal 30 output signal | 5 |
fig1 illustrates the exchange of signals ( interfaces ) between an execution unit 1 , a main storage 2 and a cache 3 , and provides only the signals pertinent to the present invention . lines 4 - 7 carry a group of signals concerning the &# 34 ; store &# 34 ; operation , in which the line 4 carries a store request , the line 5 carries a store address , the line 6 carries a store mark , and the line 7 carries store data . the store mark indicates a byte position or positions , within a plurality of bytes of the store data to be stored , identifying the byte or bytes for which the store operation is to be performed . assuming by way of example that the store data depth of the cache is 8 bytes , the store mark is composed of 8 bits , and the store operation is executed with respect to the byte or bytes corresponding to that bit or bits of the store mark which have the value &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ;. in case of re - storing all the 8 bytes of data , all the 8 bits of the store mark are &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ;. lines 8 , 9 and 11 carry a group of signals concerning the &# 34 ; operand fetch &# 34 ; operation , in which the line 8 carries an operand fetch request , the line 9 carries an operand address , and the line 11 carries the operand fetch data . a line 10 carries a reset signal , which resets control flip - flops in the cache 3 . the lines 4 - 10 are the lines carrying signals or data which are sent from the execution unit 1 to the cache 3 , whereas the line 11 is the signal representing the data which is sent from the cache 3 to the execution unit 1 . a line 12 and a line 13 form a control line and a data line concerning the block transfer and store operation for storing blocks of data in the main storage 2 . fig2 shows the details of the cache 3 in fig1 . the cache 3 is constructed of a buffer storage 15 as original storage means , a store buffer 14 , and a selector 16 . the store data from the execution unit 1 to the cache 3 is first stored and temporarily buffered in the store buffer 14 , and then is transferred from the store buffer 14 into the buffer storage 15 . the buffer storage 15 is a memory which is small in capacity and high in speed as compared with the main storage 2 , and which holds as copies some of the data retained by the main storage 2 . accordingly , when data requested exists in the buffer storage 15 , the data processing unit 1 can fetch the data from the buffer storage 15 faster than in the case of utilizing the data retained in the main storage 2 . in fig2 lines 4 - 11 are the same as those lines 4 - 11 in fig1 . lines 17 - 19 are control lines and line 20 is a data line , each of these lines 17 - 20 being concerned with the store of signals or data which is sent from the store buffer 14 to the buffer storage 15 . the line 17 carries a write pulse for store data , the line 18 carries a store address , the line 19 a store mark , and the line 20 the store data . only when the line 17 is &# 34 ; on &# 34 ;, will the operand on the line 20 specified by the line 19 be stored into the location of the buffer storage 15 specified by the line 18 . each of the lines 8 and 9 is also connected to the buffer storage 15 , and when an operand fetch request is issued , the line 8 turns &# 34 ; on &# 34 ;, to fetch an operand onto a line 21 from the location of the buffer storage 15 specified by the line 9 . in the case where the operand requested to be fetched is queuing in the store buffer 14 , the particular operand and the corresponding store mark are fetched from the store buffer 14 onto a line 23 and a line 22 , respectively . at this time , the operand requested to be fetched is simultaneously fethed from the buffer storage 15 onto the line 21 . herein , within the operand on the line 21 only the byte parts which correspond to &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; in the store mark on the line 22 are valid . the byte parts which correspond to the &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; positions of the store mark are extracted from the operand which is provided on the line 23 . the selection of the lines 21 and 23 dependent upon the store mark is performed by the selector 16 . this is based on the fact that , since those parts of the operand in the store buffer 14 which correspond to &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; in the store mark represent valid data waiting to be stored in the buffer storage 15 to update what is stored in the buffer storage 15 , the operand on the line 23 needs to be used for those byte parts which correspond to &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; in the store mark if a fully - valid operand is to be fetched . fig3 illustrates the details of the store buffer 14 . in fig3 lines 4 - 10 are the same as those lines similarly identified in fig1 and 2 , and lines 17 - 20 and lines 22 , 23 are the dame as those lines similarly identified in fig2 . a buffer 25 has a plurality of registers for queuing the address , mark , data , etc ., of the store . an input controller 24 designates the number of the register in the buffer 25 to receive an input , and informs the buffer 25 of this through a line 27 . the buffer 25 determines the register to receive an input by means of this input pointer . an output controller 26 designates the number of the register in the buffer 25 to deliver an output , and informs the buffer 25 of this through a line 28 . the buffer 25 determines the register to deliver an output by means of this output pointer . when the store request exists ( the line 4 is &# 34 ; on &# 34 ;), the store address ( on the line 5 ) is compared with address parts held by the group of registers in the buffer 25 . in case of coincidence , the line 29 turns &# 34 ; on &# 34 ; to indicate that the store operand to be inputted to the buffer 25 anew is already queuing in one of the registers within the buffer 25 . the lines 29 are equal in number to the number of registers in the buffer 25 . when one of the lines 29 has turned &# 34 ; on &# 34 ;, the input pointer 27 specifies the register which corresponds to the line which has turned &# 34 ; on &# 34 ;. this is effected in order that , when the store operations for an identical location are consecutive and the second store operation has arisen while the first store operation has the operand still in the buffer 25 , only a part to be altered in the second store operation , within the operand in the register in which the first store operation is queuing , may be updated in advance . when all the lines 29 are &# 34 ; off &# 34 ;, the input pointer is cyclically incremented , and the respective store data is successively inputted to the vacant registers in the buffer 25 . lines 30 are disposed in correspondence with the respective registers in the buffer 25 , and they indicate the validity of the respective registers . the register becomes valid during the period of time from the input of the store data till the output thereof . when any of the lines 30 is &# 34 ; on &# 34 ;, the output controller 26 operates to transfer the store data queuing in the buffer 25 to the buffer storage 15 , subject to the absence of an operand fetch request ( subject to the line 8 being &# 34 ; off &# 34 ;). when all the lines 30 are &# 34 ; on &# 34 ;, the store data is transferred to the buffer storage 15 irrespective of the presence or absence of the operand fetch request . lines 31 are reset lines for flip - flops indicating the validity of the respecitve registers in the buffer 25 , and they are disposed in a number equal to that of the registers in the buffer 25 . fig4 illustrates the details of the input controller 24 . in fig4 lines 4 and 10 are the same as those similarly identified in fig1 - 3 . lines 290 - 293 are respective lines in the case where the number of the lines 29 in fig3 is four . accordingly , this practical example supposes a case where the number of the registers in the buffer 25 is four . likewise , lines 270 - 273 illustrate respective lines in the case where the number of the lines 27 in fig3 is set at four . each of two flip - flops ( hereinbelow , termed &# 34 ; ffs &# 34 ;) 32 and 33 is a ff of 2 bits . when a line 35 is turned &# 34 ; on &# 34 ; and a clock line ta 36 is &# 34 ; on &# 34 ;, the output line 38 of an and gate 37 turns &# 34 ; on &# 34 ;, so that a 2 - bit output from an incrementor 34 is applied to the ff 32 through a data input line 39 . the 2 - bit output of the ff 32 is applied to the ff 33 when a clock line tb 41 is &# 34 ; on &# 34 ;. the clocks ta and tb are clocks of 2 phases . the 2 - bit output of the ff 33 is applied to the incrementor 34 through a line 42 and is incremented therein , and the result is reflected on the line 39 . accordingly , each time the line 35 turns &# 34 ; on &# 34 ;, the values of the ffs 32 and 33 are updated cyclically as &# 34 ; 00 &# 34 ;→&# 34 ; 01 &# 34 ;→&# 34 ; 10 &# 34 ;→&# 34 ; 11 &# 34 ;→&# 34 ; 00 &# 34 ;. the ffs 32 and 33 , when reset by the reset line 10 , are initialized to the value &# 34 ; 00 &# 34 ;. thus , the ffs 32 and 33 form a four - step binary counter . when a store request has been issued anew , the address of the store request is compared with the address parts of the four registers in the buffer 25 , and that one of the lines 290 - 293 which corresponds to the register having that store address therein , if any , turns &# 34 ; on &# 34 ;. since the four registers of the buffer 25 are adapted to hold store addresses different from one another , two or more of the lines 290 - 293 do not turn &# 34 ; on &# 34 ; at the same time . when any one of the lines 290 - 293 has turned &# 34 ; on &# 34 ;, the output line 44 of an or circuit 43 turns &# 34 ; on &# 34 ;, and a selector 45 selects the output 47 of an encoder 46 . the output of the encoder 46 consists of two signal lines which are encoded so as to indicate which ones of the lines 290 - 293 have turned &# 34 ; on &# 34 ;. that is , the line 47 becomes &# 34 ; 00 &# 34 ; when the line 290 is &# 34 ; on &# 34 ;; &# 34 ; 01 &# 34 ; when the line 291 is &# 34 ; on &# 34 ;; &# 34 ; 10 &# 34 ; when the line 292 is &# 34 ; on &# 34 ;; and &# 34 ; 11 &# 34 ; when the line 293 is &# 34 ; on &# 34 ;. accordingly , the output 47 indicates the number of that register in the buffer 25 whose store address has produced coincidence . a decoder 48 decodes the output of the selector 45 to turn &# 34 ; on &# 34 ; one of its output lines 49 - 52 . the lines 49 - 52 are applied to respective and gates 53 - 56 along with the line 4 ( the store request ). when the and gates are enabled , they turn &# 34 ; on &# 34 ; the respective lines 270 - 273 . owing to the above operations , when the store request has been issued anew and the store address coincides with any one of the address parts of the four registers in the buffer 25 , one of the lines 270 - 273 corresponding to the coincident register turns &# 34 ; on &# 34 ;, so that the store information can be overlaid in the particular register . when none of the four registers produces coincidence with the received store address , the output line 58 of a not circuit 57 turns &# 34 ; on &# 34 ;, and an and circuit 59 is enabled by the store request , to turn &# 34 ; on &# 34 ; the output line 35 . as a result , the ff 32 is supplied with the output of the incrementor 34 and is incremented . since , at this time , the line 44 is in the &# 34 ; off &# 34 ; state , the selector 45 selects the input line 42 . accordingly , the decoded result of the value of the ff 33 is reflected on the lines 270 - 273 and instructs the input of the received operand into a vacant register ( the next register to the register having received the input of an operand in the preceding store operation ) in the buffer 25 . fig5 illustrates the details of the buffer 25 . in fig5 lines 5 - 7 and 9 are the same as those similarly designated in fig1 - 3 , and lines 270 - 273 and lines 290 - 293 are the same as those similarly designated in fig4 . each register 60 - 63 is constructed of a store address part 600 , 610 , 620 , 630 , a store mark part 601 , 611 , 621 , 631 , a store data part 602 , 612 , 622 , 632 , and a valid bit 613 , 623 , 633 . when any one of the input instructive lines 270 - 273 is &# 34 ; on &# 34 ; and a clock line tc 64 is &# 34 ; on &# 34 ;, the output line of the corresponding one of the and circuits 65 - 68 turns &# 34 ; on &# 34 ;, and the content of the corresponding register is updated in accordance with the data received on lines 5 - 7 . as the updating values , the store address is given from the line 5 , the store mark is applied from the line 6 , and the store data is received from the line 7 . the valid bits are respectively set by the input instructive lines 270 - 273 directly . the outputs of the address parts 600 , 610 , 620 and 630 of the registers 60 - 63 are compared with the store address of the input line 5 by comparators 69 - 72 . when they detect coincidence , only the registers having valid bits 603 , 613 , 623 and 633 are allowed to turn &# 34 ; on &# 34 ; the output lines 290 - 293 by way of and circuits 73 - 76 , respectively . when one of the output lines 290 - 293 is &# 34 ; on &# 34 ;, a corresponding one of the and circuits 77 - 80 will be enabled to apply the store mark and store data in the corresponding one of the registers 60 - 63 to an or circuit 81 . the store mark is delivered to a line 82 , and the store data to a line 83 . accordingly , in a case where , at the time of the issue of a new store request , the store data for that store address is still being buffered in the store buffer 25 , one of the output lines 290 - 293 turns &# 34 ; on &# 34 ;, and the store mark and store data corresponding thereto are respectively delivered to the lines 82 and 83 . the store mark on the line 82 is applied to an or circuit 84 and is ored with the store mark on the line 6 based on the new store request , and the result is stored in the store mark part of the register as the updated store mark . of course , each store mark of 8 bits has the same bit positions subjected to the or operations . the store data on the line 83 is applied to a selector 85 , which is shown in detail in fig6 . the store data based on the new store request is inputted to a selector 851 through the line 7 , while the store data read from the register in the buffer 25 is inputted to a selector 852 through the line 83 . the selector 851 selects the data of those bytes of the line 7 which correspond to the bits &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; of the store mark of the line 6 , and it delivers them to an or circuit 853 . the selector 852 selects the data of those bytes of the line 83 which correspond to the bits &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; of the store mark of the line 6 , and it delivers them to the or circuit 853 . thus , the updated store data merged with the store mark is delivered from the or circuit 853 , and it is stored in the store data part of the register . comparators 89 - 92 compare the contents of the address parts 600 , 610 , 620 , 630 of the registers 60 - 63 with the operand address of the operand fetch address line 9 . upon detecting a coincidence , they turn &# 34 ; on &# 34 ; their output lines , and the and result of the coincidence signals with the corresponding valid bits 603 , 613 , 623 , 633 are taken by and circuits 93 - 96 . each of the results is given as one input of the corresponding one of and circuits 97 - 100 at the succeeding state . the and circuits 97 - 100 determine whether or not the store mark parts 601 , 611 , 621 , 631 and store data parts 602 , 612 , 622 , 632 of the respective registers are reflected on the inputs of an or circuit 101 . accordingly , the output of the or circuit 101 provides the store mark part and store data part of the register which has been allowed by any of the and circuits 97 - 100 ( as to which the and has been established ). this signifies that the data corresponding to the fetch request exists also in the store buffer 25 and is outputted . the output of the or circuit 101 is applied to the selector 16 ( fig2 ) on lines 22 and 23 . when any one of lines 280 - 283 is &# 34 ; on &# 34 ;, an and circuit 102 105 transmits the store address part , store mark part and store data part of the corresponding register 60 - 63 to an or circuit 106 . on the output lines 18 - 20 of the or circuit 106 , accordingly , the address , mark and data of the register corresponding to the line 280 - 283 are selected . these outputs of the or circuit 106 are applied to the buffer storage 15 ( fig2 ). fig7 illustrates the details of the output controller 26 . in fig7 lines 8 , 10 and 17 are the same as those similarly designated in fig2 and 3 , and lines 300 - 303 , lines 280 - 283 and lines 310 - 313 are respectively the same as those of the same reference numerals in fig5 . in a case where all the valid bit lines 300 - 303 of the four registers of the buffer 25 are in the &# 34 ; on &# 34 ; states , that is , where all the four registers hold valid store information , this situation is detected by an and circuit 110 , and the line 17 instructive of the store of the store data into the buffer storage 15 is turned &# 34 ; on &# 34 ; from the output of an or circuit 111 . in this case , the store of data into the buffer storage 15 is executed with priority given thereto over the fetch request . when all the lines 300 - 303 are not &# 34 ; on &# 34 ; but at least one of them is &# 34 ; on &# 34 ;, this situation is detected by an or circuit 112 . when the output of the or circuit 112 is &# 34 ; on &# 34 ;, the presence or absence of the operand fetch request is tested by a not circuit 113 and an and circuit 114 . in the presence of the operand fetch request , the line 8 turns &# 34 ; on &# 34 ;, and the output of the or circuit 112 is inhibited by the not circuit 113 and and circuit 114 . accordingly , only in the absence of the operand fetch request for the buffer storage 15 , will the output of the or circuit 112 be reflected on the line 17 to cause the store of data into the buffer storage 15 . when the line 17 is &# 34 ; on &# 34 ;, the store address , mark and data to be transmitted to the buffer storage 15 are applied from the register which has been selected by the lines 280 - 283 to the buffer 25 . the signal of the store instructive line 17 and the signals of the output instructive lines 280 - 283 are respectively subjected to an and operation by and circuits 115 - 118 , and the results are latched for phase adjustments by a ff 119 . the output 310 - 313 of the ff 119 turns &# 34 ; off &# 34 ; the valid bit of the register in the buffer 25 which has been instructed to deliver the outputs . each of ffs 120 and 121 is an ff of 2 bits . more particularly , when both the line 17 and a timing line td 125 are &# 34 ; on &# 34 ;, the output of an and circuit 123 turns &# 34 ; on &# 34 ; to update the content of the ff 120 . the updated value of the ff 120 is given by an incrementor 122 , and it is equal to the content of the ff 121 with 1 ( one ) added thereto . the ffs 120 and 121 are reset to the initial value &# 34 ; 00 &# 34 ; by the reset line 10 . accordingly , each time the line 17 turns &# 34 ; on &# 34 ;, the contents of the ffs 120 and 121 are incremented cyclically as &# 34 ; 00 &# 34 ;→&# 34 ; 01 &# 34 ;→&# 34 ; 10 &# 34 ;→&# 34 ; 11 &# 34 ;→&# 34 ; 00 &# 34 ;. the output of the ff 121 is decoded by a decoder 124 , and the decoder 124 turns &# 34 ; on &# 34 ; one of the output instructive lines 280 - 283 corresponding to the above output . referring to fig5 again , when one of the output instructive lines 280 - 283 is turned &# 34 ; on &# 34 ;, the corresponding one of the and circuits 102 - 105 is enabled , and the store address , store mark and store data in the register are transmitted to the buffer storage 15 . at the same time , the valid bit part of the particular register is turned &# 34 ; off &# 34 ; by the corresponding lines 310 - 313 . fig8 illustrates the details of the selector 16 in fig2 . in fig8 lines 11 , 21 , 22 and 23 are the same as those similarly identified in fig1 and so forth . fig8 shows an example in which the fetch / store depth of the buffer storage 15 is 8 bytes . data of 8 bytes fetched from the buffer storage 15 ( fig2 ) is set in a register 161 of 8 bytes through the line 21 . the store mark of 8 bits and the data of 8 bytes , which have been fetched from the store buffer 14 , are respectively set in a register 162 of 8 bits and a register 163 of 8 bytes . a selector 164 selects the data of those bytes of the register 161 which correspond to the bits &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; of the mark of the register 162 , and it delivers them to an or circuit 166 . a selector 165 selects the data of those bytes of the register 163 which correspond to the bits &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; of the mark of the register 162 , and it delivers them to the or circuit 166 . thus , the data from the buffer storage 15 and the store buffer 14 merged with the store mark are provided from the or circuit 166 as fetch data meeting the fetch request . according to the present invention , the competition of a store request and an instruction or operand fetch request for a storage can be reduced , so that the delay of instruction or operand fetch attributed to the competition is shortened advantageously . while we have shown and described an embodiment in accordance with the present invention , it is understood that the same is not limited thereto but is susceptible of numerous changes and modifications as known to a person skilled in the art , and we therefore do not wish to be limited to the details shown and described herein but intend to cover all such changes and modifications as are obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art . | 6 |
fig1 of the drawings shows a balloon catheter guidewire 1 which can be inserted through the center of a balloon catheter for steering the catheter through vascular structure to a site where an angioplasty is to be performed . the guidewire 1 has an outer sleeve 3 around an inner or center wire 5 . the guidewire structure 1 is sized to fit within a balloon catheter tube to allow guidance or steering of the balloon catheter by manipulation of guidewire 1 . the outer sleeve 3 of the guidewire is preferably a tightly wound wire spiral or coil of stainless steel , with an inside diameter large enough so that it can be slid or shifted longitudinally with respect to the inner wire 5 . the distal end 7 of inner wire 5 is the portion of the guidewire 1 which is to be positioned for radiation treatment of the site of the angioplasty . the distal end 7 has a radioactive material 9 such as cobalt - 60 which provides an intravascular radiation source , that is , it can be inserted through the vascular structure and will irradiate the site from within , as distinguished from an external radiation source . outer sleeve 3 has an end portion 11 at its distal end which is made of or coated with a radiation shielding substance for shielding the radioactive source 9 . in a preferred embodiment , the shielding section is lead or lead coated steel . the remaining portion 13 of the outer sleeve 3 , extending from shielding section 11 to the other end of guidewire 1 ( opposite from distal end 7 ) can be of a non - shielding substance such as stainless steel wire . by way of example , the guidewire may for example be 150 cm . long with an 0 . 010 &# 34 ; inner wire , having a 30 mm . long radioactive end 9 , and a sleeve 3 of 0 . 018 &# 34 ; diameter having a lead coating 11 which is 30 cm . long . except for the radioactive source 9 and retractable shielding 11 at the tip , guidewire 1 may be generally conventional . as already noted , the outer sleeve 3 of the guidewire 1 is slidable over the inner wire 5 , at least for a distance sufficient to cover and uncover radioactive material 9 , so that the shielding section 11 of the outer sleeve can be moved away from the radioactive material 9 to expose the angioplasty site to radiation . after the exposure , the outer sleeve is shifted again to cover the radioactive section . such selective shielding prevents exposure of the walls of the vascular structure when the guidewire 1 is being inserted or removed . a second embodiment of the invention , as shown in fig2 includes a balloon catheter 15 . the balloon catheter 15 has a balloon 19 at its distal end 21 and is constructed of a medically suitable plastic , preferably polyethylene . catheter 15 has a center core or tube 17 in which a conventional guidewire 23 is receivable . particles or crystals of radioactive material 25 ( which again may be cobalt - 60 ) are embedded in or mounted on tube 17 inside balloon 19 . a retractable radiation shielding sleeve 27 is slidable along tube 17 and covers source 25 , blocking exposure to radiation , until it is shifted away ( to the left in fig2 ). upon completion of angioplasty , the shielding sleeve 27 is retracted and the area of the injury is irradiated . such structure allows radiation of the vascular structure immediately following completion of angioplasty , without separately inserting a radiation source . a third embodiment of the invention , shown in fig3 and 4 , incorporates a balloon mounted stent 29 made of a radioactive material . stent 29 can be in the form of an expandable wire or mesh cage and is mounted over the balloon portion 31 at substantially the distal end 33 of the balloon catheter 32 . the stent is made of or coated with a radioactive material such as iridium 192 which will remain effectively radioactive just for 4 - 5 months , a period sufficient to reduce restenosis which typically occurs in the first six months following angioplasty . stent 29 is expanded by inflation of the balloon portion 31 , as shown in fig4 . after the balloon portion 31 has been deflated , catheter 32 can be removed from the site of the angioplasty . the expanded stent 35 remains at the site of the angioplasty . balloon expandable stents are already known , but not with a radioactive material associated with them . from the foregoing it can be appreciated that the invention provides devices and methods which can be incorporated and used in a well known and tested method for treatment of coronary artery and related diseases . while the present invention has been illustrated by a description of the preferred embodiments which have been described in detail , it is not the intention of the applicants to restrict or in any way limit the scope of the appended claims to such detail . additional advantages and modifications will readily appear to those skilled in the art . for example , radiation elements can otherwise be attached within the balloon catheter structure or on a guidewire in accordance with the scope of the following claims . | 0 |
in fig1 a portion of a system known to the art is shown which includes a handpiece designated generally by the reference numeral 10 and including a tip 11 capable of vibration at an amplitude controlled by a control system shown generally at 12 as determined by a control logic state generator 13 and a control logic circuit 14 connected to a control panel 15 . the handpiece 10 is connected through a cable 17 to a pin 18 inserted in a jack 19 . the handpiece cable connection , determined by the pin 18 and the jack 19 , cooperates with the state generator circuit 13 to provide a control signal 20 to the control logic circuit 14 indicating the presence of a handpiece . if a handpiece is present , a control signal 20 is generated which permits enablement of system operations , such as cooling , flow of irrigation fluid , suction pressure , vibration , and review of stroke amplitude under the influence of a feedback signal designated generally by the reference numeral 21 , as is known in the art . on the control panel , command switches 22 for commanding irrigation , vibration , and system operation are provided which cooperate with the system state generator 13 to provide control signals 20 to the control logic circuit 14 for enabling operation of such systems 21 in the system 12 . the control panel 15 further includes indicators 23 indicating the presence of irrigation , suction , cooling , operation , and other parameters such as stroke vibration through the use , for example , of a meter or bar graph . the system of fig1 has worked satisfactorily to control the operation of a handpiece 10 requiring the delivery of a particular ultrasonic frequency to the tip 11 with its predetermined maximum stroke amplitude under the influence of a foot switch 24 . however , as explained , alternative types of handpieces such as straight or angled handpieces are available in larger and smaller versions requiring respectively lower or higher operating frequencies to achieve ultrasonically resonant vibrations . thus , the invention of fig2 - 4 diagrammatically indicates a handpiece connector 31 which cooperates with a logic control circuit 33 for providing such an interrogation and appropriate control signals . fig2 a is a morphology chart showing representative alternatives for the handpiece 31 . the handpiece may be a type a device , such as a straight or standard handpiece , or it may be a type b device such as an angled handpiece . in addition , the selected handpiece 31 may be larger ( i . e . a standard handpiece ), requiring a lower ultrasonic resonant frequency or it may be smaller , requiring a higher ultrasonic resonant frequency . fig2 b indicates a routine for interrogation into the alternatives of fig2 a as to whether the handpiece is a standard , straight ( type a ) handpiece or an angled ( type b ) handpiece , and whether it is a larger handpiece requiring a lower operating frequency or a smaller handpiece requiring a larger operating frequency . it should be understood that the interrogation routine of fig2 b , as implemented in the specific embodiments of fig3 and 4 , is exemplary and such interrogations could be expanded for other characteristics of the handpiece which might influence operations of the overall system . thus , in fig2 b when a handpiece 31 is connected to the system 33 as indicated in step 41 , the first interrogation in step 42 is whether a handpiece is connected . if no handpiece is connected , a display on the control panel 15 is inhibited in step 43 and , alternatively , system operations are inhibited in step 44 because of the absence of a handpiece , or an improper or incomplete connection . if a handpiece is connected , the system may interrogate whether the handpiece is a type a handpiece , such as a straight or standard handpiece , or a type b handpiece , such as an angled handpiece in step 46 . if a type a handpiece is inserted , a type a handpiece is indicated on a control panel in step 47 ; similarly , if a type b handpiece has been connected , a type b handpiece is indicated on the control panel in step 48 . consistent with an indication of the type of handpiece in either of steps 47 and 48 , the system may also be controlled with a logic signal for operations pertinent to the type of handpiece selected as in steps 49 and 50 . thus , a control signal indicative of a type a handpiece may also be used to control system logic and parameters of the operating systems depending on system logic for operations consistent with a type a handpiece . similarly , a logical signal indicating the presence of a type b handpiece as in step 48 may also be used to control system operations in step 50 of parameters in a manner consistent with the presence of a type b handpiece . in step 52 , the system 33 interrogates whether the handpiece 31 is a larger handpiece or a smaller handpiece . if the handpiece is a larger handpiece , a lower frequency vibration signal is indicated in step 53 consistent with the presence of a larger handpiece , and controlled in step 55 . conversely , if a smaller handpiece is present , step 54 indicates the presence of a smaller handpiece , requiring a higher control frequency , and the required higher frequency is controlled in step 56 . when a lower frequency signal is indicated in step 55 , as in the case of a larger handpiece , the higher frequency signal may also be inhibited by the control signal in step 53 . conversely , the lower frequency signal may be inhibited in step 54 , where a higher frequency signal is indicated for a smaller handpiece . fig3 a indicates alternative connections for the handpiece which is connected to the logic circuit of fig4 . thus , for a standard or straight larger handpiece , the pins on the handpiece labeled h and g respectively are connected and no connections are provided between pin g and either of the pins labeled a and d . fig3 b indicates the pin connections on a straight smaller handpiece , fig3 c indicates the pin connections for an angled larger handpiece , and fig3 d indicate the connections for an angled , smaller handpiece . it will be appreciated in understanding this logic scheme that four alternatives are provided involving connections h , g h , g , d ; h , g , a ; and h , g , a , d , where pins h and g are always connected to trigger a handpiece presence signal in the circuit of fig4 . fig4 illustrates an appropriate logic circuit 33 for sensing the presence of a handpiece connector 31 and interrogating along the lines indicated in fig2 a and 2b . thus , when a handpiece which is standard or straight of a standard size requiring a lower frequency is connected , the pins h and g are connected , while the pins a and d are open ( fig3 a ). the connection between pins h and g , as will be the case for all handpieces , effectively grounds the input to a trigger 61 providing a high output signal from trigger 61 thus provided to the logic control circuit to the state generator 13 and control logic circuit 14 to indicate the presence of a handpiece to enable operations . when the signal at the output of trigger 61 becomes a logical high , indicating the presence of a handpiece , the output from the inverter 62 is a logical low providing a 12 volt source across a pump relay 63 to activate a cooling motor pump to start cooling operations . such a circuit of the inverter 62 and the relay 63 is exemplary of the types of sub - systems in the ultrasonic aspiration system which can be controlled by an output logic signal indicating the presence of a handpiece connector . at the same time , the absence of a connection to pin a means that a logical high signal is provided to the trigger 64 which is inverted to provide a logical low at the output of a trigger 65 . the presence of a high signal at the output of the trigger 61 actuates a transistor switch 66 so that the high signal is provided to the input of the trigger 67 , the output of which is inverted to a logical low which , when provided to an indicator on a control panel 15 indicates the presence of a standard handpiece . similarly , the low logical output from the trigger 64 becomes a logical high at the output of the trigger 68 which inhibits actuation of a lamp 72 on the control panel 15 so that an indicator indicating the presence of an angled handpiece is inhibited . thus , the display panel 23 shows the presence of a standard handpiece by an indicator 71 and inhibits a signal indicating the presence of an angled handpiece on the indicator 72 . similarly , for the conditions assumed , an absence of a connection at pin a provides a logical high to the trigger 64 , the output of which is a logical low . the logical low at the output of the trigger 64 is provided to the input of the trigger 65 , the output of which is the logical high . that logical high from the output of trigger 65 is provided on lead 74 to a logic module 75 in the control circuits 13 and 14 for use as desired indicating the presence of a standard size , straight handpiece requiring a lower frequency signal . similarly , under the conditions of a connection between h and g provided for a straight , standard size , lower frequency handpiece , a logical high is provided to the input of the trigger 80 whose output is a logical low which is inverted by the inverter 81 to provide a logical high at the output thereof . a logical high at the output of the inverter 81 fails to switch the generator 82 at its lower frequency so that the lower frequency is provided to the standard lower frequency handpiece as is necessary . that control signal may also be used , if needed , in a frequency control module 84 for controlling other frequency dependent parameters . when a smaller handpiece , requiring a larger operating frequency is prewired as in fig3 b , the logic circuit of fig4 operates similarly to indicate the presence of a handpiece ( i . e . any handpiece ) and to actuate a standard handpiece display on the indicator 71 on the panel 15 . however , because of the presence of a connection at pin d , a logical low is provided to the trigger 80 which becomes a logical high at its output for subsequent inversion to a logical low by the inverter 81 . a logical low provided to the generator control circuit 82 causes the relay to actuate to switch the generator from its lower normal operating frequency to a higher operating frequency needed for the smaller handpiece . a display of the frequency generated may also be provided on the display panel utilizing that same signal , through the circuit 84 . when an angled larger handpiece requiring a smaller frequency is connected ( fig3 c ), it is prewired with connections between the h , g , and a pins with the d pin left open . thereafter , the logic circuit of fig4 operates to enable a signal indicating the presence of an angled handpiece on indicator 72 , to avoid switching the generator from its normal lower frequency signal , and to inhibit illumination of the standard handpiece display 71 on the control panel , while indicating the presence of a handpiece on the indicator 59 . finally , as in fig3 d , with all pins prewired , an angled smaller handpiece requiring a larger operating frequency is indicated and the higher frequency signal provided . the foregoing preferred embodiments are for purposes of illustration of the logic sequence and interrogation scheme in a generalized way , it being understood that other parameters can be sensed . the invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics . the present embodiments are , therefore , to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive , the scope of the invention being indicated by the claims rather than by the foregoing description and all changes which come within the meaning and range of the equivalents of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein . | 0 |
fig1 shows a derrick 1 comprising a drive mechanism for a top drive rotary machine as described in pct / no / 98 / 00 / 30 . this drive mechanism will not be explained in more detail here ; instead reference is made to the aforementioned document in which there is a comprehensive explanation thereof . fig2 is a side view of the derrick 1 , and here the drive mechanism 2 with toothed rack 3 is seen more clearly . fig3 is a side view of the apparatus according to the invention , whilst fig4 is a front view of the same apparatus . the apparatus comprises preferably four , but at least two , toothed racks 4 , which are arranged substantially parallel to one another . the racks are connected to a gripper platform 5 , preferably via a relatively flexible articulation 6 . fig5 - 7 show the apparatus according to the invention in more detail . the toothed racks are arranged to be passed down into a cavity in a part of the derrick structure . in the illustrated case each rack is accommodated in a respective hollow leg 7 , which constitutes a part of the lattice work of the derrick . a drive gear 8 , which in the illustrated case comprises eight hydraulic motors 9 , arranged in pairs on each side of each rack 4 , is adapted to move the racks 4 in and out of the legs 7 . to obtain synchronisation of the eight hydraulic motors 9 , these may optionally be connected to each other via shafts 10 and 11 . of course , the synchronisation of the eight motors can also be achieved by other means , e . g ., hydraulically or electronically . the four toothed racks 4 are connected to the gripper platform 5 via an articulation or flexible connection 6 . the articulation or flexible connection 6 is capable of neutralising forces that arise due to any minor imprecision in the parallel movement of the racks 4 in and out of the legs 7 . the gripper platform 5 comprises two flaps 12 , which are adapted to grip below a collar on a non - illustrated riser . the drive gear 8 is preferably located beneath the rig floor 13 . the rig floor 13 itself may optionally also be physically connected to the racks 4 , e . g ., by means of hydraulic keys 14 . in this way , the rig floor 13 is able to follow the movement of the gripper platform 5 , and can thus be automatically heave - compensated . in order to adjust the height of the rig floor , the rig floor may be provided with hydraulic cylinders 15 , thereby eliminating the need to disconnect the hydraulic locks 14 from and reconnect them to the racks 4 when making minor height adjustments of the rig floor 13 . fig8 is a top view of the rig floor 13 , and also shows a section through the derrick structure 1 . this figure also indicates the legs 7 , into which the racks 4 are passed . when the racks 4 have been passed into the legs 7 , the racks 4 will not be visible above the rig floor , and nor will they represent any danger to personnel or take up space . fig8 also shows a pipe rack 16 and a pipe handling means 17 . on the rig floor 13 there are also provided rails 18 for a dolly 19 , which is designed to carry equipment into position above the moonpool . fig9 is a sectional view of the drive gear 2 for the rotary machine 20 ( fig2 ). this figure also shows a hydraulic motor 9 for actuating the rack 4 . fig1 is a more detailed sectional view of the drive gear 8 for the racks 4 , and shows two of the machinery rooms 21 in which the hydraulic motors 9 are arranged . the figure also shows the shaft 10 and the end of the shafts 11 , which connect the hydraulic motors in each machinery room 21 to one another to allow them to be run synchronously . also shown in this figure is the rig floor 13 , which is equipped with four hydraulic locks 14 and four hydraulic height - adjusting cylinders 15 . fig1 shows a hydraulic motor 9 , which via a gear wheel 22 is in toothed engagement with a toothed portion ( not shown ) of the rack 4 . as can be seen , the shafts 10 and 11 are equipped with gear wheels 23 and 24 at their ends , which gear wheels are in engagement with toothed portions ( not shown ) of the racks 4 . in the illustrated case the shafts 10 and 11 are not in direct operative connection with the hydraulic motor 9 , but are in engagement with the racks 4 . however , a direct operative connection between the hydraulic motors 9 is also conceivable . fig1 is a sectional side view of the apparatus according to the present invention , in which the gear wheels 22 on the hydraulic motors 9 can be seen , as can a shaft 11 and the gear wheels 23 and 24 . the rig floor 13 is also indicated . fig1 is a top view of the gripper platform 5 , whereas fig1 is a front view of the gripper platform 5 , and fig1 a side view of the gripper platform 5 . the gripper flaps 12 are equipped with a respective hydraulic cylinder 25 , which is adapted to swing the gripper flaps 12 between a horizontal and a vertical position . in the vertical position , the gripper flaps allow the riser and other equipment clear passage between them . in the horizontal position , the gripper flaps 12 engage with a riser 30 , which comes to rest in the recesses 26 in the gripper flaps 12 ( fig1 ). the recesses 26 together form a substantially circular hole , which has a smaller diameter than a collar on the riser , which collar comes to rest on the top of the gripper flaps . the gripper flaps 12 are also equipped with stops 27 , which come to bear against the gripper platform 5 , so that load taken up by the cylinders 25 is not particularly large . in addition to functioning as a tension device for a riser and as a heave compensator for the rig floor , the apparatus according to the invention is also capable of functioning as a hoist for equipment that is to be passed through the moonpool on a drill and production ship . for this function , the gripper platform 5 may be equipped with a roller or the like , which can be brought into contact with the moonpool walls , to prevent any risk of the gripper platform striking against the moonpool walls , and causing damage . in this way , e . g ., a bop can be moved safely and securely through the moonpool , it being secured by the gripper platform throughout the lowering operation and until it is clear of the bottom of the ship . the hydraulic motors 9 are of a conventional type and equipped with a gear box . by operating these at constant pressure when the riser is to be held under tension , and connecting the pressure via an accumulator , constant tension in the riser may easily be obtained . owing to the constant tension , the racks 4 will always follow the wave lo motion , and a derrick that is connected to the racks will therefore also follow the wave motion . in particular when lowering coiled tubing , this will be advantageous , as the coil can be placed on the rig floor , and the coiled tubing will not be subjected to large loads whilst being lowered . the toothed racks are preferably designed to be rigid , but for certain purposes they may conceivably be constructed so as to be hinged . motions have shown that the racks under tension will withstand loads of as much as 300 tonnes without any difficulty . | 4 |
in fig2 a and 2 b , in accordance with the invention , the repeater emission and reception system comprises a power divider 45 intended to divide the power of a radiofrequency input signal 40 by two and to apply the two signals arising from the division , respectively as input to two independent frequency converters 20 , 30 . each frequency converter 20 , 30 is intended to receive and to process in parallel the radiofrequency signals 40 , with broad frequency band f , originating from one and the same uplink . the two frequency converters 20 , 30 each comprise a local oscillator 22 , 32 and can comprise furthermore a low noise input amplifier and an output amplifier , neither represented . each frequency converter 20 , 30 ensures the transposition of the broad frequency band signals 40 received , from the reception frequency band to the emission frequency band dedicated to the users . the local oscillators 22 , 32 of the two frequency converters 20 , 30 operate on one and the same frequency , the broadband signals 40 are therefore transposed at the same frequency by the two frequency converters 20 , 30 . as the two frequency converters 20 , 30 use different local oscillators 22 , 32 , they deliver signals having uncorrelated phase noise and uncorrelated phase variations . the relative phases between the signals arising from the two frequency converters 20 , 30 therefore vary over time and the signals transposed in frequency by the two frequency converters 20 , 30 are not mutually coherent . the output signals 41 , 42 of the two frequency converters 20 , 30 are therefore identical but are not mutually coherent . after the frequency conversion , the output signal 41 of the first frequency converter 20 , respectively the output signal 42 of the second frequency converter 30 , is transmitted to a first input demultiplexer 51 , respectively to a second input demultiplexer 52 , each input demultiplexer 51 , 52 being intended to split each respective output signal 41 , 42 into several different frequency sub - bands , of the same width , corresponding to different channels . the frequency sub - bands allotted to the channels arising from one and the same demultiplexer are spaced in frequency by a bandwidth greater than or equal to the bandwidth allotted to each channel , the frequency sub - bands filtered by the second demultiplexer 52 being inserted between the frequency sub - bands filtered by the first demultiplexer 51 . thus , two adjacent frequency sub - bands ( f1 , f2 ) ( f3 , f4 ) are filtered by two channel filters belonging to different input demultiplexers 52 , 51 . one channel out of two is therefore filtered by the first demultiplexer 51 and one channel out of two is filtered by the second demultiplexer 52 . the various frequency sub - bands are disjoint , that is to say they do not comprise any frequency in common . in fig2 a and 2 b , the frequency band f of the signal 40 received by the two receivers 20 , 30 is split into two different first frequency sub - bands f2 , f4 by the first demultiplexer 51 and into two different second frequency sub - bands f1 , f3 by the second demultiplexer 52 , the two first and the two second frequency sub - bands forming four different , disjoint frequency sub - bands f1 , f2 , f3 , f4 to which four different channels 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 are respectively allotted . channels 1 and 3 are allotted to the signals of frequency f1 and f3 , separated and filtered by the second demultiplexer 52 and channels 2 and 4 are allotted to the signals of frequency f2 and f4 , separated and filtered by the first demultiplexer 51 . only the signals filtered by one and the same demultiplexer are mutually coherent since they originate from one and the same receiver and therefore from one and the same local oscillator . in the examples of fig2 a and 2 b , the signals circulating in channels 1 and 3 are mutually coherent and the signals circulating in channels 2 and 4 are mutually coherent , but the signals circulating in channels 2 and 3 and the signals circulating in channels 1 and 4 are not mutually coherent . because of the imperfection of the four filters intended to filter respectively the four frequency sub - bands f1 to f4 , in each channel , there circulate a main signal having a frequency lying in the frequency band allotted to the corresponding channel and spurious signals of lower intensity having frequencies lying in contiguous frequency bands allotted to other channels . the intensity of the spurious signals decreases as their frequency gets further from the frequency band allotted to the channel in which they circulate . thus , in the examples of fig2 a and 2 b , in the first channel 2 there circulate a main signal whose frequency lies in the frequency band f2 allotted to the first channel 2 and spurious signals whose frequencies are situated in frequency bands f1 and f3 allotted respectively to the third and fourth channels 1 and 3 . likewise , in the fourth channel 3 there circulate a main signal whose frequency lies in the frequency band f3 allotted to the fourth channel 3 and spurious signals whose frequencies lie in frequency bands f2 and f4 allotted respectively to the first and second channels 2 and 4 . in the third channel 1 there circulate a main signal whose frequency lies in the frequency band f1 allotted to the third channel 1 and spurious signals whose frequencies lie in the frequency band f2 allotted to the first channel 2 . in the second channel 4 there circulate a main signal whose frequency lies in the frequency band f4 allotted to the second channel 4 and spurious signals whose frequencies lie in the frequency band f3 allotted to the fourth channel 3 . however , as the signals having frequencies lying in adjacent frequency bands are not mutually coherent , the spurious signals circulating in channels which are not dedicated to them are not coherent with the main signals of the same frequency circulating in the channel which is dedicated to them . thus , in the examples of fig2 a and 2 b , the spurious signals having a frequency situated in the frequency band f1 allotted to the third channel 1 but which circulate in the first channel 2 are not coherent with the main signal of the same frequency f1 circulating in the third channel 1 . likewise , the spurious signals having a frequency situated in the frequency band f3 allotted to the fourth channel 3 but which circulate in the first channel 2 and in the second channel 4 are not coherent with the main signal of the same frequency f3 circulating in the fourth channel 3 . likewise , the spurious signals having a frequency situated in the frequency band f2 allotted to the first channel 2 but which circulate in the third channel 1 and in the fourth channel 3 are not coherent with the main signal of the same frequency 2 circulating in the first channel 2 . finally the spurious signals having a frequency situated in the frequency band f4 allotted to the second channel 4 but which circulate in the third channel 3 are not coherent with the main signal of the same frequency f4 circulating in the second channel 4 . consequently , the various spurious signals which circulate in each channel are never coherent with the main signals of the same frequency . during recombination of the signals originating from the various channels , the spurious signals and the main signals of the same frequency being mutually incoherent , the spurious signals have an effect on the radiated signal comparable to noise , this effect being much weaker and much less destructive than in contemporary emission and reception systems . the effects due to the spurious signals being much weaker , the level of separation between the various channels can be considerably reduced , thereby making it possible to obtain more significant useful bandwidths , and the performance of the emission and reception system in the useful band is much better than in a conventional architecture . although the invention has been described in conjunction with particular embodiments , it is very obvious that it is in no way limited thereto and that it comprises all the technical equivalents of the means described as well as their combinations if the latter enter within the framework of the invention . | 7 |
the expression “ enhancer ” as used herein refers to a substance enhancing the absorption of insulin , insulin analogue or insulin derivative through the layer of epithelial cells lining the alveoli of the lung into the adjacent pulmonary vasculature , i . e . the amount of insulin absorbed into the systemic system is higher than the amount absorbed in the absence of enhancer . in the present context the expression “ powder ” refers to a collection of essentially dry particles , i . e . the moisture content being below about 10 % by weight , preferably below 6 % by weight , and most preferably below 4 % by weight . the diameter of the crystals is defined as the martin &# 39 ; s diameter . it is measured as the length of the line , parallel to the ocular scale , that divides the randomly oriented crystals into two equal projected areas it is an object of the present invention to provide an insulin powder suitable for pulmonary delivery which has a reduced tendency to associate into aggregates in the dry powder compared to the pulmonary insulin particles described in the prior art . according to the present invention this object has been accomplished by providing zinc free insulin crystals having a diameter below 10 μm . the crystals of the present invention furthermore exhibit a better stability profile than powders of essentially the same composition prepared by spray drying , freeze - drying , vacuum drying and open drying . this is probably due to the amorphous state of powders prepared by the other methods described . by this means it is possible to store the powder formulations based on the crystals of the present invention at room temperature in contrary to human insulin preparations for injections and some amorphous insulin powders without stabilizing agent which have to be stored between 2 □ c to 8 □ c . furthermore , therapeutical powder formulations comprising the insulin crystals of the invention elucidates better flowing properties than corresponding amorphous powder formulations . the zinc free insulin crystals of the invention are advantageously provided in a crystal structure belonging to the cubic crystal system , preferably in the octadecahedral or dodecahedral crystal forms , since these crystal forms result in readily soluble product having excellent flowing properties . the diameter of the insulin crystals is advantageously kept in the range of 0 . 2 to 5 μm , preferably in the range of 0 . 2 to 2 μm , more preferably in the range of 0 . 5 and 1 μm , to ensure high bioavailability and suitable profile of action , see pct application no . wo 95 / 24183 and pct application no . wo 96 / 32149 . in a preferred embodiment the insulin used is selected from the group consisting of human insulin , bovine insulin or porcine insulin , preferably human insulin . in another preferred embodiment the insulin used is selected from the group consisting of rapid - acting insulins , preferably des ( b30 ) human insulin , asp b28 human insulin or lys b28 pro b29 human insulin . in another preferred embodiment the insulin used is an insulin derivative , preferably selected from the group consisting of b29 - n ε - myristoyl - des ( b30 ) human insulin , b29 - n ε - palmitoyl - des ( b30 ) human insulin , b29 - n ε - myristoyl human insulin , b29 - n ε - palmitoyl human insulin , b28 - n ε - myristoyl lys b28 pro b29 human insulin , b28 - n ε - palmitoyl lys b28 pro b29 human insulin , b30 - n ε - myristoyl - thr b29 lys b30 human insulin , b30 - n ε - palmitoyl - thr b29 lys b30 human insulin , b29 - n ε -( n - palmitoyl - γ - glutamyl )- des ( b30 ) human insulin , b29 - n ε -( n - lithocholyl - γ - glutamyl )- des ( b30 ) human insulin , b29 - n ε -( ω - carboxyheptadecanoyl )- des ( b30 ) human insulin and b29 - n ε -( ω - carboxyheptadecanoyl ) human insulin , more preferably lys b29 ( n - ε acylated ) des ( b30 ) human insulin . the insulin derivatives has a protracted onset of action and may thus compensate the very rapid increase in plasma insulin normally associated with pulmonary delivery . by carefully selecting the type of insulin , the present invention enables adjustment of the timing and to obtain the desired biological response within a defined time span . in order to avoid irritation of the lungs and to eliminate immunological reactions , the employed insulin is preferably insulin which has been purified by chromatography , such as mc insulin ( novo ), single peak insulin ( e . lilly ) and ri insulin ( nordisk ). in a preferred embodiment the zinc free insulin crystals according to the invention further comprise a stabilizing amount of a phenolic compound , preferably m - cresol or phenol , or a mixture of these compounds . the present invention is furthermore concerned with a therapeutic powder formulation suitable for pulmonary administration comprising the zinc free crystals described above . in a preferred embodiment this therapeutic powder formulation further comprises an enhancer which enhances the absorption of insulin in the lower respiratory tract . the enhancer is advantageously a surfactant , preferably selected from the group consisting of salts of fatty acids , bile salts or phospholipids , more preferably a bile salt . preferred fatty acids salts are salts of c 10 - 14 fatty acids , such as sodium caprate , sodium laurate and sodium myristate . preferred bile salts are salts of ursodeoxycholate , taurocholate , glycocholate and taurodihydrofusidate . still more preferred are powder formulations according to the invention wherein the enhancer is a salt of taurocholate , preferably sodium taurocholate . the molar ratio of insulin to enhancer in the powder formulation of the present invention is preferably 9 : 1 to 1 : 9 , more preferably between 5 : 1 to 1 : 5 , and still more preferably between 3 : 1 to 1 : 3 . the powder formulations of the present invention may optionally be combined with a carrier or excipient generally accepted as suitable for pulmonary administration . the purpose of adding a carrier or excipient may be as a bulking agent , stabilizing agent or an agent improving the flowing properties . suitable carrier agents include 1 ) carbohydrates , e . g . monosaccharides such as fructose , galactose , glucose , sorbose , and the like ; 2 ) disaccharides , such as lactose , trehalose and the like ; 3 ) polysaccharides , such as raffinose , maltodextrins , dextrans , and the like ; 4 ) alditols , such as mannitol , xylitol , and the like ; 5 ) inorganic salts , such as sodium chloride , and the like ; 6 ) organic salts , such as sodium citrate , sodium ascorbate , and the like . a preferred group of carriers includes trehalose , raffinose , mannitol , sorbitol , xylitol , inositol , sucrose , sodium chloride and sodium citrate . the crystals of the present invention are advantageously produced according to the following procedure : providing a solution of insulin having a ph between 7 . 0 and 9 . 5 ; mixing said solution with a solution of a salt of an alkali metal or an ammonium salt ; and recovering the formed crystals . the salt of an alkali metal or ammonium is preferably selected from the group consisting of the hydrochloride or acetate of sodium , potassium , lithium or ammonia , or mixtures thereof , more preferably sodium acetate . in order to suppress the solubility of the crystals formed , the solution of insulin and / or the solution of a salt of an alkali metal or an ammonium salt preferably comprises a water miscible organic solvent in an amount which corresponds to 5 to 25 % ( v / v ) in the solution obtained after mixing . the water miscible organic solvent is preferably selected from the group consisting of ethanol , methanol , acetone and 2 - propanol , more preferably ethanol . a very uniform distribution of crystal sizes and crystals of the same crystallographic form are obtained when the two solutions are mixed within a period of less than 2 hours , preferably less than 1 hour , more preferably less than 15 minutes , still more preferably less than 5 minutes . the crystallisation process by which uniformly sized , small , zinc free crystals is obtained directly , without the use of milling , micronizing , sieving and other dust generating steps , is much to be preferred from the present state of the art in the manufacture of insulin powders for inhalation . the concentration of insulin after mixing is preferably between 0 . 5 % and 10 %, more preferably between 0 . 5 % and 5 %, still more preferably between 0 . 5 % and 2 %. the concentration of salt after mixing is preferably between 0 . 2 m and 2 m , more preferably about 1 m . the method according to the present invention may further comprise a washing step , in which the crystals obtained are washed with a solution comprising auxiliary substances to be included in the final dry powder , preferably an enhancer and / or a carbohydrate , and optionally comprising 5 - 25 % of an alcohol , preferably ethanol , 5 - 50 mm of a preservative preferably phenol , and 0 . 1 - 2 m of a salt such as sodium acetate . this invention is further illustrated by the following examples which , however , are not to be construed as limiting . 2 g of highly purified human insulin is dissolved in 100 ml 10 mm tris buffer , ph 8 . 0 in 20 % ( v / v ) of ethanol in water . to this solution is added 100 ml 2 m sodium acetate under stirring . a precipitate forms immediately . after 2 days at room temperature microscopy shows small crystals having a diameter between 0 . 5 and 1 μm . the crystals are collected by centrifugation at − 10 □ c , washed once with 20 ml ice cold 10 % ethanol ( v / v ) in water , isolated by centrifugation and dried by lyophilization . the obtained crystals are shown in fig1 . 10 mg of human insulin and 5 mg of taurocholic acid sodium salt are dissolved in 500 μl 10 mm tris buffer , ph 8 . 0 in 20 % ( v / v ) of ethanol in water . to this solution is added 500 μl 2 m sodium acetate . microscopy after 1 hour and after 24 hours shows identically appearance of the crystals , i . e . uniformly sized crystals having diameters between 0 . 5 and 1 μm . the crystals were washed three times with 100 μl 10 % ( v / v ) ethanol in water at − 10 □ c and dried in vacuo . hplc of the crystals showed that the washings had removed the taurocholic acid sodium salt from the insulin crystals . crystallisation in the presence of tween 80 , bis ( 2 - ethylhexyl ) sulfosuccinate sodium salt , chitosan , l - α - lysophosphatidylcholine myristoyl and polyoxyethylene sorbitan monolaurate . crystallisation was performed as described in example 2 except that taurocholic acid sodium salt was replaced by 0 . 6 % ( w / v ) tween 80 , 0 . 56 % ( w / v ) bis ( 2 - ethylhexyl ) sulfosuccinate sodium salt , 0 . 32 % ( w / v ) chitosan , 0 . 52 % ( w / v ) l - αlysophosphtidylcholine myristoyl , and 1 % ( w / v ) polyoxyethylene sorbitan monolaurate , respectively . all five examples resulted in uniformly sized crystals having diameters between 0 . 5 and 1 μm . crystallisation was performed in 10 % ( v / v ) ethanol as described in example 1 , using 4 combinations of ph and concentration of sodium acetate : 4 . 1 : ph 7 . 5 and 1 m sodium acetate 4 . 2 : ph 7 . 5 and 1 . 5 m sodium acetate 4 . 3 : ph 9 . 0 and 1 m sodium acetate 4 . 4 : ph 9 . 0 and 1 . 5 m sodium acetate all 4 combinations yielded uniformly sized crystals having diameters between 0 . 5 and 1 μm . crystallisation was performed in 15 % ( v / v ) ethanol , using 6 combinations of ph and concentration of sodium acetate : 5 . 1 : ph 7 . 5 and 1 m sodium acetate 5 . 2 : ph 7 . 5 and 1 . 5 m sodium acetate 5 . 3 : ph 7 . 5 and 2 m sodium acetate 5 . 4 : ph 9 . 0 and 1 m sodium acetate 5 . 5 : ph 9 . 0 and 1 . 5 m sodium acetate 5 . 6 : ph 9 . 0 and 2 m sodium acetate all 6 combinations yielded uniformly sized crystals having diameters between 0 . 5 and 1 μm . crystallisation was performed in 20 % ( v / v ) ethanol using 4 combinations of ph and concentration of sodium acetate : 6 . 1 : ph 7 . 5 and 1 m sodium acetate 6 . 2 : ph 7 . 5 and 1 . 5 m sodium acetate 6 . 3 : ph 7 . 5 and 2 m sodium acetate 6 . 4 : ph 9 . 0 and 1 m sodium acetate all 4 combinations yielded uniformly sized crystals having diameters between 0 . 5 and 1 μm . crystallisation at ph 7 . 5 , 8 . 0 , 8 . 5 and 9 . 0 in 20 % ethanol ( v / v ) using slow addition of sodium acetate . crystallisation was performed using solutions as described in example 1 , except that the 2 m sodium acetate was dissolved in 20 % ( v / v ) ethanol in water . the ph of the insulin solutions were adjusted to 7 . 5 , 8 . 0 , 8 . 5 and 9 . 0 , respectively . the sodium acetate solution was added in aliquots over a period of 2 hours , using 10 min between additions . at all 4 ph values uniformly sized crystals having diameters between 0 . 5 and 1 μm were obtained . crystallisation of lys b29 ( ε - myristoyl ) des ( b30 ) human insulin in the presence of taurocholic acid sodium salt . 10 mg of lys b29 ( ε - myristoyl ) des ( b30 ) human insulin and 5 mg of taurocholic acid sodium salt are dissolved in 500 μl 10 mm tris buffer , ph 8 . 0 in 20 % ( v / v ) of ethanol in water . to this solution is added 500 μl 2 m sodium acetate . microscopy after 1 hour and after 24 hours shows identically appearance of the crystals , i . e . uniformly sized crystals having diameters between 0 . 5 and 1 μm . the crystals were washed once with 300 μl 10 % ( v / v ) ethanol in water at − 10 □ c and dried in vacuo . hplc of the crystals showed that the washings had removed the palmitoyl - thr b29 lys b30 human insulin , b29 - n ε -( n - palmitoyl - γ - glutamyl )- des ( b30 ) human insulin , b29 - n ε -( n - lithocholyl - γ - glutamyl )- des ( b30 ) human insulin , b29 - n ε -( ω - carboxyheptadecanoyl )- des ( b30 ) human insulin and b29 - n ε -( ω - carboxyheptadecanoyl ) human insulin . | 0 |
referring to fig1 the numeral 10 generally designates a pick - to - light system of the present invention . pick - to - light system 10 includes a control system 12 which controls the operation of the pick - to - light system and , further , allows operators or pickers to continuously pick and to pick at a rate that is independent pf the picking rate of other operators — in other words , to pick in parallel rather than in series . control system 12 includes a central controller 13 and a plurality of modules ( 70 , 76 described in greater detail below ) that permit communication between the operators of the pick - to - light system 10 and controller 13 and , further , that directs the operators to pick in a manner that permits an operator to increase his or her picking time so that the operators can work at his or her full capacity to thereby increase the throughput of the pick - to - light system , as will be more fully described below . referring to fig1 - 5 , pick - to - light system 10 includes a plurality of picking bays 14 that are arranged in spaced apart rows 16 and 18 which define therebetween a picking aisle . though reference hereinafter is made to two rows of picking bays and one aisle , it can be seen from fig1 that a plurality of rows and aisle &# 39 ; s are contemplated . the picking aisle preferably provides sufficient open space for operators to move between the picking bays so that the operators are not limited to a specific zone or specific set of picking bays , unlike the prior art systems . each bay 14 comprises a conventional case flow bay or rack , which includes a frame and a plurality of vertically spaced shelves that are supported by the frame and that include a plurality of rollers . each shelf is canted or tilted so that products placed on the rollers forming the shelf will flow to one side of the shelf . the lower side of the shelves are typically aligned along a discharge side of the bay , while the higher side of the shelves are aligned along an induct side of the bay . products are delivered by pallets and are placed on pallet racks 19 , positioned behind the picking bays 14 . the products are typically delivered in boxes , which are then opened by an operator and placed on the picking bay from the induct side of each picking bay . in addition , pick - to - light system 10 includes conveyors 20 and 22 that are positioned adjacent the discharge sides of bays 14 . conveyors 20 and 22 convey and align totes 24 in front of or adjacent to the discharge sides of the bays of the respective row of bays to provide receptacles for the products of an order ( or of a partial order ). in addition , conveyors 20 and 22 are preferably selectively actuated by control system 12 to index the totes between the respective bays , as will be more fully described below . in this manner , the lower sides of the bays are adjacent a respective conveyor so that when a product is placed on a respective shelf of a bay , the product will , under the force of gravity , move toward the discharge side of the bay adjacent the respective conveyor where the product can be picked and placed into a designated tote . typically , the products are stored in containers or boxes , which are delivered to the picking bays from the induct side of the bays , as noted above and as will be more fully described below . in the illustrated embodiment , conveyors 20 and 22 comprise conventional driven belt conveyors , with the belts supported by rollers , as will be understood by those skilled in the art . it should be understood that other types of bays or conveyors may be used in the present application . in addition , conveyors 20 and 22 may comprise a plurality of conveyor sections , which are either individually driven or driven by a common driver , which driver or drivers are controlled by control system 12 so that the conveyors may be automatically driven or actuated to index the totes along the picking aisle adjacent the discharge sides of the respective picking bays . totes 24 are conventional plastic totes and are delivered to conveyors 20 and 22 by roller conveyors 30 and 32 . optionally , totes 24 may be delivered to the pick - to - light system area in stacks , which may be handled using pallets . for example , the pallets p may be conveyed on a pallet conveyor to tote handling area 40 . the totes can be taken off or removed from the pallets , for example , by a lift mechanism f , such as a robot . tote handling area 40 may include a de - stacker d , which automatically singulates the totes and delivers to totes to conveyors 30 and 32 , which deliver the totes to the respective conveyors ( 20 and 22 ) of the respective row of picking bays . in preferred form , each tote 24 includes an identification , such as an identification label with a barcode , which is read by control system 12 and is associated by control system 12 with an order . alternately , the totes may be identified by an indicator , such as a light , that is mounted independently of the tote , such as mounted to the conveyor . in the case of the totes with individual identification labels , when the totes are delivered to the conveyors 20 and 22 by roller conveyors 30 and 32 , the identification on the respective totes is read , for example by optical readers 50 , which are positioned adjacent roller conveyors 30 and 32 and are also in communication with controller 13 . in operation , initially a first group of totes are transferred from roller conveyors 30 and 32 and placed on conveyors 20 and 22 . when the control system is initialized , control system 12 indexes the totes to a first picking bay , which may comprise the first picking bay in the row or a downstream picking bay . for example , the first group of totes may be indexed to a downstream picking bay where the upstream picking bay or bays do not have products for any of the totes in the first group of totes . control system 12 then directs operators to remove a designated product or products from a picking bay and to place it into a designated tote of the group of totes . while each tote is uniquely identified and identifiable to control system 12 by , for example , the identification label , the totes are also preferably marked with an identifier that is identifiable to the operator and , further , is encoded , for example , into the identification label read by control system 12 . for example , referring to fig8 each tote of the group of totes may be identified by a name or other identifier or indicator , with the control system directing the operator to remove product from the picking bay to place into a designated tote of the group of totes , as will be more fully explained below . as best seen in fig6 - 8 , each picking bay 14 includes a bay display module 70 ( fig7 ), which includes a display 72 and one or more buttons 74 to permit communication between the operator and control system 12 . display 72 displays the identification , such as the name , of the tote to be filled with the product . to designate a specific product , each picking bay includes a pick module 76 associated with each group of products . products are arranged in rows that extend across a respective shelf from the induct side to the discharge side of the bay . each pick module 76 includes at least one light 78 that is actuated by control system 12 to designate that a product associated with the pick module must be picked from that particular row of products and placed into the tote identified by bay display module 70 . in the case of the totes being identified by an indicator that is mounted independently of the tote and , instead , mounted to the conveyor , then when light 78 is actuated a product associated with that pick module is picked and placed into the tote identified by the indicator . optionally , each pick module 76 may include a display 80 to display the number of the particular product that needs to be placed into the designated tote . in order to signal to controller 13 of control system 12 that a pick is complete , pick module 76 includes one or more buttons 82 that permit the operator to indicate when the order fulfillment for that particular product has been complete for the designated tote . once all the picks have been completed for each tote in the group of totes for a particular picking bay 14 , control system 12 actuates the respective conveyor to index the group of totes to the next picking bay provided the orders for the downstream totes have also been completed at their respective picking bays . should the downstream totes not have their pick completed , the operator may move to another bay in the same row or to the other side of the picking aisle to pick from the other picking bay in the other row . in this manner , operators may move between the respective picking bays on either side of the picking aisle , which enables operators to continue picking and , therefore , maximize the throughput of the pick - to - light system . after the order has been fulfilled for a group of totes and the totes have been indexed from the last picking bay , the totes are conveyed to a take - away conveyor , which takes the totes to the shipping area . as noted above , each picking bay 14 includes a frame 80 and a plurality of spaced shelves 87 . in the illustrated embodiment , the column members of the frames may be shared by adjacent picking bays ; though it should be understood that each picking bay may be a free standing structure or the like . shelves 87 are supported on the frame by transverse frame members 86 a . to stop the flow of products off the shelves , the transverse frame members include stops 86 b , such as angle members , which are releasably mounted to the transverse members by fasteners and are aligned with the respective rows or products that extend across the shelves from the induct side to the discharge side of the respective shelf . in addition , mounted to the front of the transverse members are power channels 88 to which pick modules 76 and bay modules 70 are mounted . each power channel 88 comprises a channel member with elongate grooves that extend along the channel member . insulated low voltage wiring extends along each of the grooves , with the wiring preferably captured in the grooves . the wiring is in communication with controller 13 of control system 12 to provide power to and communication with modules 70 and 76 . each bay module 70 and pick module 76 includes circuitry to power and provide communication to the respective displays and buttons provided on the modules , which are preferably mounted on a circuit board for ease of assembly . each module further includes leads coupled to the module circuitry , which are adapted to be inserted into the insulated low voltage wiring to thereby couple the respective modules to controller 13 of control system 12 . furthermore , the leads are adapted to permit the respective modules to be unplugged from the insulated wire and reinserted in the insulated wire at another location so that the modules can be relocated along the power channels . for example , leads may comprise prongs that are sufficiently pointed to pierce the insulation on the wires so that the leads directly contact the wires to thereby electrically couple the modules to control system 12 . as would be understood from the foregoing description , pick modules 76 and bay display modules 70 therefore permit communication between the operators and controller 13 of control system 12 . as noted above , modules 70 and 76 allow an operator to communicate that a pick is complete for a particular tote or group of totes . in addition , either module 70 , 76 may include function buttons that allow the operator to indicate other status information . for example , if an operator determines that the picking bay is short on a product , the operator can signal the controller using the function key or keys . furthermore , controller 13 may include one or more modes of operation . for example , controller 13 may be configured for use as an inventory system . in preferred form , bay module 70 may then display the mode of operation — that is bay module 70 may display pick when in a pick mode or scan when in an inventory mode or the like . when the system is in an inventory mode , operators go to the respective picking bays and count the products associated with the respective pick module and input the inventory count into the pick module using the buttons on the pick module , which then transfers the inventory information to controller 13 of control system 12 . when the count is complete , the operator will press the enter button or complete button , for example . as noted above , the pick aisle between the respective picking bays is preferably substantially clear to permit operators to move from one side of the pick aisle to another side of the pick aisle to pick or scan from both rows of picking bays . optionally and preferably , a trash system 90 is provided in the picking aisle so that when , for example , a box of products is emptied , the box may be deposited in the trash system for disposal . in the illustrated embodiment , trash system 90 includes a conveyor 92 , which is positioned below the floor surface of the warehouse , or the like , in which the pick - to - light system 10 is installed . access openings 94 are provided to permit trash to be deposited on the trash conveyor 92 , which removes the trash and delivers trash to a trash discharge location 96 . preferably , trash conveyor apertures 94 are at least partially enclosed by a chute to prevent persons from falling onto the trash conveyor system . in order to further enhance pick - to - light system 10 , control system 12 , preferably includes information about each product to be picked . for example , control system 12 may include information relating to the volume of the product so that control system 12 can determine how many pieces of a given product can be fit into a particular tote . although totes 14 are illustrated as having the same dimensions , it should be understood that the size of the totes may be varied , though uniform sizing is preferred . in addition , control system 12 may organize products of an order into groups and associate the groups with totes . as noted above , control system 12 directs operators to pick and place products into a designated tote , preferably a designated tote of a group of totes . furthermore , the picking bays may be organized by family groups of products so that one family group of products is in one row of picking bays or on one side of the picking aisle and potentially another family group of products is located in another row or on another side of the aisle . in this manner , the system may be adapted to fill totes by family groups . some stores may wish to have delivered totes that include products grouped by how the products are grouped in the store &# 39 ; s aisles . referring to fig9 - 16 , it should be understood , in operation , when a first group of totes is delivered by one of the conveyors , the first group of totes is initially aligned with a picking bay in one of the rows . similarly , when a first group of totes in the other row is delivered , it is aligned with a picking bay in that row . in the illustrated embodiment , the first group of totes ( totes 1 , 2 , 3 ) in aisle 18 is initially aligned with picking bay number 4 in the first row , and the first group of totes ( totes 4 , 5 , 6 ) in the other row is aligned with picking bay number 10 in that row . it should be understood that the first groups of totes can be aligned with any of the picking bays , depending on where the orders for those totes are located . referring to fig9 after the products are picked for the designated totes in the first group of totes ( totes 1 , 2 , 3 ) by operator worker w 1 and the pick has been complete for the upstream totes , such as the third group of totes ( totes 13 , 14 , and 15 ) by worker w 2 , all of the totes in aisle 18 will be indexed along conveyor 20 to align with the next selected picking bay in aisle 18 . in this example , the first group of totes will then be aligned with picking bay number 5 in aisle 18 , with the upstream groups of totes ( totes 7 , 8 , 9 ; totes 13 , 14 , 15 ; totes 19 , 20 , 21 ; and totes 25 , 26 , 27 ) aligned with the respective upstream picking bays , namely picking bay numbers 4 , 3 , 2 , and 1 , respectively . while the totes conveyed on conveyor 20 are indexed , the operator w 1 may move across the aisle to the other side of the aisle to aisle 16 to pick for a group of totes , for example , the first group of totes ( totes 4 , 5 , 6 ) in the aisle 16 , which is aligned with picking bay number 10 . similarly , the upstream worker w 2 may cross the aisle to pick from , for example , the fourth group of totes in the aisle 16 ( totes 22 , 23 , 24 ). after completing their respective picks in aisle 16 , which may include picks for the adjacent groups of totes ( such as totes 16 , 17 , 18 , and / or 10 , 11 , 12 ) worker w 1 may cross the aisle to aisle 18 once again to pick for the first group of totes ( 1 , 2 , 3 ) at picking bay number 5 and worker w 2 may cross the aisle to pick for the third group of totes ( 13 , 14 , 15 ) at picking bay number 3 . after both workers have completed their picks for aisle 16 , the groups of totes ( totes 4 , 5 , 6 ; totes 10 , 11 , 12 ; totes 16 , 17 , 18 ; and totes 22 , 23 , 24 ) supported on conveyor 22 are indexed to the next picking bay . similarly , after completing the pick for the first and third groups of totes in aisle 18 , workers w 1 and w 2 may transfer again across to aisle 16 to pick for the first and fourth group of totes in aisle 16 aligned with , for example , picking bay 11 and picking bay 8 , respectively ( fig1 ). this process continues and permits the workers to work at their own speed and independent of each other and , further , in a manner that does not limit the speed of other workers . it can be appreciated that the workers in effect pick in parallel rather than in series as is done in conventional pick - to - light systems referring to fig1 , after completing the pick for the first group of totes in the aisle 16 at picking bay 11 , worker w 1 can return to aisle 18 to pick for the first group of totes ( totes 1 , 2 , 3 ) at picking bay 6 where the first group was indexed after the pick was completed for all the group of totes on conveyor 20 . similarly , after worker w 2 has completed his or her pick in aisle 16 , worker w 2 may return to aisle 18 to pick , for example , the fourth group of totes ( totes 19 , 20 , 21 ) at picking bay 3 . as the process illustrates , each group of totes is not necessarily picked for each picking bay and may , in fact , be indexed through one or more bays before a pick is required . referring to fig1 , after both workers w 1 and w 2 have completed their picks for the first group of totes at picking bay 6 and fourth group of totes at picking bay number 3 , conveyor 20 indexes the groups of totes such that the second group of totes is aligned with picking bay number 6 and the third group of totes is aligned with picking bay number 4 . in the meantime , worker w 1 can switch , for example , to the other aisle to pick in aisle 16 and to pick for the first group of totes ( totes 4 , 5 , 6 ) which are now aligned with picking bay number 12 . similarly , worker w 2 may switch from picking bay number 3 from aisle 18 to aisle 16 to pick at picking bay number 9 to pick for the fourth group of totes ( totes 22 , 23 , 24 ). in the illustrated embodiment , picking bay numbers 6 and 12 represent the last picking bays in the respective rows . it should be understood however , the number of picking bays may be increased or decreased as desired . referring to fig1 , worker w 1 returns to aisle 18 to pick from the second group of totes ( totes 7 , 8 , 9 ) at picking bay number 6 . after worker w 2 completes the pick at picking bay number 9 of the fourth group of totes ( totes 28 , 29 , 30 ), worker w 2 returns to aisle 18 to pick at the fourth group of totes ( totes 19 , 20 , 21 ) in aisle 18 , which are now positioned in front of picking bay number 4 . upon completion of the pick of the first and fourth groups of totes in aisle 16 , conveyor 22 indexes the totes to align the fourth group of totes ( totes 22 , 23 , 24 ) with picking bay 10 and the first group of totes ( totes 4 , 5 , 6 ) are conveyed from pick - to - light system 10 as outbound totes . as will be understood , referring to fig1 , after each worker w 1 , w 2 finishes their respective picks on the second group of totes ( totes 7 , 8 , 9 ) and / or on the fourth groups of totes ( totes 19 , 20 , 21 ) aisle 18 , the workers then can switch to aisle 16 to pick , for example for the second group of totes and the fourth group of totes , respectively , at picking bays 12 and 10 , respectively . this process can be repeated . furthermore , it should be understood the workers are free to pick for more than one group of totes at a time . the sequence and selections of totes will vary depending on the speed of the respective workers and also the location of the products for the respective totes . in addition , it can be appreciated that the present pick - to - light system eliminates the need for zones and , therefore , provides an increase in flexibility over conventional pick - to - light systems where operators are assigned and limited to a picking zone . from the foregoing , it should be appreciated that pick - to - light system 10 allows operators to manually pick products in a substantially continuous manner so that operators can work to their full capacity to reduce the inefficiencies of the pick systems heretofore known . while several forms of the invention have been shown and described , other forms will now be apparent to those skilled in the art . therefore , it will be understood that the embodiments shown in the drawings and described above are merely for illustrative purposes , and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention which is defined by the claims which follow as interpreted under the principles of patent law including the doctrine of equivalents . | 1 |
fig1 shows a processing system 10 . the processing system 10 includes a computer 12 , such as a personal computer ( pc ). computer 12 is connected to a network 14 , such as the internet , that runs tcp / ip ( transmission control protocol / internet protocol ) or another suitable protocol . connections may be via ethernet , wireless link , telephone line , and the like . computer 12 contains a processor 16 and a computer readable medium 40 . computer readable medium 40 may contain memory 18 . the computer readable medium 40 may be , for example ( but is not limited to ), ram , rom , or a hard disk drive . memory 18 stores an operating system (“ os ”) 20 such as windows98 ® or linux , a tcp / ip protocol stack 22 for communicating over network 14 , and machine - executable instructions 24 executed by processor 16 to perform linked code generation report process 100 below . the memory 18 also includes a code compiler 26 and a report compiler 28 . computer 12 also includes an input / output ( i / o ) device 30 for display of a graphical user interface ( gui ) 32 to a user 34 . referring to fig2 , the linked code generation report process 100 includes generating ( 102 ) a model diagram . the model diagram represents a dynamic system to be simulated and is displayed to the user 34 on the gui 32 of the input / output device 30 . the model diagram is specified by the user 34 and represented by a source model language such as , for example , simulink ® from the mathworks , inc . of natick , mass ., incorporated herein by reference . the process 100 converts ( 104 ) in the code compiler 26 the source model language into program source code in a technique generally referred to as code generation . code generation is a technique whereby software , i . e ., program source code such as c , ada , basic and java ®, is automatically produced from the source model language representing by the model diagram . the software source code produced may be compiled and then executed on a target processor , implementing the functionality of the specified model diagram . an example automatic code generator is real time workshop ® embedded coder from the mathworks , inc . of natick , mass ., incorporated herein by reference . the process 100 generates ( 106 ) using the report compiler 28 a markup language document , generally referred to as a code generation report , that contains information about the source model language , settings of the code generator and the generated program source code in syntax highlighted form . each part of the generated program source code is translated by the report compiler 28 and saved into its own markup language file . the markup language file is generally referred to as a syntax - highlighted code generation report . the generated markup language files contain hyperlinks to the source model language representing the model diagram and allow the user 34 to navigate from the markup language file to the source model language and the block it represents in the model diagram . this provides the user 34 with an ability to identify a block that corresponds to selected code fragments in the generated program source code . a hyperlink is a selectable connection from one word , picture , or information object to another . in a multimedia environment such as the world wide web , such objects can include sound and motion video sequences . the most common form of link is the highlighted word or picture that can be selected by the user ( with a mouse or in some other fashion ), resulting in the immediate delivery and view of another file . the highlighted object is referred to as an anchor . the anchor reference and the object referred to constitute a hyperlink . referring to fig3 , the report compiler 28 includes a parsing process 110 and a software source code markup language conversion process 112 . the parsing process 110 analyzes the generated software source code and replaces listed block references in the comment sections with links that refer back to the corresponding sections within the source model language representing the blocks of the model diagram . the software source code to markup language conversion process 112 converts the generated software source code to the syntax highlighted markup language code generation report . the parsing process 110 is best understood by using a c source code example . referring to fig4 , the parsing process 110 includes loading ( 120 ) the c program source code into memory 18 . for each line of c program code , process 110 determines ( 122 ) whether the parser is at the start of a comment line . in the c language , a comment begins with the special symbols “\*”. if no comment start is detected , the process 110 replaces ( 124 ) global symbol names with hyperlinks and may color keywords according to the syntax . if a comment start is detected , the process 110 determines ( 126 ) whether a comment end is detected . in the c language , a comment ends with the special symbols “*\”. if no comment end is detected , the process 110 finds ( 128 ) a block path within the comment by applying a multiple pattern match . if a block path is detected , the process 110 replaces ( 130 ) the block path with a special hyperlink back to the model diagram . this special hyperlink contains a command that highlights the references block , like the following example : the above command may be executed if the user 34 selects the hyperlink , and the user 34 has a browser capable of executing the command in the model diagram environment . referring to fig5 , an exemplary model diagram 193 and associated syntax highlighted code generation report 192 are shown . the hyperlinks in the report 192 are numbered to illustrate their correspondence to the blocks of the model diagram 193 . for example , 201 in the report 192 is a hyperlink to the gain block 201 ′ in model diagram 193 . further aspects , features and advantages will become apparent from the following claims . | 6 |
fig2 shows a typical system level schematic for a negative feedback circuit . when implemented at high frequencies the transfer function of this circuit may be written as o r = g ( ω ) 1 - g ( ω ) h ( ω ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) differs from the form usually encountered in control theory analysis in that the denominator contains a subtraction rather than an addition . this is a result of having to use adders at high frequencies rather than difference circuits to form the error signal ε . if it is assumed that the amplifier &# 39 ; s intermodulation distortion can be adequately represented as an additive process , then the linear analysis techniques can be applied to negative feedback around a nonlinear device such as a power amplifier . fig3 shows the case in which the amplifier distortion d is represented as being simply added to the output of the amplifier . in this case the transfer function of the circuit is more complex as given in ( 2 ). o = rg ( ω ) 1 - g ( ω ) h ( ω ) + d 1 - g ( ω ) h ( ω ) ( 2 ) from ( 2 ) it &# 39 ; s clear that both the distortion and the amplifier &# 39 ; s gain are reduced by the loop gain . a system level diagram of the invention is shown in fig4 in which d 1 and d 2 are the in - band intermodulation distortion products added at the output of the amplifiers , g 1 and g 2 are nonlinear amplifiers , α is a complex scaling factors , o and o ′ are the amplifier output and the complex baseband model output respectively , β is the feedback loop response , and ε is the feedback derived error signal . the error signal ε in fig4 can be written as now if we assume that the amplifier and its model are identical , then g 1 = g 2 = g and d 1 = d 2 = d , then ( 6 ) simplifies to ( 7 ). finally if β is chosen such that β = 1 / g , then ( 7 ) reduces to although ( 8 ) is trivial , it shows that in theory it is possible to remove all of the in - band intermodulation products through the proper choice of β . fig1 shows an embodiment of the invention . a digitally modulated input signal is split into two paths , an upper path 101 and a lower path 102 . the upper path 101 is fed to a multiplier 106 which multiplies the signal level by a factor of ( 1 + α ), while the lower path 101 is fed to a multiplier 103 which scales the amplitude by a factor of α , where α is chosen such that the resulting signal amplitude is the same as that of the signal entering the main power amplifier 114 . the lower path scaled signal is fed to a complex base band model 104 of the main power amplifier 114 . the base band output of the model 104 replicates the modulation output of the main power amplifier , including the input signal and the intermodulation distortion . the output of the amplifier model is fed to a multiplier 105 which scales the output signal by a complex factor of β resulting in signal 107 , where β is chosen as the optimum value for the feedback loop coefficient which would be used for a negative feedback loop around the main power amplifier 114 . signal 107 and the output of multiplier 106 are combined in adder 108 such that the output of the adder 108 contains the original input signal and the scaled distortion from the amplifier model . the output of the adder is then passed through a digital to analog converter 109 , a lowpass anti - aliasing filter , and up - converted and filtered using the mixer 112 , local oscillator 111 and a bandpass filter 113 . the signal arriving at the input of the main power amplifier 114 may now be considered as being equivalent to the optimum feedback signal , and acts in such a fashion to reduce the intermodulation distortion of the amplifier without affecting its gain . as a proof of concept , the circuit shown in fig6 was implemented using an arbitrary function generator to generate the waveforms , which were in turn calculated in matlab . a complex baseband model of a minicircuits amplifier was generated , and a odqpsk waveform was used with a bandwidth of 400 khz . the center frequency of the amplifier was 1 . 8 ghz . fig5 shows the amplifier &# 39 ; s spectral content for the corrected and uncorrected waveforms . nonlinear amplifiers can be characterized by two different but related transfer characteristics . the first is the voltage transfer characteristic , which is the complex input / output voltage transfer function for the amplifier for a single frequency . this is the transfer function commonly measured using a network analyzer . the second is the nonlinear envelope transfer characteristic in which the amplifier distortion is represented through the complex envelope of the signal . these transfer characteristics are identical in the linear region of operation of the amplifier , but differ as the amplifier saturates . the source of this difference is best understood if the output voltage of the amplifier is considered in the form of a fourier series . the voltage transfer function is a measure of the fundamental or first term of the series , while the envelope function is represented by the entire series . it is well understood that in a saturating system the peak amplitude of the fundamental term can be higher than the saturation level by as much as a factor of 4 / π . the problem is that while the voltage transfer function is easily measured , it does not give a good estimation of the amplifier &# 39 ; s nonlinear distortion for modern communication signals , but the envelope transfer characteristic does . so the problem becomes how to relate the amplifier &# 39 ; s am / am and am / pm voltage measurements to the envelope transfer characteristic , and then to develop a model to predict the amplifier &# 39 ; s nonlinear distortion products . we will focus on the non - linear envelope model as first proposed by kaye et . al . and refined by kenney and leke . this model is a quadrature based system that includes the am / am distortion products only as the am / pm product are shown to affect only the higher intermodulation products . the bessel - fourier transform supplies the link between the voltage gain and envelope transfer functions . since only the in - band distortion products are required , the envelope transfer function can be represented as an odd order function expanded as a fourier sine series . fig7 shows a graphical representation of an envelope transfer function with the saturation characteristic clearly shown , where : g ( a in ) = a 1 sin ( ξ a in ) + a 3 sin ( 3 ξ a in ) + a 5 sin ( 5 ξ a in ) … where ξ = π 2 max ( a in ) now if we consider a single tone saturation test of the amplifier which is used to measure the voltage transfer function , for a given input tone a in sin ( ωt ), we can determine the amplifier output by substitution into the fourier series , so for the single tone input the gain function can be represented as g ( ξ a in sin ( ω t ))= a 1 sin [ ξ a in sin ( ω t )]+ a 3 sin [ 3 ξ a in sin ( ω t )]− now we assume that the envelope transfer characteristic is represented as a fourier sine transform : a out = f s [ g ( a in ) ] = 1 t ∫ 0 t g ( a in ) sin ( ω t ) t now , substitute the expansion for the envelope transfer characteristic giving a out = 1 t ∫ 0 t g ( a in ) sin ( ω t ) t = 1 t ∫ 0 t a 1 sin [ ξa in sin ( ω t ) ] sin ( ω t ) t + 1 t ∫ 0 t a 3 sin [ 3 ξa in sin ( ω t ) ] sin ( ω t ) t + … this is not a very useful form until we notice the similarity between the terms and an identity given for the bessel function of the first kind : j 2 k + 1 ( t ) = 1 π ∫ 0 ∞ sin [ ( 2 k + 1 ) φ ] sin [ t sin ( φ ) ] φ with a change of variables the identity can be applied to each of the terms of the output voltage expansion resulting in : a out ( a in )= a 1 j 1 ( ξ a in )+ a 3 j 1 ( 3ξ a in )+ a 5 j 1 ( 5ξ a in )+ the exciting thing about this is that the coefficients for this series , the bessel series fit for the measured voltage transfer function , are the same as for the fourier sine series expansion of the envelope transfer characteristic . so , we can use the single tone am / am and am / pm measurements to predict the envelope transfer characteristic resulting in a non - linear model capable of predicting the amplifier &# 39 ; s distortion . immaterial modifications may be made to the embodiments described here without departing from the essence of the invention . | 7 |
consider the network of data processing equipment shown in fig1 . central processing units ( cpu &# 39 ; s ) 1 and 2 connect variously to i / o channels 3 - 6 . channels 3 - 6 connect variously to control units ( cu &# 39 ; s ) 7 - 11 . the control units connect to many devices , a few of which are shown at 12 - 18 . notably control units 9 and 10 cross - connect to channels 4 and 5 permitting devices attached to these control units to be connected switchably to either cpu 1 or cpu 2 . such connection is usually accomplished by a two - channel switch special feature ( refer , for instance , to ibm system / 360 component description 2841 storage control , ibm systems reference library , file no . s360 - 07 , form a26 - 5988 - 3 , pages 32 and 33 , and ibm component summary 3830 storage control , 3330 disk storage , form no . ga26 - 1592 - 0 , page 10 ). the systems associated with cpu &# 39 ; s 1 and 2 are loose coupled , meaning that the supervisory programs in control of these cpu &# 39 ; s are relatively independent . now assume that an unselective &# 34 ; program reset &# 34 ; function ( refer to ibm system / 370 principles of operation , form ga22 - 7000 - 5 , file no . s / 370 - 01 , page 51 ) is originated relative to cpu 2 ( usually this function is originated manually by operation of a console switch or push - button ). this causes a cpu reset to be applied to cpu 2 and an i / o system reset to be applied to channels 5 and 6 ( refer to the above - referenced system / 370 principles of operation , page 51 ). in turn channels 5 and 6 produce system reset signals at their respective i / o interfaces and thereby reset control units 9 - 11 and associated devices 14 - 18 ( refer to ibm system / 360 and system / 370 i / o interface channel to control unit , original equipment manufacturer &# 39 ; s information , form no . ga22 - 6974 - 2 , file no . s / 370 - 19 , page 20 ). consequently the entire network of equipment indicated by cross - hatching in fig1 is reset and all processing operations relative to that network require reinitiation . but assume for instance that the problem for which the program reset is being applied is confined to control unit 11 ( note the &# 34 ; actual blockage &# 34 ; indication in fig1 ) and that the supervisory program associated with cpu 2 could be apprised of this ; for instance , by an i / o interruption and limited channel logout from channel 6 ( refer to ibm system / 370 principles of operation , form ga22 - 7000 - 5 , file no . s / 370 - 01 , pages 226 - 228 and 236 - 242 ). if the program also had the facility to produce an i / o system reset directed to channel 6 and no other channel then only channel 6 , control unit 11 and devices represented at 16 - 18 would be reset , leaving channel 5 , control units 9 and 10 , and the set of devices represented at 14 and 15 unaffected . quite clearly the volume of processing activity affected by the reset could be reduced considerably ( considering that the set of equipment associated with a typical control unit might comprise hundreds of devices ). consequently it should be appreciated that a selective i / o system reset function under program control could be inherently useful in such circumstances . another aspect of the problem is illustrated with reference to fig2 . for the sake of simplicity this figure shows a single direct access storage device ( dasd ) 40 connected switchably -- via control unit 41 and channels 42 and 43 -- to loosely coupled ( independently supervised ) data processing systems associated with central processing units 44 and 45 ( these two systems are also termed systems a and b ). in respect to such switchable connection of devices refer , for instance , to the above - referenced ibm system / 360 component description 2841 storage control at page 33 . now assume that device 40 has been reserved by the &# 34 ; a &# 34 ; system as suggested in fig2 ; e . g ., by a &# 34 ; device reserve &# 34 ;. for the meaning of &# 34 ; device reserve &# 34 ; refer to the above - referenced ibm system / 360 component description 2841 storage control at page 32 and component summary 3830 storage control at page 10 . it should be understood that device reserve is a specific command issued through a channel and control unit in one system causing a designated / specified device to appear &# 34 ; busy &# 34 ; continuously relative to other &# 34 ; loose coupled &# 34 ; systems until a specific release command is issued by the reserving system ( refer to page 33 of said 2841 reference ). as shown in fig3 an unselective program reset in the a system causes a cpu reset in cpu 44 and an i / o system reset in channel 42 . the i / o system reset causes channel 42 to present a system reset signal to all of its attached control units , including control unit 41 , which causes the respective control units to reset all devices associated with channel 42 . the resetting of the devices terminates respective device reserves , making devices such as device 40 appear accessible to systems operating on both cpu &# 39 ; s 44 and 45 . this enables system b operating on cpu 45 ( cpu b ) and channel 43 to use and / or modify data in devices such as 40 . consequently the integrity of said data relative to either system has been potentially compromised by the reset action , as indicated in the last sequence step entry of fig3 . accordingly , even if system a could subsequently resecure its reserves relative to devices such as 40 the integrity of the data being used by that system prior to the reset could not be guaranteed . another problem in respect to reserved devices and control units is that of path allegiance . reserved control units and certain other control units ( such as the ibm 3830 storage control unit while operating in search mode ) are adapted to maintain exclusive path allegiance to one specific associated channel path . when addressed through another channel path during the tenure of such allegiance these control units manifest busy status and thereby appear inaccessible . reserved devices ( and other devices so adapted ; e . g ., an ibm 3330 disk storage facility associated with a 3830 control unit ) have similar exclusive path allegiance to one particular channel and control unit path and will not allow communication via any other path . peripherals having such path allegiance respond to ordinary system reset signals only when such signals are presented through the allied path . consequently if a channel becomes incapacitated by a problem not affecting the functional operability of associated allied peripherals ( e . g ., by an internal channel failure or an external hangup on the i / o interface ) and cannot for that reason &# 34 ; relay &# 34 ; a system reset signal to the associated i / o interface , the allied peripherals may be effectively isolated and useless even though they would be accessible through alternate paths if reset . the foregoing problem discussion suggests that a new i / o resetting function is required which : ( 1 ) can be directed selectively to a specific channel and i / o interface ; ( 2 ) can be evoked under supervisory program control ( so that reserves can be protected and alternate paths selectively configured ); and ( 3 ) can be executed relative to the associated i / o interface and peripherals even when the designated channel is incapacitated . the present invention fulfills all of these requirements . fig4 and 5 illustrate another aspect of the i / o system reset problem . i / o processing system 60 comprises a group of six channels 61 having time - shared microprocessing controls 62 . each channel has a separate i / o interface and network of associated control units and device units . these are indicated collectively at 64 . the entire group of channels is associated with one central processing system having a central processing unit 66 . consequently a blockage ( hang - up ) in controls 62 or any channel could effectively incapacitate the group and potentially prevent resetting of the group . the blockage problem relative to a single channel is seen in fig5 . central processing unit 70 is attempting to evoke an i / o system reset relative to a blocked or &# 34 ; hung &# 34 ; channel 72 . conventionally this type of reset action requires the channel to coincidentally manifest &# 34 ; down &# 34 ; signal levels on &# 34 ; operational out &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; suppress out &# 34 ; lines of its i / o interface ( reference ibm system / 360 and system / 370 i / o interface , channel to control unit , original equipment manufacturers information , form ga22 - 6974 - 2 , file no . s / 360 - s370 - 19 , pages 6 - 11 and 20 ). when properly executed by the channel this action causes all control units , and their associated devices , attached to that interface to be reset . however , if a channel is blocked or &# 34 ; hung &# 34 ; ( fig5 ) it may be incapable of carrying out the foregoing action relative to its &# 34 ; operational out &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; suppress out &# 34 ; lines . furthermore , if a group of channels operating under common microprogram controls is blocked all channels of the group may be isolated from control of their respective &# 34 ; operational out &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; suppress out &# 34 ; lines ( fig4 ). accordingly , one feature of the present invention is the provision of auxiliary logic for inhibiting &# 34 ; operational out &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; suppress out &# 34 ; at individual i / o interfaces independent of channel operability . the system and method of the present invention will now be described in terms of functional block diagrams and logic flow diagrams in fig6 - 12 . the specific logic may vary greatly depending on circuit technology and micro - sequence - control usage . those skilled in the art will recognize readily that buffers , registers , gates and timing and sequencing controls for the functions described herein can be chosen routinely and variously with the exercise of ordinary skill . referring to fig6 and 7 the subject &# 34 ; program controllable selective i / o system reset &# 34 ; is carried out through the interaction of a cpu 80 with an auxiliary ( service ) processor 82 ( svp ). the reset function is designated by a clear channel ( clrch ) program instruction having the form shown in fig7 . the instruction is executed by the cpu only when the cpu is in supervisor state ; i . e ., only as a step in a supervisory program ( refer to &# 34 ; principles of operation &# 34 ; ga22 - 7000 page 10 ) and only when reserves have been protected as described later . bits 16 - 23 of the instruction designate one channel and by implication the associated i / o interface . the instruction causes the cpu 80 to present a signal to auxiliary processor 82 indicating the channel and interface to be reset . the latter processor returns a condition code signal indicating the status of its handling of the designated reset function . if the designated channel is physically available the auxiliary processor 82 returns a condition code 0 and carries out the required reset signaling operation relative to the designated channel and associated interface . if the designated channel is not physically available the auxiliary processor returns condition code 3 and does not perform any other function . upon receiving the condition code the cpu terminates its execution of the clear channel instruction . in carrying out the reset operation ( associated with return of condition code 0 ) the auxiliary processor transfers first and second reset signals relative to the channel 84 designated by the instruction . the first reset signal is passed via line 83 ( fig6 ) to the designated channel and resets that channel . the second reset signal is passed via line 85 ( fig6 ) to logical gating circuits connecting channel 84 with its associated operational out and suppress out lines , 86 and 87 . these gating circuits , represented at 88 and 89 ( fig6 ), are effectively inhibited by the second reset ( degate ) signal on line 85 . this causes operational out and suppress out to remain down concurrently for the time required to manifest system reset ( at least 6 microseconds ) and thereby serves to manifest the system reset signal to the peripheral equipment attached to the respective interface . the action of the auxiliary processor in carrying out the foregoing reset signaling operation may be either asynchronous or synchronous relative to the return of the condition code ( i . e ., relative to termination of the execution of the respective clear channel instruction by cpu 80 ). referring to fig7 the format of the clear channel instruction is similar to the well known &# 34 ; s format &# 34 ; ( reference ibm system / 370 principles of operation , form ga22 - 7000 - 0 , file no . s / 370 - 01 , page 21 ). the first sixteen bits represent the operation ( op ) code in hexadecimal notation . the last sixteen bits are used in accordance with page 197 of the above - referenced ibm system / 370 principles of operation to determine the address of the channel and interface to be reset . the displacement argument , represented by bits 20 - 31 of the instruction , is added to bits 20 - 31 of a word contained in the general register designated by bits 16 - 19 of the instruction . bits 20 - 23 of the result represent the address ( identity ) of the channel to be reset ( and by implication the associated interface ). the first eight bits of the operation code portion are identical to corresponding bits of the test channel instruction ( refer to the above - referenced ibm system / 370 principles of operation at page 207 ). bits 8 - 15 of this instruction are ignored by ibm system / 370 processors which are not adapted for executing the clear channel function . such processors interpret clear channel as an ordinary test channel ( tch ) instruction and perform the test channel function ( i . e ., sense status of the channel designated by bits 16 - 23 and store a corresponding condition code ). however processors adapted to perform the clear channel function , such as cpu 80 , interpret the op code as a clear channel instuction and execute the associated reset function ( i . e ., pass reset signals conditionally via auxiliary processing logic such as 82 and receive an associated condition code ). details of clear channel interpretation and selective i / o system reset operation fig8 and 9 respectively illustrate the logical functions required in cpu 80 for interpretation of the clrch ( clear channel ) instruction and the logical functions and interfaces required in auxiliary processor 82 to perform the associated reset operation . block 90 ( fig8 ) is meant to represent the conventional instruction decoding facility of an ibm system / 370 central processor augmented by an additional decode output 92 associated with clrch . output 92 conditions signal drivers 94 to present an associated interruption signal to the auxiliary processor 82 shown in fig9 via connection 96 . interrupt acceptance controls 98 in the auxiliary processor -- which may be capable of reacting to multiple interruption sources on a prioritized basis -- respond to the foregoing interruption signal by allowing channel identity information ( determined by bits 16 - 23 of the instruction ) to be passed from cpu 80 to auxiliary processor 82 via connection 100 and stored in register 102 in the auxiliary processor . acceptance of the interruption also primes decoder logic function 104 to translate the channel identity code in register 102 into an associated signal condition on decoder output line 106 which prepares logical and function 108 . and function 108 controls reset signal generation at 110 relative to the designated channel x ( channel 84 , fig6 ) and relative to the associated i / o interface ( ifx ) for manifesting system reset externally ( via operational out and suppress out ). decoder function 104 has an output for each channel of the system which prepares an associated and function such as 108 relative to an associated reset signalling linkage such as 110 . and function 108 is also conditioned by &# 34 ; x status &# 34 ; state latching function 112 ; there being one such bi - state latching function associated with each output of decode function 104 ( i . e ., for each channel ). latching function 112 indicates the physical availability of the designated / associated channel ( x ) in the system . if the designated channel is available the associated latching function will be set and operate through associated and function 108 , signal function 110 and signal links 116 and 118 to transfer reset signals to the designated channel ( via path 116 ) and interface ( via path 118 ). the interface reset signal inhibits operational out and suppress out in the associated i / o interface for at least six microseconds . consequently these i / o interface lines are held down for at least six microseconds and thereby manifest system reset to the peripherals attached to said interface . and function 108 and latch function 112 control condition code generator 120 to return a condition code to cpu 80 , via return path 122 . this code is stored and made accessible to the supervisory program which issued the respective clear channel instruction . return of the condition code terminates the execution of the respective clear channel instruction . in the preferred embodiment the condition code is a two - bit code potentially capable of manifesting four conditions or states but used primitively to manifest only two conditions . condition 0 is used to represent ability to complete the i / o system reset action relative to the designated channel . condition codes 1 and 2 are not used but are available for future applications . condition code 3 ( latch function 112 reset ) represents that the designated channel is not operational ( not physically available ) in the system . execution of the reset action causes all inbound interface lines at the designated interface to drop after a delay dependent on external cable lengths . fig1 shows in part a fragment of the conventional system of fig2 in which a peripheral device is accessible to either of two processors a and b . the components of this system that are shown in fig1 and 11 illustrate how the subject clear channel instruction is used in system a relative to reserved devices which are potentially accessible to independently supervised system b . as suggested at 198 ( fig1 ), system a -- associated with cpu 200 , auxiliary processor 202 and multiple channels including channel 204 ( fig1 )-- may detect an error in the i / o path associated with channel 204 . such error may be manifested to the supervisory program of system a either by an i / o interruption and limited channel logout from channel 204 ( when channel 204 is operational ) or by a machine check interruption from auxiliary processor 202 ( if the channel is disabled and the auxiliary processor has facilities for detecting such disablement ). before issuing clear channel relative to channel 204 ( step 206 fig1 ) the supervisory program of system a instigates the deactivation of system b ( shown at 208 fig1 ) which has potential access to a device attached to channel 204 and reserved to system a . such deactivation is secured via a &# 34 ; link &# 34 ; 210 ( fig1 ) between the two systems . link 210 may be an all - electrical link ( channel - to - channel or direct control ) between the two systems or it may include manual intervention ( e . g ., a console signal in system a to a human operator and manual deactivation of system b by the same or another operator ). the foregoing deactivation step is suggested at 212 ( fig1 ). after the clear channel selective i / o system reset has been carried out relative to channel 204 ( step 206 fig1 ) the reserves and other affiliations between system a and the peripherals attached to channel 204 ( which have been terminated by the reset ) are reestablished as indicated at 214 ( fig1 ). then the deactivated systems , such as system b , are reactivated , as shown at 216 ( fig1 ), via the link 210 discussed above . both systems may then resume their normal / independent operations as suggested at 218 ( fig1 ). the deactivation of system b has prevented system b from compromising the integrity of data used by system a after the reset step 206 and before the reestablishing step 214 . fig1 illustrates more specifically how the subject clear channel reset is used by supervisory control programs . the program has two discrete sequence paths for access to the reset function associated with the clear channel ( clrch ) instruction . sequence path 280 is associated with recovery from problems manifested by i / o interruptions and sequence path 284 is associated with recovery from problems manifested by machine check interruptions . i / o interruptions are presented by specific channels and thereby discretely identify the i / o path which may require resetting . machine check interruptions are presented by processing entities such as the auxiliary service processor discussed previously ( svp , no . 82 , fig9 ) and need not provide specific identification of any i / o path nor even indicate necessity for resetting an i / o path . in program sequence path 280 the action taken when a clrch reset is required depends upon the status of peripheral equipment reserves . this status is tested at program decision point 286 and if there are no reserves the program sequence branches directly to the issuance of the clrch instruction at 290 . if reserves ( or other allegiances ) are in force at decision point 286 the program operates at 292 to secure the deactivation of competing ( potentially interfering ) systems ( or processes ) before proceeding to the issuance of the clrch reset at 290 . after issuing the clrch reset at 290 the program branches at 294 on the condition of the i / o path associated with the reset . the condition of reusability of this path , if not manifested in the status information exchanged by the i / o interruption , may be determined by execution of test channel ( tch ) and / or test i / o ( tio ) system / 370 instructions directed to that path . the condition of the reset path is noted as either not available at 296 or available at 300 and the program branches at 302 on the reserve status as determined at decision point 286 . if reserves or other allegiances had been in force prior to the reset the program attempts to reestablish corresponding reserves over either the same i / o path or an alternate path ( if the same path is not available and an alternate path is ), as suggested at 304 , and then evaluates the effectiveness of its attempted action at 308 . if the attempted action was successful the program restarts the i / o processes associated with the reset path as suggested at 310 and reactivates the systems quiesced earlier ( in program step 292 ) as suggested at 312 . if no reserves were in force prior to the reset the program would proceed directly from test 302 to an attempted restarting of the i / o processes affected by the reset ( over the same channel path , and if that attempt is unsuccessful over an alternate path if one exists ). after step 310 the program continues relative to other functions ( other than resets ). if the i / o restarts at 310 are unsuccessful the program posts a permanent error indication before continuing . if tests 308 indicate unsuccessful reestablishment of reserves the program places the system in the wait state as indicated at 314 , which then requires manual intervention before system operations can be continued . in program path 284 associated with machine check interruption the program issues a number of test channel ( tch ) instructions as suggested at 320 and thereby determines at 322 whether any specific channels in a group ( e . g ., 61 , fig5 ) have been &# 34 ; lost &# 34 ;. if determination 322 indicates that no channels have been lost the program continues its normal operation to determine the cause of the interruption having effectively recognized that the cause is not in the channels or i / o paths and that resets are not required . if , on the other hand , the determination at 322 indicates a loss of channels the program implements a series of clrch resets relative to the affected group of channels as suggested at 324 . these resets are executed consecutively by the auxiliary service processor 82 ( fig9 ). as suggested at 326 if a hard error has been encountered the service processor may re - initiate the group director ( see e . g ., 62 , fig4 ) by an initial microprogram reloading ( re - impl ) operation before the program continues with functions 294 - 314 explained previously . if re - impl action 326 is taken a thirty second delay suggested at 328 is imposed on the continuation of program operation relative to functions 294 - 314 . it may now be appreciated that with the foregoing clrch instruction capability , and with associated programming restrictions on its usage as indicated in fig1 , a reset facility is provided which : ( 1 ) permits a system reset action to be directed selectively to one specific channel and associated i / o interface ; ( 2 ) is subject to supervisory program control , and thereby subject to be used only when outstanding reserves have been protected ( by quiescing of potentially interferring systems ) and only when i / o paths ( the original paths or alternate paths if required and if available ) are available for re - establishment of the reserves ; and ( 3 ) can be executed relative to the designated i / o interface even when the designated channel is incapacitated . while the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to preferred embodiments thereof , those skilled in the art will recognize that the above and other changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . | 6 |
referring now to fig1 - 10 of the drawings which form a part of the disclosure herein , a motor vehicle - carrying , or auto rack railcar 16 which embodies the present invention includes an underbody 18 supporting an auto rack portion 20 , or superstructure , that includes side walls 22 extending upward above the underbody and a roof 24 extending above and between the side walls 22 . in the motor vehicle - carrying railcar 16 the underbody 18 may be essentially a conventional low level flat car including a pair of body bolsters 28 located at opposite ends 26 of the car 16 and supported on respective wheeled trucks 30 . a drop center sill 31 extends between the body bolsters 28 and a respective end portion 32 of the underbody 18 is longitudinally outboard of the body bolster 28 at each end . at a prescribed height 35 above the top of the rail ( tor ) 34 on which the railcar 16 is located there is a coupler 36 at each end of the underbody 18 , and a draft gear housing 38 is included in the underbody 18 , located centrally of the width of the end portion 32 , to receive and house the draft gear associated with the coupler 36 . the draft gear housing 38 includes a top surface 40 at a height 42 which may be about 3 feet 5 1 / 8 inches above the top of rail 34 . the draft gear housing 38 extends over a length 44 of about 7 feet . the underbody 18 includes a bottom vehicle - carrying deck 46 of which respective portions 48 extend alongside each lateral side 49 of the draft gear housing 38 from an end sill 50 toward the respective body bolster 28 in the respective end portion 32 . a conventional bridge mounting connection 52 is provided in the end portion of the bottom vehicle - carrying deck 46 in each lateral side portion , alongside the draft gear housing 38 , to receive a bridge ( not shown ) that may extend between the end sill 50 of the car 16 and an end sill of an adjacent auto rack car or a loading dock . in the auto rack portion 20 and spaced upwardly above the bottom vehicle - carrying deck 46 is an intermediate vehicle - carrying deck 58 supported on side posts 60 included in the side walls 22 and extending upward above side sills 62 extending longitudinally from end to end of the underbody 18 . the side posts 60 also support a top chord member 63 and the roof 24 that extends angularly upward and inward and across the top of the auto rack , interconnecting the side walls 22 of the auto rack and providing protection against the elements . an upper vehicle - carrying deck 64 is also supported by the side posts 60 and is also moveable between several different heights . as shown in fig2 and 6 the intermediate vehicle - carrying deck 58 and the upper vehicle - carrying deck 64 are mounted in a tri - level configuration of the auto carrying railcar 16 , in which motor vehicles may be supported on each of the bottom deck 46 , intermediate deck 58 , and upper deck 64 , with sufficient vertical clearance for the height of a passenger vehicle of a selected class on each of the vehicle - carrying decks , as will be explained in greater detail presently . a standard height of 3 feet 7 ½ inches above tor has been established for the end of a railcar in a tri - level configuration for carrying automobiles , to assure that such railcars can be coupled to one another to allow for circus loading of automobiles moving across a bridge extending between adjacent railcar ends . the height of the end portion 32 of a railcar is prescribed to be within 3 inches of the standard height . in the railcar 16 , the height 65 of the bottom vehicle - carrying deck 46 in the end portion of the car , adjacent to the end sill 50 , is 3 feet 1 ⅞ inch . accordingly a vehicle wheel - supporting ramp 70 is provided in the end portion 32 of the underbody 18 , extending from the end sill 50 longitudinally into the car a distance 71 of , for example , about 4 feet . an upper wheel - supporting surface 72 of the ramp 70 has a height of 2 ⅝ inches above the top surface of the portions 48 of the bottom vehicle - carrying deck 46 at the end of the car body , so that the ramp 70 has a ramp top height 73 of 3 feet 4 ½ inches above tqr 34 , and thus is located within the 3 inch range permitted as a variation from the standard 3 feet 7 ½ inch height . a pair of such ramps 70 are located in the end portion 32 of the car 16 , with one of the ramps 70 on the deck portion 48 at each lateral side of the draft gear housing 38 . this provides a minimum vertical clearance height 74 of 54 inches above the upper wheel - supporting surface 72 of the ramp 70 and beneath the lowest surface of the intermediate vehicle - carrying deck 58 , as may be seen in fig6 . unless otherwise described , the vertical clearance height above a vehicle - carrying deck , or the height of a deck , as mentioned herein is measured at a lateral distance of 30 inches from a vertical longitudinal center plane 76 of the railcar 16 , as required by the american association of railroads ( aar ) standards related to plate j clearances . as shown in fig3 , 4 , and 5 , the ramp 70 may be fastened to the bottom vehicle - carrying deck 46 by conventional removable means , such as by threaded fasteners 77 , quick release fasteners ( not shown ), etc ., so that the ramps 70 may be removed without undue difficulty in converting the automobile carrying railcar 16 from the tri - level configuration shown in fig2 and 6 to a bi - level configuration , as shown in fig7 and 8 . the ramps 70 may be attached to part of the railcar out of the way of motor vehicles to be carried , so as to be readily available for reconfiguration to the tri - level configuration when desired . as shown in fig2 , at a location within the automobile carrying railcar 16 in the tri - level configuration , in a middle portion of the length of the car 16 , there is a vertical clearance height 79 of 63 1 / 16 inches above the bottom vehicle - carrying deck 46 to the lowest surface of the intermediate vehicle - carrying deck 58 , which is thus greater than the standard required clearance of 62 ⅜ inches . when the railcar 16 is in the tri - level configuration as shown in fig2 and 6 , a hinged end portion 82 of the intermediate vehicle - carrying deck 58 may be raised to an inclined position as shown in side elevational view in fig2 , to provide an ample vertical clearance height above the ramps 70 in the end portions 32 of the car during loading of motor vehicles onto the bottom vehicle - carrying deck 46 . this provides a vertical clearance height 75 of 63 1 / 16 inches above the upper wheel supporting surface 72 of the ramp 70 . various arrangements are known for supporting the movable end portions 82 of such a vehicle - carrying deck 58 in the raised position , including a spring and chain arrangement 83 . once the desired motor vehicles have been placed onto the bottom vehicle - carrying deck 46 the end portions 82 of the intermediate vehicle - carrying deck 58 may be lowered to a horizontal orientation , aligned with the longitudinally central part of the intermediate vehicle - carrying deck 58 , as shown in solid line in fig6 . lateral margins of the movable end portion 82 may include longitudinal structural members 85 , and may be supported on brackets 84 mounted on respective ones of the side posts 60 at a suitable height , as shown in fig9 . upper surfaces of the intermediate vehicle - carrying deck 58 then have a height 86 of 8 feet , 11 / 16 inch above the height of the tor 34 , which is equal to the standard height prescribed for such a tri - level automobile carrying railcar . conventional bridge members ( not shown ) can then be connected to the ends of the intermediate vehicle - carrying deck 58 to move motor vehicles onto or off from the railcar 16 onto an adjacent car or loading dock . a vertical clearance height 88 of 61 ⅞ inches is provided between the top vehicle wheel supporting surfaces 89 of the intermediate vehicle - carrying deck 58 and the lowest bottom surfaces of the upper vehicle - carrying deck 64 with the upper vehicle - carrying deck 64 in the required position along the side posts 60 in the tri - level configuration . this places the top wheel - supporting surface 91 of the upper vehicle - carrying deck 64 at a height of 13 feet , 4 ¾ inches above tor 34 , within the allowable range relative to the standard height of 13 feet , 4 ⅜ inches for the upper deck in a tri - level configuration . this also leaves a vertical clearance height 90 of 65 ⅝ inch above the top vehicle wheel supporting surfaces 91 of the upper vehicle - carrying deck 64 and beneath the bottom surfaces of the roof 24 , a clearance which is greater than the minimum required standard clearance of 64 ⅞ inches beneath the bottom surfaces of a roof for an auto rack car in a tri - level configuration . while auto rack cars have previously been available with the required between - decks vertical clearances for a tri - level configuration , such cars not exceeding the maximum overall height 92 of 19 feet 0 inches above tor 34 as required by aar plate j have not been convertible to a bi - level configuration except by removing either the intermediate vehicle - carrying deck 58 or the upper vehicle - carrying deck 64 from the railcar to attain the bi - level configuration and still provide the required vertical clearances . in the present motor vehicle - carrying railcar 16 , however , the intermediate vehicle - carrying deck 58 is raised , and the upper vehicle - carrying deck 64 is lowered , to bring those two moveable decks together into respective positions along the side posts 60 in which the upper vehicle - carrying deck 64 is closely adjacent and above the intermediate vehicle - carrying deck 58 , as shown in fig7 and 8 . with the automobile carrying railcar 16 in that bi - level configuration as shown in fig7 and 8 , ramps 94 , similar to but lower in height than the ramps 70 , may be provided in positions similar to the positions of the ramps 70 as shown . in the railcar 16 as shown the ramps 70 are located partially atop the ramps 94 , as shown in fig2 - 6 . the ramps 94 , as shown best in fig3 , 4 , and 5 , may be ⅞ inch in height above the portions 48 of the bottom vehicle - carrying deck 46 at the end sill 50 , so that the top vehicle - carrying surfaces 99 of the ramps 94 are at a height 96 of 3 feet 2 ¾ inches above tor at the end sill 50 , with the car 16 in the bi - level configuration . this height is thus within ¼ inch of an older , but still applicable standard height above tor for the bottom deck of a bi - level automobile - carrying railcar , and less than 3 inches lower than the more recently established standard height of the bottom deck at the ends of a bi - level automobile - carrying railcar . this also provides a vertical clearance height 98 of 87 inches ( 7 feet 3 inches ) between the top vehicle - carrying surfaces 99 of the ramps 94 and the lowest bottom surface of the hinged portion 82 of the intermediate vehicle - carrying deck 58 . the vertical clearance height 98 of 87 inches , in the end portions 32 of the car 16 , above the ramps 94 and beneath the hinged portion 82 of the intermediate vehicle - carrying deck 58 thus satisfies the aar plate j standard requirement for a minimum of 87 inches clearance between the lower deck and the upper deck of a bi - level auto rack configuration . in a longitudinally central portion of the car , between the body bolsters 28 , in the bi - level configuration there is a significantly greater vertical clearance height 98 ′ of 7 feet 8 ⅝ inches between the top surface of the bottom vehicle - carrying deck 46 and the lowest bottom surface of the horizontal portion of the fixed intermediate vehicle - carrying deck 58 , as shown in fig7 . the aar standard minimum clearance above the upper vehicle - carrying deck 64 in a bi - level configuration is 93 ¼ inches , and in the automobile carrying railcar 16 the vertical clearance height 100 in the bi - level configuration is 93 ⅜ inches beneath the lower , inner , surface of the roof 24 , thus satisfying the minimum clearance requirement . the clearances described in the preceding paragraphs are enabled by the structural dimensions and the cooperative configuration of the intermediate and upper vehicle - carrying decks 58 and 64 , which permits them both to be kept in the interior of the car in converting the car 16 from the tri - level configuration to the bi - level configuration . each of the movable vehicle - carrying decks 58 and 64 is constructed primarily of corrugated sheet metal with corrugations extending transversely and with each deck including an upwardly arched camber . the corrugated portions of the movable vehicle - carrying decks 58 and 64 may have respective top to bottom thicknesses 101 of about 1 . 75 inches . each of the decks 58 and 64 includes a pair of parallel longitudinally - extending reinforcing members 102 which may be of rectangular tubular configuration and which may be spaced apart laterally from one another by a distance of about 4 feet , centered along the longitudinal vertical center plane 76 of the car 16 . a curb member 104 , spaced laterally outward from each of the reinforcing members 102 , is located on the upper face of each of the intermediate and upper vehicle - carrying decks 58 and 64 when the car is in the tri - level configuration , at a distance of about 18 inches from the lateral sides of the decks . the curbs 104 serve to prevent a motor vehicle from wandering too close to one of the side walls 22 or posts 60 , and also add desired rigidity and stability to the deck structures . the curb members 104 may be attached to the end portions 82 of the intermediate vehicle - carrying deck 58 by bolts , for example , and can be removed and stored on the underside of the intermediate vehicle - carrying deck 58 when the car 16 is in the bi - level configuration . as one way to bring the intermediate vehicle - carrying deck 58 close enough to the upper vehicle - carrying deck 64 to provide the necessary vertical clearances between decks and above the upper vehicle - carrying deck 64 in the bi - level configuration , the cambers of the two decks are slightly different , as shown in fig6 and 7 . that is , the radius of curvature 106 of the camber of the intermediate vehicle - carrying deck 58 is greater than the radius of curvature 108 of the upper vehicle - carrying deck 64 . for example , the radius 106 may be 275 inches , while the radius 108 may be 264 inches , in one embodiment . in placing the car 16 into the bi - level configuration , then , the curbs 104 are removed from the top of the intermediate vehicle - carrying deck 58 and the two decks are moved toward each other and attached to the side posts 60 in respective positions where the lateral margins of the two decks are at least nearly in contact with each other . a mounting and support bracket 110 on the bottom side of the intermediate vehicle - carrying deck 58 supports the intermediate vehicle - carrying deck and attaches it to the side posts 60 in the mid - length portion of the car 16 , while an upwardly extending mounting and support bracket 112 attaches the upper vehicle - carrying deck 64 to the side posts 60 . because of the different camber curvatures of the intermediate and upper vehicle - carrying decks 58 and 64 , there is room for the longitudinally extending reinforcing members 102 on the top of the intermediate vehicle - carrying deck 58 , between the top of the intermediate vehicle - carrying deck 58 and the bottom of the upper vehicle - carrying deck 64 , as shown in fig7 and 8 . this combination of the two cambered vehicle - carrying decks with different radii of curvature results in a combined height 114 of the paired intermediate and upper vehicle - carrying decks in the bi - level configuration that is less than would be the case if both cambered decks had the same radius of curvature . the smaller combined height 114 of the two decks results in additional vertical spacing above and below the paired decks at the locations relative to the width of the railcar 16 where vertical clearance heights are specified . at each end of the car a pair of tri - fold doors 116 , 118 may be provided to protectively enclose automobiles within the car . such doors can be folded and moved laterally apart from each other to positions at the corners of the car body , leaving ample room between the doors 116 , 118 for vehicles to be loaded onto or removed from the car 16 . in a slightly different motor vehicle - carrying railcar 130 shown in fig1 , 12 , and 13 , a somewhat different underbody 131 may include a bottom vehicle - carrying deck 132 with the same profile as that in the automobile carrying railcar 16 . in the railcar 130 the bottom vehicle - carrying deck 132 , instead of being supported atop a dropped center sill , is supported by a pair of deep side sills 134 , which may be box beams of ample strength extending along the length of the car between opposite end sills 136 . in each of the opposite end portions 32 ′ of the car 130 there is a draft gear housing 138 similar to that in the previously described car 16 , and ramps 70 and 94 may be provided atop the bottom vehicle - carrying deck 132 . the top surfaces of the ramps 70 and 94 provide the required heights above the tor 34 for attachment of a bridge to extend to an adjacent railcar or a loading dock , depending on whether the railcar 130 is in a tri - level or a bi - level configuration as described above with respect to the railcar 16 . the superstructure , including side walls 22 , side posts 60 and moveable intermediate and upper decks 58 , 64 may be similar to those of the previously described car 16 , although the roof 24 and a structure supporting the roof 24 may be somewhat different , and the side posts 60 are connected with the side sills 134 . while many motor vehicle - carrying railcars are made in the form of an auto rack superstructure added to an underbody 18 in the form of a more or less standard low level flat car with a length of 90 feet over strikers , the car 130 shown herein may be built expressly to be a motor vehicle - carrying car as shown . the bottom vehicle - carrying deck 132 may be constructed of a corrugated sheet steel construction utilizing relatively high - strength steel with transversely extending corrugations making the deck self - supporting , with the deck having a thickness of about 1 . 75 inches . the profile of the bottom deck 132 may be the same as that of the bottom vehicle - carrying deck 46 , so that its top surface has a height 133 of 3 feet , 1 ⅞ inch above the tor 34 at the end sill 50 . accordingly there may be ramps 94 for bringing the upper surface of the end of the bottom vehicle - carrying deck 132 into agreement with the prescribed height above tor 34 for the car 130 in the bi - level configuration . there may also be ramps 70 to provide the specified height to mate with bridge structures between the end portions of the car and an adjacent car or loading dock with the car 130 in the tri - level configuration . fig1 and 15 show a motor vehicle - carrying railcar 150 which is similar in many respects to the railcar 16 shown in fig1 - 10 . the same reference numerals used in fig1 - 10 are used in fig1 and 15 to indicate similar portions of the railcar 150 . as shown in fig1 and 15 , the railcar 150 is in a bi - level configuration . as shown the railcar 150 includes a drop center sill 31 in its underbody 18 . it should be understood , however , that the underbody of the railcar 150 could also be of the same construction as in the railcar 130 shown in fig1 , 12 , and 13 , including a pair of deep side sills 134 instead of the drop center sill 31 shown in fig1 and 15 . in the tri - level configuration the railcar 150 has its movable intermediate vehicle - carrying deck 158 and its upper vehicle - carrying deck 64 in respective locations substantially similar to the locations of the intermediate vehicle - carrying deck 58 and upper vehicle - carrying deck 64 shown in fig2 . in fig1 broken lines 152 and 154 show , respectively , the locations where an intermediate vehicle - carrying deck 158 and the upper vehicle - carrying deck 64 would be when the railcar 150 is in a tri - level configuration similar to that shown in fig2 and 11 . broken line 156 represents an imaginary surface parallel with the upper surface of the bottom deck 46 and the upper or wheel - supporting surface 72 of the ramp 70 , at a distance 157 above the bottom vehicle - carrying deck 46 . the distance 157 is 89 ¼ inches , and thus is greater than the minimum vertical clearance distance required by the american associate of railroads , above the bottom vehicle - carrying deck 46 for a motor vehicle - carrying railcar in a bi - level configuration . an end portion 162 of the intermediate vehicle - carrying deck 158 is interconnected with a mid - length portion 164 by a hinge ( not shown ), in a manner similar to that of the interconnection between the end portion 82 and the mid length portion of the intermediate vehicle - carrying deck 58 as shown in fig2 , so that the end portion 162 may be raised , pivoting about the hinge , to a position similar to that of the end portion 82 as shown in fig2 , during loading of motor vehicles into the railcar 150 when it is in its tri - level configuration . when it is desired to convert the railcar 150 from its tri - level configuration to the bi - level configuration shown in fig1 and 15 , the hinge connecting the end portion 162 with the mid - length portion 164 of the intermediate vehicle - carrying deck 158 is disconnected , and , while the mid - length portion 164 remains temporarily in its position indicated by the broken line 152 in fig1 for the tri - level configuration of the railcar 150 , the end portion 162 is raised and moved longitudinally toward the middle of the length of the car , along the top of the mid - length portion 164 of the intermediate vehicle - carrying deck 158 . for example , the end portion 162 may be moved a distance of about 10 feet longitudinally along the mid - length portion 164 . movement of the end portion 162 above and along the mid - length portion 164 may be accomplished using various methods and various means of easing the movement , none of which are of particular relevance to the present disclosure , but the end portion 162 must be moved far enough inward , toward the center of the length of the railcar 150 , to leave ample vertical clearance distance between the bottom vehicle - carrying deck 46 and the bottom of the intermediate vehicle - carrying deck 158 once the intermediate vehicle - carrying deck is raised to the position shown in fig1 and 15 . the upper vehicle - carrying deck 64 is lowered , and the intermediate vehicle - carrying deck 158 is raised , to the respective positions shown in fig1 and 15 , with part of the end portion 162 remaining between the upper vehicle - carrying deck 64 and the mid - length portion 164 . as may be seen in the right hand portion of fig1 , the camber of the intermediate vehicle - carrying deck 158 , including its end portion 162 , may be the same as the camber of the upper vehicle - carrying deck 64 , and because the top surface of the bottom vehicle - carrying deck 46 is lower at a point 166 along the length of the railcar 150 between the body bolsters 28 , the vertical clearance 168 , between the bottom vehicle - carrying deck 46 and the underside of the mid - length portion 164 of the intermediate vehicle - carrying deck 158 , is greater than the minimum specified for a motor vehicle - carrying railcar in a bi - level configuration . at the same time , the clearance 170 above the upper vehicle - carrying deck 64 remains ample and equivalent to the clearance 100 in the railcar 16 . 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 . | 1 |
referring now to fig1 through 3 , there is shown a message board , or noteboard 10 that is combined with a mail holder . the message board 10 includes a rigid board 20 , a transparent sheet 30 , means 40 for attaching the sheet to the board , information carrying means 50 means for holding mail 60 , and means 70 for attaching the message board to a vertical surface . the rigid board 20 provides structural strength to the message board 10 . the board or plate 20 is flat and rectangular in shape . it may be of various sizes , although a size of generally 8 inches by 12 inches is convenient and practical . the board is constructed from recycled plastic material that is post - consumer , i . e . the material was previously used in an object that was sold to a consumer , used for its purpose , and then discarded such that the object was converted into raw plastic material that was subsequently used in a new product . the material may be , for example , polystyrene . the board 20 is adapted to be hung in a vertical position on a vertical wall , although it will be appreciated that the board could be used on a desk , kitchen counter , or any horizontal surface . the board may be hung vertically from hole 21 . the board is provided with at least two identical holes at the upper end , 22 , as seen best in fig3 . there may be two additional holes 24 toward the lower end of the board 20 , also . the transparent sheet 30 is constructed from a material , or several materials , the front surface of which is suitable for writing on with a dry - erase pen in common use with so - called whiteboards . one example would be the sanford corp . dry erase marker that is described in pat . no . 3 , 089 , 182 . the sheet 30 in the preferred embodiment is made as a laminate , as shown in fig5 in which the front surface is a film 32 such as that available from kepco adhesive products co ., kent , ohio 44240 ( product no . 7093 ). this film is highly flexible being of a thickness that is less than one mil . to provide some strength and body to the sheet , the film 32 is laminated to a heavier material , also transparent , about 2 mil thick , such as mylar , the trade name of the polyester material available from dupont . while the specific thickness , single or multiple layers , or material of the sheet 30 is not critical to the invention , the surface of the sheet 30 must be capable of accepting dry - erase ink and easily cleaned with a cloth or paper tissue and the sheet must be transparent . the transparent sheet in the preferred embodiment shown is provided with two holes 36 that are in registry with the two holes in the upper end of the board 20 . two additional holes may be provided at the lower end of the sheet to register with holes 24 in the backing plate 20 . the sheet 30 is attached to the board 20 by means 40 which includes the above - described holes 22 in the board 20 and identical and registered holes in the sheet 30 and the plugs 42 , one of which is seen in fig4 in detail . the plug 42 has a cylindrical body 44 that is of the same approximate diameter as the holes 22 . a head 46 is integrally formed at one end of the plug 42 . the material of the plug may be polypropylene plastic . the plug is sufficiently malleable such that if it is made slightly larger in diameter than the hole 22 , it may be press fit into the hole so as to secure the sheet 30 to the board 20 . when the message board 10 is to be discarded after final use , the plugs 40 may be easily pushed out of the holes from the rear of the board with a pencil or a suitable hand tool that is readily available to a consumer at low cost . a second pair of plugs 42 may be used to fasten the lower end of sheet 30 to the board 20 to maintain the sheet 30 in flat condition suitable for writing on with the dry - erase pen . the information carrying means 50 in the preferred embodiment is a sheet of paper 51 . the sheet is inserted between the transparent sheet 30 and the rigid board 20 and is therefore readable from the front of the message board . the sheet 51 may be slightly narrower than the distance between the two plugs so that it can be easily inserted from the top of the message board after the sheet 30 is attached to the board 20 . of course , the sheet 51 could be permanently secured to the board 20 by the provision of registered holes with the holes 20 so that the sheet is attached when the message board is assembled . the sheet 51 could also be insertable after assembly of the noteboard from the side . the sheet 51 could also be made of plastic or any material on which information may be printed , stenciled , silk - screened , or the like . the information on sheet 51 could also be printed directly onto the surface of the board 20 , if it was desirable to make the information a permanent part of the message board . but this may require a use of a plastic material for the board 20 that is not conducive to recycling . moreover , the use of a separate sheet 51 allows different messages or information to be printed and inserted , from time to time , to change the message . for example , a series of sheets 51 could be provided with the message board , each having a different month of the year , so that the message board constitutes a calendar , on which notes could be recorded at the appropriate dates with the dry - erase pen . the sheet 51 could also be printed with a template such as that shown in fig6 for the days of the week , with a visual aid such as a line that will guide the user to record notes in the appropriate part of the sheet . of course , the notes may be easily erased at the start of each week . alternatively , the sheet 51 could carry an advertisement as seen in fig7 where the sheet is partially inserted into the space between the transparent sheet 30 and the back 20 . for the manufacturer of the message board , the ability to insert different sheets 51 after the board 20 is assembled , allows it to make message boards with advertisements customized to order . this reduces the need for large order runs so smaller advertisers would be interested in purchasing the message boards as a premium item . the mail holding means 60 may be formed integrally with the board 20 or may be separately constructed and attached , permanently or temporarily . the means 60 includes a member 62 that extends outwardly from the board 20 to provide a ledge or support for mail envelopes . the member 62 may extend the entire width of the board 20 or only some portion thereof . a short vertical member 64 projects upwardly from the ledge 62 to retain the envelopes , i . e . prevent them from sliding off the ledge . the member 64 may also extend the entire width of the board 20 or only some portion thereof . the message board 10 may be removably attached to a wall or metallic surface through means 70 that in the preferred embodiment may comprise one or more magnets 72 . such magnets are well known in the art and may be attached to the rear surface of the board 20 by adhesive or the like . the device 10 could also be hung from a nail in hole 21 in the board 20 at the upper end or in any manner well known in the art for hanging devices on a wall or other vertical surface . from the above description , it will be appreciated that the objects of the invention are attained through the preferred embodiment described herein in detail . however , it should also be appreciated that various changes may be made in the construction and materials of the message board 10 while retaining the advantages of the invention . for example , the shape of the board 20 may be square , round , or irregular , such as a shape of a character or other object . the size may be made much larger or smaller than that described . the sheet 30 may be attached to the board 20 by clips , adhesive , or other means . the message board may be used horizontally and thus the mail holder may be eliminated or otherwise configured . in short , the above description should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention but as merely an illustration of one form of the invention . thus the scope of the invention should be determined by the following claims , and the equivalents of the elements and means contained in such claims . | 6 |
throughout all the figures , same or corresponding elements may generally be indicated by same reference numerals . these depicted embodiments are to be understood as illustrative of the invention and not as limiting in any way . it should also be understood that the figures are not necessarily to scale and that the embodiments are sometimes illustrated by graphic symbols , phantom lines , diagrammatic representations and fragmentary views . in certain instances , details which are not necessary for an understanding of the present invention or which render other details difficult to perceive may have been omitted . turning now to the drawing , and in particular to fig1 , there is shown a basic longitudinal section of an asynchronous machine 1 in a housing 2 , which has a stator laminated core 3 , into which a winding ( not shown in more detail ) is placed , which embodies coil ends 4 on the front faces of the stator laminated core 3 . the stator laminated core 3 surrounds a stator hole . a rotor 5 , which is embodied as a squirrel - cage rotor is located radially inside the stator hole . the rotor 5 is constructed from laminated sheets , which are connected to a shaft 12 in a rotatably fixed manner . the shaft 12 is mounted in the housing 2 . short - circuit rods 6 , which are electrically conductively connected to a short - circuit ring 7 directly on the front face of the rotor , are located in grooves ( not shown in more detail ) of the laminated core of the rotor 5 formed from laminations . in particular , short - circuit rods 6 and short - circuit ring 7 form a single part produced in the die casting method , a squirrel cage . the invention is however also suited to squirrel - cage rotors , in which short - circuit rods 6 and short - circuit rings 7 are welded or soldered to one another . similarly , the invention is also suited to a rotor 5 , in which the short - circuit rings 7 are at a distance from the front faces of the laminated core of the rotor 5 . a shrink ring 8 encompassing the short - circuit ring 7 is located on the front faces of the rotor 5 in each instance . in this embodiment according to fig1 , the short - circuit ring 7 is in this case surrounded on three sides by the shrink ring and delimited on one side by the laminated core of the rotor 5 . a gap 9 , which is filled with a pressure - resistant hardenable plastic is located between the shrink ring 8 and the short - circuit ring 7 . this takes place for instance by way of special openings of the shrink ring 8 , which are not shown in further detail . the shrink ring 8 is positioned by a stop 14 of the shaft 12 on the left side , whereas the ring is positioned by a shaft projection 13 on the right side of the rotor 5 . the position of the shrink rings 8 and also the laminated core of the rotor 5 is defined by its position with respect to the shaft 12 . measuring accuracy of these parts is thus only needed in respect of the shaft 12 . measuring accuracy of the inner surface of the shrink ring 8 relative to the short - circuit ring 7 is only needed to a limited extent . the gap 9 therefore has various widths , which are however filled by the pressure - resistant hardenable plastic and are thus non - critical . according to fig2 the centrifugal forces f z of the short - circuit ring 7 are thus absorbed during operation of the asynchronous machine . the laminated core of the rotor 5 is moved here for production purposes from the right side onto the shaft 12 and is connected thereto in a non - rotatable manner . this is done for instance by means of a shrink - on process . in this case the laminated core of the rotor 5 is heated and expands . the shaft 12 can now be added . the subsequent cooling produces a rotatably fixed connection between the laminated core and the shaft 12 . alternatively , the shaft 12 can also be cooled right down and thus pushed into the laminated core . a peripheral stop 14 is used here as a stop for the laminated core . after positioning the laminated core with its pressure - cast squirrel cage , the shrink rings 8 are attached to the front faces of the rotor 5 and are likewise connected as described above to the shaft 12 in a rotatably fixed manner for instance . the gaps 9 are then filled by the plastic . the plastic is provided for instance by way of an assembly apparatus , which prevents the plastic from escaping into the gap 9 at the edges of the shrink ring 8 . the gap 9 can therefore also be filled with plastic at a predeterminable pressure , thereby preventing cavities in the gap 9 . after hardening the plastic , the centrifugal force compensation is ensured as with a precise size compliance of the short - circuit ring 7 and the peripheral surface of the shrink ring 8 . a further option of introducing plastic into the gap is to apply the plastic to the inner surface of the shrink ring 8 with a predeterminable layer thickness prior to assembly of the shrink ring 8 on the short - circuit ring 7 . by placing and positioning the shrink ring 8 on the short - circuit ring 7 , the extra plastic oozes out of the gap 9 and is removed prior to hardening of the plastic . the plastic is hardened for instance by applying heat to it in an oven or by means of irradiation . here either the entire squirrel - cage rotor or only the short - circuit ring 8 provided with the shrink rings 8 and the plastic are exposed to a heat treatment , which can be varied in terms of time and temperature . fig3 , 4 shows an embodiment of the shrink ring 8 , which is in principle also shown in fig1 and 2 . a bowl - type inner surface 15 of the shrink ring 8 surrounds the short - circuit ring 7 on three sides . in another embodiment of the shrink ring 8 according to fig5 , 6 , a supporting ring 16 surrounds at least part of the radially outer side of the short - circuit ring 7 . the supporting ring 16 is held here by a spoke - type apparatus , which is positioned on the shaft 12 . the gap 9 to be filled with plastic therefore only arises between an outer part of the short - circuit ring 7 and the supporting ring 16 . while the invention has been illustrated and described in connection with currently preferred embodiments shown and described in detail , it is not intended to be limited to the details shown since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit and scope of the present invention . the embodiments were chosen and described in order to explain the principles of the invention and practical application to thereby enable a person skilled in the art to best utilize the invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated . | 8 |
objects , features , and aspects of the present invention are disclosed in or are obvious from the following description . it is to be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that the present discussion is a description of exemplary embodiments only , and is not intended as limiting the broader aspects of the present invention , which broader aspects are embodied in the exemplary constructions . a block copolymer consists of two or more chemically distinct segments ( i . e ., blocks ) joined together to form single macromolecules . di - block copolymers are composed of two chemically distinct segments . here , a soft - segment is one segment and a hard - segment is another . the final shape memory polymer is formed by two kind of building blocks i . e . soft - and hard - segment . the first step in making the di - block polymer of tibs invention is to dissolve a sample containing the hard - segment polymer , the soft - segment polymer , and a catalyst in a first solvent . the hard - segment polymer used in this invention can be any polymer having a molecular weight of 1 . 1 to 5 . 5 × 10 4 , modulus in the range of 1 . 5 to 3 gpa , and a glass transition temperature of about 200 to 280 ° c . suitable examples of the hard - segment polymer may be a polymer of cycloolefin , including norbornene , norbornadiene , clyclopentane , diclopentadiene , clyclo - octane , tetracyclododecene , cyclodocene , 1 , 3 - cyclooctadiene , 1 , 5 - cyclooctadiene , and 1 , 3 - cyclopentadiene . the hard - segment polymer may be preferred to have a volume fraction of 20 % to 50 % in the dried sample . the soft - segment polymer used in this invention can be any polymer having a molecular weight of 1000 to 10000 , and a glass transition temperature of about − 60 ° c . suitable examples of the soft - segment polymer may be a poly ( alkylene glycol ), including poly ( ethylene glycol ), poly ( ethylene oxide ), polypropylene 1 , 2 - glycol , polypropylene oxide and polypropylene 1 , 3 - glycol . the soft - segment polymer may be preferred to have a volume fraction of 80 % to 50 % in the dried sample . the catalyst used in this invention can be any one of bis ( tricycolhexylphosphine )- benzylidenenithenium dichloride { cl 2 ru ( chph )[ p ( c 6 h 11 ) 3 ] 2 }, vinylideneruthenium complex bearing a hydridtris pyrazoyl ) borate ligand , tprucl (═ c ═ chph )( pph 3 ), mo ( ch - t - bu )( nar )( ocme 3 ) 2 and mo ( chcphmez )( nar )( ocme ( cf 3 ) 2 ) 2 . of course , other catalyst know in the art that catalyze polymerization can also be used , for example vinylideneruthenum complex bearing a hydridtris ( pyrazol ) borate ligand , tprucl (═ c ═ chph )( pph 3 ). the catalytic activity of this system may be enhanced by addition of lewis acid such as bf 3 . et 2 o . other catalyst that can be used for polymerization may include mocl 5 or wcl 6 with alkyl aluminum halide ( cocatalyst ) [ p . j . minchak , u . s . pat . no . 4 , 138 , 448 ]. addition of a third component ( water , alcohol or phenol ), known as activator , was found to improve the catalyst efficiency . the amount of the catalyst required , as usual , is relatively small . typically , the molar ratio between the monomers in the hard - and soft - segment polymer to the catalyst may be in the region of 500 to 1500 : 1 . the first solvent shall of course be able to dissolve all of the components required however , as a skilled person may know , the identity of the solvent may vary if different components are used , which can be found by routine trial and error . as an example , if the hard - segment polymer is polynorbomene , and the soft - segment polymer is polyethylene oxide , toluene may be used as the first solvent . after the casting step , the dried sample may be formed by evaporating the first solvent at or above 50 ° c ., preferably under an inert atmosphere for one day . typically , the hard - segment polymer can have a volume fraction of 20 % to 50 %, and the soft - segmnent polymer has a volume fraction of 80 % to 50 %, in the dried sample . when the hard - segment and soft - segment polymers are dissolved in toluene and casted on a suitable substrate like glass plate , the hard - and soft - segments may be contained in di - block copolymer arranged randomly . phase separation of segmented ( hard segment and soft segment ) di block copolymer may be controlled by the subsequent “ annealing conditions ”, which refers to the heating of polymer , preferably under vacuum or in an inert atmosphere ( to prevent oxidation ), at specific temperature . during annealing crystalline structure would be developed in the polymeric material . when the polymers are heated to temperatures just below the melting temperature there is an increase in lameilar crystal thickness . annealing may lead to increases in degree of crystallinity and to perfection and size of crystallites , which lead to an improvement in mechanical properties and certainly stabilization of the structural and dimensional properties of the polymeric flmzn . by proper annealing condition ( for example time , temperature and vacuum ), the hard and soft segments can arranged properly , as the incompatibility between the constituent structure a micro phase separated structure would be obtained , for example the hard segment is hydrophobic and soft segment is hydrophilic . however , different combinations of hard - and soft - segments may alter the temperature required , and the need of a vacuum or an inert atmosphere , which may be obtained by routine trial and error . it was found that a suitable range is to anneal the dried sample for 12 hours by heating the dried sample under vacuum or an inert atmosphere , preferably at 150 to 180 ° c . for 12 hours . next , the step of “ crew - cutting ” is carried . the first step involved is dissolving the dried sample in a second solvent and maintaining at a temperature range to dissolve all of the dried sample in the second solvent to dissolve the soft segment matrix . the second solvent shall be a good solvent for soft segment , i . e ., the soft segment is substantially soluble therein . suitable second solvents may be tetrahydrofuran or dimethylformamide or their mixtures , and the temperature may be 60 ° c . to 80 ° c . however , again , the identity of the second solvent and the temperature may be varied due to the materials used , which may be obtained through trial and error . the second step in the “ crew - cutting ” step is to induce aggregation , which may be accomplished by either lowering the temperature or adding a hydrophobic solvent or water to the second solvent . when amphiphilic ( contain hydrophobic and hydrophilic component , e . g . polynorbornene is hydrophobic and peg hydrophilic ) diblock copolymer , dissolve in a solvent which is a solvent compatible to only one of the soft - segment or hard - segment , can form nanosized aggregates as a result of the self - assembly of the less soluble segment , choosing between lower temperature or adding a hydrophobic solvent should be determined by the identities of the components involved . finally , the di - block polymer is extracted by a usual extraction method including filtration or centrifuging . an example of the di - block polymer produced is polynorborene nano fiber . diameter of such a fiber is in the range of 40 - 200 nanometer and the length is about 200 - 1200 nanometer . while the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail by the examples , it is apparent that modifications and adaptations of the present invention will occur to those skilled in the art . furthermore , the embodiments of the present invention shall not be interpreted to be restricted by the examples or figures only . it is to be expressly understood , however , that such modifications and adaptations are within the scope of the present invention , as set forth in the following claims . for instance , features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment can be used on another embodiment to yield a still further embodiment . thus , it is intended that the present invention cover such modifications and variations as come within the scope of the claims and their equivalents . | 3 |
referring now more particularly to the drawings , and especially to fig1 - 8 , there is shown a pair of parallel invert arm sections 20 and 22 which are adapted to swing in unison from a blank station , where the neck portion of a glass parison is formed , to a blow station for the final forming step . the invert arm sections 20 and 22 carry two neck ring assemblies 24 and 26 , which are identical in construction . each neck ring assembly forms the finish portion of a parison to final shape . each neck ring assembly 24 , 26 has a generally circular neck ring 28 composed of two neck ring sections 30 and 32 . the neck ring section 30 is secured to the invert arm section 20 and the neck ring section 32 is secured to the invert arm section 22 . the neck ring sections 30 and 32 of each neck ring assembly are generally arcuate and opposed to one another . when the invert arm sections 20 and 22 are moved toward one another , the neck ring sections 30 and 32 close as in fig1 to form a ring in which the parison finish is formed to final shape . when the invert arm sections 20 and 22 are moved away from one another , the neck ring sections 30 and 32 open as in fig3 to permit the parison to be removed . the neck ring section 30 of each neck ring assembly 24 , 26 has external parallel slots 34 and 36 on opposite sides , and the neck ring section 32 has external parallel slots 38 and 40 on opposite sides , with the guide slots 34 and 38 in alignment and the slots 36 and 40 in alignment . each neck ring assembly 30 , 32 includes a neck ring guide 42 . the neck ring guide 42 has a center body 44 and a pair of outboard parallel runners 46 and 48 on opposite sides of the center body . the runner 46 is slidably received in the aligned guide slots 34 and 38 of the neck ring sections 30 and 32 and the runner 48 is slidably received in the aligned guide slots 36 and 40 of the neck ring sections . the runners may be integral with the center body as shown , or may be formed separately from the center body . the runners , especially if formed separately from the center body , may be made of a hardened material and finish ground to improve surface finish and lower friction . when the neck ring sections 30 and 32 open and close , such opening and closing movements are guided by the runners 46 and 48 . keepers 50 in the form of elongated bars extend along the length of the runners on the outboard sides thereof . the keepers retain the runners 46 and 48 in the guide slots of the neck ring sections . the keepers 50 run along the sides 52 and 54 of the neck ring sections 30 and 32 . preferably , there is a slight clearance between the keepers 50 and the sides 52 and 54 of the neck ring sections as shown in fig4 to allow the ring guide 42 to float slightly when the neck ring sections 30 and 32 are moved away from one another to the open position . the keepers are removably secured to the runners by fasteners 56 but may , if desired , be formed integrally with the runners . when the neck ring sections open and close , the keepers contain side - to - side movement of the neck ring sections and the outboard runner design keeps the neck ring sections from rotating . fig8 shows a modified neck ring guide 57 in which parallel runners 58 and 59 are formed separately from and secured to opposite sides of a center body 60 by fasteners 61 . a keeper 62 is formed integrally with each runner . each runner and keeper combination constitutes a hardened reusable piece that may be bolted to a replaceable center body . the neck ring guide 57 may be substituted for the neck ring guide 42 in the embodiment of fig1 - 7 . fig9 shows a modification of the invention in which the neck ring assembly is the same as previously described , except that the keepers for retaining the runners in the slots of the neck ring sections are secured to the neck ring sections rather than to the runners of the neck ring guide . fig9 shows a keeper 63 secured to one side 52 of the neck ring section 30 to retain the runner 46 in the guide slot 34 , and a keeper 64 secured to the opposite side 54 of the neck ring section 30 to retain the runner 48 in the guide slot 36 . the keepers 63 and 64 may be formed integrally with the neck ring section or they may be replaceably mounted thereon by fasteners 65 as shown . preferably , there is a slight clearance between the keepers 63 and 64 and the sides of the guide ring 42 to allow it to float slightly when the neck ring sections open and close . it will be understood that keepers , similar to the keepers 63 and 64 , will also be secured to the neck ring section 32 in the same manner and for the same purpose . referring now to fig1 - 13 , a further modification of the invention is shown in which invert arm sections ( not shown ) carry a neck ring assembly 70 . the neck ring assembly 70 has a generally circular neck ring 72 composed of two neck ring sections 74 and 76 . the neck ring section 74 is secured to one of the invert arm sections ( not shown ) and the neck ring section 76 is secured to the other of the invert arm sections ( not shown ). each of the neck ring sections has a top portion 78 secured to a base portion 80 by fasteners 82 . as in the first embodiment , the neck ring sections 74 and 76 are generally arcuate and opposed to one another . when the invert arms 66 and 68 are moved toward one another as in fig1 , the neck ring sections 74 and 76 close to form a ring in which the parison finish is formed to final shape . when the invert arms are moved away from one another as in fig1 , the neck ring sections 74 and 76 open to permit the parison to be removed . the base portion 80 of the neck ring section 74 has external parallel guide slots 84 and 86 on opposite sides , and the base portion 80 of the neck ring section 76 has external parallel guide slots 88 and 90 on opposite sides , with the slots 84 and 88 in alignment and the slots 86 and 90 in alignment . the neck ring assembly 70 includes a neck ring guide 92 . the neck ring guide has a center body 94 and a pair of outboard parallel runners 96 and 98 on opposite sides of the center body . the runner 96 is slidably received in the aligned guide slots 84 and 88 of the neck ring sections 74 and 76 and the runner 98 is slidably received in the aligned guide slots 86 and 90 of the neck ring sections to guide the opening and closing movements of the neck ring sections . to retain the runners in the guide slots of the neck ring sections 74 and 76 , retainer elements in the form of roll pins 100 , 102 , 104 and 106 are provided . the roll pin 100 is disposed in a hole 108 in the neck ring section 74 and extends into a retainer slot 110 in the runner 96 . the roll pin 102 is disposed in a hole ( not shown ) in the neck ring section 74 and extends into a retainer slot 114 in the runner 98 . the roll pin 104 is disposed in a hole 116 in the neck ring section 76 and extends into a retainer slot 118 in the runner 96 . the roll pin 106 is disposed in a hole ( not shown ) in the neck ring section 76 and extends into a retainer slot 122 in the runner 98 . the slots 110 and 118 in the runner 96 are elongated and aligned with one another . the slots 114 and 122 in the runner 98 are elongated and aligned with one another . preferably , there is a slight clearance between the roll pins and the side walls of the slots into which they extend to allow the neck ring guide to float slightly when the neck ring sections open and close . to install the roll pins 100 , 102 , 104 and 106 in the holes in the neck ring sections , the roll pins may be inserted through passages 124 in the top portions 78 of the neck ring sections . when the neck ring sections 74 and 76 open and close , such opening and closing movements are guided by the runners 96 and 98 . the runners are retained in the guide slots 84 , 88 , 86 and 90 of the neck ring sections 74 and 76 by the roll pins 100 , 102 , 104 and 106 . fig1 and 15 show a neck ring guide 130 which is a modification of the neck ring guide 92 in fig1 - 13 . the neck ring guide 130 has a replaceable cavity hub 132 and a separate reusable guide plate 134 on which integral runners 136 are formed . the guide plate 134 is replaceably secured to the hub 132 by removable fasteners in the form of bolts 138 which extend through slots 140 in the hub and thread into holes 142 in the guide plate . the bolts 138 have heads 144 which clamp down on shoulders 146 in the slots 140 to secure the hub 132 and guide plate 134 together . this two - piece construction permits the guide plate 134 to be separately formed from a hardened material and finish ground to improve surface finish and lower friction , thereby extending the life of the guide plate . the separately formed hub can be replaced when necessary or desired . this disclosure herein is intended to be exemplary , and not limiting . the scope of the invention is defined by the claims appended hereto . | 2 |
the following merely illustrates the principles of the disclosure . it will thus be appreciated that those skilled in the art will be able to devise various arrangements which , although not explicitly described or shown herein , embody the principles of the disclosure and are included within its spirit and scope . furthermore , all examples and conditional language recited herein are principally intended expressly to be only for pedagogical purposes to aid the reader in understanding the principles of the disclosure and the concepts contributed by the inventor ( s ) to furthering the art , and are to be construed as being without limitation to such specifically recited examples and conditions . moreover , all statements herein reciting principles , aspects , and embodiments of the disclosure , as well as specific examples thereof , are intended to encompass both structural and functional equivalents thereof . additionally , it is intended that such equivalents include both currently - known equivalents as well as equivalents developed in the future , i . e ., any elements developed that perform the same function , regardless of structure . thus , for example , it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the diagrams herein represent conceptual views of illustrative structures embodying the principles of the disclosure . thus , for example , it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the block diagrams herein represent conceptual views of illustrative circuitry embodying the principles of the invention . similarly , it will be appreciated that any flow charts , flow diagrams , state transition diagrams , pseudocode , and the like represent various processes which may be substantially represented in computer readable medium and so executed by a computer or processor , whether or not such computer or processor is explicitly shown . the functions of the various elements shown in the figs ., including functional blocks labeled as “ processors ” may be provided through the use of dedicated hardware as well as hardware capable of executing software in association with appropriate software . when provided by a processor , the functions may be provided by a single dedicated processor , by a single shared processor , or by a plurality of individual processors , some of which may be shared . moreover , explicit use of the term “ processor ” or “ controller ” should not be construed to refer exclusively to hardware capable of executing software , and may implicitly include , without limitation , digital signal processor ( dsp ) hardware , read - only memory ( rom ) for storing software , random access memory ( ram ), and non - volatile storage . other hardware , conventional and / or custom , may also be included . similarly , any switches shown in the figs . are conceptual only . their function may be carried out through the operation of program logic , through dedicated logic , through the interaction of program control and dedicated logic , or even manually , the particular technique being selectable by the implementor as more specifically understood from the context . in the claims hereof any element expressed as a means for performing a specified function is intended to encompass any way of performing that function including , for example , a ) a combination of circuit elements which performs that function or b ) software in any form , including , therefore , firmware , microcode or the like , combined with appropriate circuitry for executing that software to perform the function . the invention as defined by such claims resides in the fact that the functionalities provided by the various recited means are combined and brought together in the manner which the claims call for . applicant thus regards any means which can provide those functionalities as equivalent as those shown herein . finally , and unless otherwise explicitly specified herein , the drawings are not drawn to scale . as noted , one aspect of the present disclosure is the use of a number of sensors which may be used to sense / distinguish / classify field events . these sensors , in conjunction with software , processing hardware , and communications devices are deployed and coordinated into an operational system . notably , systems according to the present disclosure may be advantageously deployed and executed on remote ( fielded ) devices , which may be in communication with a base or other station ( s ) thereby forming larger , more disparate networks . since these systems may be fielded into remote locations , power consumption of the devices is of utmost concern . with reference now to fig1 , there is shown a schematic block diagram depicting a representative architecture in which our inventive method may operate . systems 100 constructed according to the architecture will generally include a number of components including : a seismic footstep classifier ( 110 ), a seismic cyclostationary classifier ( 120 ) also known as a vehicle classifier ; an acoustic classifier ( 130 ); and a multimodal fuser ( 140 ). since such systems will operate remotely , a wireless communications module ( 150 ) for communications with — for example , the base station — will also be part of a typical configuration . those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that a number of the components shown in the architecture may be advantageously implemented in software which in turn may be executed on any of a variety of contemporary microprocessors / microcomputers suitably configured for field deployment . consequently , operating from battery or field generated power is contemplated . it is also worth noting that while a wireless remote configuration is explicitly contemplated and described , those skilled in the art will appreciate that wired ( electrical or optical or combinations thereof ) communications between these remote systems and base stations are possible and foreseen as well . in addition , it may be practical in certain configurations to have power distribution and or generating capabilities included in one or more such remote systems as well . while such components are not explicitly shown or described herein , it is within the ordinary skill in the art to provide such capabilities to our inventive teachings . turning now to fig2 , there is shown an overall sensor system architecture 200 according to an aspect of the present disclosure . generally speaking , an overview of the architecture 200 includes — sensory elements ( 211 — 217 ), classifier elements ( 221 - 223 ) and multimodal fuser element 230 . in its most basic embodiment , the seismic footstep classifier ( 221 ), the seismic cyclostationary classifier ( 222 ) and the acoustic classifier ( 223 ) receive raw data collected by seismic and acoustic sensors and classifies this raw data and then provides the analyzed classifications to the multimodal fuser ( 230 ) by which a target determination is made and provided . importantly , and as shown in the fig2 , since the raw sensor data from the ir sensors , and magnetic sensors is in binary form , it may be advantageously provided to the multimodal fuser 230 in raw , binary form where it may be used in conjunction with the provided classifications for target determination . as noted previously , remote field deployment and / or operation of a sensor system and method according to the present disclosure necessitates power considerations . as may be observed in the fig2 architecture diagram , low - power and full - power modes of operation are contemplated . more particularly , a number of the sensors including infra - red ( ir ) sensors 211 , 212 as well as geophone 213 may operate in a low power mode to detect motion and / or some other impulsive event . even while operating in low power mode , raw data from the ir sensors may advantageously be conveyed to the multimodal fuser 230 . should such motion and / or impulsive event occur , then a high power mode of operation may be invoked whereby additional classification and / or determination ( s ) made . with high - power operation , sensory data is classified and “ fused ”, such that a target determination may be made . in particular , as incident seismic data is generated by geophone ( x ) ( 214 ) and geophone ( y ) ( 215 ) it is detected by seismic impulse detector where it is directed to either a seismic footstep classifier ( 221 ) or seismic cyclostationary classifier ( 222 ) for analysis and forwarding to multimodal fuser ( 230 ). similarly , acoustic sensor ( 216 ) provides acoustic data to an acoustic classifier ( 223 ) which in turn classifies the acoustic data and forwards same to multimodal fuser ( 230 ). magnetic sensor provides magnetic data to magnetic detector which in turn provides its binary output to the multimodal fuser ( 230 ). as may now be appreciated , the multimodal fuser receives the multiple detections ( data output from each of the footstep classifier , seismic cyclostationary classifier and acoustic classifier ) and performs — for example — seismic / acoustic correlation of cyclostationary signals ; a closest point of approach analysis including direction of travel ; and an impulsive event and ir motion correlation and an overall determination is made as to whether the detection ( s ) result from a target of interest . if so , the target is classified , notifications are generated ( not specifically shown in fig2 ) and a return to low power operation is performed . if , on the other hand , the target is not one of interest , then the event may be logged and low power mode is resumed . the seismic footstep classifier 221 receives as input raw seismic sensor data , and analyzes same to determine whether a human is present by determining whether the sensed seismic activity is impulsive ( human or animal ) or repetitive ( cyclostationary , i . e ., repetitive mechanical / engine sounds ). with reference now to fig3 ( a ), there is shown a flow diagram depicting an overview of the steps associated with full - power mode acoustic analysis and classification according to an aspect of the present disclosure . and while this overall procedure is applicable to impulsive footstep and cyclostationary vehicular analysis , we will begin our discussion with the footstep analysis and classification . more particularly footstep classification involves a dynamic noise floor determination in which , seismic activity is analyzed to determine whether there is any seismic activity of interest . for example , the footstep classifier determines whether the seismic activity is characteristic of human footsteps , animal footsteps , etc . in one preferred embodiment , such a noise floor determination is made by detecting rapid deviations from a self - perceived noise floor . once the dynamic range and signal - to - noise characteristics are determined acceptable ( blocks 301 , 302 , 303 ), x - axis and y - axis seismic activity is analyzed to determine if the seismic activity of interest correlates to seismic activity caused by a human walking ( block 314 ). as may be observed from fig3 ( a ), a number of characteristics of seismic activity are verified before concluding that a target is a walking human . first the length ( in time ) of the impulsive seismic event is determined ( block 311 ). second , a probability distribution of the seismic signal is determined so as to determine how extreme any deviations are by — for example — analyzing the fourth standardized moment of the seismic signal ( block 312 ). a frequency analysis ( block 313 ) determines the general shape of the seismic signal so as to account for any heal - to - toe gait that may be unique to human footsteps . in a preferred embodiment , such frequency analysis is performed by analyzing the decay of the seismic activity of a single impulsive event , as the heel - to - toe event will “ draw out ” the length of the seismic event . seismic activity trending analysis ( block 310 ) examines the window of time in which a target is detected , and the general behavior of seismic activity over that window is determined . as may be appreciated by those skilled in the art , humans travel in a particular direction generally to reach a specific destination . consequently , they should not be active in a sensor / detection field for more than a time that it would take a slow moving human to cross through the field . accordingly , one aspect of the present method evaluates the seismic activity to find an upward trend in intensity followed by a consistent downward trend in over time . in a preferred embodiment , the perceived impulse lengths ( block 311 ), probabilistic distributive calculations ( block 312 ) and frequency analysis ( block 313 ) are evaluated by a neural network ( block 320 ) thereby increasing the confidence level of the classification in the fuser . the seismic activity trending analysis ( block 310 ) and x - axis to y - axis correlations ( block 314 ) may be provided directly to the fuser . advantageously , the cyclostationary classifier ( vehicle classifier ) is similar to that employed for the impulsive footstep classification . however , it preferably includes a harmonic line analysis as the “ frequency analysis ” ( block 313 ) which is performed on raw sensor data classified as cyclostationary to assist with the vehicle classification . those skilled in the art will now appreciate a number of aspects of the seismic classification ( footstep and vehicle ) according to the present disclosure and outlined in the flow diagram in fig3 ( a ). more particularly the present method employs an impulse property determination that considers both the length of the impulse ( s ) and the probabilistic properties of the impulse ( s ). for cyclostationary classification ( vehicle classification ), a harmonic line analysis is employed to determine vehicle classification ( s ). the results of these determinations are further processed by a neural network thereby increasing the confidence of the classification for use by the fuser . additionally trends of seismic activity are determined as verification ( or not ) of the presence of vehicles within range of the sensor ( s ). finally , x - axis and y - axis multiple feature correlations are performed to determine approximate location ( s ) of target ( s ). each cycle of the method ( i . e ., footstep classification , seismic cyclostationary classication and acoustic classification ) outputs to the multimodal fuser . as we will discuss later , the fuser outputs to a probabilistic temporal filter prior to sensor system providing an indication ( i . e ., alarm ) to user ( s ) of the system . as an example of this classification , fig3 ( b ) and fig3 ( c ) shows two graphs characteristic of a horse signature ( fig3 ( b )) having a low confidence and a human signature ( fig3 ( c )) having a high confidence as provided to the fuser . fig4 is a schematic block flow diagram of an acoustic classification method according to an aspect of the present disclosure . the acoustic classification method analyzes raw acoustic sensor data to determine whether acoustic data is representative of vehicle noise and , if so , the possible identities ( types ) of vehicle ( s ) and probability thereto . more particularly , the acoustic classifier first undergoes a dynamic noise floor determination and dynamic range determination to set any background characteristics ( blocks 401 - 403 ). if there is insufficient signal db to indicate the presence or even the determination of a vehicle , then the raw data is simply provided to the fuser ( block 404 ). as shown , vehicle classification takes into consideration at least three component characteristics namely , trending analysis ( block 405 ), harmonic line analysis ( block 406 ), and frequency domain weighting ( block 407 ). a simplified envelope process is applied to the acoustic data to determine any signal trending that would be indicative of a passing vehicle . the output of the trending analysis is provided directly to the fuser . vehicle classification analyzes the frequency domain of the acoustic signal in an attempt to identify harmonic frequencies which are indicative of a vehicle engine . due to the need to detect any type of vehicle engine and the fact that system need be deployed in any environment , a simple harmonic analysis is insufficient for vehicle detection . more particularly , naturally occurring sounds such as loud insects or sounds produced by man - made structures such as transformers or power generators may be mistaken for a vehicle engine . in order to eliminate this possibility the frequency domain is analyzed to determine the weight ( s ) of specific frequencies common to vehicle engines . that weight is compared to frequency ranges that tend to have significance in ambient signals . the output ( s ) of the harmonic line analysis and frequency domain weighting are provided to an instantaneous neural network ( block 410 ) for further processing , the output of which is provided to the fuser . those skilled in the art may now appreciate certain particular characteristics of this acoustic classification according to the present disclosure . in addition to dynamic noise floor determinations a discrimination is made between the noise floor and any cyclostationary event presence . if there is detected a cyclostationary event , a determination is made for the presence of a piston ( or other ) engine . the results of these determinations are provided to a neural network for further classification . each cycle of the method is output to the multimodal fuser for consideration and determination with respect to other inputs to the fuser . with these classification elements understood we now describe the multimodal fuser element . as may be observed from fig1 , the multimodal fuser receives the raw data from the ir and magnetic sensors , as well as the analyzed data from acoustic and seismic classifiers described above . upon receipt of this data , the multimodal fuser correlates the data received so as to determine whether sensed targets are in fact within the sensor field and are the type ( s ) of targets determined . with respect to vehicle classification , the multimodal fuser determines seismic and acoustic activity trends over entire detection period ( s ). the acoustic and seismic data are correlated with one another to find any matching trends in activity thereby assuring that both modalities are perceiving / classifying the same target . more particularly , the multimodal fuser correlates the x - axis and y - axis seismic activity during an event to an envelope of an acoustic signal . consequently , the seismic sensors are used to find any existing coherence to the acoustic signal . as such , it may be concluded that each detected signal results from the same source and not the result of one or more anomalies . additionally , acoustic trends are analyzed to see if any drop - off of target noise takes place . more particularly , the acoustic signal is analyzed in the time - domain after a target has left the field of detection . operationally , a simplified envelope method is applied to examine signal trending indicative of a passing vehicle . if , for example , there is no indication based on the envelope that a vehicle is passing , then it may be concluded that there is insufficient signal strength to make an accurate decision about the presence of a vehicle . in addition to the correlative processes noted , the multimodal fuser performs temporal filtering functions to determine whether a possible target is acting according to an expected timeline , i . e ., performs an “ anti - loiter determination ” function . for example , if an animal enters the sensor field and loiters therein , it would not produce the same signature as a person or persons crossing through the sensor field . accordingly , in the anti - loiter determination function of the present invention , our multimodal fuser determines the probability that a non - vehicle target is a human or an animal , and reports accordingly . as may be appreciated , the multimodal fuser correlates different types of sensor data to determine the direction of travel of a sensed target . in a preferred embodiment , this process uses the seismic x - axis and y - axis to determine a compass direction of the target . in making this determination , the multimodal fuser determines on a single axis if the seismic activity appears normal . this determines on which side of the axis the target seismic activity is taking place . the activity &# 39 ; s location on the opposing axis is determined by looking at how the signal on that axis correlates to the axis that has been determined . if the two axes appear to oppose each other in movement , then it may be determined that the target signal is located on opposite sides of each axis . with the above determinations , the multimodal fuser determines whether the target is a target of interest . of course , users of the system and method may designate what constitutes a target of interest . if such a detected target is not a target of interest , then the fuser may command any sensors to return to a low power mode so as to conserve power . if , however , the target is a target of interest , then a report to a user may indicate the target classification ( type of target ), time of detection , and probability ( ies ) of target classification . upon providing the user report , the system may again resume low power mode until another target is sensed . since the method according to the present disclosure is computational in nature it may advantageously be performed by a contemporary computer system comprising any of a variety of central processing units , memory , and input / output systems . accordingly , the computer system will execute an operating program which may collect and process the sensor data . such a representative computer system is shown schematically in fig5 . operationally , the computer system may read a computer program residing in memory and / or input / output systems and execute the program which in turn results in the execution of the method steps which are one aspect of the instant disclosure . at this point , while we have discussed and described the invention using some specific examples , those skilled in the art will recognize that our teachings are not so limited . accordingly , the invention should be only limited by the scope of the claims attached hereto . | 6 |
the best embodiment to carry out the inventive data input support system for gene analysis will be described below in detail referring to the appended drawings . fig1 to 31 illustrate the embodiment of the present invention , wherein a portion with an identical symbol represents the same matter and the basic constitution and operation are the same through the figures . fig1 shows a functional block diagram outlining the internal configuration of a genotype data input support system constructed in an embodiment of the present invention . the genotype data input support system comprises a program db 100 where the features of various programs used in statistical gene analysis are saved , a display device 101 for displaying input data and supported interpretation results therefor , a key board 102 and a pointing device 103 such as a mouse for operation such as selection of individuals or loci from the displayed data or the like , a cpu 104 for carrying out necessary arithmetic processing , control processing and the like , a program memory 105 for storing the programs necessary to processing in the cpu 104 , and a data memory 106 for storing data necessary to processing in the cpu 104 . the program memory 105 contains : a specified physical position report processing section 107 for execution of the above function 1 ; a physical position order report processing section 108 for execution of functions 2 - 1 and 2 - 2 ; a physical positions overlap report processing section 109 for execution of function 3 ; a similar locus name report processing section 110 for execution of functions 4 - 1 and 4 - 2 ; a genotype report processing section 111 for execution of functions 5 - 1 , 5 - 2 , 5 - 3 , 5 - 4 and 5 - 5 ; a population name report processing section 112 for execution of functions 6 - 1 , 6 - 2 , 6 - 3 and 6 - 4 ; an allele number report processing section 113 for execution of functions 7 - 1 , 7 - 2 , 7 - 3 , 7 - 4 , 7 - 5 , 7 - 6 , 7 - 7 , 7 - 8 , 7 - 9 and 7 - 10 ; a monomorphism report processing section 114 for execution of functions 8 - 1 and 8 - 2 ; an in / del report processing section 115 for execution of functions 9 - 1 and 9 - 2 ; a dual site reaction report processing section 116 for execution of functions 10 - 1 and 10 - 2 ; a plural populations report processing section 117 for execution of function 11 ; a contamination report processing section 118 for execution of functions 12 - 1 and 12 - 2 ; a special individual report processing section 119 for execution of functions 13 - 1 and 13 - 2 ; a missing individual report processing section 120 for execution of functions 14 - 1 and 14 - 2 ; and a reported / corrected items display processing section 121 for execution of function 15 . additionally , the genotype report processing section 111 comprises a symbol genotype report processing section 122 for execution of the above functions 5 - 1 and 5 - 2 , a character string genotype report processing section 123 for execution of functions 5 - 3 and 5 - 4 , and an unexpected genotype report processing section 124 for execution of function 5 - 5 ; the population name report processing section 112 comprises a specified population name report processing section 125 for execution of the above function 6 - 1 , a falsely described population name report processing section 126 for execution of functions 6 - 2 and 6 - 3 , and an unexpected population name report processing section 127 for execution of function 6 - 4 ; and the allele number report processing section 113 comprises a multiple alleles report processing section 128 for execution of the above functions 7 - 1 , 7 - 2 and 7 - 3 , a falsely described heterozygosis report processing section 129 for execution of functions 7 - 4 and 7 - 5 , a missing blank report processing section 130 for execution of functions 7 - 6 and 7 - 7 , a heterozygosis blank report processing section 131 for execution of functions 7 - 8 and 7 - 9 , and an irregular blank character report processing section 132 for execution of function 7 - 10 . the data memory 106 comprises program data 133 containing the features of programs used in statistical gene analysis and input data 134 used as input data for the programs . fig2 shows the data structure of the program data 133 contained in the data memory 106 . the data structure called analysisprogram comprises : a program name 200 ; a physical position specification flag 201 indicating if the physical positions of loci are required as input data ; a physical position order flag 202 indicating if the loci are assumed to be arranged in the order of their physical positions ; a patient / healthy population flag 203 indicating if both patients and healthy persons are assumed to be used ; a multiple alleles exclusion flag 204 indicating if two alleles are assumed in each locus ; a monomorphism exclusion flag 205 indicating if every locus is assumed to be polymorphic ; and an in / del exclusion flag 206 indicating if nothing but a , t , g or c is assumed to appear as allele . fig3 shows the data structure of the input data 134 contained in the data memory 106 . hereinafter , unspecified data items will have a null value . the data structure called inputdata comprises input data name 300 , locus data 301 and individual data 302 . the locus data 301 retains the data in the arrangement of a data structure called locusdata as described below . the individual data 302 retains the data in the arrangement of a data structure called individualdata as described below . the data structure locusdata comprises each locus name 303 , its physical position 304 and an experimental - protocol 305 used to determine the genotype at each locus for the number of loci , integer i . the data structure individualdata comprises : an individual identifier 306 for each individual ; a population name 307 indicating the name of the population to which the individual belongs ; a genotype data 308 indicating respective genotypes which the individual has at respective loci ; and an original character string 309 in the input data , for the number of individual samples , integer j . the genotype data 308 represents an array for storing genotype data interpreted by separating the input data 309 into compartments with blank characters , and has the number of elements equal to the number of elements , integer i , in the locus data 301 . next , processings executed in the genotype data input support system of the present embodiment will be now described which system is configured as described above . fig4 shows a flow chart illustrating the processing flow in the genotype data input support system . in fig4 , data corresponding to a program specified by a user are first loaded from the program db 100 ( step 400 ). the data loaded here are retained as the program data 133 in the data memory 106 . input data used for the program and each experimental protocol for each locus are then loaded ( step 401 ). the data loaded here are retained as the input data 134 in the data memory 106 . thereafter , errors in the input data are detected and reported , and user input is accepted to produce a modified version of the input data ( step 402 ). these processings are executed using the processing sections 107 to 132 contained in the program memory 105 , which will be described in detail referring to fig5 . next , the processing for checking and reporting if there are errors in the input data , and accepting user input , which is executed in step 402 in fig4 , will be detailed referring to a detailed flow chart shown in fig5 . first of all , it is checked and reported if the physical positions of loci are specified , using the specified physical position report processing section 107 ( step 500 ). if the physical position specification flag 201 in the program data 133 is true , and the physical position 304 of the locus data 301 in the input data 134 is not specified , an error is judged to be present and it is displayed on the screen as shown in fig9 . next , it is checked if the input loci are arranged in the order of their physical positions , and the results are reported and corrected ( step 501 ), using the physical position order report processing section 108 . if the physical position order flag 202 in the program data 133 is true , the physical position 304 of the locus data 301 in the input data 134 is investigated one after another . if some specified physical positions present a reversed magnitude correlation , an error is judged to be present and it is displayed on the screen as shown in fig1 . if the user ticks 1000 , the data on the relevant two loci in the locus data 301 , the genotype data 308 , and the input data 309 are exchanged to produce a modified version of the input data . next , it is checked and reported if the physical positions of the loci are overlapped , using the physical positions overlap reporting / processing section 109 ( step 502 ). the physical position 304 of the locus data 301 in the input data 134 is investigated one after another , and if some of the physical positions have the same number , an error is judged to be present and it is displayed on the screen as shown in fig1 . next , it is checked if a locus name is falsely described , and the results are reported and corrected ( step 503 ), using the similar locus name report processing section 110 . as described in the above function 4 - 1 , it is checked if there is a locus in which the genotype data 308 in the input data 134 are unspecified in every individual and there is a locus in which the physical position 304 is unspecified . if such a set of loci is present , and the loci have similar names , an error is judged to be present and it is displayed on the screen as shown in fig1 . if the user ticks 1100 , the following operation is executed to produce a modified version of the input data . the physical position 304 of a locus having its genotype data 308 unspecified is transcribed for the other locus having its physical position 304 unspecified . thereafter , the data on the locus having its genotype data 308 unspecified is deleted from the locus data 301 , the genotype data 308 , and the input data 309 . next , it is checked if an unexpected genotype is present , and the results are reported and corrected ( step 504 ), using the genotype reporting / processing section 111 . this processing will be described in detail referring to fig6 . next , it is checked if a population name is erroneous , and the results are reported and corrected ( step 505 ), using the population name reporting / processing section 112 . this processing will be described in detail referring to fig7 . next , it is checked if a locus having three or more alleles is present , and the results are reported and corrected ( step 506 ), using the allele number reporting / processing section 113 . this processing will be described in detail referring to fig8 . next , it is checked if a monomorphic locus is present , and the results are reported and corrected ( step 507 ), using the monomorphism reporting / processing section 114 . if the monomorphism exclusion flag 205 in the program data 133 is true , and the genotype data 308 in the input data 134 is not polymorphic , an error is judged to be present and it is displayed on the screen as shown in fig2 . if the user ticks 2400 , the data on the relevant locus is deleted from the locus data 301 , the genotype data 308 , and the input data 309 to produce a modified version of the input data . next , it is checked if a locus containing in / del polymorphism is present , and the results are reported and corrected ( step 508 ), using the in / del reporting / processing section 115 . if the in / del exclusion flag 206 in the program data 133 is true , and the genotype data 308 in the input data 134 is in / del polymorphic , an error is judged to be present and it is displayed on the screen as shown in fig2 . if the user ticks 2500 , the data on the relevant locus is deleted from the locus data 301 , the genotype data 308 , and the input data 309 to produce a modified version of the input data . next , it is checked if there is a locus heterozygous in extremely many individuals , and the results are reported and corrected ( step 509 ), using the dual site reaction reporting / processing section 116 . for each locus , the number rate of individuals having the heterozygous locus in the total individuals ( heterozygosity ), the occurrence probability of the locus with an observed heterozygosity ( p value in the hardy - weinberg equilibrium test ) or the like is used to evaluate the abundance of individuals heterozygous at the locus . if there is a locus heterozygous in extremely many individuals , it is displayed on the screen as shown in fig2 . the numeral 2600 in the screen display shows the genotype frequency for the locus summarized from the genotype data 308 for each individual . if the user ticks 2601 , the data on the relevant locus is deleted from the locus data 301 , the genotype data 308 , and the input data 309 to produce a modified version of the input data . next , it is checked and reported if there is a locus homozygous in extremely many individuals ( step 510 ), using the plural populations report processing section 117 . for each locus , the number rate ( homozygosity ) of individuals having the homozygous locus in the total individuals , the occurrence probability ( p value in the hardy - weinberg equilibrium test ) of the locus with an observed homozygosity or the like is used to evaluate the abundance of individuals homozygous at the locus . if there is a locus homozygous in extremely many individuals , it is displayed on the screen as shown in fig2 . the numeral 2700 in the screen display shows the genotype frequency for the locus summarized from the genotype data 308 for each individual . next , it is checked if there is an individual having extremely many heterozygous loci , and the results are reported and corrected ( step 511 ), using the contamination report processing section 118 . for each individual , the number rate of the heterozygous loci in the total loci , the occurrence probability ( p value ) of the individual with an observed number rate or the like is used to evaluate the abundance of heterozygous loci . if there is an individual having extremely many heterozygous loci , it is displayed on the screen as shown in fig2 . the numeral 2800 in the screen display shows the number rate of heterozygous loci summarized from the genotype data 308 . if the user ticks 2801 , the data on the relevant individual is deleted from the individual data 302 to produce a modified version of the input data . next , it is checked if there is an individual having extremely many homozygous loci , and the results are reported and corrected ( step 512 ), using the special individual reporting / processing section 119 . for each individual , the number rate of the homozygous loci in the total loci , the occurrence probability ( p value ) of the individual with an observed number rate or the like is used to evaluate the abundance of homozygous loci . if there is an individual having extremely many homozygous loci , it is displayed on the screen as shown in fig2 . the numeral 2900 in the screen display shows the number rate of homozygous loci summarized from the genotype data 308 . if the user ticks 2901 , the data on the relevant individual is deleted from the individual data 302 to produce a modified version of the input data . next , it is checked if there is an individual having many missing data , and the results are reported and corrected ( step 513 ), using the missing individual reporting / processing section 120 . the number rate of the missing data in the total loci is used to evaluate the abundance of missing data . if there are far more missing data than a predetermined reference level , it is displayed on the screen as shown in fig3 . the numeral 3000 in the screen display shows the number rate of missing data summarized from the genotype data 308 . if the user ticks 3001 , the data on the relevant individual is deleted from the individual data 302 to produce a modified version of the input data . next , the reported items and items for each of which a modified version of the input data was produced in steps 500 to 513 are listed up and displayed on the screen as shown in fig3 ( step 514 ), using the reported / corrected items display processing section 121 . the numeral 3100 in the screen display shows an outline of the respective reported items and if they were corrected , respectively . the numeral 3101 in the screen display shows the number of reported items and the number of reported items for each of which , however , a modified version of the input data was not produced . next , the processing for checking if there is an unexpected genotype , and reporting and correcting the results , which is executed in step 504 in fig5 , will be detailed referring to a detailed flow chart shown in fig6 . it is first checked if a symbol such as “*” ( asterisk ) is specified as genotype , and the results are reported and corrected ( step 600 ), using the symbol genotype report processing section 122 . if there is such a genotype , it is displayed on the screen as shown in fig1 . if the user ticks 1300 , “ 0 ” is entered in the relevant element in the genotype data 308 and the input data 309 to produce a modified version of the input data . next , it is checked if a character string of two alleles is specified as genotype data , and the results are reported and corrected ( step 601 ), using the character string genotype report processing section 123 . if there is such a genotype , it is displayed on the screen as shown in fig1 . if the user ticks 1400 , a correct heterozygous genotype is entered in the relevant element in the genotype data 308 and the input data 309 to produce a modified version of the input data . next , it is checked and reported if an unexpected character string is specified as genotype data ( step 602 ), using the unexpected genotype report processing section 124 . if there is such a genotype , it is displayed on the screen as shown in fig1 . next , the processing for checking if a population name is erroneous , and reporting and correcting the results , which is executed in step 505 in fig5 , will be detailed referring to a detailed flow chart shown in fig7 . it is first checked and reported if a population name is specified ( step 700 ), using the specified population name report processing section 125 . if the patient / healthy population flag 203 in the program data 133 is true , and the population name 307 of the individual data 302 in the input data 134 is not specified , an error is judged to be present and it is displayed on the screen as shown in fig1 . next , it is checked if “ case ” or “ control ” is specified as population name , or an erroneously spelled name for “ patient ” or “ normal ” is specified where capital and / or small letters are wrongly used , and the results are reported and corrected ( step 701 ), using the falsely described population name reporting / processing section 126 . if there is an individual with such a population name specified , it is displayed on the screen as shown in fig1 . if the user ticks 1700 , a correct population name is entered in the population name 307 to produce a modified version of the input data . next , it is checked and reported if an unexpected character string is specified as population name ( step 702 ), using the unexpected population name report processing section 127 . if there is an individual with such a population name specified , it is displayed on the screen as shown in fig1 . next , the processing for checking if there is a locus having three or more alleles , and reporting and correcting the results , which is executed in step 506 in fig5 , will be detailed referring to a detailed flow chart shown in fig8 . it is first checked if missing data is accidentally described as blank characters ( a one - byte space , tab or the like ), and the results are reported and corrected ( step 800 ) as described in function 7 - 6 , using the blank missing report processing section 130 . if such a description has occurred , it is displayed on the screen as shown in fig2 . it is displayed with emphasis that genotypes are shifted out of place ( 2100 ). if the user ticks 2101 , the following operation is executed to produce a modified version of the input data . the genotype data 308 for a locus that has caused such a shift is replaced by “ 0 ”, and each subsequent locus undergoes transcription of the genotype data 308 for its direct preceding locus in the genotype data 308 . also , the relevant data in the input data 309 is replaced by “ 0 ”. it is checked if a heterozygous genotype is accidentally described as two alleles separated by a one - byte space , and the results are reported and corrected ( step 801 ) as described in function 7 - 8 , using the heterozygosis blank report processing section 131 . if such a description has occurred , it is displayed on the screen as shown in fig2 . it is displayed with emphasis that genotypes are shifted out of place ( 2200 ). if the user ticks 2201 , the following operation is executed to produce a modified version of the input data . the genotype data 308 for a locus that has caused such a shift is replaced by a correct heterozygous genotype , and each subsequent locus undergoes transcription of the genotype data 308 for its direct following locus in the genotype data 308 . in addition , the last locus ( its locus name not specified and having a specified genotype only in the individual having a third or higher - numbered most frequent allele in common ) is deleted from the locus data 301 and the genotype data 308 . also , the relevant data in the input data 309 is replaced by the correct heterozygous genotype . it is checked if a heterozygous genotype is falsely described , and the results are reported and corrected ( step 802 ) as described in function 7 - 4 , using the falsely described heterozygosis reporting / processing section 129 . if there is a locus with a heterozygous genotype falsely described , it is displayed on the screen as shown in fig2 . the numeral 2000 in the screen display shows a genotype frequency for the locus summarized from the genotype data 308 for each individual . if the user ticks 2001 , the data on the relevant locus is deleted from the locus data 301 and the genotype data 308 , and the input data 309 to produce a modified version of the input data . if the user ticks 2002 , a correct heterozygous genotype is entered in the genotype data 308 and the input data 309 to produce a modified version of the input data . if the user ticks 2003 , nothing is done . ticks in 2001 , 2002 and 2003 are exclusive to each other , and two or more ticks must not be present . it is checked if a locus having three or more alleles is present , and the results are reported and corrected ( step 803 ) as described in function 7 - 1 , using the multiple alleles reporting / processing section 128 . if the multiple alleles exclusion flag 204 in the program data 133 is true , or the experimental protocol 305 in the input data 134 can discriminate only two alleles , the genotype data 308 in the input data 134 are searched for a locus having three or more alleles . if such a locus is present , it is displayed on the screen as shown in fig1 . the numeral 1900 on the display screen is displayed if the multiple alleles exclusion flag 204 in the program data 133 is true . the numeral 1901 shows an allele frequency for the locus summarized from the genotype data 308 for each individual . the numeral 1902 is displayed if the experimental protocol 305 in the input data 134 can discriminate only two alleles . if the user ticks 1903 , the data on the relevant locus is deleted from the locus data 301 and the genotype data 308 , and the input data 309 to produce a modified version of the input data . if the user ticks 1904 , in each individual having a third or higher - numbered most frequent allele , the genotype for the relevant locus in the genotype data 308 and the input data 309 is replaced by a genotype containing the most frequent allele to produce a modified version of the input data . if the user ticks 1905 , nothing is done . ticks in 1903 , 1904 and 1905 are exclusive to each other , and two or more ticks must not be present . next , it is checked and reported if a blank character is used irregularly ( step 804 ) as described in function 7 - 10 , using the irregular blank character reporting / processing section 132 . in investigating each individual for input data 309 , if two or more kinds of blank characters are used as break character for the input data , or two or more blank characters appear in succession , or such characters ( a double - byte space or the like ) as may be interpreted as either blank character or data are used , blank characters are judged to be used irregularly . if it happens , it is displayed on the screen as shown in fig2 . the numeral 2300 expressly shows the types and locations of the blank characters in the input data . herein , only the iub coding system has been described , but the format of data opened by the hapmap project can also employ the sections used here consisting of : a physical position order report processing section 108 ; a physical positions overlap report processing section 109 ; a symbol genotype report processing section 122 , a character string genotype report processing section 123 , and an unexpected genotype report processing section 124 within a genotype report processing section 111 ; a multiple alleles report processing section 128 and an irregular blank character report processing section 132 within an allele number report processing section 113 ; a monomorphism report processing section 114 ; an in / del report processing section 115 ; a dual site reaction report processing section 116 ; a plural populations report processing section 117 ; a contamination report processing section 118 ; a special individual report processing section 119 ; a missing individual report processing section 120 ; and a reported / corrected items display processing section 121 . also , the input data format of arlequin can employ the sections used here consisting of : a symbol genotype report processing section 122 and an unexpected genotype report processing section 124 within a genotype report processing section 111 ; a falsely described population name report processing section 126 and an unexpected population name report processing section 127 within a population name report processing section 112 ; a multiple alleles report processing section 128 , a blank missing report processing section 130 and an irregular blank character report processing section 132 within an allele number report processing section 113 ; a monomorphism report processing section 114 ; an in / del report processing section 115 ; a dual site reaction report processing section 116 ; a plural populations report processing section 117 ; a contamination report processing section 118 ; a special individual report processing section 119 ; a missing individual report processing section 120 ; and a reported / corrected items display processing section 121 . also , the input data format of linkage can employ the sections used here consisting of : a symbol genotype report processing section 122 and an unexpected genotype report processing section 124 within a genotype report processing section 111 ; a multiple alleles report processing section 128 , a blank missing report processing section 130 and an irregular blank character report processing section 132 within an allele number report processing section 113 ; a monomorphism report processing section 114 ; an in / del report processing section 115 ; a dual site reaction report processing section 116 ; a plural populations report processing section 117 ; a contamination report processing section 118 ; a special individual report processing section 119 ; a missing individual report processing section 120 ; and a reported / corrected items display processing section 121 . herein , each type of error has been described using an error made at a single locus in a single individual , but can be also described in the same manner using errors made at plural loci in plural individuals . specifically , as an example , only a single individual ( p07 ) having many missing data is described in fig3 , but plural individuals may actually have many missing data . such a case can be dealt with similarly . specifically , every individual having many missing data can be listed up on the illustrative display screen shown in fig3 . it applies to other types of error similarly . herein , the whole sample population has been checked in a lump using the monomorphism report processing section 114 or the plural populations report processing section 117 , but each population may be checked differently instead . specifically , using the monomorphism report processing section 114 , for example , it may be checked as such a case if there is a locus which may be polymorphic in the healthy population , but is not polymorphic in the patient population . the data input support system for gene analysis according to the present invention has been described hereinbefore by means of specific embodiments , but the present invention is not limited thereto . those skilled in the art could make various alterations or modifications in the constitutions and functions of the invention which may be associated with the foregoing or other embodiments , within the gist of the present invention . the data input support system for gene analysis according to the present invention is available on a computer comprising memory means , input means , display means and the like , wherein information processing consisting of detection and display of certain types of errors in the input data of genotypes can be actually achieved by use of hardware resources such as memory means , input means and display means described above . accordingly , the system applies to a technical idea utilizing natural laws , and can be industrially utilized in medical and / or biological research institutions and the likes which are engaged in linkage disequilibrium analysis . | 6 |
the most effective adsorbent material found for this purpose is silica gel or molecular sieves . a mixture of adsorbent materials may be used . when a small pore adsorbent material such as 3 × or 5 × molecular sieve is used as the front adsorption section , the adsorbent will selectively adsorb low molecular weight organic molecules by molecular size exclusion in which larger molecules will be rejected . on startup of the desorption cycle these small molecules will desorb and provide fuel for the partial catalytic combustion which will occur at relatively lower temperatures . this means less added heat is required to begin the oxidation reaction at the catalytic sites and potentially lower energy costs . when the front of the bed is composed of low surface area adsorbent with large pores mixed with catalyst particles , higher molecular weight materials are captured in preference of low molecular weight materials . because the catalytic oxidation can generate localized temperatures of up to 1200 ° f . these high molecular weight materials could be oxidized and driven out of the bed during catalytic assisted regeneration , whereas in the prior art desorption , temperatures could not be increased high enough to desorb the materials without a large amount of external heat applied . a preferred adsorbent comprises silica gel in spherical or granular form having surface area of greater than 200 sq . meters / per gram and more preferably greater than 500 sq . meters per gram and comprising preferably 10 to 80 percent of the total bed volume . heating the silica gel , e . g ., 450 ° c .+ for over 15 minutes ( preferably around 2 hours ) reduces the water adsorption capacity of the silica gel . modified silica gel may also be used . for example , silica gel treated with a fluorinated organic compound at temperatures up to 500 ° c . by flowing the compound in nitrogen will replaces hydroxyl groups with fluorine atoms on the silica gel surface . the oxidation component includes the noble metals preferably pt , pd , ru and rh other metals preferably cr , co and v . the noble metals are normally used in the metal form while the other metals are usually in the oxide form . in a preferred embodiment the oxidation component comprises spherical alumina support , having 0 . 005 to 5 . 0 wt % noble metal , preferably pt , based on the total oxidation component deposed thereon in which the oxidation component comprises 20 to 80 % by volume of the total bed . a ceramic or metal monolith characterized as having a honeycomb structure may be used as a carrier for both the adsorbent and oxidation components . both components are deposited onto the carrier in the porportions desired for the bed . the oxidation component preferably is present in from 0 . 005 to 5 . 0 wt % of the total bed weight . preferably the component to be deposited on the carrier is ground to a powder of less than 20 micron particle size and coated over the carrier . the composition of the ceramic carrier can be any oxide or combination of oxides . suitable oxide supports include the oxides of al ( α - al 2 o 3 ), zr , ca , mg , hf , and ti . the structure and composition of the carrier is of great importance . the structure of the carrier affects the flow patterns through the catalyst system which in turn affect the transport to and from the catalyst surface . the ability of the structure to effectively transport the species to be catalyzed to the catalyst surface influences the effectiveness of the catalyst . the carrier is preferably macroporous with 100 to 600 cells ( pores ) per square inch ( cpsi ) which is about 30 to 80 pores per linear inch ( ppi ), although carriers having 10 to 90 ppi are suitable . the pores should yield a tortuous path for the reactants and products such as is found in foam ceramics and metals ( generally understood to include honeycomb or foam structures ). straight channel extruded ceramic or metal monoliths yield suitable flow dynamics only if the pore size is very small with greater than 14 pores per linear inch . the voc , depending on the source of the gaseous stream , includes a wide variety of organic compounds , generally comprising c 1 to c 20 hydrocarbons , the o , s , n and halogen substituted forms thereof , including without limitation alkanes , alkenes , olefin , aldehydes , ketones , benzene , toluene , xylenes , chlorinated analogues and the like . the halogenated voc &# 39 ; s are particularly treated with an oxidation component comprising cr (+ 3 ) oxide . preferably the cr (+ 3 ) oxide is deposited on alumina , e . g ., spheres containing amounts of 0 . 005 to 50 % by weight of the oxidation component . the oxidation component may comprise from about 50 to 99 % of the adsorption / oxidation bed . in a preferred mode of operation , the adsorption cycle is stopped before any voc &# 39 ; s are detected at the bed outlet . the adsorptions are preferably carried out at temperatures below about 180 ° f . generally at temperature in range of 50 to 150 ° f . at this point , there is a voc concentration gradient present that decreases from the front ( upstream ) to the back ( downsteam ) of the bed . in other words , from the front to the back of the bed , there is increasing adsorption capacity for voc &# 39 ; s left in the bed . the flow of air or exhaust is reduced and maintained in the same direction of flow as the adsorption step and heat is applied . the heat is used to increase the temperature of the adsorbent and the admixed catalyst . when the catalyst temperature reaches about 250 ° f . or higher the adsorbed volatile organic compounds desorb . at 300 ° f . to 360 ° f . the ignition temperature of the catalyst ( oxidation component ) is reached and heat of combustion is generated when voc &# 39 ; s are oxidized by the catalyst provided by the desorption . a low concentration of catalyst at the front of the bed ensures only partial oxidation of voc &# 39 ; s during desorption . complete combustion of the voc &# 39 ; s where the concentration of voc &# 39 ; s is highest could result in a very high bed temperature . the temperature rise depends on the voc concentration in the exhaust , the heat of combustion of the voc &# 39 ; s present , and the percent combustion of voc &# 39 ; s . the percent combustion is controlled by the amount of catalyst present . oxygen must be present in sufficient concentration to support oxidation of the voc &# 39 ; s , preferably 2 to 21 vol % oxygen is present . the oxygen may be present as a constituent part of the gaseous stream or as an added component . during desorption the inlet gas ( air ) is heated to a temperature sufficient to heat the first 2 - 3 inches of the bed to 300 - 500 ° f . at this temperature , the catalyst will oxidize voc &# 39 ; s which liberates heat . this heat is carried on through the bed , desorbing more voc &# 39 ; s downstream while heating the catalyst downstream , which causes additional oxidation and liberation of heat . this cascading effect continues through the bed . the temperature rise is controlled by the degree of combustion and the amount of fuel available from desorption of voc &# 39 ; s . as the voc concentration ( amount of fuel ) is reduced , the extent of oxidation and subsequent temperature rise is controlled by increasing the amount of catalyst to effect increased extent of oxidation . a heater may be used to start the oxidation of voc &# 39 ; s . it may be turned off when the catalyst in the front section has initiated combustion . as the combustion zone moves through the bed , the sections of the bed that have been desorbed begin cooling because the gaseous stream is cool . by the time the combustion zone has moved through the bed , most of the bed has cooled . a gas stream containing a certain level of voc &# 39 ; s and relative humidity is provided having a given concentration of voc &# 39 ; s and water vapor . the reactor tube contains the adsorbent / catalyst mixture . the reactor is fitted with a multi - point thermocouple the length - of the bed . the reactor tube is connected to the gas lines , which can flow either through the reactor or through a bypass line . downstream from the reactor and bypass are a cole parmer 91090 - 00 temperature / relative humidity meter and a jum ve - 7 hydrocarbon analyzer . in the adsorb cycle , the gas flow rate is established to provide a space velocity of 5 , 000 - 15 , 000 - 1 hr . space velocity is defined as gas flow rate ( per hour ) divided by adsorbent / catalyst volume ( ghsv ). the gas flow is diverted through the bypass to allow the gas stream to stabilize . then the gas stream is directed through the adsorbent / catalyst bed . bed temperature , percent relative humidity , gas temperature and ppm hydrocarbons data are acquired by computer . as the gas stream flows through the adsorbent / catalyst bed , the adsorbent material adsorbs voc &# 39 ; s and water vapor until predetermined levels are reached . in the desorb cycle , the gas flow rate is a fraction of the adsorb flow rate . the reactor is heated by a boder scientific model mk 2024 - s three zone furnace . as the gas stream ( air ) flows through the bed , water and voc &# 39 ; s are desorbed , providing a stream with higher concentrations of voc &# 39 ; s and water than the original gas stream . in the presence of catalyst , when the temperature in the front ( inlet ) of the bed reaches 300 - 500 ° f ., oxidation of voc &# 39 ; s will begin , producing heat . at this point , the furnace is turned down to a level to prevent heat loss from the reactor tube material . the heat produced from oxidation of voc &# 39 ; s carries through the bed , desorbing more voc &# 39 ; s and oxidizing them as the catalyst heats up . calculations include grams of voc &# 39 ; s adsorbed , grams of voc &# 39 ; s desorbed and not oxidized , percent voc destruction and grams of water adsorbed and desorbed . an adsorption bed was prepared from 360 grams of sorbead r silica gel beads 2 - 5 mm diameter ( product of engelhard ) as received . the beads had a surface area of about 750 square meters per gram . the bed was placed in a stainless steel tube which was 1 . 375 inches inside diameter . this bed was exposed to 50 liter / minute air to which had been added 15 , 000 ppm water vapor ( corresponding to 50 % relative humidity at 75 ° f .) and 351 ppm of an organic mix the composition of which is shown in table i below : table i______________________________________solvent vapor mixture mol wt wt % mol wt × wt % ______________________________________toluene 92 7 . 22 % 6 . 64 methanol 32 13 . 75 % 4 . 40 butanol 74 1 . 37 % 1 . 01 acetone 58 12 . 03 % 6 . 98 methyl ethyl ketone 72 19 . 93 % 14 . 35 methyl isobutyl ketone 100 45 . 70 % 45 . 70 avg . mol wt 79 . 08______________________________________ this stream was passed over the bed and the water and organic content of the exhaust stream was monitored . the levels of water and organic materials were initially reduced substantially . the run was allowed to continue until the organic content in the exhaust stream was 5 % of the inlet concentration ( i . e . 95 % instantaneous capture ). the bed was then heated to 350 ° f . with flowing air at reduced flow of 5 liters / minute with 15 , 000 ppm water vapor and the water and organic compound concentration was measured . the bed was heated until the organic mass / minute exiting the bed was just less than that of the organic mass / minute inlet during adsorption . the adsorption lasted 50 . 8 minutes at which time the water adsorbed was 8 . 61 % of the weight of the bed and the organic compound adsorbed was 1 . 04 % of the weight of the bed . the average molecular weight of the organic compound was approximately 79 . calculating the moles of water adsorbed compared to the moles of organic adsorbed the ratio is 39 . 3 which is close to the mole ratio of water to organic in the inlet stream of 40 . 7 . the desorption took 83 . 6 minutes . during this time substantially all of the organic material desorbed but a significant amount of water was retained . the time to desorb was 1 . 65 times the time for the run . the energy required to get the system to 350 ° f . during desorption is composed of that required to heat the water to boiling , to vaporize the water and to heat the vapor to 350 ° f . as well as that required to heat the adsorbent . with energy only available from the heated desorption stream the time for desorption is governed by the amount of energy contained in that stream . it is desirable to desorb the organic material in the lowest flow rate possible so that the equipment for destroying the organic can be small and therefore inexpensive . a ten to one ratio of exhaust flow through the adsorber to desorption flow rate is the target . it also desirable to desorb the organic material in less time than it takes to adsorb so that two beds can be used . one bed will be adsorbing while the other is desorbing . clearly if one bed takes a longer time for desorption than for adsorption a third bed would be required . in this example the desorption time was long due to the amount of energy required to be delivered by the heated desorption stream . an adsorption bed was prepared from 90 grams of aluminum oxide beads 4 - 5 mm diameter . these beads had a surface area of about 300 square meters per gram . the bed was placed in a quartz tube which was 0 . 8 inches inside diameter . this bed was exposed to 5 liter / minute flow of air to which had been added 15 , 000 ppm water vapor ( corresponding to 50 % relative humidity at 75 ° f .) and 369 ppm of an organic mix the composition of which is shown in table i : adsorption was carried out on the beads several times . the best capture efficiency was 90 % which was maintained for only about 4 minutes . the organic compound was adsorbed to only 0 . 07 % of the weight of the bed while the water adsorbed was 0 . 9 %. the mole ratio of water to organic material adsorbed was 58 . 3 compared to 40 . 7 for the gas phase , indicating the preference of the support for water compared to voc . an adsorption catalyst mixed bed was prepared from 257 grams of sorbead r silica gel beads 2 - 5 mm diameter with 80 grams of 0 . 5 % pt on alumina beads 4 - 5 mm in diameter . the alumina beads were of the same type as tested in example 2 but were coated with pt . this bed was exposed to the same flow rate and gas composition and in the same reactor configuration as in example 1 . the catalyst was loaded in a special way throughout the adsorption bed as follows : a one inch deep bed of 100 % catalyst was placed at the outlet of the mixed bed and a one inch deep bed was placed 2 inches from the front of the mixed bed . the remainder of the catalyst was mixed uniformly with the adsorbent . the bed was exposed to the moist air containing the organic compounds until the breakthrough was 5 % of the inlet value . ( note this constitutes an overall capture efficiency of greater than 98 %). the bed operated for 41 . 6 minutes during which time it adsorbed 22 . 74 grams of water and 3 . 58 grams of organic compound . during desorption the temperature was increased until the inlet reached 360 ° f . at which time it was observed that a rapid temperature rise ensued due to catalytic ignition . initially , the concentration of organic compounds in the gas exhaust from the adsorber bed increased slowly until the large temperature rise occurred at which time it began to decline . the temperature reached 600 ° f . at a depth of 6 inches into the bed and decreased as the wave moved slowly through the adsorber bed reaching about 500 ° f . at the 12 inch depth and 400 ° f . at the exit . the catalytic exotherm and the organic compound emissions subsided at about 57 minutes . note that the ratio of desorption time to run time was 1 . 37 compared to 1 . 65 for the run with no catalyst present in the bed . analysis of organic compounds in the exhaust during the catalytically assisted desorption showed that 83 % of the organic compounds adsorbed were destroyed by oxidation . an adsorption catalyst mixed bed was prepared from 257 grams of sorbead r silica gel beads 2 - 5 mm diameter with 80 grams of 0 . 5 % pt on alumina beads 4 - 5 mm in diameter . the alumina beads were of the same type as tested in example 2 . this bed was exposed to the same flow rate and gas composition and in the same reactor configuration as in example 1 . the catalyst was loaded in a special way throughout the adsorption bed as follows : the front and back thirds of the bed contained catalyst and adsorbent with 10 % catalyst and 90 % adsorbent . the middle third of the mixed bed contained 50 % catalyst and 50 % adsorbent . the total amount of catalyst was equal to that in example 3 . the adsorption run was carried out as in examples 1 through 4 except that the adsorption was stopped at the end of 30 minutes strictly to save experimentation time . the bed adsorbed 2 . 23 grams of organic compounds . in the desorption process , the hot air was reduced to 10 % of the normal adsorption flow and directed through the back of the bed ( in reverse flow to the adsorption ) until the back of the bed reached 360 ° f . then the desorption was carried out as in example 3 . a similar pattern of temperature rise and desorption was observed except that the destruction efficiency was measured at 95 %. in a separate experiment the ratio of organic compound to water adsorbed was measured as a function of time on stream . the results show that the ratio increases as a function of time . the significance of this finding is that if the adsorption cycle is too short the heating value of the heat of combustion of the adsorbed organic compounds may not be adequate to offset the additional energy required to vaporize the water adsorbed . if the adsorption cycle is longer , then the heating value of the adsorbed organic constituents will be greater than the heat required to vaporize the adsorbed water . the point in time when the energy available from combustion in the bed will support the desorption energy of the water can be estimated by the following equations : for the adsorption conditions in the previous examples the heat of desorption of the water is 1 , 400 btu / pound and the heat of combustion is 12 , 988 btu / pound . the point at which there is adequate heat of combustion to provide the energy for water removal is then 1 , 400 / 12988 = 0 . 11 organic / water adsorbed . fig1 shows the measured amount of organic compound adsorbed compared to the amount of water adsorbed as a function of the length of duration of adsorption . a mixed catalyst adsorber bed in the form of a honeycomb was prepared by grinding sorbead r silica gel in a 7 % acetic acid in water medium until a slurry resulted . a 400 cell / square inch cordierite ceramic honeycomb was dipped into the silica slurry until the silica loading was 0 . 16 grams / cc . the silica coated honeycomb was coated then with 0 . 057 grams / cc of an alumina pt wash coat which was 1 . 5 % pt and 98 . 5 % aluminum oxide . the coated honeycomb was heated to 500 ° c . the coated honeycomb was used in an adsorption bed run as in example 4 for 30 minutes . the overall capture efficiency was 97 . 3 %. the amount of organic compound adsorbed was 2 . 21 grams and the water adsorbed was 15 . 5 grams the desorption / oxidation was carried out as in example 4 and 74 % of the organic compound was destroyed by oxidation . the desorption was complete in 40 minutes . adsorption beds were prepared as in example 1 except that the silica beds were heat treated to different temperatures to cause a surface dehydration in order to diminish the amount of water adsorbed . for each of these beds i through vi shown in table ii the adsorption was carried out in the same way . the weight of organic compound adsorbed was calculated from the data as was the weight of water adsorbed . the ratio of these quantities was plotted versus time and a straight line was fitted to the data . the slope and the intercept of these lines was tabulated in table ii . table ii______________________________________heat treatment of silica beads heated for one hour . ( weight organic adsorbed / weight water adsorbed ) = a + b * time sample heat treatment a ( gvoc / gh . sub . 2 o b ( gvoc / gh . sub . 2 o / min ) ______________________________________i sorbead r none 0 . 10 0 . 00050 ii sorbead r 500 ° c . 0 . 10 0 . 00186 iii sorbead r 600 ° c . 0 . 10 0 . 00400 iv dessicare 450 ° c . 0 . 10 0 . 00389 v dessicare 500 ° c . 0 . 10 0 . 00714 vi dessicare 550 ° c . 0 . 10 0 . 00832______________________________________ this data shows that heat treatment depresses the adsorption of water compared to organic compound ( i . e . voc is more readily adsorbed than is water ). an adsorption bed was prepared as in example 1 , except that the adsorbent was dessicare ( 100 % sio 2 spherical beads with 700 sq m / gram ) and was heated to 500 ° c . for 2 hours . the adsorption run was carried out with the same organic compound blend as shown in table 1 . the adsorption was complete in 70 minutes . the overall efficiency of capture was 97 . 9 %. the organic adsorbed was 1 . 3 % of the weight of the bed and the water adsorbed was 3 . 3 % of the weight of the bed . the amount of water was significantly reduced compared to example 1 . the bed was exposed to the same desorption conditions as in example 1 . the desorption was complete in 66 minutes . an adsorption bed was prepared as in example 1 , except that the adsorbent was dessicare ( 100 % sio2 spherical beads having surface area of 700 sq m / gram ) and was heated to 500 ° c . for 2 hours . after heating the beads were coated by the incipient wetness method to achieve 100 ppm pt by weight . the pt compound used was an aqueous solution of platinum in the form of the nitrate . adsorption was carried out as in example 1 . in the first cycle the bed captured 99 . 4 % of the voc &# 39 ; s . the desorption was carried out by heating the back of the bed until the temperature reached 360 ° f . at which time the flow was reversed such that the desorption flow was in the same direction as the adsorption . the temperature was adjusted until the inlet temperature reached 360 ° f . and the bed temperature began to rise above 360 ° f . indicating catalytic ignition . at the end of the regeneration which took 120 minutes the destruction of the voc &# 39 ; s adsorbed was 70 % efficient . in another cycle , the adsorption was carried out in the same manner with capture efficiency of 98 . 8 % but the desorption was carried out by decreasing the flow to 10 % of the inlet flow while heating to 360 ° f . catalytic ignition began , but only 20 % destruction of voc &# 39 ; s was accomplished . an adsorption bed was prepared by firing 390 grams of pure silica gel ( dessicare ) to 500 ° c . for 2 hours , the beads were then coated with pt by the incipient wetness method so that the final pt loading was 0 . 15 % by weight . the pt coated beads were again fired to 500 ° c . for 30 minutes . the bed was exposed to the same adsorption cycle as in example 8 . the capture efficiency after 57 . 6 minutes on stream was calculated to be 97 . 6 %. the bed adsorbed 3 . 82 grams of voc and 8 . 54 grams of h 2 o . the flow was then reduced to 10 % of the adsorption flow rate and the air was heated to 360 ° f . at which time catalytic ignition carried the temperature higher to about 900 ° f . when the temperature of a thermocouple 5 inches into the bed reached 360 ° f . the flow was reversed . the voc emissions were measured throughout the run and the destruction was measured at 93 . 0 %. a second cycle measured 99 . 1 % capture and 92 % destruction . an adsorber / oxidation catalyst mixed bed was prepared from 305 grams of dessicare silica gel beads previously dehydrated at 500 ° c . for 2 hours and 96 grams of 0 . 5 % pt on alumina beads . the alumina beads were of the same type tested in example 2 . the catalyst beads were mixed with adsorbent beads before placing in the reactor to obtain a uniform loading of catalyst throughout the bed . the bed was the same size and was exposed to the same flow rate and gas composition as in example 1 . the adsorption run was allowed to continue until the organic concentration in the exhaust was 5 % of the inlet concentration . the bed adsorbed 3 . 80 grams of organic compounds . in the desorption process , the flow rate was reduced to 10 % of the adsorption flow rate and directed through the front of the bed as in an adsorption . the bed was heated throughout the desorption and a characteristic rise in temperature was observed at each thermocouple point throughout the bed as the organic compounds desorbed were oxidized by the catalyst . the destruction efficiency was measured at 85 %. an adsorber / oxidation catalyst mixed bed was prepared from 324 grams of dessicare silica gel beads previously dehydrated at 500 ° c . for 2 hours and 64 grams of 0 . 5 % pt on alumina beads giving a different loading of catalyst to compare with example 10 . the alumina beads were of the same type tested in example 2 . the catalyst beads were mixed with adsorbent beads before placing in the reactor to obtain a uniform loading of catalyst throughout the bed . the bed was the same size and was exposed to the same flow rate and gas composition as in example 1 . the adsorption run was allowed to continue until the organic concentration in the exhaust was 5 % of the inlet concentration . in the desorption process , the flow rate was reduced to 10 % of the adsorption flow rate and directed through the front of the bed as in an adsorption . the bed was heated throughout the desorption and a characteristic rise in temperature was observed at each thermocouple point throughout the bed as the organic compounds desorbed were oxidized by the catalyst . the average destruction efficiency was measured at 70 %. further adsorption / desorption cycles were performed on the same bed with a variation in the desorption cycle . the desorption was carried out in the same direction as the adsorption until the temperature of the bed at 5 inches from the front was 360 ° f . then the flow was reversed , to run in the opposite direction of the adsorption . this desorption flow scheme gave an average destruction efficiency of 91 %. an adsorber / oxidation catalyst mixed bed was prepared from 268 grams of dessicare silica gel beads previously dehydrated at 500 ° c . for 2 hours and 95 grams of 1 . 0 % pt on alumina beads to compare platinum metal loading with example 10 . the alumina beads were of the same type tested in example 2 . the catalyst beads were mixed with adsorbent beads before placing in the reactor to obtain a uniform loading of catalyst throughout the bed . the bed was the same size and was exposed to the same flow rate and gas composition as in example 1 . the adsorption run was stopped at 60 minutes strictly to save experimentation time . in the desorption process , the flow rate was reduced to 10 % of the adsorption flow rate and directed through the front of the bed as in an adsorption . the bed was heated throughout the desorption and a characteristic rise in temperature was observed at each thermocouple point throughout the bed as the organic compounds desorbed were oxidized by the catalyst . the average destruction efficiency was measured at 90 %. the reverse flow desorption flow variation given in example 11 was used and it gave a destruction efficiency of 97 %. an adsorber / oxidation catalyst mixed bed was prepared from 394 grams of dessicare silica gel beads previously dehydrated at 500 ° c . for 2 hours and 30 grams of 1 . 0 % pt on alumina beads . the alumina beads were of the same type tested in example 2 . the catalyst beads were mixed with adsorbent beads before placing in the reactor to obtain a uniform loading of catalyst throughout the bed . the bed was the same size and was exposed to the same flow rate and gas composition as in example 1 . the adsorption run was stopped at 60 minutes strictly to save experimentation time . in the desorption process , the flow rate was reduced to 10 % of the adsorption flow rate and directed through the front of the bed as in an adsorption . the bed was heated throughout the desorption and a characteristic rise in temperature was observed at each thermocouple point throughout the bed as the organic compounds desorbed were oxidized by the catalyst . the average destruction efficiency was measured at 79 %. the same desorption flow variation given in example 11 was used and it gave a destruction efficiency of 91 %. an adsorption bed was prepared from 75 . 7 grams of 13 × molecular sieve 1 / 8 inch pellets . the bed volume was 125 cc . the bed was placed in a quartz tube with an inner diameter of 0 . 9 inches . the bed was exposed to a flow rate of 15 . 6 standard liters per minute air using the same concentration and organic compound composition as example 1 . the adsorption was stopped when the amount of organic compound breakthrough was 5 % of the inlet value . an adsorption bed was prepared from 41 . 4 grams of westvaco bx - 7530 activated carbon . the bed was the same volume ( 125 cc ) and was exposed to the same gas flow rate , concentration and organic compound composition as in example 14 . the adsorption was stopped when the amount of organic compound breakthrough was 5 % of the inlet value . an adsorption bed was prepared from 90 . 0 grams of sorbead r silica gel . the bed was the same volume ( 125 cc ) and was exposed to the same gas flow rate , concentration and organic compound composition as example 14 . the adsorption was stopped when the amount of organic compound breakthrough was 5 % of the inlet value . table iii compares the grams of organic compounds adsorbed by 125 cc of the materials tested in examples 14 - 16 and shows that silica gel has the highest capacity in grams per bed volume . table iii______________________________________organic compound capacity of different adsorbents material grams organic compound adsorbed______________________________________activated carbon 0 . 3064 molecular sieve 0 . 5121 silica gel 0 . 9026______________________________________ | 1 |
the present invention provides an improved apparatus and method for preparing proppant containing fracturing fluids . the present invention &# 39 ; s particular applicability is to the coating of proppants , mixing proppant with fracturing fluids . referring more particularly to the drawings , wherein like reference characters are used throughout the various figures to refer to like or corresponding parts , there is shown in fig1 a diagram of one embodiment of the apparatus for preparing fracturing fluids containing coated proppant . in accordance with one improved method and apparatus of this invention , proppant particles are coated with the hardenable resin composition , preferably on the fly , the coated proppant particles are suspended in the fracturing fluid , preferably on the fly , and the resulting hardenable resin composition - coated proppant particles are pumped into a well and placed in one or more fractures formed in a subterranean zone and then allowed to harden and consolidate into one or more high - strength permeable packs . forming the hardenable resin composition , coating the proppant particles with the hardenable resin composition , and mixing the hardenable resin - coated proppant particles with the fracturing fluid are all preferably performed on the fly on an as - needed basis . however , the present inventions could be used to prepare batches of coated proppant and fracturing fluids . in fig1 , container 10 holds a liquid hardenable resin component while container 20 holds a liquid hardening agent component . the liquid materials in containers 10 and 20 are transported to a static mixer 30 through lines 11 and 21 , respectively . control of the total and relative amounts of resin component and hardening agent component is achieved through the use of flow meter 12 on resin component line 11 , and flow meter 22 on hardening agent component line 21 . in a preferred embodiment , flow meters 12 and 22 are computer - monitored to provide precise control for the flow . static mixer 30 mixes the resin and hardening agent into a single hardenable resin mixture that is to be used to coat proppant . static mixer 30 can be any means known in the art for mixing two liquid streams , in one embodiment ; mixer 30 may be a static mixer . the resin mixture is transported by line 31 to a sand hopper 50 . proppant is stored in container 40 which is transported to a container known as a sand hopper 50 as needed by conveyor 41 . proppant from container 40 may be transported to sand hopper 50 by any suitable means known in the art . in one embodiment , the proppant is removed from container 40 via conveyor belt 41 , after which it enters sand hopper 50 from the top . proppant entering the hopper is coated with the hardenable resin mixture , using the electrostatic mixer 200 located in the sand hopper . as will be described in detail in regard to fig2 , the mixer 200 is connected to an electrical power source 100 and applies opposing charges to the proppant and the hardenable resin mixture to enhance coating . in principal , as the proppant enters the hopper , it moves ( drops or is propelled ) past or into contact with a set of charged plates while the liquid hardenable resin mixture is sprayed onto the proppant from a nozzle with an applied voltage opposite to the plates . the opposed charges cause the coating to be attracted to the proppant . the coated proppant is transported by conveyor 54 to a container called a “ blender tub .” the hardenable resin - coated proppant particles may be transported to blender tub 70 by any means known in the art . in a preferred embodiment , the transport of hardenable resin - coated proppant particles from sand hopper 50 to blender tub 70 is computer - controlled to ensure accurate metering and to allow for a rapid shutdown of on - the - fly mixing when necessary . also transported to blender tub 70 is a fracturing fluid from container 60 . the fracturing fluid from container 60 may be transported to blender tub 70 by any means known in the art . in a preferred embodiment , the transport of fracturing fluid from container 60 to blender tub 70 is computer - controlled to ensure accurate metering and to allow for a rapid shutdown of on - the - fly mixing when necessary . inside blender tub 70 , the fracturing fluid is substantially mixed with hardenable resin - coated proppant particles to form a blended composition suitable for use in subterranean fractures in the present invention . in this embodiment , a second electrostatic mixer 300 is used to blend the fracturing fluid with the coated proppant . mixer 300 is connected to the electrical power source 100 . mixer 300 applies opposite electrical charges to the coated proppant and fracturing fluid to assist in blending . the blended coated proppant containing fracturing fluid is pumped by pump 80 into a well to form fractures . in the fig1 embodiment , a curable resin coating can be used to form a protective shell to encapsulate the proppant . this provides a different wettable surface than the proppant without the coating . “ expedite ,” can be used to coat the proppant . in another embodiment , a tackifying coating that acts to aggregate and helps hold together the proppant of a proppant pack to form a proppant matrix , such as “ sandwedge ,” can be used . referring to fig2 , electrostatic mixer 200 of the present invention will be described in detail . the mixer 200 is located in a housing 210 and functions by applying an electrical charge to the proppant flowing into the hopper 50 and by applying an opposite charge to the coating material . plates 214 apply an electrical charge to the proppant and a spray bar 218 applies an opposite charge to the coating material . the housing or mixing tube 210 is located above or in the upper portion of the sand hopper 50 . the cross section of the throat 212 of the tube 210 can be of any shape with the interior of the throat 212 . tube 210 can be constructed from non conductive materials or from materials with the interior surface ( or throat ) 212 coated with insulating ( non - conductive ) material . alternatively , tube 210 can be mounted such that it is electrically insulated from the spray bar 218 . preferably the proppant is delivered by the conveyor 41 to the housing 210 and moves or falls by the force of gravity past charged plates 214 , located in the throat 212 . in this figure , the top of the figure represents the upward direction . it is envisioned that other means of moving the proppant past the plates could be used , such as the proppant being propelled using a flowing gas , much like in sand blasting . in the present embodiment , the throat 212 has a cylindrical cross - section shape and plates 214 comprise a plurality of radially spaced concentric rings , however other plate shapes could be used . the plates are connected to and charged by an electrical power source 100 . as the proppant particles move pass or contact the plates a charge is applied to the proppant particles . as illustrated , a spray bar 218 is located below and in the path of the proppant . the spray bar 218 has a plurality of nozzles for spraying coating material into the path of the proppant . the spray bar 218 is also connected to the electrical power source 100 and has an electric charge applied to it that is opposite from the charge applied to the plates 214 . the opposed charges on the proppant and coating material passing the spray bar creates an electrical attraction between the proppant and coating which improves the coating process . in a similar manner , the coated proppant leaving hopper 50 and entering blender tub 70 , is charged in electrostatic mixer 300 while the fracturing fluids are sprayed through a spray bar with the opposite charge . the charged fracturing fluids will be attracted to the coated proppant and will tend to displace gases from the surface of the particles . as used herein “ spraying ” includes atomizing the treatment fluid into fine droplets . the liquid is charged in the nozzles , such that , the liquid droplets exiting the nozzle are charged prior to contacting or “ coating ” the oppositely charged falling proppant . this coating process is performed without requiring physical mixing , augering or agitating the proppant and liquid mixture . in fig1 , the coating process and the mixing proppant with fracturing fluid are accomplished in two separate steps at two different locations . in an alternative embodiment , illustrated in fig3 , the coating - proppant electrostatic mixer 200 could be located in the blended tub 170 positioned above the proppant - fracturing fluid electrostatic mixer 300 . proppant would be fed from container 140 into the housing by conveyor 141 where it would fall through electrostatic mixer 200 and be coated with a tackifying fluid pumped from container 110 . the opposed charges on the tackifying fluid and the proppant will cause the tackifying fluid and proppant to be attracted and bind together . the opposed charges will cause the tackifying fluid to more evenly coat the particles of the proppant rather than bead up on one or more sides . the coated proppant would be recharged as it enters ( falls through ) electrostatic mixer 300 and be mixed with the oppositely charged fracturing fluid entering the tub 170 via conduit 161 . in this alternative system , the process is simplified and unnecessary equipment is eliminated . it is also envisioned that either of the electrostatic mixers could be eliminated , as required by the materials being used and the ease of coating and mixing . it is also envisioned that the embodiments of fig1 and 3 could alternatively be used to coat proppant with any materials , including tackifyers , resins and the like . while compositions and methods are described in terms of “ comprising ,” “ containing ,” or “ including ” various components or steps , the compositions and methods also can “ consist essentially of ” or “ consist of ” the various components and steps . as used herein , the words “ comprise ,” “ have ,” “ include ,” and all grammatical variations thereof are each intended to have an open , non - limiting meaning that does not exclude additional elements or steps . therefore , the present inventions are well adapted to carry out the objects and attain the ends and advantages mentioned as well as those which are inherent therein . while the invention has been depicted , described , and is defined by reference to exemplary embodiments of the inventions , such a reference does not imply a limitation on the inventions , and no such limitation is to be inferred . the inventions are capable of considerable modification , alteration , and equivalents in form and function , as will occur to those ordinarily skilled in the pertinent arts and having the benefit of this disclosure . the depicted and described embodiments of the inventions are exemplary only , and are not exhaustive of the scope of the inventions . consequently , the inventions are intended to be limited only by the spirit and scope of the appended claims , giving full cognizance to equivalents in all respects . also , the terms in the claims have their plain , ordinary meaning unless otherwise explicitly and clearly defined by the patentee . moreover , the indefinite articles “ a ” or “ an ”, as used in the claims , are defined herein to mean one or more than one of the element that it introduces . if there is any conflict in the usages of a word or term in this specification and one or more patent ( s ) or other documents that may be incorporated herein by reference , the definitions that are consistent with this specification should be adopted . | 1 |
the present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings , in which preferred embodiments of the invention are shown . this invention may , however , be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein . rather , these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete , and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art . like numbers refer to like elements throughout . [ 0013 ] fig1 illustrates a first intermodulation distortion nulling circuit 18 as part of a multiple carrier linear amplifier ( mcla ) that isolates the amplifier output intermodulation distortion and subtracts the clean input signal from the distorted output signal , thus retrieving the intermodulation distortion products . for purposes of description , the general connections among components is first described , followed by a brief working of the circuit . further details of this type of circuit are described in u . s . patent application ser . no . 09 / 564 , 321 filed may 3 , 2000 , as docket number hoffmann 2 , the disclosure which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety . the circuit works with a carrier cancellation loop . the circuit shown in fig1 uses a large delay line , delays , to achieve linear operation across a wide frequency band application . this delay line significantly increases the weight and cost of a multi - channel , i . e ., multiple carrier , linear amplifier . in this circuit , gain a and gain b amplifiers are balanced amplifiers . an output is sampled and the signal injected as inputs to gain a and gain b amplifiers . there are two illustrated delays in the circuit shown in fig1 delay n and delay b . because the amplifiers are wideband , any delay compensates for the amplifiers . if the amplifiers are identical , then the delays are identical . for purposes of the description of fig1 the interconnection among various circuit components are described , followed by their function . gain a amplifier 20 and gain b amplifier 21 are balanced amplifiers . gain a amplifier 20 connects to couplers dc1 22 and dc2 24 and to delay b circuit 26 , which series connects to couplers dc4 28 and dc9 30 . a radio frequency signal 32 enters through an attenuator 34 into the coupler dc8 36 and into coupler dc1 22 . the delay line , delays 38 , is coupled from coupler dc8 36 and connects to coupler dc10 40 . from coupler dc1 22 , the signal passes to the gain a amplifier 20 into coupler dc2 24 , as noted before . series connected from the coupler dc4 28 is the signal combination control circuitry 39 a , including diode detector 39 , analog - to - digital converter 40 , the power null circuit 42 , and the digital - to - analog converter 44 , which then passes signals to the attb circuit 46 , the phase b circuit 48 , coupler dc3 49 and gain b amplifier circuit 21 . coupler dc10 40 also receives input signals via a delay line connected to coupler dc8 36 , and coupler dc10 40 . the signal passes from dc10 40 as a detected signal into the distortion cancellation control circuitry 50 a having a diode d3 50 , analog - to - digital converter 52 , intermodulation distortion null circuit 54 , ( imd null ), the digital - to - analog converter 56 and into the multiple carrier linear amplifier circuit segment shown generally by dotted line 58 . the coupler dc1 22 is connected into the delay a circuit 60 and into adjustment circuit 61 . in this embodiment , the adjustment circuit is an independent adjustment circuit 61 where phase and / or amplified signal components are independent . in other embodiments , the phase and / or amplified signal components can be adjusted together . thus , the invention can be accomplished independent or dependent ( together ). the circuit 61 includes coupler dc5 62 , delay n circuit 64 , attb circuit 46 and phase delay b circuit 48 , in series . the carrier null circuit 68 , as illustrated , includes a digital - to - analog converter circuit 70 and an analog - to - digital converter circuit 72 with dac 70 connected to attf circuit 74 and phase f circuit 76 , coupling to dc5 62 and coupler dc6 78 , which , in turn , connects to coupler dc2 24 . coupler dc7 80 is adc 72 connected and also connects to coupler dc6 78 , diode 81 , and to 180 degree phase delay 82 a and phase shifter n circuit 82 , and series connected linear noise amplifier 84 , and attn circuit 86 and dc3 . it should also be understood that the entire carrier cancellation line shown at 62 , 74 , 76 can be eliminated . the carrier and distortion would be adjusted at the coupler 89 . it is then possible to have an adjuster as the coupler at 89 , which adjusts the phase and / or gain on both , i . e ., the carrier and distortion . thus , it is possible that the circuit could be used in other locations to detect other circuit functions , for example , to detect the carrier signal and the active sub - bands at the carrier null circuit 68 . [ 0018 ] fig1 shows the general block diagram of the amplifier architecture or system 18 , and includes a first amplifier path 87 and a second amplifier path 88 carrying replicas of signal components . on the first amplifier path 87 , the first amplifier 20 amplifies signal components and generates distortion components . a replica of the amplified signal components and distortion is provided to a coupling path 89 . the adjustment circuit 61 receives the distortion components from the coupling path 89 and the signal components from the second path 88 to independently adjust the phase and / or gain of at least one of the signal components and the distortion components , which adjusts the gain and / or phase relationship between the signal components and the distortion components . in this embodiment , the adjustment circuit 61 isolates the distortion components on the coupling path by combining signal components from the second path 88 and the signal components on the coupling path 89 , which are about 180 degrees out of phase and substantially equal in amplitude and thus canceled . the distortion components are amplitude and / or phase adjusted by the phase shifter 82 and the attenuator 86 . because the signal components have been substantially removed from the coupling path , the phase and / or gain adjustments to the distortion components are made without a corresponding adjustment to the phase and / or amplitude of the signal components . the adjusted distortion components are coupled onto the second path where the signal components and the adjusted distortion components are amplified by the second amplifier 21 . the amplified signal components and distortion components on the second path 88 are combined with the amplified signal components and distortion components on the first path 87 to combine constructively the signal components and destructively combine the distortion components . in the embodiment of fig1 using the illustrated independent adjustment circuit ( although the circuit does not have to be independently adjusted ), when the distortion components are adjusted relative to the signal components , the phase and / or gain relationship between the signal components and the distortion components becomes independent . thus , phase and / or gain adjustments to the distortion and signal components can be made , which improve both the constructive combination of the signal components and the destructive combination of the distortion components . in operation , the amplifier system 18 , the coupler 36 , such as a 10 db coupler ( dc 8 ), receives the signal rfin and couples replicas of the signal rfin 32 onto the first amplifier path 87 and the second amplifier path 88 after an initial amplitude adjustment of rfin by the attenuator ( attin ) 34 . the coupler provides the signal components on the first path 87 with 0 degrees phase shift and 10 db of attenuation . the signal components are provided to the second path 88 with little attenuation and 90 degree of phase shift delay . the amplifier 20 amplifies the signal components on the first path by gain a to produce the amplified signal components along with distortion components generated by the amplifier with 0 degrees of relative phase shift . the coupler 24 , such as a 40 db directional coupler , couples the signal components and the distortion components onto the first path 88 and the coupling path 89 . using a 40 db coupler , the signal components and the distortion components are coupled onto the coupling path with 40 db of attenuation with no phase shift . the signal components and the distortion components remaining on the first path are delayed by a phase shift of 90 degrees with little attenuation to a phase value of − 90 degrees . further details of this type of circuit operation can be found in the incorporated by reference hoffmann 2 patent application , u . s . patent application ser . no . 09 / 564 , 321 . distortion components isolated on the coupling path 89 are provided to a 180 degree phase delay 82 a , giving the distortion components on the coupling path a phase value of 0 degrees (− 180 − 180 =− 360 = 0 degrees ). the phase shifter 82 provides a phase adjustment to the distortion components , which is not provided to the signal components which have been substantially canceled , reduced or removed from the coupling path 89 . in this embodiment , the amplifier 84 , such as a low noise amplifier , amplifies the distortion components on the coupling path 89 by 26 db . the attenuator 86 provides an amplitude adjustment to the distortion components which is not provided to the signal components which have been removed from the coupling path 89 . as such , the distortion components are phase and / or amplitude - adjusted independent of the signal components which have been substantially canceled , reduced or removed from the coupling path prior to the distortion components being combined with signal components on the second path 88 . by independently phase and / or amplitude adjusting the distortion components on the coupling path 89 , the destructive combination of the corresponding distortion components at the output of the amplifier architecture 18 can be independently controlled and improved . in this circuit , in addition to making the relative gain and / or phase adjustments between the distortion components independent of the relative phase and / or gain adjustments to the signal components , the signal components on the first path 87 become independent of the signal components on the second path 88 . in other configurations where the power of the signal components is distributed among first and second amplifier paths , equal power at the inputs to first and second amplifiers on the separate paths can be achieved by sampling the output of the first amplifier , rotating the phase of the sample , and attenuatively adding the sample to the signal components on the second path to reduce the level of the signal components through what can be referred to as vector attenuation . as such , the signal components input to the second amplifier are dependent upon the output to the first amplifier . the system 13 also distributes the power of the input signal components on the first and second amplifier paths 87 , 88 , thereby enabling improved power efficiency . in this circuit , however , the signal components on the first path 87 are independent from the signal components on the second path 88 , for example , by passively coupling and attenuating the signal components on the second path without vector attenuation . because the signal components are removed from the coupling path 89 , the signal components on the second path 88 provided to the second amplifier 21 ( gainb ) are independent of the signal components output from the amplifier 20 ( gaina ) on the first path 87 , in that the amplified signal components from the first amplifier 20 will not affect the signal components on the second path 88 . additionally , the loss of the first amplifier 20 ( gaina ) will not result in an undesired large increase in power level at the combined output of the system 18 . instead , about one half of the power of the signal components would be produced . the adjusted distortion components on the coupling path 89 are provided to the coupler 49 , such as a 10 db directional coupler , which attenuates the distortion components on the coupling path 89 by about 10 db and combines the distortion components from the coupling path with the signal components on the second path 88 . before being provided to the coupler 49 , the signal components from the coupler are delayed by the delay 64 ( delayn ) by an amount such that the distortion components on the coupling path arrive at the coupler at substantially the same time as the signal components corresponding to the distortion components . the signal components corresponding to the distortion components are the signal components which resulted in the distortion components when the signal components were amplified . the attenuator 46 adjusts the amplitude of the signal components on the second path 88 . a phase delay 48 , such as a 90 degree phase delay , delays the signal components on the second path 88 by 90 degrees to have a phase value of − 90 degrees . the attenuator 46 and the phase delay 48 provide gain and phase adjustments to the signal components on the second path 88 without a corresponding change to the distortion components and thereby could be considered as part of an independent adjustment arrangement . the delay 64 , the attenuator 46 and the phase delay 48 provide constant time , amplitude and phase adjustments to enable the different paths carrying components to be combined to match up in terms of time , gain and phase for improved combining given the components used in this embodiment . the signal components on the second path 88 at − 90 degrees and the adjusted distortion components on the coupling path 89 at 0 degrees are provided to the coupler 49 . in this embodiment , the coupler 49 phase shifts the signal components on the second path 88 by 90 degrees to about − 180 degrees and combines the signal components with the distortion components from the coupling path at about 0 degrees onto the second path . as such , the signal components with phase values at about − 180 degrees and the distortion components with phase values at about 0 degrees are provided onto the second path in this embodiment . however , the 180 degree out of phase relationship and / or the amplitude difference between the signal components and the distortion components on the second path 88 can be changed due to the independent adjusting of the phase and / or amplitude of the distortion components on the coupling path 89 . an attenuator 46 could adjust amplitude and the phase shifter 48 could shift the phase of the signal and distortion components . the signal and distortion components are amplified by the amplifier 21 , and the amplified signal and distortion components are combined at the coupler 30 , such as a 3 db coupler , with the corresponding signal and distortion components on the first path 87 . the amplifier 21 amplifies the distortion components received from the second path 88 at about 0 degrees and generates distortion components at about − 180 degrees from amplifying the signal components from the second path 88 which are at − 180 degrees . in this circuit , the sampled distortion components from the amplifier 20 amplified by the amplifier 21 at about 0 degrees are reduced by the distortion components generated at the amplifier 21 at about − 180 degrees from amplifying the signal components at − 180 degrees , leaving distortion components at about zero degrees . in this circuit , the signal components at the input to the amplifier 21 should have the same amplitude as the signal components at the amplifier 20 with a phase value of − 180 degrees . the signal and distortion components from the coupler 28 at phase values of − 90 degrees are provided to the delay 26 ( delayb ) which delays the signal components and the distortion components on the first path 87 such that the corresponding portions of the signal and distortion components on the first path 87 and the signal and distortion components on the second path 88 reach the coupler 30 at substantially the same time . the amplified signal and distortion components on the first path 87 are received by the coupler 30 , which delays the signal and distortion components by 90 degrees to phase values of about − 180 degrees . in producing the amplified signal components rfout , the coupler 30 constructively combines the signal components from the first and second paths 87 , 88 in phase and at about the same amplitude such that the first and second paths each provide one - half of the power to the signal components at the output of the system . since the distortion components on the first and second paths 87 , 88 are at about 180 degrees out of phase , the distortion components on the first path destructively combine with the distortion components on the second path to reduce the distortion components at the output of the coupler 30 . as noted before , the independent adjustment circuit 61 enables the relative phase and / or gain between the distortion components on the first and second paths 87 , 88 to be adjusted independent of the relative phase and / or gain adjustments between the signal components on the first and second paths . it should be understood , however , as noted before , that the adjustment circuit 61 does not have to be independent but the phase and / or amplified signal components can be adjusted together . as such , the destructive combining of the distortion components from the first and second paths at the coupler 28 can be improved by performing adjustments to the relative phase and / or gain of the distortion component on the coupling path . the power amplifier system can also provide adjustable phase and / or amplitude adjustments to the signal components which do not result in a corresponding phase and / or amplitude adjustments to the distortion components to provide adjustment of the signal components . the adjustment of the relative gain and / or phase of the distortion components and / or the signal components can be performed once to align the power amplifier architecture on the production line , periodically ( based on changing conditions or expiration of a time period ), or dynamically ( based on changing operating conditions or continuously ). because the constructive combination of the signal components can be made independent of the destructive combination of the distortion components , dynamic control to further improve the operation of the architecture can be provided in a relatively simple manner . coupler 78 can be used in conjunction with phase shifter 76 and attenuator 78 to improve cancellation of signal components . dynamic control can also be provided by use of carrier null circuit 68 and dac circuit 70 and adc circuit 72 , which work in conjunction with diode detector 81 and coupler 80 . the carrier null circuit 68 acts as a power detector with the diode detector 81 to provide a power signal , indicating how well the cancellation of the signal components have been achieved . control circuitry can monitor the signal cancellation signal and provide control signals to the digital to analog ( d / a ) converter 70 to adjust the gain and / or phase provided by the gain 72 and phase adjusters 74 in response to the signal cancellation signal . the control circuitry provides the control signals to find the gain and / or phase adjustments , which produce a null in the cancellation signal and reflects good cancellation of the signal components on the coupling path 89 . this control can be set during initial alignment , or dynamic control provided . dynamic control is provided because during operation any changes in the signal cancellation signal indicating a degradation in the cancellation of the signal components on the coupling path 89 can be responded to with a control signal to adjust the gain and / or phase to improve cancellation of the signal components . by achieving improved cancellation of the signal components on the coupling path , the distortion components can be isolated on the coupling path , and the distortion components can be independently adjusted to improve the cancellation of the distortion components at the output of the coupler 28 . by providing for adjustment of the distortion components , control of the combination of the distortion components is possible , and dynamic control of the cancellation of the distortion components can be readily achieved , which in the presently illustrated circuit , are independently controlled . a coupler 30 couples a replica of the output signal rfout onto a distortion cancellation path 90 and provides the signal to distortion cancellation control circuitry 50 a , which provides gain and / or phase adjustment control signals to gain and / or phase adjusters 82 , 86 in response to the coupled output signal . a signal on the distortion cancellation path 90 is provided to the coupler 40 , which combines the signal on the signal cancellation path with a delayed version of the signal components coupled from the coupler 36 at the input of the architecture . the signal components from the coupler 36 are delayed such that the corresponding portions of the signal components arrive at the coupler 40 at substantially the same time . the corresponding signal components should be about 180 degrees out of phase such that the signal components are reduced and the distortion components from the signal on the distortion cancellation path can be detected by detection circuitry 50 , for example including a diode detector . the detection circuitry 50 provides a distortion cancellation signal indicating the level of the distortion components remaining on the output of the coupler 28 , thereby indicating the level of the cancellation of the distortion components at the coupler 28 . the distortion cancellation signal is provided to an a / d converter 52 , which digitizes the distortion cancellation signal . the digitized distortion cancellation signal is provided to control circuitry 54 . the control circuitry 54 monitors the distortion cancellation signal and provides control signals to a digital to analog ( d / a ) converter 56 to adjust the gain and / or phase provided by the gain and phase adjusters in response to the distortion cancellation signal . the control circuitry 54 provides the control signals to find the gain and / or phase adjustments which produce a null in the distortion cancellation signal which reflects good cancellation of the distortion components at the coupler 28 . this control can be set during initial alignment , or dynamic control provided . dynamic control can be provided because , during operation , any changes in the distortion cancellation signal indicating a degradation in the cancellation of the distortion components at the coupler can be responded to with control signals to adjust the gain and / or phase to improve cancellation of the distortion components . by providing for the adjustment of the distortion components , control over the constructive combination of the signal components at the coupler 28 is possible whereby gain and / or phase adjustments are made to the signal components ( alone or together with the distortion components depending on the embodiment ) depending on how the constructive combination of the signal components is performed . dynamic control of the constructive combination of the signal components can be readily achieved . in this embodiment , a signal combination signal indicative of how well the signal components are combining in the coupler 28 , for example a signal on the isolated port of the coupler , is provided to signal combination control circuitry which provides gain and / or phase adjustment control signals to gain and / or phase adjusters 46 , 48 in response to the signal combination signal . the signal combination control circuitry includes the detection circuitry 39 , for example including a diode detector , which detects the signal combination signal and provides a combination signal indicating how well the signal components combined in the coupler 28 . the combination signal is provided to an a / d converter 40 , which digitizes the combination signal , and the digitized combination signal is provided to the power null , control circuitry 42 . the control circuitry 42 monitors the combination signal and provides control signals to a digital to analog ( d / a ) converter 44 to adjust the gain and / or phase provided by any gain and phase adjusters 46 , 48 in response to the signal combination signal . the control circuitry 50 a provides the control signals to find the gain and / or phase adjustments which produce a null in the combination signal which reflects good constructive combination of the signal components at the coupler . this control can be set during initial alignment , or dynamic control provided . dynamic control is provided because , during operation , any changes in the signal combination signal indicating a degradation in the combination of the signal components at the coupler can be responded to with control signals to adjust the gain and / or phase to improve constructive combination of the signal components . in operation , it is evident that a signal is sampled and the main signal is cancelled because the coupler dc5 62 samples the input and rotates it 180 °. this circuit cancels from the sample and from the amplifier . what is left is the intermodulation distortion , and it is phase shifted , attenuated , and injected into the path of the other circuit signal into the gain b amplifier 21 , which amplifies the distortion . the input power to gain b amplifier 21 is equal to the input power to gain a amplifier 20 , under most conditions . because the gain b amplifier amplifies power as gain a , distortion will also be generated and combined with the amplified distortion . as a result , the signal is combined with a resultant , which will be equal in amplitude to the original distortion from the gain a amplifier , but 180 ° out of phase . when both distortions are added at coupler dc4 28 , the distortions cancel each other . as will be suggested to those skilled in the art , there is a question about the distortion left at the output for coupler dc9 30 , which samples a combined total output signal and transfers the signal to coupler dc10 40 . at the same time , the circuit samples the input from coupler dc8 36 via the delays line 38 , which is applied to the other side of coupler dc10 40 . both signals will be equal in amplitude and 180 ° out of phase and will cancel each other . what will be cancelled will be the main signal , while at the inputs , there is no distortion . what will be left after cancellation is the distortion product . whatever power is left , the circuit will detect and digitize and send into the null circuit , which will provide adjustment as a closed loop until the null is minimized . in order for this illustrated circuit to work properly , a large delay line is required , as shown with the line having delays 38 . the entire circuit is delayed . it is not desirable to have two different phase slopes , and thus , the delay is designed into the circuit with delays line 38 . if there were two different phase slopes , then it would be necessary to cancel at coupler dc3 . if there is no cancellation , then there would be a false indication of intermodulation distortion and the circuit would not be aligned properly . it is known to those skilled in the art , however , if the delay is large , it is costly to design the circuit , and the circuit will be physically large . if the amplifier in this circuit is used in a wideband configuration , such as with four different 20 mhz cdma carriers in side - by - side relation , there will not be adequate cancellation . [ 0043 ] fig2 illustrates the improved circuit of the present invention using a pilotless intermodulation and quantization circuit 100 ( imd nullification circuit ). in this circuit , no indication is taken from the inputs . only the outputs are used and no delay line is necessary . the circuit of fig2 is similar in structure and function to what is shown in fig1 with the exception of the added quantization circuit 100 of the present invention . [ 0044 ] fig3 is an enlarged schematic circuit diagram of the pilotless intermodulation distortion identification and quantization circuit 100 shown in fig2 . in this description , like elements from fig1 and 2 are described with common reference numerals . in this circuit , there is a simulation of the multiple carrier linear amplifier circuit 101 , where the power comes in / out , and the drive passes into the multiple carrier linear amplifier circuit . the control voltage is the same as in fig2 and the upper coupler 102 is an equivalent for the coupler dc9 , shown in fig2 . extending from the dc9 coupler equivalent 102 is an isolator 104 , which could be an optional circuit component . a synthesizer circuit 106 is coupled into a heterodyned mixer circuit 108 , which is series connected to the isolator 104 and dc9 equivalent 102 . the synthesizer circuit 106 ensures that no leakage occurs back into the output of the amplifier system . the isolator 104 allows the power to drop , and it blocks those signals that would be prone to pass back into the sample circuit corresponding to the dc9 equivalent 102 . the mixer circuit 108 functions similar to a small receiver . the synthesizer circuit 106 includes a phase lock loop circuit 110 with phase 110 a and voltage 110 b circuit components , and a loop filter corresponding to the operational amplifier 112 with the capacitive feedback using capacitor 114 . the phase lock loop circuit 110 connects to an oscillator circuit 116 and coupler circuit 118 with feedback from the coupler circuit 118 for closed loop operation . a digital signal processor ( dsp ) circuit 120 connects to phase lock loop circuit 110 and allows intermodulation distortion and adjacent channel power ( imd / acp ) optimization control . this dsp circuit 120 is a generic circuit and could be a microprocessor or other control circuit , as known to those skilled in the art . the dsp circuit 120 will determine , via an algorithm of the present invention , the frequency used to tune the synthesizer circuit , which will generate the signal to be heterodyned for the output of the multiple channel linear amplifier . this signal is an intermediate frequency ( if ) and passes to a low pass filter ( lpf ) 124 . the intermediate frequency ( if ) is at a frequency used for known standards , such as the docomo / umts frequency plan . the low pass filter 124 eliminates any harmonics and images . from the low pass filter 124 , the intermediate frequency signal passes into the sample and hold circuit 130 . the signal is received within a bandpass filter ( bpf ) circuit 132 and will be a sharp filter , similar to a saw filter . the signal is then detected in a radio frequency detector 134 , which could be any operable type known to those skilled in the art , but in the present example , is a log detector . the signal passes into a switch 136 and capacitor 138 that together act as a sample and hold circuit . a timer signal 140 is received from the dsp circuit 120 and drives the overall circuit . the timing is selected for best performance . a stream of samples is received corresponding to a dc signal representing the segments or “ chunks ” of bandwidth . the dc signal will pass into the analog - to - digital converter 142 and to dsp circuit 120 , where , in accordance with the algorithm of the present invention , processing occurs and decisions are based on the dc signal level . from the dsp circuit 120 , the signal passes into a digital - to - analog conversion circuit 144 corresponding to dac 56 , and then to the multiple channel linear amplifier for phase shift and attenuation . the circuit shown in fig3 is operative based on the docomo / umts frequency plan , where the rf frequency range is 2110 to 2170 mhz . this overall band is divided / designated into three sub - bands of 20 mhz each . each sub - band can handle up to four carriers of 5 mhz each . the total carriers per overall band are twelve . in summary of the operation , the synthesizer circuit 106 generates local oscillator ( lo ) frequencies , which are applied to the mixer circuit . a sampled mcla output is applied to the rf side of the mixer circuit 108 , as described before . the lo frequencies , in this example , are 2212 . 5 to 2267 . 5 mhz , 12 frequencies at 5 mhz increments , called f0 , f1 . . . f11 . they are mixed with the sampled mcla rf output . the mixing targets the centers of the 12 possible carriers , at 2112 . 5 to 2167 . 5 mhz , which are also spaced at 5 mhz apart . the result is a fixed if frequency , flo - frf = 100 mhz . the low pass filter will eliminate the flo + frf products . the resulting if signal passes through the band pass filter 132 , which is centered at 100 mhz , having a passband of ˜ 3 mhz . the filtered rf is applied to the log detector 134 and the sample and hold ( s & amp ; h ) circuit 136 , as described before , where it is digitized by the analog - to - digital conversion circuit ( quantization ) 142 . the algorithm presented in fig1 will optimize and null the intermodulation distortion , as described below . as noted before , the algorithm is described and shown relative to the w - cdma docomo / umts frequency plan . there are 12 possible carriers available across the band . relative to fig1 , which will be described in detail later , the basic algorithm determines active sub - bands and based on those active sub - bands , the circuit determines where the intermodulation distortion settings will be placed . although this depends on the sub - bands , this is an implementation specific circuit . once the intermodulation distortion settings are set , the local oscillator frequency ( lo ) is set such that the intermodulation distortion settings are typically next to the active sub - bands . then the intermodulation distortion is reduced based on those measurements at that point . is - 95 pcs is also 60 mhz wide , but carrier - to - carrier spacing is 1 . 5 mhz , which yields a total of 48 possible carriers . in reality , only 46 are available , as two carriers are not valid because of bandwidth limitations at the band edges . is 95 also has six designated sub - bands , three 15 mhz , and three 5 mhz each . for is - 136 , tdma , the frequency plan is different . carrier to carrier spacing is only 30 khz , but a group of up to 15 carriers is used simultaneously per sector . this pattern yields a total band of 450 khz per sector , or roughly 0 . 5 mhz . any bandpass filter in the hardware circuit will be matched per application , as well as the number of frequency steps and perhaps some logic in the algorithm . in one aspect of the present invention , as a non - limiting example , frf = 2112 . 5 to 2167 . 5 mhz , 12 carriers at 5 mhz bw each , divided into three sub - bands of 20 mhz with four carriers . ( overall rf range is 2110 to 2170 mhz .) flo = 2212 . 5 to 2267 . 5 mhz , 12 frequencies at 5 mhz increments , called f0 , f1 . . . f11 . fig4 - 9 are bar charts illustrating the three sub - bands of 20 mhz each , where each sub - band handles up to four carriers of 5 mhz . the adjacent channel power ( acp ) and alternate adjacent channel power ( aacp ) graph blocks are illustrated . fig1 illustrates a flow chart for the basic algorithm used with the circuit shown in fig2 and 3 . it is shown from the flow chart that an initial sweep is made of the various frequencies . as is described above in greater detail , the synthesizer is stepped up and there are 12 different frequencies . the data coming out of the channels will have a dc voltage that has been digitized to represent the signal strength of the power coming out of the respective channel . as shown in fig4 the first signal carrier represents an actual carrier . frequencies 5 , 6 , 8 and 9 are equivalent frequencies out of the twelve frequencies at issue . this represents the intermodulation product . as shown in fig5 the two frequency blocks are side - by - side . the spaced 5 mhz spectral signals are represented by frequencies 4 , 5 , 8 and 9 . fig6 and 7 illustrate two carriers that are spaced 10 and 15 mhz apart respectively , but still within the single sub - band . [ 0063 ] fig8 and 9 illustrate a worse case indication having four different levels with four carriers maximum per sector . fig9 illustrates the 50 channels where the delta p ( δp ) equals 17 db max from “ pilot only ” to all 50 channels . if there is a working system and all carriers are “ on ”, the maximum difference the system can expect from a fully loaded carrier to the pilot is about 17 °. the numbers can change from system to system . it is evident from the description that the synthesizer circuit sweeps a scheme , and it is possible to download to the processor as many algorithms as desired . [ 0064 ] fig1 illustrates a flow chart for the algorithm that is applicable for use with the circuits shown in fig2 and 3 . as noted before , the algorithm as shown in fig1 determines active sub - bands and based on those active sub - bands determines where the intermodulation distortion setting will be placed . after this , the local oscillator is set such that the intermodulation distortion setting would be next to the active sub - bands . the intermodulation distortion is then reduced based on the measurements at that point . thus , based on the active sub - bands , the local oscillator is set to the intermodulation distortion . based on these active sub - bands , it is possible to know where the intermodulation distortion is located and the imd can be detected and cancelled . for example , in the flow chart , which will be described in greater detail later , at block 204 , the twelve outputs are compared and the system scans the twelve increments . each one is looked at based on a threshold ( such as if it is above a certain decibel level ). if it is above that threshold , then it is an active sub - band and a determination is made as in 206 a , 206 b , 206 c , whether certain sub - bands are active . if not active , then the imd settings are retained , as at block 208 . throughout this description , f ( lo ) equals the local oscillator frequency and f ( x ) equals the lowest active carrier frequency within a sub - band . f ( x + n ) equals n frequency above the lowest , while f ( low ) equals the inactive carrier frequency when any three out of four carriers are active . for example , if fo to f3 is active , such as at decision block 206 a , then the system determines which of all four are on . if all four carriers are on , then for example , the local oscillator frequency is set to f ( x + 4 ). the different settings for different examples are shown in the figures shown in fig4 - 9 , if the four carriers are on and f ( x + 4 ) is not an active sub - band , but next to it is the intermodulation distortion and that will be reduced . thus , the sub - bands are identified at any increment , which is above a certain threshold . that is considered an active sub - band after the process is followed through as in the flow chart of fig1 . depending on those active sub - bands , the circuit determines via the algorithm how to set the local oscillator to the imd desired . for example , if all four sub - bands are “ on ,” the system determines that it is at the high end of the spectrum . if the system goes higher , it is out of band . thus , it is necessary to set the imd to f ( x − 1 ), i . e ., the next lowest increment below the band where the highest imd will be located . if any three carriers are on , then the system moves to the inactive carrier frequency out of the group of four and to the one that is inactive where the imd will be located . for example , f ( x ), f ( x + 1 ) can be the two lowest carriers , and thus , the local oscillator is set to f ( x − 1 ). the imd will be located adjacent to it . this is shown in fig4 , 6 and 7 . thus , depending on the active sub - band , the system places the local oscillator at the spot and that is where the imd will be at . there are , of course , different combinations as set forth in fig4 - 10 . it is desirable not to go into another carrier &# 39 ; s band . the process starts and the circuit steps the lo from f0 to f11 , as indicated at block 200 . the detector output is recorded , corresponding to the dc signal coming out ( block 202 ) and the 12 outputs are compared to identify the sub - band ( block 204 ). this occurs by determining sub - band a , sub - band b or sub - band c and determining which frequencies , such as f0 to f3 , are active in blocks 206 a , 206 b and 206 c , through appropriate decision making . if none of the frequencies are active , then the intermodulation distortion settings are retained ( block 208 ). this initial sweep identifies a sub - band . it is not possible to sweep the sub - band only to determine additional frequencies out - of - band , where one would expect the adjacent channel power ( acp ) to be high enough and detectable . once it is determined that a sub - band is active , decisions are made as to the carriers that are active . it is not necessary to step once again because it is loaded in memory and a threshold is set . for example , if sub - band a or b is active ( block 210 ), then decisions are made to check whether all four carriers are on ( power equals high ) ( block 212 ), any three carriers are on ( block 214 ), any two carriers are on and the spacing ( blocks 216 , 218 and 220 ), or whether one carrier is on ( block 222 ). if yes , then the results are shown at blocks 224 , 226 , 228 , 230 , 232 and 234 . the system tests for null ( block 236 ) and adjusts the respective intermodulation distortion controls , the attenuation and phase circuits ( block 238 ). the settings are saved ( block 240 ), and if the null is less than the threshold ( block 242 ), then the stepping procedure begins once again ( block 200 ). if sub - band c is active ( block 244 ), corresponding to frequencies f8 to f11 , then a determination is made whether all four carriers are on ( block 246 ), any three carriers are on ( block 248 ), any two carriers are on with different separation ( blocks 250 , 252 or 254 ), or only one carrier is on ( block 256 ). if yes , then the local oscillator frequency is adjusted as indicated at blocks 258 , 260 , 262 , 264 , 266 or 268 respectively . then the test is made for null at block 236 . it is evident from this flowchart that the digital signal processor circuit will set the control voltage and start searching . it will adjust the attenuation and phase shift until minimization occurs and there is a null . in this description , f ( x ) and f ( x + 1 ) corresponds to adjacent carriers while f ( x + 3 ) corresponds to 15 mhz separation . many modifications and other embodiments of the invention will come to the mind of one skilled in the art having the benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings . therefore , it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the specific embodiments disclosed , and that the modifications and embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the dependent claims . | 7 |
abbreviations : binap 2 , 2 ′- bis ( diphenylphosphino )- 1 , 1 ′- binaphthyl cdcl 3 deuterochloroform dci direct chemical ionization ( in ms ) dcm dichloromethane diea n , n - diisopropylethylamine dmso dimethyl sulfoxide dmf n , n - dimethylformamide ee ethyl acetate ( acetic acid ethyl ester ) ei electron impact ionization ( in ms ) esi electrospray ionization ( in ms ) h hour hplc high pressure , high performance liquid chromatography lc - ms coupled liquid chromatography - mass spectroscopy lda lithium diisopropylamide min minutes m . p . melting point ms mass spectroscopy mtbe methyl tert - butyl ether nmr nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy pd - c palladium on carbon pybop 1 - benzotriazolyloxytripyrrolidinophosphonium hexafluorophosphate rp - hplc reverse phase hplc rt room temperature r t retention time ( in hplc ) thf tetrahydrofuran tlc thin layer chromatography method 1 ( lc - ms ): instrument : micromass quattro lcz with hplc agilent series 1100 ; column : phenomenex synergi 2μ hydro - rp mercury 20 mm × 4 mm ; eluent a : 1 l water + 0 . 5 ml 50 % formic acid , eluent b : 1 l acetonitrile + 0 . 5 ml 50 % formic acid ; gradient : 0 . 0 min 90 % a → 2 . 5 min 30 % a → 3 . 0 min 5 % a → 4 . 5 min 5 % a ; flow rate : 0 . 0 min 1 ml / min , 2 . 5 min / 3 . 0 min / 4 . 5 min 2 ml / min ; oven : 50 ° c . ; uv detection : 208 - 400 nm . method 2 ( lc - ms ): ms instrument type : micromass zq ; hplc instrument type : waters alliance 2795 ; column : phenomenex synergi 2μ hydro - rp mercury 20 mm × 4 mm ; eluent a : 1 l water + 0 . 5 ml 50 % formic acid , eluent b : 1 l acetonitrile + 0 . 5 ml 50 % formic acid ; gradient : 0 . 0 min 90 % a → 2 . 5 min 30 % a → 3 . 0 min 5 % a → 4 . 5 min 5 % a ; flow rate : 0 . 0 min 1 ml / min , 2 . 5 min / 3 . 0 min / 4 . 5 min 2 ml / min ; oven : 50 ° c . ; uv detection : 210 nm . method 3 ( lc - ms ): ms instrument type : micromass zq ; hplc instrument type : hp 1100 series ; uv dad ; column : phenomenex synergi 2μ hydro - rp mercury 20 mm × 4 mm ; eluent a : 1 l water + 0 . 5 ml 50 % formic acid , eluent b : 1 l acetonitrile + 0 . 5 ml 50 % formic acid ; gradient : 0 . 0 min 90 % a → 2 . 5 min 30 % a → 3 . 0 min 5 % a → 4 . 5 min 5 % a ; flow rate : 0 . 0 min 1 ml / min , 2 . 5 min / 3 . 0 min / 4 . 5 min 2 ml / min ; oven : 50 ° c . ; uv detection : 210 nm . method 4 ( preparative hplc ): column : rp18 ; gradient , with addition of 0 . 2 % diethylamine to the acetonitrile : 30 % acetonitrile / 70 % water → 95 % acetonitrile / 5 % water . method 5 ( preparative hplc , formic acid ): column : grom - sil 120 ods - 4he , 10 μm , snr . 3331 , 250 mm × 30 mm . eluent a : formic acid 0 . 1 % in water , eluent b : acetonitrile ; flow rate : 50 ml / min . program : 0 - 3 min : 10 % b ; 3 - 27 min : gradient to 95 % b ; 27 - 34 min : 95 % b ; 34 . 01 - 38 min : 10 % b . method 6 ( preparative hplc , hydrochloric acid ): column : grom - sil 120 ods - 4he , 10 μm , snr . 3331 , 250 mm × 30 mm . eluent a : hydrochloric acid 0 . 1 % in water , eluent b : acetonitrile ; flow rate : 50 ml / min . program : 0 - 2 min 10 % b , 3 - 43 min : gradient to 100 % b , 43 . 01 - 45 min : 100 % b . method 7 ( preparative hplc ): column : grom - sil 120 ods - 4he , 10 μm , snr . 3331 , 250 mm × 30 mm . eluent a : water , eluent b : acetonitrile , flow rate : 50 ml / min . program : 0 - 3 min : 10 % b ; 3 - 27 min : gradient to 95 % b ; 27 - 34 min : 95 % b ; 34 . 01 - 38 min : 10 % b . method 8 ( preparative hplc , trifluoroacetic acid ): column : grom - sil 120 ods - 4he , 10 μm , snr . 3331 , 250 mm × 30 mm . eluent a : trifluoroacetic acid 0 . 1 % in water , eluent b : acetonitrile . flow rate : 50 ml / min . program : 0 - 3 min : 10 % b ; 3 - 27 min : gradient to 95 % b ; 27 - 34 min : 95 % b ; 34 . 01 - 38 min : 10 % b . method 9 ( analytical hplc ): instrument : hp 1100 with dad detection ; column : kromasil 100 rp - 18 , 60 mm × 2 . 1 mm , 3 . 5 μm ; eluent a : 5 ml perchloric acid ( 70 %)/ 1 water , eluent b : acetonitrile ; gradient : 0 min 2 % b , 0 . 5 min 2 % b , 4 . 5 min 90 % b , 9 min 90 % b , 9 . 2 min 2 % b , 10 min 2 % b ; flow rate : 0 . 75 ml / min ; column temperature : 30 ° c . ; uv detection : 210 nm . method 10 ( analytical hplc ): instrument : hp 1100 with dad detection ; column : kromasil 100 rp - 18 , 60 mm × 2 . 1 mm , 3 . 5 μm ; eluent a : 5 ml perchloric acid ( 70 %)/ l water , eluent b : acetonitrile ; gradient : 0 min 2 % b , 0 . 5 min 2 % b , 4 . 5 min 90 % b , 6 . 5 min 90 % b , 6 . 7 min 2 % b , 7 . 5 min 2 % b ; flow rate : 0 . 75 ml / min ; column - temperature : 30 ° c . ; uv detection : 210 nm . method 11 ( lc - ms ): ms instrument type : micromass tof ( lct ); hplc instrument type : 2 - column system , waters 2690 ; column : ymc - ods - aq , 50 mm × 4 . 6 mm , 3 . 0 μm ; eluent a : water + 0 . 1 % formic acid , eluent b : acetonitrile + 0 . 1 % formic acid ; gradient : 0 . 0 min 100 % a → 0 . 2 min 95 % a → 1 . 8 min 25 % a → 1 . 9 min 10 % a → 2 . 0 min 5 % a → 3 . 2 min 5 % a ; oven : 40 ° c . ; flow rate : 3 . 0 ml / min ; uv detection : 210 nm . method 12 ( preparative lc - ms ): ms instrument type : micromass micromass zmd ; hplc instrument type : waters prep lc 4000 ; column : kromasil , 50 mm × 20 mm , 100 å , c18 5 μm ; eluent a : water + 0 . 1 % formic acid , eluent b : acetonitrile + 0 . 1 % formic acid ; gradient : 0 . 0 min 70 % a → 0 . 75 min 70 % a → 5 . 5 min 100 % b → 6 . 5 min 100 % b → 7 . 0 min 70 % a → flow rate : 40 . 0 ml / min . method 13 ( lc - ms ): instrument : micromass platform lcz with hplc agilent series 1100 ; column : thermo hypersil gold 3μ 20 mm × 4 mm ; eluent a : 1 l water + 0 . 5 ml 50 % formic acid , eluent b : 1 l acetonitrile + 0 . 5 ml 50 % formic acid ; gradient : 0 . 0 min 100 % a → 0 . 2 min 100 % a → 2 . 9 min 30 % a → 3 . 1 min 10 % a → 5 . 5 min 10 % a ; oven : 50 ° c . ; flow rate : 0 . 8 ml / min ; uv detection : 210 nm . the exemplary compounds which comprise a basic nitrogen can depending on the method of their purification be isolated as a free base or in various salt forms . the production method often describes the purification by hplc with the addition of formic acid ( method 5 ) which leads to the hydroformate or with the addition of other acids such as for example hydrochloric acid ( method 6 ) instead of formic acid whereby the product is isolated as the hydrochloride . alternatively the product can also be purified by stirring in acetonitrile or by preparative hplc without the addition of acid ( method 7 ) whereby the product is isolated as a free base . from the free bases , as well as from the hydroformate , the hydrochloride of a compound can be obtained by subsequent mixing with hydrochloric acid in dioxane and evaporation on a rotary evaporator . 350 mg ( 1 . 2 mmol ) of 8 - chloro - 1 - cyclopropyl - 6 , 7 - difluoro - 4 - oxo - 1 , 4 - dihydroquinoline - 3 - carboxylic acid ( for preparation see : de 3420743 ) are dissolved according to de 3635218 in 3 ml of dry pyridine and heated at reflux with 202 mg ( 1 . 4 mmol ) of hexahydro - 1h - 1 , 4 - diazepine - 1 - ethanol for 4 hours . after standing overnight the mixture is concentrated , taken up with water and brought to ph 6 using dilute hydrochloric acid . the solution is saturated with sodium chloride at boiling heat . after it has cooled to room temperature , it is extracted a number of times with dichloromethane . the organic extracts are filtered over a little silica gel and concentrated . 288 mg of the target compound are obtained this way . the compound is used as a crude product in the subsequent reaction stages . lc - ms ( method 3 ): r t = 1 . 32 min , ms ( es +)= 424 ( m + h ) + in analogy to the preparation instructions of example 1a , examples 2a to 12a are prepared : the preparation takes place in analogy to example 1a from 8 - chloro - 1 - cyclopropyl - 6 , 7 - difluoro - 4 - oxo - 1 , 4 - dihydroquinoline - 3 - carboxylic acid ( for preparation see de 3420743 ). lc - ms ( method 2 ): r t = 1 . 08 min , ms ( es +)= 454 ( m + h ) + the preparation takes place in analogy to example 1a from 8 - chloro - 6 , 7 - difluoro - 1 -[( 1r , 2s )- 2 - fluorocyclopropyl ]- 4 - oxo - 1 , 4 - dihydroquinoline - 3 - carboxylic acid ( for preparation see journal of medicinal chemistry ( 1994 ) 37 : 3344 - 3352 ). lc - ms ( method 2 ): r t = 1 . 28 min , ms ( es +)= 472 ( m + h ) + the preparation takes place in analogy to example 1a from 8 - chloro - 6 , 7 - difluoro - 1 -[( 1s , 2r )- 2 - fluorocyclopropyl ]- 4 - oxo - 1 , 4 - dihydroquinoline - 3 - carboxylic acid ( for preparation see journal of medicinal chemistry ( 1994 ) 37 : 3344 - 3352 ). the compound is used as a crude product in the subsequent reaction stages . lc - ms ( method 3 ): r t = 1 . 82 min , ms ( es +)= 472 ( m + h ) + the preparation takes place in analogy to example 1a from 4 -[ 2 -( piperazin - 1 - yl ) acetyl ] morpholine and 8 - chloro - 6 , 7 - difluoro - 1 -[( 1s , 2r )- 2 - fluorocyclopropyl ]- 4 - oxo - 1 , 4 - dihydroquinoline - 3 - carboxylic acid ( for preparation see journal of medicinal chemistry ( 1994 ) 37 : 3344 - 3352 ). the compound is used as a crude product in the subsequent reaction stages . lc - ms ( method 1 ): r t = 1 . 37 min , ms ( es +)= 511 ( m + h ) + the preparation takes place in analogy to example 1a from 6 , 7 - difluoro - 1 -[( 1r , 2s )- 2 - fluorocyclopropyl ]- 8 - methoxy - 4 - oxo - 1 , 4 - dihydroquinoline - 3 - carboxylic acid ( for preparation see wo 96 / 01262 ). the compound is used as a crude product in the subsequent reaction stages . lc - ms ( method 3 ): r t = 1 . 25 min , ms ( es +)= 468 ( m + h ) + the preparation takes place in analogy to example 1a from racemic 8 - chloro - 6 , 7 - difluoro - 1 -[ cis - 2 - fluorocyclopropyl ]- 4 - oxo - 1 , 4 - dihydroquinoline - 3 - carboxylic acid ( for preparation in analogy see journal of medicinal chemistry ( 1994 ) 37 : 3344 - 3352 ). the compound is used as crude product in the subsequent reaction stages . lc - ms ( method 1 ): r t = 1 . 24 min , ms ( es +)= 428 ( m + h ) + the preparation takes place in analogy to example 1a from racemic 8 - chloro - 6 , 7 - difluoro - 1 -[ cis - 2 - fluorocyclopropyl ]- 4 - oxo - 1 , 4 - dihydroquinoline - 3 - carboxylic acid ( for preparation in analogy see journal of medicinal chemistry ( 1994 ) 37 : 3344 - 3352 ). the compound is used as a crude product in the subsequent reaction stages . lc - ms ( method 2 ): r t = 1 . 01 min , ms ( es +)= 398 ( m + h ) + the preparation takes place in analogy to example 1a from racemic 8 - chloro - 6 , 7 - difluoro - 1 -[ cis - 2 - fluorocyclopropyl ]- 4 - oxo - 1 , 4 - dihydroquinoline - 3 - carboxylic acid ( for preparation in analogy see journal of medicinal chemistry ( 1994 ) 37 : 3344 - 3352 ). the compound is used as a crude product in the subsequent reaction stages . lc - ms ( method 2 ): r t = 0 . 99 min , ms ( es +)= 472 ( m + h ) + the preparation takes place in analogy to example 1a from ( t - 4 )-( 1 - cyclopropyl - 6 , 7 - difluoro - 1 , 4 - dihydro - 8 - methoxy - 4 - oxo - 3 - quinolinecarboxylato - o3 , o4 ) boron difluoride ( for preparation see journal of medicinal chemistry ( 1995 ) 38 : 4478 - 4487 ). the compound is used as a crude product in the subsequent reaction stages . lc - ms ( method 2 ): r t = 0 . 95 min , ms ( es +)= 450 ( m + h ) + the preparation takes place in analogy to example 1a from 6 , 7 - difluoro - 1 -[( 1r , 2s )- 2 - fluorocyclopropyl ]- 8 - methoxy - 4 - oxo - 1 , 4 - dihydroquinoline - 3 - carboxylic acid ( for preparation see wo 96 / 01262 ). lc - ms ( method 3 ): r t = 1 . 38 min , ms ( es +)= 408 ( m + h ) + the preparation takes place in analogy to example 1a from ( t - 4 )-( 1 - cyclopropyl - 8 - difluoromethoxy - 6 , 7 - difluoro - 1 , 4 - dihydro - 4 - oxo - 3 - quinolinecarboxylato - o3 , o4 ) boron difluoride ( for preparation see ep 352123 ). the compound is used as a crude product in the subsequent reaction stages . the preparation takes place in analogy to example 1a from ( t - 4 )-( 1 - cyclopropyl - 6 , 7 - difluoro - 1 , 4 - dihydro - 8 - methoxy - 4 - oxo - 3 - quinolinecarboxylato - o3 , o4 ) boron difluoride ( for preparation see journal of medicinal chemistry ( 1995 ) 38 : 4478 - 4487 ). the compound is used as a crude product in the subsequent reaction stages . 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , dmso - d 6 ): δ = 1 . 05 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 13 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 10 - 3 . 90 ( m , 18 h : in there 3 . 82 ( s , 3h )), 4 . 18 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 82 ( d , 1h ), 8 . 73 ( s , 1h ), 10 . 78 ( bs , 1h ). 2 . 00 g ( 5 . 79 mmol ) of ethyl 3 - oxo - 3 -( 2 , 4 , 5 - trifluoro - 3 - methoxyphenyl ) propanoate are stirred in 3 . 8 ml ( 4 . 14 g , 40 . 55 mmol ) of acetic anhydride and 4 . 82 ml ( 4 . 29 g , 28 . 96 mmol ) of thriethylorthoformate for 2 h under reflux . the solvent is then completely removed on a rotary evaporator and the residue is dissolved in 10 ml of ethanol . 1 . 03 g ( 10 . 43 mmol ) of 2 , 2 , 2 - trifluoro - 1 - aminoethane are added dropwise to the ice cold solution , the mixture is brought to room temperature and stirred over night at this temperature . for the work - up the solvent is removed and the residue is reacted further as a crude product without purification steps . lc - ms ( method 2 ): r t = 2 . 37 min , ms ( es +)= 386 ( m + h ) + . the following examples 15a to 22a are prepared in analogy to example 14a from the corresponding amines . lc - ms ( method 2 ): r t = 2 . 28 min ms ( es +): m / z = 364 ( m + h ) + lc - ms ( method 1 ): r t = 2 . 47 min ms ( es +): m / z = 400 ( m + h ) + lc - ms ( method 1 ): r t = 2 . 46 min ms ( es +): m / z = 400 ( m + h ) + lc - ms ( method 3 ): r t = 2 . 72 min ms ( es +): m / z = 358 ( m + h ) + lc - ms ( method 1 ): r t = 2 . 56 min ms ( es +): m / z = 346 ( m + h ) + lc - ms ( method 1 ): r t = 2 . 52 min ms ( es +): m / z = 382 ( m + h ) + lc - ms ( method 2 ): r t = 2 . 22 min ms ( es +): m / z = 368 ( m + h ) + lc - ms ( method 1 ): r t = 2 . 40 min ms ( es +): m / z = 382 ( m + h ) + under an argon atmosphere and ice cooling 0 . 32 g ( 8 . 11 mmol ) of 60 % sodium hydride are provided in 5 ml of tetrahydrofuran and a solution of 2 . 23 g ( 5 . 79 mmol ) of the compound of example 14a in 15 ml tetrahydrofuran is slowly added dropwise . the mixture is subsequently warmed to room temperature , stirred for 2 h at this temperature and then left standing over night . for the work - up 2 ml of acetic acid are added dropwise and the mixture is stirred for 5 min , diluted with ethyl acetate , washed several times with water and once with a saturated sodium hydrogen carbonate solution , the organic phase is dried over magnesium sulfate , filtered and the solvent is completely removed on a rotary evaporator . the crude product is pre - purified by column chromatography on silica gel 60 ( eluent : dichloromethane / methanol 100 / 1 → 100 / 2 ) and after fine purification by preparative rp - hplc ( method 5 ) 1 . 8 g of product are obtained . 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , cdcl 3 ): δ = 1 . 41 ( t , 3h ), 4 . 15 ( s , 3h ), 4 . 41 ( q , 2h ), 5 . 23 ( q , 2h ), 8 . 11 ( dd , 1h ), 8 . 33 ( s , 1h ). examples 24a to 31a listed in the table below are prepared from the corresponding amines in analogy to example 23a . for the preparation of 2 - amino - 1 - fluoropropane , see journal of organic chemistry ( 1981 ) 46 : 4938 - 4948 . hplc ( method 10 ): r t = 4 . 11 min ms ( dcl ( nh 3 )): m / z = 344 ( m + h ) + lc - ms ( method 1 ): r t = 2 . 22 min ms ( es +): m / z = 380 ( m + h ) + lc - ms ( method 1 ): r t = 2 . 22 min ms ( es +): m / z = 380 ( m + h ) + lc - ms ( method 3 ): r t = 2 . 33 min ms ( es +): m / z = 338 ( m + h ) + lc - ms ( method 1 ): r t = 2 . 16 min ms ( es +): m / z = 326 ( m + h ) + lc - ms ( method 1 ): r t = 2 . 11 min ms ( es +): m / z = 362 ( m + h ) + lc - ms ( method 2 ): r t = 1 . 83 min ms ( es +): m / z = 348 ( m + h ) + lc - ms ( method 2 ): r t = 1 . 76 min ms ( es +): m / z = 342 ( m + h ) + 800 mg ( 2 . 19 mmol ) of the compound of example 23a are provided in a mixture of 25 ml of acetic acid - water - sulfuric acid 12 : 8 : 1 and stirred over night under reflux . for the work - up the solvent is removed to a large extent on a rotary evaporator , the residue is adjusted carefully to ph 3 while cooling with ice with a saturated sodium hydrogen carbonate solution , the suspension is diluted with water , the precipitate is collected by suction filtration and after drying the filter residue under high vacuum , 575 mg of the title compound are obtained . lc - ms ( method 3 ): r t = 2 . 41 min , ms ( es +)= 338 ( m + h ) + . 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , cdcl 3 ): δ = 4 . 21 ( s , 3h ), 5 . 37 ( q , 2h ), 8 . 11 ( dd , 1h ), 8 . 62 ( s , 1h ), 14 . 05 ( bs , 1h ). the following examples 33a bis 40a are prepared in analogy to example 32a . hplc ( method 10 ): r t = 4 . 17 min ms ( esi +): m / z = 316 ( m + h ) + hplc ( method 10 ): r t = 4 . 54 min ms ( esi +): m / z = 374 ( m + na ) + lc - ms ( method 3 ): r t = 2 . 47 min ms ( es +): m / z = 352 ( m + h ) + lc - ms ( method 3 ): r t = 2 . 35 min ms ( es +): m / z = 310 ( m + h ) + lc - ms ( method 3 ): r t = 2 . 27 min ms ( es +): m / z = 298 ( m + h ) + lc - ms ( method 1 ): r t = 2 . 22 min ms ( es +): m / z = 334 ( m + h ) + hplc ( method 9 ): r t = 4 . 15 min ms ( dci ( nh 3 )): m / z = 337 ( m + nh 4 ) + lc - ms ( method 2 ): r t = 1 . 84 min ms ( es +): m / z = 313 ( m + h ) + 1 . 5 g ( 4 . 30 mmol ) of the compound of example 32a are provided in 10 ml of tetrahydrofuran and then 6 . 81 ml ( 7 . 63 g , 53 . 75 mmol ) of borontrifluoride diethylether complex are added and the mixture is stirred at 70 ° c . over night . for the work - up 50 ml of diethylether are added to the reaction mixture which was cooled to room temperature , the mixture is stirred for 20 min and the precipitate is collected by suction filtration . after drying the residue under high vacuum , 1150 mg of the title compound are obtained and reacted further without purification . 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , dmso - d 6 ): δ = 4 . 21 ( s , 3h ), 6 . 12 ( q , 2h ), 8 . 38 ( dd , 1h ), 9 . 66 ( s , 1h ). the following examples 42a to 49a are prepared in analogy to example 41a . lc - ms ( method 1 ): r 1 = 1 . 96 min ms ( es +): m / z = 364 ( m + h ) + lc - ms ( method 2 ): r t = 1 . 98 min ms ( es +): m / z = 400 ( m + h ) + lc - ms ( method 2 ): r t = 1 . 98 min ms ( es +): m / z = 400 ( m + h ) + lc - ms ( method 1 ): r t = 1 . 92 min ms ( es +): m / z = 358 ( m + h ) + lc - ms ( method 3 ): r t = 1 . 83 min ms ( es +): m / z = 346 ( m + h ) + lc - ms ( method 2 ): r t = 1 . 89 min ms ( es +): m / z = 382 ( m + h ) + lc - ms ( method 3 ): r t = 2 . 09 min ms ( es +): m / z = 368 ( m + h ) + lc - ms ( method 2 ): r t = 1 . 74 min ms ( es +): m / z = 361 ( m + h ) + 300 . 0 mg ( 0 . 78 mmol ) of the compound of example 41a and 213 . 6 mg ( 1 . 87 mmol ) of cis - 2 , 6 - dimethylpiperazine are stirred over night at 50 ° c . in 6 ml of acetonitrile . the solvent is removed completely on a rotary evaporator and the residue is stirred for 1 h under reflux with a mixture of 12 ml of ethanol and 6 ml of triethylamine . for the work - up the solvent is removed on a rotary evaporator and after fine purification by preparative rp - hplc ( method 5 ) 260 mg of the target compound are obtained . hplc ( method 9 ): r t = 3 . 76 min , ms ( esi +)= 432 ( m + h ) + . 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , dmso - d 6 ): δ = 1 . 03 ( d , 6h ), 2 . 82 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 04 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 28 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 78 ( s , 3h ), 5 . 77 ( q , 2h ), 7 . 82 ( d , 1h ), 8 . 19 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 52 ( s , 1h ). the following examples 51a to 62a are prepared in analogy to example 50a . lc - ms ( method 9 ): r t = 3 . 67 min ms ( esi +): m / z = 410 ( m + h ) + hplc ( method 10 ): r t = 3 . 76 min ms ( esi +): m / z = 446 ( m + h ) + hplc ( method 10 ): r t = 3 . 77 min ms ( esi +): m / z = 446 ( m + h ) + lc - ms ( method 2 ): r t = 1 . 16 min ms ( es +): m / z = 404 ( m + h ) + hplc ( method 9 ): r t = 3 . 54 min ms ( esi +): m / z = 392 ( m + h ) + lc - ms ( method 2 ): r t = 1 . 10 min ms ( es +): m / z = 428 ( m + h ) + hplc ( method 9 ): r t = 3 . 51 min ms ( esi +): m / z = 414 ( m + h ) + lc - ms ( method 2 ): r t = 1 . 02 min ms ( es +): m / z = 407 ( m + h ) + hplc ( method 10 ): r t = 3 . 51 min ms ( esi +): m / z = 408 ( m + h ) + hplc ( method 9 ): r t = 3 . 59 min ms ( esi +): m / z = 448 ( m + h ) + hplc ( method 9 ): r t = 3 . 52 min ms ( esi +): m / z = 426 ( m + h ) + lc - ms ( method 2 ): r t = 1 . 14 min ms ( es +): m / z = 418 ( m + h ) + a solution of 500 . 0 mg ( 1 . 63 mmol ) of 7 - chloro - 8 - cyano - 1 - cyclopropyl - 6 - fluoro - 4 - oxo - 1 , 4 - dihydroquinoline - 3 - carboxylic acid ( for preparation see : de 19854357 ) and 446 . 8 mg ( 3 . 91 mmol ) of cis - 2 , 6 - dimethylpiperazine in 50 ml of acetonitrile is stirred over night at 50 ° c . the solvent is removed completely on a rotary evaporator , the residue is taken up in 50 ml of water and the ph is adjusted to ph 11 with a 1n sodium hydroxide solution ( the residue dissolves ). the solution is then adjusted to ph 7 with 1n hydrochloric acid . the precipitate is filtered off , washed with water and diethylether and dried under high vacuum . 157 mg of the title compound are obtained . the filtrate is extracted with dichloromethane , the organic phase is concentrated and the residue is purified by rp - hplc . an additional 351 mg of the title compound are obtained . lc - ms ( method 2 ): r t = 0 . 83 min , ms ( es +): m / z = 385 ( m + h ) + . 2 . 6 g of sodium hydride ( 60 % in oil ) are added to 2 . 0 g of 2 - chloro - 4 - hydroxybenzonitrile in 50 ml of thf under argon at 0 ° c . after 10 min 9 . 24 g of methyliodide are added and the mixture is stirred over night at room temperature . for the work - up 2 ml of glacial acidic acid are added cautiously , the mixture is concentrated on a rotary evaporator and the residue is subjected to an extractive work - up with 1n hydrochloric acid and ethyl acetate . the organic phase is dried with sodium sulfate and concentrated on a rotary evaporator . after hplc purification ( method 5 ) 0 . 70 g of product are obtained . 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , cdcl 3 ): δ = 7 . 58 ( d , 1h ), 7 . 01 ( d , 1h ), 6 . 87 ( dd , 1h ). 588 mg of 2 - bromo - 4 - chlorobenzoic acid and 300 mg of urea are dissolved in dichloromethane / methanole and deposited onto 364 mg of aluminum oxide on a rotary evaporator . the residue is irradiated for 60 min in a microwave at 150 ° c . after cooling the residue is stirred with ethyl acetate and water , the mixture is filtered and the aqueous phase is removed . the organic phase is washed with a sodium hydrogencarbonate solution dried over sodium sulfate , concentrated on a rotary evaporator and then dried under high vacuum . the product is reacted further without additional purification . 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , cdcl 3 ): δ = 7 . 72 ( d , 1h ), 7 . 60 ( d , 1h ), 7 . 42 ( dd , 1h ). 4 . 00 g of 2 - chloro - 4 - trifluoromethoxyphenol are provided in 50 ml of toluene and 50 ml of a 30 % solution of potassium phosphate in water at 0 ° c ., 3 . 82 ml of trifluoromethanesulfonic anhydride are added slowly and the mixture is stirred for 1 . 5 h at room temperature . the aqueous phase is removed and the organic phase is washed with water , dried over sodium sulfate and concentrated . the crude product is reacted onto example 67a without purification . 3 . 00 g of the compound of example 66a are dissolved with 2 . 04 g of zinc cyanide and 1 . 00 g of tetrakis ( triphenylphosphine ) palladium in 12 of ml degased dmf and heated under argon for 2 h at 120 ° c . after cooling the reaction mixture is diluted with ethyl acetate and extracted twice with a saturated sodium hydrogencarbonate solution and then a saturated sodium chloride solution . the organic phase is dried over sodium sulfate and concentrated . the residue is purified by silica gel chromatography ( cyclohexane / ethyl acetate 10 : 1 ). 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , dmso - d 6 ): δ = 7 . 62 ( dd , 1h ), 7 . 95 ( d , 1h ), 8 . 18 ( d , 1h ). 795 mg ( 3 . 61 mmol ) of 2 - methyl - 4 -( trifluoromethoxy ) benzoic acid are heated with 4 ml ( 54 . 8 mmol ) of thionyl chloride and a drop of dmf for 30 min under reflux . after cooling the reaction mixture is added slowly dropwise into an ice - cooled concentrated aqueous ammonia solution . the resulting precipitate is collected by suction filtration , taken up in 30 ml of water and stirred for 1 h at 60 ° c . the reaction mixture is left to cool , the solid is collected by filtration and dried under vacuum . yield : 562 mg ( 71 % of theory ) lc - ms ( method 2 ): r t = 1 . 61 min , ms ( esi +): m / z = 220 ( m + h ) + 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , dmso - d 6 ): δ = 7 . 79 ( bs , 1h ), 7 . 42 - 7 . 50 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 19 - 7 . 28 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 39 ( s , 3h ). 18 . 8 ml ( 18 . 8 mmol ) of borane - thf - complex ( 1m ) are provided under argon and ice cooling . a solution of 823 mg ( 3 . 76 mmol ) of 2 - methyl - 4 -( trifluoromethoxy ) benzamide ( example 68a ) in 80 ml of thf is added dropwise and the reaction mixture is subsequently stirred for 8 h under reflux . under ice cooling 80 ml of 1n hydrochloric acid are added dropwise ( until the end of the evolution of gas ) and the reaction mixture is heated for 1 h under reflux . the reaction mixture is subsequently adjusted to an alkaline ph with a 1n sodium hydroxide solution , extracted three times with dichloromethane and the combined organic phases are dried over sodium sulfate and the solvent is removed under vacuum . an oil is obtained which is reacted further without further purification . yield : 732 mg ( 95 % of theory ). lc - ms ( method 3 ): r t = 1 . 41 min , ms ( esi +): m / z = 206 ( m + h ) + 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ): δ = 7 . 32 - 7 . 40 ( m , 1h ), 6 . 99 - 7 . 11 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 95 - 4 . 01 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 40 ( s , 3h ). 13 . 9 ml of borane - thf complex are provided under ice cooling . a solution of 2 . 0 g of 2 - bromo - 4 - chlorobenzonitrile ( example 65a ) in 60 ml of thf is added slowly . the reaction mixture is then heated for 1 h under reflux , cooled and under ice cooling 20 ml of 1n hydrochloric acid are added dropwise . the mixture is heated under reflux for 1 h and left to cool . for the work - up the solution is adjusted to an alkaline ph with a 1n sodium hydroxide solution and extracted with dichloromethane . the organic phase is dried over sodium sulfate and concentrated on a rotary evaporator . the crude product is reacted further without purification . 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , cdcl 3 ): δ = 3 . 89 ( s , 2h ), 7 . 35 - 7 . 45 ( m [ abm ], 2h ), 7 . 55 ( d , 1h ). 46 . 2 ml of borane - thf complex are provided under ice cooling . a solution of 2 . 0 g of 4 - bromo - 4 - chlorobenzonitrile in 240 ml of thf is added slowly . the reaction mixture is then heated for 1 h under reflux , cooled and 20 ml of 1n hydrochloric acid are added dropwise while cooling on ice . the mixture is heated under reflux for 1 h and left to cool . for the work - up the solution is adjusted to an alkaline ph with a 1n sodium hydroxide solution and extracted with dichloromethane . the organic phase is dried over sodium sulfate and concentrated on a rotary evaporator . 6 ml of hydrochloric acid in dioxane ( 4n ) are added and the precipitated hydrochloride is collected by suction filtration . 1 . 3 g of product are obtained . 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , dmso - d 6 ): δ = 4 . 09 ( s , 2h ), 7 . 58 ( dd , 1h ), 7 . 68 ( dd , 1h ), 7 . 83 ( d , 1h ), 8 . 55 ( bs , 3h ). the preparation takes place in analogy to example 70a from 4 - bromo - 2 - methyl - benzonitrile . 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , cdcl 3 ): δ = ca . 1 . 7 ( br . s , nh2 ), 2 . 60 ( s , 3h ), 3 . 81 ( s , 2h ), 7 . 19 ( d , 1h ), 7 . 28 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 30 ( d , 1h ). the preparation takes place in analogy to example 71a from the compound of example 64a . 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , dmso - d 6 ): δ = 3 . 80 ( s , 3h ), 4 . 04 ( s , 2h ), 7 . 01 ( dd , 1h ), 7 . 12 ( d , 1h ), 7 . 53 ( d , 1h ), 8 . 38 ( bs , 3h ). the preparation takes place in analogy to example 71a from the compound of example 67a . 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , dmso - d 6 ): δ = 4 . 15 ( s , 2h ), 7 . 52 ( d , 1h ), 7 . 70 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 78 ( d , 1h ), 8 . 56 ( bs , 3h ). the preparation takes place in analogy to example 71a from 2 - chloro - 4 - trifluoromethylbenzonitrile . 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , dmso - d 6 ): δ = 4 . 22 ( s , 2h ), 7 . 30 - 7 . 90 ( m [ ab ], 2h ), 7 . 40 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 00 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 60 ( bs , 3h ). the preparation takes place in analogy to example 71a from 2 , 4 - dichloro - 6 - methylbenzonitrile . 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , dmso - d 6 ): δ = 2 . 5 ( s , 3h ), 4 . 10 ( s , 2h ), 7 . 40 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 60 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 40 ( bs , 3h ). lc - ms ( method 13 ): r t = 2 . 44 min , ms ( es +)= 190 ( m + h ) + . the preparation takes place in analogy to example 71a from 4 - chloro - 2 - trifluoromethyl - benzonitrile . 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , dmso - d 6 ): δ = 4 . 18 ( d , 2h ), 7 . 82 ( d , 1h ), 7 . 88 - 7 . 98 ( m , 2h ), 8 . 58 ( bs , 3h ). the preparation takes place in analogy to example 71a from 2 - methyl - 4 - trifluoromethylbenzonitrile . 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , dmso - d 6 ): δ = 2 . 44 ( s , 3h ), 4 . 10 ( s , 2h ), 7 . 52 ( s , 3h ), 8 . 55 ( bs , 3h ). 15 . 0 g of 8 - chloro - 1 - cyclopropyl - 6 , 7 - difluoro - 4 - oxo - 1 , 4 - dihydroquinoline - 3 - carboxylic acid ( for preparation see de 3420743 or y . kimura et al ., j . med . chem . ( 1994 ) 37 : 3344 ) are dissolved in 500 ml of dmf and 31 . 3 g of pybop and 10 . 6 g of 2 , 4 - dichlorobenzylamine are added . after a day the solvent is removed and the residue is purified by flash chromatography on silica gel ( toluene / ethyl acetate 95 : 5 ). lc - ms ( method 1 ): r t = 3 . 10 min , ms ( es +)= 457 ( m + h ) + . 0 . 17 ml ( 0 . 25 g , 2 . 19 mmol ) of chloroacetyl chloride are provided in 5 ml of dichloromethane , the solution is cooled to 0 ° c ., and subsequently 1 . 00 g ( 1 . 83 mmol ) of the compound of example 12 are added , the mixture is warmed to room temperature and stirred for 1 h at this temperature . for the work - up 0 . 49 g of the target compound are isolated from the solution by negative pressure column chromatography on silica gel 60 with an eluent mixture of dichloromethane : ethanol 95 : 5 . lc - ms ( method 3 ): r t = 3 . 05 min , ms ( es +)= 623 ( m + h ) + . 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , dmso - d 6 ): δ = 0 . 95 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 09 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 40 ( m , 6h ), 3 . 28 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 69 ( s , 3h ), 4 . 03 - 4 . 70 ( m , 9h : in there 4 . 58 ( d , 2h )), 7 . 35 - 7 . 47 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 63 ( d , 1h ), 7 . 78 ( d , 1h ), 8 . 69 ( s , 1h ), 10 . 25 ( t , 1h ). in analogy to example 80a the title compound is obtained from the compound of example 47 . lc - ms ( method 2 ): r t = 2 . 91 min , ms ( es +)= 666 ( m + h ) + . 50 . 0 mg of the compound of example 80a and 15 . 6 mg ( 0 . 24 mmol ) of sodium azide are stirred in 3 ml of n , n - dimethylformamide in a closed reaction vessel at 90 ° c . over night . after fine purification by preparative rp - hplc ( method 6 ) 46 mg of the target compound are obtained . lc - ms ( method 1 ): r t = 3 . 03 min , ms ( es +)= 630 ( m + h ) + . in analogy to example 82a but at room temperature in the presence of 0 . 1 eq . of potassium iodide the title compound is prepared from the compound of example 81a . lc - ms ( method 3 ): r t = 3 . 17 min , ms ( es +): m / z = 671 ( m + h ) + . 1 g of the compound of example 12 is heated with 343 mg of ethyibromoacetate , 312 mg of potassium iodide and 590 mg of potassium carbonate in 60 ml of acetonitrile for 2 h under reflux . after cooling the reaction mixture is separated by preparative hplc ( method 6 ). 862 mg ( 75 % of theory ) of the title compound are obtained . lc - ms ( method 2 ): r t = 2 . 39 min . ms ( esi ): m / z = 633 ( m + h ) + . 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , dmso - d 6 ): δ = 0 . 98 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 12 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 29 ( t , 3h ), 1 . 33 ( d , 6h ), 3 . 35 - 3 . 69 ( m , 4h ), 3 . 72 - 3 . 90 ( m , 5h : in there 3 . 79 ( s , 3h )), 4 . 11 ( m , 1h ), 4 . 23 - 4 . 51 ( m , 4h : in there 4 . 29 ( q , 2h )), 4 . 59 ( d , 2h ), 7 . 39 ( d , 1h ), 7 . 42 ( dd , 1h ), 7 . 53 ( d , 1h ), 7 . 78 ( d , 1h ), 8 . 69 ( s , 1h ), 10 . 22 ( t , 1h ). 200 mg of the compound of example 84a are dissolved in 5 ml of dioxane , subsequently 5 ml of a 1m lithium hydroxide solution are added and the mixture is stirred for 2 h at 50 ° c . for the work - up the solvent is removed on a rotary evaporator and the residue is taken up in water and acidified with 1m hydrochloric acid ( ph 3 - 4 ). the precipitate is collected by filtration , washed with water and dried under high vacuum . 140 mg ( 73 % of theory ) of the title compound are obtained . lc - ms ( method 1 ): r t = 2 . 06 min , ms ( esi ): m / z = 605 ( m + h ) + . 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , dmso - d 6 ): δ = 0 . 99 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 18 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 38 ( d , 6h ), 3 . 46 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 55 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 70 ( s , 3h ), 3 . 78 ( m , 4h ), 3 . 95 ( m , 1h ), 4 . 68 ( d , 2h ), 7 . 20 ( dd , 1h ), 7 . 38 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 86 ( d , 1h ), 1h ), 8 . 84 ( s , 1h ), 10 . 28 ( t , 1h ). the title compound is prepared in analogy to example 80a from the compound of example 52 . lc - ms ( method 1 ): r t = 3 . 09 min , ms ( es +): m / z = 695 ( m + h ) + . the title compound is prepared in analogy to example 82a from the compound of example 86a . lc - ms ( method 3 ): r t = 3 . 15 min , ms ( es +): m / z = 702 ( m + h ) + . 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ): δ = 1 . 51 ( d , 6h ), 2 . 40 ( s , 3h ), 3 . 30 ( d , 2h ), 3 . 44 ( br . d , 2h ), 3 . 75 ( s , 3h ), 4 . 00 ( br . s , 2h ), 4 . 62 ( d , 2h ), 5 . 20 ( q , 2h ), 7 . 00 - 7 . 06 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 35 ( d , 1h ), 7 . 95 ( d , 1h ), 8 . 60 ( s , 1h ), 9 . 99 ( t , 1h ). 110 mg ( 0 . 26 mmol ) of the compound of example 1a are dissolved in 2 ml of dimethylformamide and 35 mg ( 0 . 26 mmol ) of 1 - hydroxybenzotriazole , 46 mg ( 0 . 26 mmol ) of 2 , 4 - dichlorobenzylamine and 55 mg ( 0 . 29 mmol ) of n -( 3 - dimethylaminopropyl )- n ′- ethylcarbodiimide hydrochloride are added . after two days of stirring at room temperature the batch is diluted with 2 ml of water . the batch is purified by preparative hplc ( method 4 ). 34 . 5 mg of the target compound are obtained . lc - ms ( method 3 ): r t = 1 . 95 min , ms ( es +)= 581 ( m + h ) + in analogy to the preparation instructions of example 1 , examples 2 to 6 are prepared : the preparation takes place in analogy to example 1 from example 2a . lc - ms ( method 2 ): r t = 1 . 78 min , ms ( es +)= 611 ( m + h ) + 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , dmso - d 6 ): δ = 0 . 9 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 2 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 6 - 2 . 7 ( m , about 6h ), 3 . 3 ( signals under the solvent ), 3 . 4 - 3 . 6 ( m , about 6h ), 4 . 3 ( m , 1h ), 4 . 5 ( d , 2h ), 7 . 4 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 65 ( d , 1h ), 7 . 9 ( d , 1h ), 8 . 8 ( s , 1h ), 10 . 1 ( t , 1h ). the preparation takes place in analogy to example 1 from example 3a . lc - ms ( method 2 ): r t = 1 . 76 min , ms ( es +) 629 ( m + h ) + the preparation takes place in analogy to example 1 from example 4a . lc - ms ( method 1 ): r t = 1 . 98 min . ms ( es +)= 629 ( m + h ) + the preparation takes place in analogy to example 1 from 8 - chloro - 1 - cyclopropyl - 7 -[( 3rs , 5sr )- 3 , 5 - dimethylpiperazin - 1 - yl ]- 6 - fluoro - 4 - oxo - 1 , 4 - dihydroquinoline - 3 - carboxylic acid ( for preparation see de 3635218 ) lc - ms ( method 2 ): r t = 1 . 86 min , ms ( es +)= 551 ( m + h ) + 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ): δ = 0 . 9 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 1l ( d , 6h ), 1 . 2 - 1 . 3 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 7 - 2 . 9 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 1 - 3 . 3 ( m , 4h ), 4 . 3 ( m , 1h ), 4 . 7 ( d , 2h ), 7 . 2 ( dd , 2h ), 7 . 4 ( m , 2h ), 8 . 0 ( d , 1h ), 8 . 9 ( s , 1h ), 10 . 2 ( t , 1h ). the preparation takes place in analogy to example 1 from example 5a . lc - ms ( method 1 ): r t = 2 . 08 min . ms ( es +)= 668 ( m + h ) + 140 mg ( 0 . 27 mmol ) of 1 - benzotriazolyloxytripyrrolidinophosphonium hexafluorophosphate , 47 mg ( 0 . 27 mmol ) of 2 , 4 - dichlorobenzylamine and 35 mg ( 0 . 27 mmol ) of diisopropylethylamine are added under argon to 105 mg ( 0 . 14 mmol ) of the carboxylic acid of example 6a in 2 ml of dimethylformamide and the mixture is stirred at room temperature for 2 days . the reaction mixture is diluted with 2 ml of water and without further work - up purified by preparative hplc ( method 4 ). 52 mg of the target compound are obtained . lc - ms ( method 1 ): r t = 1 . 91 min , ms ( es +)= 625 ( m + h ) + in analogy to the preparation instructions of example 7 , examples 8 to 18 are prepared : the preparation takes place in analogy to example 7 from example 2a . lc - ms ( method 3 ): r t = 1 . 91 min , ms ( es +)= 591 ( m + h ) + 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ): δ = 0 . 9 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 2 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 4 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 6 - 2 . 7 ( m , about 6h ), 3 . 4 ( m , about 4h ), 3 . 6 - 3 . 8 ( m , 6h ), 4 . 2 ( m , 1h ), 4 . 6 ( d , 2h ), 7 . 2 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 35 ( dd , 2h ), 7 . 9 ( d , 1h ), 8 . 9 ( s , 1h ), 10 . 0 ( t , 1h ). the preparation takes place in analogy to example 7 from example 7a . lc - ms ( method 2 ): r t = 1 . 63 min , ms ( es +)= 585 ( m + h ) + the preparation takes place in analogy to example 7 from example 8a . lc - ms ( method 2 ): r t = 1 . 70 min , ms ( es +)= 555 ( m + h ) + the preparation takes place in analogy to example 7 from example 9a . lc - ms ( method 3 ): r t = 1 . 89 min , ms ( es +)= 629 ( m + h ) + the preparation takes place in analogy to example 7 from 1 - cyclopropyl - 7 -( cis - 3 , 5 - dimethylpiperazin - 1 - yl )- 6 - fluoro - 8 - methoxy - 4 - oxo - 1 , 4 - dihydroquinoline - 3 - carboxylic acid ( for preparation see journal of medicinal chemistry ( 1995 ) 38 : 4478 - 4487 ). lc - ms ( method 2 ): r t = 1 . 77 min , ms ( es +)= 547 ( m + h ) + the preparation takes place in analogy to example 7 from 1 - cyclopropyl - 7 -( cis - 3 , 5 - dimethylpiperazin - 1 - yl )- 8 - difluoromethoxy - 6 - fluoro - 4 - oxo - 1 , 4 - dihydroquinoline - 3 - carboxylic acid ( for preparation see ep 352123 ). lc - ms ( method 2 ): r t = 2 . 05 min , ms ( es +)= 583 ( m + h ) + the preparation takes place in analogy to example 7 from example 10a . lc - ms ( method 2 ): r t = 1 . 70 min , ms ( es +)= 587 ( m + h ) + the preparation takes place in analogy to example 7 from example 5a . lc - ms ( method 2 ): r t = 1 . 66 min , ms ( es +)= 648 ( m + h ) + the preparation takes place in analogy to example 7 from example 11a . lc - ms ( method 2 ): r t = 1 . 66 min , ms ( es +)= 565 ( m + h ) + 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , cdcl 3 ): δ = 1 . 1 ( d , 6h ), 1 . 4 - 1 . 7 ( m ), 2 . 7 - 2 . 9 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 0 - 3 . 2 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 2 - 3 . 4 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 7 ( s , 3h ), 3 . 8 - 3 . 9 ( m , 1h ), 4 . 6 - 4 . 9 ( m , about 3h ), 7 . 1 - 7 . 2 ( dd , 1h ), 7 . 3 - 7 . 5 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 8 - 7 . 9 ( d , 1h ), 8 . 8 ( s , 1h ), 10 . 3 - 10 . 4 ( t , 1h ). the preparation takes place in analogy to example 7 from example 11a . lc - ms ( method 3 ): r t = 1 . 89 min , ms ( es +)= 545 ( m + h ) + 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , cdcl 3 ): δ = 1 . 1 ( d , 6h ), 1 . 4 - 1 . 7 ( m ), 2 . 4 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 7 - 2 . 9 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 0 - 3 . 2 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 2 - 3 . 4 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 7 ( s , 3h ), 3 . 8 - 3 . 9 ( m , 1h ), 4 . 5 - 4 . 65 ( m , 1h ), 4 . 65 - 5 . 0 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 1 - 7 . 2 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 3 ( m , about 1h ), 7 . 75 ( d , 1h ), 8 . 8 ( s , 1h ), 10 . 2 ( t , 1h ). the preparation takes place in analogy to example 7 from example 12a . lc - ms ( method 2 ): r t = 1 . 66 min , ms ( es +)= 643 ( m + h ) + 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ): δ = 0 . 9 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 2 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 7 ( m , about 6h ), 3 . 4 ( m , 4h ), 3 . 6 - 3 . 8 ( m , 6h ), 4 . 1 ( m , 1h ), 4 . 7 ( d , 2h ), 6 . 5 ( dd , 1h ), 7 . 2 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 4 ( m , 2h ), 8 . 0 ( d , 1h ), 8 . 8 ( s , 1h ), 10 . 2 ( t , 1h ). 130 mg ( 0 . 25 mmol ) of pybop , 78 mg ( 0 . 36 mmol ) of 2 - bromo - 4 - chlorobenzylamine ( example 70a ) and 127 mg ( 0 . 98 mmol ) of n , n - diisopropylethylamine are added to 75 mg ( 0 . 19 mmol ) 1 - cyclopropyl - 7 -( cis - 3 , 5 - dimethylpiperazin - 1 - yl )- 6 - fluoro - 8 - methoxy - 4 - oxo - 1 , 4 - dihydroquinoline - 3 - carboxylic acid ( for preparation see : journal of medicinal chemistry ( 1995 ) 38 : 4478 - 4487 ) in 2 ml dimethylformamide under argon and the mixture is stirred over night at room temperature . the reaction mixture is diluted with 2 ml of water and without further work - up purified by preparative hplc ( method 5 ). 92 mg of the title compound are obtained . lc - ms ( method 1 ): r t = 1 . 96 min , ms ( es +)= 591 ( m + h ) + , ( 79 br 35 cl ), 593 ( m + h ) + ( 81 br 35 cl ). 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , cdcl 3 ): δ = 0 . 97 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 18 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 38 ( d , 6h ), 3 . 34 - 3 . 52 ( m , 6h ), 3 . 77 ( s , 3h ), 3 . 95 ( m , 1h ), 4 . 69 ( d , 2h ), 4 . 86 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 33 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 52 ( s , 2h ), 7 . 91 ( d , 1h ), 8 . 43 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 86 ( s , 1h ), 10 . 34 ( t , 1h ) from the same acid and in analogy to the preparation instructions of example 19 examples 20 to 27 are prepared from the corresponding amines ( commercially available or described in examples 69a to 78a ). lc - ms ( method 1 ): r 1 = 1 . 84 min ms ( es +): m / z = 571 ( m + h , 79 br ) + ; m / z = 573 ( m + h , 79 br ) + ; m / z = 573 ( m + h , 81 br ) + 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ): δ = 0 . 97 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 18 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 34 ( d , 6h ), 2 . 37 ( s , 3h ), 3 . 21 - 3 . 51 ( m , 6h ), 3 . 77 ( s , 3h ), 3 . 95 ( m , 1h ), 4 . 56 ( d , 2h ), 7 . 21 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 31 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 88 ( d , 1h ), 8 . 47 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 86 ( s , 1h ), 10 . 16 ( m , 1h ) lc - ms ( method 3 ): r t = 1 . 92 min ms ( es +): m / z = 591 ( m + h , 79 br ) + ; m / z = 593 ( m + h , 81 br ) + hplc ( method 10 ): r t = 4 . 27 min ms ( esi ): m / z = 545 ( m + h ) + lc - ms ( method 1 ): r t = 1 . 82 min ms ( es +): m / z = 581 ( m + h ) + lc - ms ( method 3 ): r t = 1 . 93 min ms ( es +): m / z = 561 ( m + h ) + 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , dmso - d 6 ): δ = 0 . 98 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 12 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 28 ( d , 6h ), 2 . 41 ( s , 3h ) 3 . 15 - 3 . 56 ( m 6h ), 3 . 79 ( s , 3h ), 4 . 11 ( m , 1h ), 4 . 59 ( d , 2h ), 7 . 42 ( d , 1h ), 7 . 52 ( d , 1h ), 7 . 58 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 75 ( d , 1h ), 8 . 72 ( s , 1h ), 10 . 18 ( t , 1h ) hplc ( method 9 ): r t = 4 . 60 min ms ( esi ): m / z = 597 ( m + h ) + 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ): δ = 0 . 97 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 18 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 32 ( d , 6h ), 3 . 19 - 3 . 41 ( m , 4h ), 3 . 45 ( d , 2h ), 3 . 77 ( s , 3h ), 3 . 95 ( m , 1h ), 4 . 71 ( d , 2h ), 7 . 09 ( d , 1h ), 7 . 49 ( d , 1h ), 7 . 91 ( d , 1h ), 8 . 40 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 36 ( s , 1h ), 10 . 38 ( t , 1h ) lc - ms ( method 3 ): r t = 1 . 72 min ms ( es +): m / z = 581 ( m + h ) + lc - ms ( method 3 ): r t = 1 . 91 min ms ( es +): m / z = 561 ( m + h ) + preparation takes place in analogy to example 19 from 7 -( cis - 3 , 5 - dimethylpiperazin - 1 - yl )- 6 - fluoro - 1 -( 2 - fluoroethyl )- 8 - methoxy - 4 - oxo - 1 , 4 - dihydroquinoline - 3 - carboxylic acid ( for preparation see : ep 0241206 ) and 2 , 4 - dichlorobenzylamine . hplc ( method 9 ): r t = 4 . 46 min , ms ( esi )= 553 ( m + h ) + . 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , dmso - d 6 ): δ = 1 . 15 ( d , 6h ), 2 . 88 - 3 . 07 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 11 - 3 . 56 ( m , 4h under the water signal of the dmso ), 3 . 78 ( s , 3h ), 4 . 59 ( d , 2h ), 4 . 76 ( dd , 2h ), 4 . 95 ( d , 2h ), 7 . 35 - 7 . 50 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 64 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 83 ( d , 1h ), 8 . 16 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 72 ( s , 1h ), 10 . 27 ( t , 1h ). in analogy to the preparation instructions for example 19 the examples 29 to 51 are prepared from various carboxylic acids and benzylamines . hplc ( method 10 ): r t = 4 . 33 min ms ( esi ): m / z = 533 ( m + h ) + hplc ( method 9 ): r t = 4 . 42 min ms ( esi ): m / z = 565 ( m + h ) + 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , cdcl 3 ): δ = 1 . 52 ( d , 6h ), 2 . 98 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 08 ( m , 4h ), 3 . 62 ( m , 4h ), 3 . 79 ( s , 3h ), 3 . 91 ( m , 2h ), 4 . 70 ( d , 2h ), 5 . 76 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 21 ( dd , 1h ), 7 . 38 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 41 ( d , 1h ), 7 . 97 ( d , 1h ), 8 . 27 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 86 ( s , 1h ), 10 . 43 ( t , 1h ) hplc ( method 9 ): r t = 4 . 47 min ms ( esi ): m / z = 605 ( m + h ) + 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , cdcl 3 ): δ = 1 . 33 ( d , 6h ), 3 . 21 - 3 . 45 ( m , 6h ), 3 . 82 ( s , 3h ), 4 . 70 ( d , 2h ), 5 . 25 ( q , 2h ), 7 . 21 ( dd , 1h ), 7 . 38 ( d , 1h ), 7 . 40 ( d , 1h ), 7 . 95 ( d , 1h , 8 . 42 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 57 ( s , 1h ), 10 . 22 ( t , 1h ) hplc ( method 9 ): r t = 4 . 46 min ms ( esi ): m / z = 533 ( m + h ) + hplc ( method 10 ): r t = 4 . 52 min ms ( esi ): m / z = 569 ( m + h ) + lc - ms ( method 1 ): r t = 1 . 98 min ms ( es +): m / z = 565 ( m + h ) + hplc ( method 10 ): r t = 4 . 57 min ms ( esi ): m / z = 571 ( m + h ) + 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , cdcl 3 ): δ = 1 . 35 ( d , 6h ), 3 . 31 - 3 . 48 ( m , 6h ), 3 . 85 ( s , 3h ), 4 . 69 ( d , 2h ), 4 . 83 ( td , 2h ), 6 . 04 ( tt , 1h ), 7 . 21 ( dd , 1h ), 7 . 37 - 7 . 42 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 98 ( d , 1h , 8 . 41 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 59 ( s , 1h ), 10 . 26 ( t , 1h ) lc - ms ( method 1 ): r t = 1 . 75 min ms ( es +): m / z = 583 ( m + h ) + lc - ms ( method 1 ): r t = 1 . 81 min ms ( es +): m / z = 547 ( m + h ) + lc - ms ( method 2 ): r t = 1 . 73 min ms ( es +): m / z = 565 ( m + h ) + 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , dmso - 6 ): δ = 1 . 24 ( d , 6h ), 1 . 56 ( t , 3h ), 3 . 14 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 43 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 49 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 81 ( s , 3h ), 4 . 59 ( d , 2h ), 5 . 31 ( t , 2h ), 7 . 37 - 7 . 47 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 64 ( s , 2h ), 7 . 82 ( d , 1h ), 8 . 72 ( s , 1h ), 10 . 16 ( t , 1h ) lc - ms ( method 3 ): r t = 1 . 92 min ms ( es +): m / z = 575 ( m + h ) + lc - ms ( method 1 ): r t = 2 . 16 min ms ( es +): m / z = 561 ( m + h ) + purification ( method 8 ) lc - ms ( method 1 ): r t = 1 . 97 min ms ( es +): m / z = 542 ( m + h ) + 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , dmso - 6 ): δ = 1 . 22 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 26 - 1 . 38 ( m , 8h ): in there 1 . 30 ( d , 6h )), 3 . 41 - 3 . 57 ( m , 4h ), 3 . 79 ( m , 2h ), 4 . 15 ( m , 1h ), 4 . 59 ( d , 2h ), 7 . 36 - 7 . 46 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 64 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 19 ( d , 1h ), 8 . 70 ( s , 1h ), 10 . 09 ( t , 1h ) hplc ( method 10 ): r t = 4 . 48 min ms ( esi ): m / z = 551 ( m + h ) + lc - ms ( method 3 ): r t = 1 . 97 min ms ( es +): m / z = 545 ( m + h ) + 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , dmso - 6 ): δ = 1 . 06 ( d , 6h ), 1 . 43 - 1 . 68 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 32 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 72 - 2 . 91 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 06 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 25 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 77 ( s , 3h ), 4 . 08 ( m , 1h ), 4 . 51 ( d , 2h ), 4 . 93 / 5 . 10 ( 2m , 1h ), 7 . 19 - 7 . 32 ( m , 3h , 7 . 71 ( d , 1h ), 8 . 68 ( s , 1h ), 10 . 08 ( t , 1h ) lc - ms ( method 2 ): r t = 1 . 77 min ms ( es +): m / z = 585 ( m + h ) + hplc ( method 9 ): r t = 4 . 75 min ms ( esi ): m / z = 603 ( m + h ) + lc - ms ( method 2 ): r t = 1 . 78 min ms ( es +): m / z = 603 ( m + h ) + hplc ( method 9 ): r t = 4 . 58 min ms ( esi ): m / z = 589 ( m + h ) + lc - ms ( method 3 ): r t = 1 . 86 min ms ( es +): m / z = 565 ( m + h ) + lc - ms ( method 2 ): r t = 2 . 05 min ms ( es +): m / z = 542 ( m + h ) + lc - ms ( method 2 ): r t = 1 . 94 min ms ( es +): m / z = 557 ( m + h ) + hplc ( method 9 ): r t = 4 . 71 min ms ( esi ): m / z = 639 ( m + h ) + 212 mg ( 0 . 49 mmol ) of 7 -[( 3rs , 5sr )- 3 , 5 - dimethylpiperazin - 1 - yl ]- 6 - fluoro - 8 - methoxy - 4 - oxo - 1 -( 2 , 2 , 2 - trifluoroethyl )- 1 , 4 - dihydroquinoline - 3 - carboxylic acid ( salt free compound of example 50a ) and 366 mg ( 0 . 98 mmol ) of 2 - methyl - 4 - trifluoromethoxybenzylamine ( example 69a ) are dissolved together with 357 mg ( 0 . 69 mmol ) of pybop and 30 mg ( 0 . 25 mmol ) of 4 - dimethylaminopyridine in 4 ml of dmf and stirred for 12 h at room temperature . the reaction mixture is then purified by preparative hplc ( method 7 ). a solid is obtained . yield : 170 mg ( 56 % of theory ). lc - ms ( method 1 ): r t = 2 . 00 min , ms ( es +): m / z = 619 ( m + h ) + 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , dmso - d 6 ): δ = 10 . 0 ( t , 1h ), 8 . 85 ( bs , 1h ), 7 . 76 ( d , 1h ), 7 . 37 ( d , 1h ), 7 . 22 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 15 - 7 . 19 ( m , 1h ), 5 . 71 ( q , 2h ), 4 . 55 ( d , 2h ), 3 . 78 ( s , 3h ), 3 . 17 - 3 . 24 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 92 - 3 . 06 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 70 - 2 . 83 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 37 ( s , 3h ), 1 . 00 ( d , 6h ). 243 mg ( 0 . 41 mmol ) of n -( 2 , 4 - dichlorobenzyl )- 7 -[( 3rs , 5sr )- 3 , 5 - dimethylpiperazin - 1 - yl ]- 6 - fluoro - 8 - methoxy - 4 - oxo - 1 -( 2 , 2 , 2 - trifluoroethyl )- 1 , 4 - dihydroquinoline - 3 - carboxamide ( released from the hydrochloride of the compound of example 47 ), 46 . 3 mg ( 0 . 49 mmol ) of chloroacetamide , 75 mg ( 0 . 45 mmol ) of potassium iodide and 143 mg ( 1 . 03 mmol ) of potassium carbonate are stirred over night under reflux in 4 ml of acetonitrile . after cooling the mixture is filtered and separated by preparative hplc ( method 5 ). for fine purification the obtained product is stirred in hot acetonitrile , cooled and filtered . after drying under high vacuum 46 mg ( 16 % of theory ) of the title compound are obtained . lc - ms ( method 3 ): r t = 2 . 05 min , ms ( es +): m / z = 646 ( m + h ) + . 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ): δ = 1 . 12 ( d , 6h ), 2 . 82 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 04 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 21 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 33 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 84 ( s , 3h ), 4 . 69 ( d , 2h ), 5 . 23 ( m , 2h ), 5 . 45 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 21 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 34 - 7 . 44 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 93 ( d , 1h ), 8 . 54 ( s , 1h ), 10 . 19 ( m , 1h ). in analogy to the preparation of example 53 the following examples 54 to 75 are prepared from the corresponding piperazines with electrophiles . as electrophiles chloroacetamide , n - methylchloroacetamide , n , n - dimethylchloroacetamide , n - methylsulfonylchloroacetamide ( for preparation see : de 19937024 ), 2 - chloropropionamide , various alkylchloromethylketones or 3 - bromopropionamide are used . hplc ( method 9 ): r t = 4 . 77 min ms ( esi ): m / z = 674 ( m + h ) + hplc ( method 9 ): r t = 4 . 74 min ms ( esi ): m / z = 645 ( m + h ) + lc - ms ( method 3 ): r t = 2 . 05 min ms ( es +): m / z = 604 ( m + h ) + lc - ms ( method 1 ): r t = 2 . 02 min ms ( es +): m / z = 603 ( m + h ) + lc - ms ( method 2 ): r t = 1 . 91 min ms ( es +): m / z = 622 ( m + h ) + lc - ms ( method 2 ): r t = 1 . 83 min ms ( es +): m / z = 632 ( m + h ) + lc - ms ( method 3 ): r t = 2 . 22 min ms ( es +): m / z = 542 ( m + h ) + 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , dmso - d 6 ): δ = 0 . 97 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 11 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 28 ( d , 6h ), 3 . 12 - 3 . 33 ( m , 5h : in there 1 . 29 ( s , 3h )), 3 . 75 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 79 ( s , 3h ), 4 . 09 ( m , 1h ), 4 . 15 ( m , 2h ), 4 . 58 ( d , 2h ), 7 . 33 - 7 . 48 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 63 ( s , 2h ), 7 . 78 ( d , 1h ), 8 . 68 ( s , 1h ), 10 . 22 ( t , 1h ) lc - ms ( method 2 ): r t = 1 . 86 min ms ( es +): m / z = 604 ( m + h ) + lc - ms ( method 3 ): r t = 1 . 91 min ms ( es +): m / z = 632 ( m + h ) + lc - ms ( method 1 ): r t = 1 . 97 min ms ( es +): m / z = 542 ( m + h ) + lc - ms ( method 2 ): r t = 1 . 67 min ms ( es +): m / z = 590 ( m + h ) + 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , cdcl 3 ): δ = 0 . 96 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 17 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 49 ( d , 6h ), 2 . 32 ( s , 3h ), 3 . 42 - 3 . 58 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 81 ( s , 3h ), 3 . 95 ( m , 1h ), 4 . 0 - 4 . 15 ( m , 2h ), 4 . 23 ( m , 2h ), 4 . 31 ( m , 2h ), 4 . 68 ( d , 2h ), 7 . 21 ( dd , 1h ), 7 . 39 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 94 ( d , 1h ), 8 . 85 ( s , 1h ), 10 . 31 ( t , 1h ), 13 . 08 ( bs , 1h ) lc - ms ( method 2 ): r t = 1 . 89 min ms ( es +): m / z = 604 ( m + h ) + hplc ( method 9 ): r t = 4 . 65 min ms ( es +): m / z = 610 ( m + h ) + hplc ( method 9 ): r t = 4 . 38 min ms ( es +): m / z = 660 ( m + h ) + lc - ms ( method 1 ): r t = 2 . 34 min ms ( es +): m / z = 754 ( m + h ) + lc - ms ( method 3 ): r t = 2 . 07 min ms ( es +): m / z = 631 ( m + h ) + hplc ( method 9 ): r t = 4 . 66 min ms ( es +): m / z = 724 ( m + h ) + lc - ms ( method 3 ): r t = 1 . 95 min ms ( es +): m / z = 603 ( m + h ) + lc - ms ( method 3 ): r t = 2 . 04 min ms ( es +): m / z = 617 ( m + h ) + lc - ms ( method 3 ): r t = 2 . 07 min ms ( es +): m / z = 631 ( m + h ) + lc - ms ( method 3 ): r t = 1 . 85 min ms ( es +): m / z = 604 ( m + h ) + lc - ms ( method 2 ): r t = 2 . 01 min ms ( es +): m / z = 700 ( m + h ) + 50 mg of the compound of example 84a are provided in 2 ml of dmf . an ethylamine solution ( 2m in thf ) with 103 mg of pybop and 35 μl of hünig &# 39 ; s base are added and the mixture is left stirring for 24 h at room temperature . the complete reaction mixture is separated by preparative hplc ( method 6 ). 36 mg ( 69 % of theory ) of the title compound are obtained . lc - ms ( method 3 ): r t = 2 . 17 min , ms ( es +): m / z = 632 ( m + h ) + 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , dmso - d 6 ): δ = 0 . 97 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 05 - 1 . 14 ( m , 5h ), 1 . 33 ( d , 6h ), 3 . 20 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 49 ( d , 2h ), 3 . 60 ( t , 2h ), 3 . 74 - 3 . 80 ( m , 5h , underneath there 3 . 78 ( s , 3h )), 4 . 02 - 4 . 10 ( m , 3h ), 4 . 58 ( d , 2h ), 7 . 37 - 7 . 43 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 52 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 77 ( d , 1h ), 8 . 69 ( s , 1h ), 10 . 22 ( t , 1h ). in analogy to example 76 the following compounds are obtained with the corresponding amines : lc - ms ( method 3 ): r t = 2 . 05 min ms ( es +): m / z = 658 ( m + h ) + lc - ms ( method 3 ): r t = 2 . 10 min ms ( es +): m / z = 644 ( m + h ) + 46 . 0 mg ( 0 . 07 mmol ) of the compound of example 82a are provided in 2 ml of tetrahydrofuran , the solution is cooled to 0 ° c ., 21 . 1 mg ( 0 . 08 mmol ) of triphenylphosphine , dissolved in 1 ml of tetrahydrofuran are added dropwise , the reaction mixture is warmed to room temperature and stirred over night at this temperature . for the work - up the solvent is removed completely on a rotary evaporator , the residue is prepurified by preparative rp - hplc ( method 6 ) and after fine purification by column chromatography on silica gel 60 ( eluent : dichloromethane : ethanol 90 : 10 ) and concentrating the fractions with the addition of hydrochloric acid 24 mg of the target compound are obtained . lc - ms ( method 1 ): r t = 1 . 86 min , ms ( es +): m / z = 604 ( m + h ) + 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , dmso - d 6 ): δ = 0 . 95 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 09 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 38 ( d , 3h ), 1 . 46 ( d , 3h ), 3 . 39 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 57 ( s , 2h ), 3 . 70 ( s , 3h ), 3 . 75 ( m , 1h ), 4 . 03 ( m , 1h ), 4 . 10 ( m , 2h ), 4 . 55 ( m , 1h ), 4 . 59 ( d , 2h ), 7 . 37 - 7 . 47 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 65 ( d , 1h ), 7 . 78 ( d , 1h ), 8 . 05 ( m , 2h ), 8 . 70 ( s , 1h ), 10 . 25 ( t , 1h ). the title compound is prepared in analogy to example 79 from the compound of example 83a . lc - ms ( method 3 ): r t = 2 . 03 min . ms ( es +): m / z = 646 ( m + h ) + . 50 mg ( 0 . 08 mmol ) of the compound of example 80a and 22 . 9 mg ( 0 . 40 mmol ) of azetidine are stirred in 3 ml of ethanol in a closed reaction vessel over night at 90 ° c . for the work - up the solvent is removed completely on a rotary evaporator and the residue is purified by preparative rp - hplc ( method 6 ). the target compound is obtained with 24 mg . lc - ms ( method 1 ): r t = 1 . 97 min . ms ( es +): m / z = 644 ( m + h ) + 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , dmso - d 6 ): δ = 0 . 95 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 08 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 37 ( d , 3h ), 1 . 48 ( d , 3h ), 2 . 23 - 2 . 58 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 22 - 3 . 49 ( m , 4h ), 3 . 70 ( s , 3h ), 3 . 87 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 95 - 4 . 38 ( m , 6h ), 4 . 45 - 4 . 67 ( m , 4h : in there 4 . 58 ( d , 2h )), 7 . 35 - 7 . 47 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 64 ( d , 1h ), 7 . 78 ( d , 1h ), 8 . 69 ( s , 1h ), 10 . 25 ( t , 1h ). in analogy to example 81 the following examples 82 to 84 are prepared : lc - ms ( method 1 ): r t = 1 . 95 min ms ( es +): m / z = 646 ( m + h ) + lc - ms ( method 1 ): r t = 1 . 95 min ms ( es +): m / z = 644 ( m + h ) + lc - ms ( method 1 ): r t = 1 . 91 min ms ( es +): m / z = 632 ( m + h ) + 28 μl ( 0 . 2 mmol ) of triethylamine and 12 . 8 mg ( 0 . 1 mmol ) of 1 - acetylpiperazine are added to 45 . 6 mg ( 0 . 1 mmol ) of 8 - chloro - 1 - cyclopropyl - n -( 2 , 4 - dichlorobenzyl )- 6 , 7 - difluoro - 4 - oxo - 1 , 4 - dihydroquinoline - 3 - carboxamide ( example 79a ) in 400 μl of dmf . the mixture is stirred for 14 h at 100 ° c ., filtered and purified by preparative lc - ms ( method 12 ). in analogy to example 85 the examples 86 to 88 listed in the following table are prepared . lc - ms ( method 11 ): r 1 = 1 . 73 min ms ( es +): m / z = 606 ( m + h ) + lc - ms ( method 11 ): r 1 = 1 . 67 min ms ( es +): m / z = 636 ( m + h ) + lc - ms ( method 2 ): r 1 = 1 . 66 min ms ( es +): m / z = 581 ( m + h ) + 100 mg of 1 - cyclopropyl - n -( 2 , 4 - dichlorobenzyl )- 6 - fluoro - 8 - methoxy - 7 -( 3 - methylpiperazine )- 4 - oxo - 1 , 4 - dihydroquinoline - 3 - carboxamide ( free base of example 49 ) are stirred with 152 mg of isobutylene oxide ( 2 eq .) and 75 mg of lithium perchlorate ( 4 eq .) over night in 10 ml of acetonitrile under reflux . the reaction mixture is purified after cooling directly by preparative rp - hplc ( method 6 ). lc - ms ( method 2 ): r t = 1 . 62 min , ms ( esi ): m / z = 605 ( m + h ) + the compound is prepared in analogy to example 89 from the compound of example 12 and 1 , 2 - epoxy - 2 - methylpropane . lc - ms ( method 3 ): r t = 1 . 95 min , ms ( es +): m / z = 619 ( m + h ) + the title compound is prepared in analogy to example 89 from example 12 with ( 2r )- 3 - butanoyloxy - 1 , 2 - epoxypropane and subsequent hydrolysis of the butyrate with 1 equivalent of a 1m lithium hydroxide solution at 70 ° c . for 1 h . for the work - up the solvent is removed on a rotary evaporator , the residue is adjusted to a neutral ph using 1n hydrochloric acid and buffer ph 7 and extracted with dichloromethane . purification takes place by rp - hplc ( method 6 ). lc - ms ( method 3 ): r t = 1 . 77 min , ms ( es +): m / z = 621 ( m + h ) + 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , dmso - d 6 ): δ = 0 . 96 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 12 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 39 ( d , 3h ), 1 . 45 ( d , 3h ), 3 . 22 - 3 . 38 ( m , 3h ), 3 . 39 - 3 . 78 ( m , 7h ), 3 . 80 ( s , 3h ), 3 . 85 ( m , 1h ), 4 . 02 ( m , 1h ), 4 . 11 ( m , 1h ), 4 . 58 ( d , 2h ), 7 . 38 ( d , 1h ), 7 . 42 ( dd , 1h ), 7 . 63 ( d , 1h ), 7 . 76 ( d , 1h ), 8 . 69 ( s , 1h ), 10 . 22 ( t , 1h ), 10 . 61 ( bs , 1h ). lc - ms ( method 3 ): r 1 = 1 . 86 min ms ( es +): m / z = 621 ( m + h ) + a few drops of acetonitrile are added at room temperature to 55 mg of the compound of example 52 , 18 mg of acrylamide and 35 mg of lithium perchlorate , so that a stirrable suspension results . the mixture is heated to 70 ° c . over night and left to cool . after the addition of dmso the whole mixture is separated by preparative hplc ( method 5 ). after concentrating the suitable fractions and drying under high vacuum 30 mg ( 40 % of theory ) of the title compound are obtained . lc - ms ( method 1 ): r t = 2 . 00 min , ms ( es +)= 690 ( m + h ) + . 30 μl ( 24 . 3 mg , 0 . 29 mmol ) of cyclopropylisocyanate are dissolved in dichloromethan , 80 . 0 mg ( 0 . 146 mmol ) of the compound of example 12 are added and the mixture is stirred over night at room temperature . for the work - up the solvent is removed completely and after fine purification by preparative rp - hplc ( method 6 ) 55 mg of the target compound are obtained . lc - ms ( method 3 ): r t = 2 . 97 min , ms ( es +)= 630 ( m + h ) + . 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , dmso - d 6 ): δ = 0 . 41 ( m , 2h ), 0 . 55 ( m , 2h ), 0 . 94 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 09 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 28 ( d , 6h ), 3 . 22 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 32 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 69 ( s , 3h ), 4 . 11 ( m , 4h ), 4 . 58 ( d , 2h ), 6 . 49 ( bs , 1h ), 7 . 39 ( d , 1h ), 7 . 43 ( dd , 1h ), 7 . 63 ( d , 1h ), 7 . 74 ( d , 1h ), 8 . 68 ( s , 1h ), 10 . 25 ( t , 1h ). in analogy to example 94 the following examples 95 to 97 are prepared . lc - ms ( method 1 ): r 1 = 2 . 81 min ms ( es +): m / z = 618 ( m + h ) + lc - ms ( method 1 ): r 1 = 2 . 73 min ms ( es +): m / z = 648 ( m + h ) + lc - ms ( method 1 ): r 1 = 2 . 96 min ms ( es +): m / z = 632 ( m + h ) + the title compound is prepared in analogy to example 79 from the compound of example 87a . lc - ms ( method 13 ): r t = 3 . 51 min , ms ( es +): m / z = 676 ( m + h ) + . 50 . 0 mg ( 0 . 09 mmol ) of the free base of the compound of example are provided in acetonitrile , 17 . 0 mg ( 0 . 13 mmol ) of 5 -( chloromethyl )- 2 , 4 - dihydro - 3h - 1 , 2 , 4 - triazol - 3 - one ( for preparation see : cowden , camaron j . ; tetrahedron lett ., 41 ( 44 ), 2000 ; 8661 - 8665 ), 16 . 9 mg ( 0 . 10 mmol ) of potassium iodide and 35 . 2 mg ( 0 . 25 mmol ) of potassium carbonate are added and the mixture is stirred over night at 50 ° c . for the work - up the cooled reaction mixture is filtered through silica gel , which is washed with acetonitrile and dichloromethane / methanol ( 10 / 1 ), the filtrate is removed on a rotary evaporator and from the obtained residue 23 mg ( 40 % of theory ) of the product are obtained after fine purification on silica gel 60 ( eluent : dichloromethane / ethanol 100 / 1 → 50 / 1 → 20 / 1 → 10 / 1 ). lc - ms ( method 1 ): r t = 2 . 10 min , ms ( es +): m / z = 686 ( m + h ) + ; 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , dmso - d 6 ): δ = 1 . 09 ( d , 6h ), 2 . 81 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 95 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 22 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 76 ( s , 3h ), 4 . 59 ( d , 2h ), 5 . 69 ( q , 2h ), 7 . 39 ( d , 1h ), 7 . 43 ( dd , 1h ), 7 . 64 ( d , 1h ), 7 . 76 ( d , 1h ), 8 . 82 ( s , 1h ), 10 . 12 ( t , 1h ), 11 . 22 ( s , 1h ), 11 . 28 ( s , 1h ). in analogy to the instructions of example 99 the title compound is obtained from 80 . 0 mg ( 0 . 14 mmol ) of the compound of example 49 and 25 . 4 mg ( 0 . 17 mmol ) of 2 - chloro - n -[( methylamino ) carbonyl ] acetamide ( for preparation see : patent de 167138 ) with 60 mg ( 62 % of theory ). lc - ms ( method 1 ): r t = 2 . 27 min , ms ( es +): m / z = 647 ( m + h ) + ; 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , dmso - d 6 ): δ = 0 . 95 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 11 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 32 ( m , 3h ), 2 . 72 ( d , 2h ), 3 . 27 - 3 . 95 ( m , 9h : in there 3 . 79 ( s , 3h )), 4 . 11 ( m , 1h ), 4 . 25 ( m , 1h ), 4 . 41 ( m , 1h ), 4 . 58 ( d , 2h ), 7 . 38 ( d , 1h ), 7 . 43 ( dd , 1h ), 7 . 64 ( d , 1h ), 7 . 71 - 7 . 98 ( m , 2h : in there 7 . 78 ( d , 1h )), 8 . 79 ( s , 1h ), 10 . 22 ( t , 1h ), 10 . 81 ( s , 1h ). in analogy to example 91 the following examples 101 and 102 are prepared . lc - ms ( method 3 ): r 1 = 1 . 98 min ms ( es +): m / z = 693 ( m + h ) + 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ): δ = 1 . 33 ( d , 3h ), 2 . 40 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 85 ( br . d , 1h ), 3 . 05 - 3 . 22 ( m , 3h ), 3 . 28 - 3 . 47 ( m , 4h ), 3 . 57 ( dd , 1h ), 3 . 76 ( dd , 1h ), 3 . 81 ( s , 3h ), 3 . 98 ( m , 1h ), 4 . 52 ( d , 2h ), 5 . 23 ( q , 2h ), 7 . 02 ( d , 1h ), 7 . 03 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 37 ( d , 1h ), 7 . 91 ( d , 1h ), 8 . 25 ( s , 1h , hcooh ), 8 . 60 ( s , 1h ), 10 . 2 ( t , 1h ). lc - ms ( method 3 ): r 1 = 1 . 97 min ms ( es +): m / z = 693 ( m + h ) + the in vitro effect of the compounds of the invention can be shown in the following assays : the test compounds are employed as 50 millimolar ( mm ) solutions in dimethyl sulfoxide ( dmso ). ganciclovir ®, foscamet ® and cidofovir ® are used as reference compounds . after the addition of 2 μl of the 50 , 5 , 0 . 5 and 0 . 05 mm dmso stock solutions respectively to 98 μl portions of cell culture medium in row 2 a - h for duplicate determinations , 1 : 2 dilutions are carried out with 50 μl portions of medium up to row 11 of the 96 - well plate . the wells in rows 1 and 12 each contain 50 μl of medium . 150 μl of a suspension of 1 × 10 4 cells ( human prepuce fibroblasts [ nhdf ]) are then pipetted into each of the wells ( row 1 = cell control ) and , in rows 2 - 12 , a mixture of hcmv - infected and uninfected nhdf cells ( m . o . i .= 0 . 001 - 0 . 002 ), i . e . 1 - 2 infected cells per 1000 uninfected cells . row 12 ( without substance ) serves as virus control . the final test concentrations are 250 - 0 . 0005 μm . the plates are incubated at 37 ° c ./ 5 % co 2 for 6 days , i . e . until all the cells in the virus controls are infected ( 100 % cytopathogenic effect [ cpe ]). the wells are then fixed and stained by adding a mixture of formalin and giemsa &# 39 ; s dye ( 30 minutes ), washed with double - distilled water and dried in a drying oven at 50 ° c . the plates are then assessed visually using an overhead microscope ( plaque multiplier from technomara ). cc 50 ( nhdf )= substance concentration in μm at which no visible cytostatic effects on the cells are evident by comparison with the untreated cell control ; ec 50 ( hcmv )= substance concentration in μm which inhibits the cpe ( cytopathic effect ) by 50 % compared with the untreated virus control ; si ( selectivity index )= cc 50 ( nhdf )/ ec 50 ( hcmv ). representative in vitro data for the effects of the compounds of the invention are shown in table a : the suitability of the compounds of the invention for the treatment of hcmv infections can be shown in the following animal model : 5 - 6 - week old immunodeficient mice ( 16 - 20 g ), fox chase scid . nod or nod . cb17 - prkdc / j , are purchased from commercial breeders ( taconic m & amp ; b , denmark ; jackson , usa ). the animals are kept under sterile conditions ( including bedding and feed ) in isolators . human cytomegalovirus ( hcmv ), davis or ad169 strain , is grown in vitro on human embryonic prepuce fibroblasts ( nhdf cells ). after the nhdf cells have been infected with a multiplicity of infection ( m . o . i .) of 0 . 01 - 0 . 03 , the virus - infected cells are harvested 5 - 10 days later and stored in the presence of minimal essential medium ( mem ), 20 % foetal calf serum ( fcs ) ( v / v ), 1 % glutamine ( v / v ), 1 % pen / strep ( v / v ) with 10 % dmso at − 80 ° c . after serial ten - fold dilutions of the virus - infected cells , the titer is determined on 24 - well plates of confluent nhdf cells after fixing and staining with a giemsa formaldehyde solution . collagen sponges 1 × 1 × 1 cm in size ( gelfoam ®; peasel & amp ; lorey , order no . 407534 ; k . t . chong et al ., abstracts of 39 th interscience conference on antimicrobial agents and chemotherapy ( 1999 ) p . 439 ) are initially wetted with phosphate - buffered saline ( pbs ), the trapped air bubbles are removed by degassing , and then stored in mem , 10 % fcs ( v / v ), 1 % glutamine ( v / v ), 1 % pen / strep ( v / v ). 1 × 10 6 virus - infected nhdf cells ( infection with hcmv davis or hcmv ad169 m . o . i = 0 . 03 ) are detached 3 hours after infection and added dropwise in 20 μl of mem , 10 % fcs ( v / v ), 1 % glutamine ( v / v ), 1 % pen / strep ( v / v ) to a moist sponge . the sponges are incubated for 3 - 4 hours to allow the cells to adhere . then , following the addition of medium ( mem , 10 % fcs ) ( v / v ), 1 % glutamine ( v / v ), 1 % pen / strep ( v / v )), the sponges are incubated overnight . for the transplantation , the immunodeficient mice are anaesthetized with avertin or a ketamine / xylazine / azepromazine mixture , the fur on the back is removed using a shaver , the epidermis is opened 1 - 2 cm , unstressed and the moist sponges are transplanted under the dorsal skin . the surgical wound is closed with tissue glue or clips . 4 - 6 hours after the transplantation , the mice can be treated for the first time ( one treatment is given on the day of the operation ). on subsequent days , oral treatment with the substance is carried out three times a day ( 7 . 00 h and 14 . 00 h and 19 . 00 h ), twice a day ( 8 h and 18 h ) or once a day ( 9 h ) over a period of 8 days . the daily dose is for example 1 or 3 or 10 or 30 or 100 mg / kg of body weight , the volume administered is 10 ml / kg of body weight . the substances are formulated in the form of a 0 . 5 % tylose suspension / pbs with 2 % dmso or another suitable mixture aiding solubility of the substances , e . g . 2 % ethanol , 2 . 5 % solutol , 95 . 5 % pbs . 10 days after transplantation and about 16 hours after the last administration of substance , the animals are painlessly sacrificed and the sponge is removed . the virus - infected cells are released from the sponge by collagenase digestion ( 330 u / 1 . 5 ml ) and stored in the presence of mem , 10 % fcs ( v / v ), 1 % glutamine ( v / v ), 1 % pen / strep ( v / v ), 10 % dmso at − 140 ° c . evaluation takes place after serial ten - fold dilutions of the virus - infected cells by determining the titer on 24 - well plates of confluent nhdf cells after fixing and staining with a giemsa formaldehyde solution . the number of infected cells or infectious virus particles ( infectious centre assay ) after the substance treatment compared with the placebo - treated control group is determined . statistical evaluation takes place by suitable computer programs , such as graphpad prism . the compounds of the invention can be converted into pharmaceutical preparations in the following ways : 100 mg of the compound of example 1 , 50 mg of lactose ( monohydrate ), 50 mg of corn starch ( native ), 10 mg of polyvinylpyrrolidone ( pvp 25 ) ( basf , ludwigshafen , germany ) and 2 mg of magnesium stearate . tablet weight 212 mg . diameter 8 mm , radius of curvature 12 mm . the mixture of active ingredient , lactose and starch is granulated with a 5 % solution ( m / m ) of the pvp in water . the granules are then dried and mixed with the magnesium stearate for 5 min . this mixture is compressed using a conventional tablet press ( see above for format of the tablet ). a guideline for the compressive force used for the compression is 15 kn . 1000 mg of the compound of example 1 , 1000 mg of ethanol ( 96 %), 400 mg of rhodigel ( xanthan gum , fmc , pennsylvania , usa ) and 99 g of water . 10 ml of oral suspension are equivalent to a single dose of 100 mg of the compound of the invention . the rhodigel is suspended in ethanol , and the active ingredient is added to the suspension . the water is added while stirring . the mixture is stirred for about 6 h until the swelling of the rhodigel is complete . 10 - 500 mg of the compound of example 1 , 15 g of polyethylene glycol 400 and 250 g of water for injections . the compound of example 1 is dissolved together with polyethylene glycol 400 in the water with stirring . the solution is sterilized by filtration ( pore diameter 0 . 22 μm ) and dispensed under aseptic conditions into heat - sterilized infusion bottles . the latter are closed with infusion stoppers and crimped caps . | 2 |
fig2 illustrates an example of the liquid crystal display apparatus according to the present invention , which includes two substrates ( 1 ), namely , a first substrate and a second substrate , each including an alignment film ( 4 ); a transparent electrode layer ( 3 a ) serving as a common electrode and a color filter layer ( 2 a ) including a specific pigment , which are interposed between one of the alignment films and the corresponding substrate ; and a pixel electrode layer ( 3 b ) interposed between the other alignment film and the corresponding substrate . the two substrates are arranged so that the alignment films face each other , and a liquid crystal layer ( 5 a ) including a specific liquid crystal composition is held therebetween . the two substrates of the display apparatus are bonded together using a sealant and an encapsulant disposed in the periphery of the substrates . in many cases , granular spacers or resin spacer pillars formed by photolithography are disposed between the substrates in order to maintain a certain distance between the substrates . the liquid crystal layer included in the liquid crystal display apparatus according to the present invention is composed of a liquid crystal composition including one or more compounds selected from a group consisting of compounds represented by general formula ( lc1 ) and general formula ( lc2 ). the amount of the compounds is more than 90 % by mass of the total amount of liquid crystal compounds having a dielectric anisotropy of 2 or more . ( where r 1 each independently represents an alkyl group having 1 to 15 carbon atoms ; one or more ch 2 groups of the alkyl group may be replaced by — o —, — ch ═ ch —, — co —, — oco —, — coo —, — c ≡ c —, — cf 2 o —, or — ocf 2 — in such a manner that an oxygen atom is not directly adjacent to another oxygen atom ; one or more hydrogen atoms of the alkyl group may optionally be replaced by a halogen ; a 1 and a 2 each independently represent any one of the following structures : ( in these structures , one or more ch 2 groups of the cyclohexane ring may be replaced by an oxygen atom , one or more ch groups of the benzene ring may be replaced by a nitrogen atom , and one or more hydrogen atoms may be replaced by f , cl , cf 3 , or ocf 3 ); x 1 to x 5 each independently represent a hydrogen atom , cl , f , cf 3 , or ocf 3 ; y each independently represents a hydrogen atom , cl , f , cf 3 , och 2 f , ochf 2 , or ocf 3 ; z 1 to z 3 each independently represent a single bond , — ch ═ ch —, — cf ═ cf —, — c ≡ c —, — ch 2 ch 2 —, —( ch 2 ) 4 —, — och 2 —, — ch 2 o —, — ocf 2 —, — cf 2 o —, — coo —, or — oco —; m 1 and m 2 are each independently an integer of 0 to 3 ; and m 1 + m 2 is 1 , 2 , or 3 ). r 1 is preferably each independently an alkyl group having 1 to 7 carbon atoms , an alkoxy group having 1 to 7 carbon atoms , or an alkenyl group having 2 to 7 carbon atoms and is more preferably each independently an alkyl group having 1 to 5 carbon atoms , an alkoxy group having 1 to 5 carbon atoms , or an alkenyl group having 2 to 5 carbon atoms . a 1 and a 2 are preferably each independently any one of the following structures : y is preferably each independently f , cf 3 , or ocf 3 and is particularly preferably f . z 1 to z 3 are preferably each independently a single bond , — ch 2 ch 2 —, — coo —, — oco —, — och 2 —, — ch 2 o —, — ocf 2 —, or — cf 2 o — and are more preferably each independently a single bond , — ch 2 ch 2 —, — ocf 2 —, or — cf 2 o —, and m 1 and m 2 are preferably each independently 1 or 2 . the above - described liquid crystal composition preferably further includes one or more compounds represented by general formula ( lc5 ) below : ( in general formula ( lc5 ), r 3 and r 4 each independently represent an alkyl group having 1 to 15 carbon atoms ; one or more ch 2 groups of the alkyl group may be replaced by — o —, — ch ═ ch —, — co —, — oco —, — coo —, — c ≡ c —, — cf 2 o —, or — ocf 2 — in such a manner that an oxygen atom is not directly adjacent to another oxygen atom ; one or more hydrogen atoms of the alkyl group may optionally be replaced by a halogen ; b 1 to b 3 each independently represent any one of the following structures : ( in these structures , one or more ch 2 ch 2 groups of the cyclohexane ring may be replaced by — ch ═ ch —, — cf 2 o —, or — ocf 2 — and one or more ch groups of the benzene ring may be replaced by a nitrogen atom ); z 4 and z 5 each independently represent a single bond , — ch ═ ch —, — cf ═ cf —, — c ≡ c —, — ch 2 ch 2 —, —( ch 2 ) 4 —, — coo —, — och 2 —, — ch 2 o —, — ocf 2 —, or — cf 2 o —; and m 3 is 0 to 3 ). r 3 and r 4 are preferably each independently an alkyl group having 1 to 7 carbon atoms , an alkoxy group having 1 to 7 carbon atoms , an alkenyl group having 2 to 7 carbon atoms , or an alkenyloxy group having 2 to 7 carbon atoms and are more preferably each independently an alkyl group having 1 to 5 carbon atoms , an alkoxy group having 1 to 5 carbon atoms , or an alkenyl group having 2 to 5 carbon atoms . b 1 to b 3 are preferably each independently any one of the following structures : z 4 and z 5 are preferably each independently a single bond , — ch 2 ch 2 —, — coo —, — och 2 —, — ch 2 o —, — ocf 2 —, or — cf 2 o — and are more preferably each independently a single bond or — ch 2 ch 2 —, and the compound represented by general formula ( lc1 ) is preferably one or more compounds selected from the group consisting of the compounds represented by general formula ( lc1 )- 1 to general formula ( lc1 )- 4 below : ( in general formulae ( lc1 )- 1 to ( lc1 )- 4 , r 1 each independently represents an alkyl group having 1 to 15 carbon atoms ; one or more ch 2 groups of the alkyl group may be replaced by — o —, — ch ═ ch —, — co —, — oco —, — coo —, — c ≡ c —, — cf 2 o —, or — ocf 2 — in such a manner that an oxygen atom is not directly adjacent to another oxygen atom ; x 2 and x 6 each independently represent a hydrogen atom , cl , f , cf 3 , or ocf 3 ; when a plurality of x 6 &# 39 ; s are present , they may be identical or different ; and y each independently represents cl , f , cf 3 , och 2 f , ochf 2 , or ocf 3 ). r 1 is preferably each independently an alkyl group having 1 to 7 carbon atoms , an alkoxy group having 1 to 7 carbon atoms , or an alkenyl group having 2 to 7 carbon atoms and is more preferably an alkyl group having 1 to 5 carbon atoms , an alkoxy group having 1 to 5 carbon atoms , or an alkenyl group having 2 to 5 carbon atoms . x 2 and x 6 are preferably each independently a hydrogen atom or f . y is preferably each independently f , cf 3 , or ocf 3 . the compound represented by general formula ( lc1 ) is preferably one or more compounds selected from the group consisting of the compounds represented by general formula ( lc1 )- 5 to general formula ( lc1 )- 24 below : ( in general formulae ( lc1 )- 5 to ( lc1 )- 24 , r 1 each independently represents an alkyl group having 1 to 15 carbon atoms ; one or more ch 2 groups of the alkyl group may be replaced by — o —, — ch ═ ch —, — co —, — oco —, — coo —, — c ≡ c —, — cf 2 o —, or — ocf 2 — in such a manner that an oxygen atom is not directly adjacent to another oxygen atom ; one or more hydrogen atoms of the alkyl group may optionally be replaced by a halogen ; x 2 and x 7 each independently represent a hydrogen atom , cl , f , cf 3 , or ocf 3 ; when a plurality of x 7 &# 39 ; s are present , they may be identical or different ; z 1 each independently represents a single bond , — ch ═ ch —, — c ≡ c —, — ch 2 ch 2 —, —( ch 2 ) 4 —, — och 2 —, — och 2 o —, — ocf 2 —, or — cf 2 o —; y each independently represents cl , f , cf 3 , och 2 f , ochf 2 , or ocf 3 ; and a 1 each independently represents any one of the above structures ). r 1 is preferably each independently an alkyl group having 1 to 7 carbon atoms , an alkoxy group having 1 to 7 carbon atoms , or an alkenyl group having 2 to 7 carbon atoms and is more preferably an alkyl group having 1 to 5 carbon atoms , an alkoxy group having 1 to 5 carbon atoms , or an alkenyl group having 2 to 5 carbon atoms . x 2 and x 7 are preferably each independently a hydrogen atom or f . y is preferably each independently f , cf 3 , or ocf 3 . the compound represented by general formula ( lc2 ) is preferably one or more compounds selected from the group consisting of the compounds represented by general formula ( lc2 )- 1 to general formula ( lc2 )- 11 below : ( in general formulae ( lc2 )- 1 to ( lc2 )- 11 , r 1 each independently represents an alkyl group having 1 to 15 carbon atoms ; one or more ch 2 groups of the alkyl group may be replaced by — o —, — ch ═ ch —, — co —, — oco —, — coo —, — c ≡ c —, — cf 2 o —, or — ocf 2 — in such a manner that an oxygen atom is not directly adjacent to another oxygen atom ; x 4 and x 8 each independently represent a hydrogen atom , cl , f , cf 3 , or ocf 3 ; when a plurality of x 8 &# 39 ; s are present , they may be identical or different ; y each independently represents cl , f , cf 3 , och 2 f , ochf 2 , or ocf 3 ). r 1 is preferably each independently an alkyl group having 1 to 7 carbon atoms , an alkoxy group having 1 to 7 carbon atoms , or an alkenyl group having 2 to 7 carbon atoms and is more preferably an alkyl group having 1 to 5 carbon atoms , an alkoxy group having 1 to 5 carbon atoms , or an alkenyl group having 2 to 5 carbon atoms . x 4 and x 8 are preferably each independently a hydrogen atom or f . y is preferably each independently f , cf 3 , or ocf 3 . the compound represented by general formula ( lc5 ) is more preferably one or more compounds selected from the group consisting of the compounds represented by general formula ( lc5 )- 1 to general formula ( lc5 )- 15 below : ( in general formulae ( lc5 )- 1 to ( lc5 )- 15 , r 3 and r 4 each independently represent an alkyl group having 1 to 7 carbon atoms , an alkoxy group having 1 to 7 carbon atoms , an alkenyl group having 2 to 7 carbon atoms , or an alkenyloxy group having 2 to 7 carbon atoms ). r 3 and r 4 are more preferably each independently an alkyl group having 1 to 5 carbon atoms , an alkoxy group having 1 to 5 carbon atoms , or an alkenyl group having 2 to 5 carbon atoms . the above - described liquid crystal composition layer may include one or more polymerizable compounds . specifically , the above - described liquid crystal composition layer preferably includes one or more polymerizable compounds represented by general formula ( pc1 ) below : ( in general formula ( pc1 ), p 1 represents a polymerizable functional group ; sp 1 represents a spacer group having 0 to 20 carbon atoms ; q 1 represents a single bond , — o —, — nh —, — nhcoo —, — oconh —, — ch ═ ch —, — co —, — coo —, — oco —, — ocoo —, — ooco —, — ch ═ ch —, — ch ═ ch — oco —, — oco — ch ═ ch —, or — c ≡ c —; n 1 and n 2 represent 1 , 2 , or 3 ; mg represents a mesogenic group or a mesogenic supporting group ; r 10 represents a halogen atom , a cyano group , or an alkyl group having 1 to 25 carbon atoms , and one or more ch 2 groups of the alkyl group may be replaced by — o —, — s —, — nh —, — n ( ch 3 )—, — co —, — coo —, — oco —, — ocoo —, — sco —, — cos —, or — c ≡ c — in such a manner that an oxygen atom is not directly adjacent to another oxygen atom ; and , in another case , r 10 represents p 2 — sp 2 - q 2 - ( where p 2 , sp 2 , q 2 independently represent the same things as p 1 , sp 1 , q 1 , respectively )). in general formula ( pc1 ), more preferably , mg represents the following structure : ( where c 1 to c 3 each independently represent a 1 , 4 - phenylene group , a 1 , 4 - cyclohexylene group , a 1 , 4 - cyclohexenyl group , a tetrahydropyran - 2 , 5 - diyl group , a 1 , 3 - dioxane - 2 , 5 - diyl group , a tetrahydrothiopyran - 2 , 5 - diyl group , a 1 , 4 - bicyclo ( 2 , 2 , 2 ) octylene group , a decahydronaphthalene - 2 , 6 - diyl group , a pyridine - 2 , 5 - diyl group , a pyrimidine - 2 , 5 - diyl group , a pyrazine - 2 , 5 - diyl group , a 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 - tetrahydronaphthalene - 2 , 6 - diyl group , a 2 , 6 - naphthylene group , a phenanthrene - 2 , 7 - diyl group , a 9 , 10 - dihydrophenanthrene - 2 , 7 - diyl group , a 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 4a , 9 , 10a - octahydrophenanthrene 2 , 7 - diyl group , or a fluorene 2 , 7 - diyl group ; the 1 , 4 - phenylene group , the 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 - tetrahydronaphthalene - 2 , 6 - diyl group , the 2 , 6 - naphthylene group , the phenanthrene - 2 , 7 - diyl group , the 9 , 10 - dihydrophenanthrene - 2 , 7 - diyl group , the 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 4a , 9 , 10a - octahydrophenanthrene 2 , 7 - diyl group , and the fluorene 2 , 7 - diyl group may include , as a substituent , one or more f atoms , cl atoms , cf 3 groups , ocf 3 groups , cyano groups , alkyl groups having 1 to 8 carbon atoms , alkoxy groups having 1 to 8 carbon atoms , alkanoyl groups having 1 to 8 carbon atoms , alkanoyloxy groups having 1 to 8 carbon atoms , alkenyl groups having 2 to 8 carbon atoms , alkenyloxy groups having 2 to 8 carbon atoms , alkenoyl groups having 2 to 8 carbon atoms , or alkenoyloxy groups having 2 to 8 carbon atoms ; y 1 and y 2 each independently represent — coo —, — oco —, — ch 2 ch 2 —, — och 2 —, — ch 2 o —, — ch ═ ch —, — c ≡ c —, — ch ═ chcoo —, — ococh ═ ch —, — ch 2 ch 2 coo —, — ch 2 ch 2 oco —, — cooch 2 ch 2 —, — ococh 2 ch 2 —, — conh —, — nhco —, or a single bond ; and n 5 is 0 , 1 , or 2 ). sp 1 and sp 2 are more preferably each independently an alkylene group , which may be substituted by one or more halogen atoms or cyano groups . one or more ch 2 groups of the alkylene group may be replaced by — o —, — s —, — nh —, — n ( ch 3 )—, — co —, — coo —, — oco —, — ocoo —, — sco —, — cos —, or — c ≡ c — in such a manner that an oxygen atom is not directly adjacent to another oxygen atom . p 1 and p 2 are preferably each independently any one of the structures represented by formula ( r - 1 ) to formula ( r - 15 ) below : such polymerizable groups can be cured by radical polymerization , radical addition polymerization , cationic polymerization , or anionic polymerization . in the case where polymerization is performed by ultraviolet light polymerization , the structures represented by formulae ( r - 1 ), ( r - 2 ), ( r - 4 ), ( r - 5 ), ( r - 7 ), ( r - 11 ), ( r - 13 ), and ( r - 15 ) are preferably employed . the structures represented by formulae ( r - 1 ), ( r - 2 ), ( r - 7 ), ( r - 11 ), and ( r - 13 ) are more preferably employed . the structures represented by formulae ( r - 1 ) and ( r - 2 ) are more preferably employed . an example of a polymerizable compound including one polymerizable functional group in the molecule is the compound represented by general formula ( pc1 )- 0 below : ( in formula ( pc1 )- 0 , r 11 represents a hydrogen atom or a methyl group ; the six - membered rings t 1 , t 2 , and t 3 each independently represent any one of the following structures : y 0 , y 1 , and y 2 each independently represent a single bond , — o —, — och 2 —, — och 2 —, — c 2 h 4 —, — coo —, — oco —, — ch ═ ch —, — co —, — ocoo —, — nh —, — nhcoo —, — oconh —, — ococh 2 —, — ch 2 oco —, — cooch 2 —, — ch 2 coo —, — ch ═ ch — coo —, — oco — ch ═ ch —, — ch ═ ch — oco —, — coo — ch ═ ch —, — ch ═ cch 2 — coo —, — coo — cch 2 ═ ch —, — cooc 2 h 4 —, — ococ 2 h 4 —, — c 2 h 4 oco —, — c 2 h 4 coo —, — c ≡ c —, — cf 2 o —, or — ocf 2 —; y 3 represents a single bond , — o —, — coo —, or — oco —; and r 12 represents a hydrogen atom , a halogen atom , a cyano group , an alkyl group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms , an alkenyl group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms , an alkoxy group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms , or a hydrocarbon group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms ). at least one polymerizable compound selected from the group is preferably used . examples of a polymerizable compound including two or more polymerizable functional groups in the molecule include the compounds represented by general formula ( pc1 )- 1 and general formula ( pc1 )- 2 below : ( where p 1 , sp 1 , q 1 , p 2 , sp 2 , q 2 , and mg represent the same things as in general formula ( pc1 ), and n 3 and n 4 are each independently 1 , 2 , or 3 ). specifically , the compound represented by general formula ( pc1 ) is preferably one or more polymerizable compounds selected from the group consisting of the compounds represented by general formula ( pc1 )- 3 to general formula ( pc1 )- 11 below : ( in general formula ( pc1 )- 3 to general formula ( pc1 )- 11 , p 1 , p 2 , sp 1 , sp 2 , q 1 , and q 2 represent the same things as in general formula ( pc1 ); w 4 &# 39 ; s each independently represent f , cf 3 , ocf 3 , ch 3 , och 3 , an alkyl group having 2 to 5 carbon atoms , an alkoxy group having 2 to 5 carbon atoms , an alkenyl group having 2 to 5 carbon atoms , coow 2 , ocow 2 , or ocoow 2 ( where w 2 each independently represents a straight - chain or branched chain alkyl group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms or an alkenyl group having 2 to 5 carbon atoms ); n 3 each independently represents 1 , 2 , or 3 ; n 4 each independently represents 1 , 2 , or 3 ; n 6 &# 39 ; s each independently represent 0 , 1 , 2 , 3 , or 4 ; and , in the same ring , n 3 + n 6 and n 4 + n 6 are 5 or less ). in general formula ( pc1 ) and general formula ( pc1 )- 1 to general formula ( pc1 )- 11 , sp 1 , sp 2 , q 1 , and q 2 are preferably a single bond . the value of n 3 + n 4 is preferably 1 to 3 and is preferably 1 or 2 . p 1 and p 2 are preferably the polymerizable group represented by formula ( r - 1 ) or ( r - 2 ). w 1 is preferably f , cf 3 , ocf 3 , ch 3 , or och 3 . the value of n 6 is 1 , 2 , 3 , or 4 . specifically , the polymerizable compound represented by general formula ( pc1 ) is preferably one or more polymerizable compounds selected from the group consisting of the following compounds : optionally , a hydrogen atom of the benzene rings of ( pc1 - 3a ) to ( pc1 - 3i ) may be replaced by a fluorine atom . it is also preferable that the polymerizable compound is the disc - shaped liquid crystal compound represented by general formula ( pc1 )- 12 below : ( in general formula ( pc1 )- 12 , r 7 &# 39 ; s each independently represent p 1 — sp 1 - q 1 or a substituent represented by general formula ( pc1 - e ), where p 1 , sp 1 , and q 1 represent the same things as in general formula ( pc1 ), r 81 and r 82 each independently represent a hydrogen atom , a halogen atom , or a methyl group , r 83 represents an alkoxy group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms , and at least one hydrogen atom of the alkoxy group is replaced by any one of the substituents represented by formulae ( r - 1 ) to ( r - 15 )). the amount of the polymerizable compound used is preferably 0 . 05 % to 2 . 0 % by mass . the above - described liquid crystal composition may be used alone for the above - described purpose . optionally , the above - described liquid crystal composition may include one or more types of antioxidants or may further include one or more types of uv absorbents . the color filter used in the present invention includes a black matrix and at least rgb three - color pixel portions . the rgb three - color pixel portions includes , as a coloring material , a pigment having a water - soluble content of 0 . 001 % by mass or more and 1 . 5 % by mass or less and / or a specific electrical conductivity of 10 μs / cm or more and 150 μs / cm or less . the water - soluble content of the pigment is preferably 0 % by mass or more and 1 . 2 % by mass or less , is more preferably 0 % by mass or more and 1 . 0 % by mass or less , and is particularly preferably 0 % by mass or more and 0 . 8 % by mass or less . the specific electrical conductivity of the pigment is preferably 10 μs / cm or more and 120 μs / cm or less , is more preferably 10 μs / cm or more and 100 μs / cm or less , and is particularly preferably 10 μs / cm or more and 80 μs / cm or less . more specifically , it is preferable that the water - soluble content of the pigment is 0 % by mass or more and 1 . 2 % by mass or less and the specific electrical conductivity of the pigment is 10 μs / cm or more and 120 μs / cm or less . it is more preferable that the water - soluble content of the pigment is 0 % by mass or more and 1 . 0 % by mass or less and the specific electrical conductivity of the pigment is 10 μs / cm or more and 100 μs / cm or less . it is particularly preferable that the water - soluble content of the pigment is 0 % by mass or more and 0 . 8 % by mass or less and the specific electrical conductivity of the pigment is 10 μs / cm or more and 80 μs / cm or less . the term “ water - soluble content of the pigment ” used herein refers to the content of a constituent of the pigment which dissolves in water . specifically , the water - soluble content of a pigment can be calculated in accordance with jis k5101 - 16 - 1 ( test methods for pigments - part 16 : matter soluble in water - section 1 : hot extraction method ), that is , in the following manner : 1 . into a 500 - ml rigid beaker , 5 . 00 g of an accurately weighed pigment is charged . to the beaker , 200 ml of ion - exchange water ( electrical conductivity : 5 μs / cm or less , ph : 7 . 0 ± 1 . 0 ) is added . the ion - exchange water is added in small amounts at a time . after 5 ml of first - grade reagent methanol is added to the beaker to soak the pigment in the ion - exchange water to a sufficient degree , the remaining ion - exchange water is added to the beaker . the resulting liquid mixture is boiled for 5 minutes . 2 . the liquid mixture is cooled to room temperature , and transferred to a 250 - ml graduated cylinder . to the graduated cylinder , the above - described ion - exchange water is added until the volume of the liquid mixture becomes 250 ml . the liquid mixture is vigorously stirred and then filtered through a filter paper no . 5c produced by advantec . 3 . initially , about 50 ml of the filtrate is removed , and 100 ml of the remaining filtrate is weighed using a graduated cylinder and transferred to an evaporation pan of known mass . the filtrate adhering to the graduated cylinder is washed off with a small amount of ion - exchange water into the evaporation pan . 4 . the evaporation pan is placed in a water bath , and evaporation to dryness is performed . the evaporation pan is dried for 2 hours in a drying machine kept at 105 ° c . to 110 ° c . and subsequently charged into a desiccator . after the evaporation pan is left to cool , the mass of the evaporation pan is measured . thus , the amount of substance that remained after evaporation is determined . 5 . the water - soluble content of the pigment is calculated using the following formula . the term “ specific electrical conductivity of the pigment ” used herein refers to a difference between the specific electrical conductivity of a filtrate obtained by filtering an aqueous solution prepared by hot extraction of the pigment using ion - exchange water and the specific electrical conductivity of the ion - exchange water used , that is , specifically , a difference between the specific electrical conductivity of a filtrate obtained in accordance with jis k5101 - 16 - 1 ( test methods for pigments - part 16 : matter soluble in water - section 1 : hot extraction method ) and the specific electrical conductivity of the ion - exchange water used . the above - described rgb three - color pixel portions preferably include an r pixel portion including , as a coloring material , a diketopyrrolopyrrole - based red pigment ; a g pixel portion including , as a coloring material , a halogenated metal phthalocyanine pigment ; and a b pixel portion including , as a coloring material , an ∈- type phthalocynian pigment and / or a triarylmethane pigment . the diketopyrrolopyrrole pigment included in the r pixel portion is preferably one or more pigments selected from c . i . pigment red 254 , c . i . pigment red 255 , c . i . pigment red 264 , and c . i . pigment red 272 , c . i . pigment orange 71 , and c . i . pigment orange 73 , is more preferably one or more pigments selected from c . i . pigment red 254 , c . i . pigment red 255 , c . i . pigment red 264 , and c . i . pigment red 272 , and is particularly preferably c . i . pigment red 254 . the halogenated metal phthalocyanine pigment included in the g pixel portion preferably includes a metal selected from the group consisting of al , si , sc , ti , v , mg , fe , co , ni , zn , cu , ga , ge , y , zr , nb , in , sn , and pb as a central metal . when the central metal of the halogenated metal phthalocyanine pigment is trivalent , one group selected from a halogen atom , a hydroxyl group , and a sulfonic group is preferably bonded to the central metal or the central metal is preferably oxo - cross - linked or thio - cross - linked . when the central metal of the halogenated metal phthalocyanine pigment is a tetravalent metal , one oxygen atom or two identical or different groups selected from a halogen atom , a hydroxyl group , and a sulfonic group are preferably bonded to the central metal . examples of such a halogenated metal phthalocyanine pigment include halogenated metal phthalocyanine pigments belonging to the following two groups . halogenated metal phthalocyanine pigments including a metal selected from the group consisting of al , si , sc , ti , v , mg , fe , co , ni , zn , cu , ga , ge , y , zr , nb , in , sn , and pb as a central metal , wherein 8 to 16 halogen atoms per phthalocyanine molecule are bonded to the benzene rings of the phthalocyanine molecule and , when the central metal is trivalent , one group selected from a halogen atom , a hydroxyl group , and a sulfonic group (— so 3 h ) is bonded to the central metal or , when the central metal is a tetravalent metal , one oxygen atom or two identical or different groups selected from a halogen atom , a hydroxyl group , and a sulfonic group are bonded to the central metal . pigments that are halogenated metal phthalocyanine dimers having a structural unit constituted by two halogenated metal phthalocyanine molecules each including a trivalent metal selected from the group consisting of al , sc , ga , y , and in as a central metal and 8 to 16 halogen atoms bonded to the benzene rings of the phthalocyanine molecule , the central metals in the structural unit being bonded to each other via a divalent atomic group selected from the group consisting of an oxygen atom , a sulfur atom , a sulfinyl (— so —), and a sulfonyl (— so 2 —). in the halogenated metal phthalocyanine pigment , the halogen atoms bonded to the benzene rings may be all identical or different . different halogen atoms may be bonded to one benzene ring . when 9 to 15 bromine atoms of 8 to 16 halogen atoms per phthalocyanine molecule are bonded to the benzene rings of the phthalocyanine molecule , such a halogenated metal phthalocyanine pigment appears yellowish - light green and is most suitably used for green pixel portions of the color filter . the halogenated metal phthalocyanine pigment is insoluble or hardly soluble in water and organic solvents . the halogenated metal phthalocyanine pigment may be a halogenated metal phthalocyanine pigment that has not yet been subjected to the finishing treatment described below ( referred to also as “ crude pigment ”) or may be a halogenated metal phthalocyanine pigment that has been subjected to the finishing treatment . the halogenated metal phthalocyanine pigments belonging to group 1 or 2 above can be represented by general formula ( pig - 1 ) below : in general formula ( pig - 1 ), the halogenated metal phthalocyanine pigments belonging to group 1 are as follows . in general formula ( pig - 1 ), x 1i to x 16i represent a hydrogen atom , a chlorine atom , a bromine atom , or an iodine atom . the four x atoms bonded to one benzene ring may be identical or different . among x 1i to x 16i bonded to the four benzene rings , 8 to 16 x &# 39 ; s are chlorine atoms , bromine atoms , or iodine atoms . m represents a central metal . among halogenated metal phthalocyanine pigments having the same y , which is described below , and the same m , which is the number of y &# 39 ; s , a pigment in which , among 16 x &# 39 ; s of x 1i to x 16i , the total number of chlorine atoms , bromine atoms , and iodine atoms is less than 8 appears blue . in the same manner , among pigments in which , among 16 x &# 39 ; s of x 1i to x 16i , the total number of chlorine atoms , bromine atoms , and iodine atoms is 8 or more , the greater the total number of chlorine atoms , bromine atoms , and iodine atoms , the higher the degree of yellow . y bonded to the central metal m is a monovalent atomic group selected from the group consisting of a halogen atom that is any one of a fluorine atom , a chlorine atom , a bromine atom , and an iodine atom ; an oxygen atom ; a hydroxyl group ; and a sulfonic group , and m represents the number of y &# 39 ; s bonded to the central metal m and is an integer of 0 to 2 . the value of m is determined on the basis of the valence of the central metal m . when the central metal m is trivalent as is the case for al , sc , ga , y , and in , m = 1 . in this case , one group selected from the group consisting of a fluorine atom , a chlorine atom , a bromine atom , an iodine atom , a hydroxyl group , and a sulfonic group is bonded to the central metal . when the central metal m is tetravalent as is the case for si , ti , v , ge , zr , and sn , m = 2 . in this case , one oxygen atom is bonded to the central metal , or two groups selected from the group consisting of a fluorine atom , a chlorine atom , a bromine atom , an iodine atom , a hydroxyl group , and a sulfonic group are bonded to the central metal . when the central metal m is divalent as is the case for mg , fe , co , ni , zn , cu , zr , sn , and pb , y is absent . in general formula ( pig - 1 ) shown above , the halogenated metal phthalocyanine pigments belonging to group 2 are as follows . in the general formula ( pig - 1 ), x 1i to x 16i are the same as defined above , the central metal m represents a trivalent metal selected from the group consisting of al , sc , ga , y , and in , and m is 1 . y represents the following atomic group : in the chemical structure of the atomic group y , the central metal m is the same as defined above , and x 17i to x 32i are the same as the above - described definition of x 1i to x 16i in general formula ( pig - 1 ). a represents a divalent atomic group selected from the group consisting of an oxygen atom , a sulfur atom , a sulfinyl (— so —), and a sulfonyl (— so 2 —). m of general formula ( pig - 1 ) and m of the atomic group y are bonded to each other via the divalent atomic group a . in other words , the halogenated metal phthalocyanine pigments belonging to group 2 are halogenated metal phthalocyanine dimers having a structural unit constituted by two halogenated metal phthalocyanine molecules bonded to each other via the divalent atomic group . specific examples of the halogenated metal phthalocyanine pigments represented by general formula ( pig - 1 ) include ( 1 ) to ( 4 ) described below . ( 1 ) halogenated metal phthalocyanine pigments including a divalent metal selected from the group consisting of mg , fe , co , ni , zn , cu , zr , sn , and pb as a central metal , in which 8 to 16 halogen atoms are bonded to 4 benzene rings per phthalocyanine molecule , such as a halogenated copper phthalocyanine pigment , a halogenated tin phthalocyanine pigment , a halogenated nickel phtalocyanine pigment , and a halogenated zinc phtalocyanine pigment . among such pigments , in particular , a chlorinated and brominated zinc phtalocyanine pigment , that is , c . i . pigment green 58 , is preferably used . ( 2 ) halogenated metal phthalocyanine pigments including a trivalent metal selected from the group consisting of al , sc , ga , y , and in as a central metal , in which one group selected from a halogen atom , a hydroxyl group , and a sulfonic group is bonded to the central metal and 8 to 16 halogen atoms are bonded to 4 benzene rings per phthalocyanine molecule , such as halogenated chloroaluminum phthalocyanine . ( 3 ) halogenated metal phthalocyanine pigments including a tetravalent metal selected from the group consisting of si , ti , v , ge , zr , and sn as a central metal , in which one oxygen atom or two identical or different groups selected from a halogen atom , a hydroxyl group , and a sulfonic group are bonded to the central metal and 8 to 16 halogen atoms are bonded to 4 benzene rings per phthalocyanine molecule , such as halogenated oxytitanium phthalocyanine and halogenated oxyvanadium phthalocyanine . ( 4 ) pigments that are halogenated metal phthalocyanine dimers having a structural unit constituted by two halogenated metal phthalocyanine molecules including a trivalent metal selected from the group consisting of al , sc , ga , y , and in as a central metal and 8 to 16 halogen atoms bonded to 4 benzene rings per phthalocyanine molecule , the central metals in the structural unit being bonded to each other via a divalent atomic group selected from the group consisting of an oxygen atom , a sulfur atom , sulfinyl , and sulfonyl , such as a halogenated μ - oxo - aluminium phthalocyanine dimer and a halogenated μ - thio - aluminium phthalocyanine dimer . specifically , the halogenated metal phthalocyanine pigment included in the g pixel portion is preferably one or more pigments selected from c . i . pigment green 7 , c . i . pigment green 36 , and c . i . pigment green 58 and is more preferably one or more pigments selected from c . i . pigment green 36 and c . i . pigment green 58 . the ∈- type phthalocynian pigment included in the b pixel portion is preferably c . i . pigment blue 15 : 6 . the triarylmethane pigment included in the b pixel portion is preferably c . i . pigment blue 1 and / or a triarylmethane pigment represented by general formula ( 1 ) below : ( in general formula ( 1 ), r 11j to r 16j each independently represent a hydrogen atom , an alkyl group having 1 to 8 carbon atoms which may be substituted , or an aryl group which may be substituted ; when r 11j to r 16j represent an alkyl group which may be substituted , adjacent r 11j and r 12j , adjacent r 13j and r 14j , and adjacent r 15j and r 16j may be bonded to each other to form a ring structure ; x 11j and x 12j each independently represent a hydrogen atom , a halogen atom , or an alkyl group having 1 to 8 carbon atoms which may be substituted ; z − is at least one anion selected from a heteropolyoxometalate anion represented by ( p 2 mo y w 18 - y o 62 ) 6 − / 6 where y is an integer of 0 , 1 , 2 , or 3 , a heteropolyoxometalate anion represented by ( simow 11 o 40 ) 4 − / 4 , and a lacunary dawson - type phosphotungstic acid heteropolyoxometalate anion ; and , when one molecule includes a plurality of structures represented by formula ( 1 ), the structures may be identical or different ). in general formula ( 1 ), r 11j to r 16j may be identical or different . thus , — nrr ( rr represents any one combination of r 11j r 12j , r 13j r 14j , and r 15j r 16j ) group may be symmetrical or asymmetrical . when adjacent r &# 39 ; s ( r represents any one of r 11j to r 16j ) are bonded to each other to form a ring , the ring may be formed by cross - linking of hetero atoms . specific examples of such a ring include the following rings , which may be substituted : r 11j to r 16j are preferably each independently a hydrogen atom , an alkyl group which may be substituted , or an aryl group which may be substituted from the viewpoint of chemical stability . in particular , r 11j to r 16j are more preferably each independently a hydrogen atom ; an alkyl group such as a methyl group , an ethyl group , a propyl group , an isopropyl group , a cyclopropyl group , a butyl group , an isobutyl group , a sec - butyl group , a tert - butyl group , a pentyl group , a cyclopentyl group , a hexyl group , a cyclohexyl group , a heptyl group , an octyl group , or a 2 - ethylhexyl group ; or an aryl group such as a phenyl group or a naphthyl group . when r 11j to r 16j represent an alkyl group or an aryl group , the alkyl group or the aryl group may further include an optional substituent . examples of the optional substituent that can be included in the alkyl group or the aryl group include the following [ substituent group y ]. alkyl groups such as a methyl group , an ethyl group , a propyl group , an isopropyl group , a cyclopropyl group , a butyl group , an isobutyl group , a sec - butyl group , a tert - butyl group , a pentyl group , a cyclopentyl group , a hexyl group , a cyclohexyl group , a heptyl group , an octyl group , and a 2 - ethylhexyl group ; aryl groups such as a phenyl group and a naphthyl group ; halogen atoms such as a fluorine atom and a chlorine atom ; a cyano group ; a hydroxyl group ; alkoxy groups having 1 to 8 carbon atoms , such as a methoxy group , an ethoxy group , a propoxy group , and a butoxy group ; amino groups which may be substituted , such as an amino group , a diethylamino group , a dibutylamino group , and an acetylamino group ; acyl groups such as an acetyl group and a benzoyl group ; and acyloxy groups such as an acetyloxy group and a benzoyloxy group . r 11j to r 16j are further preferably an alkyl group having 1 to 8 carbon atoms which may be substituted , that is , more specifically , any one of the following alkyl groups : alkyl groups which is not substituted , such as a methyl group , an ethyl group , a propyl group , an isopropyl group , a butyl group , an isobutyl group , a sec - butyl group , a pentyl group , a hexyl group , and a 2 - ethylhexyl group ; alkoxyalkyl groups such as a 2 - methoxyethyl group and a 2 - ethoxyethyl group ; acyloxy groups such as a 2 - acetyloxyethyl group ; cyanoalkyl groups such as a 2 - cyanoethyl group ; and fluoroalkyl groups such as a 2 , 2 , 2 - trifluoroethyl group and a 4 , 4 , 4 - trifluorobutyl group . when x 11j and x 12j are any one of these alkyl groups , x 11j and x 12j may further include an optional substituent . examples of the optional substituent include halogen atoms such as a fluorine atom , a chlorine atom , a bromine atom , and an iodine atom ; and alkoxy groups such as a methoxy group , an ethoxy group , and a propoxy group . specific examples of x 11j and x 12j include haloalkyl groups such as a fluoromethyl group , a trifluoromethyl group , a trichloromethyl group , and a 2 , 2 , 2 - trifluoroethyl group ; and alkoxyalkyl groups such as a methoxymethyl group . x 11j and x 12j are preferably a substituent that causes an appropriate degree of steric hindrance which does not affect torsion to occur , such as a hydrogen atom , a methyl group , a chlorine atom , or a trifluoromethyl group . x 11j and x 12j are most preferably a hydrogen atom , a methyl group , or a chlorine atom from the viewpoints of color tone and heat resistance . z − is at least one anionic triarylmethane compound selected from a heteropolyoxometalate anion represented by ( p 2 mo y w 18 - y o 62 ) 6 − / 6 , where y is an integer of 0 , 1 , 2 , or 3 ; a heteropolyoxometalate anion represented by ( simow 11 o 40 ) 4 − / 4 ; and a lacunary dawson - type phosphotungstic acid heteropolyoxometalate anion . specifically , the lacunary dawson - type phosphotungstic acid is preferably a 1 - lacunary dawson - type phosphotungstic acid heteropolyoxometalate anion ( p 2 w 17 o 61 ) 10 − / 10 from the viewpoint of durability . specific examples of the triarylmethane pigment represented by general formula ( 1 ) include the compounds shown in tables 1 to 7 below . however , the present invention is not limited to these compounds as long as the idea of the present invention is not impaired . the r pixel portion of the rgb three - color pixel portions preferably further includes , as a coloring material , at least one organic pigment selected from the group consisting of c . i . pigment red 177 , c . i . pigment red 242 , c . i . pigment red 166 , c . i . pigment red 167 , c . i . pigment red 179 , c . i . pigment orange 38 , c . i . pigment orange 71 , c . i . pigment yellow 150 , c . i . pigment yellow 215 , c . i . pigment yellow 185 , c . i . pigment yellow 138 , and c . i . pigment yellow 139 . the g pixel portion of the rgb three - color pixel portions preferably further includes , as a coloring material , at least one organic pigment selected from the group consisting of c . i . pigment yellow 150 , c . i . pigment yellow 215 , c . i . pigment yellow 185 , and c . i . pigment yellow 138 . the b pixel portion of the rgb three - color pixel portions preferably further includes , as a coloring material , at least one organic dye or pigment selected from the group consisting of c . i . pigment blue 1 and c . i . pigment violet 23 . in the case where the color filter is constituted by a black matrix , rgb three - color pixel portions , and a y pixel portion , the y pixel portion preferably includes , as a coloring material , a pigment having a water - soluble content of 1 . 5 % or less and / or a specific electrical conductivity of 150 μs / cm or less . the water - soluble content of the pigment is more preferably 1 . 0 % or less . the specific electrical conductivity of the pigment is more preferably 100 μs / cm or less . it is more preferable that the water - soluble content of the pigment is 1 . 0 % or less and the specific electrical conductivity of the pigment is 100 μs / cm or less . the y pixel portion preferably includes , as a coloring material , at least one yellow organic dye or pigment selected from the group consisting of c . i . pigment yellow 150 , c . i . pigment yellow 215 , c . i . pigment yellow 185 , c . i . pigment yellow 138 , and c . i . pigment yellow 139 . the chromaticity of each of the above - described pixel portions can be controlled by changing the types of the dyes and pigments used or the mixing ratio of the dyes and pigments . for example , the chromaticity of an r pixel can be controlled by adding a yellow dye or pigment and / or an orange pigment to a red dye or pigment in an appropriate amount , the chromaticity of a g pixel can be controlled by adding a yellow dye or pigment to a green dye or pigment in an appropriate amount , and the chromaticity of a b pixel can be controlled by adding a purple dye or pigment to a blue dye or pigment in an appropriate amount . the chromaticity of the pixels can also be controlled by appropriately changing the diameter of the particles of a pigment . the pixel portions of the color filter may be formed by a publicly known method . a common method for forming pixel portions is photolithography . in photolithography , the photo - curable composition described below is applied to a surface of a transparent substrate for color filters on which a black matrix is disposed and then dried by being heated ( pre - baked ). subsequently , the surface of the transparent substrate is irradiated with ultraviolet rays through a photomask to perform pattern exposure to cure portions of the photo - curable compound corresponding to pixel portions . unexposed portions are developed with a developing solution . non - pixel portions are removed , and the pixel portions are fixed on the transparent substrate . in this method , pixel portions formed of a cured , colored coating film composed of the photo - curable composition are formed on the transparent substrate . for each colored pixels of r pixels , g pixels , b pixels , and , as needed , other color pixels such as y pixels , the photo - curable compositions described below are prepared and the above - described operations are repeated . thus , a color filter including colored pixel portions of r pixels , g pixels , b pixels , and y pixels formed at the respective predetermined positions can be produced . spin coating , roll coating , an ink - jet method , and the like can be employed for applying the photo - curable composition described below to a transparent substrate composed of glass or the like . the conditions for drying the coating film composed of the photo - curable composition applied to a transparent substrate vary depending on , for example , the types of and proportions of the constituents of the photo - curable composition , but are generally at 50 ° c . to 150 ° c . for about 1 to about 15 minutes . light used for photo - curing of the photo - curable composition is preferably ultraviolet rays in the wavelength range of 200 to 500 nm or visible light . any light source that emits light in this wavelength range can be used . examples of a developing method include a liquid application method , a dipping method , and a spraying method . after the exposure and development of the photo - curable composition , the transparent substrate on which the pixel portions of the desired colors are formed is washed with water and then dried . the resulting color filter is subjected to a heat treatment ( post - baking ) at 90 ° c . to 280 ° c . for a predetermined time using a heating device such as a hot plate or an oven . this removes volatile constituents contained in the colored coating film and causes an unreacted portion of the photo - curable compound remaining in the cured , colored coating film composed of the photo - curable composition to heat - cure . thus , a color filter is formed . by using the coloring material for color filters according to the present invention in combination with the liquid crystal composition according to the present invention , a liquid crystal display apparatus that limits a reduction in the voltage holding ratio ( vhr ) of the liquid crystal layer and limits an increase in the ion density ( id ) of the liquid crystal layer , which addresses faulty display issues such as white missing pixels , alignment inconsistencies , and burn - in , can be provided . in general , the photo - curable composition can be prepared in the following manner . essential components , that is , the dye and / or pigment composition for color filters according to the present invention , an organic solvent , and a dispersing agent are mixed together , and the resulting mixture is stirred so as to uniformly disperse these components . thus , a pigment dispersion used for forming pixel portion of a color filter is prepared . then , a photo - curable compound and , as needed , a thermoplastic resin , a photopolymerization initiator , and the like are added to the pigment dispersion . thus , the photo - curable composition is prepared . examples of the organic solvent used above include aromatic compound solvents such as toluene , xylene , and methoxybenzene ; acetic acid ester solvents such as ethyl acetate , propyl acetate , butyl acetate , propylene glycol monomethyl ether acetate , propylene glycol monoethyl ether acetate , diethylene glycol methyl ether acetate , diethylene glycol ethyl ether acetate , diethylene glycol propyl ether acetate , and diethylene glycol butyl ether acetate ; propionate solvents such as ethoxyethyl propionate ; alcohol solvents such as methanol and ethanol ; ether solvents such as butyl cellosolve , propylene glycol monomethyl ether , diethylene glycol ethyl ether , and diethylene glycol dimethyl ether ; ketone solvents such as methyl ethyl ketone , methyl isobutyl ketone , and cyclohexanone ; aliphatic hydrocarbon solvents such as hexane ; nitrogen compound solvents such as n , n - dimethylformamide , γ - butyrolactam , n - methyl - 2 - pyrrolidone , aniline , and pyridine ; lactone solvents such as γ - butyrolactone ; and carbamic acid ester such as a 48 : 52 mixture of methyl carbamate and ethyl carbamate . examples of the dispersing agent used above include disperbyk 130 , disperbyk 161 , disperbyk 162 , disperbyk 163 , disperbyk 170 , disperbyk 171 , disperbyk 174 , disperbyk 180 , disperbyk 182 , disperbyk 183 , disperbyk 184 , disperbyk 185 , disperbyk 2000 , disperbyk 2001 , disperbyk 2020 , disperbyk 2050 , disperbyk 2070 , disperbyk 2096 , disperbyk 2150 , disperbyk lpn21116 , and disperbyk lpn6919 produced by byk - chemie ; efka 46 , efka 47 , efka 452 , efka lp4008 , efka 4009 , efka lp4010 , efka lp4050 , lp4055 , efka 400 , efka 401 , efka 402 , efka 403 , efka 450 , efka 451 , efka 453 , efka 4540 , efka 4550 , efka lp4560 , efka 120 , efka 150 , efka 1501 , efka 1502 , and efka 1503 produced by efka ; solsperse 3000 , solsperse 9000 , solsperse 13240 , solsperse 13650 , solsperse 13940 , solsperse 17000 , 18000 , solsperse 20000 , solsperse 21000 , solsperse 20000 , solsperse 24000 , solsperse 26000 , solsperse 27000 , solsperse 28000 , solsperse 32000 , solsperse 36000 , solsperse 37000 , solsperse 38000 , solsperse 41000 , solsperse 42000 , solsperse 43000 , solsperse 46000 , solsperse 54000 , and solsperse 71000 produced by lubrizol corporation ; and ajisper pb711 , ajisper pb821 , ajisper pb822 , ajisper pb814 , ajisper pn411 , and ajisper pa111 produced by ajinomoto co ., inc . in addition , synthetic resins that are insoluble in water and liquid at room temperature may also be used . examples of such synthetic resins include an acrylic resin ; a urethane resin ; an alkyd resin ; natural rosins such as a wood rosin , a gum rosin , and a tall rosin ; modified rosins such as a polymerized rosin , a disproportionated rosin , a hydrogenated rosin , an oxidized rosin , and a maleated rosin ; and rosin derivatives such as a rosin amine , a lime rosin , alkylene oxide adducts of a rosin , alkyd adducts of a rosin , and a rosin - modified phenol . addition of the above - described dispersing agents and the above - described resins also contributes to reduction in flocculation , improvement of the dispersion stability of the pigments , and improvement of the viscometric property of the dispersion solutions . an organic pigment derivative such as a phthalimidemethyl derivative , a sulfonic acid derivative , an n -( dialkylamino ) methyl derivative , or an n -( dialkylaminoalkyl ) sulfonic acid amide derivative may also be added as a dispersing aid . needless to say , two or more different types of these derivatives may be used in combination . examples of the thermoplastic resin used for preparing the photo - curable composition include a urethane resin , an acrylic resin , a polyamide resin , a polyimide resin , a styrene - maleic acid - based resin , and a styrene - maleic anhydride - based resin . examples of the photo - curable compound include difunctional monomers such as 1 , 6 - hexanediol diacrylate , ethylene glycol diacrylate , neopentyl glycol diacrylate , triethylene glycol diacrylate , bis ( acryloxyethoxy ) bisphenol a , and 3 - methylpentanediol diacrylate ; multifunctional monomers having a relatively low molecular weight , such as trimethylolpropatone triacrylate , pentaerythritol triacrylate , tris [ 2 -( meth ) acryloyloxyethyl ] isocyanurate , dipentaerythritol hexaacrylate , and dipentaerythritol pentaacrylate ; and multifunctional monomers having a relatively high molecular weight , such as polyester acrylate , polyurethane acrylate , and polyether acrylate . examples of the photopolymerization initiator include acetophenone , benzophenone , benzildimethylketanol , benzoyl peroxide , 2 - chlorothioxanthone , 1 , 3 - bis ( 4 ′- azidobenzal )- 2 - propane , 1 , 3 - bis ( 4 ′- azidobenzal )- 2 - propane - 2 ′- sulfonic acid , and 4 , 4 ′- diazidostilbene - 2 , 2 ′- disulfonic acid . examples of commercially available photopolymerization initiators include “ irgacure ( trade name )- 184 ”, “ irgacure ( trade name )- 369 ”, “ darocur ( trade name )- 1173 ”, and “ lucirin - tpo ” produced by basf , “ kayacure ( trade name ) detx ” and “ kayacure ( trade name ) oa ” produced by nippon kayaku co ., ltd ., “ vicure 10 ” and “ vicure 55 ” produced by stauffer chemical co ., “ trigonal pi ” produced by akzo nobel n . v ., “ sandrey 1000 ” produced by sand , “ deep ” produced by upjohn company , and “ biimidazole ” produced by kurogane kasei co ., ltd . publicly known , commonly used photosensitizers may be used in combination with the above - described photopolymerization initiators . examples of the photosensitizers include amines , ureas , compounds containing a sulfur atom , compounds containing a phosphorus atom , compounds containing a chlorine atom , nitriles , and other compounds containing a nitrogen atom . these compounds may be used alone or in combination of two or more . the mixing proportion of the photopolymerization initiator is preferably , but is not particularly limited to , 0 . 1 % to 30 % by mass relative to the amount of compounds including a photo - polymerizable or photo - curable functional group . if the mixing proportion of the photopolymerization initiator is less than 0 . 1 %, the photographic sensitivity during photo - curing may decrease . if the mixing proportion of the photopolymerization initiator exceeds 30 %, the crystal of the photopolymerization initiator may precipitate when a pigment - dispersed resist coating film is dried , which may deteriorate the physical properties of the coating film . using the above - described materials , by mass , 100 parts of the dye and / or pigment composition for color filters according to the present invention is mixed with 300 to 1000 parts of an organic solvent and 1 to 100 parts of a dispersing agent , and the resulting mixture is stirred so as to uniformly disperse the components . thus , the above - described dye and pigment liquid can be prepared . subsequently , a thermoplastic resin , a photo - curable compound , a photopolymerization initiator , and , as needed , an organic solvent are added to the pigment dispersion in such a manner that the total amount of the thermoplastic resin and the photo - curable compound is 3 to 20 parts relative to 1 part of the pigment composition for color filters according to the present invention and the amount of the photopolymerization initiator is 0 . 05 to 3 parts relative to 1 part of the photo - curable compound . the resulting mixture is stirred so as to uniformly disperse the above components . thus , a photo - curable composition for forming pixel portions of the color filter is prepared . publicly known and commonly used organic solvents and aqueous alkaline solutions may be used as a developing solution . in particular , when the photo - curable composition includes a thermoplastic resin or a photo - curable compound and at least one of them has an acid value and alkali - solubility , washing with an aqueous alkaline solution may be effective in forming pixel portions of the color filter . a method for producing pixel portions of the color filter by photolithography is described above in detail . alternatively , the pixel portions of the color filter , which are prepared using the pigment composition for color filters according to the present invention , may be formed by another method such as an electrodeposition method , a transfer method , a micelle electrolysis method , a pved ( photovoltaic electrodeposition ) method , an ink - jet method , a reverse printing method , or a thermosetting method . the pixel portions are formed for each color to produce a color filter . in the liquid crystal display apparatus according to the present invention , when an alignment film is provided in order to align a liquid crystal composition , the alignment film is disposed between the color filter and the liquid crystal layer on a surface of the first substrate and a surface of the second substrate which are brought into contact with the liquid crystal composition . the thickness of the alignment film is small , that is , 100 nm or less at most . thus , the alignment film does not completely block the interaction between coloring agents such as pigments constituting the color filter and a liquid crystal compound constituting the liquid crystal layer . in a liquid crystal display apparatus that does not include the alignment film , the interaction between coloring agents , such as pigments , constituting the color filter and a liquid crystal compound constituting the liquid crystal layer becomes stronger . the alignment film may be composed of , for example , a transparent organic material such as polyimide , polyamide , bcb ( benzocyclobutene polymer ), or polyvinyl alcohol . in particular , a polyimide alignment film formed by imidization of a polyamic acid prepared by synthesizing a diamine such as an aliphatic or alicyclic diamine ( e . g ., p - phenylenediamine or 4 , 4 ′- diaminodiphenylmethane ) with an aliphatic or alicyclic tetracarboxylic acid anhydride ( e . g ., butanetetracarboxylic acid anhydride or 2 , 3 , 5 - tricarboxycyclopentyl acetic acid anhydride ) or with an aromatic tetracarboxylic acid anhydride ( e . g ., pyromellitic dianhydride ) is preferably used . in this case , generally , alignment is performed by rubbing . when the film serves as a vertical alignment film or the like , alignment is not necessarily performed . the alignment film may be composed of a material including chalcone , cinnamate , cinnamoyl , or an azo group in the compound . such a material can be used in combination with polyimide , polyamide , or the like . in such a case , the alignment film may be formed by rubbing or using a photo - alignment technology . in order to form the alignment film , in general , the above - described material of the alignment film is applied to a substrate by spin coating to form a resin film . alternatively , a uniaxial stretching method , the langmuir - blodgett method , and the like may be employed . in the liquid crystal display apparatus according to the present invention , the transparent electrode may be composed of a conductive metal oxide . examples of the metal oxide include indium oxide ( in 2 o 2 ), tin oxide ( sno 2 ), zinc oxide ( zno ), indium tin oxide ( in 2 o 2 — sno 2 ), indium zinc oxide ( in 2 o 2 — zno ), niobium - doped titanium dioxide ( ti 1 - x nb x o 2 ), fluorine - doped tin oxide , graphene nanoribbon , and metal nanowire . zinc oxide ( zno ), indium tin oxide ( in 2 o 2 — sno 2 ), and indium zinc oxide ( in 2 o 2 — zno ) are preferably used . these transparent conductive films can be patterned by , for example , photo - etching or using a mask . a part of the preferred embodiment of the present invention is described below in detail with reference to examples , which do not limit the present invention . when referring to a composition in examples and comparative examples , “%” always denotes “% by mass ”. the physical properties of a liquid crystal composition are represented as follows . t n - i : nematic phase - isotropic liquid phase transition temperature (° c .) as an upper limit temperature of liquid crystal phase d gap : gap ( μm ) between a first substrate and a second substrate of a cell ( the ratio (%) of a voltage measured when a voltage of 5 v was applied to a cell having a thickness of 3 . 5 μm , in which the liquid crystal composition had been injected , at a frame time of 200 ms and a pulse width of 64 μs relative to the initially applied voltage ) ( an ion density measured with mtr - 1 ( produced by toyo corporation ) when a voltage of 20 v was applied to a cell having a thickness of 3 . 5 μm , in which the liquid crystal composition had been injected , at a frequency of 0 . 05 hz ) the liquid crystal display apparatus was evaluated in terms of burn - in in the following manner . a predetermined fixed pattern was displayed in a displaying area for 1000 hours . subsequently , uniform display over the entire screen was performed , and the level of a residual image of the fixed pattern was visually inspected and rated on the following four - point scale . good : a slight residual image was present , but at an acceptable level . into a plastic bottle , 10 parts of a red pigment 1 ( c . i . pigment red 254 , water - soluble content : 0 . 3 %, specific electrical conductivity : 30 μs / cm ) was charged . into the plastic bottle , 55 parts of propylene glycol monomethyl ether acetate , 7 . 0 parts of disperbyk lpn21116 ( produced by byk - chemie ), and 0 . 3 - to - 0 . 4 - mmφ sepr beads were added . these components were dispersed for 4 hours using paint conditioner ( produced by toyo seiki kogyo co ., ltd .). the resulting mixture was filtered through a 5 - μm filter to prepare a pigment dispersion . then , 75 . 00 parts of the pigment dispersion was mixed with 5 . 50 parts of a polyester acrylate resin ( aronix ( trade name ) m7100 , produced by toagosei co ., ltd . ), 5 . 00 parts of dipentaerythritol hexaacrylate ( kayarad ( trade name ) dpha , produced by nippon kayaku co ., ltd . ), 1 . 00 parts of benzophenone ( kayacure ( trade name ) bp - 100 , produced by nippon kayaku co ., ltd . ), and 13 . 5 parts of ucar ester eep under stirring using a dispersion stirrer . the resulting mixture was filtered through a filter having a pore size of 1 . 0 μm . thus , a red pigment coloring composition 1 was prepared . note that the water - soluble content of the pigment was calculated in accordance with jis k5101 - 16 - 1 ( test methods for pigments - part 16 : matter soluble in water - section 1 : hot extraction method ), that is , in the following manner : 1 . into a 500 - ml rigid beaker , 5 . 00 g of an accurately weighed pigment is charged . to the beaker , 200 ml of ion - exchange water ( electrical conductivity : 5 μs / cm or less , ph : 7 . 0 ± 1 . 0 ) is added . the ion - exchange water is added in small amounts at a time . after 5 ml of first - grade reagent methanol is added to the beaker to soak the pigment in the ion - exchange water to a sufficient degree , the remaining ion - exchange water is added to the beaker . the resulting liquid mixture is boiled for 5 minutes . 2 . the liquid mixture is cooled to room temperature , and transferred to a 250 - ml graduated cylinder . to the graduated cylinder , the above - described ion - exchange water is added until the volume of the liquid mixture becomes 250 ml . the liquid mixture is vigorously stirred and then filtered through a filter paper no . 5c produced by advantec . 3 . initially , about 50 ml of the filtrate is removed , and 100 ml of the remaining filtrate is weighed using a graduated cylinder and transferred to an evaporation pan of known mass . the filtrate adhering to the graduated cylinder is washed off with a small amount of ion - exchange water into the evaporation pan . 4 . the evaporation pan is placed in a water bath , and evaporation to dryness is performed . the evaporation pan is dried for 2 hours in a drying machine kept at 105 ° c . to 110 ° c . and subsequently charged into a desiccator . after the evaporation pan is left to cool , the mass of the evaporation pan is measured . thus , the amount of substance that remained after evaporation is determined . 5 . the water - soluble content of the pigment is calculated using the following formula . the specific electrical conductivity of the pigment was calculated in the following manner . the specific electrical conductivity of the ion - exchange water used was measured using a conductivity meter ( e . g ., model : cm - 30v produced by dkk - toa corporation ). the specific electrical conductivity of the 100 ml of filtrate , which was weighed using a graduated cylinder in the above step 3 , was measured using the conductivity meter . then , the specific electrical conductivity of the pigment was calculated by correcting the measured value by using the following formula . a red pigment coloring composition 2 was prepared as described above , except that a pigment ( water - soluble content : 0 . 4 %, specific electrical conductivity : 30 μs / cm ) prepared by mixing 6 parts of the red pigment 1 with 2 parts of a red pigment 2 ( c . i . pigment red 177 , water - soluble content : 0 . 5 %, specific electrical conductivity : 40 μs / cm ) and 2 parts of a yellow pigment 1 ( c . i . pigment yellow 139 , water - soluble content : 0 . 4 %, specific electrical conductivity : 40 μs / cm ) was used instead of 10 parts of the red pigment 1 used for preparing the red pigment coloring composition 1 . a red pigment coloring composition 3 was prepared as described above , except that 10 parts of a red pigment 3 ( c . i . pigment red 255 , water - soluble content : 0 . 6 %, specific electrical conductivity : 60 μs / cm ) was used instead of 10 parts of the red pigment 1 used for preparing the red pigment coloring composition 1 . a red pigment coloring composition 4 was prepared as described above , except that a pigment ( water - soluble content : 0 . 2 %, specific electrical conductivity : 30 μs / cm ) prepared by mixing 8 parts of a red pigment 4 ( c . i . pigment red 264 , water - soluble content : 0 . 2 %, specific electrical conductivity : 25 μs / cm ) with 2 parts of the yellow pigment 1 ( c . i . pigment yellow 139 , water - soluble content : 0 . 4 %, specific electrical conductivity : 40 μs / cm ) was used instead of 10 parts of the red pigment 1 used for preparing the red pigment coloring composition 1 . a red pigment coloring composition 5 was prepared as described above , except that 10 parts of a red pigment 5 ( c . i . pigment red 48 : 1 , water - soluble content : 1 . 6 %, specific electrical conductivity : 170 μs / cm ) was used instead of 10 parts of the red pigment 1 used for preparing the red pigment coloring composition 1 . a green pigment coloring composition 1 was prepared as described above , except that a pigment ( water - soluble content : 0 . 4 %, specific electrical conductivity : 50 μs / cm ) prepared by mixing 6 parts of a green pigment 1 ( c . i . pigment green 36 , water - soluble content : 0 . 3 %, specific electrical conductivity : 40 μs / cm ) with 4 parts of a yellow pigment 2 ( c . i . pigment yellow 150 , water - soluble content : 0 . 6 %, specific electrical conductivity : 70 μs / cm ) was used instead of 10 parts of the red pigment 1 used for preparing the red pigment coloring composition 1 . a green pigment coloring composition 2 was prepared as described above , except that a pigment ( water - soluble content : 0 . 2 %, specific electrical conductivity : 30 μs / cm ) prepared by mixing 4 parts of a green pigment 2 ( c . i . pigment green 7 , water - soluble content : 0 . 2 %, specific electrical conductivity : 30 μs / cm ) with 6 parts of a yellow pigment 3 ( c . i . pigment yellow 138 , water - soluble content : 0 . 2 %, specific electrical conductivity : 30 μs / cm ) was used instead of 6 parts of the green pigment 1 and 4 parts of the yellow pigment 2 used for preparing the green pigment coloring composition 1 . a green pigment coloring composition 3 was prepared as described above , except that a pigment ( water - soluble content : 0 . 2 %, specific electrical conductivity : 30 μs / cm ) prepared by mixing 6 parts of a green pigment 3 ( c . i . pigment green 58 , water - soluble content : 0 . 2 %, specific electrical conductivity : 25 μs / cm ) with 4 parts of the yellow pigment 3 ( c . i . pigment yellow 138 , water - soluble content : 0 . 2 %, specific electrical conductivity : 30 μs / cm ) was used instead of 6 parts of the green pigment 1 and 4 parts of the yellow pigment 2 used for preparing the green pigment coloring composition 1 . a green pigment coloring composition 4 was prepared as described above , except that a pigment ( water - soluble content : 0 . 7 %, specific electrical conductivity : 80 μs / cm ) prepared by mixing 6 parts of the green pigment 3 ( c . i . pigment green 58 , water - soluble content : 0 . 2 %, specific electrical conductivity : 25 μs / cm ) with 3 . 6 parts of the yellow pigment 3 ( c . i . pigment yellow 138 , water - soluble content : 0 . 2 %, specific electrical conductivity : 30 μs / cm ) and 0 . 4 parts of the sulfonic acid derivative of yellow 138 which is described in production example 2 of japanese unexamined patent application publication no . 2004 - 292785 was used instead of 6 parts of the green pigment 1 and 4 parts of the yellow pigment 2 used for preparing the green pigment coloring composition 1 . a green pigment coloring composition 5 was prepared as described above , except that a pigment ( water - soluble content : 1 . 8 %, specific electrical conductivity : 190 μs / cm ) prepared by mixing 6 parts of a green pigment 4 ( c . i . pigment green 4 , water - soluble content : 1 . 7 %, specific electrical conductivity : 180 μs / cm ) with 4 parts of a yellow pigment 4 ( c . i . pigment yellow 62 , water - soluble content : 1 . 9 %, specific electrical conductivity : 190 μs / cm ) was used instead of 6 parts of the green pigment 1 and 4 parts of the yellow pigment 2 used for preparing the green pigment coloring composition 1 . a blue pigment coloring composition 1 was prepared as described above , except that a pigment ( water - soluble content : 0 . 3 %, specific electrical conductivity : 30 μs / cm ) prepared by mixing 9 parts of a blue pigment 1 ( c . i . pigment blue 15 : 6 , water - soluble content : 0 . 2 %, specific electrical conductivity : 20 μs / cm ) with 1 part of a purple pigment 1 ( c . i . pigment violet 23 , water - soluble content : 0 . 7 %, specific electrical conductivity : 80 μs / cm ) was used instead of 10 parts of the red pigment 1 used for preparing the red pigment coloring composition 1 . a blue pigment coloring composition 2 was prepared as described above , except that a pigment ( water - soluble content : 0 . 5 %, specific electrical conductivity : 50 μs / cm ) prepared using the blue pigment 1 whose water - soluble content was changed to 0 . 5 % and whose specific electrical conductivity was changed to 50 μs / cm , that is , namely , a blue pigment 2 , was used . a blue pigment coloring composition 3 was prepared as described above , except that 10 parts of a triarylmethane pigment represented by general formula ( 1 ) ( compound no . 5 in table 1 , water - soluble content : 1 . 1 %, specific electrical conductivity : 114 μs / cm ) was used instead of 9 parts of the blue pigment 1 and 1 part of the purple pigment 1 used for preparing the blue pigment coloring composition 1 . a blue pigment coloring composition 4 was prepared as described above , except that 10 parts of a blue pigment 3 ( c . i . pigment blue 1 , water - soluble content : 1 . 3 %, specific electrical conductivity : 160 μs / cm ) was used instead of 9 parts of the blue pigment 1 and 1 part of the purple pigment 1 used for preparing the blue pigment coloring composition 1 . a blue pigment coloring composition 5 was prepared as described above , except that 10 parts of a blue pigment 4 ( c . i . pigment blue 61 , water - soluble content : 1 . 8 %, specific electrical conductivity : 200 μs / cm ) was used instead of 9 parts of the blue pigment 1 and 1 part of the purple pigment 1 used for preparing the blue pigment coloring composition 1 . a yellow pigment coloring composition 1 was prepared as described above , except that a pigment ( water - soluble content : 1 . 6 %, specific electrical conductivity : 120 μs / cm ) prepared by mixing 9 parts of a yellow pigment 5 ( c . i . pigment yellow 138 , water - soluble content : 0 . 5 %, specific electrical conductivity : 50 μs / cm ) with 1 part of the sulfonic acid derivative of yellow 138 which is described in production example 2 of japanese unexamined patent application publication no . 2004 - 292785 was used instead of 10 parts of the red pigment 1 used for preparing the red pigment coloring composition 1 . a yellow pigment coloring composition 2 was prepared as described above , except that 10 parts of the yellow pigment 2 ( c . i . pigment yellow 150 , water - soluble content : 0 . 6 %, specific electrical conductivity : 70 μs / cm ) was used instead of the yellow pigment 2 used for preparing the yellow pigment composition 1 . a specific one of the red coloring compositions was applied to a glass substrate , on which a black matrix was deposited , by spin coating so as to form a coating film having a thickness of 2 μm . after being dried at 70 ° c . for 20 minutes , the coating film was exposed to ultraviolet rays through a photomask using an exposure machine including an extra - high pressure mercury lamp to form a striped pattern . the patterned coating film was subjected to spray development using an alkali developing solution for 90 seconds , then washed with ion - exchanged water , and air - dried . subsequently , post - baking was performed in a clean oven at 230 ° c . for 30 minutes . thus , red pixels constituted by a colored layer having a striped pattern were formed on the transparent substrate . in the same manner , a specific one of the green coloring compositions was applied to the glass substrate by spin coating so as to form a coating film having a thickness of 2 μm . after being dried , the coating film was exposed to light using the exposure machine so that a colored layer having a striped pattern was developed at a position displaced from that of the red pixels . thus , green pixels adjacent to the red pixels were formed . in the same manner , a specific one of the blue coloring compositions was applied to the glass substrate by spin coating so as to form a coating film having a thickness of 2 μm . thus , blue pixels adjacent to the red pixels and the green pixels were formed . in the above - described manner , a color filter including three - colored pixels of red , green , and blue having a striped pattern formed on the transparent substrate was prepared . optionally , in the same manner , a specific one of the yellow coloring compositions was also applied to the glass substrate by spin coating so as to form a coating film having a thickness of 2 μm . thus , blue pixels adjacent to the red pixels and the green pixels were formed . as a result , a color filter including four - colored pixels of red , green , blue , and yellow having a striped pattern formed on the transparent substrate was prepared . color filters 1 to 4 and a comparative color filter 1 were prepared using the dye coloring compositions and the pigment coloring compositions shown in table 8 . an electrode structure was formed on the first and second substrates , and an alignment film having a vertical alignment was formed on surfaces of the first and second substrates which faced each other . subsequently , a rubbing treatment was performed to form a tn cell . the liquid crystal composition 1 shown in table 9 , which had a positive dielectric anisotropy , was held between the first and second substrates . then , liquid crystal display apparatuses of example 1 ( d gap = 3 . 5 μm , alignment film : al - 1051 ) were each prepared using a specific one of the color filters 1 to 4 shown in table 8 . the vhr and id of each liquid crystal display apparatus were measured . each liquid crystal display apparatus was evaluated in terms of burn - in . table 10 summarizes the results . the liquid crystal display apparatuses of examples 1 to 4 had a high vhr and a small id . furthermore , a residual image was absent in the burn - in evaluation . even when a residual image was present , it was very slight and at an acceptable level . the comparative liquid crystal composition 1 or 2 shown in table 11 , which had a positive dielectric anisotropy , was held inside the tn cell used in example 1 . then , liquid crystal display apparatuses of comparative examples 1 to 8 were each prepared using a specific one of the color filters 1 to 4 shown in table 8 . the vhr and id of each liquid crystal display apparatus were measured . each liquid crystal display apparatus was evaluated in terms of burn - in . tables 12 and 13 summarize the results . the liquid crystal display apparatuses of comparative examples 1 to 8 had a lower vhr and a higher id than the liquid crystal display apparatuses according to the present invention . furthermore , occurrence of a residual image was observed in the burn - in evaluation , which was not at an acceptable level . the liquid crystal composition 1 shown in table 9 , which had a positive dielectric anisotropy , was held inside the tn cell used in example 1 . then , a liquid crystal display apparatus of comparative example 9 was prepared using the comparative color filter 1 shown in table 8 . the vhr and id of the liquid crystal display apparatus were measured . the liquid crystal display apparatus was evaluated in terms of burn - in . table 14 summarizes the results . the liquid crystal display apparatus of comparative example 9 had a lower vhr and a higher id than the liquid crystal display apparatuses according to the present invention . furthermore , occurrence of a residual image was observed in the burn - in evaluation , which was not at an acceptable level . a specific one of the liquid crystals shown in table 15 , which had a positive dielectric anisotropy , was held between the first and second substrates as in example 1 . then , liquid crystal display apparatuses of examples 5 to 12 were each prepared using a specific one of the color filters shown in table 8 . the vhr and id of each liquid crystal display apparatus were measured . each liquid crystal display apparatus was evaluated in terms of burn - in . tables 16 to 18 summarize the results . the liquid crystal display apparatuses of examples 5 to 16 had a high vhr and a small id . furthermore , a residual image was absent in the burn - in evaluation . even when a residual image was present , it was very slight and at an acceptable level . a specific one of the liquid crystals shown in table 19 , which had a positive dielectric anisotropy , was held between the first and second substrates as in example 1 . then , liquid crystal display apparatuses of examples 17 to 28 were each prepared using a specific one of the color filters shown in table 8 . the vhr and id of each liquid crystal display apparatus were measured . each liquid crystal display apparatus was evaluated in terms of burn - in . tables 20 to 22 summarize the results . the liquid crystal display apparatuses of examples 17 to 28 had a high vhr and a small id . furthermore , a residual image was absent in the burn - in evaluation . even when a residual image was present , it was very slight and at an acceptable level . a specific one of the liquid crystals shown in table 23 , which had a positive dielectric anisotropy , was held between the first and second substrates as in example 1 . then , liquid crystal display apparatuses of examples 29 to 40 were each prepared using a specific one of the color filters shown in table 8 . the vhr and id of each liquid crystal display apparatus were measured . each liquid crystal display apparatus was evaluated in terms of burn - in . tables 24 to 26 summarize the results . the liquid crystal display apparatuses of examples 29 to 40 had a high vhr and a small id . furthermore , a residual image was absent in the burn - in evaluation . even when a residual image was present , it was very slight and at an acceptable level . a specific one of the liquid crystals shown in tables 27 and 28 , which had a positive dielectric anisotropy , was held between the first and second substrates as in example 1 . then , liquid crystal display apparatuses of examples 41 to 56 were each prepared using a specific one of the color filters shown in table 8 . the vhr and id of each liquid crystal display apparatus were measured . each liquid crystal display apparatus was evaluated in terms of burn - in . tables 29 to 32 summarize the results . the liquid crystal display apparatuses of examples 41 to 56 had a high vhr and a small id . furthermore , a residual image was absent in the burn - in evaluation . even when a residual image was present , it was very slight and at an acceptable level . a specific one of the liquid crystals shown in table 33 , which had a positive dielectric anisotropy , was held between the first and second substrates as in example 1 . then , liquid crystal display apparatuses of examples 57 to 72 were each prepared using a specific one of the color filters shown in table 8 . the vhr and id of each liquid crystal display apparatus were measured . each liquid crystal display apparatus was evaluated in terms of burn - in . tables 34 to 37 summarize the results . the liquid crystal display apparatuses of examples 57 to 72 had a high vhr and a small id . furthermore , a residual image was absent in the burn - in evaluation . even when a residual image was present , it was very slight and at an acceptable level . a specific one of the liquid crystals shown in table 38 , which had a positive dielectric anisotropy , was held between the first and second substrates as in example 1 . then , liquid crystal display apparatuses of examples 73 to 80 were each prepared using a specific one of the color filters shown in table 8 . the vhr and id of each liquid crystal display apparatus were measured . each liquid crystal display apparatus was evaluated in terms of burn - in . tables 39 and 40 summarize the results . the liquid crystal display apparatuses of examples 73 to 80 had a high vhr and a small id . furthermore , a residual image was absent in the burn - in evaluation . even when a residual image was present , it was very slight and at an acceptable level . a specific one of the liquid crystals shown in table 41 , which had a positive dielectric anisotropy , was held between the first and second substrates as in example 1 . then , liquid crystal display apparatuses of examples 81 to 88 were each prepared using a specific one of the color filters shown in table 8 . the vhr and id of each liquid crystal display apparatus were measured . each liquid crystal display apparatus was evaluated in terms of burn - in . tables 42 and 43 summarize the results . the liquid crystal display apparatuses of examples 81 to 88 had a high vhr and a small id . furthermore , a residual image was absent in the burn - in evaluation . even when a residual image was present , it was very slight and at an acceptable level . a specific one of the liquid crystals shown in table 44 , which had a positive dielectric anisotropy , was held between the first and second substrates as in example 1 . then , liquid crystal display apparatuses of examples 89 to 96 were each prepared using a specific one of the color filters shown in table 8 . the vhr and id of each liquid crystal display apparatus were measured . each liquid crystal display apparatus was evaluated in terms of burn - in . tables 45 and 46 summarize the results . the liquid crystal display apparatuses of examples 89 to 96 had a high vhr and a small id . furthermore , a residual image was absent in the burn - in evaluation . even when a residual image was present , it was very slight and at an acceptable level . a specific one of the liquid crystals shown in table 47 , which had a positive dielectric anisotropy , was held between the first and second substrates as in example 1 . then , liquid crystal display apparatuses of examples 97 to 104 were each prepared using a specific one of the color filters shown in table 8 . the vhr and id of each liquid crystal display apparatus were measured . each liquid crystal display apparatus was evaluated in terms of burn - in . tables 48 and 49 summarize the results . the liquid crystal display apparatuses of examples 97 to 104 had a high vhr and a small id . furthermore , a residual image was absent in the burn - in evaluation . even when a residual image was present , it was very slight and at an acceptable level . a specific one of the liquid crystals shown in table 50 , which had a positive dielectric anisotropy , was held between the first and second substrates as in example 1 . then , liquid crystal display apparatuses of examples 105 to 112 were each prepared using a specific one of the color filters shown in table 8 . the vhr and id of each liquid crystal display apparatus were measured . each liquid crystal display apparatus was evaluated in terms of burn - in . tables 51 and 52 summarize the results . the liquid crystal display apparatuses of examples 105 to 112 had a high vhr and a small id . furthermore , a residual image was absent in the burn - in evaluation . even when a residual image was present , it was very slight and at an acceptable level . a specific one of the liquid crystals shown in table 53 , which had a positive dielectric anisotropy , was held between the first and second substrates as in example 1 . then , liquid crystal display apparatuses of examples 113 to 120 were each prepared using a specific one of the color filters shown in table 8 . the vhr and id of each liquid crystal display apparatus were measured . each liquid crystal display apparatus was evaluated in terms of burn - in . tables 54 and 55 summarize the results . the liquid crystal display apparatuses of examples 113 to 120 had a high vhr and a small id . furthermore , a residual image was absent in the burn - in evaluation . even when a residual image was present , it was very slight and at an acceptable level . a specific one of the liquid crystals shown in table 56 , which had a positive dielectric anisotropy , was held between the first and second substrates as in example 1 . then , liquid crystal display apparatuses of examples 121 to 128 were each prepared using a specific one of the color filters shown in table 8 . the vhr and id of each liquid crystal display apparatus were measured . each liquid crystal display apparatus was evaluated in terms of burn - in . tables 57 and 58 summarize the results . the liquid crystal display apparatuses of examples 121 to 128 had a high vhr and a small id . furthermore , a residual image was absent in the burn - in evaluation . even when a residual image was present , it was very slight and at an acceptable level . a liquid crystal composition 33 was prepared by mixing the liquid crystal composition 1 used in example 1 , which had a positive dielectric anisotropy , with 0 . 3 % by mass of 2 - methyl - acrylic acid 4 ′-{ 2 -[ 4 -( 2 - acryloyloxy - ethyl )- phenoxycarbonyl ]- ethyl }- biphenyl - 4 - yl ester . the liquid crystal composition 33 was held inside the tn cell used in example 1 . while a driving voltage was applied between the electrodes , ultraviolet irradiation ( 3 . 0 j / cm 2 ) was done for 600 seconds to perform a polymerization treatment . subsequently , liquid crystal display apparatuses of examples 129 to 132 were each prepared using a specific one of the color filters 1 to 4 shown in table 8 . the vhr and id of each liquid crystal display apparatus were measured . each liquid crystal display apparatus was evaluated in terms of burn - in . table 59 summarizes the results . the liquid crystal display apparatuses of examples 129 to 132 had a high vhr and a small id . furthermore , a residual image was absent in the burn - in evaluation . even when a residual image was present , it was very slight and at an acceptable level . a liquid crystal composition 34 was prepared by mixing the liquid crystal composition 29 having a positive dielectric anisotropy with 0 . 3 % by mass of bismethacrylic acid biphenyl - 4 , 4 ′- diyl ester . the liquid crystal composition 34 was held inside the tn cell used in example 1 . while a driving voltage was applied between the electrodes , ultraviolet irradiation ( 3 . 0 j / cm 2 ) was done for 600 seconds to perform a polymerization treatment . subsequently , liquid crystal display apparatuses of examples 133 to 136 were each prepared using a specific one of the color filters 1 to 4 shown in table 8 . the vhr and id of each liquid crystal display apparatus were measured . each liquid crystal display apparatus was evaluated in terms of burn - in . table 60 summarizes the results . the liquid crystal display apparatuses of examples 133 to 136 had a high vhr and a small id . furthermore , a residual image was absent in the burn - in evaluation . even when a residual image was present , it was very slight and at an acceptable level . a liquid crystal composition 35 was prepared by mixing the liquid crystal composition 32 having a positive dielectric anisotropy with 0 . 3 % by mass of bismethacrylic acid 3 - fluorobiphenyl - 4 , 4 ′- diyl ester . the liquid crystal composition 35 was held inside the tn cell used in example 1 . while a driving voltage was applied between the electrodes , ultraviolet irradiation ( 3 . 0 j / cm 2 ) was done for 600 seconds to perform a polymerization treatment . subsequently , liquid crystal display apparatuses of examples 137 to 140 were each prepared using a specific one of the color filters 1 to 4 shown in table 8 . the vhr and id of each liquid crystal display apparatus were measured . each liquid crystal display apparatus was evaluated in terms of burn - in . table 61 summarizes the results . the liquid crystal display apparatuses of examples 137 to 140 had a high vhr and a small id . furthermore , a residual image was absent in the burn - in evaluation . even when a residual image was present , it was very slight and at an acceptable level . the liquid crystal shown in table 62 , which had a positive dielectric anisotropy , was held between the first and second substrates as in example 1 . then , liquid crystal display apparatuses of examples 141 to 144 were each prepared using a specific one of the color filters shown in table 8 . the vhr and id of each liquid crystal display apparatus were measured . each liquid crystal display apparatus was evaluated in terms of burn - in . table 63 summarizes the results . the liquid crystal display apparatuses of examples 141 to 144 had a high vhr and a small id . furthermore , a residual image was absent in the burn - in evaluation . even when a residual image was present , it was very slight and at an acceptable level . the liquid crystal shown in table 64 , which had a positive dielectric anisotropy , was held between the first and second substrates as in example 1 . then , liquid crystal display apparatuses of examples 145 to 148 were each prepared using a specific one of the color filters shown in table 8 . the vhr and id of each liquid crystal display apparatus were measured . each liquid crystal display apparatus was evaluated in terms of burn - in . table 65 summarizes the results . the liquid crystal display apparatuses of examples 145 to 148 had a high vhr and a small id . furthermore , a residual image was absent in the burn - in evaluation . the liquid crystal shown in table 66 , which had a positive dielectric anisotropy , was held between the first and second substrates as in example 1 . then , liquid crystal display apparatuses of examples 149 to 152 were each prepared using a specific one of the color filters shown in table 8 . the vhr and id of each liquid crystal display apparatus were measured . each liquid crystal display apparatus was evaluated in terms of burn - in . table 67 summarizes the results . the liquid crystal display apparatuses of examples 149 to 152 had a high vhr and a small id . furthermore , a residual image was absent in the burn - in evaluation . even when a residual image was present , it was very slight and at an acceptable level . the liquid crystal shown in table 68 , which had a positive dielectric anisotropy , was held between the first and second substrates as in example 1 . then , liquid crystal display apparatuses of examples 153 to 156 were each prepared using a specific one of the color filters shown in table 8 . the vhr and id of each liquid crystal display apparatus were measured . each liquid crystal display apparatus was evaluated in terms of burn - in . table 69 summarizes the results . the liquid crystal display apparatuses of examples 153 to 156 had a high vhr and a small id . furthermore , a residual image was absent in the burn - in evaluation . even when a residual image was present , it was very slight and at an acceptable level . the liquid crystal shown in table 70 , which had a positive dielectric anisotropy , was held between the first and second substrates as in example 1 . then , liquid crystal display apparatuses of examples 157 to 160 were each prepared using a specific one of the color filters shown in table 8 . the vhr and id of each liquid crystal display apparatus were measured . each liquid crystal display apparatus was evaluated in terms of burn - in . table 71 summarizes the results . the liquid crystal display apparatuses of examples 157 to 160 had a high vhr and a small id . furthermore , a residual image was absent in the burn - in evaluation . | 2 |
the present invention is explained in detail referring to the following examples which do not intend to limit the scope of the present invention . part and % in the examples are based on weight unless specifically noted . to a 500 - ml flask equipped with a thermometer , a stirrer , a gas introducing tube and a reflux condenser , 3 parts of gelatin dissolved in 300 parts of water was placed and heated at 40 ° c . under nitrogen gas flow with stirring while inside the flask was substituted with nitrogen . then , a solution containing 99 . 794 parts of nonylphenyl acrylate ( sp value : 8 . 3 ) as the monomer ( a ), 0 . 206 part of 1 , 6 - hexandiol diacrylate as the cross - linking monomer ( b ), and 0 . 5 part of benzoylperoxide as a polymerization initiator was added to the flask at once and vigorously agitated at 400 rpm . the temperature in the flask was then increased to 80 ° c ., which temperature was maintained for 2 hours to proceed polymerization reaction . after that , the temperature in the flask was increased to 90 ° c ., which temperature was maintained for another 2 hours to complete polymerization to obtain water dispersion of oil absorbing polymer ( 1 ). the average particle size of the oil absorbing polymer ( 1 ) ranged from 100 to 1 , 000 μm . the content of the oil absorbing polymer ( 1 ) in the water dispersion thus obtained was 25 . 5 %. the oil absorbing ability of the oil absorbing polymer ( 1 ) was good and evaluated as b among grades a - e , good . the method identical to that used in example 1 was repeated , but 59 . 815 parts of isobutyl methacrylate ( sp value : 7 . 5 ) and 39 . 877 part of stearyl acrylate ( sp value : 7 . 8 ) as the monomers ( a ), 0 . 308 part of 1 , 6 - hexanediol acrylate as the cross - linking monomer ( b ) were employed instead , to produce water dispersion of oil absorbing polymer ( 2 ). the average particle size of the oil absorbing polymer ( 2 ) ranged from 100 to 1 , 000 μm and the content of oil absorbing polymer ( 2 ) in the water dispersion thus obtained was 25 . 0 %. after that , the granular products were filtered off , washed with water , dried at 60 ° c . to obtain oil absorbing polymer ( 2 ) with a particle size ranging from 100 to 1 , 000 μm . the oil absorbing ability of the oil absorbing polymer ( 2 ) was evaluated as c among the grades a - e . the method identical to that used in example 1 was repeated , but 99 . 823 parts of dodecyl acrylate ( sp value : 7 . 9 ) as the monomer ( a ), 0 . 177 part of ethyleneglycol diacrylate as the cross - linking monomer ( b ) were employed instead , to produce water dispersion of oil absorbing polymer ( 3 ). the average particle size of the oil absorbing polymer ( 3 ) ranged from 100 to 1 , 000 μm and the content of oil absorbing polymer ( 3 ) in the water dispersion thus obtained was 25 . 0 %. after that , to a 500 - ml flask equipped with a stirrer , 15 parts of calcium stearate was added , then 325 parts of the water dispersion containing the oil absorbing polymer ( 3 ) was gradually added and stirred for 10 minutes to obtain granulates consisting of the polymer and calcium stearate . then , the granulates were dried at 80 ° c . to obtain granulates of oil absorbing polymer ( 3 ) with an average particle size ranging from 100 to 1 , 000 μm . the content of oil absorbing polymer ( 3 ) in the granulates thus obtained was 85 . 0 %. the oil absorbing ability of the oil absorbing polymer ( 3 ) was evaluated to the highest a grade among grades a - e . the method identical to that used in example 1 was repeated , but 49 . 930 parts of hexadecyl methacrylate ( sp value : 7 . 8 ) and 49 . 930 parts of n - octyl methacrylamide ( sp value : 8 . 6 ) as monomers ( a ), 0 . 140 part of divinylbenzene as the cross - linking monomer ( b ) were employed instead , to produce water dispersion of oil absorbing polymer ( 4 ). the average particle size of the oil absorbing polymer ( 4 ) ranged from 100 to 1 , 000 μm and the content of oil absorbing polymer ( 4 ) in the water dispersion thus obtained was 25 . 0 %. after that , to a 500 - ml flask equipped with a thermometer and a stirrer , 15 parts of calcium carbonate was added , then 325 parts of the water dispersion containing the oil absorbing polymer ( 4 ) was gradually added , stirred for 10 minutes , and the temperature was then increased to 80 ° c . to reduce water content to obtain granulates containing the polymer and calcium carbonate . then , the granulates were dried completely at 80 ° c . to obtain granulates of oil absorbing polymer ( 4 ) with an average particle size ranging from 100 to 1 , 000 μm . the content of oil absorbing polymer ( 4 ) in the granulates thus obtained was 85 . 0 %. the oil absorbing ability of the oil absorbing polymer ( 4 ) was evaluated as c among grades a - e . to a 500 - ml flask with a baffle equipped with a thermometer , a stirrer , a gas introducing tube and a reflux condenser , 3 parts of polyoxyethylene alkylether ( nippon shokubai : softanole 150 ) dissolved in 300 parts of water was placed and heated at 40 ° c . under nitrogen gas flow with stirring , while inside the flask was substituted with nitrogen . then , a solution containing 57 . 772 parts of dodecyl acrylate ( sp value : 7 . 9 ) and 38 . 515 parts of n - dioctyl acrylamide ( sp value : 8 . 2 ) as monomers ( a ), 3 . 713 parts of polypropyleneglycol dimethacrylate ( molecular weight 4 , 000 ) as cross - linking monomer ( b ), and 0 . 5 part of benzoylperoxide as a polymerization initiator was added to the flask at once and vigorously agitated at 750 rpm . the temperature in the flask was then increased to 80 ° c ., which temperature was maintained for 2 hours to proceed polymerization reaction . after that , the temperature in the flask was increased to 90 ° c ., which temperature was maintained for another 2 hours to complete polymerization to obtain water dispersion containing polymer with an average particle size of 30 μm ( pure resin content 25 wt %). to a water solution prepared by dissolving 1 . 5 parts of above - mentioned polyoxyethylene alkylether in 150 parts of water , one part of fine granules ( average particle size 4 μm ) of hydrophobic silica ( nippon silica , nipseal ss - 70 , methanol value 65 ) and 4 parts of fine granules ( average particle size 5 μm ) of alminium monostearate were added and stirred at 300 rpm to obtain water dispersion of hydrophobic silica and alminium stearate . then , 60 parts of the water dispersion containing oil absorbing polymer ( 5 ) was gradually added and stirred for further 10 minutes to obtain agglomerate comprising hydrophobic silica and alminium stearate . after that , the agglomerate was filtered off , dried at 80 ° c ., and crushed to obtain granulated products of oil absorbing polymer ( 5 ) with an average particle size of 2 mm . the composition of the granulates thus obtained was as follows : 15 parts of oil absorbing polymer ( 5 ), 1 part of hydrophobic silica , and 4 parts of alminium monostearate . the oil absorbing ability of the oil absorbing polymer ( 5 ) was evaluated as c . the method identical to that employed in example 5 was repeated , but 99 . 796 parts of 2 - ethylhexyl acrylate ( sp value : 8 . 4 ) as the monomer ( a ) and 0 . 363 part of 1 , 9 - nonandiol diacrylate as the cross - linking monomer ( b ) were employed instead , to obtain oil absorbing polymer ( 6 ) with an average particle size of 2 mm . the composition of the granulates thus obtained was as follows : 15 parts of oil absorbing polymer ( 6 ), 1 part of hydrophobic silica , and 4 parts of alminium monostearate . the oil absorbing ability of the oil absorbing polymer ( 6 ) was evaluated as the highest grade a . the method identical to that employed in example 5 was repeated , but 99 . 771 parts of cyclohexyl methacrylate ( sp value : 8 . 3 ) as the monomer ( a ) and 0 . 229 part of n , n &# 39 ;- methylene bisacrylamide as the cross - linking monomer ( b ) were employed instead , and 5 parts of hydrophobic silica was used in place of 1 part of hydrophobic silica and 4 parts of alminium monostearate , to obtain oil absorbing polymer ( 7 ) with an average particle size of 2 mm . the composition of the granulate was as follows : 15 parts of oil absorbing polymer ( 7 ) and 5 parts of hydrophobic silica . the oil absorbing ability of the oil absorbing polymer ( 7 ) was evaluated as grade c . the method identical to that employed in example 5 was repeated , but 99 . 855 parts of stearyl acrylate as the monomer ( a ) and 0 . 145 part of 1 , 4 - butandiol diacrylate as the cross - linking monomer ( b ) were employed instead , and 5 parts of alminium monostearate was used in place of 1 part of hydrophobic silica and 4 parts of alminium monostearate , to obtain oil absorbing polymer ( 8 ) with an average particle size of 2 mm . the composition of the granules thus obtained was as follows : 15 parts of oil absorbing polymer ( 8 ) and 5 parts of alminium monostearate . the oil absorbing ability of the oil absorbing polymer ( 8 ) was evaluated as the highest grade a . to a pouring type glass mold for polymerization ( a tray of 5 × 5 × 1 cm ) equipped with a thermometer and a gas introducing tube , a solution containing 99 . 811 parts of vinyl laurate ( sp value : 7 . 9 ) as the monomer ( a ), 0 . 187 part of trimethylolpropane triacrylate as the cross - linking monomer ( b ), and 0 . 1 part of 2 , 2 &# 39 ;- azobisdimethylvaleronitrile as a polymerization initiator was poured . the mixture was heated at 60 ° c . under nitrogen gas flow for 2 hours to proceed polymerization reaction . then , temperature was increased to 80 ° c ., which temperature was maintained for 2 hours to complete polymerization . after standing for cooling , the gel substance was removed from the mold and crushed at a temperature below a glass - transition temperature to obtain granules of oil absorbing polymer ( 9 ) with an average particle size of 1 mm . the oil absorbing ability of the oil absorbing polymer ( 9 ) was evaluated as the highest grade a . the procedure employed in example 9 was repeated , except that 99 . 796 parts of isobornyl acrylate ( sp value : 8 . 4 ) as a monomer ( a ) and 0 . 204 part of ethyleneglycol diacrylate as the cross - linking monomer ( b ) were employed instead , to obtain oil absorbing polymer ( 10 ) with an average particle size of 1 mm . the oil absorbing ability of the oil absorbing polymer ( 10 ) was good and evaluated as grade b . the procedure employed in example 9 was repeated , except that 54 . 881 parts of t - butylstyrene ( sp value 7 . 9 ) and 44 . 903 parts of 1 - decene ( sp value : 7 . 0 ) as monomers ( a ) and 0 . 216 part of divinylbenzene as the cross - linking monomer ( b ) were employed instead , to obtain oil absorbing polymer ( 11 ) with an average particle size of 1 mm . the oil absorbing ability of the oil absorbing polymer ( 11 ) was evaluated as grade c . the procedure employed in example 9 was repeated , except that 74 . 793 parts of nonylphenyl acrylate ( sp value : 8 . 3 ) and 24 . 931 parts of hydroxyethyl acrylate ( sp value : 10 . 3 ) as monomers ( a ) and 0 . 276 part of 1 , 6 - hexanediol diacrylate as the cross - linking monomer ( b ) were employed instead , to obtain oil absorbing polymer ( 12 ) with an average particle size of 1 mm . the oil absorbing ability of the oil absorbing polymer ( 12 ) was evaluated as grade c . the procedure employed in example 9 was repeated , except that 59 . 327 parts of t - butyl acrylate ( sp value : 8 . 7 ) and 39 . 552 parts of styrene as monomers ( a ) and 1 . 121 part of polyethyleneglycol diacrylate ( molecular weight 500 ) as the cross - linking monomer ( b ) were employed instead , to obtain oil absorbing polymer ( 13 ) with an average particle size of 1 mm . the oil absorbing ability of the oil absorbing polymer ( 13 ) was evaluated as grade c . the procedure employed in example 1 was repeated , except that the amount of nonylphenyl acrylate as the monomer ( a ) was changed to 94 . 541 parts and that of 1 , 6 - hexanediol diacrylate as the cross - linking monomer ( b ) was changed to 5 . 459 parts to produce water dispersion of the oil absorbing polymer ( 15 ). the average particle size of the oil absorbing polymer ( 15 ) ranged from 100 to 1 , 000 μm and the content of the oil absorbing polymer ( 15 ) in the water dispersion thus obtained was 25 . 4 %. in this comparative example , the amount of the cross - linking monomer ( b ) exceeded 4 wt %. thus , the resin was highly cross - linked and the resin could not be swollen sufficiently . the oil absorbing ability of the oil absorbing polymer ( 15 ) was scarcely observed . the procedure employed in example 1 was repeated , except that 39 . 713 parts of nonylphenyl acrylate and 59 . 570 part of acrylonitrile ( sp value : 9 . 2 ) as the monomer ( a ) were employed instead of 99 . 794 parts of nonylphenyl acrylate and the amount of 1 , 6 - hexanediol diacrylate as the cross - linking monomer ( b ) was changed to 0 . 717 parts to produce water dispersion of oil absorbing polymer ( 16 ). the average particle size of the oil absorbing polymer ( 16 ) ranged from 100 to 1 , 000 μm and the content of the oil absorbing polymer ( 16 ) in the water dispersion thus obtained was 25 . 5 %. in this comparative example , the content of the monomer with sp value not higher than 9 in the monomers ( a ) was lower than 50 %, resulting in inferior oil absorbing ability . the procedure employed in example 1 was repeated , except that the amount of nonylphenyl acrylate as the monomer ( a ) was changed to 100 parts and 1 , 6 - hexanediol diacrylate as the cross - linking monomer ( b ) was not employed to produce water dispersion of oil absorbing polymer ( 17 ). the average particle size of the oil absorbing polymer ( 17 ) ranged from 100 to 1 , 000 μm and the content of the oil absorbing polymer ( 17 ) in the water dispersion thus obtained was 25 . 0 %. in this comparative example , since the cross - linking monomer ( b ) was not incorporated , the highest oil absorbing ability was obtained . however , it had disadvantages such as reduced strength of the resin due to lack of cross - linkage and increased content of soluble components . the procedure employed in example 6 was repeated , except that the amount of 2 - ethylhexyl acrylate as the monomer ( a ) was changed to 94 . 650 parts and 5 . 345 parts of divinyl benzene was used in place of 0 . 145 part of 1 , 9 - nonandiol diacrylate as the cross - linking monomer ( b ) to obtain granulated products of oil absorbing polymer ( 18 ) with an average particle size of 2 mm . the granulated substance thus obtained had a composition comprising 15 parts of oil absorbing polymer ( 18 ), 1 part of hydrophobic silica , and 4 parts of alminium monostearate . in this comparative example , since the amount of the cross - linking monomer ( b ) exceeded 4 wt %, the resin was too highly cross - linked to be swollen . thus , it scarcely exhibited oil absorbing ability . the procedure employed in example 6 was repeated , except that 39 . 905 parts of 2 - ethylhexyl acrylate and 59 . 857 parts of hydroxyethyl acrylate ( sp value : 10 . 3 ) were employed in place of 99 . 85 parts of 2 - ethylhexyl acrylate as the monomer ( a ) and 0 . 238 part of divinyl benzene was used in place of 0 . 145 part of 1 , 9 - nonandiol diacrylate as the cross - linking monomer ( b ) to obtain granulated products of oil absorbing polymer ( 19 ) with an average particle size of 2 mm . the granulated substance thus obtained had a composition comprising 15 parts of oil absorbing polymer ( 19 ), 1 part of hydrophobic silica , and 4 parts of alminium monostearate . in this comparative example , since the content of the monomer with a sp value not higher than 9 in the monomer ( a ) was less than 50 %, its oil absorbing ability was significantly inferior . thus , it scarcely exhibited oil absorbing ability . the procedure employed in example 1 was repeated , except that the amount of 2 - ethylhexyl acrylate as the monomer ( a ) was changed to 100 parts and 1 , 9 - nonandiol diacrylate as the cross - linking monomer ( b ) was not employed to produce water dispersion of oil absorbing polymer ( 20 ) with an average particle size of 2 mm . the composition of the granulated substance thus obtained was as follows : 15 parts of oil absorbing polymer ( 20 ), 1 part of hydrophobic silica , and 4 parts of alminium monostearate . in this comparative example , since the cross - linking monomer ( b ) was not incorporated , the highest oil absorbing ability was obtained . however , it had disadvantages such as reduced strength of the resin due to lack of cross - linkage and increased content of soluble components . a hundred ml of washing agent comprising perfluoro - n - methylmorpholine ( c 4 f 8 oncf 3 ) and 0 . 1 - 0 . 5 wt % of a surfactant ( sumitomo 3m : pf - 5052ds ) was used . to a piece of polyester cloth ( 5 × 5 cm ; about 0 . 16 g ) stained with edible pigment violet no . 1 ( 0 . 1 w / v %) and carboxymethyl cellulose ( 1 . 5 w / v %) as a cloth stained with water - soluble soil and a piece of cloth made of 65 % of polyester and 35 % of cotton ( 5 × 5 cm : about 0 . 30 g ) as a restrained cloth , required pieces of white woolen cloth ( 5 × 5 cm : about 0 . 25 g ) were added to make a total cloth weight to 5 ± 0 . 05 g . to a 300 - ml conical flask , the washing agent and the cloths were placed . the concentration of the surfactants and the amount of water were changed . the cloth was washed in the shaker at 20 ° c . for 30 minutes . the results of experiment 3 are shown in fig1 in which the relation between the surfactant concentration and the water - soluble soil washing ability is shown for every water amount . fig2 shows the relation between the amount of water and the water - soluble soil washing ability for every surfactant concentration . fig1 and 2 show that although water - soluble soil could not be removed by addition of water unless surfactant is added , it could be removed by addition of surfactant even without addition of water . although fig1 indicates that no significant increase in washing ability was achieved by increase in surfactant concentration , it is expected that washing ability is elevated by increased amount of water according to fig2 . excessive amount of surfactants are not desirable since they may damage the washing such as causing unevenness . fig3 shows the relation between the soil redeposition rate of cloth made of 65 % polyester and 35 % of cotton and the surfactant concentration for every amount of water . fig4 represents the relation between the soil redeposition rate and the amount of water for every surfactant concentration . the soil redeposition rate exceeding 20 % was observed in all cases . no soil redeposition was observed for the white woolen cloth . it is considered that since the cloth made of blended material is highly hydrophilic , water moves toward fibers until the equilibrium between the fibers and humidity of the washing agent is attained , when the washing agent contains water ( moisture ) in a greater amount than that contained in the fibers during a washing process . at that time , water - soluble soil ( edible pigment , in this case ), which had been dissolved and removed from the fibers , is solubilized and present in water , which moves toward the fibers together with water to cause soil redeposition . therefore , in order to prevent soil redeposition , it is better to begin washing after a relative humidity of fibers to be washed and that of the washing agent become identical . in addition , use of strong water - absorbents can improve washing ability and prevent soil redeposition . if strong water - absorbents which had absorbed water in advance are placed in the washing agents , a constant water content can be maintained in the washing agents . it is effective for improvement of washing ability and prevention of soil redeposition . a polymer absorbent ( acrylic ca : nippon shokubai ) can be mentioned as a strong water - absorbent . to 100 ml of liquid containing perfluorohexan and perchloroethylene , 2 - ethylhexyl acrylate as the monomer ( a ) and oilabsorbent pw as the cross - linking monomer ( b ) were added to form a washing agent . the washing agent , and a piece of cloth with oily soil ( 5 × 5 cm : about 0 . 16 g ), which had been soaked in a solution containing 5 g of tallow , 15 g of liquid paraffin , and 0 . 1 g of oil red in 500 ml of carbon tetrachloride , dried spontaneously , and conditioned under 65 rh % at 20 ° c . and required pieces of white woolen cloths ( jis attaching white cloth 5 × 5 cm : about 0 . 25 g ) to make a total weight of cloth 5 ± 0 . 05 g were placed in a conical 300 ml flask . the amounts of perchloroethylene and oil - absorbent were changed . washing was performed in a shaker at 20 ° c . for 30 minutes . the results of experiment 4 are shown in fig5 which represents the relation between the perchloroethylene concentration and the oily soil washing ability for every concentration of oil - absorbent pw . fig6 shows the relation between the concentration of oil - absorbent pw and the oily soil washing ability for every concentration of perchloroethylene . fig5 and 6 indicate contribution of oil - absorbent to improvement of oily soil washing ability . fig7 shows the relation of the concentration of perchloroethylene and the soil redeposition on the white woolen for every concentration of oil - absorbent pw , and fig8 shows the relation between the concentration of oil - absorbent pw and soil redeposition to the white wool for every concentration of perchloroethylene . these figures show that soil redeposition occurs significantly unless oil - absorbent pw is added . this phenomena occurred because oily stain once removed is immediately reattached to the washing , since oily soil dissolved in perchloroethylene is more stable in washing of white wool than in perfluorohexane . the redeposition can be prevented by addition of oil - absorbent pw , since oil - absorbent pw has stronger affinity to oily soil dissolved in perchloroethylene than the washing and it has about 20 some - times higher perchloroethylene - absorption capability . the results indicate that the addition of a small amount of oil - absorbent pw to perfluorohexan is effective for improvement of oily soil washing ability and prevention of soil redeposition . when is added at 0 . 15 wt % or higher , washing ability and soil redeposition reach the equilibrium . however , it is desirable to add a higher amount of oil - absorbent pw to absorb oily soil continuously . activated carbon , silica , diatomaceous , and other oil adsorbents can be employed instead of oil - absorbent pw to achieve similar prevention effects against soil redeposition of oily soil . washing ability was determined after the temperature of the washing agent was increased . as a result , temperature rise was advantageous for the improvement of washing ability as shown in fig9 . although the oil absorbent was added directly to perflouorohexane in experiment 4 , oil absorbent held in non - woven fabrics and other fabrics can be added . when an oil absorbing process is set during a circulatory filtration process , oil absorbents are preferably located after the pump or filter or in the filter ( fig1 ). ( 1 ) a washing agent composition comprising 99 . 99 - 50 parts of perfluorocarbon liquid , 30 - 0 . 01 part of absorbents , and 20 - 0 part of organic solvents such as perchloroethylene ; ( 2 ) a washing agent composition comprising 99 . 999 - 94 parts of perfluorocarbon liquid , 5 - 0 . 001 part of surfactants , and 1 - 0 part of water ; ( 3 ) a washing agent composition obtained by mixing of above - mentioned 1 and 2 ; and ( 4 ) a washing method characterized in that the washing agent composition according to any one of 1 , 2 and 3 mentioned above was placed in a treatment tank to wash garments and 100 - 4 parts of absorbents and 96 - 0 part of perchloroethylene were placed together in a filter or separate container set between a circulatory process of the washing agents from the treatment tank to wash the washing agent through the circulatory filtration process . according to the present invention , washing can be performed without using specified freons which are ozone destruction substances , and petroleum solvents which are strongly inflammable so that it is thus difficult to be used in city areas , without damaging garments by petroleum solvents during a drying process , or without causing corrosion of some resins unlike hcfc - 225 , hcfc - 141b , etc . damage of garments through dissolution can be also avoided , since the kb value is 0 . handling is easy , since the solvents are inactive . the present invention also eliminates risk of soil redeposition to the washing by addition of absorbents . according to the washing method using the novel liquid of the present invention , soil which could not be removed by laundry and dry - cleaning can be removed without giving chemical damage . the liquid of the present invention is not ozone destruction agents as cfc - 113 . the liquid has no risk of inflammability and no toxicity . since the boiling point of perfluorohexane is close to that of cfc - 113 , washing machines for cfc - 113 can be continuously employed if perfluorohexane is employed as the perfluorocarbon liquid . in addition , since perfluorocarbons with a larger number of carbon atoms such as perfluoroheptan and perfluorooctane also have properties similar to cfc - 113 except for the difference in the boiling point , the same machine may be employed with a minor reform . it can be said that the newly found liquid has much lower heat of vaporization , even lower than cfc - 113 which has relatively lower heat of vaporization among solvents presently used for dry - cleaning , thus they are easily dried and give smaller mechanical damages to the washing . when organic solvents used are recovered and reused for reasons of toxicity and cost like solvents for dry - cleaning , forced drying with a tumble drier using hot wind was employed . in this case , if petroleum solvents ( such as n - decane ) with a high boiling point and a high heat of vaporization are employed , it takes time for the solvents to be dried and thus the washing tends to be given mechanical ( physical ) damage . this can also be said for laundry . that is to say , various damages are caused by forced drying in laundry due to a high heat of vaporization of water . this washing process using the perfluorocarbon liquid can prevent chemical influences of water and organic solvents and reduce significantly mechanical damages caused by forced drying in laundry and dry - cleaning in the drying process due to easiness of drying . the liquid has a significantly smaller surface tension than other liquids . therefore , it can penetrate easily into deep regions of fibers without swelling the fibers and thus enables washing in a short time , resulting in reduction of mechanical damages during washing process . in addition , since the liquid is easily dried due to its small heat of vaporization , energy required for drying is small , leading to energy cost reduction . table 1______________________________________various values required to be considered for solbents ( unit ) per - cfc - petroleum chloro - 113 n - decan ethylen water remarks______________________________________molecular c . sub . 2 cl . sub . 3 f . sub . 3 c . sub . 10 h . sub . 22 c . sub . 2 cl . sub . 4 h . sub . 2 oformulamolecular weight 187 . 5 142 166 18boiling point 47 . 6 174 . 1 121 100 easiness of (° c .) dryingcombustion non 46 ° c . non non dangerousqualitypour point (° c .) - 35 - 30 0 readiness in usespecific gravity 1 . 57 0 . 73 1 . 62 1 . 0 mechanical 25 ° c . 20 ° c . 25 ° c . 4 ° c . powerkinematic 0 . 66 1 . 27 0 . 0089 readiness inviscosity ( cst ) usevapor point 331 10 16 23 . 76 easiness of ( mmhg ) 25 ° c . 57 . 7 ° c . 20 ° c . 25 ° c . dryingspecific point 0 . 218 0 . 367 0 . 205 1 . 0 easiness of ( cal / g ) 25 ° c . 0 ° c . 20 ° c . 15 ° c . drying solubilityheat of 35 . 1 86 . 3 50 . 1 539 . 8 easiness ofvaporization drying ( cal / g ) solubilityheat conductivity 57 . 6 119 109 482 . 5 easiness of ( cal / m · h ) 25 ° c . 27 ° c . 20 ° c . 25 ° c . dryingsurface tension 17 . 3 23 . 9 32 72 permeability ( dyne / cm ) dissolved 130 70 80 solubilitymoisture ( ppm ) kb value ( ml ) 31 25 90 0 solubilitygreen house 1 . 35 0 dangerouseffect constant ( cfc - 11 = 1 ) ozone destraction 0 . 85 0 0 0 dangerouconstantconstant ( cfc - 11 = 1 ) solubility 7 . 2 7 . 7 9 . 0 23 . 2 solubilityparameter ( cal / cm . sup . 3 ). sup . 1 / 2toxicity ( ppm ) 1 , 000 100 50 0 dangerousprice ( y / kg ) 600 95 ˜ 100 160 0 . 5 readiness in usestability high high medium high readiness in usucorrosion low low medium medium readiness inbehavior use______________________________________ table 2______________________________________physical properties of carbon fluoride liquids fc - 51 - cfc - hfc43 - hcfc - 14 113 10 225ca hcfc - 141b______________________________________molecular c . sub . 6 f . sub . 14 c . sub . 2 cl . sub . 3 f . sub . 3 c . sub . 5 h . sub . 2 f . sub . 10 c . sub . 3 hcl . sub . 2 f . sub . 5 c . sub . 2 h . sub . 3 cl . sub . 2 fformulamolecular weight 338 187 . 5 252 203 117boiling point 56 47 . 6 53 . 6 51 . 5 32 (° c . ) combution non non non non combusti - quality bilitypour point (° c .) - 90 - 35 - 80 - 94 - 103 . 5specific gravity 1 . 68 1 . 57 1 . 58 1 . 55 1 . 25kinematic 0 . 4 0 . 66 0 . 67 0 . 37 0 . 34viscosity ( cst ) vapor point 232 331 330 ( mmhg ) specific point 0 . 25 0 . 218 0 . 246 ( cal / g ) heat of 21 35 . 1 24 . 2 40 . 14 53vaporization ( cal / g ) heat conductivity 50 . 4 57 . 6 46 . 8 68 . 4 ( cal / m · h ) surface tension 12 17 . 3 14 . 1 15 . 8 ( dyne / cm ) dissolved 10 130 490 420moisture ( ppm ) kb value ( ml ) 0 31 5 34 58green house 1 . 35 0 . 31 0 . 025 0 . 085effect constant ( cfc - 11 = 1 ) ozone destraction 0 0 . 85 0 0 . 04 0 . 1constantconstant ( cfc - 11 = 1 ) solubility 5 . 9 7 . 2 6 . 2 7 . 9 7 . 6parameter ( cal / cm . sup . 3 ). sup . 1 / 2toxicity ( ppm ) 0 1 , 000 400 un - un - known knownstability high high high high highcorrosion low low low low lowbehavior______________________________________ table 3______________________________________washing rates and soil redeposition rates washing rate (%) water oil - soil redeposition soluble insoluble soluble rate (%) solvents soil soil soil wool t / c cotton______________________________________c . sub . 4 f . sub . 8 oncf . sub . 3 - a 16 . 08 55 . 04 4 . 41 1 . 67 1 . 34 1 . 02c . sub . 4 f . sub . 8 oncf . sub . 3 - b 17 . 86 52 . 23 39 . 05 1 . 25 1 . 90 2 . 55c . sub . 4 f . sub . 8 oncf . sub . 3 - c 71 . 50 46 . 12 76 . 25 1 . 52 2 . 96 4 . 14c . sub . 2 cl . sub . 4 - a 16 . 53 53 . 62 97 . 26 0 . 76 3 . 82 4 . 54c . sub . 2 cl . sub . 4 - b 55 . 55 70 . 11 99 . 19 0 . 00 1 . 79 0 . 81c . sub . 2 f . sub . 3 cl . sub . 3 - a 29 . 86 67 . 50 98 . 44 0 . 00 2 . 07 2 . 00h . sub . 2 o - a 100 43 . 63 23 . 22 -- -- -- ______________________________________ c . sub . 4 f . sub . 8 oncf . sub . 3a : c . sub . 4 f . sub . 8 oncf . sub . 3 + unidine ds403 ( daikin co .) c . sub . 4 f . sub . 8 oncf . sub . 3b : c . sub . 4 f . sub . 8 oncf . sub . 3 + eftop ef351 ( tohkem co .). c . sub . 4 f . sub . 8 oncf . sub . 3c : c . sub . 4 f . sub . 8 oncf . sub . 3 + unidine ds403 + eftop ef351 c . sub . 2 cl . sub . 4a : c . sub . 2 cl . sub . 4 + aerosol ot ( anion ,: wako pharmaceuticals co .) + liponox nc86 ( nonion :: lion co .) c . sub . 2 cl . sub . 4b : c . sub . 2 cl . sub . 4 + sanitone # 8880 ( cation : fabritech co .) c . sub . 2 f . sub . 3 cl . sub . 3a : c . sub . 2 f . sub . 3 cl . sub . 3 + sanitone # 8882 ( catrion : fabritech co .) h . sub . 2 oa : h . sub . 2 o + o , ldpal b ( anion , nonion : bufa co .) table 4______________________________________results of solvent resistance tests of specialspecial garments , etc ./ solvents c . sub . 4 f . sub . 8 oncf . sub . 3 - c c . sub . 2 f . sub . 2 cl . sub . 3 - a c . sub . 2 cl . sub . 4 - b______________________________________polyvinyl chloroide ◯ x xflockprint ◯ ◯ xtransfer foilprint ◯ δ xenamel coating ◯ ◯ xpigmentprint ◯ ◯ xwater - proof finished cloth ◯ ◯ xdecorated with spangles ◯ x xnatural gum ◯ ◯ xpolysyrene button ◯ ◯ x______________________________________ ◯: no change δ : slightly changed x : significantly changed ( damaged ) c . sub . 4 f . sub . 8 oncf . sub . 3c : c . sub . 4 f . sub . 8 oncf . sub . 3 + unidine ds403 + eftop ef351 c . sub . 2 f . sub . 3 cl . sub . 3a : c . sub . 2 f . sub . 3 cl . sub . 3 + sanitone # 8882 c . sub . 2 cl . sub . 4b : c . sub . 2 cl . sub . 4 + sanitone # 8880 | 7 |
as shown in fig . i ( prior art ), a concrete floor having a high water / cement ( w / c ) ratio is cast onto a non - adhered sheet liner ( e . g ., plastic ). water seeping between the overlaps of the plastic liner ( which is usually laid down as overlapping strips from a roll ) or through puncture holes ( represented by the large arrow slanted towards the upper right corner of the page ) migrates laterally across the base bottom surface of the slab ( between slab and plastic liner ) and upwards transversely through the slab , resulting in significant delamination of the water - based adhesive and covering layers ( which are both depicted as one uppermost layer in fig1 ). the small circles on top of the concrete slab represent water accumulated at the top of the slab due to transverse migration of moisture through the slab . a higher concentration of water at the slab base may lead to lengthening of the base , resulting in curling stress . in floor slabs having a high w / c ratio , the moisture at the top and base of the slab may be similar , such that curling is not a significant issue . as shown in fig2 ( prior art ), a concrete floor slab having a low w / c ratio is cast onto a non - adhered liner sheet . water seeping between overlaps of the plastic sheet or through puncture holes ( represented by the large arrow slanted towards the upper right corner of the page ) migrates laterally across the slab base bottom surface . while the low w / c / ratio of the concrete slab hinders migration of moisture transversely ( upward ) through the slab , the low w / c ratio also can lead to cracking ; and water travels quickly upward through the crack and creates localized but significant delaminations of the covering material at the top . the higher moisture content in the base of the slab leads to lengthening of the base , and hence greater curling stress ( represented by the thick horizontal arrows pointing in opposite directions ). as shown in fig3 ( prior art ), a concrete floor slab having a high w / c ratio is cast onto a self - adhering waterproofing flooring membrane ( e . g ., one having a pressure - sensitive adhesive layer attached to a carrier sheet ). such self - adhering membranes are typically seamed at the overlaps ( e . g ., by lapping the waterproofing adhesive onto the back of the carrier sheet , by taping , by separate additional application of adhesive , or other means ) such that the only water that can seep across is due to a puncture or flaw in the membrane ( represented by the large arrow slanted towards the upper right corner of the page ). nevertheless , water seeping through a puncture can not migrate laterally between the membrane and floor slab ; but water moisture does travel transversely through the slab due to the high w / c ratio and can lead to visible delamination of the floor covering . curling is unlikely to occur , since the moisture can migrate to the top just as easily as it can to locations adjacent to the penetration along the base of the slab . as shown in fig4 ( prior art ), a concrete floor having a low w / c ratio is cast onto a self - adhering waterproofing membrane ( having pressure - sensitive adhesive layer attached to a carrier sheet ). water seeping through a puncture or flaw in the membrane ( represented by the large arrow slanted towards the upper right corner of the page ) is hindered by the low w / c concrete , and water moisture can migrate transversely through the floor slab only through cracks . hence , delamination of the floor covering tends to be localized in this situation ( e . g , water moisture illustrated by the small circles tend to form “ blisters ” in the floor covering ). moisture at the slab base is also highly localized , due to the low w / c ratio , such that curling stresses are insignificant . an exemplary flooring structure 10 of the present invention , which minimizes cracking and curling stresses at the slab base , is illustrated in the partial cross - sectional view shown in fig5 . the low w / c ratio of the concrete slab 18 and the use of the self - adhered flooring membrane having a carrier sheet 14 and waterproofing adhesive layer 16 means that water can not easily migrate laterally from a puncture or flaw in the membrane , so must migrate locally through the concrete . if no crack is encountered , no delamination can occur . moreover , moisture at the slab base is highly localized due to the low w / c ratio , such that curling stresses are insignificant . accordingly , the present inventors claim a flooring structure 10 comprising a flooring membrane with a continuous carrier sheet layer 14 and waterproofing adhesive layer 16 that is contiguous ( attached ) nad / or coextensive therewith . the flooring membrane can be made “ continuous ” by over - lapping the adhesive layer 16 onto the carrier sheet 14 , as is known in the art , to form a continuous waterproofing membrane ( i . e ., from rolled sheet strips of membrane ); or , alternatively , adjacent membrane sheet strips can be taped together ( or seamed using any other means known ) to form a continuous moisture and vapor barrier . the waterproofing adhesive layer 16 may be directly attached to the carrier sheet 14 or separated by another layer ( e . g ., a reinforcing scrim ). the flooring membrane 14 / 16 is placed upon a subgrade environment such as earth , soil , rocks , etc . ( not shown ) upon which a hydratable cementitious composition 18 is cast . typically , the cured slab thickness is about 50 mm to 250 mm or more ) and allowed to harden into a floor slab . this flooring structure 10 is suitable for rapid application thereupon of a water - based adhesive as soon as 14 days after concrete placement , which is considerably sooner than the usual 60 - 90 days as seen in current practice . by lowering the water / cementitious binder ratio of the hydratable cementitious composition 18 , one may decrease the time required between concrete placement 18 and application of water - based adhesive 20 and covering layer 22 ( e . g ., carpet , rug , tile , linoleum , plastic sheeting , etc .) over the flooring structure 10 . exemplary flooring membranes 14 / 16 contemplated for use in the present invention generally comprise : at least one carrier sheet 14 ; one or more waterproofing adhesive layer ( s ) 16 which are preferably of the pressure - sensitive adhesive variety that is typically used in the waterproofing industry ; and optionally but preferably a granular layer ( not shown ) having sand or other mineral particles in range of 1 - 1000 microns average diameter ) that is resistant to foot traffic but permits concrete to bond mechanically with the waterproofing adhesive layer 16 . exemplary carrier sheets 14 comprise a continuous film layer that can be made of conventional materials such as a polyolefin ( e . g ., polyethylene , polypropylene , or mixture thereof ), polyester , a metal ( e . g ., aluminum ), or mixtures thereof . the carrier sheet preferably has a thickness of 1 - 15 mils . a cross - laminated low - density polyethylene film , 2 - 4 mils average thickness , is most preferred . the waterproofing adhesive layer or layers 16 may comprise a modified bitumen or synthetic adhesive ( e . g ., having an average thickness of 2 - 60 mils . accordingly , an exemplary method of the present invention for making a concrete floor structure , comprises : applying onto a substrate having a horizontal upward - facing surface a waterproofing membrane 14 / 16 having a carrier sheet 14 having two major sides and a waterproofing adhesive layer 16 disposed on at least one of the two major sides thereof , whereby the waterproofing adhesive layer side 16 is disposed in an upwards direction when the membrane 14 / 16 is applied onto the substrate ; casting a hydratable cementitious composition 18 having a hydratable cementitious binder and water onto the waterproofing adhesive layer 16 side of the waterproofing membrane and allowing the composition to bond to and form a horizontal slab 18 upon the membrane 14 / 16 , the cementitious floor slab 18 composition comprising : at least one shrinkage reducing admixture in an amount of 0 . 05 %- 5 . 0 % based on dry weight of the cementitious binder ; and the hydratable cementitious binder and water being in water / cementitious binder ratio of 0 . 20 - 0 . 45 based on dry weight . most preferred flooring membranes 14 / 16 are called “ blind side ” waterproofing membranes that are designed to bond with concrete cast against them . such membranes are disclosed , for example , in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 994 , 328 of cogliano ; u . s . pat . no . 5 , 316 , 848 of bartlett et al . ; and u . s . pat . no . 5 , 496 , 615 of bartlett et al . ; which are owned by the common assignee hereof and incorporated by reference herein . in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 316 , 848 , bartlett et al . disclosed a synthetic ( non - bituminous ) adhesive layer having a penetration greater than 30 dmm ( 150 g . 5 sec ., 70 ° f .) according to astm d 5 - 73 and comprising material selected from butyl rubber based adhesives , polyisobutylene based adhesives , polyisobutyl based adhesives , acrylic based adhesives , vinyl ether based adhesives , styrene - isoprene - styrene based adhesives , styrene - ethylene - butylene - styrene based adhesives , and styrene - butadiene - styrene - based adhesives . as another example , in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 496 , 615 , there was disclosed in combination with a synthetic adhesive ( e . g ., sis ) and elastomeric protective coating layer ( e . g ., acrylic ) a finely divided particulate layer for resisting foot traffic while permitting concrete to be cast onto the adhesive and protective coating layers so as to bond mechanically with the adhesive layer . preferred particulate layers may comprise any material known , and can be sized in an average particle size range of 1 - 1000 microns . sand particles are preferred . further exemplary flooring membranes 14 / 16 may further employ granules that are chemically reactive with the cement , concrete , or mortar that is cast upon the membrane 14 / 16 . such particles include aluminum oxide trihydrate ( preferably having a spherical particle shape ), pozzolanic materials ( such as fly ash or granulated blast firnace slag ), cement set accelerating additives such as alkali or alkaline earth metal salts ( e . g ., calcium nitrate ), and mixtures thereof . for example , in ep 1 193 283 al , wiercinski and seth disclosed membranes and articles having a coating of inorganic particles that are reactive with the hydroxide generated from the hydration reactions in concrete . waterproofing membranes are known which have a nonwoven surface or a “ fuzzy ” surface ( ie . threadlike projections of polymeric material jutting from plastic filn surface ) for bonding with wet concrete cast against the surface , but these are less preferred . in contrast to the use of a waterproofing adhesive layer 16 , as previously described above , such “ fuzzy ” membranes do not often provide protection against lateral water migration , whereby moisture leaking through a hole or puncture at one point of a liner sheet can travel laterally between the sheet and concrete slab to a crack located in the concrete some distance from the hole or puncture . accordingly , the use of a pressure - sensitive waterproofing adhesive layer 16 is preferred because this is the best protection against lateral water migration . exemplary hydratable cementitious compositions used for making the concrete flooring slab 18 generally comprise water and a hydratable cementitious binder ( usually , but not exclusively , portland cement , masonry cement , or mortar cement and this may also include fly ash , granulated blast furnace slag , silica fume , metakaolin clay , or other materials commonly included in such cements ). cementitious compositions suitable for use in the invention may also include a fine aggregate such as sand and / or a coarse aggregate such as gravel or crushed stones . the cementitious compositions tested in this invention are formed by mixing the binder , and fine and / or coarse aggregate , as may be applicable to make the particular cementitious composition being formed . as previously mentioned , the hydratable cementitious composition 18 has a water to cementitious binder ratio of 0 . 20 to 0 . 45 , and more preferably 0 . 25 to 0 . 40 , and most preferably 0 . 25 - 0 . 35 , such that the water in the composition 22 is sufficiently bound up during the hydration reaction , whereby the vapor transmission rate is equal to or less than 3 pounds / 1000 square feet / 24 hours at 3 - 90 days after concrete placement , and more preferably at 7 - 56 days after concrete placement . exemplary hydratable cementitious compositions of the present invention include the above - described cementitious binder and at least one shrinkage reducing admixture ( sra ) in the amount of 0 . 05 to 5 . 0 %, and more preferably 0 . 5 to 2 . 5 %, by weight based on dry weight of the hydratable cementitious binder . the sra overcomes the high early shrinkage of the low w / c ratio concrete and mitigates its crack propensity , thereby facilitating the flooring installation . the sra also compensates for the increased tendency for slab curling due to the use of the bonding flooring membrane . exemplary shrinkage reduction admixtures ( sra ) suitable for use in the invention include sras containing oxyalkylene groups . such sras are generally known in the industry . see e . g ., u . s . pat . no . 5 , 326 , 397 of abdelrazig et al . ( alkyl or cycloalkyl carbamate , an alkylene dicarbamate , polyoxyalkylene dicarbamate , or mixtures thereof ); u . s . pat . no . 5 , 413 , 634 of shawl et al . ( sra comprising alkyl ether derivative of aliphatic polyhydroxy compound ); u . s . pat . no . 5 , 603 , 760 of berke et al . ( oxyalkylene sra comprising an oxyalkylene compound selected from ( i ) an oxyalkylene glycol or ( ii ) oxyalkylene ether adduct of an alcohol , glycol , or glycerol ; and an ammonium salt of tall oil fatty acid ); all of which are incorporated by reference herein . exemplary oxyalkylene shrinkage reduction admixtures ( sras ) which are also believed suitable include alkyl ether derivatives of aliphatic polyhydroxy compounds such as glycerin . dialkyl ether derivatives , especially tertiary butyl ethers of glycerin are preferred . an especially preferred sra is di - propylene glycol tertiary - butyl ether , combined with di - propylene glycol , which is available from grace construction products , cambridge , mass ., under the trade name eclipse ™. other exemplary sras are disclosed in u . s . pat . nos . 3 , 663 , 251 and 4 , 547 , 223 , incorporated herein by reference , which disclose compounds having the general formula ro ( ao ) n h in which r may be a c 1 - c 7 alkyl or c 5 - c 6 cycloalkyl radical , a may be a c 2 - c 3 alkylene radical , and n is 1 - 10 , as shrinkage reducing additives for cement . these are also believed suitable for use as an exemplary admixture in the present invention . a further oxyalkylene sra suitable for use in the invention is disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 556 , 460 of berke et al ., which is incorporated herein by reference . berke et al . disclosed an sra admixture comprising a low molecular weight oxyalkylene compound and a comb polymer having carboxylic acid groups and oxyalkylene units therein . more particularly , such an exemplary sra comprises : ( a ) at least one oxyalkylene glycol , oxyalkylene ether glycol or mixtures thereof having a molecular weight up to about 4000 ; and ( b ) a comb polymer of a molecular weight of from 2 , 000 to 100 , 000 having ( i ) carboxylic acid anhydride , free carboxylic acid or its ammonium , alkali or alkaline earth metal salt and ( ii ) c 2 - c 5 oxyalkylene units or mixtures of said units , wherein said units ( i ) or ( ii ) being pendant from the polymer backbone chain and said units ( ii ) provide the majority of the molecule . the oxyalkylene compound may be selected from ( i ) oxyalkylene glycols represented by the formula hoaoh or ho ( ao ) n h wherein a represents a c 2 - c 10 alkylene group , represents an oxygen atom , and n represents an integer of from 1 to about 80 ; ( ii ) oxyalkylene adducts of monoalcohols represented by the formula ro ( ao ) m h wherein r represents a c 1 - c 7 alkyl or a c 5 - c 6 cycloalkyl group , a represents a c 2 - c 4 alkylene group , 0 represents an oxygen atom and m represents an integer of from 1 to about 10 ; and ( iii ) oxyalkylene adducts of polyols represented by the formula q [( oa ) p or ′] x , wherein q represents a c 3 - c 12 aliphatic hydrocarbon residual group of a polyhydroxyalkane , each r ′ independently represents a c 1 - c 14 alkyl or cycloalkyl group or hydrogen atom provided at least one r ′ of said adduct represents a c 1 - c 14 alkyl or cycloalkyl group ; a represents a c 2 - c 4 alkylene group ; o represents an oxygen atom ; p represents an integer of from 0 to about 10 ; and x represents an integer of from 3 to 5 ; and ( iv ) mixtures of said oxyalkylene compounds . still further exemplary oxyalkylene sras suitable for use in the invention can comprise oxyalkylene ether adducts with higher alkylene diols , as described in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 618 , 344 of kerkar et al ., incorporated herein by reference . other exemplary sras , having optional components for air entrainment or air detrainment purposes , are also disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 604 , 273 of kerkar et al . ( alkylene glycols and copolymers of alkenyl ether and maleic anhydride ); u . s . pat . no . 5 , 622 , 558 of berke et al . ( mixture of alkylene glycol and fume silica ); u . s . pat . no . 5 , 626 , 663 of berke et al . ( sra comprising certain alkane diols , e . g ., 2 - methyl - 2 , 4 pentanediol ); u . s . pat . no . 5 , 679 , 150 of kerkar et al . ( oxyalkylene sra used with betaine to permit air entraimnent ); u . s . pat . no . 5 , 779 , 788 of berke et al . ( mixture of lower alkyl ether of oxyalkylene adduct with sulfonated organocyclic material ) it is further known in the art to combine oxyalkylene sras with alkylene glycols , as discussed for example in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 938 , 835 of shawl et al ., which is incorporated herein by reference . patent &# 39 ; 835 disclosed a mixture of ( a ) at least one alkyl ether oxyalkylene adduct represented by the formula ro ( ao ) n h wherein a is an alkylene ( e . g ., c 2 - c 4 ) group , o is an oxygen atom , r is an alkyl group ( e . g ., c 3 - c 5 ), and n is an integer from 1 to 3 ; and ( b ) an oxyalkylene glycol represented by the formula ho ( ao ) m h wherein a is an alkylene radical ( e . g ., c 2 - c 4 ), o is an oxygen atom , and m is an integer of 1 to 3 . exemplary sras of component ( a ) include dipropylene glycol t - butyl ether , tripropylene glycol t - butyl ether , and mixtures thereof . exemplary oxyalkylene glycols of component ( b ) include dipropylene glycol , tripropylene glycol , and mixtures thereof . suitable shrinkage reduction admixtures are available from grace construction products under the eclipse tradename and from masterbuilders under the tetraguard tradename . other exemplary hydratable cementitious compositions 18 and methods of the present invention optionally , but preferably , further include a water reducing admixture , and in particular high - range water reducing admixtures otherwise known as “ superplasticizers .” examples of suitable water - reducing admixtures are lignosulfonic acids and salts or derivatives thereof ( e . g ., lignin sulfonates ), naphthalene sulfonate formaldehyde condensates , melamine sulfonate formaldehydes , polyacrylates , amines and their derivatives , and alkanolamines . the amount of such water reducing admixtures to be used can range from 0 . 05 to 5 . 0 weight percent based on dry weight of hydratable cementitious binder in the slab composition 18 . where superplasticizers are used in cementitious compositions , it is preferable to use polycarboxylate copolymers which are comb polymers having a carbon - containing backbone with pendent cement - anchoring members and pendent oxyalkylene groups attached to the backbone . see e . g . u . s . pat . no . 5 , 393 , 343 of darwin et al . ; u . s . pat . no . 5 , 728 , 207 of darwin et al . ; see also u . s . pat . no . 5 , 725 , 657 of darwin et al . ; all of which are incorporated by reference herein . other superplasticizers believed to be suitable for use in the invention include u . s . pat . nos . 4 , 471 , 100 and 5 , 453 , 123 and 5 , 476 , 885 assigned to nippon shokubai kagaku kogyo ; u . s . pat . no . 5 , 100 , 984 assigned to sika ag ; u . s . pat . no . 4 , 946 , 904 assigned to nippon oil and fats ; u . s . pat . no . 5 , 369 , 198 assigned to chemie linz ; and u . s . pat . nos . 5 , 670 , 578 and 5 , 725 , 654 and 5 , 854 , 386 assigned to arco ( now lyondell ); all of which are incorporated by reference herein . contemplated for use in exemplary method and cementitious compositions of the invention are superplasticizers available from grace construction products under the trade name adva ®. exemplary hydratable cementitious floor slab 18 compositions of the invention optionally , but preferably , include fibers for reinforcing the composition when cured ( see e . g ., u . s . pat . no . 6 , 071 , 613 of rieder et al . ; u . s . pat . no . 6 , 197 , 423 of rieder et al . ; u . s . pat . no . 6 , 240 , 522 of berke et al .) and / or include fibers for controlling plastic shrinkage cracking ( see e . g ., u . s . pat . no . 5 , 753 , 368 of berke et al . ; u . s . pat . no . 5 , 399 , 195 of hansen et al ., disclosing plastic shrinkage control fibers having a diameter of preferably less than 50 microns ). fibers provide a distinct advantage over conventional welded wire fabric or steel reinforcing bars , because the structures which support such fabric or bars have a tendency to puncture or tear the waterproofing membrane . preferred are fibers that are polymeric ( e . g ., polypropylene ) rather than steel in composition because of their decreased risk of membrane puncture . fibers may be included in the hydratable cementitious compositions of the invention in the amount of 0 . 03 % to 1 . 5 % ( by volume of the concrete ). in further exemplary embodiments of the invention , set accelerating admixtures may be included , in the amount of 0 . 5 - 3 . 0 % based on dry weight of hydratable cementitious binder in the floor slab 18 composition . conventional set accelerators may be employed , such as alkali hydroxides , silicates , fluorosilicates , calcium formate , sodium chloride , calcium chloride , and calcium nitrate and calcium nitrite . thiocyanates may also be used for this purpose . a set accelerator deemed suitable for the purposes of the present invention is available from grace construction products under the tradename polarset ®. the foregoing detailed description of preferred embodiments is provided for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention . | 2 |
the apparatus according to the invention , includes agitator 1 , which uses the supply of seawater typically found at a location such as a marine field station , and stirs delicate organisms by gently and constantly directing a stream of water into a culture of organisms . agitator 1 is particularly useful for culturing lecithotrophic echinoderm larvae with long developmental times at low ambient temperatures through metamorphosis . such larvae represent relatively large , buoyant , fragile organisms that are prone to fouling in a standing culture , because the death and subsequent disintegration of a few individuals may result in bacterial overgrowth and anoxic conditions . the apparatus according to the invention provides a space efficient solution in which decaying debris is prevented from accumulating , while healthy individuals are easily collectable , and are able to make contact with the culturing container &# 39 ; s walls so that settlement and metamorphosis can occur . while this document discloses , as an example , the culturing of lecithotrophic echinoderm larvae , other types of marine life , particularly invertebrate larvae may also be cultured using the method and apparatus described herein . agitator 1 is designed for placement in sea table 100 , as seen in fig1 . a sea table is an enclosure into which running seawater is collected and evacuated at a constant rate and is available at many marine stations and aquaculture facilities . sea table 100 includes a water conduit , that provides supply tube 15 with seawater . the seawater may be obtained through supply tube 15 , from a seawater source , such as the sea or large reservoir , to table 100 . table 100 includes raised edges 127 to hold a volume of seawater . as the water level rises due to the flow of water arriving from water supply tube 15 , excess water exits sea table 100 by draining from the bottom of sea table 100 using a stand pipe to maintain an adequate water level . draining occurs at the same flow rate as seawater enters table 100 . in alternative embodiments of the invention , rather than placing agitator 1 within a sea table 100 , agitator 1 may be placed within seawater , using flotation devices or the like . in yet another alternative , the water level of sea table 100 may be maintained by allowing the seawater to pass over edges 127 . agitator 1 may be sized to fit within sea table 100 . agitator 1 includes a plurality of open culture containers 10 . in a preferred embodiment of the invention , culture containers 10 are plastic beakers . each culture container 10 is preferably positioned within sea table 100 so that rim 17 of culture container 10 rests just above the water level 125 of sea table 100 . water is distributed into the plurality of open culture containers 10 , and as the pressure decrease in the main water supply tube 15 is less than the pressure decrease in the individual outlet conduits 20 , which lead water from water supply tube 15 to each culture container 10 as seen in fig1 , the water flow to culture containers 10 is approximately constant , laminar and gentle . alternatively , a pump could be used to maintain the water flow . as seen in fig2 and 6 , agitator 1 includes three components : a plurality of culture containers ( also referred to herein as beakers ) 10 having mesh surface bottoms 30 , for holding the organisms ( as seen in fig6 ), a base 60 to position rim 17 of beakers 10 above the water level 125 of sea table 100 , and lid 80 to position outlet conduit 20 carrying seawater to culture containers 10 from main supply tube 15 . seawater enters each culture container 10 via main supply tube 15 and outlet conduits 20 . water then exits culture containers 10 via mesh surface 30 . such water flow allows for self - cleaning of culture containers 10 as waste is removed . as shown in the embodiment represented in the figures , a mesh bottom 30 is used , although more of , or other portions of , culture containers 10 may be mesh . mesh bottoms 30 allow seawater to pass into the surrounding sea table 100 wherein water level 125 is maintained . agitator 1 thereby focuses a stream of seawater into each culture container 10 , from through main supply tube 15 , above the culture container 10 , in the directions indicated by the arrows in fig6 , such as downward direction 50 , which shows the direction of the water leaving main supply tube 15 via the outlet tube 20 and entering culture container 10 . beaker 10 is of sufficient depth to allow the individual specimens enough room so that they do not impact mesh bottom 30 with excessive force from seawater entering the container 10 from above water level 125 . for this reason 800 - ml plastic beakers may be suitable , although other sizes of beakers may be used , depending on the marine life being cultivated . if such standard beakers are used , they may be modified for use with the apparatus 1 by removing the bottom of the beaker with a tool , such as a belt sander , and attaching a 340 - μm size or appropriate sized nylon mesh for the organism to be cultured in its place using a bonding agent , such as commercial thermoplastic . the mesh size for mesh bottom 30 will vary depending on the organism to be cultured , but it should be smaller than the egg diameter of the organism . base 60 of agitator 1 arrays beakers 10 and provides clearance between bottom 30 of container 10 and surface 122 of table 100 so that water may flow away from the culture below container 10 , and into the surrounding sea table 100 . base 60 can be sized to fit any sea table or accommodate any number of containers , and may be made of plywood , plexiglass , or a 6 - mm polycarbonate sheet 55 , as shown in fig2 . large ( for example , 10 . 2 - cm ) diameter apertures 65 are positioned rows and columns within the sheet 55 to accommodate containers 10 . to ensure adequate spacing , apertures 65 should be spaced approximately 2 . 5 cm , both from each other , and from the edges of sheet 55 , as seen in fig2 . legs 70 of base 60 may be constructed from 2 . 5 - cm ( 1 - inch ) diameter acrylic rods or another suitable material . legs 70 should be of a length so that culture containers 10 do not touch the bottom 122 of the sea table 100 as seen in fig6 . legs 70 are attached to sheet 55 , for example with a stainless steel bolt 75 . preferably , legs 70 are not attached to the corners of sheet 55 as this adds stress to the base 60 , but are mounted more centrally ( for example , within the first row and column on each side of sheet 55 as seen in fig2 ). rubber caps 82 or other stoppers may be fitted onto legs 70 to provide a more secure footing on sea table 100 , or alternatively , legs 70 may be fixed to sea table 100 . caps 82 can also be used to adjust the height and weight of base 60 by filling caps 82 with a spacer such as sand . the height of base 60 in relation to water level in sea table 100 should be such that culture containers 10 are only partly submerged ( as shown in fig6 ). the water level 125 can also be adjusted by changing the length of the standpipe , rather than changing the height of base 60 as the length of the stand pipe draining water from the sea table 100 determines the height of the water surface 125 in the sea table . therefore if a shallow depth is desired , the pipe can be shortened . as seen in fig3 and 4 , lid 80 provides a scaffold for supply tube 15 and allows access to the cultures within culture containers 10 while agitator 1 is in operation by maintaining a distance between lid 80 and base 60 . lid 80 may be constructed from a polycarbonate sheet 85 that corresponds to base 55 , as seen in fig2 . as seen in fig6 , the edge of apertures 90 within lid 80 can be used to accommodate labels , for example 1 - ml plastic pipette tips 84 with tape attached can be used to label simultaneous cultures of different species or individuals fertilized at different times . alternatively , as seen in fig3 , lebales may be inserted in smaller apertures 86 adjacent to each aperture 90 . spacers 200 that may be approximately 5 cm long are used to raise lid 80 above base 60 so that supply tube 15 , mounted under lid 80 , does not rest on containers 10 mounted in base 60 . rubber leg caps 82 as seen in fig6 can be used to adjust the height of spacers 200 as seen in fig3 as well . clamps 210 , positioned between the apertures 65 that accommodate culture containers 10 and at the edges of sheet 55 as seen in fig3 , may be used to guide main supply tube 15 over the center of each culture container 10 , as seen in fig1 and 9 . to mount clamps 210 , small apertures may be provided , for example drilled , into lid 80 to hold a nylon nut and bolt . these apertures may receive clamps 210 ( which may be 2 . 2 - cm ( ⅞ - inch ) plastic clamps ) that anchor supply tube 15 , as seen in fig7 and 8 . clamps 210 may be fitted around the main supply tube 15 with 2 . 5 - cm long , 1 . 9 - cm ( ¾ - inch ) diameter pvc pipe portions before clamps 210 are attached to lid 80 . various embodiments of clamps 210 are shown in fig5 , 7 and 8 . pipe portions 240 hold main supply tube 15 more securely than clamp 210 alone . alternatively , two small apertures may be used to hold supply tube 15 in place with a cable tie ( not shown ). other means of holding supply tube 15 to lid 80 may be used including adhesives , tape or ties . supply tube 15 is positioned at the underside of lid 80 by running it through clamps 210 . preferably , a continuous length of clear plastic tubing is used for supply tube 15 , with both open ends joined at a y connector 230 , as seen in fig4 . such a design allows for maintenance of approximately equal pressure throughout the entire system . preferred tubing may be a tube with a 1 . 6 - cm ( ⅝ - inch ) outer diameter , and 0 . 95 - cm ( ⅜ - inch ) inner diameter . after tube 15 is aligned over each beaker 10 using clamps 210 , small apertures 220 positioned at the underside of supply tube 15 are used to direct water into containers 10 . apertures 220 may have a 0 . 4 - cm diameter . preferably each aperture 220 is positioned above the center of a culture container 10 . when preparing agitator 1 for use , it is preferable to drill apertures 220 into supply tube 15 , after supply tube 15 is secured to clamps 210 so that tube 15 does not twist , upsetting the downward orientation of apertures 220 . outlet conduits 20 may be placed through apertures 220 , to ensure that the flow of water into container 10 is gentle . examples of such a gentle flow may include a fast drip , or a minimal continuous flow ( i . e . just greater than a constant fast drip ). outlet conduits 20 may be vwr select grade plastic pvc tubes with a 0 . 4 - cm ( 5 / 32 - inch ) outer diameter , and 0 . 24 - cm ( 3 / 32 - inch ) inner diameter . the length of outlet conduits 20 is preferably sufficient so that the water exits outlet conduit 20 between a positioned submerged beneath water level 125 , to within about 1 - cm above water level 125 , depending on the desire to break the surface tension of the water and the level of agitation . both ends of supply tube 15 , once secured to clamps 210 , are connected to y connector 230 , which then leads to a seawater source . an inline filter may be placed between the water source and the y adaptor 230 to remove large debris , which may otherwise collect in culture containers 10 over time . the inline filter should have a nylon mesh of a smaller size than that used for the base 30 of culture containers 10 ( for example , a 200 - μm mesh ). a disc of such a nylon mesh can be cut to fit the inline filter . agitator 1 therefore allows the containers 10 to be cleared of debris and waste while keeping larvae intact and is therefore self - cleaning , i . e . the necrotic ( dead ) larvae do not need to be removed from the container using other means . agitator can supply a very smooth stream of water that is sufficient to clear oily residue from decaying tissue but gentle enough to move the organisms within container 10 thereby mimicking movement patterns in the ocean within a small space . the desired level of water flow can be controlled using a stopcock or valve near the seawater source . preferably the water flow is gentle , for example a rate of between 2 to 2 . 5 liters per minute from the water source to supply tube 15 . the preferred flow from outlet conduits 20 to culture containers 10 is maintained at a gentle minimal flow . the larvae in beakers 10 do not need to be in constant motion for agitator 1 to be effective and water flow may be minimized so that the cultures are not agitated too vigorously . outlet conduit 20 may be slightly bent to establish a cyclical stirring action within culture container 10 . outlet conduits 20 may also be inserted deeper into main tube 15 to slow water flow . in cases where apertures 65 do not contain a container 10 , individual outlet conduits 20 may be blocked , for example using a cork fitted into a conduit 20 or aperture 220 , or valves . a plastic pipette tip inserted into a flexible outlet conduit 20 , and the submergence of outlet conduit 20 beneath the water level , slows the flow of water to minimize agitation , thereby allowing competent larvae to settle . individual specimens can be removed in small numbers from culture container 10 with a pipette as lid 80 allows access to agitator 1 via aperture 90 while it is pressurized and water is flowing through main tube 15 . cultures can be removed from agitator 1 easily so that they can be observed , fixed , or culture containers 10 cleaned . to collect an entire culture quickly for sorting or study , lid 80 can be removed and culture containers 10 lifted out of base 60 so that only a small amount of water remains in culture container 10 . the larvae or embryos can then be easily collected with a large pipette or turkey baster . it may be important to keep components of agitator 1 clean . for example , an inline filter in supply tube 15 may acquire a build up of particulate matter . bubbles trapped over the outlet apertures 220 of main supply hose 15 during filter changes may block the flow of water . supply hose 15 may therefore be bled by temporarily increasing the flow of water after replacing the filter . if a heavy biofilm builds up in the culture container meshes 30 , they may be rinsed if the larvae have not reached the stage at which metamorphosis is imminent . an agitator according to the invention was used to culture the larvae of a starfish , solaster stimpsoni ( verrill ). a total of 56 beakers were used as culture containers in four separate agitators ( three 12 - beaker arrays and one 20 - beaker array using a total of two sea tables ). after fertilization , the embryos were immediately transferred into the agitator . the starfish larvae were cultured at densities of up to 300 individuals per 800 - ml beaker through metamorphosis and the juvenile stage ( 6 wks at an ambient temperature of 10 ° c . ), although longer culture periods are possible . the agitator successfully cultured approximately 16 , 000 larvae during two field seasons at the friday harbor laboratories ( friday harbor , wash .). the mortality rate was not precisely measured but no significant or dramatic reduction from the initial egg number was observable and the young starfish survived in great numbers . after nine days at 10 ° c ., the larvae of solaster stimpsoni developed adhesive disks and larval arms with which they attached either to the mesh or the walls of the beaker without the need to add settlement cues . the apparatus was also used to culture larvae of a holothurian , psolus chitonoides ( clark ), which resemble those of s . stimpsoni in terms of fragility and developmental mode . in addition to culturing lecithotrophic larvae , the agitator could also be used for a variety of other purposes , such as culturing small and delicate zooplankters including ctenophores , polychaete epitokes , or egg masses . once juveniles hatch from the egg masses , they can be immediately cultured in the same container as the egg mass . it is also possible to raise planktotrophic larvae and conduct experimental manipulations of culture conditions . such larvae could be reared within the apparatus by using a smaller mesh size and inserting a small catheter connected to an iv drip bag filled with algae into the main supply hose 15 . alternatively , the water flow could be temporarily stopped and food added to the sea table . treated water sources ( carrying predator cues etc .) could be added to a culture via the same methods or by siphoning water from an aquarium harboring the predator into the main hose of the agitator . the construction of a sea table that is subdivided to prevent the cross - contamination of seawater along with the deployment of separate ( and smaller agitators ) may also be used . although the particular preferred embodiments of the invention have been disclosed in detail for illustrative purposes , it will be recognized that variations or modifications of the disclosed apparatus lie within the scope of the present invention . in particular , there are numerous ways of introducing a gentle flow of water to the containers without departing from the spirit of the invention . | 8 |
according to fig1 chamber 11 is shaped like a thimble . it is largely coaxial with respect to longitudinal axis 12 . a cathode in the shape of a small metal tube 13 extends coaxially to it from top to bottom , the channel 14 of which opens on the bottom in a cone 16 . chamber 11 has a cylinder wall 17 coaxial to the longitudinal axis 12 , which is equipped with a connecting socket 18 on the left , establishing via channel 19 the connection to interior space 21 of the chamber . on the bottom cylinder wall 17 goes over into a funnel wall 22 in one piece , which has coaxial mounting walls 23 , 24 on the bottom . the mounting walls grasp a flange attachment 26 about 4 mm in diameter . cone 16 extends into the coaxial cylinder 27 of the flange attachment 26 . cylinder 27 extends downward over the flange extending out to the side and forms there a circular sealing lip 28 , which sits on a curved measuring object 29 . sealing lip 28 encompasses an exactly defined area . on the top the cylinder wall 17 is closed hermetically by a cover 31 , through which tube 13 passes in airtight fashion . further , connecting wire 32 passes hermetically through cover 31 , extending downward in parallel to longitudinal axis 12 and forming an auxiliary electrode 33 on the bottom in the area between connecting socket 18 and funnel wall 22 . it consists of a wire ring coaxially bent from connecting wire 32 . the volume of interior space 21 amounts to 4 cubic centimeters . it is of the same size as that of the prior art thimble chambers . however , it could easily be half the size or it could have a quarter of the volume . in operation , chamber 11 is negative - pressure - proof . fig2 shows the complete layout of this exemplified embodiment in accordance with the invention . on the right there is an electrically driven negative - pressure generator 34 , which is designed as an electrical oscillating armature pump . it sucks up air over a nozzle 36 and blows out air over a nozzle 37 . the right end of a suction hose 38 is pushed on nozzle 36 in negative - pressure - proof fashion , the left end of which is pushed on a nozzle 39 . this nozzle 39 passes hermetically through cover 41 of cup 42 of separator 43 . cup 42 preferably consists of glass and , therefore , is insensitive to the electrolyte and it can be seen where level 44 of separated electrolyte 46 is located . nozzle 39 extends only slightly into cup 42 . a schematically indicated float switch 47 is located under its lower end , which switches off the motor of negative - pressure generator 34 as soon as level 44 has reached float switch 47 . in this way suction hose 38 always contains only air and the negative - pressure generator does not need to be designed in an electrolyte - proof manner . a further nozzle 48 passes through cover 41 in air - tight fashion and also extends into cup 42 . the right end of a section hose 49 is pushed , in negative - pressure - proof fashion , on the part of nozzle 48 that extends to the outside . suction hose 49 carries electrolyte fluid , which drips from the bottom end of nozzle 48 into cup 42 . the left ( or upstream ) end of section hose 49 is pushed in negative - pressure - proof fashion on connecting socket 18 of chamber 11 . the upstream end of a suction hose 51 is pushed in negative - pressure - proof fashion on the outwardly extending part of tube 13 , which , in addition , is electrically connected as cathode . suction hose 51 carries electrolyte fluid . the downstream end of suction hose 51 is pushed in negative - pressure - proof fashion on the protruding end of a suction tube 52 , which passes through a cover 53 in negative - pressure - proof fashion . cover 53 is inserted in negative - pressure - proof fashion on cup 54 of a glass supply vessel 56 . suction tube 52 has its bottom end near the bottom of cup 54 . it is filled with electrolyte fluid 58 up to level 57 . nozzle 59 passes through cover 53 in air - tight fashion and on its outer end it is equipped with an adjustable air resistor 61 , which can be designed in the form of a stopcock , a stopper or similar device . if air resistor 61 is completely open , then ambient air pressure prevails in space 62 and the flow velocity of the electrolyte in the direction of the arrows in suction hoses 38 , 49 , 51 is then at the highest value . the further the air resistor 61 is closed , the slower the flow and the slower the drip of the electrolyte from nozzle 48 . if electrolyte 58 has been suctioned out , then electrolyte 46 is in cup 42 . cup 42 is then screwed off , as is cup 54 , the two are changed and the measuring is continued . measuring can be continued for a long time when cups 42 , 54 are filled with one to several liters electrolyte . float switch 47 can be eliminated when cup 54 is only filled with so much electrolyte that level 44 is never at the height of the lower end of nozzle 39 . fig4 shows a scheme which is expanded compared to fig2 since it operates with two electrolytes i and ii in two cups and distilled water in a third cup . in this case the cups can also be provided with covers . for the sake of simplicity they are shown open . these three cups are each connected , via suction tubes and suction hoses , to three inlets of a three - way stopcock 63 which over its setting element 64 can connect one of the three inlets to its outlet 66 connected to outlet nozzle 18 . a further three - way stopcock 67 is connected by its inlet 65 to tube 13 and its three outlets are connected via suction tubes with the interior of separation vessels . the left separation vessel is provided for electrolyte i , the center separation vessel is provided for electrolyte ii , and the right separation vessel is provided for the rinsing fluid distilled water . the negative - pressure generator 34 is connected to the space , not filled with fluid , of the separator vessels . the separator vessels are negative - pressure - proof in the manner specified above . three - way stopcocks 63 , 67 are connected to one another in such a way that they have a common setting element 64 so that during operation electrolyte i flows from the left cup into the left separator vessel and so on . if , in the exemplified embodiment according to fig1 or 2 , a voltage is applied to connecting wire 32 and the measuring object 29 , the negative - pressure generator 34 is switched on , and the current between connecting wire 32 and the measuring object 29 is measured , then the voltage characteristic in fig6 is obtained . dashes 68 indicate the time progressing to the right . it can be seen that the curve branch 69 has a very slight slope . kink 71 is followed by an almost vertical curve branch 72 , the slope of which in fig6 is actually caused more by the mechanical sluggishness of the recorder and which represents the voltage measured between the anode and the auxiliary cathode , whereas the total height of fig6 amounts to 5 volts . the descending curve branch 73 is caused by switching off the current and is not indicative of anything . according to fig6 it is clear that the separation process was completed in exactly 7 . 7 seconds . fig5 shows the otherwise unmodified device of fig2 which has been adapted to the invention in fig5 from german patent disclosure 26 58 357 . since the patent disclosure gives a detailed description of the modus operandi of this device , the average technician is familiar with the functioning so that only the differences need be described : without the hose clamps required in the prior art case , the negative - pressure hoses 74 , 76 are arranged here hanging down and lead into vessels 77 , 78 which contain the same electrolyte . therefore , an electrical separation through hose clamps is avoided . the hoses used previously for collecting gas bubbles are here run upwards as uptake hoses 79 , 81 for several decimeters . they are located in a negative - pressure - proof fashion in the connecting yoke 82 . on the top uptake hoses 79 , 81 are mounted in negative - pressure - proof fashion in connecting yoke 82 which itself is negative - pressure - proof but is hollow . it is equipped with a suction nozzle 83 , which is run to a suction hose the same as that designated 49 in fig2 . from there on the device is completely identical with the one shown in fig2 . as a result of the negative - pressure of the negative - pressure generator , the electrolyte in the device according to fig5 rises in negative - pressure hoses 74 , 76 to equal height up to level 84 . if the uptake hoses 79 , 81 consist of a transparent material , it is possible to control and / or prevent the electrolyte from reaching the connecting yoke 82 . however , if suction nozzle 83 is connected to a separator vessel , identical with separator vessel 43 in fig2 with floater switch , then it can be avoided that the negative - pressure generator receives electrolyte . if the separator vessel for the exemplified embodiment in fig5 is arranged higher than vessels 77 , 78 and the nozzle , corresponding to nozzle 48 , is extended to the bottom of a cup corresponding to cup 42 , then , after the negative - pressure generator is switched off through the floater switch , the electrolyte flows back completely on the basis of the fluid level principle . chamber 80 is naturally also emptied when the negative - pressure generator is switched off and level 84 drops to the fluid level in vessels 77 , 78 . for the electrolytic thickness measuring technique the layers can be applied either galvanically or applied in a melt bath . a frequent application is galvanically applied tin on food cans or pyrolytically tin - plated can foils . this is also valid for zinc or fired - zinc plating , where the sendzimir zinc - plating is the most frequently employed . however , it may also be necessary to measure chromium layers on chromium - plated objects , or brass layers on brass - plated steel objects . another application is a brass base layer or tomback plated with a tin / lead alloy . the invention entails a very unappreciable hydrogen formation in the anode so that the previously formed , numerous and , at times , very large hydrogen bubbles are avoided , which , as a result of their rising , caused a premature switching off of the measuring device and simulated an apparent voltage jump . despite the slight hydrogen formation , the invention allows working at a higher current density , so that the measuring time is reduced at a ratio of 1 : 3 . since extremely small measuring cells can be produced for a flowing electrolyte , measurements can also be made on curved parts in hollow objects or in narrow crevices . | 6 |
the device of the invention may include the elements illustrated schematically in fig1 a and 1b . a capillary 1 contains a flowing sample 2 in which is dissolved a biological molecule such as a protein 3 . an infrared laser or led 4 , of wavelength preferably in the range 1400 - 1600 nm , is focused onto the sample in the capillary 1 . a second laser or led 5 , preferably producing deep uv ( 250 - 300 nm ) or blue light , is also focused on the sample in the capillary to fluorescently excite the sample , this results in a longer wavelength fluorescent emission 6 recorded using a detector 7 such as a ccd camera , photodiode , or photo - multiplier tube ( pmt ). at least two alternative configurations are possible . for example , in fig1 a heating of the sample is achieved by infra - red radiation focused onto a capillary perpendicular to the sample flow at one or more points along the channel length . fluorescence detection is perpendicular to the sample flow . this configuration allows one or more points of both heating and fluorescence detection . in fig1 b , heating of the sample is achieved by infra - red radiation focused onto a capillary in parallel to the sample flow . fluorescence detection is perpendicular to the sample flow . this configuration allows a single ir radiation source to continually heat the sample along the length of the capillary , while also allowing one or more points of fluorescence detection . as shown in fig2 a , the design can be further integrated into a chip 1 by the use of an optical waveguide 8 that allows the simultaneous transmission of infra - red 4 and uv excitation 5 radiation sources up to the edge of a microfluidic channel 3 . a second waveguide 9 emanating from the same point along the channel can then be used to transmit the fluorescence emission signal 6 to a detector 7 . the key features shown are the integration of localised heating of a small sample volume using the infrared laser with fluorescence measurements at the same location . a variation of this configuration could place separate waveguides adjacent to each other , with one for the infra - red source and the second ( downstream in the sample flow ) for the uv radiation source . multiple points of heating and fluorescence detection can be achieved by using waveguides , optical fibres or lenses arrayed along a small length of the channel to obtain a temperature gradient along the channel . this configuration would , for example , make it possible to collect a complete protein thermal denaturation curve from simultaneous measurements along the length of the channel . fig2 b shows another form of the device of the invention in which the channel cavity is a capillary tube 27 and the waveguides 8 , 9 carry optical fibers 29 , 30 . the device of fig2 b is a flow device , wherein the capillary tube 27 carries the sample to a position intersecting the optical fibers 29 , 30 where excitation and signal emission , or where ir heating occur . this device is also compatible with a confocal microscope stage to allow additional measurement from above the capillary tube 27 of signal emissions from the capillary tube 27 . fig3 illustrates several chips which implement the basic invention . the first ( fig3 a ) contains a single channel 3 addressed via multiple optical waveguides 8 , 9 , on a monolithic chip 1 . this configuration could easily be scaled out to multiple sample channels ( not shown ) on a single chip . fig3 b and 3c show a microfluidic device in which a disposable chip 1 ( as in fig3 a ), is decoupled from a fixed “ motherboard ” 10 , 11 on which the lasers and fluid pump tubes 12 are affixed . included is a mechanical system for assuring accurate alignment of the disposable chip &# 39 ; s optical waveguides 8 , 9 and sample flow entry and exit points 2 to the motherboard , while retaining a simple mechanism to exchange the disposable chip . the chip waveguides 8 , 9 should align to the waveguides 14 of the optical component of the motherboard 10 to which the lasers and detector are mounted and aligned . the optical component of the motherboard 10 may itself be fabricated separately to the fluidic motherboard 11 using a different material . meanwhile the channel entry and exit points 2 align and form a tight connection to the fluid connectors 13 on the motherboard base 11 . the disposable chip is preferably made out of plastic ( e . g . su8 or pdms ) or silicon . cleaning of the chip can be effected by sequential flushing of the cavity with 1 % hellmanex ® ii , 2 % nitric acid , air , and sample buffer . flush duration for this example is 5 minutes for each cleaning solution and the buffer , with flush rates of around 10 μl min − 1 for the cleaning solutions and around 40 μlmin − 1 for the buffer . in flow systems , cleaning may be achieved as part of a continuous process with bubbles of sample being passed through the cavity , followed by air , cleaning solution , air , buffer , and further samples . the air separates and prevents mixing of the respective liquids . fig4 illustrates the cleaning process described above . the first and second radiation sources are monochromatic and this can be achieved using filters , gratings or other devices , and focused if necessary using lenses , prior to transmission into the waveguides , all available to those skilled in the art . the excitation signal from fluorescence can be detected using lenses , filters , or gratings in series to modify or focus the signal before detection by a photomultiplier tube ( pmt ), ccd camera , photodiode or other detection method available to those skilled in the art . all of these peripheral elements for radiation input and detection can alternatively be integrated onto a single device endowed with optical and microfluidic functionalities using combinations of planar optical waveguides , optical fibres , lasers , gratings , filters and detectors . operation of the device is not limited to duplication of the standard continuous wave ( cw ) procedure used in current plate readers . in particular , it is possible to take advantage of pulsing both the ir and fluorescence - inducing lasers , as well as measuring time - dependent fluorescent emissions and optical attenuation and scattering signals using the detectors . such measurements can be used to analyse changes in parameters such as the molecular size , or the rotation and diffusion of proteins as a function of thermal perturbations . the temperature gradient within the sample along the length of the channel can be calibrated by using thermally sensitive fluorescent or luminescent agents flowed through the device microfluidic channel . the fluorescence or luminescence at multiple points along the channel can be determined using the integrated fluorescence detection optics , or using a confocal microscope . this eliminates the need for a thermocouple or other temperature sensing device to be manufactured as part of the chip or motherboard . it also takes advantage of the same optics used in the device to measure the conformation ( or concentration ) of sample molecules . rapamycin was from lc laboratories ( woburn , mass ., usa ). all other reagents were from sigma - aldrich . wild - type fkbp - 12 and the f99l mutant were expressed and purified from a gst - fkbp fusion gene of the pgst - fkbp - 12 plasmid in e . coli bl21 cells as described in main , e . r ., fulton , k . f ., & amp ; jackson , s . e . folding pathway of fkbp12 and characterisation of the transition state . j . mol . biol . 291 , 429 - 444 ( 1999 ). fig5 shows a possible configuration for the use of the device . the configuration comprises a laser 5 ( quv266 - 02 , crystalaser , reno , nev .) of wavelength 266 nm , 5 mw , pulsed at 1 khz ; a bandpass filter ( newport ), at 266 nm 15 ; a converging lens ( spx010ar . 10 , newport ) 16 ; a 100 μm internal diameter capillary ( fs - 110 , upchurch ™) 1 ; and a photo multiplier tube ( r1166pmt , hamamatsu , japan ) 7 ; linked to a data acquisition system consisting of a pc expansion card ( pxi - 5124 , national instruments ), for capture and analysis of the data in labview ( national instruments ). the configuration of fig5 has been used to measure the effect of the concentration of bovine serum albumin ( bsa ) in solution upon the intensity of intrinsic fluorescence obtained at a flow rate of 10 μl / min by a syringe pump ( kd scientific inc ., holliston , mass .) and a 500 μl hamilton gas - tight syringe . samples were measured and averaged for 100 laser pulses . the excitation at 266 nm generated reemission at 340 nm , as shown in fig6 . this graph demonstrates the linearity between the fluorescence intensity measured and the protein concentration . a fluorescence relative intensity of 1500 at a concentration of 0 mg ml − 1 of bsa corresponds to the background signal of the setup generated by excitation radiation . the use of a monochromated or filtered 266 nm source attenuates this background signal . another experiment was performed to determine the dependence of the intrinsic fluorescence of 0 . 5 mg ml − 1 bsa on the concentration of the chemical denaturant urea over the range that is known to unfold the protein , using a flow rate of 10 μl / min . the results of this experiment are presented in fig7 alongside data obtained using a bmg - labtech fluostar ( aylesbury , uk ) plate reader and a 96 - well plate . the two curves are in close agreement , thus demonstrating the accuracy of the capillary - based intrinsic fluorescence measurement . the increasing urea concentration progressively denatures the bsa protein resulting in a decrease in the intrinsic fluorescence intensity of the protein . the denaturation profile is sigmoidal as is typical for proteins and represents a two - state transition as observed by this method due to a population change from predominantly the native - state to predominantly the denatured protein whereby each state gives a different intrinsic fluorescence intensity . the mid - point of the transition occurs at a concentration of 4 . 5m urea . the denaturation experiment was repeated for another protein using 2 μm fkbp - 12 . the goal of this experiment was to demonstrate the possibility of measuring the binding of a ligand molecule ( rapamycin ) to a protein ( fkbp 12 ) due to the increase in stability upon ligand binding . the stability was measured using the denaturant guanidinium hydrochloride ( gdhcl ) in 1 mm dithiothreitol ( dtt ), 50 mm tris . hcl at ph 7 . 5 and at 20 ° c ., using a flow rate of 10 μl / min through the capillary . the fluorescence of fkbp with various concentrations of gdhcl ( from 0m to 3m ) was measured . in a second experiment fkbp12 was used at the same concentration ( 2 μm ) but now pre - incubated with rapamycin ( 20 μm ) for various concentration of gdhcl ( from 0m to 3m ). the fluorescence values for the two experiments are shown in fig8 . an increase in the mid - point of denaturation ( c 1 / 2 ) is observed upon incubation with the rapamycin . c 1 / 2 represents the denaturant concentration at which half of the protein is in the unfolded state . in the absence of rapamycin it is 0 . 65m gdhcl for fkbp12 , whereas in the presence of 20 μm rapamycin it is 1 . 35m gdhcl . this demonstrates that the rapamycin can bind to fkbp - 12 . the dissociation constant for this interaction can be determined from the difference in their denaturation mid - points . comparison of protein intrinsic fluorescence detection in a capillary and in a microplate to illustrate the flexibility of the devices of the invention , an alternative configuration was used to show the uses of the invention in the intrinsic fluorescence detection of proteins . fig9 shows this alternative configuration for the use of the device . as with the configuration of example 1 , the configuration comprises a laser 5 ( quv266 - 02 , crystalaser , reno , nev .) of wavelength 266 nm , 5 mw , pulsed at 1 khz ; a bandpass filter ( newport ), at 266 nm 15 ; a 100 μm internal diameter capillary ( fs - 110 , upchurch ™) 1 ; and a photo multiplier tube ( r1166pmt , hamamatsu , japan ) 7 ; linked to a data acquisition system consisting of a pc expansion card ( pxi - 5124 , national instruments ), for capture and analysis of the data in labview ( national instruments ). in this embodiment , converging lens 16 is absent , but a dichroic mirror ( andover , salem , n . h .) 25 is present to filter the fluorescence emission so that only emission in the range 320 - 400 nm passes to the photo multiplier 7 . the configuration of fig9 has been used to measure the effect of the concentration of bsa in solution upon the intensity of intrinsic fluorescence obtained at a flow rate of 10 μl / min by a syringe pump ( kd scientific inc ., holliston , mass .) and a 500 μl hamilton gas - tight syringe . twelve solutions of bsa at 0 . 015 μm to 75 μm were prepared in 60 mm sodium phosphate buffer , ph 7 . 0 . samples were measured and averaged for 100 laser pulses . the fluorescence intensities of bsa solutions at different protein concentrations are shown in fig1 . fluorescence intensities are shown in relative fluorescence units ( rfu ) measured at a range of bovine serum albumin ( bsa ) concentrations in sodium phosphate buffer , ph 7 . 0 , 21 ° c . using the capillary technique . each data point was obtained from an average of 100 laser pulses at 1 khz . error bars shown are standard deviations . the dashed curve shows a linear fit to the logarithmic data . the fluorescence emission observed using the device of the invention was linearly proportional to the protein concentration with an r 2 of 0 . 994 , and a standard error for each measurement of 0 . 015 rfu at above 1 . 5 μm bsa ( from 100 laser pulses ). the dynamic range of the linear response was 0 . 15 μm ( 0 . 01 mg / ml ) to at least 75 μm ( 5 mg / ml ) of bsa , corresponding to 0 . 45 to 225 μm tryptophan residues . the limit of detection was 0 . 15 μm bsa , and the signal - to - noise based on the standard deviation value ranged from 1 . 27 at 0 . 15 μm to 1568 at 75 μm bsa . the background fluorescence of the buffer was subtracted from all measurements and had a relative fluorescence intensity of 16 . 15 with a signal - to - noise of 323 . to maintain the dynamic range and sensitivity the voltage applied to the pmt was altered from 500 v for measurements between 1 . 5 μm and 75 μm bsa , to 600 v for less than 1 . 5 μm . the higher pmt voltage resulted in an increased ( electronic ) noise - induced measurement error . the detection limits obtained in the technique of the invention were compared to that obtained in a microplate ( see table 1 ). while the microplate reader was able to detect approximately half the concentration of bsa , the volume required was over 10 5 times greater than for the capillary technique of the invention . this gave a limit of detection of 1 . 4 × 10 8 protein molecules in the capillary , which is 85 , 000 - fold lower than for the microplate reader . the effect of urea denaturant concentration upon the measured fluorescence intensity of a 7 . 14 μm bsa solution at ph 7 . 2 is shown in fig1 for both the capillary - based and microplate methods . the experimental method required that 2 ml each of a range of urea solutions from 0 m to 9 m in 50 mm tris . hcl , ph 7 . 2 be added 100 μl 0 . 15 mm bsa stock ( 250 mg bsa in 25 ml 50 mm tris . hcl , ph 7 . 2 ), giving final bsa concentrations of 7 . 14 μm . samples were equilibrated for 17 hours at 22 ° c ., consistent with the fkbp - 12 experiments below . fluorescence intensities were measured in the capillary as above , and then in a fluostar optima plate - reader ( bmg labtechnologies , aylesbury , uk ) with 280 nm excitation and 340 ± 10 nm emission as described in aucamp , j . p ., cosme , a . m ., lye , g . j ., & amp ; dalby , p . a . high - throughput measurement of protein stability in microtiter plates . biotechnol bioeng 89 , 599 - 607 ( 2005 ) and aucamp , j . p ., martinez - tones , r . j ., hibbert , e . g ., & amp ; dalby , p . a . a microplate - based evaluation of complex denaturation pathways : structural stability of escherichia coli transketolase . biotechnol . bioeng . 99 , 1303 - 1310 ( 2008 ). fig1 a is raw data obtained in the inventive method for a single replicate as fluorescence emission at the photomultiplier tube ( pmt ) and excitation laser intensity at the photodiode ( pd ) for a typical denaturation curve acquisition . the final fluorescence measurement ( labelled “ processed dataset ”) was obtained as the ratio of the pmt to the pd signals , to account for time - dependent variations of the incident laser source between measurements , with a similar ratio for the blank subtracted . these data are then normalised to unity for high [ urea ] to produce the curves shown in panel b . fig1 b is a comparison of the inventive device ( open symbols ) and 96 - well microplate - based ( closed symbols ) equilibrium denaturation of 7 . 14 μm bsa by urea as measured by the change in the normalised intrinsic fluorescence intensity of samples in 50 mm tris . hcl , ph 7 . 2 , 22 ° c . error bars shown are standard deviations from triplicate measurements . the best fits to the equation below are also shown for each dataset . the raw data in fig1 a demonstrates the need for continuously monitoring the incident laser intensity with a photodiode and also illustrates the good signal - to - noise ratio obtained with bsa . a sharp sigmoidal transition is observed , as expected for the cooperative two - state unfolding of proteins upon addition of a chemical denaturant . the thermodynamic parameters obtained by fitting the data to the equations below are shown in table 2 . all errors quoted on c 1 / 2 and m g are curve fit errors given in sigmaplot ( systat software , hounslow , uk ) which indicate the range of values possible without significantly altering r 2 for the fit . wild - type fkbp - 12 measurements were at 10 μm protein , and fl99 fkbp - 12 at 11 . 1 μm , 50 mm tris . hcl , ph 7 . 5 , 1 mm dtt a transition mid - points are quoted for gdnhcl as denaturant except for bsa where urea was used b δg & lt ; mg & gt ; values were obtained using the average m g values for each protein type c δg h2o values were obtained using the m g values from each independent curve fit d δδg x - wt values are all relative to wild - type fkbp - 12 without rapamycin and are obtained from δg h2o values . e from aucamp , j . p ., cosme , a . m ., lye , g . j ., & amp ; dalby , p . a . high - throughput measurement of protein stability in microtiter plates . biotechnol bioeng 89 , 599 - 607 ( 2005 ) f from main , e . r . & amp ; jackson , s . e . does trifluoroethanol affect folding pathways and can it be used as a probe of structure in transition states ? nat . struct . biol . 6 , 831 - 835 ( 1999 ) as can be seen , transition midpoints ( c 1 / 2 ), of 3 . 7 ± 0 . 2 m and 3 . 6 ± 0 . 2 m were obtained by the capillary and microplate techniques respectively . the results above clearly demonstrate that the use of a capillary - based fluorescence technique falling within the scope of the invention can be used to derive a range of thermodynamic parameters . chemical denaturation of wild - type and the mutant fl99 of fkbp - 12 by guanidine hydrochloride ( gdnhcl ) was carried out in a microplate using the technique described in aucamp , j . p ., cosme , a . m ., lye , g . j ., & amp ; dalby , p . a . high - throughput measurement of protein stability in microtiter plates . biotechnol bioeng 89 , 599 - 607 ( 2005 ) and the same samples were then measured directly afterwards using the inventive technique . the experimental detail was as set out below : equilibrium denaturation of wild - type fkbp - 12 : 50 μl , of fkbp - 12 stock ( 50 μm fkbp - 12 , 5 mm dtt , 50 mm tris . hcl , ph 7 . 5 ) was added to each well of a uv transparent costar ( corning , lowell , mass ., usa ) 96 - well plate . twenty - five concentrations of guanidine hydrochloride ( gdnhcl ) from 0 to 5 . 6 m , were created by varying the volumes of 0 m and 7 m gdnhcl stock solutions in 50 mm tris . hcl ph 7 . 5 , autotitrated in each well ( fluostar optima ) to a total of 200 μl . for rapamycin binding , the 0 m and 7 m gdnhcl stock solutions both contained 18 . 8 μm rapamycin ( from a 54 mm stock in etoh ), giving a 15 μm final concentration . samples were sealed and equilibrated for 17 hours at 22 ° c . prior to measurement of intrinsic protein fluorescence in a fluostar optima plate reader as above . the same samples were then used to measure intrinsic protein fluorescence in the micro - capillary device for a direct comparison . equilibrium denaturation of mutant fkbp - 12 ( f99l ): samples were prepared and analysed as above for wild type , except that 25 μl of 100 μm fkbp - 12 f99l in 50 mm tris ph 7 . 5 , 1 mm dtt was added to each well . also , each concentration of gdnhcl was obtained using 0 and 4 . 1 m gdnhcl stocks in 50 mm tris ph 7 . 5 , 1 mm dtt , added to give a final volume of 225 μl , and 11 . 1 μm protein . for rapamycin binding the 0 and 4 . 1 m gdnhcl stock solutions both contained 22 . 5 μm rapamycin ( from a 54 mm stock in etoh ), giving a 20 μm final concentration . the denaturation curves for wild - type fkbp - 12 were compared directly in fig1 and show very good agreement between those measured in microplates and those made using the capillary - based technique . fig1 a provides the raw data obtained for a single replicate as fluorescence emission at the photomultiplier tube ( pmt ) and excitation laser intensity at the photodiode ( pd ) for a typical denaturation curve acquisition . the final fluorescence measurement ( labelled “ processed dataset ”) was obtained as the ratio of the pmt to the pd signals , to account for time - dependent variations of the incident laser source between measurements , with a similar ratio for the blank subtracted . these data are then normalised to unity for high [ gdnhcl ] to produce the curves shown in panel b . fig1 b shows the effect of rapamycin on the equilibrium denaturation of 10 μm wild - type fkbp by guanidine hcl in the presence ( triangles ) and absence ( circles ) of 15 μm rapamycin , as measured by the change in the normalised intrinsic fluorescence intensity of samples in 50 mm tris . hcl , ph 7 . 5 , 24 ° c . in a capillary ( open symbols ) and in a 96 - well microplate ( closed symbols ). error bars shown are standard deviations from triplicate measurements . the best fits to equation below are also shown for each dataset . as with fig1 a above , the raw data in fig1 a demonstrates the need for continuously monitoring the incident laser intensity with a photodiode and also illustrates the good signal - to - noise ratio obtained . the curves for the f99l mutant are also compared in fig1 . the denaturation curves are shown in the presence ( triangles ) and absence ( circles ) of 20 μm rapamycin , as measured by the change in normalised intrinsic fluorescence intensity of samples in 50 mm tris . hcl , ph 7 . 5 , 22 ° c . in a capillary at 2 μm fkbp f99l ( open symbols ) and in a 96 - well microplate at 10 μm fkbp f99l ( closed symbols ). the sharp sigmoidal transition , expected for cooperative two - state unfolding , was observed in all cases . table 2 ( above ) and table 3 ( below ) display the thermodynamic parameters obtained from each curve and also compare them to known values from the literature . b capillary and microplate measurements were obtained with 10 μm fkbp - 12 wt or 11 . 1 μm fl99 fkbp - 12 , in 15 or 20 μm rapamycin , 50 mm tris . hcl at ph 7 . 5 , 1 mm dtt , 25 ° c . literature values were obtained by a range of techniques and conditions c radiolabeled competition assay with 1 nm fkbp , 0 . 3 - 10 nm rapamycin in 100 mm nacl , 20 mm phosphate , 1 mm edta , ph 7 . 3 , 0 . 015 % triton x - 100 ( bierer , b . e . et al . two distinct signal transmission pathways in t lymphocytes are inhibited by complexes formed between an immunophilin and either fk506 or rapamycin . proc . natl . acad . sci . u . s . a 87 , 9231 - 9235 ( 1990 )) d surface plasmon resonance ( spr ) with gst - fkbp fusion in pbs ph 7 . 4 , 0 . 02 % tween - 20 , 50 nm rapamycin ( banaszynski , l . a ., liu , c . w ., & amp ; wandless , t . j . characterization of the fkbp . rapamycin . frb ternary complex . j . am . chem . soc . 127 , 4715 - 4721 ( 2005 )) e fluorescence polarization competition assay with a fluorescein - labelled synthetic ligand , 5 nm fkbp , 0 . 05 - 100 nm rapamycin , pbs ph 7 . 4 , 0 . 011 % triton x - 100 , 0 . 1 mg / ml bovine γ - globulin ( banaszynski , l . a ., liu , c . w ., & amp ; wandless , t . j . characterization of the fkbp . rapamycin . frb ternary complex . j . am . chem . soc . 127 , 4715 - 4721 ( 2005 )) f calculated from available intrinsic protein fluorescence equilibrium denaturation data using a 900 μl sample of 2 μm fkbp - 12 , 20 μm rapamycin , 50 mm tris . hcl at ph 7 . 5 , 1 mm dtt , 25 ° c . ( main , e . r . & amp ; jackson , s . e . does trifluoroethanol affect folding pathways and can it be used as a probe of structure in transition states ? nat . struct . biol . 6 , 831 - 835 ( 1999 )) as expected , the stability of both the wild - type fkbp - 12 and the mutant f99l increase in the presence of rapamycin . for wild - type the unfolding free energy increases by between 3 and 4 kcal mol − 1 , whereas for f99l an increase of only 1 . 15 kcal mol − 1 is observed indicating that the mutation affects the binding affinity of the rapamycin . the stability of the native protein is also decreased by 0 . 92 kcal mol − 1 upon mutation to f99l which is in close agreement with the 1 . 2 ± 0 . 11 kcal mol − 1 destabilisation observed previously in a standard fluorometer ( main , e . r . g . thesis : studies on the immunosuppressant binding protein fkbp12 and the nuclear / steroid receptors vitamin d3 and oestrogen . 2000 . university of cambridge ). the transition midpoints also show very good agreement at all scales of measurement and show only a slight decrease in precision from 0 . 005 , to 0 . 01 and 0 . 02 m gdnhcl for wild type at the respectively smaller scales . further , photobleaching in the capillary does not occur at the flow rates used as the sample can only be excited once given the 200 μm laser spot and 1 khz laser pulsing . photobleaching was only observed at flow rates up to 1 μlmin − 1 . this is shown in fig1 a and 14b which illustrate the effect of low and zero flow rates on the photobleaching of protein samples in the capillary . fig1 a depicts the oscillation of flow rate between 1 μl / min and 0 μl / min . fig1 b is an overlay of measurements at 0 μl / min ( black ) and 1 μl / min ( grey ) with the signal from the oscillating flow rate shown in a ( light grey ). the photobleaching experiments were completed using a solution of 7 . 14 μm bsa in 1 m urea and 50 mm tris . hcl , ph 7 . 2 which was passed through the capillary . initially a flow rate of 100 μl / min was used to flush the capillary and then a repeating cycle of 1 μl / min then 0 μl / min ( flow stopped ) was performed . as seen in fig1 a , initially the signal was stable at 100 μl / min . when the flow was stopped the fluorescence signal immediately began to decay , indicating photobleaching of the protein and loss of fluorescence . flow at 1 μl / min also showed photobleaching but gave a much slower rate of signal loss than at 0 μl / min . the signal continued to decrease at 1 μl / min even though the sample within the measurement zone of the capillary was replaced many times . this indicated a gradual deposition of the photobleached protein on the capillary surface over time . in all experiments reported the flow - rate was set to at least 10 μl / min for which no photobleaching was observed in any protein signals . ligand dissociation constants were obtained by measuring the free - energy of denaturation for native proteins in the presence and absence of the ligand ( tang , l . et al . h / d exchange - and mass spectrometry - based strategy for the thermodynamic analysis of protein - ligand binding . anal . chem . 79 , 5869 - 5877 ( 2007 )). the dissociation constants for rapamycin binding to both wild - type and f99l fkbp - 12 derived using the inventive technique , were compared to values obtained by other methods , the results are shown in table 3 . for wild - type fkbp - 12 , literature values vary in the range 0 . 2 - 99 . 6 nm from various techniques , samples and solution conditions . the microplate - based fluorescence technique gave a value of 12 . 8 nm , and the inventive technique gave 7 . 4 nm , both consistent with the existing literature data . this demonstrates that the capillary technique can obtain useful dissociation constant measurements using significantly reduced quantities of sample . the dissociation constant obtained for rapamycin and the f99l mutant of fkbp - 12 was determined to be 1 . 8 μm using the inventive technique , showing a 240 - fold loss of affinity relative to wild - type . the intermolecular coupling energy between rapamycin and the mutated phenylalanine residue in fkbp - 12 was also calculated from the free - energies determined in the capillary by using a double - mutant cycle analysis ( carter , p . j ., winter , g ., wilkinson , a . j ., & amp ; fersht , a . r . the use of double mutants to detect structural changes in the active site of the tyrosyl - trna synthetase ( bacillus stearothermophilus ). cell 38 , 835 - 840 ( 1984 )). this interaction energy was found to be 3 . 0 ± 1 . 3 kcal mol − 1 , which is a significant proportion of the total interaction of 4 . 05 kcal mol − 1 between fkbp - 12 and rapamycin . initial measurements were taken for the evolution of temperature in a microwell using infra - red excitation to demonstrate the control of temperature using ir radiation , and to predict the temperature control of fluids in a microfluidic channel using an ir laser [ g145pu0450m , roithner ]. a volume of 75 μl of water was placed in a standard 384 - well microwell illuminated by an ir laser ( λlaser = 1550 nm , power laser = 10 mw ). a thermocouple was placed inside the liquid , close to the side of the microwell to avoid direct interaction of the thermocouple with the ir laser radiation , and was used to measure the temperature of the solution as a function of time as shown in fig1 . when the laser was turned on , the temperature was measured every 30 seconds and resulted in an increase of temperature of 3 . 5 k from 23 ° c . to 26 . 5 ° c . over 800 seconds . at this point in time the laser was turned off , and the temperature then decreased at a similar rate back to room temperature ( 23 ° c .). this experiment demonstrated that the ir irradiation of a sample containing water generated an increased sample temperature and provided data with which to model the heating of samples in microfluidic channels using ir irradiation with the same laser . after measuring the temperature rise of a static liquid contained in a microwell using an infra - red radiation source absorbed through a known sample path length , a simulation of the evolution of the temperature along an entire capillary containing water passing along the capillary at a defined flow rate was conducted . the liquid was heated progressively as it flowed along the capillary by simulating an external ir source that brings 1550 nm photons evenly along the capillary , as represented in fig1 . the simulation model is based on a basic thermal dissipation law applied to a pipe with a length l section 15 , internal radius r int 16 and external radius r ext 17 with a thermal conduction λ . if the temperature difference δt between the inside of the tube and the outside of the tube is considered , during a time t , the thermal dissipation q out follows this equation : considering the amount of heat entering the system , q in , and exiting the system , q out , for a small section of the entire pipe and then applying an iterative procedure to determine the temperature increase , it is possible to predict the variation of temperature along the length of the channel . the model predictions were calculated using labview software and gave rise to the simulated temperatures shown in fig1 as a function of distance along the length of the channel defined by the following characteristics : heated length : 2 mm internal diameter : 25 external diameter : 200 thermal conduction of pmma : 0 . 18 w m − 1 k − 1 flow rate : 2 μl min − 1 laser power : 24 mw the simulation predicts a 39k gradient of the liquid temperature from the beginning to the end of the capillary . this variation is sufficient to obtain complete denaturation curve for most known proteins . the model also enables the variation of temperature along the length of a microfluidic channel to be calibrated . a preliminary experiment to demonstrate thermal excitation of a liquid in a capillary using an infra - red laser is described . the temperature in the channel was determined using the temperature sensitive fluorescent dye tamra . the variation of fluorescence intensity as a function of temperature was calibrated at 2 mg . ml − 1 tamra in water as a function of the temperature , in a capillary of diameter 100 μm , measured using confocal microscope with excitation wavelength of 543 nm and emission wavelength of 608 nm as presented in fig1 . two different experiments were carried out using a solution of tamra in a capillary , and determining the fluorescence intensity of the tamra with a confocal microscope . in the first experiment , the sample was illuminated with infra - red radiation 4 from a laser source 20 via an optical fibre 19 brought to the side of the capillary 1 , perpendicular to the sample flow 21 ( fig1 ). this set up would be used such that the infra - red radiation is brought to a sample capillary ( or other channel ) at one or more sites along its length using optical fibres and / or waveguides . in the second experiment , the optical fibre 19 was passed into the capillary 1 in parallel with the sample flow as in fig2 . the sample 21 passed into a water - tight housing 22 and then along the capillary ( or other channel ). a multimode optical fibre 19 with a 100 μm core was brought in contact perpendicular to a capillary with an internal diameter of 100 μm . the other end of the optical fibre was linked to an ir laserdiode 20 , fu68pdf - 5 / fitel / λ ir = 1550 nm / p ir = 24 mw ). a flow 21 of tamra was passed into the capillary . the system was then placed under a confocal fluorescence microscope to record the evolution of the fluorescence intensity of the tamra ( excitation 543 nm , reemission 608 nm ). the variation of the intensity around the position of the optical fibre in the capillary was determined and is presented in fig2 a . this graph permits to consider a local variation of temperature of about 12 ° c . generated by the ir radiation in the water . the experiment was repeated with significantly improved alignment of the ir light source with the capillary using the device in fig2 b . fig2 b shows the results obtained using the device of fig2 b . specifically , fig2 b shows the temperature gradient obtained over a range of flow rates . it can be seen that by controlling the flow rate of the sample through the capillary , the temperature of the sample can be precisely controlled . using a watertight t - junction ( 22 , p - 890 / upchurch scientific ), the optical fibre was placed 19 directly inside a capillary 1 of 250 μm internal diameter ( fs , deactivated - 0 . 250 mm / agilent ). the optical fibre was linked to a more powerful laser diode ( fol1425r / fitel / λ ir = 1450 nm / p ir = 400 mw ). a flow of tamra of 100 μl / min was set up in the capillary . the intensity of the tamra fluorescence is shown in fig2 as measured under a confocal microscope as previously . fig2 shows a view of the median plane of the optical fibre and the 2d cartography of the temperature in front of the optical fibre 19 . a variation of intensity of 700 ri corresponding at a temperature variation of 60 ° c . is observed in the capillary . at this flow rate , a gradient increase of 60 ° c . in the sample along the length of the capillary , is achieved within 12 ms . construction of a microfluidic chip with integrated thermal excitation by infra - red and detection of the intrinsic fluorescence of protein samples the waveguide structure on the chip is composed of alternating air gaps and polymer lines which creates two types of waveguides in parallel , where both types are placed on either side of the channel . on one side of the channel , the waveguides are used to bring the uv 266 nm excitation and ir 1550 nm for heating , and the other side transmits the fluorescence emission signal ( e . g . uv 340 nm ) to the detector . the radiation sources can be transmitted to the waveguides that direct them to side of the channel , by using an optical fibre composed of fused silica . fused silica has a very low absorption coefficient in the uv ( α 266nm = 5 . 5 × 10 − 5 cm − 1 ) and the ir ( α 1550nm = 10 − 4 cm − 1 ) corresponding to a loss of power of 1 . 09 % in the uv and 1 . 98 % in the ir for a fibre of one meter in length . the coupling of two optical fibres by existing methods known to those skilled in the art can be used to create a single optical fibre carrying both the uv and ir radiation sources . this optical fibre can then be similarly split into 32 radiation transmitting fibres , each transmitting the two wavelengths to an array of 32 parallel waveguides at positions placed adjacently along the length of the channel . the efficient localization of those 32 channels is enabled using a waveguide fabricated by the anisotropic etching of a substrate of silicon following the crystalline planes ( steinsland , sens . act . 86 ( 2000 ) 73 - 80 ). an identical or similar waveguide design is fabricated on the opposite face of the microfluidic channel such that the two opposing waveguides are aligned along the channel length . each optical fibre used for bringing the incident radiation sources or for detecting the emission signal , is aligned with the edge of the microfluidic chip and with the waveguides . in one design ( fig3 a ), open space optical waveguides are selectively etched at the surface of the chip . the air composing the core 8 of the waveguide has no absorption at most uv and ir wavelengths . the cladding 9 is shaped in the layer of polymer to create the walls of the channel and the uv 340 nm transmitting waveguides . after travelling all along the waveguide 8 , the photons arrive at the wall of the channel ( thickness = 50 microns ) and cross this wall to enter the channel . on the other side of the channel a polymer waveguide 9 ( e . g . of length 5 mm ) is placed to collect the emitted signal from protein fluorescence e . g . at 340 nm . the transmittance of this material can be 95 % for both uv ( 340 nm ) and ir ( 1550 nm ) such as with cytop ( asahi glass co . ( agc )). the 32 optical fibres collecting the photons on the opposite face of the device bring the photons onto a uv sensitive ccd array . the signal obtained with the ccd is analysed and permits the observation of the fluorescence of the protein at each of the 32 points along the microfluidic channel . simultaneous infrared heating of the sample also at each of the 32 points along the microfluidic channel creates a temperature gradient such that each of the 32 fluorescence measurements is of the same sample but at different temperatures such that for example a complete thermal denaturation profile for a protein can be obtained simultaneously . the fluidic junction of the chip with the outside is permitted thanks to a soft layer 23 placed between the chip and the motherboard . this layer is composed of a silica gel , the pdms , material that can easily be moulded in a teflon master . two - state protein denaturation was assumed , as previously observed for fkbp - 12 ( main , e . r . & amp ; jackson , s . e . does trifluoroethanol affect folding pathways and can it be used as a probe of structure in transition states ? nat . struct . biol . 6 , 831 - 835 ( 1999 )). data for the observed fluorescence ( f obs ) as a function of denaturant concentration ([ d ]) were fit using sigmaplot 10 . 0 ( systat software , hounslow , uk ) to the equation below : this allowed the calculation of m g , c 1 / 2 , f 0 n , f 0 u , m n and m u with errors ( pace , c . n . determination and analysis of urea and guanidine hydrochloride denaturation curves . methods enzymol . 131 , 266 - 280 ( 1986 )), where r is the gas constant ( 1 . 987 cal k − 1 mol − 1 ), t is 298 k , c 1 / 2 ( m ) is the denaturant concentration at which 50 % of the protein is denatured , f 0 n and f 0 u are the respective fluorescence signals of the native and unfolded states at 0 m denaturant , m g ( kcal mol − 1 m − 1 ) is the slope ( dg / d [ d ]) of the free energy of unfolding as a function of denaturant concentration , m n is the slope ( df n / d [ d ]) for the native state baseline , and m u the corresponding parameter for the unfolded state . the free energy of protein denaturation in water δg h2o was calculated as m g c 1 / 2 , using the fitted m g , where we set the denaturant dependent free energy ( δg obs ) to zero in the equation below when [ d ] is equal to c 1 / 2 . values of δg h2o were used to calculate the change in free energy of the mutant or ligand bound protein , δδg x - wt , relative to un - liganded wild - type fkbp - 12 . the change in free energy of unfolding upon ligand binding , δδg binding , was calculated for each mutant from the values of δg h2o for liganded fkbp - 12 relative to δg h2o for non - liganded fkbp - 12 . at saturating total ligand [ l tot ]& gt ;& gt ;[ p tot ], where [ p tot ] is the total protein concentration , the dissociation constant k d for binding to protein can be deduced from the equation below and δδg binding ( tang , l . et al . h / d exchange - and mass spectrometry - based strategy for the thermodynamic analysis of protein - ligand binding . anal . chem . 79 , 5869 - 5877 ( 2007 )), assuming the free ligand concentration [ l ]≈[ l tot ]. under non - saturating conditions the free ligand [ l ] and protein [ p ] concentrations must first be determined from [ l tot ] and [ p tot ] ( see supplementary information online ) giving the following equation to determine the k d . errors in k d are mainly from m g values obtained by curve fitting to : as we do not expect this parameter to vary between mutants of fkbp - 12 ( our measurements are consistent with this assumption ), we have used the values & lt ; m g & gt ;, averaged over the two variants , to calculate for both liganded and un - liganded proteins , more accurate ( δg & lt ; mg & gt ; ) values for δg h2o . the solution used to test the device is a bsa + water solution at various concentrations . the viscosity of the solution was studied as a function of bsa concentration by using a cylinder rheometer instron 1140 , as shown in fig2 . the exponential change of the viscosity of bsa solutions with increasing bsa concentration allowed the determination of the range of sample viscosities that are able to be passed through a channel of defined size and cross - sectional shape , without increasing the pressure within the system beyond the maximum likely to result in leakage of the sample or damage to the fluidics system . consider a cylindrical pipe with a length l and an inside radius r in which pass a liquid with a viscosity ν at a flow rate f . the poiseuille equation links these parameters with the pressure gradient between the ends of the pipe as follows : a study concerning the generalization of poiseuille &# 39 ; s law to any channel is available ( mortensen , phys . rev . e74 , 017301 ( 2006 ) and follows the following equation : this equation and the concentration considerations presented above allows the calculation of the pressure in the channel with bsa solutions of a certain protein concentration and a defined sample flow rate . the examples above show that it is possible to measure the properties of a sample using the device of the invention . thermodynamic parameters may then be derived using known techniques . as such , the invention provides a method to determine parameters such as dissociation constants or denaturing constants using signals obtained from the sample using small sample volumes , low concentrations and high through puts , thereby avoiding any risk that photobleaching may occur . it has been shown that the inventive devices can heat rapidly and that the local temperature within the sample cavity can be controlled . it should be appreciated that the devices and methods of the invention are capable of being incorporated in the form of a variety of embodiments , only a few of which have been illustrated and described above . | 1 |
referring to fig1 and 2 , there is shown an exemplary bottle 10 of the present invention for storing , identifying and dispensing liquid materials . as shown most clearly in fig2 , the bottle comprises a container 12 having flexible sidewalls 14 defining an interior reservoir 16 for storing liquid materials . the container 12 has an open end 18 for providing access to the interior reservoir 16 . in the exemplary embodiment shown , the open end 18 of the container 12 includes a neck 20 having threads 22 provided on an exterior surface of the container 12 proximate the open end 18 , and a retaining lip or collar 24 positioned adjacent the threads 22 . the bottle 10 further includes a closure 26 , depicted in the exemplary embodiment as a screw - type cap having internal threads ( not shown ) configured to threadably engage the threads 22 on the open end 18 of the container 12 . the bottle 10 also includes an elongate tube 28 that facilitates dispensing liquids from the interior reservoir 16 . tube 28 is sealingly received through an aperture 30 formed in closure 26 such that an inner end 32 of the tube 28 is in communication with the interior reservoir 16 and an outer end 34 of the tube 28 is positioned exteriorly of the container 12 and closure 26 . in the exemplary embodiment shown , the tube 28 is configured such that the inner end 32 of the tube 28 extends to the bottom - most portion of the interior reservoir 16 , but it will be recognized that the tube 28 may alternatively extend to a position immediately inside the closure 26 or to any position between the bottom - most portion of the container 12 and the interior side of the closure 26 . in the exemplary embodiment shown , that portion of the tube 28 extending exteriorly of the container 12 and closure 26 is bent to facilitate directing fluid dispensed from the container 12 to a desired location . bottle 10 further includes a valve - type nozzle 40 coupled to the outer end 34 of the tube 28 to further direct the flow of liquid from the reservoir 16 , wherein the valve - type nozzle 40 communicates with reservoir 16 through the tube 28 . advantageously , the valve - type nozzle 40 has an open condition which permits the flow of liquid from the reservoir 16 , through tube 28 , and a closed condition wherein the flow of liquid through the tube 28 and valve 40 is prevented . in addition , the valve is adjustable to a continuous range of positions between fully opened and fully closed to permit adjustment in the flow of liquid during dispensing . in the exemplary embodiment shown , the valve - type nozzle 40 comprises first and second members 42 , 44 which are coupled together to facilitate operation of the valve - type nozzle 40 . with continued reference to fig2 , and further reference to fig3 , the valve - type nozzle 40 will now be described in more detail . in the exemplary embodiment shown , the first member 42 is configured to be coupled to the outer end 34 of the tube 28 . the second member 44 is configured to be coupled to the first member 42 and is manually adjustable with respect to the first member 42 to thereby place the valve - type nozzle 40 in the open condition or the closed condition , or a position in between . the first member 42 has an elongate tubular structure having an inner end 46 with an inlet port 48 sized to receive the outer end 34 of the tube 28 and an orifice 50 provided on an outer end 52 of the first member 42 . the first member 42 further includes a first fluid passage 54 extending between the inlet port 48 and the orifice 50 whereby fluid from the reservoir 16 , dispensed through the tube 28 , may flow through the first fluid passage 54 to the orifice 50 . a plug 56 proximate the outer end 52 of the first member 42 and spaced from the orifice 50 has a generally converging outer end 58 , which cooperates with the second member 44 to selectively place the valve - type nozzle 40 in the open condition and the closed condition , and to vary the flow dispensed through the valve - type nozzle 40 , as will be discussed more fully below . the second member 44 of the valve - type nozzle assembly 40 has a generally elongate tubular shape with a second fluid passage 60 formed therethrough . the second fluid passage 60 has an inlet 62 , an outlet 64 , and a converging interior wall section 66 with a cross - sectional area which decreases toward the outlet 64 and corresponds , at least in part , with the converging outer end 58 of the plug 56 of the first member 42 . preferably , the length of the outlet 64 is approximately twice the diameter of the orifice of the outlet 64 to provide a stream of liquid and prevent sputtering . in the exemplary embodiment shown , the first member 42 has external threads 70 provided on a portion of the first member 42 which is received within the inlet 62 and second fluid passage 60 of the second member 44 . external threads 70 engage corresponding internal threads 72 provided on the second member 44 , whereby the first and second members 42 , 44 may be threadably coupled together . the relative positions of the first and second members 42 , 44 may be adjusted by rotating the second member 44 with respect to the first member 42 . advantageously , the converging outer end 58 of the plug 56 of the first member 42 sealingly engages the converging interior wall section 66 of the second fluid passage 60 of the second member 44 when the valve - type nozzle 40 is placed in the closed condition to thereby prevent the flow of fluid through the valve - type nozzle 40 . this closed condition is depicted more clearly in fig4 a . the first member 42 further includes a circumferential groove 74 proximate the outer end 52 . an o - ring 76 disposed within the groove 74 is compressed between the first and second members 42 , 44 to thereby seal the second fluid passage 60 behind the orifice 50 of the first member 42 when the first and second members 42 , 44 are coupled together . likewise , the second member 44 may be rotated with respect to the first member 42 to adjust the position of the second member 44 relative to the first member 42 to place the valve - type nozzle 40 in a fully opened condition , as depicted in fig4 b . in this condition , the converging outer end 58 of the plug 56 is spaced from the converging interior wall 66 of the second fluid passage 60 to provide an increased annular flow area for the fluid dispensed through the valve 40 . the path of fluid flow along the first fluid passage 54 , through outlet 50 , and along the second fluid passage 60 is illustrated with arrows in fig4 b . furthermore , the second member 44 may be rotated with respect to the first member 42 to place the second member 44 at a location relative to the first member 42 within a continuous range intermediate the fully opened and fully closed positions to provide infinitely variable annular flow area through which liquid flows through the valve - type nozzle 40 . in this manner , the adjustable valve - type nozzle 40 permits the selective adjustment of liquid flow dispensed therefrom . the bottle 10 may be used to store and dispense liquid by opening the valve - type nozzle 40 to a desired position and squeezing the flexible sidewalls 14 of the container 12 to force liquid stored in the interior reservoir 16 through the tube 28 , through the first fluid passage 54 of the first member 42 of the nozzle assembly , through the orifice 50 of the first member 42 , through the second fluid passage 60 and out the outlet 64 of the second fluid passage 60 . in an exemplary embodiment , the bottle container 12 may be formed from fluoropolymer material resistant to solvents and other chemicals . the closure 26 , valve - type nozzle 40 , and tube 28 may also be formed from fluoropolymer material . this may be particularly useful when the tube 28 extends within the interior reservoir 16 of the container 12 where it will be in contact with solvents or other chemicals stored in the container 12 . advantageously , the valve - type nozzle 40 may be placed in a closed condition , whereby the bottle 10 of the present invention may be used to store volatile , aggressive and / or high - purity solvents and to prevent the unwanted leakage of the liquid due , for example , to vapor pressure generated within the bottle 10 , or tipping of the bottle 10 . in this embodiment , the bottle 10 further includes a vent 80 for relieving the vapor pressure created by the volatile liquid stored within the container 12 . vent 80 comprises a vent port 82 in communication with the interior reservoir 16 and configured to receive a gas permeable membrane plug 84 through which the vapor pressure within the container 12 may be relieved . the membrane plug 84 is substantially impermeable to liquids to prevent unwanted leakage of the liquid material stored therein if the bottle 12 is inadvertently placed on its side . the membrane plug 84 comprises a plug formed from a fluoropolymer and which is porous to solvent vapors , yet resistant to solvents or other chemical liquids that may be stored in the container 12 . such a plug is available from porex corporation , faiburn , ga ., as a microporous ptfe membrane . while vent 80 is shown and described herein integrated with closure 26 , it will be recognized that vent 80 may alternatively be located at other positions or on other components of the bottle 10 to provide communication between reservoir 16 and the exterior of container 12 . the exemplary bottle 10 of the present invention further includes a tag 90 which may be coupled to the container 12 to indicate the contents of the container 12 . the tag 90 is particularly useful when the container 12 is formed from fluoropolymer material , which is generally difficult to mark with inks or adhesive labels . in the exemplary embodiment shown , the tag 90 is of a unitary construction , including a marking member 92 and a connecting member 94 . the marking member 92 comprises a generally arcuate surface configured to mate with the contours of the container 12 and is formed from a material which is adapted to receive inks or adhesive labels thereupon . for example , the marking member 92 may be formed from polypropylene or any other material suitable for marking with ink or receiving an adhesive label . preferably , the tag 90 is formed in different colors in conformance to industry standards . the connecting member 94 comprises a retaining ring configured to snap - fit over the retaining lip or collar 24 of the container 12 , whereby the tag 90 may be securely held on the container 12 even after the closure 28 has been removed from the container 12 . the present invention thus provides a bottle 10 for storing , identifying , and dispensing liquid materials , particularly volatile , aggressive , and / or high - purity solvents and chemicals , and which has a unique valve - type nozzle and vent and a novel tag for labeling purposes . the valve - type nozzle 40 can be selectively placed in an opened or closed position , or adjusted to vary the flow of liquid material dispensed through the valve - type nozzle 40 . the valve - type nozzle 40 is used in conjunction with a vent 80 for relieving vapor pressure created by storing volatile liquids within the container 12 . the bottle 10 is durable to meet the demands of use in a wide range of environments , and may be sterilized , such as by autoclaving if desired . while the present invention has been illustrated by the description of the various exemplary embodiments thereof , and while the embodiments have been described in considerable detail , it is not intended to restrict or in any way limit the scope of the appended claims to such detail . additional advantages and modifications will readily appear to those skilled in the art . the invention in its broader aspects is therefore not limited to the specific details , representative apparatus and methods and illustrative examples shown and described . accordingly , departures may be made from such details without departing from the scope or spirit of the general inventive concept . | 1 |
referring fig1 to fig4 , an lcd module of a first exemplary embodiment includes a lamp unit 1 ( fig3 a ) mounted therein as an example of a light - source unit . the lamp unit 1 has a lamp holder 2 provided with lamp cables 5 with a connector 4 . the lamp holder 2 has a cold - cathode fluorescent lamp as an example of a lamp 3 ( fig4 c ), and reflects light from the lamp . the connector 4 is for external connection , and supplies a drive voltage to the lamp . the lamp cables 5 electrically connect the lamp holder and the connector 4 . as shown in fig3 a , a light guide plate 16 is sandwiched between a front chassis 13 and a back chassis 18 to provide a lighting unit . the lcd module 10 includes an lcd panel 12 and the lighting unit . moreover , as shown in fig1 a and 1c , the lcd module 10 includes a pair of insertion openings 23 a and 23 b , the two openings being respectively on two opposite side surfaces of a housing member . fastening means is provided in each of the vicinities of the pair of openings 23 a and 23 b in order to hold the lamp holder 2 in the frame when the lamp holder 2 is inserted through one of the insertion openings 23 a and 23 b . in the embodiment , the above - described lighting unit is a so called back light unit , which receives light from the cold - cathode fluorescent lamp of the above lamp unit 1 , and illuminates the above lcd panel 12 . the lighting unit includes a light . guide plate 16 to illuminate the lcd panel 12 by light from the lamp unit 1 , and the lamp unit 1 . more precise , as shown in fig2 , the lcd module 10 of the present embodiment includes a front shied 11 , the lcd panel 12 , the front chassis 13 , a light condenser sheet 14 , a diffuser sheet 15 , a light guide plate 16 , a reflector sheet 17 , the back chassis 18 , a signal processing substrate 19 , and a back shield 20 . the front chassis 13 and the back chassis 18 are fastened to each other in a state where the front chassis 13 and the back chassis 18 hold the light guide plate 16 therebetween . the reflector sheet 17 is disposed between the light guide plate 16 and the back chassis 18 . the diffuser sheet 15 is disposed between the light guide plate 16 and the front chassis 13 , and adequately diffuses light as back light emitted by the light guide plate 16 . the light condenser sheet 14 is disposed between the front chassis 13 and the diffuser sheet 15 , and properly condenses and emits light emitted from the diffuser sheet 15 . the lcd panel 12 of a transparent or a semi - transparent type is disposed on the front chassis 13 . the front shield 11 covers the lcd panel 12 . specifically , the front chassis 13 and the back chassis 18 are fastened to each other in a state where the chassis 13 and 18 hold therebetween the light condenser sheet 14 , the diffuser sheet 15 , the light guide plate 16 , and the reflector sheet 17 which are superposed . as shown in fig1 b and 1c , the lcd panel 12 , vertical driver ics 21 and horizontal driver ics 22 are connected with one another to form a structure in the following manner . the lcd panel 12 and the vertical driver ics 21 are electrically connected to one another ; the lcd panel 12 and the horizontal driver ics 22 are electrically connected to one another ; the vertical driver ics 21 and a signal processing substrate 19 are electrically connected to one another ; and the horizontal driver ics 22 and the signal processing substrate 19 are electrically connected to one another . in general , the vertical driver ics 21 and the horizontal driver ics 22 are mounted on a flexible carrier tape in the form of a tape carrier package ( tcp ), and are connected via a flexible print substrate ( fpb ). the structure , which is formed by connecting the lcd panel 12 , the respective driver ics 21 and 22 and the signal processing substrate 19 , is bent on a portion of a flexible member such as the carrier tape or the flexible print substrate . thereby , the lcd panel 12 is superposed , and is disposed on the front surface of the chassis 13 , and the signal processing substrate 19 is superposed , and is disposed on the back of the back chassis 18 . furthermore , the front shield 11 is attached to the front surface of the front chassis 13 . the back shield 20 is attached to the back surface of the back chassis 18 . in the embodiment , the pair of insertion openings 23 a and 23 b for plugging in the lamp holder 2 of the lamp unit 1 are formed on the frame portion formed by the front chassis 13 and the back chassis 18 . as shown in fig1 c , the insertion opening 23 a is provided to the right side of the frame , and the insertion opening 23 b is provided to the left side of the frame . that is , the insertion openings 23 a and 23 b are respectively provided to the right and left sides of the frame . as an example of fastening means which holds the lamp holder 2 in the frame , locking parts 24 a and 24 b in the form of substantially l - shaped plate spring are respectively disposed on the back chassis 18 in the vicinities of entrances of the insertion openings 23 a and 23 b . next , descriptions will be provided for the mounting of the lamp unit to the lcd module 10 . as shown in fig3 a , when mounting the lamp unit 1 from the right side of the lcd module 10 , an end of the lamp holder 2 , from which lamp cables 5 are not led out , is moved into the insertion opening 23 a of the lcd module 10 along an arrow a shown in fig3 a . in the vicinity of the insertion opening 23 a , as shown in fig3 b , a side of the light guide plate 16 is arranged such that the side portion thereof is exposed in a space surrounded by the pair of insertion openings 23 a and 23 b . the lamp holder 2 has a cross section in the shape of a letter u , and is pushed into the frame through the insertion opening 23 a as shown in a perspective view of fig4 a , while being guided along the side portion of the light guide plate 16 in a direction of the longer side thereof , as shown in fig4 c . in this event , the lamp holder 2 is guided in spaces respectively between the front chassis 13 and the light guide plate 16 and between the back chassis 18 and the light guide plate 16 . as described above , by inserting the lamp holder 2 in the state where the lamp holder 2 is guided along the side portion of the light guide plate 16 , the lamp 3 of the lamp unit 1 and the light guide plate 16 are aligned with each other . when the lamp holder 2 is pushed in further , the lamp holder 2 is completely stored inside of the insertion opening 23 a as shown in a perspective view of fig4 b . thereby , the locking part 24 a of the insertion opening 23 a pushes an end surface of the lamp holder 2 . as shown in fig1 a , the insertion opening 23 b is formed on the left side of the lcd module 10 , and the locking part 24 b of substantially l - shape is disposed on the back chassis 18 in the vicinity of the entrance of the insertion opening 23 b . when inserting the lamp holder 2 from the insertion opening 23 a on the right side of the lcd module 10 , the locking part 24 b of l - shape , which is placed in the vicinity of the entrance of the insertion opening 23 b on the left side of the lcd module 10 , pushes back the other end surface of the lamp holder 2 so that the lamp holder 2 is prevented from being pushed out of , and from falling off , the left side of the lcd module 10 . such functions of the pair of locking parts 24 a and 24 b cause the lamp holder 2 of the lamp unit 1 to be fastened to , and to be held in , the lcd module 10 . in a case where it is necessary to exchange the mounted lamp unit 1 , in order to take the lamp unit 1 out of the lcd module 10 , the locking part 24 a of substantially l - shape in the vicinity of the entrance of an insertion opening , i . e . the insertion opening 23 a , into which the lamp holder 2 is plugged , is displaced in the direction of an arrow b of fig4 b so that the lamp holder 2 is pulled out . next , descriptions will be provided for the mounting of the lamp unit 1 from the left side of the lcd module 10 for a case where the connection terminal on the set product is disposed on the left side of the lcd module 10 . in this case , the lamp holder 2 is inserted through the insertion opening 23 b . as shown in fig5 b , a side of the light guide plate 16 is arranged in the vicinity of the insertion opening 23 b so that the side is exposed in a space surrounded by the pair of insertion openings 23 a and 23 b . the lamp holder 2 is pushed into the frame through the insertion opening 23 b while being guided on the side of the light guide plate . the lamp holder 2 is guided in spaces respectively between the front chassis 13 and the light guide plate 16 and between the back chassis 18 and the light guide plate 16 . as shown in a perspective view of fig5 a , when the lamp holder 2 is pushed in further , the lamp holder 2 is completely stored inside of the insertion opening 23 b . when inserting the lamp holder 2 from the insertion opening 23 b on the left side of the lcd module 10 , the locking part 24 a of substantially l - shape , which is placed in the vicinity of the entrance of the insertion opening 23 a on the right side of the lcd module 10 , pushes back the other end surface of the lamp holder 2 so that the lamp holder 2 is prevented from being pushed out of , and from falling off , the right side of the lcd module 10 . such functions of the pair of locking parts 24 a and 24 b cause the lamp holder 2 of the lamp unit 1 to be fastened to , and to be held in , the lcd module 10 . in a case where it is necessary to exchange the mounted lamp unit 1 , in order to take the lamp unit 1 out of the lcd module 10 , the locking part 24 b of substantially l - shape in the vicinity of the entrance of an insertion opening , i . e . the insertion opening 23 b , into which the lamp holder 2 is plugged , is displaced in the direction of an arrow c of fig5 a so that the lamp holder 2 is pulled out . use of the lcd module 10 of the present embodiment makes it possible to mount the lamp unit 1 on the lcd module 10 either from right or left of the lcd module 10 so that the position of the lamp unit 1 corresponds to the disposition of the connecting terminal on the set product . accordingly , it is made possible to connect the lamp unit 1 to the connecting terminal of the set product , and to supply a drive voltage to the lamp of the lamp unit without the need of the following . specifically , there is no need to extend the lamp cable and the like to connect thereof to a connecting terminal on the set product , or to rotate , instead of to extend , the lcd module by 180 degrees to connect the lamp cable to the connecting terminal on the set product . as a result , it is rarely necessary to have a new structural design for accommodating the disposition of the connecting terminal of the set product . thereby , the lcd module 10 , which has a large degree of freedom for being adapted to the set products , can be achieved . furthermore , the pair of locking parts 24 a and 24 b in the form of substantially l - shaped plate spring are provided to the back chassis 18 in the vicinities of the entrances respectively of the insertion openings 23 a and 23 b . accordingly , the structure of the lcd module 10 can be modified easily by changing the structural design of the back chassis 18 . subsequently , an lcd module of a second exemplary embodiment of the present invention is described with reference to the accompanying drawings . the front shield 11 , the light condenser sheet 14 , the diffuser sheet 15 , the reflector sheet 17 , the signal processing substrate 19 , the back shield 20 , the vertical driver ics 21 , the horizontal driver ics 22 , and the like , which are equivalent to those of the first exemplary embodiment , are used for an lcd module of the second exemplary embodiment . an lcd module of the second exemplary embodiment includes a lamp unit 1 mounted therein mounted therein as an example of a light - source unit . the lamp unit 1 has the lamp holder 2 , the connector 4 and the lamp cables 5 . the lamp holder 2 has the cold - cathode fluorescent lamp as an example of a lamp , and reflects light from the lamp . the connector 4 is for external connection , and supplies a drive voltage to the lamp . the lamp cables 5 connect the lamp holder and the connector 4 with each other . the lcd module includes an lcd panel , a lighting unit , and a frame made of a front chassis 13 and a back chassis 18 to hold the lcd panel and the lighting unit therebetween in a state where the lcd panel and the lighting unit are superposed . moreover , as in the lcd module of the first exemplary embodiment , the lcd module of the second exemplary embodiment includes a pair of insertion openings 23 a and 23 b , the two openings being respectively on the two opposite side surfaces of the frame . fastening means is formed in each of the vicinities of the pair of insertion openings 23 a and 23 b in order to hold the lamp holder 2 of the lamp unit 1 in the frame when the lamp holder 2 is inserted through either one of the insertion openings 23 a and 23 b . also in the present embodiment , the above - described lighting unit is a back light unit which receives light from the cold - cathode fluorescent lamp of the above lamp unit 1 , and which illuminates the above lcd panel 12 . the lighting unit includes the light guide plate 16 which receives light from the cold - cathode fluorescent lamp of the above lamp unit 1 , and which illuminates the above lcd panel 12 . in the second exemplary embodiment , a locking part , which is the fastening means , is different from those of the first exemplary embodiment . specifically , the fastening means includes a pair of concave and convex parts . one of the pair is provided to the frame in the vicinity of the insertion opening 23 a , and the other part of the pair is provided to the lamp holder 2 of the lamp unit 1 . the concave part and the convex part are fitted to each other in a state where the lamp holder 2 of the lamp unit 1 is inserted into the frame through the insertion opening 23 a . in this event , a convex part 2 a is provided to the lamp holder 2 , and a concave part 18 a is provided to the back chassis 18 of the frame . the concave part and the convex part may be constituted such that the two parts are fitted to each other in a state where the lamp holder 2 of the lamp unit 1 is inserted through either one of the insertion openings . for this reason , it can also be considered that the concave part is provided to the lamp holder 2 , and the convex part is provided to the back chassis 18 of the frame . the insertion openings 23 a and 23 b , through which the lamp holder 2 of the lamp unit 1 are plugged in , are formed on the frame formed in a state where the front chassis 13 and the back chassis 18 are fastened to each other . as shown in fig6 a , the insertion opening 23 a is provided to the right side of the frame , and the unillustrated insertion opening 23 b is provided to the left side of the frame . specifically , the insertion openings 23 a and 23 b are respectively disposed on the right and left sides of the frame . the convex part constituting the fastening means is disposed on the back chassis 18 of the frame in the vicinity of the insertion opening 23 a , and the convex part is disposed on the lamp holder 2 of the lamp unit 1 . next , descriptions will be provided for the mounting of the lamp unit to the lcd module as described above . as shown in fig6 a , when mounting the lamp unit from the right side of the lcd module , an end of the lamp holder 2 , from which lamp cables 5 are not led out , is moved into the insertion opening 23 a of the lcd module along an arrow d shown in fig6 a . as shown in an enlarged partial plan view of fig6 b , the vicinity of the insertion opening 23 a has a structure in which an end of the light guide plate 16 is stuck out into a part of the insertion opening 23 a . the lamp holder 2 has a cross section in the shape of a letter u , and is pushed into the frame through the insertion opening 23 a while being guided along a side of the light guide plate 16 . the lamp holder 2 is guided in spaces respectively between the front chassis 13 and the light guide plate 16 and between the back chassis 18 and the light guide plate 16 . as described above , by inserting the lamp holder 2 in the state where the lamp holder 2 is guided along the side of the light guide plate 16 , the lamp 3 of the lamp unit 1 and the light guide plate 16 are aligned with each other . when the lamp holder 2 is pushed in further , the lamp holder 2 is completely stored inside of the insertion opening 23 a . at this time , the concave part , which is disposed on the back chassis 18 in the vicinity of the insertion opening 23 b on the left side of the lcd module , and the convex part , which is disposed on a tip of the lamp holder 2 inserted through the insertion opening 23 a , are fitted to each other . furthermore , the concave part 18 a , which is disposed on the back chassis 18 in the vicinity of the insertion opening 23 a on the right side of the lcd module , and the convex part 2 a , which is disposed on the side from which the lamp cables 5 of the lamp holder 2 are led out , are fitted to each other . such mechanisms of the concave and convex parts cause the lamp holder 2 of the lamp unit 1 to be fastened to , and to be held in , the lcd module . in a case where it is necessary to exchange the lamp unit 1 thus mounted , in order to take the lamp unit 1 out of the lcd module , the lamp holder 2 is pulled out through one of the insertion openings , i . e . the insertion opening 23 a , into which the lamp holder 2 is plugged . next , descriptions will be provided for the mounting of the lamp unit 1 from the left side of the lcd module 10 for a case where a connection terminal on the set product is disposed on the left side of the lcd module 10 . in this case , the lamp holder 2 is inserted through the insertion opening 23 b . in the vicinity of the insertion opening 23 b , an end of the light guide plate 16 is stuck out into a part of the insertion opening 23 b . the lamp holder 2 is pushed into the frame through the insertion opening 23 b while being guided on the side of the light guide plate 16 . the lamp holder 2 is guided in spaces respectively between the front chassis 13 and the light guide plate 16 and between the back chassis 18 and the light guide plate 16 . when the lamp holder 2 is pushed in further , the lamp holder 2 is completely stored inside of the insertion opening 23 b . when inserting the lamp holder 2 through the insertion opening 23 b on the left side of the lcd module , the concave part 18 a , which is disposed on the back chassis 18 in the vicinity of the insertion opening 23 a on the right side of the lcd module 10 , and the convex part 2 a , which is disposed on an end of the lamp holder 2 inserted through the insertion opening 23 b , are fitted to each other . furthermore , the concave part , which is disposed on the back chassis 18 in the vicinity of the insertion opening 23 b on the left side of the lcd module 10 , and the convex part , which is disposed on the side from which the lamp cables 5 of the lamp holder 2 are led out , are fitted to each other . such mechanisms of the concave and convex parts cause the lamp holder 2 of the lamp unit 1 to be fastened to , and to be held in , the lcd module 10 . in a case where it is necessary to exchange the lamp unit 1 thus mounted , in order to take the lamp unit 1 out of the lcd module 10 , the lamp holder 2 is pulled out through one of the insertion openings , i . e . the insertion opening 23 b , into which the lamp holder 2 is plugged . as in the case of the first exemplary embodiment , use of the lcd module of the second exemplary embodiment makes it possible to mount the lamp unit 1 on the lcd module either from right or left of the lcd module so that the position of the lamp unit 1 corresponds to the disposition of the connecting terminal on the set product . accordingly , it is made possible to connect the lamp unit 1 to the connecting terminal of the set product , and to supply a drive voltage to the lamp of the lamp unit without the need of the following . specifically , there is no need to extend the lamp cable and the like to connect thereof to a connecting terminal on the set product , or to rotate , instead of to extend , the lcd module by 180 degrees to connect the lamp cable to the connecting terminal on the set product . as a result , it is rarely necessary to have a new structural design for accommodating the disposition of the connecting terminal of the set product . thereby , the lcd module , which has a large degree of freedom for being adapted to the set products , can be achieved . furthermore , a structure for fastening the lamp holder 2 is disposed inside the lcd module . thus , the lamp holder 2 can be fastened without changing the appearance of the lcd module . the preferred embodiments of the invention have been described above . however , the present invention is not limited to the above - described embodiments , and various changes and additions can be made . in the above embodiments , descriptions have been provided for the cases where the pair of insertion openings are provided in a way that the two openings are respectively on both of the left and right sides of the lcd module . however , it is also possible to configure the lcd module such that a pair of insertion openings are provided in a way that the two openings are respectively on the upper side and the lower side of the lcd module . thereby , the lamp holder can be attached or detached through any of upper and lower insertion openings . in the above - described embodiments , descriptions have been provided for the cases where one lamp unit is mounted on one lcd module . however , the present invention is applicable to an lcd module having a structure in which a plurality of lamp units , e . g ., two lamp units , are disposed respectively on the upper and lower sides of a light guide plate or on right and left sides thereof . fig7 a to 7 c each show an lcd module 10 a , which is designed such that a plurality of lamp units are respectively disposed on the upper and lower sides of a light guide plate . as shown in fig7 a and 7c , in the lcd module 10 a , a pair of insertion openings 123 a are both provided to the right side of a frame , and a pair of insertion openings 123 b are both provided to the left side of the frame . furthermore , fastening means is formed in each of the vicinities of the pairs of insertion openings 123 a and 123 b in order to hold a lamp holder 2 in the frame when the lamp holder 2 of the lamp unit is inserted through one of the insertion openings 123 a and 123 b . specifically , locking parts 124 a and 124 b in the form of substantially l - shaped plate spring are respectively provided as the fastening means . the lamp holder 2 of the lamp unit is inserted through the insertion opening 123 a or through the insertion opening 123 b , and is pushed into the frame while being guided on a side of the light guide plate in the direction of the longer side thereof . in this way , the lcd module having the structure , in which the plurality of lamp units are respectively disposed on the upper and lower sides of the light guide plate , can be achieved . moreover , in the above - described embodiments , descriptions have been provided for the cases where the lamp unit 1 is disposed along a direction of a longer side of the light guide plate . meanwhile , the present invention is also applicable to a case where the lamp unit is disposed along a direction of a shorter side of the light guide plate . in fig8 a to 8 c , in an lcd module 10 b , a lamp unit is disposed along the direction of the shorter side of the light guide plate . in fig8 a and 8c , in the lcd module 10 b , an insertion opening 223 a is provided to the right side of a frame , and an insertion opening 223 b is provided to the left side of the frame . fastening means is formed in each of the vicinities of the insertion openings 223 a and 223 b in order to hold the lamp holder 2 in the frame when the lamp holder 2 of the lamp unit is inserted through the insertion opening 223 a or through the insertion opening 223 b . specifically , locking parts 224 a and 224 b in the form of substantially l - shaped plate spring are respectively provided as the fastening means . the lamp holder 2 of the lamp unit is inserted through the insertion opening 223 a or through the insertion opening 223 b , and is pushed into the frame while being guided on a side of the light guide plate in the direction of the shorter side thereof . in this way , the lcd module having the structure , in which the lamp unit is disposed along the direction of the shorter side of the light guide plate , can be achieved . in the above - described preferred embodiments , the lcd module having a back light unit as a lighting unit has been described . however , the present invention is also applicable to an lcd module , which includes a front light unit , and which illuminates the front side of an lcd panel with a light guide plate disposed on the front side of the lcd panel . in addition , even in a case where the lcd module once used is recovered , and is reused by incorporating thereof to a different set product , the lamp unit can be mounted on the lcd module either from right or left of the lcd module so that the position of the lamp unit corresponds to the disposition of the connecting terminal on the set product . for this reason , the lcd module of the present invention has a large degree of freedom for ways of mounting the lamp unit . thus , the lcd module of the present invention is also appropriate for recycling , instead of discarding , resources for reuse . the present invention enables one to incorporate an lcd module into a system without caring for the position of an inverter . accordingly , the present invention can be utilized for reducing costs and development scheduling on the structural design of the system . although preferred embodiments of the invention has been described with respect to the drawings , it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes or modifications may be made without departing from the true scope of the invention . | 6 |
hereafter , the terminology “ wtru ” includes but is not limited to a user equipment ( ue ), a mobile station , a fixed or mobile subscriber unit , a pager , or any other type of device capable of operating in a wireless environment . when referred to hereafter , the terminology “ node - b ” includes but is not limited to a base station , a site controller , an access point or any other type of interfacing device in a wireless environment . hereinafter , the terminology “ mac - e ” will be used to reference both mac - e and mac - es collectively . the features of the present invention may be incorporated into an integrated circuit ( ic ) or be configured in a circuit comprising a multitude of interconnecting components . fig2 shows a wtru mac - e architecture 200 configured in accordance with the present invention . the wtru mac - e architecture 200 includes a scheduling grant processing unit 210 , a remaining transmit power computing unit 215 and a rate request processing unit 220 . the scheduling grant processing unit 210 receives at least one scheduling grant from at least one radio link set ( rls ) and derives a current scheduling grant . the scheduling grant may be an absolute grant 225 received from a serving e - dch cell with a primary or secondary identifier , ( i . e ., an e - dch radio network temporary identifier ( e - rnti ) is used to determine if the absolute grant is primary or secondary ), a relative grant 230 received from a serving e - dch rls or a relative grant 235 received from a non - serving e - dch rl . the scheduling grant processing unit 210 outputs a signal 240 indicating the amount of scheduled power for use by an e - tfc selection and multiplexing function for scheduled data mac - d flows . the amount of scheduled power may be identified as a ratio to the dpcch power . for example , if the dpcch power is p , the amount of scheduled power has a ratio of 2 to the dpcch power . thus , the amount of scheduled power is 2p . alternatively , the amount of scheduled power can be identified as the maximum transmit power that can be used for scheduled data to avoid the e - tfc selection and multiplexing function to be aware of dpcch power measurements . since dpcch power changes rapidly , there is processing overhead if it has to be propagated to different entities within the mac . furthermore , it is complex to synchronize the timing . therefore , having only one entity in the mac - e aware of the dpcch power is preferred since other scheduling related functions require knowledge of current dpcch power . when the mac - e entity 105 invokes the mac - e function , the scheduling grant processing unit 210 determines the current serving grant . the physical layer provides absolute grants 225 received from the agch , indicating whether the grant was received with a primary or secondary e - rnti . the physical layer also provides relative grants 230 , 235 received from each rls , indicating if the rls is either a serving e - dch rls or a non - serving e - dch rl . absolute grants 225 are signaled as the ratio to the current ul dpcch power . absolute grants 225 received with a primary e - rnti always reset the current serving grant . absolute grants received with a secondary e - rnti only effect the current serving grant if previously set by a secondary e - rnti or the grant is set to zero . relative grants 230 from the serving e - dch rls adjust the serving grant in steps up , or down . relative grants for the non - serving e - dch rls can only lower the serving grant by one step . when a relative grant down from a non - serving e - dch rls is received , a hysteresis period is started during which other relative grant downs are ignored . the remaining transmit power computing unit 215 receives a signal 245 indicating current dpcch power estimated by the physical layer , a signal 250 indicating an dch tfc selected by the mac - d or dpdch power estimated by the physical layer , a signal 255 for indicating hs - dpcch active from the physical layer and a signal 260 indicating maximum allowed power ( with a power margin ) from a lower layer management entity ( llme ) configured by the radio resource controller ( rrc ). if the hs - dpcch is active , its power ( and power from other channels ) must be subtracted from the maximum power to determine the remaining power . based on signals 245 , 250 , 255 and 260 , the remaining transmit power computing unit 215 outputs a signal 265 indicating a remaining transmit power ( p remain ) which is computed in accordance with the following equation ( 1 ): p remain = p allowed − p dpdch − p dpcch − p hs - dpcch − p e - dpcch − margin ; equation ( 1 ) where p dpcch , p dpdch , p hs - dpcch and p e - dpcch represent power requirements of the dpcch , the dpdch , the hs - dpcch and the e - dpcch , respectively . the rate request processing unit 220 monitors triggering events for rate requests , and triggers a scheduling information rate request when a triggering event occurs . the rate request processing unit 220 provides logic for triggering the rate request and logic for constructing a rate request message 270 including rate request bits . the rate request may be triggered when new data on logical channels mapped to the e - dch is received when there is no current scheduling grant , new data of a higher priority then last reported is received on a logical channel mapped to the e - dch , when there is no scheduling grant and rate requests are updated and periodically generated , ( which is configured by rrc procedures ), and when a serving rls acknowledgement ( ack ) is not received for the previously transmitted rate request , an updated rate request is generated . the rate request includes the total buffer occupancy for all scheduled mac - d flows , the highest priority data buffer occupancy for any scheduled mac - d flow , and a power headroom available for e - dch transmission . referring to fig3 , a mac - e scheduling process 300 is explained hereinafter . for each e - dch tti , the e - dch is monitored and it is determined whether a scheduling information rate request trigger occurs and / or whether there is e - dch data with a grant available ( step 302 ). if there is no rate request trigger occurs or no e - dch data available , the process waits until the next tti . if the determination at step 302 is positive , it is further determined whether there is an h - arq process available ( step 304 ). availability of an h - arq process is required before e - tfc selection and e - dch data transmission . if there is no available h - arq process , the process 300 waits until the next tti . if an h - arq process is determined to be available at step 304 , a current scheduling grant and remaining transmit power calculation are requested from the scheduling grant processing unit 210 and the remaining transmit power computing unit 215 , respectively ( step 306 ). in step 308 , a mac - e control function invokes scheduling and e - tfc selection functions to generate a mac - e pdu . in step 310 , the mac - e pdu is then forwarded to the available h - arq process with a unique power offset and maximum number of retransmissions . in a separate embodiment to meet the timing requirement of the mac - e pdu formation , pre - calculation of the possible mac - e pdus for speeding up the formation process is employed . when the mac - e entity is requested with the remaining power budget for the e - dch transmission , the formation process searches the pre - formatted mac - e pdu table , ( mainly its formatted mac - e pdu header and appropriated data block pdus ), providing ready information to the h - arq / physical layer . there are a number of ways for performing the preprocessing , depending on the timing requirement . fig4 shows an example of a preprocessed mac - e pdu format in accordance with the present invention . the preprocessed mac - e pdu format consists of a power budget for e - dch or equivalent , a fully formatted mac - e pdu header optimally fitting the budget or equivalent , a list of transmission sequence numbers ( tsns ) and data block pointers , scheduling information and padding bits . the power budget for e - dch includes a number of predicted power or equivalent situations based on the last transmission power and the prediction of the current possible power budget . the mac - e pdu header is formatted based on this budget and the data priority on the same row . the fully formatted mac - e pdu header describes the mac - e pdu , with the logical channel priority considered , and the scheduled and non - scheduled data and budget considered . the header includes the ddi , n and the ddi - terminator . a list of the mac - es pdus descriptors , including the tsn and data pointers to the mac - es data blocks , correspond to the same row pre - formatted pdu header . scheduling information may go with the mac - e pdu if it exists . padding bits indicate the number of bits to be padded at the end of the mac - e pdu for that particular row . the fully formation can use the following partial formation : power budget for e - dch or equivalent , ddi , scheduled or non - scheduled . this sorted list is based on the data priority . each row is a mac - d - flow , ( mac - es pdus ). the power budget is a list of predicted power budget . the ddi represents the mac - d - flow - id , logical channel id and the pdu size . the scheduled or non - scheduled column indicates that the pdus consume the non - scheduled power budget or scheduled power budget . non - scheduled data can also be used with scheduled information in the mac - e pdu . although the features and elements of the present invention are described in the preferred embodiments in particular combinations , each feature or element can be used alone without the other features and elements of the preferred embodiments or in various combinations with or without other features and elements of the present invention . | 7 |
the following description is merely exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the disclosure , its application , or uses . for purposes of clarity , the same reference numbers will be used in the drawings to identify similar elements . as used herein , the phrase at least one of a , b , and c should be construed to mean a logical ( a or b or c ), using a non - exclusive logical or . it should be understood that steps within a method may be executed in different order without altering the principles of the present disclosure . as used herein , the term module refers to an application specific integrated circuit ( asic ), an electronic circuit , a processor ( shared , dedicated , or group ) and memory that execute one or more software or firmware programs , a combinational logic circuit , and / or other suitable components that provide the described functionality . while the following disclosure is set forth for diesel engines , other types of engines such as gasoline engines , including direct injection engines , may benefit from the teachings herein . referring now to fig1 , a diesel engine system 10 is schematically illustrated . the diesel engine system 10 includes a diesel engine 12 and an exhaust treatment system 13 . the exhaust treatment system 13 further includes an exhaust system 14 and a dosing system 16 . the diesel engine 12 includes a cylinder 18 , an intake manifold 20 , a mass air flow ( maf ) sensor 22 and an engine speed sensor 24 . air flows into the engine 12 through the intake manifold 20 and is monitored by the maf sensor 22 . the air is directed into the cylinder 18 and is combusted with fuel to drive pistons ( not shown ). although a single cylinder 18 is illustrated , it can be appreciated that the diesel engine 12 may include additional cylinders 18 . for example , diesel engines having 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 8 , 10 , 12 and 16 cylinders are anticipated . exhaust gas is produced inside the cylinder 18 as a result of the combustion process . the exhaust system 14 treats the exhaust gas before releasing the exhaust gas to the atmosphere . the exhaust system 14 includes an exhaust manifold 26 and a diesel oxidation catalyst ( doc ) 28 . the exhaust manifold 26 directs exhaust exiting the cylinder towards the doc 28 . the exhaust is treated within the doc 28 to reduce the emissions . the exhaust system 14 further includes a catalyst 30 , preferably a selective catalyst reducing ( scr ) catalyst , a temperature sensor 31 , an inlet temperature sensor 32 , an outlet temperature sensor 34 and catalyzed diesel particulate filter ( cdpf ) 36 . the doc 28 reacts with the exhaust gas prior to treating the exhaust to reduce emission levels of the exhaust . the catalyst 30 reacts subsequent to treating the exhaust to further reduce emissions . the temperature sensor 31 may be positioned between the engine and the doc 18 . the inlet temperature sensor 32 is located prior to the catalyst 30 to monitor the temperature change at the inlet of the catalyst 30 , as discussed further below . the outlet temperature sensor 34 is located after the catalyst to monitor the temperature change at the outlet of the catalyst 30 , as discussed further below . although the exhaust treatment system 13 is illustrated as including the inlet and outlet temperature sensors 32 , 34 as being outside the catalyst 30 , the inlet and outlet temperature sensors 32 , 34 can be located internally with the catalyst to monitor the temperature change of the exhaust at the inlet and outlet of the catalyst . the cdpf 36 further reduces emissions by trapping diesel particulates ( i . e ., soot ) within the exhaust . the dosing system 16 includes an injection fluid supply 38 that may be used for injecting urea from a tank and a dosing injector 40 . the dosing system 16 injects injection fluid such as urea into the exhaust . the urea mixes with the exhaust and further reduces the emissions when the exhaust / urea mixture is exposed to the catalyst 30 . a mixer 41 is used to mix the injection fluid such as urea with the exhaust gasses prior to the exhaust gases entering the catalyst . a control module 42 regulates and controls the operation of the engine system 10 and monitors operation of the dosing system 16 . an exhaust gas flow rate sensor 44 may generate a signal corresponding to the flow of exhaust in the exhaust system . although the sensor is illustrated between the catalyst 30 and the cdpf 36 various locations within the exhaust system may be used for measurement including after the exhaust manifold and before the catalyst 30 . a temperature sensor 46 generates a particulate filter temperature sensor signal that corresponds to a measured particulate filter temperature . the temperature sensor 46 may be disposed on or within the diesel particulate filter 36 . the temperature sensor 46 may also be located just after or just before the diesel particulate filter relative to the exhaust stream . the temperature sensor 46 communicates a measured particulate filter temperature signal to the control module 42 . other sensors in the exhaust system may include a nox sensor 50 which generates a signal corresponding to the amount of oxides of nitrogen in the exhaust system . this may be referred to nox - in since this sensor is upstream of the catalyst . a nox - out sensor 52 may be positioned downstream such as after the diesel particulate filter for generating a signal corresponding to the oxides of nitrogen leaving the diesel particulate filter . in addition , an ammonia ( nh 3 ) sensor 54 generates a signal corresponding to the amount of ammonia within the exhaust stream . the control module 42 may include an exhaust control module 60 that is used to control the exhaust conditions and regeneration of the diesel particulate filter . further details of the control module 42 and the exhaust control module 60 is provided below . referring now to fig2 , the exhaust control module 60 of fig1 is illustrated in further detail . the exhaust control module 60 receives inputs from the various sensors including the oxides of nitrogen sensors 50 , 52 , the temperature sensors 31 , 32 and 34 , the oxygen sensor 56 and the ammonia sensor 54 . the exhaust control module 60 may include a diesel particulate control module 70 , an scr control module 72 , an injector actuator module 74 . a diesel oxygen catalyst control module 76 may also be included within the exhaust control module 60 . the diesel particulate filter control module 70 may generate signals including a diesel particulate filter load progress signal , a diesel particulate filter load progress rate signal and a diesel particulate filter regeneration request signal . the diesel particulate filter load progress rate signal may be obtained by taking the derivative or slope of the diesel particulate filter load progress signal . the diesel particulate filter load progress signal , the diesel particulate filter load progress rate signal and the diesel particulate filter regeneration request signal may all be communicated to the scr control module 72 . the scr control module 72 may generate an scr ready signal and a dosing amount input signal ( da in ). the dosing amount input signal may be communicated to the injector actuator module 74 . the injector actuator module 74 controls the dosing fluid injector 40 . feedback may also be provided from the scr control module 72 to the dpf control module 70 in the form of the scr - ready signal . as mentioned above , as the diesel particulate filter increases toward regeneration , the amount of dosing fluid provided through the injector actuator module 74 is reduced to reduce the amount of ammonia build - up within the scr . referring now to fig3 , the scr control module 72 is illustrated in further detail . the scr control module 72 may include a dosing - enabling module 110 that enables the dosing system to be enabled upon pre - determined conditions . the dosing - enabling module 110 generates an enable signal that communicates the enable signal to a dosing management module 112 . the dosing management module may also receive a diesel particulate filter load rate signal and a load signal . the output of the dosing management module may be the dosing amount input signal and the scr - ready signal described above . an scr analysis module 114 receives inputs from various sensors including the nitric oxide input sensor , the scr temperature sensor , the oxygen input sensor , the exhaust flow rate sensor , the exhaust pressure sensor , and from a ratio determination module 116 . the ratio determination module 116 may generate a ratio of the nitrogen or nitrogen dioxide to the nitrogen oxide input ratio . the ratio determination module 116 may receive signals from the nitric oxide sensor , a temperature signal from an upstream temperature sensor , an exhaust flow rate sensor and an exhaust pressure sensor . based upon the various inputs , the amount of ammonia stored and the capacity of ammonia for the scr is provided to the dosing management module 112 . an scr temperature module 118 may generate an scr temperature signal based upon the inputs from various temperature sensors such as an upstream sensor 31 , a midstream temperature sensor 32 and a downstream sensor 34 . of course , various numbers of temperature sensors as well as various numbers of positions of temperature sensors may be used in the scr temperature module 118 . the dosing management module 112 may use the ammonia capacity , the ammonia stored as well as the conditions of the diesel particulate filter to determine when to cease providing dosing fluid to the exhaust stream to reduce the amount of ammonia in the system prior to diesel particulate filter regeneration . referring now to fig4 , the dosing management module 112 is set forth in further detail . the dosing management module 112 may include a rate adjustment module 210 that generates a load - rate scaler corresponding to the load progress rate of the diesel particulate filter . a load adjustment module 212 generates a load progress signal corresponding to the progress of the diesel particulate filter . a load scaler may be generated from the load adjustment module 212 . a target storage module 214 a predicted ammonia signal based upon the ammonia stored and the scr temperature . the ammonia - predicted signal , the load - scaler signal and the load - rate scaler signal are communicated to the storage control module 216 . the storage control module 216 generates an adjusted ammonia signal and communicates the adjusted ammonia signal to a dose determination module 218 and to a regeneration readiness module 220 . the regeneration readiness module regenerates the scr ready signal and the dose determination module 218 generates the dose amount input signal . referring now to fig5 , a method for operating the system is set forth . in step 310 , the system starts . in step 312 , it is determined whether or not enable conditions are met . various enable conditions such as the engine running for a predetermined amount of time so that the components are up to a predetermined temperature or the like may be set forth . in step 314 , the ammonia storage capacity of the scr is determined . in step 316 , the diesel particulate filter load progress may be determined . in step 318 , the load progress rate of the diesel particulate filter may be determined . the load progress rate may be determined from the load progress signal by taking the derivative or slope thereof . in step 320 , the ammonia storage scalers are determined based upon the diesel particulate filter load progress , load rate or load progress and load progress rate . as the dpf reaches a threshold the desired ammonia storage is reduced . this may be referred to as a target load . in step 322 , the desired ammonia storage based upon the ammonia storage capacity and storage scalers is determined . after the amount of ammonia storage based upon the storage capacity , the diesel particulate filter enters regeneration in step 324 . enough time is preferably allowed so that the amount of storage decreases to a desired amount prior to the regeneration of the diesel particulate filter . after step 324 , step 326 returns the system back to start . referring now to fig6 , a plot of various signals including the load progress signal , the scr temperature signal , the ammonia capacities signal and the stored ammonia signal are provided at various times . the diesel particulate filter load progress rate is indicated by the arrow from the digital or diesel particulate filter load progress signal . at the beginning of time period t 1 , the diesel particulate filter load threshold is reached . the threshold indicates that the diesel particulate filter load is increasing and that regeneration is eminent . at the end of time period t 1 , the diesel particulate filter load is at 100 percent . at the beginning of t 1 , the amount of ammonia injected into the scr is reduced . as can be seen , during time period t 1 the amount of stored ammonia is reduced from a first level to a second level . during time period t 2 a readiness period is entered in which the system is ready to enter a diesel particulate filter regeneration . during time period t 3 a regeneration of the diesel particulate filter is performed . the ammonia capacity is reduced during the time period . however , the amount of ammonia stored remains constant . this is indicative that no ammonia is lost during the regeneration process . this is a desirable feature of the invention since releasing ammonia may release unwanted oxides of nitrogen into the exhaust stream . the broad teachings of the disclosure can be implemented in a variety of forms . therefore , while this disclosure includes particular examples , the true scope of the disclosure should not be so limited since other modifications will become apparent to the skilled practitioner upon a study of the drawings , the specification , and the following claims . | 8 |
fig1 shows simplified views of a storage shed 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention . the storage shed 10 includes a floor desirably formed by two main floor pieces 11 , four corner posts 12 , two center posts 13 , and two side frame support panels or braces 14 . each corner post 12 desirably forms a bent around a corner of the shed 10 , and may have a rounded or curved exterior . the center posts 13 are typically planar in shape . the floor pieces 11 desirably include ramps 15 . the shed 10 includes a plurality of doors to allow easy access to different parts of the shed 10 for storage and retrieval . in this embodiment , the shed 10 has front doors 16 and four side access doors 18 . the ramps 15 are provided for the doors to allow easy access by lawnmowers , wheel barrels , and the like . the roof in this embodiment is formed by two roof panels 20 , which may include one or more skylights 22 . the shed 10 as shown further includes a bay 24 having a bay working surface 26 , one or more optional windows , a bay floor 25 , and a bay roof 28 . fig2 and 3 show another embodiment of the shed 10 ′ having additional skylights 22 ′. the various components of the shed 10 may be made of a variety of different materials , but desirably are preformed from plastic materials and assembled , and are strong , durable , relatively light in weight , and essentially maintenance free , and can be mass produced or preformed by molding or the like . fig4 shows the bottom of the floor pieces 11 . the main floor pieces 11 and the bay floor 25 are desirably made of structural foam or the like to provide strong , stable , and durable support for the shed 10 . the floor pieces 11 are attached together using fasteners such as bolts 32 and nuts 34 , as shown in fig5 . the bay floor 25 is attached to one of the floor pieces 11 in a similar manner . the floor pieces 11 and the bay floor 25 comprise the floor of the shed 10 . in other embodiments , the shed 10 may include a single floor piece , or more than two floor pieces that are similarly fastened together . the use of multiple , smaller floor pieces may facilitate easier handling and shipping . the four corner posts 12 , two center posts 13 , and bay 24 are connected to the main floor pieces 11 and bay floor 25 . in the embodiment shown , a plurality of floor locking nuts 30 are used . as seen in fig6 the floor locking nuts 30 are inserted into nut receiving areas or seats 36 provided at the bottom of the floor pieces 11 and bay floor 25 along the outer edges . the nut receiving seats 36 each include two or more retaining members 38 which detachably hold the floor locking nuts 30 in place when the bottoms of the floor pieces 11 and bay floor 25 are turned to face downward . the nut receiving seats 36 each include an elongated opening 40 to receive a protrusion or projection ( of a post or bay ) to be locked by turning the floor locking nut 30 , as described in more detail below . the floor locking nut 30 includes a serrated outer edge 42 and an elongated aperture 44 for receiving the protrusion or projection through the elongated opening 40 . adjacent the aperture 44 are a pair of slanted or inclined surfaces 46 inclined upward to reach a pair of raised surfaces 48 that are substantially flat . the pair of inclined surfaces 46 are typically oppositely disposed ; as are the pair of raised surfaces 48 . at the end of each raised surface 48 is a wall or stop 50 . after the floor locking nuts 30 are inserted into the nut receiving seats 36 , the floor pieces 11 and bay floor 25 are turned over to face the bottom of the floor downward . fig7 shows an alternate way of fastening the bay floor 25 to one of the main floor pieces 11 using self - tapping screws 54 to fasten overlapped portions of the floors 11 , 25 . in fig8 the corner post 12 includes a plurality of door hinge supports 58 along the side , and a plurality of protrusions or projections 60 at the bottom . as best seen in fig9 the protrusions 60 are elongated and sized to be inserted each through an elongated opening 40 of the nut receiving seat 36 of the floor and an elongated aperture 44 of the corresponding floor locking nut 30 . fig1 shows the protrusions 60 inserted through the elongated openings 40 of the nut receiving seats 36 . fig1 shows the floor locking nuts 30 in an exploded view , but they are held in the nut receiving seats 36 during insertion of the protrusions 60 which also extend through the elongated apertures 44 of the floor locking nuts 30 , as seen in fig1 . fig1 shows the bottom view of a floor locking nut 30 a after insertion of the protrusion 60 before tightening to lock the protrusion 60 in place . the floor locking nut 30 a is tightened by turning it in the clockwise direction ( from the bottom view ) until it reaches the position shown as 30 b in fig1 . as the floor locking nut 30 a is turned in the clockwise direction , it guides the movement of the protrusion 60 up the inclined surfaces 46 to reach the raised surfaces 48 until the protrusion 60 abuts the projections 50 , thereby pushing the protrusion 60 downward and locking it in place . because the floor locking nuts 30 are disposed under the floor pieces 11 and bay floor 25 , it is not convenient to reach under the floor to tighten the floor locking nuts 30 . as shown in fig1 , for each floor locking nut 30 a side access or cutout 64 is conveniently provided in the corner post 12 , center posts 13 , or bay 24 to allow access to the serrated edge 42 of the floor locking nut 30 from the outside . the floor locking nut 30 can be tightened from the outside through the side access 64 by using a flat object , such as a blade or a flat - head screw driver 66 , to push against the serrated outer edge 42 of the nut 30 to turn the nut 30 in the counter - clockwise direction ( viewed from the top ). the teeth of the serrated edge 42 are desirably angled or slanted to facilitate the engagement of the tool 66 with the teeth to turn the nut 30 in the proper direction . the four corner posts 12 and the lower wall 68 of the bay 24 are installed by locking them in place to the floor pieces 11 and bay floor 25 using the floor locking nuts 30 , as seen in fig1 . next , the remainder of the bay 24 is installed . one way of installing the bay working surface 26 is illustrated in fig1 . the lower wall 68 of the bay 24 includes a plurality of apertured upward projections 70 which extend through slotted edges 72 of the bay working surface 26 . as shown in fig1 , the upper wall 74 of the bay 24 includes apertured portions 76 which overlap with the upward projections 70 of the lower wall 68 . each apertured upward projection 70 and the corresponding apertured portion 76 have matching apertures through which a fastener can be inserted to secure the lower wall 68 and the upper wall 74 to form the wall of the bay 24 . as seen in fig1 , threaded bolts 80 are inserted through threaded apertures of the upward projection 70 and corresponding apertured portions 76 . the bolts 80 each include a relative large wing 82 at the head which can be conveniently turned by the fingers of a user &# 39 ; s hand without any tools . the bolts 80 are desirably made of a plastic material . similar bolts are used to attached other components of the shed 10 . for instance , bolts 84 , which may be the same as the bolts 80 , are used to attach the lower wall 68 and upper wall 74 of the bay 24 to the corner post 12 via threaded apertures provided along the edges of these structural components , as shown in fig1 . in fig1 , the bay roof 28 is installed over the wall of the bay 24 . the connection between the bay roof 28 and the upper wall 74 of the bay 24 is secured using bolts 88 , as seen in fig1 . the bolts 88 may be the same as the plastic bolts 80 , which extend through threaded apertures provided along the top edge of the upper wall 74 and the side edge of the bay roof 28 . the remaining structural supports to be installed are the center posts 13 and braces 14 . in the embodiment shown , each brace 14 is installed first by inserting at least one bottom projection 90 into a groove or slot 92 provided in the floor pieces 11 , as shown in fig1 . the bottom projection 90 may be shaped as a hook to be slid under the floor to provide a more secure connection and stable support for the brace 14 . in fig1 , the center post 13 is installed by inserting bottom protrusions 96 each through the elongated opening 40 of the nut receiving seat 36 of the floor and the elongated aperture 44 of the corresponding floor locking nut 30 , and locked by turning the floor locking nut 30 , in a manner similar to that shown in fig1 - 12 . each center post 13 and the corresponding brace 14 may be further secured together , for instance , by fasteners or the like . in one embodiment , the brace 14 includes three side bumps 98 distributed along its edge facing the center post 13 , which includes three corresponding indents aligned for receiving the side bumps 98 to be interlocked therewith , as schematically shown in fig1 a . for instance , the side bumps 98 and indents may be connected together by a tight fit or an interference fit . in fig2 , a lower roof truss 100 is connected to the braces 14 prior to installing the roof panels 20 . the lower roof truss 100 includes a spring preloaded to a slight bow shape . as best seen in fig2 , the lower roof truss 100 includes an elongated aperture 102 near each end for coupling with a boss 104 provided on top of the corresponding brace 14 . the elongated aperture 102 has an enlarged portion 106 which is sized to allow the boss 104 to pass therethrough . the narrow neck of the boss 104 then slides to a narrow portion 108 of the elongated aperture 102 under the force of the spring preload on the lower roof truss 100 so as to lock the lower roof truss 100 in place with the braces 14 . the spring preload thus provides self - locking of the lower roof truss 100 to the braces 14 , and pulls the top of the braces 14 inward . the skylights 22 may be installed before or after the installing the roof panels 20 . as shown in fig2 , each skylight 22 has feet 110 which are shaped to snap into slots 112 provided in the opening 114 of the roof panel 20 . if the roof panel 20 has been installed on the shed 10 first , the skylight 22 can be inserted through the opening 114 from below and then dropped into position to align the feet 110 with the slots 112 to allow the feet 110 to be snapped into the slots 112 . advantageously , this can be done easily and quickly without any tools . of course , different ways of mounting the skylights 22 to the roof panels 20 may be used in other embodiments . in fig2 , the roof panels 20 are placed over the corner posts 12 and center posts 13 with the lower roof truss 100 disposed between the roof panels 20 . one way to fasten the roof panels 20 is by using bolts similar to the plastic bolts 80 , 84 described above . fig2 shows the use of plastic bolts 116 to attach the roof panels 20 to the center post 13 via threaded apertures provided along the top edge of the center post 13 and the side edges of the roof panels 20 . fig2 shows the use of plastic bolts 118 to attach the roof panel 20 to the corner post 12 via threaded apertures provided along the top edge of the corner post 12 and the side edge of the roof panel 20 . plastic bolts 118 may also be used to attach the bay roof 28 to the roof panel 20 via threaded apertures provided along the side edge of the roof panel 20 overlapping with the side edge of the bay roof 28 . to complete the roof installation , an upper truss 120 is attached to the lower roof truss 100 , as seen in fig2 . in the embodiment shown , seven pan head self - tapping screws 122 are used to fasten the upper truss 120 to the lower roof truss 100 , as illustrated in fig2 . the number and type of fasteners may be different in other embodiments . the upper truss 120 preferably provides a sealed connection between the roof panels 20 to prevent leakage . in other embodiments , the roof may comprise a single roof panel or more than two roof panels assembled together . the use of multiple roof panels that are smaller in size may facilitate easier handling and shipping . the side doors 18 are installed by positioning each side door 18 to align a plurality of hinge posts 130 and openings 132 along the edge of the side door 18 with corresponding clips or hinge supports 134 of the corner post 12 or the center post 13 , as shown in fig2 and 29 . there are three hinge supports 134 for each side door 18 in the embodiment shown . the hinge support 134 has a rounded cutout that partially wraps around the hinge post 130 , and includes an extension 136 which desirably extends along the length of the hinge post 130 . the corner post 12 or center post 13 further includes a hole 138 disposed adjacent each hinge support 134 . as shown in fig3 , a hinge cover member or hinge connection member 140 is then attached to complete the hinge assembly . the hinge cover member 140 has a rounded cutout 142 that partially wraps around the hinge post 130 . an elongated slot 144 is provided to receive the extension 136 of the hinge support therethrough . this connection is made by passing a portion of the hinge cover member 140 through the opening 132 on the side door 18 . the hinge cover member 140 includes a threaded aperture 146 which is aligned with the hole 138 . a fastener such as a plastic screw 150 is used to fasten the hinge cover member 140 to the corner post 12 or center post 13 by extending the threaded screw 150 through the hole 138 into the threaded aperture 146 . fig3 shows the hinge cover member 140 connected to the hinge support 134 to complete the hinge assembly which allows the side door 18 to be hingedly supported and swing around the hinge assembly . the same hinge assemblies can be used to connect the front doors 16 to the two corner posts 12 . each door has a locking feature that allows it to be locked from the outside of the assembled shed 10 . as shown in fig3 , a hasp body 160 is inserted through a hole 162 provided in the mating door panel 164 , which may be disposed along an edge of a corner post 12 , a center post 13 , or one of the two front doors 16 . alternatively , the hasp body 160 may be provided along the edge of the door to be coupled to a hasp bar which is attached to a corner post 12 , a center post 13 , or one of the front doors 16 . as seen in fig3 , the hasp body 160 includes a rear portion 166 which bears against the back of the mating door panel 164 . the front end of the hasp body 160 includes an aperture 168 for receiving a lock such as a padlock . to secure the hasp body 160 to the mating door panel 164 , a hasp cover member or plate 170 having an elongated opening 172 is placed over the front end of the hasp body 160 against the front of the mating door panel 164 . the hasp cover plate 170 may be fastened to the mating door panel 164 using any suitable methods . in the embodiment shown , the hasp cover plate 170 is conveniently snapped over the hasp body 160 as the elongated opening 172 is pushed over the fingers 174 of the hasp body 160 . the fingers 174 snap over the hasp body 160 adjacent the ends of the elongated opening 172 and press the hasp body 160 securely against the mating door panel 164 . the assembly is quick and easy , and does not require tools . after installing the hasp body 160 , the corresponding door can be closed to insert the front of the hasp body 160 through an opening provided in the door or a hasp bar attached to the door , and a lock can be inserted through the aperture 168 of the hasp body 160 to lock the door . the side doors 18 may also be locked from the inside of the shed 10 . in one embodiment as shown in fig3 , a plastic bolt 176 is inserted through a threaded aperture 178 in the side door 18 . the head of the plastic bolt 176 is sufficiently large to overlap with and act as a stop to bear against the edge of the center post 13 ( or a corner post 12 ) so as to prevent the side door 18 from opening . the braces 14 and the corner posts 12 include horizontal grooves 180 for securely supporting shelves 182 , as illustrated in fig3 . the user can conveniently slide the shelves 182 into the grooves 180 , and can select how many shelves 182 to install and where to place the shelves 182 . because the side doors 18 are provided between the corner posts 12 and the braces 14 , the user can conveniently retrieve items stored on the shelves 182 by opening the side doors 18 without the need to physically enter the shed 10 . fig3 shows an embodiment of the shelf 182 , which includes a plurality of openings 184 for inserting items and hooks 186 for hanging items . near the center are one or more slots or indentations 188 desirably on both the top and bottom sides of the shelf 182 . the indentations 188 are configured to receive ends of vertical support members 190 that may be optionally provided between the floor and the shelf 182 or between two shelves 182 to provide additional support for heavy objects that may be placed on the shelves 182 , as illustrated in fig3 . in specific embodiments , the indentations 188 are sizes to receive 2 ″× 4 ″ lumber pieces or the like . most or all of the components of the shed 10 may be made of plastic materials . the smaller pieces such as the bolts , nuts , and hinges may be made or preformed by injection molding , while the larger pieces such as the posts , braces , and roof panels may be made or preformed by blow molding . the above - described arrangements of apparatus and methods are merely illustrative of applications of the principles of this invention and many other embodiments and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the claims . for instance , the various components of the shed may have different shapes and sizes from those shown herein , and may be made of different materials . a smaller shed may be formed using the four corner posts without the need for the center posts and braces . another embodiment of the shed may be triangular in shape and formed by three corner posts instead of four corner posts . yet another embodiment may include more than four corner posts . the scope of the invention should , therefore , be determined not with reference to the above description , but instead should be determined with reference to the appended claims along with their full scope of equivalents . | 8 |
[ 0012 ] fig1 schematically illustrates a flue gas scrubbing apparatus 10 that has been modified in accordance with the teachings of this invention . the scrubber 10 is generally of the type that scrubs flue gases produced by the burning of fossil fuels or another process that results in the flue gas containing acidic gases , such as sulfur dioxide , hydrogen chloride and / or hydrogen fluoride , as well as particulate matter and , of interest to the present invention , nitrogen oxides ( nox ). the conventional components of the scrubber 10 include a contact region 16 in which an alkaline contact medium , referred to as a scrubbing slurry or solution 14 , is brought into contact with a flue gas that enters the scrubber 10 through an inlet duct 12 . the solution 14 is shown as being delivered with a pump 22 through a pipe 46 to the contact region 16 , where the solution 14 is dispersed with spray nozzles 20 or another suitable delivery device . after being scrubbed by the solution 14 , the flue gas flows up through a demister 17 , and is eventually released to atmosphere through a chimney 24 or other suitable structure . as with many existing wet flue gas desulfurization facilities , the scrubber 10 is equipped for in situ forced oxidation of the solution 14 that has collected in a tank 18 below the contact region 16 . in fig1 an oxygen - containing gas ( e . g ., air ) is represented as being introduced into the tank 18 with a sparger 26 connected to a suitable source 28 . in this manner , the reaction product of contacting the acidic gases of the flue gas with the solution 14 is oxidized , which in the present invention preferably yields a useful fertilizer byproduct . a particular example is ammonia - based scrubbing processes taught by commonly - assigned u . s . pat . nos . 4 , 690 , 807 and 5 , 362 , 458 . in these processes , acidic gases present in a flue gas are absorbed by an ammonium sulfate solution 14 , which collects in the tank 18 where aqueous ammonia ( ammonium hydroxide , nh 4 oh ) or another source of ammonia is introduced , such as with the sparger 26 . the absorbed sulfur dioxide reacts with the ammonia to form ammonium sulfite ( nh 4 ) 2 so 3 and ammonium bisulfite ( nh hso 3 ), which are then oxidized in the presence of sufficient oxygen ( introduced by the sparger 26 ) to form precipitates of ammonium sulfate and ammonium bisulfate ( nh 4 hso 4 ). ammonium bisulfate undergoes a second reaction with ammonia to form additional ammonium sulfate precipitate . a portion of the ammonium sulfate solution 14 is then removed through a pipe 50 and dewatered with a suitable dewatering device 30 to precipitate ammonium sulfate , which can then be sold as a valuable fertilizer . if hydrogen chloride and hydrogen fluoride were present in the flue gas , as is typically the case with flue gas produced by the combustion of coal , these acidic gases are also captured to form ammonium chloride and ammonium fluoride , which can be removed in the same manner . further details regarding the desulfurization of flue gases can be obtained in the prior art , including the above - noted u . s . pat . nos . 4 , 690 , 807 and 5 , 362 , 458 , and therefore will not be discussed in any further detail here . in addition to the above , the scrubber 10 of this invention removes nox from the scrubbed flue gas emerging from the scrubbing process performed in the contact region 16 . the flue gas that has passed through the contact region 16 will be referred to here as an “ intermediate ” flue gas , since it is not the final “ scrubbed ” flue gas that will be released to atmosphere through the chimney 24 . further processing of the intermediate flue gas occurs in additional zones provided between the demister 17 and the chimney 24 of the scrubber 10 . a first of these zones is a heat exchanger 32 or other device capable of reducing the temperature of the intermediate flue gas to something below the auto - oxidation temperature of nitric oxide ( no ), which readily oxidizes to form no 2 at or near room temperature . in conventional scrubbers of the type represented in fig1 flue gases exit the contact region 16 at a temperature of typically at least 125 ° f . ( about 50 ° c . ), and often higher , such that the nitrogen dioxide content of the flue gas is relatively low , i . e ., the nox content of flue gases is primarily no . in a conventional fgd process , oxidation of nitric oxide occurs after the scrubbed flue gases are released to atmosphere . a preferred heat exchanger 32 is capable of reducing the flue gas temperature so that the majority of the nitric oxide content of the intermediate flue gas is converted to nitrogen dioxide , e . g ., the flue gas is reduced from a temperature of about 125 ef or higher to something near or below room temperature . various types of heat exchangers known to those skilled in the art are believed to be suitable for use in the scrubber 10 shown in fig1 and therefore the construction of the heat exchanger 32 will not be discussed here in any detail . after conversion of nitric oxide to nitrogen dioxide within the heat exchanger 32 , the intermediate flue gas passes through an absorption zone 34 where nitrogen dioxide is absorbed so that the scrubbed flue gas exiting the chimney 24 is essentially free of nitrogen dioxide . nitrogen dioxide is more readily absorbed in water and ammonia solutions than is nitric oxide . in a preferred embodiment , the flue gas is contacted with both water ( or a water - containing solution ) and an ammonia - containing solution , which are introduced into the absorption zone 34 as represented in fig1 . absorption of nitrogen dioxide with water forms nitric acid ( hno 3 ), while absorption of nitrogen dioxide with a ammonia - containing ( e . g ., ammonium sulfate or hydroxide ) solution produces a blend of desirable fertilizers , as discussed below . water is shown as being delivered from a source 38 , while the ammonia - containing solution is represented as being recycled through a pipe 40 from a solution collection tank 44 below the absorption zone 34 . the ammonia - containing solution , designated with reference number 36 in fig1 is collected from the absorption zone 34 , and therefore is an aqueous ammonia solution containing absorbed nitrogen dioxide . the water and the ammonia - containing solution 36 can be brought into intimate contact with the flue gas within the absorption zone 34 in any suitable manner , such as with spray nozzles or packed column . the ammonia - containing solution 36 preferably has a ph of less than 7 and contains ammonia slightly above the stoichiometric amount . a suitable and convenient source of the ammonia - containing solution 36 for use in the absorption zone 34 is the ammonium sulfate solution 14 used in the contact region 16 to remove the acidic gases from the flue gas , such that the ammonium hydroxide present in the solution 14 is the source of ammonia in the solution 36 . a secondary benefit of using the ammonium sulfate solution 14 is that the absorption zone 34 provides a second opportunity for removing sulfur dioxide and other acidic gases from the flue gas . for the purpose of delivering the solution 14 to the absorption zone 34 , the solution collection tank 44 is shown as being coupled by a pipe 48 to the pipe 46 connected to the pump 22 . the solution collection tank 44 is also shown as being connected by a pipe 42 through which the ammonia - containing solution 36 can be returned to the tank 18 . the final reaction of the process is the conversion of the absorbed nitrogen dioxide in the ammonia - containing solution 36 into a valuable byproduct , ammonium nitrate ( nh 4 no 3 ), which occurs according to the following reaction : the ammonium nitrate formed or otherwise collected in the tank 18 can be withdrawn and dewatered in the same manner as the ammonium sulfate produced by the absorption of sulfur dioxide . in view of the above , the present invention can be seen as providing a method and apparatus for capturing nitrogen oxides from a flue gas . benefits of this invention include the substantial elimination of undesirable nox emissions from the scrubber 10 , producing a useful nitrogen - containing byproduct instead of releasing nitrogen gas to atmosphere , and providing a second opportunity for additional removal of sulfur dioxide , leading to a cleaner scrubbed flue gas released to the atmosphere . while the invention has been described in terms of a preferred embodiment , it is apparent that other forms could be adopted by one skilled in the art . accordingly , the scope of the invention is to be limited only by the following claims . | 1 |
referring now in detail to the drawings and first to the embodiment of fig1 - 4 , a multi - cylinder internal combustion engine is identified generally by the reference numeral 11 . since the invention deals primarily with the combustion chamber for the engine , only the upper portion of the engine is shown in the drawings and only one cylinder is depicted . it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art how the invention can be utilized with engines having varying cylinder numbers and configurations . the engine 11 is comprised of a cylinder block , indicated generally by the reference numeral 12 and which defines one or more cylinder bores 13 in which pistons , indicated generally by the reference numeral 14 reciprocate . the cylinder bore axis is indicated as a . a connecting rod 15 is connected at its small end to the piston 14 via a piston pin 16 . the lower end of the connecting rod 15 is journalled on a throw of a crankshaft , which is not shown for the afore noted reasons . the upper end of the cylinder bore 13 is closed by a cylinder head assembly that is comprised of a main cylinder head member 17 . this cylinder head member 17 has an recess 18 formed in its lower surface which closes the cylinder bore 13 . this recess 18 cooperates with the head of the piston 14 , which will be described in more detail later , to define a combustion chamber which is shown at its top dead center position in fig2 - 4 , when the clearance volume is at the minimum . it will be seen that the cylinder head recess 18 is very shallow and the piston head is domed so as to maintain as high a compression ratio as possible . in the illustrated embodiment , the engine 11 is of the four valve per cylinder type although the invention is not so limited . to this end , there are provided a pair of intake valve seats 18 that are valved by poppet type intake valves 19 in a well known manner . these intake seats 18 lie substantially on one side of a plane containing the cylinder bore axis a and extending perpendicularly to fig2 . a pair of intake passages 21 - p and 21 - s serve the valve seats 18 . a suitable induction system ( now shown ) is affixed to one side of the cylinder head member 17 for collecting intake air . this induction system may be of any suitable type and can include an air inlet silencer , plenum chamber and filter mechanism . in addition , a throttle valve arrangement is incorporated for controlling the total air flow to the engine 11 . in addition to this , the induction system includes a main throttle valve arrangement for controlling the total air flow into the combustion chambers . the air flow direction is indicated by the arrows a . in addition to this a main flow control throttle valve arrangement , each cylinder of the engine is provided with an individual flow controlling valve 22 is positioned in the secondary intake passage 21 - s of each cylinder . this flow controlling valve controls the volume of air flow through the secondary intake passage 21 - s and is controlled by a suitable mechanism , such as a servo motor 23 or linkage system that is interconnected with the main throttle valve so as to operate in a staged sequence . the control strategy for opening the flow control valve 22 is such that this valve is maintained in a closed a position under idle , low speed and low mid - range running performance and opens as the low and / or speed of the engine increases . the purpose for this will described later . referring primarily to fig2 each of the intake valves 19 is urged toward its closed position by a coil compression spring 24 that operates against a surface of the cylinder head member 17 and a keeper retainer assembly which is associated with a thimble tappet 25 and which is fixed to upper ends of the stems of each of the intake valves 19 . on the side of the cylinder head member 17 opposite the intake passages 21 , there are provided exhaust passages , indicated generally by the reference numeral 26 . these exhaust passages 26 are of the siamese type and each branch thereof extends from a respective exhaust valve seat 27 that is disposed on the opposite side of the plane containing the cylinder bore axis a from the intake valve seats 18 . poppet type exhaust valves 28 control the flow of exhaust gases through these exhaust valve seats 27 . these valves 28 are urged toward their closed position by coil compression springs 29 which act against machined surfaces of the cylinder head member 17 and keeper retainer assemblies that are contained within thimble tappets 31 and which are affixed to the upper ends of the stems of the exhaust valves 28 for urging them to their closed position . the exhaust gases exit the engine through a flow path defined by the valve seats 27 and the intake passages 26 and indicated by the arrows e . these exhaust gases are collected through an exhaust manifold 32 and are discharged to the atmosphere through an associated exhaust system of a suitable type , of which is not illustrated . the intake valves 19 and exhaust valves 28 are operated by a valve actuating mechanism , indicated generally by the reference numeral 33 which is formed in a valve chamber 34 formed in part by the cylinder head member 17 and by a cover 35 affixed to the cylinder head member 17 . this valve actuating mechanism 33 includes an intake camshaft which has lobes that cooperate with the intake thimble tappets 25 for opening them and their associated intake valves 19 against the action of the coil springs 24 . in addition , an exhaust camshaft 36 is journalled in the cylinder head assembly in a suitable manner and has cam lobes that cooperate with the exhaust thimble tappets 31 for opening the exhaust valves 28 . the intake and exhaust cam shafts 36 and 37 are operated so as to rotate at one half crankshaft speed in a manner well known in the art . if desired , this valve actuating mechanism may include a variable valve timing mechanism ( vvt ) of any known type so as to change the valve timing and / or duration . it has been noted that the combustion chamber of the engine is formed at least in part by the cylinder head recess 18 and the cylinder bore 13 . in addition , the chamber is also formed by the head of the piston and this head is formed with a raised domed part having a generally planar upper surface 38 that lies generally along the plane that separates the intake and exhaust ports 18 and 27 and contains the cylinder bore axis a . an inclined downwardly extending portion 39 of this head is formed on the exhaust side and an inclined downwardly extending portion 41 is formed on the intake side . these inclined portions 39 and 41 and the planar upper portion 38 of the head of the piston are surrounded by a squish area . in addition , a bowl or recess , indicated generally by the reference numeral 42 having a shape which will be defined next , is formed in the piston surfaces 38 and 41 . as best seen in fig1 this recess has a generally circular shape when viewed in the direction of the axis a and defined by a peripheral wall 43 which is eccentrically disposed so as to lie primarily on the intake side of the combustion chamber with its innermost peripheral edge being disposed slightly upwardly of the cylinder bore axis a . this recess 42 has a lower wall surface 44 formed at the lower end of the wall 43 , as best seen in fig3 and 4 that slopes generally downwardly on one side of a second plane , indicated by the broken line cl 2 that contains the cylinder bore axis . as may be best seen in fig3 the peripheral wall 43 has a relatively shallow curvature on the portion closer to the cylinder bore 13 than at the cylinder bore axis a . in fact , there is a relatively steeply inclined curved wall portion 45 formed on the exhaust side of the cylinder bore 13 and piston head and also toward its central diameter . the lower wall surface 44 is perpendicular to a bowl axis ba ( fig4 ). the curved wall surface 45 is generated about the bowl axis ba . in fact , this curved wall portion 45 is disposed adjacent the spark gap 46 of a spark plug 47 that is mounted generally on the cylinder bore axis a . this spark gap 46 , as best seen in fig1 and 3 and lies over the inner peripheral edge of the bowl 42 . a fuel injector , shown only in phantom and identified generally by the reference numeral 48 is mounted in the cylinder head member 17 in a position that underlies the intake passages 21 - p and 21 - s and which has a discharge nozzle opening 49 that lies substantially on the plane cl 2 diametrically opposed to the piston bowl 42 from the spark gap 46 . thus , the line cl 2 is a diametric line passing between the center of the injector nozzle opening 49 and the spark gap 46 with the injection nozzle opening 49 being positioned on the outer periphery of the bowl or recess 42 . as best seen in fig4 the piston head portion 41 is formed with a recessed area 51 leading into the bowl 42 so as to clear the injection nozzle so that the fuel can be sprayed in a generally downward direction toward the bottom surface 44 of the bowl or recess 42 . in accordance with the invention , an arrangement is provided for causing the spray of fuel from the injector nozzle 49 to be directed toward the deeper side 44 a of the bowl or recess 42 first and then to swirl around the bowl side surfaces 45 toward the shallower side 44 b so as to direct the burning gases outwardly into the remainder of the combustion chamber but to maintain good stratification at the spark gap 46 at the time it is fired . in this embodiment that result is obtained in two ways . first , the axis of the injector nozzle , indicated by the reference numeral 52 , is disposed at an angle e to the centerline cl 2 as seen in fig1 so as to spray toward this side of the bowl surface 41 , which surface is indicated as 44 a . thus , as seen in this figure , the initial spray from injector , indicated by the arrows 53 with the initial spray portion indicated at 53 a extends in a direction transversely across the recess 42 . this causes the spray to first flow into the deeper bowl portion 44 a . in addition , the flow control valve 22 is closed under conditions when stratification is desired , normally low and low - mid range performance so that the air flow path a will flow in a circular or swirling direction around the cylinder bore axis a . thus , the fuel is turned in a direction indicated by the spray pattern 53 b to flow around the edge portion 45 of the bowl and be swept upwardly in the direction 53 c toward the spark gap 46 where it will present a stoichiometric mixture at the time the plug 47 is fired . thus , the system can operate on a lean burn or stratified charge principal quite effectively . as noted , the embodiment of fig1 through 4 achieve the desired flow path in the bowl by canting both the fuel injector 48 and by providing the desired swirling motion through the use of the control valve 22 . however , fig5 shows another embodiment wherein this skewed disposition of the fuel injector 48 is not required . in this embodiment , the fuel injector 48 has its spray axis 51 disposed on the line cl 2 . however , the swirling motion of the intake air charge is still sufficient to provide the desired path of fuel flow as seen in this figure . thus , from the foregoing description , it should be readily apparent that the described embodiment provides the ability to obtain a stratified charge through the use of a bowl in the head of the piston , but the bowl configuration is such that it not only promotes the stoichiometric mixture toward the spark gap , but also promotes the flow out of the bowl into the main combustion chamber because of the slanted lower wall and also does not therefore reduce the compression ratio as with the previous type arrangement . of course , the foregoing description is that of preferred embodiments of the invention and various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention , as defined by the appended claims . | 5 |
although the helbig &# 39 ; 740 patent contains the equations for determining whether one or more errors are present in a column and how to fix the errors if such exist , questions remain as to why this arrangement shown in the helbig &# 39 ; 740 patent works and are there any other arrangements that work . no known mathematical analysis has been performed on this methodology to prove that this arrangement will always work . however , by examination and by trial and error certain facts about this technique have been discovered . one is that , for this arrangement , the two numbers of column elements between the two copies of each data bit are unique for all data bits . that is : a . between the two d 1 data bits there are zero elements in one direction and thirteen elements in the other direction , b . between the two d 2 data bits there are two elements in one direction and eleven elements in the other direction , c . between the two d 3 data bits there are four elements in one direction and nine elements in the other direction , d . between the two d 4 data bits there are six elements in one direction and seven elements in the other direction , and e . between the two d 5 data bits there are eight elements in one direction and five elements in the other direction . it can also be seen that this unique arrangement will always prevent the two copies of one data bit from ever being in positions that correspond to the two copies of any of the other data bits in the matrix . the arrangement of the data bits and the check bits into the matrix as shown in the fig1 is not the only arrangement that can be used to construct the matrix . for example , the arrangement in fig2 could also be used . however , upon close examination it can be seen that all of the check bit generation equations are the same for fig1 and fig2 . this is easily seen to be true and the reason is that the fig2 arrangement is one where the elements of all columns of the matrix are simply circularly shifted vertically by one bit position ( and the same will be true for any other number of bit positions up to fourteen ). it can also be easily seen that the same sort of thing will be true if the elements of the rows in the matrix are circularly shifted one bit position ( or more up to fourteen bit positions ) to the right or the left . this latter version simply changes the subscripts of the data bits associated with the check bit in a particular row as the columns are moved around . that is done so that , if the first column is always filled with the first data bits that arrive at the encoder and so forth the data bits have the proper notations . referring now to fig3 , there is shown an arrangement of the data bits and check bits into a matrix that is different from the others so far discussed . however , it can easily be seen that the fig3 matrix will preserve the error correction capabilities of the fig1 arrangement by simply noting that there is one and only one check bit in each column and in each row of the matrix . in fact , from this it can be seen that any arrangement that preserves these properties and keeps the arrangements of the data bits in the columns so that the elements in all columns are palindromes ( as they are in fig1 and 2 ) will provide similar error correction characteristics . fig4 illustrates a further matrix that can be used for implementing a forward error correction system , in accordance with the present invention . what can be seen from an examination of this figure is that it appears to be true that if any other positions of the data bits are used where the uniqueness of the distances between the two instances of each given data bit is preserved the same properties for error correction will also be preserved . such an arrangement can be constructed by applying a circular shift to the data bits on one side of the column . for example , if a circular shift of three bits is applied to the bottom data bits in the group position assignments , as shown in fig4 , the distances between the two copies of the data bits then become as follows : a . between the two d 1 data bits there are three elements in one direction and ten elements in the other direction , b . between the two d 2 data bits there are five elements in one direction and eight elements in the other direction , c . between the two d 3 data bits there are two elements in one direction and eleven elements in the other direction , d . between the two d 4 data bits there are four elements in one direction and nine elements in the other direction , and e . between the two d 5 data bits there are six elements in one direction and seven elements in the other direction . the same holds true for one , two and four bits of circular shift as well . fig5 and 6 illustrate further matrices that can be used together for implementing a forward error correction system , in accordance with the present invention . in this case , the first set of data bits received are put into the first column of the first of two matrices that are used for the first of two sets of calculations used with this arrangement . hence the check bit is designated c 8a . ( see fig5 .) the next set of data bits received are put into the first column of the second of two matrices that are used for the second of two sets of calculations used with this arrangement . hence the check bit is designated c 8b . ( see fig6 .) this arrangement is continued until the entire matrices of fig5 and 6 are completed by the calculation of all of the check bits of the two matrices . when the information in the two matrices are transmitted the data bits and the check bit of the first column of the first matrix ( fig5 ) are sent first ( as is shown in fig7 ). the data bits and the check bit of the first column of the second matrix ( fig6 ) are sent next ( as is also shown in fig7 ). this process is then continued , as is diagrammed in fig7 , until all of the bits , both data bits and check bits , are sent . using the illustration on fig7 , it can be seen that , if a burst of errors whose length in bits is no more than one greater than the number of bits ( data and check bit ) in one column of one matrix the error burst can fall anywhere in the sequence of sending the bits without affecting any of the bits of either matrix except those in one , and only one , column . ( if either of the matrices contains different numbers of data bits in its various columns then this number must be equal to the smallest number of bits in any column of either matrix .) this condition is such that , using the error location and correction equations given in the helbig &# 39 ; 740 patent , all of the bits in error can be corrected . this arrangement of fig5 - 7 can be used for a larger number of matrices if protection from a larger burst of errors is to be achieved . whatever number of matrices is used the maximum error burst length , in bits , that can be corrected will be equal to one bit plus a number of bits that is equal to one less than the number of matrices used multiplied by the number of bits ( data and check bit ) in each column of the matrices . if the matrices contain differing numbers of data bits in their various columns then this product will be equal to the smallest sum of the number of bits in each set of columns from the matrices that are sent contiguously . fig8 illustrates a further matrix that can be used for implementing a forward error correction system , in accordance with the present invention . in this arrangement the data bits first received are put into the first column of a matrix that is twice as wide as it is tall . the next data bits are then put into the second column of this matrix as shown , and so forth until the matrix is full . the check bits are then calculated using the information in every other column for one set of equations and the information in the other columns for the second set of calculations . the data and check bits of the expanded width matrix in fig8 are then transmitted as shown in fig9 . this arrangement then produces the same capability for correcting a burst of errors as the arrangement given in fig5 - 7 , with the following exceptions : a . the number of columns of the matrix must be an integer multiple of the number of rows in the matrix , and b . none of the factors of the number of rows in the matrix ( except 1 ) shall also be a factor of the integer specified in exception a . the reason for this is simply that these arrangements do not preserve the condition that there be one and only one check bit in each column and in each row of each of the matrices that are interleaved in this manner . for example , if there were fifteen rows in each matrix that is to be interleaved in this manner and the number of matrices to be interleaved is either three or five the “ one and only one check bit in each column and in each row ” rule would not followed . for the three matrices case the first check bit of the first matrix would be in row eight as shown . the second check bit for this matrix would then appear in row eleven , the next in row fourteen , the next in row two , the next in row five and the next in row eight thus violating the rule . fig1 - 9 are directed to code and matrix arrangements that can be used for block error correction and for single burst error correction . the attributes of these arrangements are such that there is no theoretical limit to the size of the matrices and , therefore , the size of the block of errors that can be detected , located and corrected . with some of the transmission interleaving arrangements described above , there is no theoretical limit to the size of the burst of errors that can be detected , located and corrected . the limitation with the arrangements described thus far is that only one block of errors can be detected , located and corrected for each matrix and only one burst of errors can be detected , located and corrected for each group of matrices used to make up an edac frame . an edac frame consists of those data bits and check bits that are combined by either interleaving or concatenation to produce the burst error detection , location and correction capability desired . if there are k data bits in each column of each matrix , the block size is k + 1 bits and there are 2 * n + 5 blocks in a matrix . if l matrices are combined to provide burst error detection , location and correction capability , then the maximum burst error length that can be detected , located and corrected is equal to ( l − 1 )*( k + 1 )+ 1 bits . when the embodiments of fig1 - 9 are used for burst data transmission , a single edac frame is sent during each transmission burst . when the embodiments of fig1 - 9 are used for continuous data transmission or for long burst data transmission , multiple edac frames are concatenated and sent as a single entity . in the first case , a single error burst can be detected , located and corrected during each burst of transmission . for the latter case , one error burst can be detected , located and corrected in each edac frame transmitted during each burst of transmission . the remainder of this disclosure describes an arrangement whereby multiple matrices can be combined into a single edac frame to achieve the capability to detect , locate and correct a collection of multiple bursts of errors that occur in a single edac frame . the description below is directed to the single case of a two dimensional arrangement of blocks of bits . from this , an extension to the three dimensional case ( as well as extensions to larger dimensions ) will be understood by those skilled in the art . referring now to fig1 - 11 , there is shown a further matrices that can be used for implementing a forward error correction system , in accordance with the present invention . the “ part 1 ” matrix of fig1 is the same as the matrix of fig1 discussed above . the “ part 2 ” matrix of fig1 is constructed so that the check bits in the columns are in positions that correspond to the next successive positions for check bits in the same columns in the “ part 1 ” matrix of fig1 . that is , for example , the check bit in the first column of the fig1 matrix is in row eight while the check bit in the first column in the fig1 matrix is in row nine . thus , the fig1 matrix corresponds to the fig1 matrix with a circular vertical shift down of one element position ( with the appropriate wrap - around ). fig1 illustrates a further matrix that can be used for implementing a forward error correction system , in accordance with the present invention . this matrix is constructed so that the check bits in the columns are in positions that correspond to the next successive positions for check bits in the same columns in the matrix shown in fig1 . that is , for example , the check bit in the first column of the fig1 matrix is in row nine while the check bit in the first column in the fig1 matrix is in row ten . thus , the fig1 matrix corresponds to the fig1 matrix with a circular vertical shift down of one element position ( with the appropriate wrap - around ). twelve other matrices are also constructed in the same manner as the matrices of fig1 and 12 , such that each successive matrix includes a further vertical shift down of one element position ( with the appropriate wrap - around ). fig1 illustrates a cube of data bits formed by combining the matrices of fig1 , 11 , 12 , along with the 12 farther similarly constructed matrices , in accordance with the present invention . fig1 is a diagram illustrating the method for computing check bits for the cube of data bits of fig1 , in accordance with the present invention . for this arrangement , two check bit values are computed for each column of each part . one value is calculated to be the modulo - two sum of the data bits in the check bit &# 39 ; s row of the cube in the x dimension as shown . the other value is calculated to be the modulo - two sum of the data bits in the check bit &# 39 ; s row of the cube in the z dimension as shown . that is , for example : a . c 18x = d 20 ⊕ d 24 ⊕ d 28 ⊕ d 32 ⊕ d 36 ⊕ d 41 ⊕ d 47 ⊕ d 53 ⊕ d 59 ⊕ d 65 , and b . c 18z = d 5 [ from the 4 th part ]⊕ d 4 [ from the 5 th part ]⊕ d 3 [ from the 6 th part ]⊕ d 2 [ from the 7 th part ]⊕ d 1 [ from the 8 th part ]⊕ d 1 [ from the 9 th part ]⊕ d 2 [ from the 10 th part ]⊕ d 3 [ from the 11 th part ]⊕ d 4 [ from the 12 th part ]⊕ d 5 [ from the 13 th part ]. fig1 depicts the order of transmission for the cube of data shown in fig1 , in accordance with the present invention . as shown in the figure , all of the bits ; data and both check bits , of the first column of the part 1 matrix are transmitted first . this is followed by the transmission of all of the bits ; data and both check bits , of the second column of the part 1 matrix . this sequence is then followed until all of the bits ; data and both check bits , of all of the columns of the part 1 matrix are transmitted . an identical sequence is then followed to transmit all of the bits ; data and check bits , of the entire part 2 matrix . this sequence is then followed until all of the fifteen parts of the cube are transmitted . it should be noted that the bits ; data and check bits , of the cube can , as an alternate approach , be transmitted using a sequence that transmits , one right after the other , all of the bits ; data and check bits , of the first column of all of the fifteen parts of the cube . in both cases , the multiple burst error correction capabilities of the cubic arrangement are the same . fig1 a - d illustrate how errors are handled in connection with the transmission of the cube of data bits described above . fig1 a illustrates a single burst of errors that occurs while the bits ; data and check bits , of the part 1 matrix are being transmitted . for each block of bits that contain errors , detection , location and correction will result from the processing of the data and check bits in the z dimension . therefore , the burst of errors can cover the entire part 1 matrix and still be corrected . it will also be understood that the errors of the burst can wrap around the end of the part 1 matrix and on to the beginning of the part 2 matrix , while not affecting the same columns of both the part 1 and the part 2 matrices and still be corrected through the processing of the data and check bits in the z dimension . further , as illustrated in fig1 b , it will also be understood that the errors of the burst can wrap around the end of the part 1 matrix and on to the beginning of the part 2 matrix , and affect only one of the same columns of both the part 1 and the part 2 matrices and still be corrected through the processing of the data and check bits in first the z dimension and then in the x dimension . in this case , processing the data and check bits in the z dimension first will eliminate all of the errors in columns two through fifteen of the part 1 matrix leaving only errors in columns one of both the part 1 and part 2 matrices . then , processing the data and check bits in the x dimension will eliminate all of the errors in these two columns of both the part 1 and the part 2 matrices . as illustrated in fig1 c , if the error bursts affect two or more of the same columns of two or more of the fifteen parts of the cube , these errors cannot be corrected using the two dimensional arrangement for the check bits . in this case , when the data and check bits are processed in the z dimension , both of the equation sets for these two columns will both indicate the presence of an uncorrectable error condition . then , when the data and check bits are processed in the x dimension the corresponding two parts of the cube will both still indicate the presence of an uncorrectable error condition because the first error correction processing did not remove enough errors to reduce the number of columns affected by the errors to one or none for these parts of the cube . fig1 d illustrates one example where multiple bursts of errors can occur in the data of the cube and still be corrected . in this case , when the data and check bits are processed in the z dimension , all of the errors numbered one , two , four , five , six , eight , ten , twelve thirteen , fourteen , and fifteen will be corrected . then when the data and check bits are processed in the x dimension , the corresponding two parts of the cube will both still indicate the presence of errors in column eleven because the first error correction processing did not remove these errors . however , both of the second set of error correction processes will , for part 1 and part 2 of the cube , indicate that the errors present can be corrected and will do so . referring to the code arrangement for correcting multiple error bursts that was described previously in described in connection with fig8 - 14 above , it was stated that the check bits for each block ( each column in the z direction of each plane in the x and y dimensions ) of the cube are computed both in the x dimension and in the y dimension using the formulae described . the computations for the direction corresponding to the direction that data comes into the encoder are performed in the same manner they would be if only one matrix ( one plane ) was being encoded . these computations can be performed as the data comes into the encoder with the full set of check bits fully computed almost immediately after the last column &# 39 ; s data arrives at the encoder . the same follows true for all of the columns in the same dimension . as shown in fig1 , the implementation approach for performing these encoding computations can be constructed using two registers . the first register is an assembly register that has the same number of stages as there are entries in the columns of the cube ( illustrated in fig1 .) the input data is loaded in this register in the same manner as is diagrammed in the previous figures ; i . e ., two copies of each data bit are put into the assembly register in what can be the “ mirror image arrangement ” illustrated in fig1 or in any of the other arrangements illustrated in the other figures . the second register is a circular shift register with the same number of stages as the assembly register . connecting the two registers together is a set of exclusive or gates with each having , as one of its two inputs , the output from one of the stages of the assembly register and , as the other of its two inputs the output from the corresponding stage of the circular shift register . the output of each of the exclusive or gates is connected to the input of the next successive stage of the circular shift register as illustrated in fig1 . after each set of m input data bits for each column of the x dimension plane is put into the assembly register , its values are exclusively ored with the previous contents of the circular shift register as illustrated in fig1 and the data bits that were put into the block of the matrix that makes up the x dimension plane the data bits are stored into the proper location ( s ) of the encoder &# 39 ; s data memory . after all of the m sets of data bits in turn are put into the assembly register , exclusively ored with the previous contents of the circular shift register as shown , and then stored into the appropriate locations of the encoder &# 39 ; s data memory , the final contents of the circular shift register are also stored into the appropriate location ( s ) of the encoder &# 39 ; s data memory and the circular shift register is then cleared ( i . e ., set to all zeros ). to encode the data ( generate the check bits ) for the z planes the logic needed is exactly the same as that previously described . in fact , only one assembly register is required because the functions of the assembly register are the same for both sets of encoding operations . for the x plane computations , the circular shift register retains its contents as each of the m sets of data bits are assembled and processed and only after all of the m sets of data bits are processed are the contents of the circular shift register stored in the encoder &# 39 ; s data memory and the circular shift register is cleared of the contents just stored . for the z plane computations , the interim contents for the computations of the z plane ( that is , the contents presently in the circular shift register ) are stored into the appropriate location ( s ) of the encoder &# 39 ; s data memory after each block of data ( i . e ., column of the matrix ) is processed and the circular shift register is loaded with the interim contents of the computations being performed for the next successive z plane from the appropriate location ( s ) of the encoder &# 39 ; s data memory . this process can be diagrammed as set forth in table i below : for the first x plane : matrix column # 1 ⊕ 0 → circular shift register ( shifted by one bit position ). for the first z plane : matrix column # 1 ⊕ 0 → first set of z plane encoder data memory locations . for the first x plane : matrix column # 2 ⊕ circular shift register contents → circular shift register ( shifted by one bit position ). for the second z plane : matrix column # 2 ⊕ 0 → second set of z plane encoder data memory locations . for the first x plane : matrix column # r ⊕ circular shift register contents → circular shift register ( shifted by one bit position ). for the r th z plane : matrix column # r ⊕ 0 & lt ; r th set of z plane encoder data memory locations . for the x plane : matrix column # m ⊕ circular shift register contents → first set of x plane encoder data memory locations ( shifted by one bit position ). for the z plane : matrix column # r ⊕ 0 → m th set of z plane encoder data memory locations . for the second x plane : matrix column # 1 ⊕ 0 → circular shift register ( shifted by one bit position ). for the first z plane : matrix column # 2 ⊕ previous contents of the first set of z plane encoder data memory locations → first set of z plane encoder data memory locations . for the second x plane : matrix column # 2 ⊕ 0 → circular shift register ( shifted by one bit position ). for the second z plane : matrix column # 2 ⊕ previous contents of the second set of z plane encoder data memory locations → second set of y plane encoder data memory locations . after an area of the encoder &# 39 ; s data memory is filled with the data and check bits for one edac cube , another area is then used to assembly the data and check bits for the next sequential edac cube . while the encoder is generating the check bits for this next edac cube , the data and check bits for the previously assembled edac cube can be transmitted . by virtue of the system clocks being properly set , the area of the encoder &# 39 ; s data memory that holds the data and check bits for the previously assembled edac cube will be emptied at the same time the area of the encoder &# 39 ; s data memory that holds the data and check bits for the edac cube being assembled is filled . thus , only two encoder data memory areas are needed for the system to run continually . this will produce a latency for the encoder that is equal to one edac frame time . with further analysis it can be shown that while the encoder logic is handling data for the m th x plane of an edac cube the data and check bits for the 1 st x plane for the previously assembled data and check bits for this edac cube can be transmitted . this will produce a latency for the encoder that is slightly less than one edac frame time . when the data and check bits for an assembled edac cube are transmitted it does not matter whether the transmission sequence sends the data and check bits for each x plane in sequence or sends the data and check bits for each z plane in sequence . both arrangements , because of the use of two - dimensional check bit encoding , will have the same error detection , location and correction properties . when data is transmitted using the order of sending all of the columns of data and check bits from the first x plane before sending any other data and check bits , this is followed by sending all of the columns of data and check bits of the second x plane . this is then followed by sending all of the columns of data and check bits of the remaining x planes in order . with this arrangement , whenever an error burst occurs it will affect the data and check bits of one or more columns that are transmitted adjacent to each other . often this will result in the processing of the received data and check bits for the x plane determining that the data is not recoverable . this is because more than one block of the matrix that is the x plane contains errors . however , it will be understood that , even in the extreme case shown in fig1 a , that all of the errors will be corrected when the data and check bits are processed in the z planes . even if the error burst covers the of data and check bits shown in fig1 b , the errors in the first x plane cannot be corrected by the x plane processing . further , all of the errors of the first x plane cannot be corrected by the y plane processing because there are errors in both the first columns of the first and second x planes . however , the errors in the first column of the second x plane will be corrected when the x plane processing is performed for this second x plane leaving just the errors in the first column of the first x plane for the z plane processing to clear up ; which it will do . from this it is easy to see that the errors in the first two columns of the first two x planes , as shown in fig1 c , cannot be corrected even with the processing performed in two dimensions . processing in the z plane direction will correct all of the errors in all of the columns of the first x plane from the third column on but it will leave double error conditions for both of the first and second columns of the first and second x planes . in fact , with this case it doesn &# 39 ; t matter if the processing is done in the x plane direction first and then in the z plane direction or vice versa . the results will still be the same . the conclusion is then that the maximum burst error length cannot be any longer than the length of one plane or such an uncorrectable error situation will likely arise . if the error situation is as illustrated in fig1 d , processing first in the x plane dimension will get rid of the errors in the 8 th column of the 3 rd x plane . subsequent processing in the y plane dimension will get rid of the errors in the 4 th , 5 th , 6 th , 12 th , 13 th , 14 th and 15 th columns of the first x plane and the 1 st , 2 nd and 10 th columns of the 2 nd x plane . what will remain will be the errors in the 11 th columns of both the 1 st and the 2 nd x planes , which , by the way , would both be removed by an additional cycle of x plane processing . it is not as easy to construct an example where a second round of processing would be required in both the x plane and in the z plane dimensions to remove the final errors after the first sequence of x plane processing and then z plane processing is completed . further , it would seem to be possible to construct an example where a third round of processing cycles would be required to remove the errors remaining after the first two rounds of processing have been completed . it can be seen , by the difficulty to construct such examples , that the error combinations will have to fall in very specific locations relative to each other meaning that the probability of such cases occurring will be very low . in fact , the probability will become lower as the difficulty to construct such cases grows . in the examples discussed so far , the processing is said to be first performed in the x plane dimension . this is the dimension in which the data and check bits are said to be transmitted . this is also the dimension in which multiple columns will be in error if the error burst covers more than one column of data and check bits . however , it is also the dimension where the error processing can be done while the data and check bits are being received . therefore , doing the processing in the same plane dimension as the dimension used for transmitting the data and check bits will require a processing latency of just one edac frame time to achieve . while , on the other hand ; doing the first processing of the data and check bits in the plane dimension opposite to the dimension used for transmitting the data and check bits will require two edac frame times to achieve . from an implementation standpoint , doing the processing in the same plane dimension as the dimension used for transmitting the data and check bits will require less hardware because the decoder / error - locator / error - corrector data memory control system will be much simpler that that required for doing the processing in the opposite dimension as the dimension used for transmitting the data and check bits . from these illustrations it appears that the multiple burst error processing should occur first in the z dimension and then in the x dimension . if similar illustrations are constructed for multiple burst error conditions that could occur if the alternate transmission sequence described in connection with fig1 above were used , it would appear that the best error processing would occur first in the x dimension and then in the z dimension . this indicates that the first set of error correction processes should occur in the opposite dimension from the one used to govern the data transmission sequence . however , if other illustrations are constructed it is easy to show that this isn &# 39 ; t necessarily true . what can be easily shown is that the best way to process the received data to correct for multiple error bursts is to process the received data in the dimension opposite the one used for the transmission sequence , then process the remaining data in the other dimension , and then do both of these sets of processing over again . there are many arrangements of the errors in the matrices that can be corrected in this manner when they could not be corrected with the two processing cycle approach . the four processing cycle approach will undoubtedly be more expensive to implement than the two processing cycle approach . further , since the inherent error rate of the transmission channel is likely to be fairly low , implementing the four cycle error correction approach will likely prove to be totally uneconomical . therefore , the four cycle error correction approach is not recommended . it should also be noted that even greater error detection , location and correction capabilities can be obtained by expanding the coding of the data using three or more dimensions of check bits . here as well , just because the mathematical processes can be formulated , it doesn &# 39 ; t mean that it is a viable solution that should be used . with just the two dimension encoding and the two dimensions of error detection , location and correction processing used , the probability of having an uncorrectable error condition occur will be so low that it will be extremely expensive to try to do something other than detect the uncorrectable error condition and then ask for a re - transmission of the data in the cube . finally , it is expected that the percentage of error situations that will occur that can be directly handled by these two choices of processing sequences will be about the same . therefore , since the sequence of first doing the processing in the same plane dimension as the dimension used for transmitting the data and check bits will be less expensive , this arrangement is the preferred one . on the other hand , if the extra latency will not be a problem it may just be , because a single ic implementation of the decoder / error - locator / error - corrector unit will not be expensive , that two of the decoder / error - locator / error - corrector units in series will be the most popular choice . fig1 illustrates a system for encoding and decoding data in accordance with the present invention . as shown in fig1 , the system consists of two sections : an encoder 1901 and a decoder - corrector 1902 . encoder 1902 applies an encoding algorithm as described above in connection with fig8 - 18 to data that is provided by a generating source to receiver 1903 . the encoding process is performed using encoder 1904 , and generates two sets of redundancy bits that are combined with the input data to produce the encoded data . the encoded data is then sent via transmitter 1905 to the input interface for a communication channel , which conveys the encoded data to a selected terminal site . at the terminal site , the communication channel &# 39 ; s output interface is used to transfer the received encoded information to the decoder - corrector unit 1902 via receiver 1906 . the decoder - corrector 1902 is formed of at least one decoder - corrector 1902 a , and optionally further decoder - corrector units such as unit 1902 b . the decoder - corrector unit 1902 applies a decoding algorithm as described in above in connection with fig8 - 18 to the data that has been sent to it from the communication channel output interface . after the decoder - corrector 1902 processes the received data , the recovered encoded data is then reformatted back into the same format used by the generating source and sent to the input interface for a user unit . a synchronization pattern generator logic unit 1907 interrupts the flow of the encoded data from the encoder unit 1901 to the communication channel in order to insert the transmission of a synchronization pattern . this pattern is conveyed to a synchronization pattern detector logic unit 1908 that accompanies the decoder - corrector 1902 to insure that the operations of the encoder 1901 and the decoder - corrector 1902 are synchronized so that proper error detecting , locating and correcting operations may be performed on the data received at the output of the communication channel . decoder - corrector unit 1902 provides four levels of outputs . the first level of processing ( level 0 ) performed on the received bits is one that simply removes both levels of overhead bits , reformats the data bits that remain back into the format in which they were received and then transmits the result over an rs - 232c output channel via transmitter . when the channel error insertion rate is low , perhaps less than 10 − 5 , this output can , and should be , used because it has the least processing latency of all of the system outputs , approximately 0 . 01 second . as the channel error insertion rate increases , up to about 10 3 , the first level ( level 1 ) of edac processing capability should be used . this will reduce the residue of errors to something less than 10 − 7 at the expense of an increased latency , to approximately 0 . 11 second . as the channel error insertion rate increases to a severe value , up to about 5 * 10 − 2 , the second edac processing capability ( level 2 ) can be applied to the results of the first edac processing level . again the result will be a reduction of the residual errors to something less than 10 − 7 . the combined processing latency , however , will increase to be on the order of 5 . 06 seconds . for each processing level there is a separate rs - 232c output channel . in all cases the redundant bits are removed and the data bits are reformatted back to that used for the input . internal to the decoder - corrector unit 1902 , errors in both the data and redundant bits are corrected with each edac processing level . in both cases the format of the encoded data is preserved at the processing output and the output of the second processing level is sent to the decoder - corrector unit &# 39 ; s fourth output port in the rs - 232c format . the fec decoder - corrector 1902 a prepares the level 1 output by using the x plane check bits to recognize , locate and correct what errors it can in the x plane dimension , then removing the check bits , both the x plane check bits and the z plane check bits , reformatting the data back into the rs - 232c standard , and outputting a result via transmitter 1910 . the fec decoder - corrector level 1 error recognition , location and correction logic , in correcting what errors it can , will correct both the erroneous data bits and the x plane check bits . the result of this level 1 logic will be passed to the part of the fec decoder - corrector logic that will perform the level 2 , z plane , error recognition , location and correction operations . the fec decoder - corrector 1902 a prepares the level 2 output by using the z plane check bits to recognize , locate and correct what errors it can in the z plane dimension , then removing the check bits , both the x plane check bits and the z plane check bits , and reformatting the data back into the rs - 232c standard . the result of the level 2 error recognition , location and correction operations is output via transmitter 1911 . the fec decoder - corrector level 2 error recognition , location and correction logic , in correcting what errors it can , will correct both the erroneous data bits and the z plane check bits . a fourth output ( 1912 ) of decoder - corrector unit 1902 a can be , if desired , connected to the input of a second decoder - corrector unit 1902 b for further edac processing ( level 3 ). the processing output 1912 will , in one embodiment , consist of the results of both the level 1 and level 2 error recognition , location and correction operations performed by decoder - corrector 1902 a . the results of these two sequential operations , along with the x plane check bits and the z plane check bits , are then reformatted according to the rs - 232c channel standard and then made available to the second fec decoder - corrector &# 39 ; s 1902 b via output 1912 . output 1912 will be identical in format to what the first fec decoder - corrector 1902 a received as its input from the communication channel ; with fewer ( and hopefully zero ) errors . if this output 1912 from the first fec decoder - corrector 1902 a is connected to the input of a second fec decoder - corrector unit 1902 b then the same level 0 , level 1 , level 2 and level 3 processing will be performed within this second fec decoder - corrector unit 1902 b producing another set of outputs . the level 0 output ( not shown ) of this second decoder - corrector unit 1902 b will be identical to the level 2 output of the first fec decoder - corrector unit . the level 1 output of the second fec decoder - corrector unit 1902 b ( level 1 output of the second decoder - corrector 1902 b corresponds to the “ level 3 corrected output ” of decoder - corrector 1902 b in fig1 ) will have undergone a second round of x plane error recognition , location and correction operations and then reformatting for transmission to a computer , or other system . the level 2 output of the second fec decoder - corrector unit 1902 b ( level 2 output of the second decoder - corrector 1902 b corresponds to the “ level 4 corrected output ” of decoder - corrector 1902 b in fig1 ) will have undergone a second round of x plane error recognition , location and correction operations and subsequent z plane error recognition , location and correction operations and then reformatting for transmission to a computer , or other system . as before , during both the x plane and the z plane error recognition , location and correction operations the x plane check bits are corrected as is possible and retained and the z plane check bits are corrected as is possible and retained and the result is reformatted according to the rs - 232c channel standard and then made available as the second fec decoder - corrector &# 39 ; s third level output ( 1913 ), which could be , if it is wanted , sent to a third fec decoder - corrector unit ( not shown ) for still further processing . while the principles of the invention have been described above in connection with the specific apparatus and associated methods set forth above , it is to be clearly understood that the above description is made only by way of example and not as a limitation on the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims . | 7 |
the present invention is directed particularly towards electrode materials created by forming a thin coating of metal oxide on a highly porous carbon “ metastructure ”, which is a sub - unit of an electrode and is in the form of a micro - scale powder with nano - scale features ; essentially an extrapolation of nano - scale carbon to the micron scale . one purpose of the metastructure form is to provide the surface access and diffusion benefits of nanomaterials with improved electronic transport of a micro or macro - scale structure . another purpose of the metastructure is to provide materials with these aforementioned characteristics in a size and form that is similar to typical capacitor and battery materials used by the industry already permitting the use of current manufacturing techniques that are compatible with current manufacturing equipment in ways nanoscale materials in and of themselves may not be . these electrode materials are for use in electrochemical energy storage devices including electrochemical capacitors and secondary batteries when combined with additional materials such as binder and conductivity - enhancing carbon black . such electrochemical capacitor or secondary battery includes for example an electrolyte , an electronically insulating but ionically conductive separator film , a pair of electrodes separated by said separator and electrolyte , each electrode physically attached and electronically connected to a current collector , wherein at least one of said electrodes comprise the electrode material comprising a porous carbon structure with a conformal surface coating of metal oxide as described herein . the electrolyte comprises salts of alkali metal in an aqueous solvent , in a non - aqueous solvent , in a polymer , as an ionic liquid or any combination thereof . the second electrode , if not an electrode material as defined herein , is selected from a group consisting of one or more metal oxides ; a metal phosphate , a metal carbide ; a metal nitride ; a composite carbonaceous paste comprising powder of one or more of activated carbon or carbon nanofibers or carbon nanotubes or graphene or any combination thereof , with binder and conductivity enhancing carbon ; a composite carbonaceous paste comprising graphitic carbon powder , hard carbon powder , metal oxide / carbon composites , silicon / carbon composites , or any combination thereof with binder and conductivity enhancing carbon ; or a porous activated carbon structure . the current collector is selected from a group consisting of metal foil , metal mesh , electrically conductive polymer composites , expanded metal , or combinations thereof . hereinafter , various embodiments of the present invention will be explained in more detail with reference to the accompanying figures ; however , it is understood that the present invention should not be limited to the following preferred embodiments and such present invention may be practiced in ways other than those specifically described herein . the electrode material comprises a porous carbon meta - structure with a conformal surface coating of metal oxide wherein said coating is produced by an oxidation / reduction reaction occurring between the metal salt contained in an aqueous precursor solution and the surface of said porous carbon when said porous carbon is infiltrated with said precursor solution ; wherein transition metal species contained in said precursor solution are reduced on the surface of the carbon and co - deposited in oxide form upon the carbon ; wherein said aqueous precursor solution is maintained at a temperature above about 20 ° c . and below about 250 ° c . during said infiltration ; wherein an autoclave is the reaction vessel when synthesis temperatures above about 100 ° c . are used ; wherein said infiltration is accomplished by immersion and equilibration of said carbon structure in a bath of said aqueous metal salt precursor solution or by application of pressure spray consisting of said aqueous metal salt precursor solution upon said carbon meta - structure ; wherein the solvent of said aqueous metal salt precursor solution shall contain one or more of purified water , an organic solvent such as an alcohol , a ph buffer , additional cation salts or any combination thereof ; wherein said aqueous metal salt precursor solution shall comprise one or more salts of metals selected from a group consisting of manganese , nickel , cobalt , iron , aluminum , chromium , molybdenum , rhodium , iridium , osmium , rhenium , vanadium , tungsten , tantalum , palladium , lead , tin , titanium , copper , zinc , niobium and lithium ; wherein the electrode material is used as prepared or the counter ions incorporated in the oxide coating are exchanged for other cations or protons ; wherein the formed electrode material is used as - prepared or wherein the formed electrode material is heated subsequent to formation of the oxide coating , such heating to occur as hydrothermal processing at temperatures above about 70 ° c . and below about 250 ° c . in an autoclave or with the use of microwave radiation or at temperatures above about 70 ° c . and below about 1000 ° c . in inert atmosphere or in oxidizing atmosphere or in reducing atmosphere or any combination thereof . in one embodiment , said oxidation / reduction reaction between said porous carbon structure and said aqueous metal salt precursor solution occurs while the reactants are exposed to microwave energy . in one embodiment , said aqueous precursor solution shall comprise ultrapure water , or a buffer solution with or without organic co - solvent or additional cations , further comprising one or more metal salt in the form of m ( no y ) z xh 2 o , mcl y xh 2 o , mf y , mi y , mbr x , ( mcl y ) z xh 2 o , m ( clo y ) z xh 2 o , mf y , m y ( so z ) w , mso y xh 2 o , m y p , mpo y xh 2 o , m ( och y ) z , moso y xh 2 o , m ( c y o z ) xh 2 o , where x is a value greater than or equal to 0 and less than or equal to 12 and y is a value greater than or equal to 0 and less than or equal to 4 and z is a value greater than or equal to 0 and less than or equal to 4 and w is a value greater than or equal to 0 and less than or equal to 4 , and m is selected from a group consisting of manganese , nickel , cobalt , iron , aluminum , chromium , molybdenum , rhodium , iridium , osmium , rhenium , vanadium , tungsten , tantalum , palladium , lead , tin , titanium , copper , zinc , niobium and lithium ; or namno 4 , kmno 4 , limno 4 , k 2 feo 4 ; or titanium ( iii ) chloride tetrahydrofuran complex ( 1 : 3 ), titanium diisopropoxide bis ( acetylacetonate ), titanium ( iv ) isoproprxide , titanium ( iv ) ( triethanolaminato ) isoproprxide , titanium ( iv ) bis ( ammonium lactato ) dihydroxide , titanium ( iv ) butoxide , titanium ( iv ) ethoxide , titanium ( iv ) oxyacetylacetonate , titanium ( iv ) phthalocyanine dichloride , titanium ( iv ) propoxide , titanium ( iv ) sulfide , titanium ( iv ) tert - butoxide , titanium ( iv ) 2 - ethylhexyloxide , k 2 tif 6 , feso 4 nh 3 ch 2 ch 2 nh 3 so 4 4h 2 o , iron ( ii ) acetate , iron ( ii ) acetylacetonate , ammonium iron ( iii ) oxalate trihydrate , iron ( iii ) citrate , nano 3 , kno 3 , lino 3 , na 2 so 4 , k 2 so 4 , li 2 so 4 , naoh , koh , lioh . at synthesis temperatures above about 100 ° c ., an autoclave is used . the metal oxide coating may comprise water , ions and shall contain one or more metal oxides selected from a group consisting of oxides of manganese , nickel , cobalt , iron , aluminum , chromium , molybdenum , rhodium , iridium , osmium , rhenium , vanadium , tungsten , tantalum , palladium , lead , tin , titanium , copper , zinc , niobium and lithium . in one embodiment , the porous carbon meta - structure is composed of a polymer - derived carbon xerogel formed in the presence of additional component material selected from a group consisting of carbon microfibers , carbon nanofibers , carbon nanotubes , graphite , graphene , carbon black , activated carbon or any combination thereof . the porous carbon structure may be formed with or without templating agents , may be activated or not activated and may be doped with nitrogen or un - doped . nitrogen doping of carbon materials is used as a method to increase electronic conductivity by modifying the partially p - type carbon to a more n - type material , thereby increasing electron concentration in the conduction band . in one embodiment , ammonia is used as a nitrogen source . in other embodiments , urea or melamine is used as a nitrogen source . coated meta - structure electrode material may be used as - synthesized or the counter ions may be fully exchanged or partially exchanged for a different ion species or for protons . coated electrode materials may be heated subsequent to formation of the nanoscale oxide coating ; such heating to occur as hydrothermal processing at temperatures above about 70 ° c . and below about 250 ° c . in an autoclave or with the use of microwave radiation or at temperatures above about 70 ° c . and below about 1000 ° c . in inert atmosphere or in oxidizing atmosphere or in reducing atmosphere or any combination thereof . such ion exchange and heating techniques represent some of the synthetic controls that can be used to create oxide phases suitable to specific applications . for example , xmo 2 / c where c is the carbon structure , x is the cation and m is a poorly crystalline birnessite or other phase manganese and / or other oxide formed on the carbon using the synthesis herein at ambient conditions provides a pseudocapacitance - type reaction suitable as cathode material for aqueous electrochemical capacitor applications . in another example , a spinel - type oxide phase / carbon is created by cation exchange for lithium followed by heat treatments following synthesis of the aforementioned poorly crystalline oxide film . the spinel lim 2 o 4 / c is formed where m may be manganese with or without dopants or partial substitutions with elements such as nickel , may be used as cathode material suitable for aqueous or non - aqueous electrochemical capacitor applications , or as cathode material for secondary lithium - ion battery applications . other oxide coatings for carbon structures are contemplated such as li 4 m 5 o 12 / c , limo 2 / c or li 28 + y m 20 o 48 / c where 0 & lt ; y & lt ; 8 and where m may be titanium with or without niobium and / or tantalum and / or vanadium as dopants or partial substitutions as m 2 o 7 / c or independent oxides as m 2 o 5 / c . in these cases , the oxide / carbon material may be used as anode material in non - aqueous electrochemical capacitor applications , or as anode material for secondary lithium - ion battery applications . another example of metal / oxide coatings for carbon structures contemplated herein include m 3 o 4 / c where m may be manganese and / or iron and / or cobalt . in this case , m is cycled between low - valence oxide and metallic states , and may be used as anode material for use in secondary battery applications such as lithium ion . these materials may be synthesized , for example , using permanganates alone and / or nitrates of manganese and / or cobalt . in one embodiment , the permanganate is used as a reducing agent and a source of manganese ; cobalt nitrate , for example , may be optionally used with the permanganate as an additional ion source . in the case wherein permanganate is not used , ( as in the cobalt case or manganese oxide not using permanganate route ) a precursor salt such as a nitrate may be used in an aqueous solution with reducing agents such as an alcohol and / or ammonia at ambient or other temperatures . in the case of fe 3 o 4 / c , iron salts such as potassium ferrate and / or iron ( iii ) chloride hexahydrate may be used as precursor materials . in all cases , the mox / c materials are subsequently heated to temperatures ranging from about 100 ° c . to about 250 ° c . as hydrothermal processing in an autoclave or from about 250 ° c . to about 600 ° c . in inert atmosphere for between 1 and 24 hours . in certain cases , subsequent heating to temperatures ranging from about 100 ° c . to about 300 ° c . in air may be required to obtain the desired oxygen stoichiometry . also , in some cases , lithium may be used as the counter ion prior to heating for the purpose of assisting in templating the desired oxide phase and / or providing a source of lithium that may be appropriate in a lithium ion device . in some cases , the counter - ions may be exchanged for protons prior to or following heating . an electrode material as illustrated in fig1 was formed by immersing a carbon structure for a controlled period of time in a solution comprising permanganate and nickel salts in a controlled ratio dissolved in ultra - pure water / ph buffer at a controlled ph and temperature . the manganese and nickel from the aqueous permanganate / nickel precursor solution are reduced on the surface of the carbon and co - deposited upon the carbon forming an insoluble oxide film . carbon paper and aerogel (“ nanofoam ”) was purchased from a commercial source ( marketech international inc .) with an approximate thickness of 170 micrometers . carbon nanofoam paper was cut into pieces of approximately 1 centimeter by 1 centimeter and then soaked and vacuum saturated in purified water . in this exemplary embodiment , the aqueous metal salt precursor solution comprised manganese / nickel mixture ratios as follows : 4 : 1 , 2 : 1 , 1 : 1 , 1 : 2 and 1 : 4 . fig2 shows the specific capacities for the first three ratios and one sample of manganese only for comparison purposes . in these cases , the mixture concentrations of nickel ( ii ) nitrate hexahydrate ( ni ( no 3 ) 2 6h 2 o ) were normalized to 0 . 1 m sodium permanganate ( namno 4 , other counter - ion sources may be substituted for sodium ( na ) such as potassium ( k ) or lithium ( li )) and combined with purified water / ph buffer solution of 0 . 1m nah 2 po 4 and 0 . 1m naoh for neutral ph film synthesis . another experiment was carried out at an elevated ph of 12 using a buffer solution of 0 . 05m na 2 hpo 4 and 0 . 1m naoh . the wetted carbon nanofoam was then immersed in the precursor solutions , vacuum equilibrated and left immersed for a period of time ranging from approximately 15 minutes to 20 hours . these synthesis processes were carried out at room temperature . the resulting electrode materials were removed from the precursor solution , rinsed with purified water and dried in a nitrogen environment at 50 ° c . for 20 hours and again under vacuum at room temperature for an additional 12 hours . the resulting electrode structure is shown in fig4 scanning electronic micrograph image . this image clearly shows the material feature scale , the conformal oxide coating and the absence of pore occlusion . the table in fig2 shows a 32 % increase in capacitance of the 4 : 1 manganese / nickel oxide ( 131 . 4 f / g ) vs . the manganese only material ( 99 . 27 f / g ) in 1m licl electrolyte . subsequent experiments have yielded capacitances of 180 f / g for the 4 : 1 manganese / nickel oxide in this electrolyte and approximately 200 f / g in other electrolytes such as potassium hydroxide ( koh ). fig5 shows cyclic voltammetry data of a 4 : 1 manganese / nickel oxide material with capacitance of approximately 180 f / g in 1m licl electrolyte . fabrication of electrode ; nanoscale oxide film comprising spinel manganese doped with nickel on carbon nanofiber / microfiber supported carbon xerogel structure . an electrode material is formed as in example i , using a precursor ratio of about 0 . 99 : 0 . 01 manganese : nickel . prior to drying , counter ions are exchanged for lithium ions by immersion of the formed electrode in an aqueous solution bearing lithium ions such as lithium nitrate , lithium sulfate or lithium hydroxide , for example . in this exemplary embodiment , lithium nitrate was used . such immersion is carried out first under vacuum equilibration , then at room temperature or elevated temperature or under microwave heating , for example . in this exemplary embodiment , about 30 ° c . for about 2 - 4 hours was used . the material was subsequently heated to about 300 - 350 ° c . under nitrogen atmosphere for about 1 - 2 hours , followed by heating at about 200 - 220 ° c . in air for about 3 - 6 hours . characterization by cyclic voltammetry of electrode ; nanoscale oxide film comprising spinel manganese doped with nickel on carbon nanofiber / microfiber supported carbon xerogel structure . fig7 shows cyclic voltammetry data of nickel doped manganese spinel / carbon material with average capacitance of approximately 200 f / g between about 600 mv and 900 mv vs . ag / agcl in 2m li 2 so 4 electrolyte . noteworthy are the redox peaks not present in the more disordered bimessite / nickel oxide of examples 1 and 2 , indicating the presence of spinel phase in the doped and heated oxide layer . fabrication of electrode ; nanoscale oxide film comprising m 3 o 4 where m is manganese doped with cobalt on carbon nanofiber / microfiber supported carbon xerogel structure . an electrode material is formed as in example i , using a precursor ratio of about 0 . 99 : 0 . 01 manganese : cobalt . prior to drying , counter ions are exchanged for lithium ions by immersion of the formed electrode in an aqueous solution bearing lithium ions such as lithium nitrate , lithium sulfate or lithium hydroxide , for example . in this exemplary embodiment , lithium nitrate was used . such immersion is carried out first under vacuum equilibration , then at room temperature or elevated temperature or under microwave heating , for example . in this exemplary embodiment , 30 ° c . for 4 hours was used . the material was subsequently heated to about 300 - 350 ° c . under nitrogen atmosphere for about 1 - 2 hours followed by removal of ions by proton exchange with dilute acid , subsequent rinsing and drying . although embodiments of the invention have been described , it is understood that the present invention should not be limited to those embodiments , but various changes and modifications can be made by one skilled in the art within the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed . | 7 |
referring now to the drawings and , first , particularly to fig1 thereof , there is shown therein , in a perspective view , a first embodiment of a pregripper 10 of a sheet - fed printing press constructed in accordance with the invention . the pregripper 10 has a pregripper bar 12 which carries a number of diagrammatically illustrated , spaced - apart grippers 14 . the pregripper bar 12 is connected to a pregripper shaft 16 by a pregripper support device 18 mounted on the shaft 16 so that it is fixed against rotation relative thereto . the pregripper shaft 16 is rotatably supported at both ends thereof in diagrammatically illustrated bearings 20 . the pregripper bar 12 is also connected to the pregripper shaft 16 by auxiliary supports 22 which , in the illustrated embodiment of fig1 are respectively located at opposite sides of the pregripper support device 18 , each of these auxiliary supports 22 engaging a respective free end of the pregripper bar 12 . in the illustrated embodiment of fig1 the auxiliary supports 22 are joined to the pregripper shaft 16 so as to be fixed against rotation relative thereto . the pregripper support device 18 has a foot 24 formed with a bore through which the pregripper shaft 16 extends . from the foot 24 , two disklike pregripper supports 26 and 27 , which are disposed parallel to one another , extend in a direction towards the pregripper bar 12 and jointly terminate in a fastening region 28 which engages the pregripper bar 12 . the pregripper support device 18 is disposed so that the fastening region 28 engages the pregripper bar 12 approximately midway along the length thereof . the pregripper supports 26 and 27 are formed with respective recesses 30 and 32 , through which a drive shaft 34 extends . the drive shaft 34 is rotatably supported at both ends thereof in respective diagrammatically illustrated bearings 36 . the drive shaft 34 carries , at a driving side thereof , a drive formed as a gearwheel 38 in the illustrated embodiment , the drive being connected to the drive shaft 34 so as to be fixed against rotation relative thereto . a main cam element 40 and an auxiliary cam element 42 , hereinafter referred to as respective cam elements 40 and 42 , are disposed on the drive shaft 34 so as to be fixed against rotation relative thereto . the cam elements 40 and 42 are located in the region of the pregripper support device 18 , in particular in the respective recesses 30 and 32 formed in the pregripper supports 26 and 27 , respectively . the recesses 30 and 32 are formed so that the respective cam elements 40 and 42 can revolve within them . the outer contour of the cam element 40 has a cam roller 44 assigned thereto which is secured to an edge of the pregripper support 26 defining the recess 30 . associated with the outer contour of the cam element 42 is a cam roller 46 , which is disposed on an edge of the pregripper support 27 defining the recess 32 . the cam rollers 44 and 46 are disposed , if projected into a plane , relative to one another on opposite sides of the drive shaft 34 . the gearwheel 38 disposed on the drive shaft 34 so as to be fixed against rotation relative thereto meshes with a drivable gearwheel 48 , which is disposed on a common shaft 50 of a processing unit 52 of the sheet - fed printing press . the processing unit 52 may be an impression cylinder , for example . the shaft 50 is journalled at both ends thereof in respective diagrammatically illustrated bearings 54 . the mode of operation of the pregripper 10 is hereinafter described with reference to fig1 : via a non - illustrated drive , the shaft 50 is driven so that the processing unit 52 disposed thereon is in rotation . the gearwheel 48 rotates synchronously with the processing unit 52 . depending upon a selected gear ratio between the gear wheels 48 and 38 , the drive shaft 34 is set into opposing rotation relative to the shaft 50 . the transmission or gear ratio between the gearwheels 48 and 38 can be chosen arbitrarily and is adjusted so that a hereinafter more fully described movement of the pregripper 10 occurs in synchronism with the rotation of the processing unit 52 . at a selected transmission ratio of 1 : 1 , an imaginary location or point on the drive shaft 34 and an imaginary location or point on the shaft 50 revolve once per unit of time in opposite directions . due to the rotation of the drive shaft 34 , the cam elements 40 and 42 , which are disposed thereon so as to be fixed against rotation relative thereto , then rotate therewith . via the cam rollers 44 and 46 , which travel along the outer contours of the cam elements 40 and 42 , respectively , a movement is transmitted to the pregripper support device 18 due to the rotary motion of the cam elements 40 and 42 . due to the fact that the cam rollers 44 and 46 are disposed on opposite sides of the drive shaft 34 , a compressive force of varying strength is exerted on the cam rollers 44 and 46 , respectively , in accordance with the cam path or course of the cam elements 40 and 42 . the cam courses of the respective cam elements 40 and 42 are selected so that when the cam element 40 has an upward slope , i . e ., exerts a pressure on the cam roller 44 , the cam element 42 has a downward slope . in the regions wherein the cam element 40 has a downward slope , the cam element 42 has an upward slope , so that it exerts pressure on the cam roller 46 . because the cam rollers 44 and 46 are disposed on the pregripper supports 26 and 27 , respectively , and these supports are rigidly connected to one another by the foot 24 and the fastening region 28 , a reciprocating pivoting or swiveling motion of the pregripper support device 18 is effected , depending upon the position of the cam elements 40 and 42 . because both of the cam rollers 44 and 46 are in continuous engagement with the cam elements 40 and 42 , respectively , which are associated therewith , the cam roller 44 , for example , forms a transmission location for transmitting a motion force to the pregripper support device 18 , while the other cam roller 46 , for example , acts counter to this motion and controls the motion of the pregripper support device 18 and assures a marked freedom from play . due to the cam track or course of the cam elements 40 and 42 , the function of the cam rollers 44 and 46 alternates continually during the rotation of the drive shaft 34 , so that the reciprocating pivoting or swiveling motion of the pregripper support device 18 is produced . the pregripper support device 18 is connected to the pregripper shaft 16 so as to be fixed against rotation relative rotation thereto , so that this shaft 16 forms a pivot shaft for the pregripper support device 18 . transmission of the pivoting motion of the pregripper support device 18 to the pregripper bar 12 is effected via the fastening region 28 , causing the bar 12 to pivot therewith accordingly . a transmission of force for the pivoting motion of the pregripper bar 12 is effected essentially via the fastening region 28 , so that the force engages the pregripper bar 12 approximately centrally . due to this central engagement of the force , a uniform distribution of force over the length of the pregripper bar 12 is achieved . due to the fact that the force transmission is effected over a relatively constricted space and approximately centrally , production of an uneven or nonuniform bending strain on the pregripper bar 12 is largely precluded . because the pregripper shaft 16 acts solely as a pivot shaft and essentially does not form a force transmission member for the pregripper bar 12 , torsion of the pregripper shaft 16 cannot cause any deflection of the pregripper bar 12 . accordingly , it is possible for the grippers 14 fastened to the pregripper bar 12 to engage a sheet , which is oriented or aligned by front and side lays , uniformly , i . e ., at the same location , so that uneven acceleration of the sheet is precluded , and the sheet is accelerated in a precisely defined position to press speed . the auxiliary supports 22 disposed at both sides of the pregripper support device 18 transmit the pivoting or swiveling motion from the pregripper shaft 16 likewise to the pregripper bar 12 . the flow of force via the pregripper support device 18 , the pregripper shaft 16 and the pregripper supports 22 , however , effects only a proportionately small introduction of force into the pregripper bar 12 , in comparison with the essentially centrally engaging direct introduction of force accomplished via the pregripper support device 18 . the auxiliary supports 22 serve solely to stabilize the pregripper bar 12 so as to prevent outward swinging of the ends of the pregripper bar 12 . in fig2 and 3 , another embodiment of the pregripper 10 according to the invention is shown in a side and partly cross - sectional view and a longitudinal sectional view , respectively . elements corresponding to those shown in fig1 although of somewhat different construction , are identified by the same reference numerals and not described again herein . in the exemplary embodiment shown in fig2 and 3 , a multiplicity of auxiliary supports 72 are disposed over the length of the pregripper bar 12 , in addition to the auxiliary supports 22 . the pregripper support device 18 is disposed centrally on the pregripper shaft 16 . it is made up of the pregripper supports 26 , 27 and 29 . recesses 30 and 32 are formed between the pregripper supports 26 , 27 and 29 . each of the pregripper supports 26 , 27 and 29 is formed with a respective slot 56 through which the drive shaft 34 extends . the slot 56 is in the form of a circular arc and is located on an imaginary circumferential line surrounding the pregripper shaft 16 . the maximum length of the slots 56 is dictated by the maximum pivoting or swiveling motion of the pregripper bar 12 . the cam element 40 and the cam element 42 are mounted on the drive shaft 34 so as to be fixed against rotation relative thereto . only the cam element 40 is shown in the side elevational view of fig2 . the cam elements 40 and 42 , respectively , are disposed inside the recesses 30 and 32 , respectively , of the pregripper support device 18 . an advantage is achieved thereby in that the recesses 30 and 32 of fig1 need not be adapted to the cam elements 40 and 42 , but rather , only the slot 56 need be provided for receiving the drive shaft 34 therethrough . as is clarified particularly in fig . 3 , the cam element 40 is fastened to the drive shaft 34 via a flange 58 . the pregripper supports 26 and 27 adjacent to the cam element 40 in the pregripper support device 18 form the common foot 24 . the foot 24 is formed , on the side of the drive shaft 34 , with an axial through - opening 60 wherein the cam roller 44 is supported . the cam roller 44 is disposed so that it can cooperate with the outer contour of the cam element 40 . the cam element 42 is likewise fastened to the drive shaft 34 via a flange 62 . the cam element 42 is disposed adjacent to the pregripper support 29 , which is likewise a component of the pregripper support device 18 . a cam roller 46 fastened to this pregripper support 29 cooperates with the outer contour of the cam element 42 . the cam roller 46 is , by way of example , fastened to a peg or protrusion 64 extending from the pregripper support 29 . the pregripper support 29 which carries the cam roller 46 is likewise formed integrally with the foot 24 . the foot 24 is formed with a recess 66 in the region of the cam element 42 . the function of the pregripper 10 shown in fig2 and 3 is equivalent to the function of the pregripper 10 shown in fig1 . as a consequence of the rotation of the drive shaft 34 , the cam elements 40 and 42 revolve . the pregripper support device 18 traces or follows the outer contour of the cam element 40 via the cam roller 44 , and the outer contour of the cam element 42 via the cam roller 46 . consequently , the aforementioned pivoting motion of the pregripper 10 occurs , with the pregripper shaft 16 acting as a pivot shaft . as is clear from fig2 the cam element 40 describes a circular path 68 about the drive shaft 34 . because of the selected cam course or track of the outer contour of the cam element 40 , the pregripper support device 18 is pivoted about the pregripper shaft 16 . the requisite play for this pivoting motion is assured by the slots 56 . the pivoting of the pregripper support device 18 causes the pregripper bar 12 to pivot and , as a result , the grippers 14 , of which only one gripper 14 is shown in each of fig2 and 3 , execute a pivoting motion over a circular path 70 . due to this pivoting motion , the aforementioned acceleration of sheets of paper to press speed in the direction of the processing unit 52 results . the introduction of force to the pregripper bar 12 is effected essentially by the three middle pregripper supports 26 , 27 and 29 , which are mutually connected in the pregripper support device 18 . via the auxiliary supports 72 , of which , in the illustrated embodiment of fig3 three are shown on each side of the pregripper support device 18 , stabilization of the pregripper bar 12 is achieved , so that even at extremely high press speeds , torsional and / or bending vibrations of the pregripper 10 can be eliminated to a sufficient extent so that uniform acceleration of the sheets can be effected at any time . | 1 |
in each of the following figures , the same reference numerals are used to refer to the same components . while the present invention is described primarily with respect to a mold half alignment technique as applied to an injection / compression molding process , the present invention may be adapted to various processes including injection molding , compression molding , die casting , and other molding and casting processes that utilize multiple mold elements to form one or more mold cavities . the present invention may be applied to molds used to form complex shaped and deep contoured components , such as instrument panels , bumpers , door panels , interior trim panels , and other components known in the art . the present invention may apply to automotive , aeronautical , nautical , railway , commercial , and residential industries , as well as to other industries that utilize similar molding processes . in the following description , various operating parameters and components are described for one constructed embodiment . these specific parameters and components are included as examples and are not meant to be limiting . referring now to fig1 , a side sectional view of an injection / compression molding system 10 incorporating a compression wear plate lock adjustment system 12 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention is shown . the adjustment system 12 has a mold 14 with adjustable compression wear plate locks 16 and angled mold locks 18 . the mold 14 has a cavity mold half 20 and a core mold half 22 . the cavity mold half 20 is mounted on a stationary platen 24 . the core mold half 22 is mounted on a moveable platen 26 that is translated along a mold closing line 28 . the core mating surface 30 of the core mold half 22 remains parallel to the cavity mating surface 32 of the cavity mold half 20 during actuation thereof . the mold closing line 28 extends perpendicular to the mating surfaces 30 and 32 . the cavity mold half 20 and the core mold half 22 may be mounted on either of the platens 24 and 26 . in operation , as the mold 14 is closed the wear plate locks 16 and the angled mold locks 18 assure proper alignment of the mold halves 20 and 22 . the wear plate locks 16 are integrally formed and are attached to one of the halves 20 and 22 and are in contact with the other half when the mold 14 is closed . for example , the wear plate locks 16 may be attached to the core mold half 22 and be in contact with the cavity mold half 20 when the mold 14 is closed or vice versa . the wear plate locks 16 include wear plates that are attached to one of the halves 20 and 22 , which is referred to as the lock mounting half , and are in contact with and adjacent to the other half or adjacent half . as the mold 14 is closed wear surfaces of the wear plates rub against the adjacent mold half and overtime form wear gaps therebetween . adjustability of the wear plate locks compensates for the wear gaps . sample wear plates are best seen in fig2 – 7 and example wear gaps g 2 are shown in fig6 . the angled mold locks 18 are coupled to the mold halves 20 and 22 . the wear plate locks 16 , the angled locks 18 , and the use thereof is described below in detail with respect to fig2 – 8 . the injection compression molding system 10 is shown for example purposes only . the injection compression molding system 10 includes an injection side 30 and a die / part actuation side 32 , which are controlled by a controller 33 . the injection side 30 includes a rotation servo motor 34 and an injection servo motor 36 , which are coupled to and are used to rotate and translate a screw 38 . the rotation and translation of the screw 38 causes the resin material 40 from within a hopper 42 to be injected into the mold 14 . the injected resin 40 , through applied heat and pressure , cures to form a part . the die / part actuation side 32 includes a die actuation motor 44 , which is used to open and close the mold 14 . the die actuation motor 44 is coupled to the moveable die 26 via a drive shaft 46 . the die actuation motor 44 rotates the drive shaft 46 to translate the core mold half 22 , thus , opening or closing the mold 14 . the die / part actuation side 32 may also include a part separation motor 48 and a part removal motor 50 . the part separation motor 48 is coupled to an ejection member 52 , which is used to separate the part from the core mold half 22 upon forming and cooling of the part . the part removal motor 50 is coupled to a part removing arm 54 and a pad 56 . the pad 56 is used to grab the part and remove it from the mold 14 upon curing thereof . during operation of the injection compression molding system 10 , the mold 14 is closed by translating the core mold half 22 towards the cavity mold half 20 . before the mold 14 is completely closed , the material 40 , which may be in the form of a thermoplastic or thermosetting resin , is injected into the mold cavity 58 . the further closing of the mold 14 compresses and thus spreads out the injected material within the mold cavity 58 . the wear plate locks 16 maintain alignment of the mold halves 20 and 22 during this injection / compression process . heat and pressure may be continuously applied until the injected material is cured to form the part . referring now to fig2 , a top and block diagrammatic view of the compression wear plate lock adjustment system 12 is shown . the lock adjustment system 12 includes the guide pins 60 , the wear plate locks 16 , and the angled mold locks 18 . as the mold 14 is closed , the guide pins 60 provide an initial rough alignment of the core mold half 22 with the cavity core half 20 . the wear plate locks 16 provide an intermediate fine alignment of the core mold half 22 with the cavity core half 20 . the angled mold locks 18 provide a final precise alignment of the core mold half 22 with the cavity mold half 20 when the mold is in a fully closed state . although the following is described with respect to the wear plate locks 16 being mounted on the core mold half 22 , they may be mounted on the cavity mold half 20 , as shown in fig7 . although a particular number of each of the locks 16 and 18 is shown and the locks 16 and 18 are shown at certain locations on the mold 14 , any number of each lock may be used and the locks 16 and 18 may be located in various other locations on the mold 14 . the wear plate locks 16 may be located on or at the corners 62 of the mold 14 , as shown , or may be located on the sides 64 of the mold 14 . the angled mold locks 18 may be located along the sides 64 , as shown , or may be located on the corners 62 . the angled mold locks 18 may also be located within the mold 14 such that all of the edges 66 of the angle mold locks 18 are within the outer periphery 68 of the mold 14 . referring now to fig3 – 5 , a side cross - sectional view of the mold 14 and a top close - up view and a side close - up view of one of the adjustable compression wear plate locks 16 are shown . the guide pins 60 , as shown , extend from lock towers 70 , which are integral portions of the core mold half 22 . the guide pins 60 extend within pin reception holes 72 in the cavity mold half 20 . the guide pins 60 and the pin reception holes 72 may be in various locations on the halves 20 and 22 . the guide pins 60 may be located on or off of the lock towers 70 and also or alternatively on the cavity mold half 20 and have respective pin reception holes 72 in the core mold half 22 . the guide pins 60 may be of various types , styles , and formed of various materials . the wear plate locks 16 are in the form of locking assemblies and include one or more wear plates 80 that provide contact rubbing surfaces 82 between the mold halves 20 and 22 . two wear plates in perpendicular relationship are shown per each corner wear plate lock . as the mold 14 is closed the mold contact surfaces 83 of the cavity mold half 22 rub on the contact rubbing surfaces 82 . the wear plates 80 are locked in position relative to the core mold half 22 via locking fasteners 84 . the position of the wear plates 80 is adjustable via adjustment blocks or elements 86 and wedge adjustment fasteners 88 . the adjustment elements 86 are coupled between the wear plates 80 and the lock towers 70 and / or the core mold half 22 . in the embodiment shown , the adjustment elements 86 are in the form of wedges . the adjustment fasteners 88 extend through associated recessed holes 90 in the adjustment elements 86 and into the wedge adjustment towers 92 . the wedge adjustment towers 92 are an integral portion of the core mold half 22 . the wear plates 80 are , in general , formed of a material that is softer than that of the mold halves 20 and 22 to prevent wear on the mold halves 20 and 22 . the surfaces 82 and 83 are formed of dissimilar materials to prevent galling . although the wear plates 80 are shown in rectangular form , they may be of various shapes . the wear plates 80 , the mold halves 20 and 22 , and the guide pins 60 may be formed of various materials , such as steel , aluminum , brass , or other suitable materials . in one embodiment , the guide pins 60 are formed of a hardened steel , which is slid into bushings 85 ( only one is shown ) formed of brass that are located within the cavity mold halve 20 , as shown in fig3 . the adjustment elements 86 are tapered to cause the wear plates 80 to shift in a direction approximately lateral or perpendicular to the shift direction of the adjustment elements 86 . arrows 94 show shift directions of the adjustment elements 86 . arrows 96 show shift directions of the wear plates 80 . each adjustment element 86 has a single tapered side 100 adjacent the lock towers 70 . this allows for unidirectional shifting of the wear plates 80 . in shifting the adjustment elements 86 , the adjustment gaps g 1 between the wedge adjustment towers 92 and the adjustment elements 86 are increased or decreased in size . the adjustment fasteners 88 are rotated to shift the adjustment elements 86 toward or away from the wedge adjustment towers 92 . the shifting of the adjustment elements 86 causes the wear plates 80 to shift toward or away from the lock towers 70 and the cavity mold half 20 as desired . the adjustment fasteners 88 are externally accessible and visible with respect to and when the mold 14 is closed . the locking fasteners 84 extend through associated slotted holes 102 in the wear plates 80 , through the adjustment elements 86 , and into the lock towers 70 . the locking fasteners 84 lock the wear plates 80 on and in position relative to the lock towers 70 . the locking fasteners 84 also lock the adjustment elements 86 into a selected position . the slotted holes 102 allow for unidirectional positioning of the wear plates 80 and the adjustment elements 86 with respect to the lock towers 70 . the fasteners 84 and 88 may be in the form of threaded bolts , as shown , or may be in some other form known in the art . the angled mold locks 18 may be integrally formed as part of the mold halves 20 and 22 , as shown . the angled mold locks 18 include a receiving half 110 and a projecting half 112 that engages therewith . the projecting half 112 , in effect , is keyed to match the receiving half 110 . the projecting half 112 fits within the receiving half 110 . in one embodiment , the halves 110 and 112 include angled locking surfaces 114 and 116 that are approximately 15 ° from the mold closing line 28 and extend along a displacement closing direction of the mold halves 20 and 22 . angles α and β are shown and represent the locking surface angles for the receiving surface 114 and the projecting surface 116 , respectively . of course , angles α and β may be different than that shown depending upon the application . in an alternative embodiment , the receiving half 110 is an integral part of the core mold half 22 and the projecting half 112 is an integral part of the cavity mold half 20 . referring now to fig6 , a top close - up view of a compression wear plate lock adjustment system 120 illustrating wear gaps g 2 and adjustment thereof in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention is shown . during repeated use of the mold 122 , the wear plate surfaces 124 wear overtime creating the wear gaps g 2 between the wear plates 126 and the adjacent mold half 128 . the wear gaps g 2 may be compensated for through manual or systematic adjustment of the fasteners 130 and 132 in the adjustment system 120 . the adjustment system 120 may include one or more gap sensors 134 , a controller 136 , and a gap adjustment actuating mechanism 138 . the gap sensors 134 are used to detect the size of the wear gaps g 2 . the controller 136 in response to the wear gap size shifts the wear plates 126 by shifting the adjustment elements 140 via the actuating mechanism 138 . the gap sensor 134 may be coupled within one of the mold halves , as shown , or within the wear plates 126 , the adjustment elements 140 , and the lock towers 142 . the gap sensor 134 may be in the form of an infrared sensor , a contact sensor , a radar sensor , an ultrasonic sensor , or other gap or contact sensor known in the art . the gap sensor 134 may also be replaced with a pressure sensor . the position of the wear plates 126 may be adjusted in response to the applied pressure of the wear plates 126 on the adjacent mold half . although the adjustment mechanism 138 may be coupled to the adjustment fasteners 132 and to the locking fasteners 130 . the adjustment mechanism 138 may have linkages , robotic members , motors , and coupling members ( all of which are not shown ), as well as other devices known in the art for moving , rotating , loosening , tightening , or altering the state and position of the fasteners 130 and 132 . the controller 136 may be microprocessor based such as a computer having a central processing unit , memory ( ram and / or rom ), and associated input and output buses . the controller 136 may be an application - specific integrated circuit or may be formed of other logic devices known in the art . the controller 136 may be a portion of a central main control unit , a control circuit having a power supply , or may be a stand - alone controller as shown . referring now to fig7 , a side cross - sectional view of a mold 150 incorporating adjustable compression wear plate locks 152 and angled mold locks 154 in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention is shown . the wear plate locks 152 are similar to the wear plate locks 16 and are fastened to the cavity mold half 158 as opposed to the core mold half 160 . the lock fasteners 162 extend through the wear plates 164 ( only one is shown ), through the adjustment elements 166 ( only one is shown ), and into the cavity mold half 158 . referring now to fig8 , a logic flow diagram illustrating a method of maintaining alignment of mold halves in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention is shown . this method may be utilized during a high - volume manufacturing or production process . in step 200 , a mold , such as the mold 14 , is opened . the opening of the mold provides access to locking fasteners , such as the locking fasteners 84 , of adjustable compression wear plate locks , such as the wear plate locks 16 . in step 202 , wear plates , such as wear plates 80 , of the wear plate locks are unlocked . the locking fasteners are loosened or backed - off to allow for the wear plates to be repositioned . in step 204 , adjustment elements , such as the adjustment elements 86 , are backed - off to assure that the wear plates are not in contact with the adjacent mold half or mold contact surfaces , such as surfaces 83 . in step 206 , the mold is closed and the angled mold locks , such as the angled mold locks 18 , are engaged . in step 208 , the wear plates are brought into contact with the mold contact surfaces . in one embodiment , the adjustment fasteners are tightened , thereby , shifting the adjustment elements toward the wedge adjustment towers . the shift in the adjustment elements causes the wear plates to be shifted against the adjacent mold half . this position of the wear plates is referred to as the contact position . in step 210 , the mold is opened , thus separating the mold halves . in step 212 , the wear plates are locked in the contact position . the locking fasteners are tightened to prevent movement of the adjustment elements and the wear plates . the above - described steps are meant to be illustrative examples ; the steps may be performed sequentially , synchronously , simultaneously , or in a different order depending upon the application . the present invention provides a quick , easy , and consistent compression lock adjustment system . the present invention eliminates the need for shims as are often utilized between lock towers and wear plates . the present invention maintains accurate alignment between a core mold half and a cavity mold half including during wear plate position adjustment . the present invention allows for the position of the wear plates to be adjusted while the associated mold is in a closed state . this allows one to precisely determine the appropriate position of the wear plates . while the invention has been described in connection with one or more embodiments , it is to be understood that the specific mechanisms and techniques which have been described are merely illustrative of the principles of the invention , numerous modifications may be made to the methods and apparatus described without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims . | 1 |
fig1 is a drawing of a pet - ct scanner 100 according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention . the pet - ct scanner 100 includes a ct system 200 and a pet system 300 mounted around a bore in a housing 120 . the pet - ct scanner 100 also includes a patient table 113 , a table bed 114 , a processing unit 150 , and a control station 115 . a patient table controller ( not shown ) moves the table bed 114 into the bore in response to commands received from the control station 115 . the control station 115 typically includes a display and one or more input devices such as a keyboard or a mouse . through the keyboard and associated input devices , the operator can control the operation of the pet - ct scanner 100 and the display of the resulting image on the display . the processing unit 150 includes one or more processors , one or more memories , and associated electronics for image processing . the processing unit 150 processes the data acquired by the ct system 200 and the pet system 300 under control of the operator operating the control station 115 . the operation of the ct system 200 will be described with reference to fig2 . the operation of the pet system 300 will be described with reference to fig3 - 4 . fig2 is a schematic illustration showing the major components of the ct system 200 of fig1 . the components of the ct system 200 are typically housed both in the housing 120 supporting the ct detector 200 and in the processing unit 150 shown in fig1 . a subject 20 for imaging is typically a human patient who may be undergoing diagnostic assessment for coronary artery disease or other disease processes . as is well known , x - ray tomographic imaging with such a ct system 200 is typically carried out by illuminating the subject 20 with an x - ray beam 204 substantially transverse to an axis through the subject 20 . typically the axis is centered on an object 22 of interest , such as an organ or other tissue structure . the subject 20 may be located on the table bed 114 shown in fig1 that translates along the direction of the axis , thereby enabling illumination of a volumetric portion of the subject 20 by the x - ray beam 204 . the ct system 200 comprises a source - detector assembly , which in an exemplary embodiment may comprise a gantry 212 rotatable about the axis . an x - ray source 214 , such as an x - ray tube , may be mounted on the gantry 212 and may rotate with rotation of the gantry 212 . the x - ray source 214 , which may comprise a collimating element ( not shown ), projects the beam 204 of x - rays toward a detector array 216 disposed opposite the source 214 relative to the gantry 212 . the detector array 216 is typically comprised of numerous individual detector elements 218 . detector elements 218 together provide information regarding the internal structures of the subject 20 , such as the object 22 . in the typical case , each detector element 218 generates an electrical signal indicating the intensity of a portion of the x - ray beam 204 impinging thereupon . the signals from detector elements 218 may indicate a degree of attenuation of the beam 204 as the x - rays traverse the material or substance of the subject 20 . typically the source 214 is rotated around the subject 20 to execute a scan operation whereby the ct system 200 acquires x - ray data . the gantry 212 , with source 214 attached to a side portion thereof , typically rotates about the axis of the subject 20 to acquire x - ray data from numerous different illumination angles or “ view angles .” the rotation operation for the source 214 is controlled by a control / interface system 220 . the control / interface system 220 may comprise a server computer residing in the processing unit 150 and the operator may interact with the control / interface system 220 by means of the control station 115 and / or other input devices . the control / interface system 220 provides control for positioning of the gantry 212 relative to the subject 20 , such as controlling speed of rotation about the axis and control of relative positions of the table 113 and the gantry 212 . the controls section 222 also typically provides control over x - ray generation ( power and timing ) of the source 214 . the control / interface system 220 also includes a data acquisition system ( das ) 224 that samples the detector signals generated from the detector elements 218 and converts the sampled signals into digital data for further processing . a reconstruction engine 230 , which may also be housed in the processing unit 150 , receives the sampled and digitized data ( sometimes referred to as “ projection data ”) from the das 224 and performs image reconstruction to generate ct images . the reconstruction engine 230 may comprise a separate processor 232 and memory 234 , for example . various algorithms are well known in the art for reconstructing a ct image from projection data comprising a plurality of projection views . typically , the ct image is generated in a format compatible with the dicom ( digital imaging and communications in medicine ) standard . the dicom standard specifies the network protocol by which two dicom - compatible systems communicate . the reconstruction engine 230 may send the reconstructed ct image to , for example , a system management computer 240 , which may also reside in the processing unit 150 , for storage or further processing . the computer 240 typically comprises a cpu ( a processor ) 242 and a memory 244 . fig3 is a schematic illustration of the pet system 300 of fig1 . the pet system 300 includes detector ring assembly 311 disposed about the patient bore . the detector ring assembly 311 is made up of multiple detector rings that are spaced along the central axis to form a cylindrical detector ring assembly . each detector ring of the detector ring assembly 311 is comprised of detector modules 320 . each detector module 320 typically comprises an array ( e . g ., a 6 × 6 array ) of individual detector crystals which may be formed of bismuth germanate ( bgo ), for example . the detector crystals detect gamma rays emitted from the patient and in response produce photons . typically the array of detector crystals are disposed in front of four photomultiplier tubes ( pmts ). the pmts produce analog signals when a scintillation event occurs at one of the detector crystals , i . e ., when a gamma ray emitted from the patient is received by one of the detector crystals . a set of acquisition circuits 325 is mounted within the housing 120 to receive these signals and produce digital signals indicating the event coordinates ( i . e ., the location of the detected gamma ray ) and the total energy of the gamma ray . these are sent through a cable 326 to an event locator circuit 327 . each acquisition circuit 325 also produces an event detection pulse ( edp ) which indicates the time the scintillation event took place . the event locator circuits 327 form part of a data acquisition processor 330 which periodically samples the signals produced by the acquisition circuits 325 . the processor 330 has an acquisition cpu 329 which controls communications on the local area network 318 and a backplane bus 331 . the event locator circuits 327 assemble the information regarding each valid event into a set of digital numbers that indicate precisely when the event took place and the position of the detector crystal which detected the event . this event data packet is conveyed to a coincidence detector 332 which is also part of the data acquisition processor 330 . the coincidence detector 332 accepts the event data packets from the event locator circuits 327 and determines if any two of them are in coincidence . coincidence is determined by a number of factors . first , the time markers in each event data packet must be within a certain time period of each other , e . g ., 12 . 5 nanoseconds , and second , the locations indicated by the two event data packets must lie on a straight line which passes through the field of view ( fov ) in the patient bore . for a detailed description of the coincidence detector 332 , reference is made to u . s . pat . no . 5 , 241 , 181 entitled “ coincidence detector for a pet scanner .” coincidence event pairs are located and recorded as a coincidence data packet that is conveyed through a link 333 to a storage subsystem 350 . in the storage subsystem 350 , a sorter 334 may use a lookup table to sort the coincidence events in a 3d projection plane format . for a detailed description of the sorter 334 , reference is made to u . s . pat . no . 5 , 272 , 343 entitled “ sorter for coincidence timing calibration in a pet scanner .” the detected events may be stored in a dynamic histogram memory ( histogrammer 335 ) where the events are ordered by radius and projection angles . the pet data for a particular frame may be written to a raw data disk 336 . as is known in the art ( see , e . g ., u . s . pat . no . 6 , 462 , 342 ), pet scanners can be configured to operate in two different modes , 2d and 3d , related to the annihilation events which can be observed by a particular detector ring . in 2d ( multiplanar ) pet scanners , each detector ring is configured to only detect annihilations occurring within the plane of that respective detector ring or an immediately adjacent detector ring , and not to detect annihilations occurring at other positions within the pet scanner ( i . e ., annihilations occurring within the other detector rings of the pet scanner ). such multiplanar data can be organized as a set of two - dimensional sinograms . in 3d ( volumetric ) pet scanners , the detectors of each detector ring can receive photons from a wider range of angles than in 2d scanners . 3d pet scanners determine the existence of , and process information related to , coincidence events that occur not merely between pairs of detectors positioned on a single ( or immediately adjacent ) detector ring , but also between pairs of detectors positioned on detector rings that are spaced more than one ring apart . in 3d pet scanners , each pair of event data packets that is identified by the coincidence detector 332 is typically described in a projection plane format using four variables r , v , θ and φ , i . e ., according to the form p θ , φ ( r , v ), as shown in fig3 and 4 . in particular , the variables r and φ identify a plane 324 that is parallel to the central axis of the pet scanner , with φ specifying the angular direction of the plane with respect to a reference plane and r specifying the distance of the central axis from the plane as measured perpendicular to the plane . as further shown in fig4 , the variables v and θ further identify a particular line 389 within that plane 324 , with θ specifying the angular direction of the line within the plane , relative to a reference line within the plane , and v specifying the distance of the central point from the line as measured perpendicular to the line . 3d pet scanners allow for increased sensitivity relative to 2d multiplanar scanners , since more coincidence events can be recorded . however , 3d pet scanners also admit more scattered and random coincidence events to the data set from which the image is reconstructed than 2d multiplanar scanners . 3d pet scanners also produce more data , which can significantly increase the image processing time . according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention , the pet system 300 operates as a 3d system . the sorter 334 counts all events occurring along each projection ray ( r , v , θ and φ ), and stores that information in the projection plane format . the pet system 300 , as shown in fig3 , may include one or more additional processors 345 such as , for example , a prospective reconstruction manager ( prm ), a compute job manager ( cjm ), and a pet image processor ( pet ip ). the processors 345 may interact with an array processor 337 in the storage subsystem 350 to process the projection plane format pet data into attenuation corrected pet images , as will be described below in more detail . fig3 also shows a computed tomography attenuation correction ( ctac ) server 342 . the ctac server 342 may execute an independent process that runs in the processing unit 150 . the ctac process may receive ct image data from the ct system 200 and convert that ct image data into ctac data . for example , the ctac process may receive a request from the ct system and perform a bi - linear or other algorithm to convert the data from ct image units ( hu ) to a pet 511 kev attenuation coefficient ( cm − 1 ), which produces the ctac correction for pet data from the ct images . once the ct images are converted to ctac data , the ctac server 342 may write the ctac data to the raw data disk 336 in the storage subsystem 350 . at the same time , a record may be transmitted to the pet database 348 to create a data link ( ctac record ) to the ctac data . fig3 also shows a pet - ct image processor 410 which receives ct images and pet images . the ct images and the pet images are spatially registered to each other because the patient undergoes both scans while remaining in the same position on the table bed 114 . the pet - ct image processor 410 generates a fused pet - ct image using the input ct and pet images . of course , the arrangement shown in fig1 - 4 is merely an example . the pet - ct scanner 100 , for example , may include a different configuration or number of processors and memories and other hardware , to perform the various functions , and these components may be located at other locations such as the control station 115 , or at another server or processing unit . the system 100 can be configured as desired , as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art . the operation of the pet - ct scanner 100 will now be described according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention with reference to fig5 and 6 . fig5 is a diagram illustrating the flow of image data according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention . fig6 is a flow chart describing the simultaneous acquisition of pet data and reconstruction of a pet image according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention . referring to fig6 , the process begins at step 10 , in which the ct system 200 generates ct image data . in particular , the data acquisition system ( das ) 224 ( see fig2 ) of the ct system 200 is operated to acquire ct data , as described above , and the reconstruction engine 230 of the ct system 200 generates ct images for all frames prescribed by the operator of the scanner 100 . at the conclusion of step 10 , all of the ct images for the scan are stored in the memory 234 of the reconstruction engine 230 or in the memory 244 of the system management computer 240 . fig5 shows the generation of ct images from ct data on the right hand side of the diagram . in step 12 , the ct images are sent to the ctac server 342 which converts the ct images into ctac data . based on a bi - linear function , for example , the ct data in ct image units may be converted to pet attenuation coefficients ( ctac data ). the ctac data is used for attenuation correction of the pet data during the pet image reconstruction process . as shown in fig5 , the ctac data are then transmitted by the ctac server 342 to the raw data disk 336 for storage while a record is transmitted to create a data link ( ctac record ) in the pet database 348 . in step 14 , the pet system 300 acquires a first frame of pet data , as described above with respect to fig3 . the detector crystals of the pet system 300 detect gamma rays emitted from the patient , and the acquisition circuits 325 , event locator circuits 327 , and coincidence detector 332 together record coincidence events which are the basis of the pet data . the sorter 334 uses a lookup table to sort the coincidence events in a 3d projection plane format . the detected events are stored in the histogrammer 335 where the events are ordered by radius and projection angles . at the conclusion of step 14 , the pet data for a particular frame are written to the raw data disk 336 and a data link ( pet record ) is created and stored in pet database 348 . according to one aspect of the invention , the system 100 can be programmed such that a ct prescription by the operator automatically sets up and specifies a corresponding 3d pet prescription and protocol . this functionality is shown in fig5 by the line 355 which represents the prescription of a pet scan data acquisition phase based on the corresponding ct scan . in step 16 , the first frame of pet data is reconstructed into a pet image while a second frame of pet data is being acquired . this step can provide the significant advantage that reconstruction of the pet image can begin immediately after the first frame of pet data is acquired , rather than waiting until all the pet data has been acquired . in a conventional pet - ct system , in the case of a scan comprising multiple frames of 3d pet data , the time typically required to reconstruct the pet image once the pet data and ctac data have been acquired can be significant , e . g ., 3 - 4 minutes per frame . in a conventional pet - ct system , for a scan consisting of 7 frames , the image reconstruction time at the end of all data acquisition would be 21 - 28 minutes , which may significantly affect the throughput of the pet - ct system . according to exemplary embodiments of the invention , the only image reconstruction which takes place at the conclusion of pet data acquisition is the image reconstruction for the final frame of pet data , since the other pet data has already been reconstructed . the data acquisition process for the ct and pet data according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention can proceed sequentially without any significant interruptions , and the subsequent pet image reconstruction of one final frame of pet data can occur immediately after the conclusion of the pet data acquisition . with 3d pet data , the image processing for the final frame of pet data may take approximately 3 - 4 minutes , for example . the actual processing time may also depend on the specific configurations of the system . a typical 3d exam ( including acquisition and reconstruction ) using 7 bed positions , at 3 minutes per bed position scan time , used to take a total of 42 - 49 minutes . however , it may take only 21 - 24 minutes using a pet - ct system according to exemplary embodiments of the invention . of course , these durations are merely examples . as shown in fig5 , the image processing is controlled by , among other things , a prospective reconstruction manager ( prm ) 351 . the prm , which may comprise a software routine running on a server computer , coordinates the prescriptions of recently acquired frames of pet data with the availability of ctac data sets produced by the ctac server 342 . the prm 351 checks the pet database 348 for a corresponding ctac record before submitting a frame of pet data to the pet image processor 353 for reconstruction . during the acquisition phase of a frame of pet data , notifications are sent by the pet data acquisition routine 356 to the prm 351 via line 347 when the acquisition of a frame of pet data has been completed . in response to the notification , the prm 351 sends a query to the pet database 348 inquiring as to whether the ctac data corresponding to that frame is available . the pet database 348 responds by providing a ctac record , if available , to the prm 351 . the prm 351 then sends the ctac record , the pet record , and reconstruction instructions , all included in one or more reconstruction scripts , to the compute job manager ( cjm ) 352 . once it completes processing of each frame of ct image data , ctac server 342 may also send requests to prm 351 , which may be caused to query the pet database 348 for corresponding pet emission data and ctac data . the cjm 352 , which may comprise a software routine running on a server computer , formulates a reconstruction request and sends it with the ctac record and the pet record to the pet image processor 353 for reconstruction . the reconstruction request formulated by the cjm 352 may specify , among other things , file names for all the relevant files containing image data , corresponding frame numbers for the pet and ctac data , slice numbers to be overlapped , and whether to read a file from a previous frame for overlapping or whether to write a file for overlapping with a subsequent frame . the cjm 352 may create an overlap map comprising a list of structures where each node includes a corresponding slice &# 39 ; s references to the slice and frame with which it overlaps . the overlap map stores pointers to both previous and next frames . this allows the cjm 352 to prescribe the handling of front and rear overlap regions within the processing of a single frame . the pet image processor 353 performs a number of operations on the pet data , including attenuation correction , fourier rebinning ( fore ), overlapping adjacent frames , and pet image generation , as will be described further below with reference to fig7 . at the conclusion of step 16 , a pet image has been reconstructed for the current frame and is stored in the pet database 348 . the reconstruction of the pet image for the current frame occurs while the pet system 300 is acquiring pet data for the next frame . this parallel processing ( pet data acquisition of next frame with pet image reconstruction of current frame ) can significantly reduce the total pet - ct exam time . step 18 entails repeating step 16 ( reconstructing current frame of pet image while acquiring next frame of pet data ) for at least one and typically a plurality or all subsequent frames in the scan until all the prescribed data has been acquired and reconstructed . at the conclusion of step 18 , all of the pet images will be stored in the pet database 348 . in step 20 , the ct images and the pet images are sent to the pet - ct image processor 410 which generates a fused pet - ct image . the two image data sets ( pet and ct ) used to construct the fused pet - ct image are spatially registered to each other , because the patient has undergone both scans while remaining in the same position on the table bed 114 . the fused pet - ct image shows anatomical structures and locations from ct along with the metabolic activity from pet . the pet - ct image processor 410 is typically part of a workstation used for examining images . according to one embodiment , an entegra ™ workstation available from ge medical systems can be used . the entegra ™ workstation has , among other things , an image fusion capability , which employs registration ( matrix transformation ) of ct &# 39 ; s coordinate system to the pet &# 39 ; s coordinate system . the pet image reconstruction process will now be described in more detail with reference to the flow chart of fig7 . initially , the pet image processor 353 receives a reconstruction request from the cjm 352 . in step 30 , the pet image processor 353 retrieves the ctac data and pet data from raw data disk 336 based on the ctac record and pet record received from the cjm 352 . the ctac data are used to apply an attenuation correction to the pet data for the corresponding frame . attenuation correction is the multiplicative process of correcting the native pet emission data for losses of coincidence events due to one or both of the gamma rays interacting in the object being imaged . next , in step 32 , a fourier rebinning process ( fore ) is applied to the attenuation corrected pet data to convert it directly to sinogram format . the pet image processor 353 converts the attenuation corrected pet data , which is in a 3d projection plane format ( p θ , φ ( r , v )) into a 2d sinogram array ( p z ( r , φ )) which is stored in a memory ( not shown ) associated with the pet image processor 353 . conversion of the pet data to the sinogram format with the fore process provides the advantage that adjacent frames of pet data can be overlapped slice by slice to improve accuracy in the resulting image . in addition , the image reconstruction can be completed in less time using input data in sinogram format as opposed to using input data in projection plane format . the process of converting pet data in projection plane format directly into the two - dimensional sinogram format is known in the art and described , for example , in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 462 , 342 . according to the fore process , an angular portion of the data obtained in the projection plane format can be decimated in a particular manner so that portions of the total amount of data can be read into memory , sorted into sinogram fragments , operated on by way of reduced - length two - dimensional discrete fourier transforms , and then added together to obtain a set of two dimensional sinograms . the two - dimensional sinograms obtained from the operation are the same set of sinograms as would be obtained by resorting the data from the projection plane format into the cross - plane sinogram format and then performing the fore algorithm upon that cross - plane sinogram data . see also e . tanaka and y . amo , “ a fourier rebinning algorithm incorporating spectral transfer efficiency for 3d pet ,” 43 phys . med . biol . 739 - 746 ( 1998 ); s matej et al ., “ performance of the fourier rebinning algorithm for pet with large acceptance angles ,” 43 phys . med . biol . 787 - 795 ( 1998 ). in steps 34 , 36 , and 38 , the pet data which has been converted to sinogram format is overlapped with adjacent frames . the overlap function can enhance the accuracy of the resulting pet images , for example by reducing or eliminating the detector sensitivity artifacts associated with 3d scans . one typical objective of whole - body pet scans is to produce images of uniform quality both across the imaging plane and in the axial direction ( along the sections of the object imaged ). overlapping is advantageous since it reduces noise caused by lost sensitivity in the end slices . the typically high noise in the end slices is reduced by weighted averaging of the low count ( low - sensitivity ) slices included in the overlap . in general , the overlap process entails defining an overlap region between two adjacent frames of pet data in terms of a number of overlapping slices . typically , a full frame of pet data comprises 35 slices , and the overlap region comprises about 5 - 7 slices . once the overlapping slices are defined , the slices are weighted based on their proximity to the end of the frame and then added together . for example , in a 7 slice overlap , slice 29 in the first frame will overlap with slice 1 in the second frame . slice 30 in the first frame will overlap with slice 2 in the second frame , etc . the following equation can be used to calculate the weights : weight for slice a = ( relative position of slice a )/( relative position slice a + relative position of slice b ) in the above example , the relative position is the number of slices that a particular slice is located from the end of the frame . for example , slice 2 would have a weight of { fraction ( 2 / 8 )} and slice 30 would have a weight of { fraction ( 6 / 8 )}. slice 1 would have a weight of ⅛ , and slice 29 would have a weight of ⅞ . the weights are also calculated with the assumption or approximation that the sensitivity drops off linearly towards the detector edge . of a pair of corresponding overlapping slices , the one which was acquired closer to the detector center will contribute more signal , and hence it is weighted accordingly . referring again to fig7 , step 34 , if the current frame is not the first frame , then it will typically be overlapped with a portion of the previous frame . accordingly , the overlapping slices from the previous frame are retrieved . in step 36 , the overlapping slices for the adjacent frame are weighted , as described above , summed , and stored . in step 38 , if the current frame is not the last frame , then typically it will be overlapped with a portion of the next frame . accordingly , the overlapping slices from the current frame are saved in a designated memory and filename so that they can be retrieved during the processing of the next frame of pet data . in step 40 , after the pet data has been attenuation corrected ( step 30 ), transformed to sinogram format ( step 32 ), and overlapped ( steps 34 - 38 ), a pet image is generated . the pet image generation based on sinogram format data is performed according to methods well known in the art . after the pet images are created , they are transferred to the cjm 352 , as shown in fig5 . the cjm 352 is a server that manages all pet reconstruction requests to the pet image processor 353 . it keeps track of all the jobs submitted to the processor queue , their order in the queue , and their time of completion . it may also send reconstruction status notifications to a user interface . the pet images are then stored in the pet database 348 . the ct images and the pet images are subsequently sent to the pet - ct image processor 410 which generates a fused pet - ct image . the fused pet - ct image shows anatomical structures and locations from ct along with the metabolic activity from pet . exemplary embodiments of the invention can thus provide the advantage of high quality images showing both the structural and functional features of a patient being imaged while providing increased throughput for enhanced efficiency in operation . while the foregoing specification illustrates and describes the preferred embodiments of this invention , it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the precise construction disclosed herein . the invention can be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes . accordingly , reference should be made to the following claims , rather than to the foregoing specification , as indicating the scope of the invention . | 0 |
fig2 is a diagram illustrative of an apparatus for manufacturing cu / al wire . an aluminum core material 11 is paid off from a core material supply block 13 and straightened by a straightener 14 . the straightened core material is cleaned by a surface cleaning unit 15 and introduced into a casting die 18 . simultaneously , a copper tape 12 paid off from a copper tape supply block 16 is similarly cleaned by a surface cleaning unit 17 and introduced into the casting die 18 so as to be laid along the core material 11 . the thus laid copper tape 12 in the casting die 18 is cast to clad the core material 11 concentrically . the side ends of the copper tape 12 to be jointed is butt - welded by a tig welder 20 . the thus welded materials are then formed into a cladding wire d by a cladding die 21 and rewound by a rewinder 24 . in the form of cladding wire the aluminum core material 11 and the copper tape 12 are in intimate mechanical contact with each other . in fig2 reference numeral 19 designates a squeeze roller ; 22 , a shielded container for forming nonoxide atmosphere ; and 23 , a rewinding capstan . fig3 is a diagram illustrative of an apparatus for manufacturing cu / al composite wire when a tubular claddingding material is used . cu / al composite wires in each of which the copper clad layer forms 30 % of the cross - sectional area of the wire were obtained by cladding and drawing while using the apparatus for manufacturing cu / al composite wire shown in fig2 under the following conditions . the core materials were the aluminum alloy wires made of : ( a ) pure aluminum ( jis1050 ); ( b ) al - cu alloy ( jis2011 ); ( c ) al - mn alloy ( jis3003 ); ( d ) al - si alloy ( jis4047 ); ( e ) al - mg - si alloy ( jis6061 ); ( f ) al - mg alloy ( jis5056 ) and ( g ) al - mg alloy containing 0 . 9 percent by weight of mg ( jis5005 ) (( f ) and ( g ) were core materials of the invention ). the diameter of each core wire was set to 8 . 5 mmφ . the cladding material was a copper tape of 1 . 0 mm thick and 55 mm wide made of oxygen free copper ( 99 . 99 %). a cladding die whose diameter is 10 . 2 mmφ and whose half angle α is 30 ° was used to clad and draw the materials . further , ( h ) a cu / al composite wire in which the copper clad layer takes up 42 % of the cross - sectional area of the wire was produced by cladding and drawing the core material al - mg alloy ( jis5056 ) and a cladding material copper tape of 1 . 4 mm thick and 55 mm wide made of oxygen free copper . in this case , a cladding die whose diameter was 11 . 2 mmφ and whose half angle α was 25 ° was used . still further , a cu / al composite wire in which the copper cladding layer forms 16 . 5 % of the cross - sectional area of the wire was obtained by cladding and drawing the core material ( jis5056 ) and a copper tape of 0 . 5 mm thick and 40 mm wide made of oxygen free copper . in this case , a cladding die whose diameter was 9 . 3 mmφ , whose half angle α was 25 °, and whose bearing length was 1 . 9 mm was employed . these cu / al composite wires were cold - drawn to reduce their diameter to 4 . 0 mmφ and then annealed at 300 ° c . for one hour . the annealed wires were cold - drawn again so that their diameter was reduced to 1 . 0 mmφ and annealed again at 300 ° c . for one hour . the thus heat - treated wires were subjected to cold drawing to reduce the diameter to as thin as 0 . 15 mmφ . while the cu / al composite wires using the al - cu alloy and the al - mg - si alloy as the core materials were subjected to a solution treatment at 520 ° c . as an additional heat treatment to improve the strength of the 1 . 0 mmφ semi - finished wires , brittle cu - al intermetallic compounds were produced at the boundary and this caused breakage of the wires . consequently , the treatment was suspended at this point . the cu / al composite wires whose diameter reached 0 . 15 mmφ without breakage were subjected to mechanical property tests such as a tensile strength test ( kgf / mm 2 ), a bending resistance test shown in fig4 ( a )- 4 ( b ) as well as a soldering test . further , a salt spray test was conducted on these wires in the atmosphere using 5 % salt water ( ph = 6 . 5 to 7 . 2 ) at 35 °± 1 ° c . in spraying amounts of from 0 . 5 to 3 . 0 cc / hour . fig4 ( a ) to 4 ( d ) are diagrams illustrative of the bending test . an end of a sample piece of cu / al composite wire 32 is clamped between a pair of steel blocks 31 , each having a roundness value of corner ( r ) of 0 . 5 mm , and a weight 33 weighing 50 g is suspended on the other end ( fig4 ( a )). then , the steel blocks 31 were tilted 90 ° toward the right as shown in fig4 ( b ) to bend the composite wire 32 . this operation was counted as one bending . the steel blocks 31 were returned in the original position as shown in fig4 ( c ) and were then tilted toward the left to give a second bending to the composite wire 32 as shown in fig4 ( d ). by repeating this operation , the number of bendings was counted until the wire was broken . the core material composition , processed states , and mechanical properties of the above - mentioned cu / al composite wires are shown in table 1 . for reference , comparative examples of a single strand of titanium wire , a single strand of duralumin wire , and a single strand of tough - pitch wire , whose diameter is 0 . 15 mmφ , are also presented . table 1__________________________________________________________________________type of core material and major element added ( wt %) jis cu coverage conductivityno . no . cu si mn mg cr al (%) specific gravity iacs__________________________________________________________________________ % 1 1050 ≦ ≦ ≦ ≦ -- ≧ 30 4 . 5 71 0 . 05 0 . 25 0 . 05 0 . 05 99 . 52 2011 5 . 5 0 . 2 -- -- -- remaining &# 34 ; 4 . 7 58 content3 2011 5 . 5 0 . 2 -- -- -- remaining &# 34 ; 4 . 7 58 content4 3003 1 . 1 0 . 2 1 . 2 -- -- remaining &# 34 ; &# 34 ; 65 content5 4047 0 . 1 12 0 . 1 0 . 05 -- remaining &# 34 ; &# 34 ; 55 content6 6061 0 . 3 0 . 6 0 . 1 1 . 0 0 . 2 remaining &# 34 ; &# 34 ; 61 content7 6061 0 . 3 0 . 6 0 . 1 1 . 0 0 . 2 remaining &# 34 ; &# 34 ; 61 content ( 8 ) 5056 0 . 05 0 . 1 0 . 1 5 . 2 0 . 10 remaining 30 4 . 5 52 content ( 9 ) 5052 0 . 10 0 . 25 0 . 1 2 . 5 0 . 20 remaining 25 4 . 3 52 content10 5056 0 . 05 0 . 1 0 . 1 5 . 2 0 . 10 remaining 16 . 5 3 . 7 39 content11 5005 0 . 08 0 . 2 0 . 1 0 . 8 -- remaining 30 4 . 5 66 content12 5056 0 . 05 0 . 1 0 . 1 5 . 2 0 . 10 remaining 42 5 . 3 59 content13 single - strand titanium wire 4 . 5 2 . 214 single - strand duralumin wire ( jis 2011 ) 2 . 8 4015 single - strand tough - pitch copper wire 8 . 9 100__________________________________________________________________________ tensile bending test strength at ( 50 g , 0 . 5 mmr , 0 . 15 mmφ right - angle solder - 500 - hour salt spray testno . drawability up to 0 . 15 mmφ ( kgf / mm . sup . 2 ) bending ) ability end face surface__________________________________________________________________________1 δ frequently broken 22 35 ◯ al core was no corroded by 8 corrosion2 δ frequently broken 29 39 ◯ al core was no corroded by 35 corrosion3 x no . 2 was subjected to t6 treatment cannot cannot -- -- -- ( 500 ° c . → water · cooled → 170 ° c . × be be 10 hr ), but embrittled and broken . measured measured4 δ frequently broken 27 40 ◯ al core was no corroded by 3 corrosion5 δ frequently broken 36 49 ◯ al core was no corroded by 25 corrosion6 δ frequently broken 29 37 ◯ al core was no corroded by 9 corrosion7 x no . 6 was subjected to t6 treatment cannot cannot -- -- -- ( 500 ° c . → water · cooled → 170 ° c . × be be 10 hr ), but embrittled and broken . measured measured ( 8 ) ◯ good drawability 48 81 ◯ al core was no corroded by 0 . 8 corrosion ( 9 ) ◯ good drawability 47 80 ◯ al core was no corroded by 1 . 0 corrosion10 ◯ good drawability 54 98 δ cu layer al core was no easy to corroded by 0 . 8 corrosion break11 δ frequently broken 28 40 ◯ al core was no corroded by 4 . 5 corrosion12 ◯ good drawability , but not light 40 71 ◯ al core was no corroded by 0 . 8 corrosion13 x poor drawability 75 105 x ◯ no corrosion14 δ frequently broken , t6 treatment done . after t6 69 x corroded along same as left treatment total length with no 50 trace of original form . 15 ◯ good drawability , but heavy 46 40 ◯ ◯ no corrosion__________________________________________________________________________ note : nos . ( 8 ) and ( 9 ) are cu / al composite wires of the invention . nos . 13 , 14 and 15 are comparative singlestrand wire samples . an ordinary electric conductor whose total cross - sectional area was from 0 . 34 to 0 . 5 mm 2 such as shown in fig5 was prepared by stranding a total of 19 single solid conductors of each of the cu / al composite wires of the invention ( nos . 8 and 9 ), the cu / al composite wires ( nos . 10 and 12 ), the duralumin wire ( no . 14 ) and the tough - pitch copper wire ( no . 15 ) as comparative examples . the mechanical properties of these electric wires are shown in table 2 . while the tensile load ( kgf ) and soldering test conditions are the same as applied to the single wires , the bending test and salt spray test conditions were the same except that the weight was 1 kg in the bending test and the ends were covered with waterproof caps in the salt spray test . table 2__________________________________________________________________________ conduc - tensile salt spray outside tivity load number character - diameter (%/ ( kgf / weight of solder - isticno . material of conductor makeup ( mm ) iacs ) mm . sup . 2 ) ( g / m ) bendings ability ( surface ) __________________________________________________________________________wires 8 cu / al composite wire 19 conduc - 0 . 76 52 17 . 8 1 . 66 415 ◯ ◯ of tors / 0 . 15 mmφthe 9 &# 34 ; 19 conduc - &# 34 ; &# 34 ; 17 . 0 1 . 59 403 ◯ ◯ inven - tors / 0 . 15 mmφtioncompara - 12 &# 34 ; 19 conduc - &# 34 ; 60 14 . 9 1 . 96 360 ◯ ◯ tive tors / 0 . 15 mmφwires 14 duralumin 19 conduc - &# 34 ; 40 17 . 5 1 . 04 348 x x tors / 0 . 15 mmφ 15 tough - pitch copper 19 conduc - &# 34 ; 99 16 . 8 3 . 29 359 ◯ ◯ tors / 0 . 15 mmφ 10 cu / al composite wire 19 conduc - &# 34 ; 38 19 . 8 1 . 37 501 δ x tors / 0 . 15 mmφ__________________________________________________________________________ as is apparent from table 1 , the cu / al composite wire of the invention is comparable to titanium wire with respect to the specific gravity . the wire of the invention is about half the weight of the single - strand copper wire with a satisfactory conductivity that is larger than single - strand titanium and duralumin wires . the simple heat treatment at below 400 ° c . and drawing process contributes to making strength of the core material greater than that of the copper cladding layer , thus providing satisfactory drawability to produce wire whose diameter is 0 . 15 mmφ . in addition , the tensile strength is increased appropriately while ensuring acceptable bending resistance . this means that the composite wire of the invention is effective as a conductor used at locations to which bending and bending vibration are added . since the composite wire of the invention has such a ratio in cross - sectional area of the copper cladding layer to the core as to allow soldering heat to be released , thereby ensuring satisfactory soldering reliability . it is found from table 2 that the cu / al composite wire of the invention has the following advantages . compared with the stranded tough - pitch copper wire ( no . 15 ) as the ordinary electric wire in current use , the composite wire obtained by the invention not only has greater tensile strength and better bending resistance but also is lighter and equal in solderability and salt spray characteristic . since the no . 10 stranded cu / al composite wire had remarkably low conductivity and was thin because of the small cu layer coverage , the cu layer was damaged during stranding or handling , and the damaged portion was locally corroded or broken due to salt water spraying . thus , this wire ( no . 15 ) was unsuitable . the no . 12 stranded cu / al composite wire , because of the higher cu layer coverage , is not only inferior to the tough - pitch copper wire in current use in terms of tensile load , but also heavier . fig7 shows the shield effects of the sample piece wires . it was found for the first time that the nos . 8 and 9 cu / al composite wires shown in table 1 exhibited a characteristic similar to copper wire in high frequencies . therefore , the cu / al composite wire of the invention is extremely effective when used in fields such as requiring a small diameter , a certain tensile strength , lightness ( lighter than copper wire ) and soldering reliability at end surfaces ; e . g ., internal conductors of coaxial cables , electromagnetic shield braided wire , voice cords for tweeters , wiring conductors for airplanes and automobiles , wiring conductors of domestic appliances such as portable vtrs and tv sets , magnet wire for motors , and the like . since long and continuous wire can be obtained by the invention , the cu / al composite wire may be used as a filler material for use in tig ( tungsten inert gas ) and mig ( metal inert gas ) cladding by welding . | 8 |
in the following detailed description , numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the invention . however , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details . in other instances , well - known methods , procedures , and components have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the present invention . applicants have realized the standard data connector used to connect modules in electronic devices is slow and keeps the rate of data transfer between units relatively slow . applicants have further realized that a faster connection may be that of a pcb connection . the main advantages of using a pcb for the actual connection are ( a ) higher communication speeds may be achieved due to controlled impedances in the pcb ( which is an electrical property influenced by the dimensions , thickness and height , and the dielectric constant of the pcb material ); and ( b ) reduced electromagnetic interference ( emi ) in pcbs as opposed to connectors reference is now made to fig1 which schematically illustrates an electronic device 10 , for example a programmable logic controller ( plc ), including multiple pcb connection units 100 connecting a plurality of modules 12 a - 12 c together , and to fig2 which schematically illustrates a perspective view of plc 10 , according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention . modules 12 a , 12 b and 12 c may include a base pcb 14 a , 14 b , and 14 c with electronic circuitry for performing functions associated with the respective module ( e . g . processing circuitry , i / o circuitry , power supply / conversion circuitry , etc .). each pcb 14 a , 14 b and 14 c may additionally include two pcb edge card sockets , a first edge card socket 104 a and a second edge card socket 104 b on opposing edges of the pcbs , in electrical contact with the electronic circuitry in the pcb . according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention , pcb connection unit 100 is configured to electrically interconnect two pcbs . the pcbs may be two adjacent pcbs inside an electronic device , or may be two pcbs in adjacent modules in an electronic device / system . pcb connection unit 100 may allow serial connection of a plurality of pcbs inside an electronic device , a plurality of modules , and a plurality of electronic devices , by using the connection unit to connect one pcb to another in a chain - type configuration . for example , four pcbs may be serially connected within an electronic device by connecting one pcb to the other using pcb connection unit 100 . as another example , four modules may be serially connected together by connecting at least one pcb in each module to a pcb in the adjacent module using pcb connection unit 100 . the center modules , for example , may have two pcbs , one on each side , connecting to an adjacent module on each side of the module using pcb connection unit 100 . similarly , in another example , four electronic devices may be serially connected together by connecting at least one pcb in each device to a pcb in the adjacent device using pcb connection unit 100 . the center device , for example , may have two pcbs , one on each side , connecting to an adjacent device on each side of the module using pcb connection unit 100 . one skilled in the art may realize that a plurality of pcb connection units 100 may be used to connect a pcb to a plurality of pcbs . as an example , the plurality of pcb connection units 100 may be used to connect 4 pcbs to a pcb along all the sides of the pcb ( along both sides of the length and both sides of the width of the pcb ). the skilled in the art may also realize that many other connection combinations may be possible , and that the plurality of connections to one pcb may be equally applicable to all pcbs in a serial connection as well as for connection modules and devices . according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention , pcb connection unit 100 may electrically interconnect adjacent modules , for example , pcb 14 a in module 12 a with pcb 14 b in module 12 b , and pcb 14 b in module 12 b with pcb 14 c in module 12 c . pcb connection unit 100 may include a connector 102 which may be configured to fit into a pcb edge card socket in one pcb and into a second pcb edge card socket in an adjacent pcb , and to create an electrical path between the sockets . for example , connector 102 may fit into pcb edge card socket 104 a in module 12 c and into edge card socket 104 b in module 14 b creating the electrical path between the edge card sockets and electrically interconnecting pcbs 14 b and 14 c . modules 12 a - 12 c may include slots 16 ( fig2 ) on externally opposing walls of each module through which connector 102 may physically extend from one pcb in one module to another pcb in the adjacent module . for example , from pcb 14 c through slots 16 in modules 12 c and 12 b , to pbc 14 b , and from pcb 14 b in module 12 b through slots 16 in modules 12 b and 12 a to pcb 14 a . according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention , pcb connection unit 100 may allow a user to electrically connect and disconnect modules , for example modules 12 a and 12 b , and 12 b and 12 c , with relative ease and in a relatively short time . pcb edge card socket 104 a in each module 12 a , 12 b , and 12 c may be configured to allow connector 102 to reciprocally slide through the socket into and out of pcb edge card socket 104 b for making and breaking the electrical connection between the modules . a window 18 may be included in each module 12 a - 12 c which may be accessed by a user to allow the user to manipulate connector 102 for electrically connecting and disconnecting adjacent pcbs ( and thereby adjacent modules ). for example , the user may access window 18 to disconnect one module from another when replacing a module , or to connect a newly installed module . through window 18 , the user may laterally push connector pcb 102 so that it slides through edge card socket 104 a in one module and through slots 16 in the modules into edge card socket 104 b in the other module , establishing the electrical connection . for disconnecting , the user may laterally pull on connector 102 through window 18 , sliding the connector away from edge card socket 104 b in the other module . additionally , the user may pull on connector 102 until it is completely withdrawn from the other module . in fig1 and 2 , connector 102 in module 12 c is shown inserted into pcb edge card socket 104 b in module 12 b connecting the modules together , connector 102 in module 12 b is shown inserted into pcb edge card socket 104 b in module 12 a connecting the modules together , and connector 102 in module 12 a is shown inside the module , in a disconnect mode . connector 102 may include a handle or lever 16 which the user may use to reciprocally slide ( laterally push and pull ) the connector through pcb edge card socket 104 a , into and out of pcb edge card socket 104 b . additionally or alternatively , connector 102 may include a notch or similar feature which may accommodate a tool such as , for example , a screwdriver , which may be used to by the user to laterally push and pull on the connector . reference is now made to fig3 a and 3b which schematically illustrate a side view and a front view of connector 102 , respectively , according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention . connector 102 may include an interconnect board which may be a connector printed circuit board ( pcb ) 108 having contacts 112 in a forward section and a rear section , and with conductor traces 110 electrically connecting the front section contacts 112 a and rear section contacts 112 b . connector 102 may include housing or cover 114 over connector 102 . reference is now also made to fig4 a and 4b which schematically illustrate a side view and a front view a of pcb connection unit 100 with connector 102 electrically interconnecting two pcbs , according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention . the pcbs may be , for example , pcb 14 a in module 12 a and pcb 14 b in module 12 b . according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention , pcb 14 a may include pcb edge card socket 104 b and pcb 14 b may include pcb edge card socket 104 a . edge card sockets 104 a and 104 b may be , but not limited to , a modified version of the guideless sockets from the mini edge card socket mb1 series of samtech inc ., appropriately modified to allow connector 102 to slide inside the sockets . edge card sockets 104 a and 104 b may include an opening 114 adapted to accommodate connector 102 and to allow the connector to be slidingly displaced inside the sockets in a forward and a backward direction . edge card sockets 104 a and 104 b may include contacts 105 in electrical contact with the respective electronic circuitry in pcbs 14 a and 14 b . contacts 105 may be adapted to make electrical contact with contacts 112 a and 112 b in connector 102 when the connector is positioned in the sockets . for example , contacts 105 in edge socket 104 b make electrical contact with forward section contacts 112 a and contacts 105 in edge socket 104 a make electrical contact with rear section contacts 112 b . according to some exemplary embodiment of the present invention , in a typical mode of operation , when pcbs 14 a and 14 b are disconnected , connector 102 may be positioned inside edge card socket 104 a . to make the electrical connection , the user pushes on handle 106 , laterally displacing connector 102 so that it slides inside edge card socket 104 a towards , and into , edge card connector 104 b . once inserted into edge card connector 104 b , the electrical connection is made between pcbs 14 a and 14 b . electricity flow between pcb 14 a and 14 b may then be facilitated by the electrical contact between pcb 14 a through the contacts 105 in edge card connector 104 b and front section contacts 112 a , contacts 105 in edge card connector 104 a and rear section contacts 112 b , and conductor trace 110 connecting the front section and rear section contacts in connector pcb 108 . to break the electrical connection , the user pulls handle 106 laterally displacing connector 102 so that is slides inside edge card socket 104 a away from , and out of , edge card socket 104 b . one of ordinary skill in the art may realize that electricity flow between pcbs 14 a and 14 b may be across connector pcb 108 in any direction and not necessarily limited to a particular direction . furthermore , one may realize that the above description regarding the direction of insertion and retrieval of connector 102 is not intended to be limiting and that the direction of insertion and retrieval may be from edge card socket 104 b instead of from edge card socket 104 a as described above . it will be appreciated that , with the pcb connection provided by the present invention , adding extensions to existing devices may be done with relative ease and speed , without sacrificing performance generally associated with electrical connectivity restraints . unless specifically stated otherwise , as apparent from the preceding discussions , it is appreciated that , throughout the specification , discussions utilizing terms such as “ processing ,” “ computing ,” “ calculating ,” “ determining ,” or the like , refer to the action and / or processes of a computer , computing system , or similar electronic computing device that manipulates and / or transforms data represented as physical , such as electronic , quantities within the computing system &# 39 ; s registers and / or memories into other data similarly represented as physical quantities within the computing system &# 39 ; s memories , registers or other such information storage , transmission or display devices . while certain features of the invention have been illustrated and described herein , many modifications , substitutions , changes , and equivalents will now occur to those of ordinary skill in the art . it is , therefore , to be understood that the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications and changes as fall within the true spirit of the invention . | 7 |
the present invention relates to apparatus and methods for more effectively analyzing raw data . many specific details of certain embodiments in the invention are set forth in the following description and in fig1 – 10 to provide a thorough understanding of such embodiments . one skilled in the art , however , will understand that the present invention may have additional embodiments , or that the present invention may be practiced without several of the details described in the following description . fig1 illustrates a computer system 20 that includes a processor with associated memory 24 , a display device 28 , and user interface devices such as a keyboard 32 and a mouse 34 . the processor and memory 24 execute an application program for generating an optimized curve and first and second derivative curves of inputted raw data . the generated optimized curve and the first and second derivative curves of the inputted raw data are displayed on the display device 28 for analysis by a user . the computer system 20 may be linked directly or indirectly with devices that gather raw data . devices that gather raw data can be any of a number of different types of devices such as temperature or stress sampling equipment , or any other device that gathers data . also , the computer system 20 may analyze pre - existing systems in order to allow reverse engineering by performing an analysis of data of the existing system . fig1 a – c and 12 a – c , described below , provide an example of applying the computer system 20 to reverse engineering data for purposes of extracting a feature from a cloud of points . the computer system 20 is a general purpose digital computer . it can be appreciated that the computer system 20 may be linked to other computer systems and computer system components across a public or private data network . fig2 and 3 illustrate processes performed by the application program stored and executed by the processor and memory 24 of the computer system 20 . the processes of fig2 and 3 receive and analyze raw data and output optimized curves according to the received raw data . referring to fig2 , an exemplary process 100 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention begins by receiving raw data at a block 104 . at a block 106 , a user is prompted to set a tube radius and a percentage of points outside a tube . the set tube radius defines the radius of a cylindrical tube that is used to identify weight values of raw data points relative to a curve . the percentage of points outside of the tube is a threshold value set to limit or identify what percentage of data points can be outside of the defined tube . it can be appreciated that the tube radius and the percentage of data points outside the tube may be automatically set to default values . at a block 110 , the application program generates a curve of the raw data based on the tube radius and percentage of data points outside the tube . this step is described in more detail below with reference to fig3 a and 3b . at a block 112 , the application program generates images of the generated curve , the tube associated with the curve , first and second derivatives of the generated curve , and error reports regarding the generated curve . at a block 114 , the application presents or displays the generated tube , curve , first and second derivative curves , and the reports to a user . referring now to fig3 a and 3b , a process 200 is shown for generating an optimized curve of the raw data based on the set tube radius and percentage of data points outside the tube ( block 110 , fig2 ) in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention . at a block 204 , a default curve is provided relative to the first data point and the last data point and weight values are set for each data point of the received raw data . in this embodiment , weight values for data points vary from 0 to 1 and the default setting that occurs at the block 204 is to set the weight values for each data point at 1 , thus meaning that data points are assumed to be within the tube . at a block 206 , the program determines relative error values for each data point based on the provided default curve and the set tube radius . at a block 208 , the program automatically adjusts the default curve based on the determined relative error values . the curve is a non - uniform rational b - spline that includes a plurality of components , such as b - spline coefficients , knots , and parameters ( a mapping between the data points and the b - spline coefficients ). due to the high - continuity desired , b - spline coefficients and knots are paired . the b - spline coefficients ( knots ) of the curve are adjusted based on the relative error values prior to optimization . for each iteration , one knot ( with its coefficient ) is inserted where it is expected to do the most good for the fit ( generally in a region of the most error ). this step also provides one more degree of freedom to the optimizer . within the optimization step ( described below ), the parameters can change via call - back according to knowledge obtained by movement through the optimization space . next , at a block 212 , the weight values for each of the data points are adjusted based on the determined relative error values . if a data point is within the tube , the weight value equals 1 , otherwise , the weight value is equal to or greater than 0 and less than 1 . at a decision block 214 , the program determines if the weight value for a data point is below a threshold value . if it is determined that the weight value for a data point is below the threshold value , at a block 218 , the program puts that data point into an outlier stack ( i . e ., removes the data point from the set of data points used to adjust the curve ) and then proceeds to a block 220 to process the next data point . if the weight value for the data point is not below the threshold value , the program proceeds to the next data point , see the block 220 . at a decision block 224 , the program returns to the decision block 214 if not all the data points have been analyzed with regard to their weight value . if all the data points have been analyzed as determined by the decision block 224 , the program continues to the decision block 228 ( fig3 b ). at the decision block 228 , the program determines if all the data points are within the tube defined by the tube radius and the present curve . if all the data points are within the tube , then the curve accurately describes the raw data , the curve - generating process 200 is complete , and the process 100 continues to the block 112 ( fig2 ). if not all the data points are within the tube at a decision block 228 , then at a block 230 , the program determines if the number of data points in the outlier stack is greater than or equal to the percentage of data points outside of the tube . if the percentage data points in the outlier stack are greater than or equal to the pre - set percentage of data points outside the tube ( block 230 ), the curve - generating process 200 ( fig3 a and 3b ) is complete , and the process 100 continues to the block 112 ( fig2 ). as further shown in fig3 b , if the determination at block 230 is negative , then at a decision block 232 , the process 200 identifies whether a threshold of acceptable error values has been reached . if it is determined that the sum of all the weight values is less than the threshold amount , then it is apparent that the present curve is not effective for describing the present data points , and the process 200 returns to the block 110 ( fig2 ) for generating a new curve . if at the decision block 232 the weight values are greater than the threshold amount , the process continues to a decision block 234 that determines if a time limit has expired . the decision block 234 keeps the program from performing an infinite loop or just processing data for too long . if the time limit has expired , the program is complete and returns to the block 112 ( fig2 ). if a time limit has not expired , the process continues to a decision block 236 that determines if the number of iterations is greater than a threshold amount . in one particular embodiment , an iteration is performed every time the curve and weight values are adjusted , the blocks 208 and 212 . if the number of iterations are greater than the threshold amount , the program is complete and returns to the block 112 ( fig2 ). if the number of iterations is less than the threshold amount , the process continues to a decision block 240 where the program is complete if the user has performed a cancellation operation . otherwise , the program returns to fig3 a at a block 244 . at the block 244 , the program determines relative error values for each data point based on the most recently adjusted curve , and then returns to the block 208 where the curve is adjusted based on these newly determined relative error values . it can be appreciated that the decision steps in the process described above may be placed in various order without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . during each iteration of the process 100 , spline knowledge is used to adjust the working elements ( coefficients / knots , parameters ) of the present curve . for instance , where there is a collection of data points outside the tube that are not identified as outliers , the curve may be partitioned into another segment in order to move that portion of the curve closer to those data points . in certain situations , the program will put all weights back to 1 . 0 in order to force recalculation . for each iteration , an objective function is applied and information about a problem space is used to guide sparse optimal control software ( socs ). in this case , the problem space uses spline representation . the objective function is stated as : ssq = the sum of the squared errors for each point that is in scope , fpart = smoothness information , and gamma = a factor that allows ssq to have more weight than fpart ( i . e ., fit is more important than smoothness ). the call to socs is two - way which allows the program to ask for information as it is needed . sparse techniques allow faster computation in general than do non - sparse techniques . the information given to socs allows the loop to hypothesize and test minor modifications at locations on the curve during one iteration . between iterations , this routine evaluates the curve at each point . the fit information is fed to an outlier routine , which takes points out of scope or adjusts their weights according to the error analysis . the object function is re - calculated for the next iteration . next , fbar and fpart are re - adjusted with new curve information . for each point with an error greater than the tube radius , the error is reported . in the outlier routine , the fit information is used to take points out of scope up to the percentage specified by percent outlier . points can have weights between 0 and 1 . points with a weight of 1 . 0 are in the tube . points outside the tube have weights less than 1 . 0 sufficient to influence the solution as if they are in the tube . once a point is weighted zero , it is out of scope , and it does not influence the solution . the technique used is a form of robust regression . fig4 – 10 illustrate an example processing of a 200 second interval of raw data associated with the cooling of an aluminum alloy in accordance with an embodiment of the invention . referring to fig4 , a graph is shown that illustrates a raw temperature cooling data 300 graphed relative to temperature and time , and a first derivative 304 of the raw temperature cooling data 300 graphed relative to time and cooling rate . the data illustrated in fig4 may be presented to the user prior to execution of the process 100 . fig5 illustrates a screen shot of a user interface of the application program as displayed on the display device 28 ( fig1 ). the user interface includes a variable setting window 320 adjacent to windows 324 – 328 that illustrate various zoomed views of data points of the raw data 300 . in the variable setting window 320 , the user uses the interface device ( keyboard 32 or mouse 34 ) or some other user interface device of the computer system 20 to access a modifiable attributes window 332 . the modifiable attributes window 332 allows the user to set a tube radius value and a percent of data points outside the tube value . the modifiable attributes window 332 may include other adjustable attributes , such as a number of curve transitions variable and a degree variable . the number of curve transitions variable is a threshold limit for the number of significant slope transitions that a generated curve would allow . since the result is provided using the b - spline representation , the degree variable allows the researcher to control the order of the related polynomials . the default value of 3 is generally sufficient , however some data handling situations may warrant use of a different value than the cubic default . in the tube zoom view windows 326 and 328 , the data points are identified by the cross hairs and a generated curve 344 is shown . fig6 is a screen shot that includes the variable setting window 320 , a curve section viewing window 350 , and two zoomed view windows 352 and 354 of the generated curve 344 and an associated tube 358 and 360 . curve 344 is the centerline of the tube which is represented by longitudinal lines that are in the same direction as curve 344 and by rib lines ( of length 2 times the input radius ) that are perpendicular to curve 344 . fig7 a and b illustrate a tube 380 generated by the processes 100 ( fig2 and 3 ). a line 382 connects the data points of the raw data . the section of the tube 380 and the line 382 shown in fig7 b is a zoom of a section 390 shown in fig7 a . the tube 380 is positioned to include the generated curve ( not shown ). the display of the line 382 with the tube 380 allows a user to visually determine how well the application program performed in generating the curve . fig8 illustrates a screen shot of the window 320 . the window 320 includes a modify attribute value window 400 that allows a user to change any of the attributes within the modifiable attributes window 332 . in this example , the user is changing the tube radius value from 0 . 15 to 0 . 10 . adjacent to the window 320 is a display area 324 for displaying at least a section of the raw data . fig9 illustrates a graph 410 that presents the results of the process 100 . the graph 410 illustrates an optimized aluminum alloy temperature cooling curve 420 that is the result of aluminum alloy temperature cooling raw data received by the computer system 20 . also illustrated are first and second derivative curves 422 and 424 , respectively , of the optimized curve 420 . fig1 illustrates a screen shot that includes a first window 450 that illustrates the raw data , a second window 452 that illustrates a section of the first and second derivative curves of the optimized curve , and the window 320 that includes an error analysis window 458 . the error analysis window 458 presents the fit error rate of the optimized curve for all of the data points , the fit error rate for the optimized curve of the data points that are within the tube , and the fit error rate of just the data points that are outside of the defined tube . the data included in the error analysis window 458 may be presented in various formats to the user on the display device 28 or may be printed on a printing device ( not shown ). fig1 illustrates a reverse engineering example that applies the invention to discover a tube within a massive set of sampled points . window 500 shows a portion of data obtained through advanced point sampling methods . the view of window 500 includes millions of points that represent frames , stringers , tubes ( to - be - discovered tube 502 ), wire bundles , and other components from an existing aircraft ( length across window 500 is about 60 inches ). windows 504 and 506 are zooms into one area of window 500 . clamp 508 and tube 512 are common to both views . tube 512 is a geometric entity that represents the to - be - discovered tube 502 . the other items in windows 504 and 506 are points . the points in window 506 have been decimated to allow for ease of viewing . fig1 illustrates the process of finding a seam within the points for the tube using the invention . window 520 shows the same view as window 506 and includes the points and the radius tube ( tube 522 ) that surrounds the seam . window 520 is a zoom that shows the relationship between the points and tube 522 . the center line of tube 522 is the seam of the to - be - discovered tube 502 ( window 500 ). clamp 508 is visible in windows 520 and 524 to show a common reference point . window 524 shows both the radius tube ( tube 522 ) and the discovered tube ( tube 508 ). the mechanism supported by the invention requires minimal human intervention in terms of defining the scope that is based upon the intuitive concept of a seam . while preferred and alternate embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described , as noted above , many changes can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . accordingly , the scope of the invention is not limited by the disclosure of these preferred and alternate embodiments . instead , the invention should be determined entirely by reference to the claims that follow . | 6 |
oviwun has an on - board stability and control system . the vehicle utilizes a sensor suite to monitor its state . the normal state is upright , the shrouded propellers are parallel to the ground and the body is perpendicular ground , as seen in fig4 . the stability and control system can report the vehicle &# 39 ; s state three different ways depending on the mode of operation : ( 1 .) rate based state - expressed in degrees per second ( 2 .) attitude based state - expressed in degrees ( 3 .) position based state - expressed as a desired position in free space position may be relative to a fixed starting point and measured in feet or meters . or absolute and expressed in longitude , latitude , and altitude above sea level . although the expression of the unit may change , the basic response of the vehicle is the same . movements and the speed of the vehicle ( in all directions ) are achieved by adjusting the tilt of oviwun &# 39 ; s two shrouded propellers and the speed of the two motors . when perturbed ; whether during take off , in - flight , or landing ; deviations in the vehicle &# 39 ; s normal state ( body tilt ) are detected by the sensor array . the detected deviations are sent to the vehicle controller . the vehicle controller corrects these deviations by utilizing the flight controls to counter - act the variations measured the sensor array . the machine is controlled by an operator , by issuing a state change via a wireless remote . ( fig2 control flow ) by varying the vehicle &# 39 ; s normal state , the operator can cause movement in the following directions : forward , backward , right , left , clockwise , counter - clockwise , up , and down . movements of the vehicle are expressed as roll ( left or right ), pitch ( fore or aft ), yaw ( clockwise or counter - clockwise ) and altitude ( up or down ). also the speed of the movements ( change in direction / change in time ) can be controlled by the amount of control deflection . pitch and yaw are controlled by the two shrouded propellers rotating about their common axis . altitude and roll are controlled by increasing or decreasing the motor speed . to change the vehicle position , the operator sends a state change command . for example to move forward , the operator would change the normal state to allow the vehicle &# 39 ; s shrouded propellers to tilt forward while the body continues to remain upright . the resulting change in the thrust vector would cause the machine to move forward . the speed of the movement would be determined by the amount of forward duct tilt . these four movements roll , pitch , yaw , and altitude occur as follows : altitude , movement up or down , is set by controlling the speed of both left and right motors . fan speed is expressed in revolutions per minute ( rpm ). in order for the machine to rise up or down without moving to the left or right , both fans must increase or decreased the same amount of rpm . failure to increase the rpm the same amount would cause the machine to roll to the left or right . to raise the altitude , the rpm of each fan is increased . to reduce altitude , the rpm of each fan is decreased . roll is defined as the left - right movement of the machine as viewed from the rear ( see fig5 ) and is controlled by increasing rpm of one fan , while simultaneously decreasing the rpm of the opposite fan the same amount . the uneven thrust creates a left or right direction change depending on which motor rpm is increased or decreased . because the shrouded propellers are fixed to the body centerline at right angles in this axis , the body must tilt to achieve roll maneuvers . roll control is the only axis change that affects the body angle . roll and altitude are controlled by the left and right motor rpm . due to this fact , the roll and altitude controls must be mixed together and the combined output sent to the control surfaces . mixing is achieved by summing the roll and altitude commands going to each motor separately . mixing is essential , this allows the machine to share resources ( the motors ) and execute compound maneuvers . the summing matrix is shown in fig3 — software mixing detail . for example the machine can gain altitude and roll left at the same time . this is achieved by summing the altitude and roll command ( see fig4 and fig5 ). both motors will increase (+) motor rpm to gain altitude . at the same time the roll left requires the left motor to decrease (−) rpm and the right motor to increase (+) rpm . the summing of these commands will cause both left and right motors to increase rpm , but not the same amount . the left motor will have a slightly lower rpm due to the concurrent roll left . pitch is controlled by rotating the two shrouded propellers in the same direction . this rotation about the common axis , redirects some of the motors thrust causing the machine to respond in pitch . the fans are moved together in the same direction and vehicle responds in pitch , moving forward if both control surfaces are tilted forward , and rearward if both control surfaces are tilted back . the speed of the movement is determined by the amount of control deflection . if the control surfaces are not moved the same amount a yaw ( heading change ) will occur . yaw ( heading ) is controlled by rotating the two shrouded propellers in opposite directions . this rotation , no longer perpendicular to the vehicle body , redirects some of the motor &# 39 ; s thrust causing the machine to respond in yaw . yaw control utilizes the same two controls as pitch . yaw is controlled in the following manner : as viewed from the top of the machine , yaw , clockwise ( cw ) and counter - clockwise ( ccw ), movements are controlled by moving the shrouded propellers in opposite directions . to create a counter clock wise ( ccw ) movement the left fan is tilted rearward and at the same time the right fan is moved on the opposite direction , forward . the amount of movement of each fan is the same but in opposite directions . to create a clock wise ( cw ) movement the left fan is tilted forward and at the same time the right fan is moved on the opposite direction , rearward . the speed of the rotation is determined by the amount of deflection . pitch and yaw control utilize the same control surfaces simultaneously in different ways to maintain the forward / aft ( pitch ) and cw / ccw ( yaw ) control . in order to do this the pitch and yaw commands must be mixed . mixing is achieved by summing the pitch and yaw command going to each ducted fan separately . the left pitch and yaw is combined independently of the right pitch and yaw commands . the summing matrix is shown in fig3 — software mixing detail . note that the signs of the left right pitch commands are the same and the signs of the yaw command are opposite . changes can be carried out at the same time by mixing or summing the two control outputs . for example if the machine were required to move forward and rotate ccw at the same time the following sequence would occur . the controller ( item 9 ), having determined that the machine needed to rotate ccw and move forward , has processed two separate commands to do so . the controller combines the signals by adding the right duct positive (+) pitch and right duct positive (+) yaw . the controller also adds the left duct positive (+) pitch command with the right duct negative (−) yaw command . the sum of each is sent to its respective actuator . note that left and right pitch commands are always the same sign and left and right yaw command are always opposite signs . ( fig3 ) the vehicle body is prevented from drifting away from its commanded state by a stability augmentation system . the vehicle dynamics require constant monitoring to avoid loss of stability . errors in the vehicle &# 39 ; s state are detected by the sensor array . the controller uses the sensor data to automatically correct the state errors . the controller uses the machine &# 39 ; s controls ( fan tilt and motor rpm ) to correct state errors and maintains the vehicle &# 39 ; s stability . the combination of state errors and command signals are used to determine control response of the vehicle . ( see fig2 ) the controller utilizes an embedded processor to control all of the vehicle &# 39 ; s functions . this controller executes code that runs in a continuous loop . ( fig1 software control ) the loop reads the control inputs and sensor array data , tracks the desired vehicle state , calculates the current vehicle state , and uses current and desired state information to calculate control corrections and mixes output signals to the left and right motors and the left and right ducts . loop rates may vary from 10 to 50 cycles per second depending on the mode of operation . the aircraft takes - off and lands vertically to eliminate the need for take - off or landing strips . additionally , the airframe is compact and has a relatively small footprint so that ground storage and transportation needs are minimized . the shrouded nature of the propellers also allows the aircraft to get near to and even come in contact with obstacles without causing damage to the aircraft or obstacle , while still being able to maintain its flight regime and carryout its mission . the shrouded propellers are located laterally and counter - rotate . the shrouds are located higher than the aircrafts center of gravity . the propellers rotate along a common axis , together for pitch control , individually for roll control . the blades of the propellers may be fixed . in an embodiment there are electric motors within the center of the shrouds driving the propellers . the aircraft has onboard sensors to determine attitude and altitude . shrouds are located at least about 75 % of their exit diameter above a ground plane . onboard electronics and sensors housed within the fuselage remain essentially level during flight . in one aspect of the invention , there is an operator controlling the aircraft by sending signals to the aircraft through wireless technology , signaling the aircraft to vertical take - off or land , additional signal inputs from operator sends a signal or multiple signals to the aircraft control system which interprets the commands , and adding or subtracting the signaled inputs from the data generated by the system to keep the system in its normal relationship to the ground , causes the propulsion devices , mounted on the upper portion of the airframe and those propulsion devices each being rotatable about a common axis of rotation , to move , together or independently , and to speed up or slow down the rotation of the propellers within the shrouds , to control the movement of the aircraft . the aircraft offers a safe means of transporting sensors and / or cargo between locations . the aircraft is stable during flight offering an essentially level platform for the sensor package which does not appreciable change with the movement of the aircraft . the extremely compact size of the aircraft offers a small foot print so that the aircraft can be operated in tight quarters and even a modest amount of foliage without damage to obstacles near the aircraft . | 1 |
the following description describes techniques for initiating a trusted or secured environment in a microprocessor system . in the following description , numerous specific details such as logic implementations , software module allocation , encryption techniques , bus signaling techniques , and details of operation are set forth in order to provide a more thorough understanding of the present invention . it will be appreciated , however , by one skilled in the art that the invention may be practiced without such specific details . in other instances , control structures , gate level circuits and full software instruction sequences have not been shown in detail in order not to obscure the invention . those of ordinary skill in the art , with the included descriptions , will be able to implement appropriate functionality without undue experimentation . the invention is disclosed in the form of a microprocessor system . however , the invention may be practiced in other forms of processor such as a digital signal processor , a minicomputer , or a mainframe computer . referring now to fig1 a diagram of an exemplary software environment executing in a microprocessor system is shown . the software shown in fig1 is not trusted ( untrusted ). when operating in a high privilege level , the size and constant updating of the operating system 150 make it very difficult to perform any trust analysis in a timely manner . much of the operating system sits within privilege ring zero ( 0 ), the highest level of privilege . the applications 152 , 154 , and 156 have much reduced privilege and typically reside within privilege ring three ( 3 ). the existence of the differing privilege rings and the separation of the operating system 150 and applications 152 , 154 and 156 into these differing privileged rings would appear to allow operating of the software of fig1 in a trusted mode , based on making a decision to trust the facilities provided by the operating system 150 . however , in practice making such a trust decision is often impractical . factors that contribute to this problem include the size ( number of lines of code ) of the operating system 150 , the fact that the operating system 150 may be the recipient of numerous updates ( new code modules and patches ) and the fact that the operating system 150 may also contain code modules such as device drivers supplied by parties other than the operating system developer . operating system 150 may be a common one such as microsoft ® windows ®, linux , or solaris ®, or may be any other appropriate known or otherwise available operating system . the particular types or names of applications or operating systems run or running are not critical . referring now to fig2 a diagram of certain exemplary trusted or secured software modules and exemplary system environment 200 is shown , according to one embodiment of the present invention . in the fig2 embodiment , processor 202 , processor 212 , processor 222 , and optional other processors ( not shown ) are shown as separate hardware entities . in other embodiments , the number of processors may differ , as may the boundary of various components and functional units . in some embodiments the processors may be replaced by separate hardware execution threads or “ logical processors ” running on one or more physical processors . processors 202 , 212 , 222 may contain certain special circuits or logic elements to support secure or trusted operations . for example , processor 202 may contain secure enter ( senter ) logic 204 to support the execution of special senter instructions that may initiate trusted operations . processor 202 may also contain bus message logic 206 to support special bus messages on system bus 230 in support of special senter operations . in alternate embodiments , memory control functions of chipset 240 may be allocated to circuits within the processors , and for multiple processors may be included on a single die . in these embodiments , special bus messages may also be sent on busses internal to the processors . the use of special bus messages may increase the security or trustability of the system for several reasons . circuit elements such as processors 202 , 212 , and 222 or chipset 240 may only issue or respond to such messages if they contain the appropriate logic elements of embodiments of the present disclosure . therefore successful exchange of the special bus messages may help ensure proper system configuration . special bus messages may also permit activities that should normally be prohibited , such as resetting a platform configuration register 278 . the ability of potentially hostile untrusted code to spy on certain bus transactions may be curtailed by allowing special bus messages to be issued only in response to special security instructions . additionally , processor 202 may contain secure memory 208 to support secure initialization operations . in one embodiment secure memory 208 may be an internal cache of processor 202 , perhaps operating in a special mode . in alternate embodiments secure memory 208 may be special memory . other processors such as processor 212 and processor 222 may also include senter logic 214 , 224 , bus message logic 216 , 226 , and secure memory 218 , 228 . a “ chipset ” may be defined as a group of circuits and logic that support memory and input / output ( i / o ) operations for a connected processor or processors . individual elements of a chipset may be grouped together on a single chip , a pair of chips , or dispersed among multiple chips , including processors . in the fig2 embodiment , chipset 240 may include circuitry and logic to support memory and i / o operations to support processors 202 , 212 , and 222 . in one embodiment , chipset 240 may interface with a number of memory pages 250 through 262 and a device - access page table 248 containing control information indicating whether non - processor devices may access the memory pages 250 through 262 . chipset 240 may include device - access logic 247 that may permit or deny direct memory access ( dma ) from i / o devices to selected portions of the memory pages 250 through 262 . in some embodiment the device access logic 247 may contain all relevant information required to permit or deny such accesses . in other embodiments , the device access logic 247 may access such information held in the device access page table 248 . the actual number of memory pages is not important and will change depending upon system requirements . in other embodiments the memory access functions may be external to chipset 240 . the functions of chipset 240 may further be allocated among one or more physical devices in alternate embodiments . chipset 240 may additionally include its own bus message logic 242 to support special bus messages on system bus 230 in support of special senter operations . some of these special bus messages may include transferring the contents of a key register 244 to a processor 202 , 212 , or 222 , or permitting a special all_joined flag 274 to be examined by a processor 202 , 212 , or 222 . additional features of the bus message logic 242 may be to register bus activity by processors in an “ exists ” register 272 and store certain special bus message activity by processors in a “ joins ” register 272 . equality of contents of exists register 272 and joins register 272 may be used to set the special all_joined flag 274 to indicate all processors in the system are participating in the secure enter process . chipset 240 may support standard i / o operations on i / o busses such as peripheral component interconnect ( pci ), accelerated graphics port ( agp ), universal serial bus ( usb ), low pin count ( lpc ) bus , or any other kind of i / o bus ( not shown ). an interface 290 may be used to connect chipset 240 with token 276 , containing one or more platform configuration registers ( pcr ) 278 , 279 . in one embodiment , interface 290 may be the lpc bus ( low pin count ( lpc ) interface specification , intel corporation , rev . 1 . 0 , dec . 29 , 1997 ) modified with the addition of certain security enhancements . one example of such a security enhancement would be a locality confirming message , utilizing a previously - reserved message header and address information targeting a platform configuration register ( pcr ) 278 within token 276 . in one embodiment , token 276 may contain special security features , and in one embodiment may include the trusted platform module ( tpm ) 281 disclosed in the trusted computing platform alliance ( tcpa ) main specification , version 1 . 1a , dec . 1 , 2001 , issued by the tcpa ( available at the time of filing of the present application at www . trustedpc . com ). two software components identified in system environment 200 are a secure virtual machine monitor ( svmm ) 282 module and a secure initialization authenticated code ( sinit - ac ) 280 module . the svmm 282 module may be stored on a system disk or other mass storage , and moved or copied to other locations as necessary . in one embodiment , prior to beginning the secure launch process svmm 282 may be moved or copied to one or more memory pages 250 through 262 . following the secure enter process , a virtual machine environment may be created in which the svmm 282 may operate as the most privileged code within the system , and may be used to permit or deny direct access to certain system resources by the operating system or applications within the created virtual machines . some of the actions required by the secure enter process may be beyond the scope of simple hardware implementations , and may instead advantageously use a software module whose execution can be implicitly trusted . in one embodiment , these actions may be performed by secure initialization ( sinit ) code . three exemplary actions are identified here , but these actions should not be taken to be limiting . one action may require that various controls representing critical portions of the system configuration be tested to ensure that the configuration supports the correct instantiation of the secure environment . in one embodiment , one required test may be that the memory controller configuration provided by chipset 240 does not permit two or more different system bus addresses to touch the same location within memory pages 250 through 262 . a second action may be to configure the device - access page table 248 and device - access logic 247 to protect those memory pages used by the memory - resident copy of svmm 282 from interference by non - processor devices . a third action may be to calculate and register the svmm 282 module &# 39 ; s identity and transfer system control to it . here “ register ” means placing a trust measurement of svmm 282 into a register , for example into pcr 278 or into pcr 279 . when this last action is taken , the trustworthiness of the svmm 282 may be inspected by a potential system user . the sinit code may be produced by the manufacturer of the processors or of the chipsets . for this reason , the sinit code may be trusted to aid in the secure launch of chipset 240 . in order to distribute the sinit code , in one embodiment a well - known cryptographic hash is made of the entire sinit code , producing a value known as a “ digest ”. one embodiment produces a 160 - bit value for the digest . the digest may then be encrypted by a private key , held in one embodiment by the manufacturer of the processor , to form a digital signature . when the sinit code is bundled with the corresponding digital signature , the combination may be referred to as sinit authenticated code ( sinit - ac ) 280 . copies of the sinit - ac 280 may be later validated as discussed below . the sinit - ac 280 may be stored on system disk or other mass storage or in a fixed media , and moved or copied to other locations as necessary . in one embodiment , prior to beginning the secure launch process sinit - ac 280 may be moved or copied into memory pages 250 - 262 to form a memory - resident copy of sinit - ac . any logical processor may initiate the secure launch process , and may then be referred to as the initiating logical processor ( ilp ). in the present example processor 202 becomes the ilp , although any of the processors on system bus 230 could become the ilp . neither memory - resident copy of sinit - ac 280 nor memory - resident copy of svmm 282 may be considered trustworthy at this time since , among other reasons , the other processors or the dma devices may overwrite memory pages 250 - 262 . the ilp ( processor 202 ) then executes a special instruction . this special instruction may be referred to as a secured enter ( senter ) instruction , and may be supported by senter logic 204 . execution of the senter instruction may cause the ilp ( processor 202 ) to issue special bus messages on system bus 230 , and then wait considerable time intervals for subsequent system actions . after execution of senter begins , one of these special bus messages , senter bus message , is broadcast on system bus 230 . those logical processors other than the ilp , which may be referred to as responding logical processors ( rlps ), respond to the senter bus message with an internal non - maskable event . in the present example , the rlps include processor 212 and processor 222 . the rlps must each terminate current operations , send a rlp acknowledge ( ack ) special bus message on system bus 230 , and then enter a wait state . it should be noted that the ilp also sends its own ack message over system bus 230 . the chipset 240 may contain a pair of registers , “ exists ” register 270 and “ joins ” register 272 . these registers may be used to verify that the ilp and all of the rlps are responding properly to the senter bus message . in one embodiment , chipset 240 may keep track of all operational logical processors in the system by writing a “ 1 ” into the corresponding bit of the exists register 270 on any system bus transaction made by that logical processor . in this embodiment , each transaction on system bus 230 must contain an identification field containing the logical processor identifier . in one embodiment , this consists of a physical processor identifier and an indentifier for the hardware execution thread within each physical processor . for example , if a thread executing on processor 222 caused any bus transactions on system bus 230 , chipset 240 would see this logical processor identifier within the transaction and write a “ 1 ” into the corresponding location 286 within exists register 270 . during the secure launch process , when that same thread on processor 222 sends its ack message on system bus 230 , the chipset 240 would also see this and could write a “ 1 ” into the corresponding location 288 in the joins register 272 . ( in the fig2 example , each physical processor is shown with only a single thread executing for clarity . in alternate embodiments the physical processors may support multiple threads , and thereby multiple logical processors .) when the contents of the joins register 272 matches the contents of the exists register 270 , then chipset 240 can set an all_joined flag 246 indicating that all processors have properly responded to the senter bus message . in another embodiment , exists register 270 and joins register 272 may continue to aid security subsequent to the setting of the all_joined flag 246 . during the time subsequent to the setting of the all_joined flag 246 until the end of trusted or secure operations , chipset 240 may continue to monitor and compare bus cycles against the joins register 272 . during this period , if chipset 240 ever sees a bus transaction from a logical processor that is not currently identified in joins register 272 , then chipset 240 may presume that this logical processor has somehow “ appeared ” late . this would imply that such a logical processor did not participate in the secure launch process , and therefore could represent an attacker ( security threat ). in such circumstances , chipset 240 may respond appropriately to keep this attacker out of the secured environment . in one embodiment , chipset 240 may force a system reset in such circumstances . in a second embodiment , similar detection of a “ late ” processor may be achieved by each logical processor asserting a special reserved signal on the system bus on every transaction following the assertion of the ack bus message . in this embodiment , following the setting of the all_joined flag 246 if the chipset 240 observes a bus transaction initiated by a processor without the special signal asserted , then chipset 240 may again presume that this logical processor has somehow appeared “ late ”, and may represent an attacker . after issuing the senter bus message , the ilp ( processor 202 ) polls the all_joined flag 246 to see when and if all processors have properly responded with their acks . if the flag 246 is never set , several implementations are possible . a watchdog timer in the ilp or chipset or elsewhere may cause a system reset . alternatively , the system may hang requiring operator reset . in either case the assertion of a secure environment is protected ( in that the secure launch process does not complete unless all processors participate ), although the system may not continue to function . in normal operations , after a short time the all_joined flag 246 is set , and the ilp may be assured that all other logical processors have entered a wait state . when the all_joined flag 246 is set , the ilp ( processor 202 ) may move both a copy of sinit - ac 280 and key 284 into secure memory 208 for the purpose of authenticating and subsequently executing the sinit code included in sinit - ac 280 . in one embodiment , this secure memory 208 may be an internal cache of the ilp ( processor 202 ), perhaps operating in a special mode . key 284 represents the public key corresponding to the private key used to encrypt the digital signature included in the sinit - ac 280 module , and is used to verify the digital signature and thereby authenticate the sinit code . in one embodiment , key 284 may already be stored in the processor , perhaps as part of the senter logic 204 . in another embodiment , key 284 may be stored in a read - only key register 244 of chipset 240 , which is read by the ilp . in yet another embodiment , either the processor or the chipset &# 39 ; s key register 244 may actually hold a cryptographic digest of key 284 , where key 284 itself is included in the sinit - ac 280 module . in this last embodiment , the ilp reads the digest from key register 244 , calculates an equivalent cryptographic hash over the key 284 embedded in sinit - ac 280 , and compares the two digests to ensure the supplied key 284 is indeed trusted . a copy of sinit - ac and a copy of a public key may then exist within secure memory 208 . the ilp may now validate the copy of sinit - ac by decrypting the digital signature included in the copy of the sinit - ac using the copy of a public key . this decryption produces an original copy of a cryptographic hash &# 39 ; s digest . if a newly - calculated digest matches this original digest then the copy of sinit - ac and its included sinit code may be considered trustable . the ilp may now issue another special bus message , senter continue message , via system bus 230 signaling the waiting rlp &# 39 ; s ( processor 212 , processor 222 ) and chipset 240 that secured operations are going to be initiated . the ilp may now register the unique identity of the sinit - ac module by writing the sinit - ac module &# 39 ; s cryptographic digest value to a platform configuration register 272 in the security token 276 , as outlined below . the ilp &# 39 ; s execution of its senter instruction may now terminate by transferring execution control to the trusted copy of the sinit code held within the ilp &# 39 ; s secure memory 208 . the trusted sinit code may then perform its system test and configuration actions and may register the memory - resident copy of svmm , in accordance with the definition of “ register ” above . registration of the memory - resident copy of svmm may be performed in several manners . in one embodiment , the senter instruction running on the ilp writes the calculated digest of sinit - ac into pcr 278 within the security token 276 . subsequently , the trusted sinit code may write the calculated digest of the memory - resident svmm to the same pcr 278 or another pcr 279 within the security token 276 . if the svmm digest is written to the same pcr 278 , the security token 276 hashes the original contents ( sinit digest ) with the new value ( svmm digest ) and writes the result back into the pcr 278 . in embodiments where the first ( initializing ) write to pcr 278 is limited to the senter instruction , the resulting digest may be used as a root of trust for the system . once the trusted sinit code has completed its execution , and has registered the identity of the svmm in a pcr , the sinit code may transfer ilp execution control to the svmm . in a typical embodiment , the first svmm instructions executed by the ilp may represent a self - initialization routine for the svmm . the ilp may in one embodiment issue individual rlp join message special bus messages to each rlp , causing each of the rlps to join in operations under the supervision of the now - executing copy of svmm . from this point onwards , the overall system is operating in trusted mode as outlined in the discussion of fig3 below . referring now to fig3 a diagram of an exemplary trusted or secured software environment is shown , according to one embodiment of the present invention . in the fig3 embodiment , trusted and untrusted software may be loaded simultaneously and may execute simultaneously on a single computer system . a svmm 350 selectively permits or prevents direct access to hardware resources 380 from one or more untrusted operating systems 340 and untrusted applications 310 through 330 . in this context , “ untrusted ” does not necessarily mean that the operating system or applications are deliberately misbehaving , but that the size and variety of interacting code makes it impractical to reliably assert that the software is behaving as desired , and that there are no viruses or other foreign code interfering with its execution . in a typical embodiment , the untrusted code might consist of the normal operating system and applications found on today &# 39 ; s personal computers . svmm 350 also selectively permits or prevents direct access to hardware resources 380 from one or more trusted or secure kernels 360 and one or more trusted applications 370 . such a trusted or secure kernel 360 and trusted applications 370 may be limited in size and functionality to aid in the ability to perform trust analysis upon it . the trusted application 370 may be any software code , program , routine , or set of routines which is executable in a secure environment . thus , the trusted application 370 may be a variety of applications , or code sequences , or may be a relatively small application such as a java applet . instructions or operations normally performed by operating system 340 or kernel 360 that could alter system resource protections or privileges may be trapped by svmm 350 , and selectively permitted , partially permitted , or rejected . as an example , in a typical embodiment , instructions that change the processor &# 39 ; s page table that would normally be performed by operating system 340 or kernel 360 would instead be trapped by svmm 350 , which would ensure that the request was not attempting to change page privileges outside the domain of its virtual machine . referring now to fig4 a , one embodiment of a microprocessor system 400 adapted to support the secured software environment of fig3 is shown . cpu a 410 , cpu b 414 , cpu c 418 , and cpu d 422 may be configured with additional microcode or logic circuitry to support the execution of special instructions . in one embodiment , this additional microcode or logic circuitry may be the senter logic 204 of fig2 . these special instructions may support the issuance of special bus messages on system bus 420 that may enable the proper synchronization of the processors while launching the secure environment . in one embodiment , the issuance of special bus messages may be supported by circuitry such as the bus message logic 206 of fig2 . similarly chipset 430 may be similar to chipset 240 and may support the above - mentioned special cycles on system bus 420 . the number of physical processors may vary upon the implementation of a particular embodiment . in one embodiment , the processors may be intel ® pentium ® class microprocessors . chipset 430 may interface with mass storage devices such as fixed media 444 or removable media 448 via pci bus 446 , or , alternately , via usb 442 , an integrated controller electronics ( ide ) bus ( not shown ), a small computer systems interconnect ( scsi ) bus ( not shown ), or any other i / o busses . the fixed media 444 or removable media 448 may be magnetic disks , magnetic tape , magnetic diskettes , magneto - optical drives , cd - rom , dvd - rom , flash memory cards , or many other forms of mass storage . in the fig4 a embodiment , the four processors cpu a 410 , cpu b 414 , cpu c 418 , and cpu d 422 are shown as four separate hardware entities . in other embodiments , the number of processors may differ . indeed , the physically discrete processors may be replaced by separate hardware execution threads running on one or more physical processors . in the latter case these threads possess many of the attributes of additional physical processors . in order to have a generic expression to discuss using any mixture of multiple physical processors and multiple threads upon processors , the expression “ logical processor ” may be used to describe either a physical processor or a thread operating in one or more physical processors . thus , one single - threaded processor may be considered a logical processor , and multi - threaded or multi - core processors may be considered multiple logical processors . in one embodiment , chipset 430 interfaces with a modified lpc bus 450 . modified lpc bus 450 may be used to connect chipset 430 with a security token 454 . token 454 may in one embodiment include the tpm 471 envisioned by the trusted computing platform alliance ( tcpa ). referring now to fig4 b , an alternate embodiment of a microprocessor system 490 adapted to support the secured software environment of fig3 is shown . differing from the fig4 a embodiment , cpu a 410 and cpu b 414 may be connected to chipset 428 with system bus a 402 whereas cpu c 418 and cpu d 422 may be connected to chipset 428 with system bus b 404 . in other embodiments more than two system busses may be utilized . in another alternative embodiment , point - to - point busses may be used . special instructions may support the issuance of special bus messages on system bus a 402 and system bus b 404 that may enable the proper synchronization of the processors while launching the secure environment . in one embodiment , the issuance of special bus messages may be supported by circuitry such as the bus message logic 206 of fig2 . in one embodiment , chipset 428 is responsible for maintaining consistency and coherency across system bus a 402 and system bus b 404 . if a bus message , standard or special , is sent across system bus a 402 , chipset 428 reflects that message ( when appropriate ) onto system bus b 404 , and vice - versa . in an alternate embodiment , chipset 428 treats system bus a 402 and system bus b 404 as independent subsystems . any special bus messages issued on system bus a 402 apply only to processors on that bus : similarly , special bus messages issued on system bus b 404 apply only to processors on that bus . any protected memory that is established with respect to system bus a 402 is only accessible to processors connected to system bus a 402 , and the processors on system bus b 404 may be treated as untrusted devices . to gain access to any protected memory established for cpu a 410 and cpu b 414 on system bus a 402 , processors cpu c 418 and cpu d 422 on system bus b 404 must perform their own senter process , creating a registered environment equal to that created for the processors on system bus a 402 . referring now to fig5 a schematic diagram of an exemplary microprocessor system 500 adapted to support the secured software environment of fig3 is shown , according to an alternate embodiment of the present invention . differing from the fig4 a embodiment , each processor ( for example , cpu a 510 ) may include certain chipset functions ( for example , chipset functions 593 ) that , for example , perform memory controller functions and device access logic functions . these chipset functions thereby allow the direct connection of memory ( for example , memory a 502 ) to the processor . other chipset functions may remain in a separate chipset 530 . special bus messages may be issued across system bus 520 . each processor may make indirect accesses to memory connected to other processors : however , these accesses may be considerably slower when compared to accesses to a processor &# 39 ; s own memory . prior to the start of the senter process , software may move copies of sinit - ac 566 and svmm 574 from fixed media 544 into local memory 504 , forming copy of sinit - ac 556 and copy of svmm 572 . in one embodiment , the memory 504 may be selected because it is directly accessed by the processor intended to be the ilp , in the fig5 example this is cpu b 514 . alternatively , the sinit - ac 566 and svmm 574 copies may be placed in other memories attached to other ( non - ilp ) processors , so long as the ilp 514 has the ability to access those memories . cpu b ilp 514 begins the secure enter process by issuing the senter instruction , as already described in fig2 and with similar consequences and bus cycles issued . chipset 530 may utilize exists register 576 , joins register 580 , and all_joined flag 584 as described above in connection with fig2 to determine whether all processors have properly responded to the senter bus message and signal this information to the ilp . the ilp ( cpu b 514 ) may again move the memory - resident copy of sinit - ac 556 into secure memory 560 , along with a copy of a public key 564 . upon verification and registration of sinit - ac 556 , ilp may then continue to verification and registration of the memory - resident copy of svmm 572 . referring now to fig6 a time line drawing of various operations is shown , according to one embodiment of the present invention . the timeline of fig6 shows the overall schedule of the operations discussed in connection with the exemplary system discussed in connection with fig2 above . when software decides that secure or trusted operations are desired , at time 610 any software locates and makes a copy of sinit - ac 280 and svmm 282 available to a subsequent senter instruction . in this example , software loads a copy of sinit - ac 280 and a copy of svmm 282 into one or more memory pages 250 - 262 . one processor , in the present example processor 202 , is then selected to be the ilp , which issues the senter instruction at time 612 . at time 614 the ilp &# 39 ; s senter instruction issues the senter bus message 616 . the ilp then issues its own senter ack 608 at time 618 prior to entering a wait - for - chipset - flag state at time 628 . each rlp , such as processor 222 , respond to the senter bus message 616 by completing the current instruction during time 620 . the rlp then issues its senter ack 622 and then enters a state 634 where it waits for an senter continue message . the chipset 240 spends time 624 setting the joins register 272 responsive to the senter ack messages observed on system bus 230 . when the joins register 272 contents matches the exists register 270 contents , chipset 240 sets the all_joined flag 246 at time 626 . during this time , the ilp may remain in a loop while polling the all_joined flag 246 . when the all_joined flag 246 is set , and ilp determines that the all_joined flag 246 is set at time 630 , the ilp may then issue the senter continue message during time 632 . when the senter continue message is broadcast on system bus 230 at time 636 , the rlps may enter a wait - for - join state . for example , the rlp of processor 222 enters a wait - for - join state during time period 638 . upon issuing the senter continue message , the ilp may then ( in time period 640 ) bring the public key of key register 244 of chipset 240 and a copy of sinit - ac into its secure memory 208 to form a copy of the key and a copy of sinit - ac . in another embodiment , key register 244 may contain a digest of the public key , and the actual public key may be included in , or with , the sinit - ac . upon authenticating the copy of sinit - ac as described above in connection with fig2 the ilp may then actually execute the copy of sinit - ac within secure memory 208 . after the copy of sinit - ac within secure memory 208 begins execution , it then ( during time period 640 ) validates and registers the memory - resident copy of svmm . after the copy of svmm is registered in the pcr 278 of security token 276 , the memory - resident copy of svmm itself begins execution . at this time , during ongoing time period 650 , svmm operations are established in the ilp . among the first things that the ilp svmm operation does is issue individual rlp join messages on the system bus 230 . an example is a processor 222 join message 644 . this message may include a location in memory at which the rlp processor 222 may join in execution of the registered memory - resident copy of svmm . alternatively , the ilp svmm operations may have registered a memory location in a predetermined location in the chipset or memory , and upon receiving the join message the rlp retrieves its starting address from this location . after receiving the processor 222 join message , and determining its starting address , during time period 646 the rlp processor 222 jumps to this location and joins execution of the registered memory - resident copy of the svmm . after all the rlps have joined the registered memory - resident copy of the svmm , secured operations are established throughout the microcomputer system 200 . referring now to fig7 a flowchart of software and other process blocks is shown , according to one embodiment of the present invention . for the sake of clarity fig7 only shows process blocks for a single representative rlp . in other embodiments there may be several responding logical processors . the process 700 begins at block 710 when a logical processor makes a copy of the sinit - ac and svmm modules available for access by a subsequent senter instruction . in this example , in block 712 the ilp loads the sinit - ac and svmm code from mass storage into physical memory . in alternative embodiments , any logical processor may do so , not just the ilp . a processor becomes the ilp by executing the senter instruction , as identified in block 714 . in block 716 , the ilp senter instruction issues an senter bus message in block 716 . the ilp then , in block 718 , issues its own senter ack message to the chipset . the ilp then enters a wait state , shown as decision block 720 , and waits for the chipset to set its all_joined flag . after each rlp receives the senter bus message in block 770 , it halts execution with the end of the current instruction , and then in block 772 issues its own senter ack . each rlp then enters a wait state , shown as decision block 774 , and waits for a senter continue message to arrive from the ilp . the chipset sets the corresponding bits in the joins register when senter ack messages are received . when the joins register contents equals the exists register contents , the chipset sets its all_joined flag , signaling the ilp to proceed from decision block 720 . the ilp , upon exiting decision block 720 on the yes path , then issues a senter continue message in block 722 . this signals each rlp to proceed from decision block 774 . each rlp then enters a second wait state , shown as decision block 776 , and waits for a senter join message . meanwhile the ilp , in block 724 , moves the public key of the chipset and the memory - resident copy of sinit - ac into its own secure memory for secure execution . the ilp , in block 726 , uses the key to validate the secure - memory - resident copy of sinit - ac , and then executes it . the execution of sinit - ac may perform tests of the system configuration and the svmm copy , then registers the svmm identity , and finally begins the execution of svmm in block 728 . as part of actions performed in block 728 , the ilp sinit code may configure device - access page table 248 and device - access logic 247 of memory and chipset to protect those memory pages used by the memoryresident copy of svmm 282 from interference by non - processor devices , as shown in block 754 . after the ilp begins execution under the control of svmm , in block 730 the ilp sends an individual senter join message to each rlp . after issuing the senter join message , the ilp then in block 732 begins svmm operations . the receipt of the senter join message causes each rlp to leave the wait state represented by decision block 776 along the yes path , and begin svmm operations in block 780 . the senter join message may contain the svmm entry point the rlp branch to when joining svmm operations . alternatively , the ilp svmm code may register the appropriate rlp entry point in a system location ( for example , in the chipset ), to be retrieved by the rlp upon receipt of the senter join message . while various embodiments disclosed include two or more processors ( either logical or physical processors ), it should be understood that such multi - processor and / or multi - threaded systems are described in more detail to explain the added complexity associated with securing a system with multiple logical or physical processors . an embodiment also likely to be advantageous in less complex system may use only one processor . in some cases , the one physical processor may be multi - threading and therefore may include multiple logical processors ( and accordingly have an ilp and an rlp as described ). in other cases , however , a single - processor , single - threaded system may be used , and still utilize disclosed secure processing techniques . in such cases , there may be no rlp ; however , the secure processing techniques still operate to reduce the likelihood that data can be stolen or manipulated in an unauthorized manner . in the foregoing specification , the invention has been described with reference to specific exemplary embodiments thereof . it will , however , be evident that various modifications and changes may be made thereto without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims . the specification and drawings are , accordingly , to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense . | 6 |
the details of the percutaneous thrombectomy device 100 may be best appreciated with reference to the figures . fig1 illustrates the medical thrombectomy device 100 in perspective view , showing the device 100 in a deployed operable condition . at the proximal end , ‘ proximal ’ being understood to signify the direction toward the handle and the device operator , a handle housing 120 is seen with the telescoping displaceable control housing 140 in a partially retracted position having the tines 185 partially exposed and radially expanded . the irrigation catheters 190 , 195 , which consist of both an infusion catheter 190 and an evacuation catheter 195 , are fixedly connected or attached to control housing 140 through which they pass . protruding longitudinally away from the handle housing 120 is a control housing 140 , a hollow semi - rigid displaceable cylindrical extension in which a plurality of catheter members are slideably contained . catheters 190 , 195 are fixedly connected to control housing 140 so as to move together as a unit upon longitudinal displacement 200 for the deployment , or un - deployment , of the functional distal end of the device 100 . the irrigation catheters 190 , 195 fixedly attached to control housing 140 , are slidingly received into a recess 122 formed in the handle housing 120 , the recess having a length substantially equal to distance 135 of catheter - 190 &# 39 ; s longitudinal excursion between operable and protected conditions . the plurality of coaxially positioned catheters comprises an evacuation catheter 195 coaxially positioned around an infusion catheter 190 , with each of the catheters secured to the control housing proximally . the catheters extend through the control housing 140 and terminate proximally with a catheter connector formed at a proximal opening of each catheter 190 ; 195 . as illustrated in fig7 , the proximal ends of the irrigation catheters 190 , 195 exit from the control housing and are connectable to any standard fluid conduit such as iv tubing , irrigation syringes and so on . the catheters have an opening , also referred to as a fenestration , formed in the outer surfaces of the catheters at a location in line with the through conduit 150 . these fenestrations are hermetically sealed with an elastomeric member having a self - sealing aperture centrally positioned : these are often referred to as diaphragms and they allow a guidewire 160 and a balloon catheter 170 to be passed through the self - sealing central opening in the diaphragm and be advanced into the catheter lumens while maintaining a fluid - tight seal . activation mechanism 125 is depicted mounted in handle housing 120 and allows an operator to start the thrombectomy device motor housed in the handle 120 , which in turn rotates tines 185 along with catheter 180 from which the tines 185 are formed . the motor is preferably powered by a battery housed within the handle housing 120 but power may alternatively be supplied by an external source including electrical , mechanical and pressurized fluid sources . further appreciated in fig1 is the arcuately elongate shaped displacing guard 126 which is pivotally displaceable from a closed position in which it blocks inadvertent activation of activation mechanism 125 , to a more distal forward open position allowing activating access to activation mechanism 125 . displacing guard 126 is thus pivotally displaceable forward and away from the blocking position to an unblocking position , as illustrated , that allows access to activation mechanism 125 . the displacing guard is constrained in its pivotal displacement from contacting or activating the activation mechanism 125 . importantly , the pivotal displacement of the guard 126 simultaneously controls the longitudinal displacement 200 of control housing 140 and catheters 190 , 195 attached thereto . the functional effect is that displacing guard 126 , which is connected to control housing 140 within housing 120 , longitudinally displaces the telescopically displaceable catheter assembly 140 , 190 , 195 from a operable condition to a protected condition and vice versa . the telescoping displacement of the catheters 190 , 195 — longitudinally 200 in a distal direction to form a sheath to cover tines 185 when in the protected condition , and in a proximal direction to an operable or retracted condition with tines 185 unsheathed — incorporates a locking mechanism . the preferred locking mechanism is illustrated as a detent locking mechanism 141 comprising a plurality of reversibly engaging detent locking members . other locking member embodiments include — but are not limited to — a sliding bolt action ; a latch mechanism ; and so on . such locking members as are functionally equivalent are within the contemplation and scope of the present subject invention . spring biased detent balls engage respective detent recesses formed in corresponding surfaces of handle housing 120 and control housing 140 respectively . while it is preferred that spring biased detent balls be formed in the handle housing 140 and the respective detent recesses 141 formed in the outer surface of control housing 120 , it is equivalent for the recesses to be formed in the handle housing 120 and the matching detent balls formed in the respective control housing 140 . the recesses are situated to reversibly secure the control housing in the handle housing both in the operable and in the protected conditions . the device reversibly locks the respective position of the control housing 140 and handle housing 120 , with both the protected condition and also the operable or retracted condition effected upon the pivotal displacement of a displacing guard 126 connected to control housing 140 . in the preferred embodiment it is the displacing guard which is used to cause the longitudinal displacement of control housing 140 with respect to handle housing 120 . the device 100 is in an operable condition when control housing 140 is longitudinally displaced proximally to a reversibly complementary juxtaposition with the handle housing 120 , which thereby uncovers tines 185 , allowing the tines 185 to expand radially . additionally , as seen illustrated in fig1 there is optionally provided a control wheel 118 that is steerably connected to the fusiform tip 182 of catheter 175 thereby providing controlled deflectability to the working end of the device 100 . coaxial and interior to the evacuation catheter 195 is an infusion catheter 190 ; coaxial and interior to both the irrigation catheters 190 , 195 is a tined catheter 180 . tined catheter 180 has formed at its distal aspect a plurality of resilient radially expandable finger - like tines 185 that are allowed to expand radially upon the proximal longitudinal displacement 200 of control handle 140 together with evacuation catheter 195 and infusion catheter 190 . tined catheter is not longitudinally displaceable with respect to the handle housing 120 and is secured in the longitudinal axis by its connection with the motor gearing ( or similar frictional engagement members ) and / or other anchoring means well known to those skilled in the art of medical devices . also illustrated in fig1 the balloon tip catheter 170 is positioned interior to and coaxial with the other catheters 180 , 190 , 195 , and is formed with a valved reversibly inflatable member at its distal end proximal to the radially expandable tines 185 , a fusiform member 182 of the balloon catheter 170 is formed . guidewire 160 is advanced along the through conduit 150 positioned longitudinally through the thrombolysis device 100 ; the guidewire 160 occupies a central , axial position relative to the nested coaxial catheters 170 , 180 , 190 , and 195 . the distance 135 , from the proximal end of the fusiform member 182 to the distal opening of evacuation catheter 195 is the telescoping distance , the maximal extent of longitudinal displacement for the control handle 140 having the irrigation catheters 190 , 195 attached . the displacement proximally along direction 200 which is to say the excursion of the fixed irrigation catheters 190 , 195 into handle recess 122 is substantially the same distance as the telescoping distance 135 . as seen in greater detail in fig2 and in subsequent fig3 - 5 , the plurality of nested telescoping coaxial catheters , seen here positioned within the lumen of a blood vessel 20 with guidewire 160 advanced to the level of a thrombus or clot 25 . in operation , guidewire 160 is first advanced percutaneously into the blood vessel with a clot ; the through conduit 150 of the medical device 100 provides a hollow channel into which to insert an end of guidewire 160 ; the medical device 100 is then passed over the guidewire 160 into position near the clot . in order to facilitate the atraumatic positioning of the nested coaxial catheters , tined catheter 180 is fitted at its distal end with a fusiform or cone - like member 182 that has a maximal outside diameter at its base substantially equal to the outside diameter of the juxtaposing catheter 195 . this smooth profile of the catheter when in the closed conformation serves to minimize the risk of traumatic abrasion or puncture or other damage to the blood vessel and / or surrounding tissues during placement . the device as seen in fig2 is in the undeployed condition . by this is meant the condition in which the irrigation catheters 190 , 195 are positioned as far distally as possible so that the distal tip of the evacuation catheter 195 is juxtaposed with the base of the cone - like member 182 forming thereby a relative smooth surface . the expandable tines 185 are reversibly deformed to a collapsed or contracted state , held in that position by the sheath formed by the irrigation catheters 190 , 195 . all of the catheters 180 , 190 , 195 and the guidewire 160 are optionally and preferably provided with a lubricious coating so as to facilitate the working of device 100 . the fusiform catheter tip 182 represents the distal terminal aspect of tined catheter 180 . a steering mechanism optionally attaches to the fusiform catheter tip 182 so as to provide controlled deflectability ; the mechanism may be any of the deflecting mechanisms well known to those practiced in the art of medical devices . for example , steering tendons in the form of wires may be used to cause the desired controlled deflection of the functioning end of device 100 . once the working end of the thrombolysis device 100 is positioned close to the blood clot 25 as seen in fig3 , the irrigation catheters 190 , 195 are longitudinally displaced in a proximal direction , thereby disinhibiting the compressed and / or folded expandable tines 185 and allowing them to radially expand . in addition , a balloon - tipped catheter 170 is advanced over the guidewire through the lumen of tined catheter 180 and advanced distally so that the reversibly expandable balloon member 175 comes to rest in a position proximal to the thrombus 25 . the expandable tines 185 displace radially as far as the internal dimensions of the blood vessel 20 permit . balloon catheter 170 is optionally provided with a second reversibly expandable balloon member located on the opposite side of the tines 185 , for further vascular containment of clot debris 29 . all reversibly expandable balloon members have valves formed proximally in line with the catheter lumens so as to permit controlled inflation and deflation with a fluid under pressure . in the preferred embodiment the preferred fluid is physiologic saline , a 0 . 9 normal aqueous solution of sodium chloride . other biocompatible crystalloids or colloid liquids are likewise preferred . not shown is the proximal connection of tined catheter 180 to the motor ; rotations of the motor are transferred to the tined catheter causing the tined catheter 180 and the tines 185 formed at its distal aspect to rotate upon activation of the motor by activation member 125 . the rotational connection is effected preferably by a set of gears or similar engaging members that frictionally transfer the motor &# 39 ; s rotations to the tined catheter 180 causing it to rotate . fig4 shows the next step in the thrombectomy method of the present invention , illustrating the delivery of a biocompatible fluid through infusion catheter 190 . further illustrated is the radially rotatory displacement of tines 185 in a preferred clockwise movement , allowing tines 185 to degrade the clot 25 by macerating , cutting , shearing and mechanical agitation and displacement . further seen in fig4 is balloon 175 in the inflated condition . the inflation of balloon 175 at a position proximal to the clot 25 is important for isolating and containing the clot debris 29 resulting from mechanical disruption , lysis and pharmacologic degradation of the clot 25 . the evacuation of the clot debris 29 and the fluid and blood in which it is carried is seen illustrated in fig5 as the debris 29 is suctioned into evacuation catheter 195 . fig5 further shows the thrombectomy device 100 having the balloon member 175 inflated with the tines 185 deployed and rotatingly displaced , also positioned with the inflated balloon tipped catheter 170 situated proximal to a clot 25 in a blood vessel 20 , illustrating the evacuation of debris 29 , the direction of rotation of the tines 185 , and the spread of some thrombus material 29 near the containment balloon 175 . fig5 illustrates how some debris 29 having migrated proximally , which is to say away from the inserted device 100 , may be contained by the inflated balloon 175 to thereby prevent such debris 29 from entering the general circulation with the associated risks of micro emboli and thrombus formations . the functional relationship of the plurality of nested catheters of the thrombectomy device 100 is illustrated in fig7 . fluid infusates , with or without pharmacologic agents such as enzymes and other degradative biochemical agents , are introduced through catheter 190 . catheter 190 has a rigid section 190 a fixedly attached to handle housing 120 and joining flexible sections of catheter 190 both proximally and distally . the connection between the flexible sections of 190 and the rigid section 190 a is accomplished by a hermetic locking mechanism , such as a luer lock or other similar mechanism . fluid entering the infusion catheter 190 is directed toward the working end of the device . the infusion catheter is seen to surround the tined catheter 180 which further surrounds balloon tip catheter 170 , still further having guidewire 160 centrally located ; the longitudinal sections of all of the catheters are coaxial as schematically illustrated in fig7 . fluid is evacuated through catheter 195 , the outermost catheter in the nested catheters of the device 100 , as a result of suction or some other differential pressure creating mechanism . the preferred direction of rotation 230 taken by the tined catheter 180 is indicated ; tined catheter 180 has connected at its distal end the plurality of radially expandable tines 185 formed therefrom . although this invention has been described in connection with specific forms and embodiments thereof , it should be appreciated that various modifications other than those discussed above may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention . for example , equivalent elements may be substituted for those specifically shown and described , certain features may be used independently of other features , and in certain cases , particular locations of elements may be reversed or interposed , all without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims . | 0 |
fig1 is an exploded view showing assembly of the component parts of the salad sandwich . in fig1 a salad sandwich 10 comprises a sandwich fill 12 contained in a tear - away bag 14 which is housed in an edible shell 16 . the edible shell 16 fits in a crumb bag 18 and the sandwich fill 12 , the tear - away bag 14 , the edible shell 16 and the crumb bag 18 may be packaged in a suitable container 20 . the sandwich fill 12 may consist of substantially solid various types of sandwich fill including garden salads , or any other edible food products . the sandwich fill 12 may be a cold or hot food filler . other types of sandwich fill 12 may also be used and examples of some preferred embodiments of the sandwich fill 12 are tuna salad , egg salad , garden salad , pasta salad , chicken salad , gyro fillings and dessert fillings such as custard , ice cream , or yogurt . the sandwich fill 12 may be deposited into the tear - away bag 14 by hand or the salad sandwich 10 may be adapted to be produced according to commonly used food manufacturing processes known by those skilled in the art . the tear - away bag 14 provides a limiting factor for determining the quantity of sandwich fill 12 which is deposited into the tear - away bag 14 . however , many different sizes of tear - away bags and therefore salad sandwiches 10 may be produced depending upon marketing factors and manufacturing considerations . the tear - away bag 14 is shown in fig1 having a tear string 22 . the tear string 22 is integrated into the tear - away bag 14 allowing the tear - away bag 14 to be opened and the sandwich fill 12 to be released in the edible shell 16 . in a preferred embodiment , the tear string 22 may be constructed as a heat - weakened region in the tear - away bag 14 or as an integrated fiber imbedded into the tear - away bag 14 . in a preferred embodiment , the tear - string 22 traces a substantially helical path around the circumference of the tear - away bag 14 . this construction allows the tear - string 22 to be pulled away , similar to pulling the strip from a gum wrapper , which allows the tear - away bag 14 to be unraveled . the tear - away bag 14 unravels like the opening of a common cylinder of paperboard , for example , unravelling the tube found inside a roll of paper towels . other embodiments are also contemplated , such as folding techniques which allow the tear - away bag 14 to be removed while the sandwich fill 12 is easily released into the edible shell 16 . the tear - away bag 14 is shown in fig1 having a cylindrical shape , although in other embodiments the tear - away bag 14 may be constructed having two or more panels secured together to form a container for the sandwich fill 12 . the tear - away bag 14 may be constructed of polymeric vinyl or plastic compounds such as polyethylenes , polyesters , cellophanes and the like , or the tear - away bag 14 may be constructed of wax papers or other suitable materials known by those skilled in the art . in a preferred embodiment of the invention , the tear - away bag 14 is constructed of material similar to common sandwich bags . however , the bag material must allow the sandwich fill 12 to maintain freshness and retain moisture for long periods of time . the tear - away bag 14 may be vacuum - sealed or filled with a gas such as nitrogen to preserve the sandwich fill 12 . further , the tear - away bag 14 may be constructed to allow the sandwich fill 12 to be heated while inside the edible shell 16 . the edible shell 1 6 is shown in fig1 in a preferred embodiment of the invention having two components , an l - shaped member 24 and a u - shaped member 26 . the l - shaped member 24 and the u - shaped member 26 derive their names from the shapes of their respective cross - sections . the l - shaped member 24 has a wall 28 and a lip 30 attached at a closed end 32 . the wall 28 also has a corresponding unattached open end 34 . the u - shaped member 26 has a flat part 36 and two flanges 38 and 40 attached on opposite sides 42 and 44 respectively of the flat part 36 . upon assembly of the two - component embodiment of the edible shell 16 , the l - shaped member 24 and the u - shaped member 26 are placed with the wall 28 of the l - shaped member 24 parallel to the flat part 36 of the u - shaped member 26 . thus placed , the lip 30 of the l - shaped member 24 and the two flanges 38 and 40 of the u - shaped member form an open - ended rectangular edible shell 16 in which the tear - away bag 14 contains the sandwich fill 12 . the two - component embodiment allows for the edible shell 16 to receive an appropriate amount of sandwich fill 12 while providing a structural mechanism to prevent breakage of the edible shell 12 . during manufacture of the edible shell 16 by a person skilled in the art , the edible shell 16 may also be constructed to allow for other embodiments of the shell , such as a one - piece shell , a pocket shape , a tubular shape or any other shape that contains sandwich fill 12 and provides a sturdier salad sandwich 10 . the edible shell 16 is composed of a corn flour dough to create a consistency similar to taco shells in a preferred embodiment , although shell compositions utilizing other types of edible materials are within the scope of the invention . the crumb bag 18 contains the edible shell 16 , the tear - away bag 14 , and the sandwich fill 12 . the crumb bag 18 may be constructed of polymeric plastics and vinyls similar to the tear - away bag 14 . however , the crumb bag 18 does not have any sort of tearing mechanism in the preferred embodiment . the crumb bag 18 may function with the box 20 in such as way as to allow the crumb bag 18 to be pulled down the outside of the box 20 with the result that the edible shell 16 and sandwich fill 12 are incrementally lifted out of the box 20 as the salad sandwich 10 is eaten . the crumb bag 18 also keeps the edible shell 16 fresh . the crumb bag 18 can also be folded over the box 20 in such a way that crumbs falling from the salad sandwich 10 while it is being eaten land upon the portion of the crumb bag 18 which is draped out of the box 20 ; thus the origin of the name of the element , the crumb bag 18 . fig2 is a cut - away sectional view of an embodiment of the invention . in fig2 a salad sandwich is shown comprising an edible shell 16 , the sandwich fill 12 inside the edible shell 16 , and the sandwich fill 12 separated from the edible shell 16 by the tear - away bag 14 . fig2 shows how the edible shell 16 may be made with an l - shaped member 24 and a u - shaped member 26 as a two - component embodiment of the edible shell 16 . the l - shaped member 24 and the u - shaped member 26 are cooperatively positioned to provide an edible shell 16 which houses the tear - away bag 14 and sandwich fill 12 . fig3 is a front view of the salad sandwich 10 with a two - piece edible shell 16 showing the location of cross section lines 4 -- 4 and 5 -- 5 . in fig3 the edible shell 16 is constructed of two pieces , l - shaped member 24 and u - shaped member 26 . fig3 shows the wall 28 of l - shaped member 24 and flanges 38 and 40 of the u - shaped member 26 . in fig3 the salad sandwich 10 is shown with the l - shaped member 24 and the u - shaped member 26 cooperatively positioned into an assembled edible shell 16 which allows the edible shell 16 to house the tear - away bag and sandwich fill ( not shown here ). fig4 is a cross sectional view of the salad sandwich 10 taken along section line 4 -- 4 and shows the edible shell 16 in cross section but does not show the tear - away bag 14 or the sandwich fill 12 in cross section . in fig4 an internal side view of the tear - away bag 14 shows tear string 22 running substantially helically around the tear - away bag 14 . since the tear - away bag 14 is constructed of polymeric vinyl , plastics or fiber - based compounds it may be transparent or relatively opaque as shown in fig4 . in fig4 the salad sandwich 10 is shown having an edible shell 16 with a two - piece shell construction . the edible shell 16 includes l - shaped member 24 and u - shaped member 26 as previously described . fig4 shows how the l - shaped member 24 of edible shell 16 has a wall 28 attached to lip 30 . fig4 also shows how the u - shaped member 26 of the edible shell 16 has a flat part 36 , which is shown in cross section and cooperatively positioned with l - shape d member 24 to house the tear - away bag 14 . the flanges 38 and 40 of u - shaped member 26 are not shown due to the location of cross section line 4 -- 4 . fig5 is a cross sectional view of the salad sandwich 10 taken along line 5 -- 5 . in fig5 the edible shell 16 , the tear - away bag 14 , and the sandwich fill 12 are all shown in cross - section . fig5 shows by cross section the cooperative positioning of the l - shaped member 24 and u - shaped member 26 in order to contain the tear - away bag 14 . however , the tear - away bag 14 and the sandwich fill 12 are also included in cross section showing how the sandwich fill 12 is stored inside tear - away bag 14 . fig5 also shows how the sandwich fill 12 does not come into contact with the edible shell 16 until the tear - away bag 14 is removed just before the entire salad sandwich 10 is to be eaten . further , fig5 shows how the edible shell 16 would be able to expand and avoid breakage . should the sandwich fill 12 be added to the tear - away bag 14 in excessive amounts or if the sandwich fill 12 should settle in such a way as to put outward pressure on the edible shell 16 , l - shaped member 24 can automatically adjust out and away from the u - shaped member 26 to prevent breakage . fig6 is a front view of the salad sandwich 110 with a one - piece edible shell 116 and shows the location of cross section line 7 -- 7 . in fig6 the edible shell 116 has a first wall member 128 which is shown facing the viewer . a second wall member 136 is opposite the first wall member 128 and is not shown . a base 130 is shown in fig6 and is connected to the first wall member 128 at the proximal end 132 of the wall member 128 . section line 7 -- 7 is located to allow for a cross - sectional view of the one - piece edible shell 116 . fig7 is a cross - sectional view along section line 7 -- 7 of the salad sandwich 110 having a one - piece edible shell 116 . in fig7 an assembled salad sandwich 110 having a one piece edible shell 116 houses a tear - away bag 114 which contains a sandwich fill 112 . the edible shell 116 has a first wall member 128 and a second wall member 136 positioned in a parallel manner similar to the embodiment shown in fig3 and 4 , although the wall members 128 and 136 are attached by way of a base 130 . the base 130 perpendicularly attaches to each of the first and the second walls , 128 and 136 , at the proximal end 132 of the first wall member 128 and at the proximal end 134 of the second wall member 136 . the one - piece edible shell 116 may be advantageous where the edible shell 116 is made from less brittle material , such as breads or pastries , or where manufacturing capabilities allow for the efficient production of the edible shell 116 ; for example , a one - piece mold may be poured to produce the edible shell 116 or an extrusion type method could be used to produce the edible shell 116 . further , the one - piece shell 116 may be more advantageous from the standpoint of providing a better container for the sandwich fill 112 during consumption of the salad sandwich 110 because of its one - piece construction . fig8 is a front perspective view of an embodiment of the tear - away bag 14 showing the tear - away bag 14 in a partially opened position . fig8 shows the tear - away bag 14 having a cylindrical shape with the tear string 22 shown in partial disassembly of the tear - away bag 14 into a linear shape . the tear string 22 separates and exposes a first marginal edge 46 and a second marginal edge 48 of the tear string 22 . a pull tab 50 is preferrably located on an upper corner 56 of the tear - away bag 14 to facilitate the opening and removal of the tear - away bag 14 along the tear string 22 . further , the tear - away bag 14 is shown in front planar view resulting in the tear string 22 having a hidden tear line 52 and a visible tear line 54 according to the viewer . the tear - away bag 14 in fig8 is shown constructed of a clear material such as polymeric plastics or vinyls , however , the tear - away bag 14 may be constructed of other materials which can serve as moisture barriers for the edible shell , keep the sandwich fill fresh , and are simply and easily removable along a tear string 22 . other preferred embodiments of the tear - away bag 14 may allow for the sandwich fill 12 to be heated while in the tear - away bag 14 or which may allow the salad sandwich 10 to go directly from the freezer to the microwave oven . although in the foregoing detailed description the present invention has been described by reference to various specific embodiments , it is to be understood that modifications and alterations in the structure and arrangement of those embodiments other than those specifically set forth herein may be achieved by those skilled in the art and that such modifications and alterations are to be considered as in the overall scope of this invention . | 1 |
the controllable vibration absorber , shown schematically in fig1 has a working cylinder 1 and a pipe 6 , arranged coaxially to the working cylinder 1 , so that a connecting channel 33 is formed between them . coaxially to the working cylinder 1 or the pipe 6 , an external pipe 7 is positioned which defines , along with the pipe 6 , a compensating chamber 8 which has a circular ring - shaped cross - section . the compensating chamber 8 is partly filled with oil and interacts with the connecting channel 33 . by means of piston 3 , which is slidable by a hollow piston rod 2 , the internal space of the working cylinder 1 is subdivided into a first working chamber 4 , which is positioned above the piston 3 , and a second working chamber 5 , which is positioned beneath the piston 3 . in the bottom range of the illustrated vibration absorber , there is a valve assembly , not described in detail , which is substantially composed of a non - return valve 9 , effective in the rebound travel , a switch valve 13 which is constituted by a second non - return valve and effective in the compression travel , and a controllable absorber valve which as a whole , is assigned reference numeral 10 . in this configuration , the two non - return valves 9 , 13 are preferably arranged in a valve housing 34 which , additionally , accommodates the absorber valve 10 . the first non - return valve 9 includes a valve disc 87 which is prestressed by a spring 38 , interacts with passages 37 provided in the valve housing 34 and which renders possible an intake of the oil from the compensating chamber 8 into the second working chamber 5 in the rebound travel . the switching valve or second non - return valve 13 , to which the pressure existing in the second working chamber 5 may be applied , is formed by a valve disc 85 which is prestressed by a spring 83 , is arranged radially outside by working cylinder 1 and interacts with passages 82 provided in the valve housing 34 and extending in an axial direction . in its lower range ( in the lower final position of stroke of the piston 3 ), the working cylinder 1 is provided with openings 84 which can be passed over partly or entirely by the piston 3 . openings 84 open into an annular chamber 86 which is confined in a radial direction ( and axially from beneath ) by the housing 34 and in an axial direction by the second non - return valve 13 . the absorber valve 10 , which is provided as a two - stage seat valve , is positioned within a valve housing 35 forming part of the housing 34 . valve 10 is preferably mounted vertically with respect to the longitudinal axis of the vibration absorber , and serves to vary the flow cross - section of the connection between the connecting channel 33 and the compensating chamber 8 . as is readily apparent from fig1 on rebound or upward movement of piston 3 , fluid is displaced from working chamber 4 to connecting channel 33 . fluid is blocked from passage into working chamber 5 from channel 33 by valve 13 . fluid displaced from chamber 4 must therefore pass through valve 10 to reach chamber 5 by way of chamber 8 . fluid enters valve 10 through inlet channel 36 and exits through outlet channel 40 . fluid exiting valve 10 on the rebound stroke passes to chamber 8 , from which fluid enters chamber 5 through valve 9 . therefore , it is readily apparent that control of valve 10 provides control of the rebound rate . with regard to jounce or downward movement of piston 3 , fluid is supplied to working chamber 4 via channel 33 . channel 33 receives fluid displaced from working chamber 5 by piston 3 . however , because the volume of fluid displaced from working chamber 5 is greater than that which can be received by working chamber 4 , the residual oil passes from chamber 33 through valve 10 to compensating chamber 8 . fluid again passes into valve 10 through inlet channel 36 and out through outlet channel 40 . valve 10 is therefore able to control the rate of movement of piston 3 within the shock absorber . as can be seen in fig2 the absorber valve 10 has a substantially cylindrical guide element 11 , on which a preferably sleeve - shaped pilot member 14 is guided forming the carrier 19 of an electric plunger coil 15 which , along with an annular pole shoe 16 , a permanent magnet 17 and a bottom plate 18 abutted against the permanent magnet 17 , forms an electromechanical transducer 20 . the area of the annular pilot member 14 , which forms a control edge 21 triangular in cross - section , interacts with a valve member 22 , thereby forming a pilot chamber 23 between the guide element 11 and the valve member 22 which is confined by the control edge 21 . preferably , the valve member 22 is configured as a plate 28 , the radially outwardly disposed annular area of which is provided with apertures 31 and is configured as a bending spring 30 which is compressed into a cover 24 , an inner part 12 of which is abutted against the pole shoe 16 . the cover 24 , which includes a centrally arranged opening 36 serving as an inlet channel and at least two openings 40 , arranged in a radially offset manner and forming outlet channels , has on its side close to the valve member 22 an annular projection 39 , which is preferably of a triangular cross - section , which forms a sealing seat and abuts against the valve member 22 . as can be seen in fig1 the opening 36 , in the assembled condition of the valve 10 according to the present invention , is connected to the connecting channel 33 , while the openings 40 open into the compensating chamber 8 . it is preferred that the valve member 22 has in its middle an opening 32 , upstream of which a filter element 29 is connected , and which forms a first , constant throttling cross - section . a second , variable throttling cross - section is formed between the control edge 21 of the pilot member 14 and the valve member 22 due to the annular slot being opened when the plunger coil 15 , retained on pilot member 14 by carrier 19 , is energized . preferably , the pilot member 14 is suspended on a disc - shaped bending spring 25 which , at its outside rim , is compressed between the cover 24 and the pole shoe 16 . the guide element 11 and the valve member 14 are sized such that a radial slot 26 results between them . a plurality of pressure relief grooves 27 , arranged side by side on the surface of the guide element 11 , open into the slot 26 . when it as desired to use the valve according to the present invention as a pressure relief valve , it is expedient that the area of the pilot member 14 abutting against the valve member 22 has a surface 45 which is exposed to the effect of the hydraulic pressure prevailing in the pilot chamber 23 . when the valve according to the present invention is used as a throttling valve , the pilot member 14 is pressure - balanced . the plate 28 forming the valve member 22 may be provided with annular projections ( not shown ) on either sides in the range of effect of the sealing seat 39 and the control edge 21 of the pilot member 14 , which projections permit realizing a progressive flow characteristic curve stablizing the valve behavior . in the second preferred embodiment of the valve according to the present invention shown in fig3 the guide element 11 has an axial cylindrical extension 41 which projects with radial clearance into an opening 42 , centrally arranged in the valve member 22 , so that an annular slot 43 is formed therebetween and forms the first throttling cross - section mentioned with respect to fig2 . further it is expedient to arrange an annular groove 44 proximate the first throttling cross - section 43 which serves to clear the throttle from any dirt particles which may accumulate in front of the pilot chamber 23 . in the third preferred embodiment of the present invention shown in fig4 the electromechanical transducer 20 is provided as a bidirectional , linear motor which , substantially , includes an electric coil 79 and an armature 48 which is axially movable within the coil 79 . the armature 48 , which is preferably of sleeve - shaped configuration , is guided at its end remote from the pilot member 14 in a sliding bushing 49 , its axial overall length being sized such that axial air slots 51 , 88 are formed between its stepped end surfaces 80 , 90 and the guide element 11 or a pole plate 50 which axially abuts against the coil 79 . the actuating force is transmitted to the pilot member 14 by connecting pins 56 which are guided with radial clearance in the guide element 11 . along with the guide element 11 and the pole plate 50 , the sleeve - shaped armature 48 confines a cylindrical chamber in which two permanent magnets 53 , 54 are arranged , which are magnetized in axially opposite directions and which are separated from each other by a pole shoe 52 . in this configuration , preferably , the diameter of the pole shoe 52 has been selected to be such that a radial air slot 55 is formed between the pole shoe and the armature 48 . in the embodiment of the present invention shown in fig5 the electromagnetical transducer 20 is a double lifting magnet which is composed of a centrically arranged armature 57 and two electric coils 58 , 59 which embrace the armature 57 radially . on the one hand , the coils 58 , 59 abut against a pole plate 60 , 61 respectively and , on the other hand , against an annular pole shoe 62 interposed between the coils . the armature 57 is carried by a cylindrical part 47 connected to the pilot member 14 , the end surface of which is exposed to the effect of the hydraulic pressure which prevails in the pilot chamber 23 . the cylindrical part 47 may be guided , for example , in bores 46 , 81 provided in the guide element 11 and in the bottom pole plate 61 . to achieve ( in the vibration absorber shown in fig1 ) a desired family of response characteristic ( i . e . the hydraulic pressure prevailing in the vibration absorber depends on the fluid volume flowing through the absorber valve 10 , with the energizing current driving the electromechanical transducer having different values ) it is necessary to sense the actuating travel of the pilot member 14 . to this end , a measuring device 76 is connected directly to the pilot member 14 and senses the variations in a magnetic field caused by the movement of the pilot member 14 . the measuring device 76 shown in fig5 includes a permanent magnet 77 , attached to the cylindrical part 47 , and a sensor element 78 interacting with the permanent magnet , for example a hall effect element or a magnetoresistive element . however , other designs of the measuring device are also possible , for example , it may be a reflecting light barrier , or it may operate by the eddy - current principle . in the embodiment shown in fig6 the electromechanical transducer 20 is a so - called force motor , in which the coils 58 , 59 mentioned with respect to fig5 radially embrace two oppositely magnetized annular permanent magnets 63 , 64 . the disc - shaped armature 57 is positioned in a space confined by the coils 58 , 59 , the permanent magnets 63 , 64 or the pole shoe 62 , respectively . finally , the electromechanical transducer 20 used in the embodiment shown in fig7 is a double lifting electromagnet having an armature 65 which is formed of a stepped cylindrical sleeve 66 suspended on a bending spring 71 . the coil system of the double lifting magnet is formed of two coils 67 , 68 which , preferably , are arranged such that the radially outwardly disposed first coil 67 of large diameter radially embraces the sleeve - shaped armature 65 or 66 , while the second coil 68 of small diameter is arranged within the sleeve 66 . each of the two coils 67 , 68 interacts with an annular pole core 72 , 73 , and a first radial air slot 74 is formed between the pole core 72 and the sleeve 66 , and a second radial air slot 75 is formed between the pole core 73 and the sleeve 66 . the axial length of the armature 65 is sized such that axial air slots 70 , 89 result between its end surfaces 91 , 92 and the guide element 11 or , respectively , a pole plate 69 which interacts with the second coil 68 . | 5 |
fig1 schematically illustrates a typical smart card . shown is a security card / a smart card ( 100 ) that is well known in the prior art . typically the card ( 100 ) has the form of standard size credit card , although the form , layout , size , etc . may vary . the card ( 100 ) typically comprises embedded memory , a processor / controller and input / output ( i / o ) used for communication with an appropriate card reader /( sub -) terminal ( not shown ) via a number of contacts ( 100 ′). the shown contacts ( 100 ′) ( the size of which is exaggerated / enlarged for illustrative purposes ) complies with the standard of iso 7816 part 2 and comprises power supply ( 10 ), ground ( 11 ), three optional contacts / pins ( 12 , 14 , 15 ) that may be used for different functionality dependent on the specific card , a bidirectional input / output pin ( 13 ), check ( 16 ) and reset ( 17 ). all of these signals are provided by a terminal , receiving the card , to the smart card ( 100 ), and the terminal is expected to monitor the bi - directional input / output ( 13 ) according to the standard protocols in order to observe the response of the smart card ( 100 ). such a card ( 100 ) may be used to store information like pin - codes , identification information , personal information , security information , etc . fig2 illustrates a smart card and a typical prior art terminal . shown are the smart card ( 100 ) and the terminal ( 101 ) that communicates via a physical smart card interface ( 115 ). the terminal ( 101 ) comprises a main processor ( 105 ) and a generalized standard smart card interface ( 106 ) preferably integrated into or embedded in an integrated circuit ( ic ) ( 110 ) in the terminal ( 101 ). optionally the terminal ( 101 ) also comprises a communications / ip link e . g . useful for various e - commerce applications and / or other functions . when inserted in a private and / or home terminal / sub - terminal ( 101 ) ( both forth denoted terminal ), a smart card ( 100 ) would be supplied with power from a power supply from a central source , and the ground would be the central ground of the terminal &# 39 ; s ( 101 ) electrical systems , since a smart card ( 100 ) does not have a power supply . control signals of the physical smart card interface ( 115 ) in the terminal ( 101 ) would typically be provided by a serial smart card interface ( 106 ) programmed by the central processor ( s ) ( 105 ) of the terminal ( 101 ) to execute the standard protocols to address the smart card &# 39 ; s physical interface ( 115 ). this is a very cheap and flexible arrangement , which allows developers of terminal / stb software to use standard electronic interfaces and processes to access the cards . however , the usage of a standard serial interfaces ( 106 ) makes the terminal ( 101 ) open to forms of tampering by spying on the communication , as described above . fig3 illustrates an example of an un - tampered circuit according to the present invention . shown are a smart card / secure access card ( 100 ) and a terminal ( 101 ) modified according to the present invention . the smart card ( 100 ) and the physical interface ( 115 ) correspond to the ones shown and explained in connection with fig2 . the terminal ( 101 ) corresponds to the one shown and explained in connection fig2 with the exceptions that it comprises a specialized smart card interface / controller ( 113 ) instead of the generalized interface ( 106 in fig2 ) and that it further comprises a monitoring / detection circuit ( 114 ), preferably integrated in / embedded into an ic ( 110 ), constituting the functionality of the terminal ( 101 ), and connected to the main processor ( 105 ) and the physical smart card interface ( 115 ). interface pins or other connections of the ic ( 110 ) is then directly coupled to the mechanical interface ( 115 ) that couples to the smart card ( 100 ). in this way , the ic ( 110 ) may be equipped with additional functionality allowing for electrical measurements of the physical / mechanical interface ( 115 ) to be made in order to detect tampering with the interface ( 115 ) which could allow for spying on the communication via the interface ( 115 ). in the shown embodiment , the terminal ( 101 ) comprises a monitoring process done by the monitoring / detection circuit ( 114 ) that monitors and compares certain electrical characteristics of the physical interface ( 115 ), as explained in greater detail in the following . as mentioned , a smart card ( 100 ) is an electrical circuit without internal power source ( s ) where a terminal ( 101 ) supplies the energy , i . e . the currents in the smart card ( 100 ). this means that the sum of all dc and ac currents supplied to the card ( isc ) must be returned to the source , i . e . the smart card interface / controller ( 113 ) in the ic ( 110 ) in the terminal ( 101 ). if there is a leakage of current ( either dc and / or ac ) from the source that is not returned back to the source then either interference and / or tampering must be present . such tampering may e . g . be a monitoring / spy circuit , an extender , etc . with powered sensors / amplifiers . the monitoring / detection circuit ( 114 ) according to the present invention is able to sense either the ac or dc loss of current to return paths , i . e . sources , other than the terminal itself . in the embodiment shown in fig3 , the monitoring / detection circuit ( 114 ) more specifically comprises a first current monitor ( 102 a ) coupled to a vdd connection ( e . g . the power pin ( 10 ) in fig1 ) and measuring / monitoring the current ( denoted i dd ) and a second current monitor ( 102 b ) coupled to a vss connection ( e . g . the ground pin ( 11 ) in fig1 ) and measuring / monitoring the current ( denoted i ss ). the first and second current monitors ( 102 a , 102 b ) are both connected to a comparator circuit ( 103 ) that compares i dd and i ss in order to determine if they are ( substantially ) equal or different ( at all or by a factor greater than a predetermined factor ), i . e . if i ss ( substantially )= i dd or not . if they are equal , it signifies that that the current introduced to the smart card ( 100 ) from the terminal ( 100 ) is also returned again signifying that no tampering circuit has been inserted . if the currents are different ( e . g . by more than a margin taking into account normal interference ), it signifies that a spy circuit , tampering circuit , extending arrangement , etc . has been inserted . the comparator ( 103 ) is connected to a controller ( 104 ) that on the basis of the signal received from the comparator ( 103 ) generates a control signal that is supplied to the main processor ( s ) ( 105 ). in this way , the main processor ( s ) ( 105 ) may initiate appropriate action ( s ) if a tampering circuit is detected . in the shown example , no tampering circuit is inserted and therefore the current introduced ( i ss ) into the card is ( substantially ) equal to the current ( i dd ) returned back to the terminal ( 100 ). the detection circuit ( 110 ) may e . g . be a standard current mirror circuit comparing i ss and i dd using a window function determined by the controller ( 104 ) and executed by the comparator ( 103 ). preferably , the capability to re - calibrate the interface between the card ( 100 ) and the terminal ( 101 ) is not available in the terminal ( 101 ). at least not without , the use of special equipment only available at the manufacturing site . an alternative embodiment comprises calibration of the interface used to create viable , but non - stable electrical properties at the physical level , e . g . time / timing , voltage and / or current , of the interface to the smart card ( 100 ). these properties should be viable enough to allow normal transaction with the card , but so dedicated to the electrical conditions that an insertion of circuit extending arrangement ( 111 , 112 ), e . g . an extender , monitoring device , etc ., would cause the interface to fail . the failure of the interface would thus resist the attack of tampering directly . one implementation of this is to use an impedance - based method that uses current and / or voltage characteristics of the interface to create electrical conditions that are fragile . this is e . g . possible by creating driver circuits in the terminal ( 101 ) that are programmable to the electrical impedance of the signal path . specifically these could use the signal path reflection characteristics . one condition for this may e . g . be that the signal transition time of the driver and a significant proportion of the flight time from source to receiver . in this case , the signal path has the properties of a transmission line thereby making an impedance - based method very practical . yet a further embodiment comprises a monitoring process that compares known electrical characteristics of the interface ( as calibrated during manufacture ) and the present conditions . the monitoring process would regulate the use of the smart card . if the present condition ( s ) of the actual card inserted into the terminal deviated from the calibrated conditions ( e . g . at all and / or within a predetermined margin ) then the terminal could e . g . either warn the user and / or the card issuing authority ( e . g . using the communications / ip link ). the transaction , the access , etc . relating to the card would then be terminated and / or carefully monitored by the execution / issuing authority . fig4 illustrates an example of a tampered circuit according to the present invention . shown is the arrangement shown in fig3 but with an extender ( 111 ) inserted and coupled to a spy / monitoring circuit ( 112 ). as the inserted extender ( 111 ) and / or spy circuit ( 112 ) introduces a ‘ leakage ’ of current , then i ss will be different from i dd , i . e . all the current supplied by the terminal is not received back , which will be detected by the comparator ( 103 ) and signaled by the controller ( 104 ) to the main processor ( 105 ). in this way , attempts at spying , tampering , etc . is readily detected by simple means . | 6 |
as used herein , a kinematic finite state machine comprises at least two bodies and a switch . for the sake of convenience , the first body may be referred to herein as “ a housing ” while the second body may be referred to herein as “ a platform ”. each body may be one continuous structure or may comprise multiple bodies or plates permanently or at least semi - permanently joined together to form one continuous structure . as used herein , permanently or semi - permanently joined bodies , or “ joined bodies ” or “ joined plates ”, are bodies requiring tools ( including hand tools ) or removal of a pin or the like to disassemble the joined parts . as discussed herein , the housing may be part of or may be attached to a “ solid body ”, such as a table , chair , shipping container , refrigerator , or the like . as used herein , the housing is supported against gravity ( and / or against another acceleration force ) by i ) an external surface , ii ) the switch which transfers the weight of or other forces from the housing to the platform and then by the platform to the external surface ( potentially via an accessory ), or iii ) by an external force provided by a human , a fork lift , a crane , or another machine . the housing may move relative to the platform and relative to an external surface , upon which the platform may rest . motion of the housing is generally described in terms of one degree of freedom , such as up / down or rotation about an axis , though additional degrees of freedom may also be utilized . the housing discussed herein is described as an active component , because the position of the housing is actively changed by the external force . as discussed herein , an active component acts on a passive component , such as when a housing is actively translated or rotated by an external force . as discussed herein , prismatic kinematic pairs may act upon a switch . as discussed herein , revolute kinematic pairs act upon the platform in the kinematic chain . as used herein , the platform is supported against gravity ( and / or against another acceleration force ) by an external surface and / or by a joint or revolute kinematic chain with the housing , when the housing and platform are connected by an axle . between the platform and the external surface may be an “ accessory ”, such as , for example , a leg , a wheel - axle combination , an adjustable length leg , a scale , a vibration dampener and the like . many accessories may be used in addition to these examples . the platform discussed herein is a passive component , because the platform only moves , if at all , in reaction to movement of the housing by the external force . the housing and / or platform may comprise a housing - platform restraint to limit the range of motion between the housing and platform and to prevent the housing and platform from traversing beyond the allowed range . the housing - platform restraint may allow the housing and platform to move in a piston - type relationship , wherein a gap ( within allowable tolerances ) between the housing and platform allow the housing to raise and lower relative to the platform . the housing - platform restrain may comprise a hinge , which causes the platform to rotate about the hinge when the housing is raised . the housing may be lifted vertically , without a rotational component , or the housing may be lifted by rotation about a corner . the housing and / or platform together form a composite coordinate function in a variable surface which contacts the switch and which transmits a force at a force vector determined by the switch and the switch geometry . the housing , platform , and switch system may occupy states , which states are changed by events . the platform may be secured to accessories . as used herein , the “ switch ” is a rigid body in contact with the housing and / or platform . the switch either i ) experiences no more force than the force produced by its own weight on the surface ( s ) of the object ( s ) or ii ) when the kinematic state machine is in the engaged state , the switch contacts both first and second objects and transports a force at a force vector across the two objects , which force is greater than the force produced by the weight of the switch . in the engaged state , the number of degrees of freedom of motion between the two objects is limited by the switch and the switch has zero degrees of freedom of motion . in the non - engaged state ( s ), the switch does not limit the number degrees of freedom between the first two objects and the switch &# 39 ; s number of degrees of freedom of motion is greater than zero . fig2 to 133 illustrate elevation and top plan views of a first embodiment 100 of a kinematic finite state machine , in which the first and second bodies are provided be separate sets of joined plates , in which the first and second bodies have a piston - type relationship and the switch has a round vertical cross section , and show the states and events of this embodiment of the finite state machine as the first body moves . in the first embodiment 100 , the kinematic pairing between the first and second bodies imposes five constraints on the degrees of freedom in relative movement between the bodies ; because unconstrained bodies have a maximum of six degrees of freedom ( three translational degrees : up , down , side - to - side ; and three rotational degrees : roll , yaw , pitch ), constraints on five degrees leaves one degree of freedom . in the first embodiment 100 , the kinematic pairing is prismatic . in fig2 through 133 , elements 1 through 9 illustrate a set of joined plates comprising the housing . the plates comprising the housing may be joined by screws , bolts , nails , glue , epoxy , or the like ( not shown in fig2 through 133 ). in fig2 through 133 , elements 11 through 16 illustrate a set of joined plates comprising the platform . similarly , the plates comprising the platform may be joined by screws , bolts , nails , glue , epoxy , or the like ( not shown in fig2 through 133 ). the housing and platform plates are arranged in a matrix which allows the housing and platform to translate vertically relative to one another , but which does not allow the housing and platform to translate horizontally relative to one another ( movement of the housing in the horizontal plane will also move the platform ). the plates of the housing form a first coordinate function , while the plates of the platform form a second coordinate function . together , the first and second coordinate functions form a variable composite coordinate function . as the housing is lifted , the variable composite coordinate function transmits forces at force vectors to switch 10 , which vectors are determined by switch 10 , generally orthogonal to the slope of the points where the composite coordinate function contacts the switch . the forces and force vectors trigger events which change the state of this first embodiment 100 of the state machine . as described further below , these figures show the states and the triggering events of this embodiment of the finite state machine . in fig2 through 133 , element 10 illustrates switch 10 , in this first embodiment 100 a rod , such as a one - half inch diameter steel rod ( other materials may be used ). as illustrated in fig2 through 133 , the housing and platform may move separately . in the illustrations of fig2 through 133 , the platform is generally resting on an external surface , while the housing may rest upon the external surface , but may also be lifted , translating the housing vertically . proceeding clockwise around fig2 as an example of all of fig2 through 133 , starting in the top - left quadrant , the top - left quadrant illustrates a top plan view of the first embodiment 100 , illustrating the plates which comprise the housing and the platform , with a width corresponding to the bottom - left quadrant . among other features , this top - left quadrant illustrates , with pointer and ruler , how the center line of switch 10 translates horizontally as the displacement of housing changes relative to platform . the top - right quadrant illustrates a detailed side - elevation view of the first embodiment 100 , looking down the length of the center line of switch 10 . except for fig2 , the top - right quadrant illustrates only those portions of the plates in contact with the switch 10 . the bottom - right quadrant illustrates a front or rear elevation view of the first embodiment 100 , illustrating the plates which comprise the housing and the platform and the switch 10 . among other features , this bottom - right quadrant illustrates , with pointer and ruler , how the center line of switch 10 translates vertically as the displacement of housing changes relative to platform . the bottom - left quadrant illustrates a side elevation view of the first embodiment . the bottom - left quadrant illustrates , with broken lines , the perimeter of the platform and an accessory ( a wheel ) attached to the platform . both bottom quadrants illustrate , with pointers and rulers , elevation - view displacement meters . in the top - left and bottom right - quadrants in these figures , plates in contact with and transmitting a force vector to or receiving a force vector from the switch are cross - hatched . in all of these views , a force is transmitted to switch 10 from the housing . the force has a magnitude , generated by the rate of the relative displacement of the housing and platform , and a force vector orthogonal to the slope of the points where the composite coordinate function of the surfaces of the housing and platform contact the switch . fig2 through 133 illustrate the following states and events : states three and four in the foregoing require an external force to support the housing ( such as a human , a fork lift , a crane , or similar ). when the external force is removed following the event , then states three and four return to state one . if events which do not pass a point - of - no - return are removed , then the table of states and events is reduced to the following : in the foregoing , when the machine is in state one , one event , event b , can transition the machine to state two . in the foregoing , when the machine is in state two , two events , event c and d , can transition the machine to state one . events b , c , and d are points of no return . fig2 through 133 illustrate two energy wells into which the switch 10 may fall , if allowed by the composite coordinate function defined by the housing , the platform , and switch 10 geometry . the switch 10 is illustrated in the first energy well in fig3 - 53 ; the switch 10 is illustrated in the second energy well in fig7 and 71 and 79 - 112 . the energy wells are separated by an energy barrier defined by the plates comprising the platform ; the switch 10 obtains energy to move over the energy barrier from the housing and the force and force vector transmitted to the switch 10 by the housing and the platform . because the housing is active , the force for surmounting the energy barrier is provided by the housing . the switch 10 may be intermediate between an energy well and the energy barrier , as in state one . in fig2 through 133 , the housing is in a static kinematic relationship with the platform . the housing has two frames of reference : i ) the housing &# 39 ; s location in a larger physical body in which the housing may be embedded ( if any ) and ii ) the horizontal axis of the center of gravity of the switch 10 . in fig2 through 133 , the platform has three frames of reference : i ) the housing , determined by the platform &# 39 ; s kinematic pair relationship with the housing ; ii ) the vertical axis through the center of gravity of the switch 10 ; and iii ) the kinematic pair relationship with the external surface , which may be mediated by the accessory . in fig2 through 133 , the switch 10 has one frame of reference : its own center of gravity . fig1 to 166 illustrate elevation views of a second embodiment 200 , in which a first body or housing 201 is attached to a second body or platform 202 at a platform - housing axle 204 , which bodies combine with a switch 206 to form a composite coordinate function . components illustrated and labeled on one side of the second embodiment 200 are mirror images of equivalent components on the other side of the second embodiment 200 . the bottom portion of fig1 to 166 illustrates an entire mechanism , which may be embedded in a larger object . the top portion of fig1 to 166 illustrates a detailed view of the bottom portion . the housing 201 and platform 202 are illustrated as being singular components ; however , they could be made from a set of plates , as illustrated in the first embodiment 100 in fig2 through 133 . in the second embodiment 200 , the kinematic pairing between the first and second bodies imposes five constraints on the degrees of freedom in relative movement between the bodies . in the second embodiment 200 , the kinematic pairing is revolute . in fig1 to 166 , housing 201 may translate vertically . the vertical translation of the housing 201 may have a rotational component ; for example , in fig1 to 166 , the housing 201 is raised at one corner while the opposite corner remains on the exterior surface , which results in rotation of the housing 201 about the opposite corner on the exterior surface . raising the housing 201 ( with or without a rotational component ) results in rotation of the platform 202 about the platform - housing axle 204 , and which changes the composite coordinate function , which , via the cut - out 208 ( which is part of the housing ) and the switch 206 , triggers the events which change the states available to the state machine . as described further below , fig1 to 166 show the states and the triggering events of this embodiment of the finite state machine . the switches 206 in fig1 through 166 are not round about their horizontal axis of rotation ( when viewed in elevation , as in fig1 through 166 ). the switches 206 may be connected at their base to the platform 202 ( such as about an axle , not shown ). the composite coordinate function is formed by the cut - out 208 ( which is part of the housing 201 ), the base of the platform 202 ( which changes elevation slightly when the platform 202 rotates about the platform - housing axle 204 ), and the switch 206 . the composite coordinate function defines two energy wells , a first well when the switch 206 is leaning on the left side of the base of the switch 206 ( relative to the switch 206 on the left side of the machine — fig1 to 141 ), a second well when the switch 206 is leaning on the right side of the base of the switch 206 , and an energy barrier when the switch 206 is vertically oriented above its base . the energy barrier and the two wells arise because the energy of the switch 206 is highest when the switch 206 is vertically oriented above its base . the energy wells and energy barrier are discussed further below in relation to the states available to the finite state system . the platforms 202 in fig1 through 166 are connected to the housing 201 at platform - housing axle 204 . the platforms 202 may be within an opening inside of the housing 201 . the switches 206 comprise a rod 209 , or similar , which rod 209 projects beyond the main body of the switch 206 and contacts the housing 201 along cut - out 208 . the cut - out 208 , the platform 202 , and the switch 206 are configured to impart energy — force — and a direction — vector — to the switch 206 as the housing 201 is raised , transitioning the switch 206 from one energy well to the other , over the energy barrier . the housing 201 may be raised vertically , holding the housing 201 horizontal as it is raised , and / or it may be raised vertically by rotating the housing 201 about an axis , such as a corner of the housing 201 ( as illustrated in fig1 to 166 ). in all of these views , a force is transmitted to the switch 206 from the housing ; the force has a magnitude , generated by the rate of the relative displacement of the housing and platform , and a force vector orthogonal to the slope of the combined coordination functions of the surfaces of the housing and platform where they contact the switch . fig1 through 166 illustrate the following states and transitions : states three and four in the foregoing require an external force to support the housing ( such as a human , a fork lift , a crane , or similar ). when the external force is removed following the event , then states three and four return to state one . if events which do not pass a point - of - no - return are removed , then the table of states and events is reduced to the following : in the foregoing , when the machine is in state one , one event , event b , can transition the machine to state two . in the foregoing , when the machine is in state two , two events , event c and d , can transition the machine to state one . events b , c , and d are points of no return . fig2 to 230 illustrate a third embodiment 300 of a kinematic state machine . in the third embodiment 300 , the kinematic pairing between the first and second bodies imposes five constraints on the degrees of freedom in relative movement between the bodies . in the third embodiment 300 , the kinematic pairing is prismatic . within this set , fig2 illustrates a side elevation view of exploded components of the third embodiment 300 . fig2 illustrates a top orthogonal wire frame view of the exploded components of the third embodiment 300 . fig2 illustrates a section perspective view of the third embodiment 300 with the components assembled and in state one of the state machine . fig2 to 230 illustrate elevation views of the third embodiment 300 , assembled , in which a first body , housing 301 , translates vertically relative to a second body , platform 302 . the housing 301 and platform 302 form a composite coordinate function which interacts with a switch 303 ; vertical translation of the housing 301 changes the composite coordination function via cut - out 305 ( which is part of housing 301 ), a kicker 306 ( which is part of housing 301 ), and a headboard 307 ( which is part of housing 301 ). changes in the composite coordinate function interact with the switch 303 at switch - finger 304 and trigger the events which change the states available to the state machine . the energy states of the switch 303 ( discussed in the table below ) come from rotation of the switch 303 about the lower interior corner ; lines 309 and 310 on switch 303 ( see fig2 ) illustrate the angle of the switch 303 relative to a point of no return which occurs approximately when line 310 is just over vertical ( see fig2 and 227 ). as described further below , these figures show the states and the triggering events of this embodiment of the kinematic state machine . the composite coordinate function contacts the switch 303 and imparts a force at a force vector on the switch 303 in the ambient gravitational field or acceleration force . the shape of the switch 303 , its density distribution ( which is generally uniform in this example ), and the space allowed between the housing 301 and the platform 302 determine that the switch 303 may occupy two energy wells , separated by an energy barrier . the energy barrier occurs when the switch 303 is tipped up on one corner , with line 310 oriented vertically . see , for example , fig2 and 227 . a first energy well occurs when the switch 303 rests flat on its base upon the platform 302 , which , due to the space allowed between the housing 301 and the platform 302 , occurs only when the housing 301 is supported by the switch 303 , which is supported by the platform 302 , which is supported by the accessory 308 . see , for example , fig2 and 225 . a second energy well occurs when the switch 303 is tipped up on one corner , past the point of no return relative to the energy barrier , and the cut - out 305 has not yet descended far enough to push the switch 303 ( via the switch finger 304 ) back over the energy barrier . see , for example , fig2 to 229 . in all of these views , a force is transmitted to the switch 303 from the housing 301 ; the force has a magnitude , generated by the rate of the relative displacement of the housing 301 and platform 302 , and a force vector orthogonal to the slope of the combined coordination functions of the surfaces of the housing 301 and platform 302 where they contact the switch 303 . fig2 through 230 illustrate the following states and transitions : states three and four in the foregoing require an external force to support the housing 301 ( such as a human , a fork lift , a crane , or similar ). when the external force is removed following the event , then states three and four return to state one . if events which do not pass a point - of - no - return are removed , then the table of states and events is reduced to the following : in the foregoing , when the machine is in state one , one event , event b , can transition the machine to state two . in the foregoing , when the machine is in state two , two events , event c and d , can transition the machine to state one . events b , c , and d are points of no return . fig1 to 217 illustrate elevation and top plan views of a fourth embodiment 400 . the top portion of fig1 to 217 illustrates a close elevation view ; the bottom - left portion of fig1 to 217 illustrates an elevation view ; the bottom - right portion of fig1 to 217 illustrates a top plan view . in the top plan view portion of these drawings , four switch seats are illustrated as part of the housing 401 ; only two switch seats are illustrated in the elevation views . as with the other embodiments , housing 401 and platform 402 are illustrated as single components . in an embodiment , these components may be formed from multiple plates , as illustrated with respect to the first embodiment 100 . in the fourth embodiment 400 , the kinematic pairing between the first and second bodies imposes five constraints on the degrees of freedom in relative movement between the bodies . in the fourth embodiment 400 , the kinematic pairing is prismatic . in the fourth embodiment 400 illustrated in fig1 to 217 , a first body , housing 401 , may translate vertically relative to a second body , platform 402 , which bodies form a composite coordinate function which interacts with a switch 403 ; vertical translation of the housing 401 changes the composite coordinate function , which , via the switch 403 , triggers the events which change the states available to the state machine . as described further below , these figures show the states and the triggering events of this embodiment of the kinematic finite state machine . in this embodiment , the switch 403 may rotate about a central axis , when viewed in plan - view ( from above ). the platform 402 in fig1 through 217 may occupy an opening within the housing 401 . the composite coordinate function in contact with the switch 403 is formed by housing 401 and the top of the platform 402 , which contact the switch 403 . the composite coordinate function and the switch 403 geometry define a set of energy wells , separated by energy barriers , discussed further below in relation to the states available to the finite state system . the energy wells in this fourth embodiment 400 are essentially identical , though a first set of the energy wells do not position the switch 403 between the housing 401 and the platform 402 while a second set of the energy wells do position the switch 403 between the housing 401 and the platform 402 . the energy barriers in this fourth embodiment 400 are found at the top of the peaks on top of the platform 402 . the composite coordinate function is configured to impart energy to the switch 403 as the housing 401 is raised , transitioning the switch 403 from one energy well to the other , over the energy barriers . as the switch 403 moves between the energy wells , the switch 403 rotates about its central axis and is alternatively interposed or not interposed between the housing 401 and the platform 402 and the finite state machine transitions between states . in all of these views , a force is transmitted to the switch 403 from the housing 401 ; the force has a magnitude , generated by the rate of the relative displacement of the housing 401 and platform 402 , and a force vector orthogonal to the slope of the combined coordination functions of the surfaces of the housing 401 and platform 402 where they contact the switch 403 . fig1 through 217 illustrate the following states and transitions of the fourth embodiment 400 : states three and four in the foregoing require an external force to support the housing ( such as a human , a fork lift , a crane , or similar ). when the external force is removed following the event , then state three transitions to state two and state four transitions to state one . if events which do not pass a point - of - no - return are removed , and if transitional states three and four reflect their ultimate state , after the external lifting force is removed , then the table of states and events is reduced to the following : in the foregoing , when the machine is in state one , three events , event b , c , and d , can transition the machine to state two . in the foregoing , when the machine is in state two , three events , event b , c , and d , can transition the machine to state one . events b , c , and d are points of no return . fig2 to 260 illustrate a fifth embodiment 500 of a kinematic finite state machine , in which the first and second bodies are connected at an axle , in which there are two switches , 510 and 511 , neither of which has a single round vertical cross section , and show the states and events of this embodiment of the finite state machine as the first body moves . in fig2 , plates 501 - 505 illustrate housing components . elements 516 and 517 illustrate assembly of these plates into housing 516 and 517 ; note : the stacking order of plates in housing 516 is not the same as the stacking order of plates in housing 517 . a side elevation of both housings is illustrated in box 514 ( not including the switches and omitting housing plate 501 ). in fig2 , plates 506 - 509 illustrate platform components . a side elevation of both platforms ( and an accessory ) is illustrated in box 513 . box 515 illustrates a side elevation of both platforms and housings , assembled around axle 512 . in fig2 , elements 510 and 511 are switches . within fig2 to 260 , fig2 to 259 show the states and events of the fifth embodiment 500 of the finite state machine as the first body moves . in these figures , box 530 shows a schematic view of interaction of switch 510 with components of housing and platform . box 530 is not separately labeled in fig2 to 259 , but can be seen in a consistent position within these figures . in fig2 to 259 , element 531 is a portion of housing plate 503 ; element 532 is a portion of platform plate 507 ; element 533 is a portion of platform plate 506 ; element 534 is a portion of housing plate 501 ; element 535 is a portion of housing plate 505 ; element 536 is a portion of housing plate 502 ; element 537 is a portion of platform plate 507 ; element 538 is a portion of platform plate 508 ; and element 539 is a portion of housing plate 504 . only portions of the plates are illustrated to focus on the control surfaces which interact with the switches and to illustrate that the size of the plates is not significant , so long as the space occupied by the switches is not impinged upon as the composite coordinate function formed by the housing and platform is executed by raising and lowering the housing . fig2 illustrates the housing 517 or housing 518 of the fifth embodiment 500 embedded in a larger solid body , element 520 . element 521 illustrates a solid body with an opening consistent with housing 514 . element 522 illustrates an elevation view of housing 514 and housing plate 501 . fig2 illustrates variations on the switch , generally a switch similar to the one illustrated in embodiment two ( fig1 to 166 ). these variations show mechanisms to dampen or delay the events ( and state transitions ), such as , for example , a viscous fluid which can flow from one side of the switch to the other through an adjustable needle valve , 701 , ball bearings able to translate back and forth within a tube , 702 , or a horizontal screw which can be adjusted to change the center of gravity of the switch , 703 . these variations are shown together , 704 , in an embodiment of a switch similar to the switch illustrated in the second embodiment 200 . the finite state machines described herein may be summarized as follows : each comprises two bodies and a switch . the two bodies may move separately with at least one degree of freedom and a defined range of motion therein . the bodies may be connected at an axle and / or the bodies may interlock , with an allowed range of motion prior to the interlock . one or both of the bodies may contact an external surface . at least one , if not two , of the bodies may form a composite coordinate function in conjunction with the geometry of the switch . the composite coordinate function may comprise coordinate functions obtained from each separate body and / or from components within one body ( such as from plates which together comprise one body ). the coordinate functions illustrated in this paper are generally linear equations ( straight lines with a slope ), but may be non - linear . the composite coordinate function transmits a force at a force vector to the switch , which force vector counteracts the force vector experienced by the switch in the gravitational field or acceleration force . the composite coordinate function changes as one of the bodies moves relative to the other . the switch has a geometric structure , a density distribution , and is subject to gravity ( or another acceleration force ). because the geometric structure and density distribution of the switch are known , because the composite coordination function is known based on the then - current relative position of the two bodies , and if , when relevant , the preceding state of the finite state machine is known ( the state of certain finite state machines depends on the prior state of the finite state machine ), the position of the switch relative to the composite coordinate function is also known . the position of the switch relative to the two bodies determines the state of the finite state machine . the finite state machine may have at least two states : a first state wherein a first body contacts and / or is supported by an exterior surface , without being supported by the switch ; and a second state wherein the first body is supported by the switch , which switch is supported by the second body , which second body is supported by an accessory and / or by an exterior surface . the first state transitions to the second state when the first body is raised , the variable surface formed by the first and / or second body either i ) provides a force and force vector which counteract the force and force vector experienced by the switch in the gravitational field and moves the switch past a point of no return and transitions the switch from a first energy well over an energy barrier into a second energy well ( embodiment 4 ), or ii ) releases a force and force vector which were counteracting the force and force vector experienced by the switch in the gravitational field and allows the switch to fall into the second energy well ( embodiments 1 through 3 ) whereupon the first body may be lowered into the second state , wherein the first body is supported by the switch and the second body . the second state does not change if the state machine is released . the second state may transition to the first state when the first body is raised past the point of no return where the composite coordinate function formed by the first and / or second body contacts the switch and provides a force and force vector which moves the switch past a point of no return and transitions the switch from the second energy well over the energy barrier , and into i ) the side of the first energy well ( embodiments 1 through 3 ), or ii ) entirely into the first energy well ( embodiment 4 ), whereupon the first body may be lowered to the ground , and , in the case of embodiments 1 through 3 , the composite coordinate function contacts the switch and provides a force and force vector which moves the switch past a point of no return and transitions the switch from the first energy well over the energy barrier , and into a position intermediate between the second energy well and the energy barrier . third and fourth transitional states may result , but require that one of the bodies be supported by an external force . the finite state machines in embodiments 1 through 3 exhibit the following state / transitions : the finite state machine in embodiment 4 exhibit the following state / transitions : a larger object may comprise more than one finite state machine . for example , and without limitation , a table may comprise a finite state machine on each corner of the table ; the housing - component of the table may be lifted vertically , without a rotational component , triggering events for each of the finite state machines on each corner . if the finite state machines in this example are identical , then the events would occur at essentially the same time . for example , and without limitation , a table may comprise a finite state machine on each corner of the table ; the housing - component of the table may be rotated along an axis at the base of one side of the table , in which case the finite state machines at the opposite side of the table ( assuming they are all identical ) would experience events at essentially the same time . a single object may comprise multiple different finite state machines , such as , for example , four different state machines being attached to the four corners of a table . in this way , different states , events , and state sequences may occur at each of the four corners , depending on how the table is raised . the first or second objects — or a larger object to which the first and / or second objects may be attached — may have any shape which is consistent with the allowed range of motion of the first and second objects and which does not impinge upon the area occupied by the switch due to the composite coordinate function . the control surfaces of the first and second objects , discussed herein in terms of the composite coordinate function , have a frame of reference which is an axis through the center of gravity of the switch , which axis is in a plane perpendicular to the gravitational field of the machine . the housing has two frames of reference : i ) an attachment , if any , to a larger solid body to which the housing may be attached ( such as a table ) and / or to an external surface upon which the housing may come to rest ; and ii ) an axis through the center of gravity of the switch , which axis is in a plane perpendicular to the gravitational field of the machine . the platform has three frames of reference : i ) the housing , as determined by the kinematic pair relationship between the housing and the platform ; ii ) the axis through the center of gravity of the switch , which axis is in a plane perpendicular to the gravitational field of the machine ; and iii ) an attachment , if any , to an accessory to which the platform may be attached ( such as a wheel ) and / or to an external surface upon which the platform may rest . the housing and platform have at least one shared frame of reference in the axis through the center of gravity of the switch . the state machines disclosed herein may be programmable by a user . for example , if the state machine is composed of joined plates , the user may remove one or more plates and replace the removed plates with other plates which may , for example , allow the state machine to bear a heavier load , or which scale the size of the state machine in one or more dimensions . additional or different plates may be utilized to increase or decrease the number of states which are available to the machine . at least one of the bodies may be connected or attached to an accessory , such as , for example , a wheel , a foot , a scale , a sensor . the states available to the machine may be understood of as information states , wherein the information in the machine is processed based on the then - current state and the then - current event , with the output of processing the information states being a next state of the kinematic machine . in the embodiments illustrated herein , a first rigid body is an active component with a 3 - dimensional load bearing surface with a minimum length and which physically embodies a coordinate function or a set of coordinate functions . a second rigid body is a passive component with a 3 - dimensional load bearing surface with a minimum length and which physically embodies a coordinate function or a set of coordinate functions . the active and passive components have an allowed ( limited ) range of motion relative to one another . the coordinate functions of the active and passive components — together , a composite coordinate function — intersect with the surface of a switch as the first body is moved relative to the second body within the allowed range of motion . the active and passive components share a frame of reference in an axis which passes through the horizontal center of gravity of the switch and a plane which is perpendicular to a gravitational field in which the components are present . the composite coordinate function translates and / or rotates the switch through a volume occupied by the switch . in certain positions or orientations , the engaged positions , the switch engages with both bodies to transfer a force from the first body to the second , which force is greater than the weight of the switch by itself . in other positions or orientations , the disengaged positions , the switch experiences reactive forces from the composite coordinate function , which reactive forces are no greater than those produced by the weight of the switch ( the mass multiplied by the acceleration of the switch , with acceleration driven by movement of the active component or caused by the gravitational field ). the engaged and disengaged states of the switch define at least a subset of the states available to the machine . the states are generally separated by energy barriers defined by the gravitational field in which the machine exists , the composite coordinate function , and the switch geometry and center of gravity . the states , the composite coordinate function , the switch geometry and center of gravity , and the allowed range of motion between the first and second bodies define the volume which the switch occupies and the shapes of load bearing surfaces of the first and second bodies . the raising limit of a finite state machine may be defined by the axle and / or the allowed range of motion of the interlocking bodies . for example , to provide the raising limit , a first body may comprise a cable , “ u ” shaped bracket or similar which projects through an opening in the second body or around a surface of the second body , which cable or similar comprises a nut or similar physical object which cannot pass through the opening or around the surface of the second body and which thereby interlocks with the second body at the raising limit ( beyond which there is no change in state for the state machine ). | 8 |
the following description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the present disclosure , application , or uses . at the outset , it should be appreciated that the embodiments of the multi - speed automatic transmissions of the present invention have an arrangement of permanent mechanical connections between the elements of the four planetary gear sets . for example , a first component or element of the first planetary gear set is permanently coupled a first component or element of the second planetary gear set . a second component or element of a first planetary gear set is permanently coupled to a third component or element of the fourth planetary gear set . a third component or element of the second planetary gear set is permanently coupled to a first component or element of the third planetary gear set . a third component or element of the third planetary gear set is permanently coupled to a second component or element of the fourth planetary gear set . referring now to fig1 , a stick diagram presents a schematic layout of an embodiment of the ten speed transmission 10 according to the present invention . ten speed transmission 10 includes four planetary gear sets 14 , 16 , 18 and 20 . as will be described below , each of the planetary gear sets 14 , 16 , 18 and 20 have a components or members such as a sun gear , a carrier member and a ring gear that are either permanently or selectively interconnected through clutches or brakes to each other or to a transmission housing 50 . transmission 10 is capable of establishing ten gear ratios between an input member 12 and an output member 22 . for example , the planetary gear set 14 includes a sun gear member 14 a , a ring gear member 14 c and a planet gear carrier member 14 b that rotatably supports a set of planet gears 14 d ( only one of which is shown ). the sun gear member 14 a is connected for common rotation with a first shaft or interconnecting member 42 and a second shaft or interconnecting member 44 . the ring gear member 14 c is connected for common rotation with a third shaft or interconnecting member 46 . the planet carrier member 14 b is connected for common rotation with a fourth shaft or interconnecting member 48 . the planet gears 14 d are each configured to intermesh with both the sun gear member 14 a and the ring gear member 14 c . the planetary gear set 16 includes a sun gear member 16 a , a ring gear member 16 c and a planet gear carrier member 16 b that rotatably supports a set of planet gears 16 d ( only one of which is shown ). the sun gear member 16 a is connected for common rotation with the second shaft or interconnecting member 44 . the ring gear member 16 c is connected for common rotation with a fifth shaft or interconnecting member 52 . the planet carrier member 16 b is connected for common rotation with the input member 12 . the planet gears 16 d are each configured to intermesh with both the sun gear member 16 a and the ring gear member 16 c . the planetary gear set 18 includes a sun gear member 18 a , a ring gear member 18 c and a planet gear carrier member 18 b that rotatably supports a set of planet gears 18 d ( only one of which is shown ). the sun gear member 18 a is connected for common rotation with a fifth shaft or interconnecting member 52 . the ring gear member 18 c is connected for common rotation with a sixth shaft or interconnecting member 54 . the planet carrier member 18 b is connected for common rotation with a seventh shaft or interconnecting member 56 . the planet gears 18 d are each configured to intermesh with both the sun gear member 18 a and the ring gear member 18 c . the planetary gear set 20 includes a sun gear member 20 a , a ring gear member 20 c and a planet gear carrier member 20 b that rotatably supports a set of planet gears 20 d ( only one of which is shown ). the sun gear member 20 a is connected for common rotation with an eighth shaft or interconnecting member 58 . the ring gear member 20 c is connected for common rotation with the fourth shaft or interconnecting member 48 . the planet carrier member 20 b is connected for common rotation with the sixth shaft or interconnecting member 54 and with the output shaft or member 22 . the planet gears 20 d are each configured to intermesh with both the sun gear member 20 a and the ring gear member 20 c . the input shaft or member 12 is continuously connected to an engine ( not shown ) or to a turbine of a torque converter ( not shown ) or to launch device , such as a clutch . the output shaft or member 22 is continuously connected with the final drive unit or transfer case ( not shown ). transmission housing 50 supports the planetary gear sets and is bolted or otherwise fastened to the engine . the torque - transmitting mechanisms or clutches 24 , 26 , 28 , and brakes 32 and 34 allow for selective interconnection of the shafts or interconnecting members , members of the planetary gear sets and the housing . for example , the first clutch 24 is selectively engageable to connect the input shaft or member 12 with the eighth shaft or interconnecting member 58 . the second clutch 26 is selectively engageable to connect the fifth shaft or interconnecting member 52 with the eighth shaft or interconnecting member 58 . the third clutch 28 is selectively engageable to connect the fourth shaft or interconnecting member 48 with the fifth shaft or interconnecting member 52 . the fourth clutch 30 is selectively engageable to connect the fourth shaft or interconnecting member 48 with the seventh shaft or interconnecting member 56 . the first brake 32 is selectively engageable to connect the first shaft or interconnecting member 42 with the stationary element or the transmission housing 50 in order to restrict the member 42 from rotating relative to the transmission housing 50 . the second brake 34 is selectively engageable to connect the third shaft or interconnecting member 46 with the stationary element or the transmission housing 50 in order to restrict the member 46 from rotating relative to the transmission housing 50 . referring now to fig1 and fig2 , the operation of the ten speed transmission 10 will be described . it will be appreciated that transmission 10 is capable of transmitting torque from the input shaft or member 12 to the output shaft or member 22 in at least ten forward speed or torque ratios and at least one reverse speed or torque ratio . each forward and reverse speed or torque ratio is attained by engagement of one or more of the torque - transmitting mechanisms ( i . e . first clutch 24 , second clutch 26 , third clutch 28 , fourth clutch 30 , first brake 32 and second brake 34 ), as will be explained below . fig2 is a truth table presenting the various combinations of torque - transmitting mechanisms that are activated or engaged to achieve the various gear states . an “ x ” in the box means that the particular clutch or brake is engaged to achieve the desired gear state . an “ o ” represents that the particular torque transmitting device ( i . e . a brake or clutch ) is on or active , but not carrying torque . actual numerical gear ratios of the various gear states are also presented although it should be appreciated that these numerical values are exemplary only and that they may be adjusted over significant ranges to accommodate various applications and operational criteria of the transmission 10 . of course , other gear ratios are achievable depending on the gear diameter , gear teeth count and gear configuration selected . for example to establish a reverse gear , the fourth clutch 30 , first brake 32 and second brake 34 are engaged or activated . the fourth clutch 30 connects the fourth shaft or interconnecting member 48 with the seventh shaft or interconnecting member 56 . the first brake 32 connects the first shaft or interconnecting member 42 with the stationary element or the transmission housing 50 in order to restrict the member 42 from rotating relative to the transmission housing 50 . the second brake 34 connects the third shaft or interconnecting member 46 with the stationary element or the transmission housing 50 in order to restrict the member 46 from rotating relative to the transmission housing 50 . likewise , the ten forward ratios are achieved through different combinations of clutch and brake engagement , as shown in fig2 . it will be appreciated that the foregoing explanation of operation and gear states of the ten speed transmission 10 assumes , first of all , that all the clutches not specifically referenced in a given gear state are inactive or disengaged and , second of all , that during gear shifts , i . e ., changes of gear state , between at least adjacent gear states , a clutch engaged or activated in both gear states will remain engaged or activated . the description of the invention is merely exemplary in nature and 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 . | 5 |
referring first to fig1 there is shown a copying machine to which the present invention is applicable . the copying machine is of the type in which a plural number of secondary electrostatic latent images can be formed continuously from one and the same primary electrostatic latent image . of course , the copying machine is only an example of various image forming apparatus to which the present invention is applicable . the shown copying machine is provided with a separate outlet for a sorter so that a sorter can be used with the copying machine when it is desired . to facilitate making a large number of copies at a high speed , the copying machine has , in its paper feeding part , a large capacity paper deck which can receive about five times as much paper as in an ordinary copying machine . the copying machine has also ordinary paper cassettes . therefore , in the copying machine , it is allowed to feed paper mainly from the deck . when a given number of copies are to be made for each original , sorting of the completed copies can be made automatically by using a sorter , which saves the operator from time consuming and troublesome sorting work after copying . also , the copying machine may be provided with a reduction mechanism which is able to reduce an original image size in any one of three steps . therefore , with the copying machine three differently reduced copied images can be obtained as desired . in fig1 the reference numeral 1 designates a photosensitive screen which is , for example , of the type disclosed in japanese patent application laid - open no . 19 , 455 / 1975 . a primary corona discharger 2 uniformly charges the screen 1 with positive electric charge , a secondary corona discharger 3 removes the charge on the screen 1 in accordance with an original image , and a lamp 4 exposes an original to light . designated by 5 is an original table on which the original is placed . a modulation corona discharger 6 forms a secondary electrostatic latent image , and a dielectric drum is denoted by numeral 7 . a developing device 8 applies toner to the secondary latent image , and a transfer sheet 10 is fed by a paper feeding roller 9 . designated by 11 is a dc corona discharger for transferring the toner image onto the transfer paper 10 and a conveying belt for discharging the transfer paper is designated by 12 . the reference numeral 13 designates a fixing roller for fixing the toner image , 14 a tray , 18 a sorter for automatically sorting and distributing the coming transfer paper , and 20 a bin in the sorter . in the above - described copying machine , copies are produced in the following manner : the original on the original table 5 is slitwise exposed to light while the lamp 4 and a mirror 15 are moved and the light image of the original is projected on the three - layered screen 1 which has previously been charged by the primary discharger 2 and is rotating at that time . the secondary corona discharger 3 is operated simultaneously with the exposure and a primary electrostatic latent image is formed on the screen . the primary latent image modulates the ion stream flowing from the modulation discharger 6 so that a secondary electrostatic latent image is formed on the drum surface 7 . the secondary latent image is developed by toner at the developing device 8 . with the aid of the dc corona discharger 11 the toner image is transferred onto transfer paper 10 which is fed from the lift deck 53 or the cassette 52 . after transferring , the paper 10 is conveyed to the heat roller fixing device 13 at which the toner image is fixed by heat . then , the paper 10 is discharged toward the sorter 18 or the tray 14 . even after the secondary latent image is formed , the primary latent image remains unerased . therefore , the formation of secondary latent image can be carried out continuously by the modulation corona discharger 6 while further rotating the screen 1 and feeding the transfer paper to the transferring station successively . the above cycle of transferring , fixing and discharging is repeated until the number of copies made reaches a certain preset number . in case the number of copies present at the machine is beyond the limit at which the repeating formation of secondary latent image from the same primary latent image becomes no longer possible , the repeating operation is interrupted and a reformation of the primary latent image is made automatically . after a completion of the whole copying operation , the remaining primary latent image is erased by a lamp 16 which can be used also to form a particularly high - contrast primary latent image . the remaining toner on the drum 7 is removed by a cleaning blade 17 - 1 and the remaining electric charge on the drum is removed by an ac corona discharger 17 - 2 . by the way , it should be noted that the paper fed from the paper feeding roller 9 is once stopped at the position of a registering roller designated by 35 . the registering roller is brought into operation by a registration signal from a switch 83 to further transport the paper toward the transferring station in a predetermined good timing to obtain a registration of the toner image on the drum and the transfer sheet . since with the copying apparatus the secondary latent image can be formed and independently of the formation of primary latent image , the rotational speed of the screen and the dielectric drum at the time of secondary latent image formation and transference is increased up to a value twice as high as that at the time of primary latent image formation . referring again to fig1 -- 1 , the reference numerals 84 and 85 are hall elements arranged along a path along which the optical system 4 , 15 moves forward and backward for exposure scanning . the first mirror 15 that is a mirror nearest to the lamp 4 carries a magnet thereon . the hall element is turned on when the magnet passes over or reaches it . of the hall elements the first one 84 , when on , issues a home position signal informing of exposure start or optical system stop position , the second one 85 issues a reversal signal for ending exposure , turning the lamp 4 off and moving the optical system back . the element 83 issues a registration signal for bringing the above - mentioned registering roller 35 into operation . the signal is stored in a memory as a position signal related to the distance from the exposure start position ( 84 ) and is developed during the secondary process . a microswitch 81 is actuated by a cam provided on the drum - shaped screen 1 and issues a position signal dhp for stopping the screen drum 1 . designated by 82 is a rotary encoder having a photo - interrupter for detecting a disc and its openings . the rotary encoder 82 generates a clock pulse in synchronism with the rotation of the screen drum , the clock pulse ( one clock per degree ) being designated by kcl . the clock pulse kcl is counted by cpu ( fig3 ) to determine various process timings . the cpu also issues a check pulse for checking a jam . hall elements hic 86 - 88 detect the position of the lens 59 alloted for reduction ( copy / original ) of ratios 1 : 1 , 0 . 7 : 1 and 0 . 6 : 1 , respectively . these hall elements are turned on by a magnet moving together with the lens . fig2 shows an operation part and a display panel used in the copying apparatus shown in fig1 . in fig2 sw designates a main switch by which a power source is connected to process loads and control circuits present within the copying machine . numeral 21 designates a copy start key , 22 a key to set the number of copies to be made , and 23 - 1 a set number indicator . numeral 23 - 2 denotes an indicator of the number of completed copies . display of the number is made using seven - segment led in each digit . the indicator 23 - 1 displays diagnostic mode and 23 - 2 displays error mode . reference numeral 24 denotes a selection key for aa tray , and 25 that for aa sorter . when actuated , the selection key itself lights on to indicate which is selected , a sorter or a tray . numeral 26 denotes a cassette selection key , and 27 a deck selection . each selection key , when actuated , also can light on itself to indicate the selection made then . in each case , the size of paper in the cassette or deck is displayed by the indicator 32 . numerals 28 - 1 to 28 - 3 indicate copy density selection keys to set dark , medium and light , respectively . these keys also can light themselves on when actuated . a stop key 29 is used to interrupt copy operation . when this stop key 29 is keyed on , the mode is brought to the same sequence mode as that at the time of completion of all copies in the set number . keys 30 - 1 to 30 - 3 are reduction setting keys for ratios 1 : 1 , 0 . 76 : 1 and 0 . 65 : 1 , respectively . when keyed on , the corresponding mark on the indicator 31 is lit . cassette selection and - reduction selection are independent of each other and it is therefore allowed to make any desired reduction copy independently of the paper size of the selected cassette . when the tray is selected , the belt 19 takes the position indicated by the solid line in fig1 so that transfer paper is discharged passing through the discharging roller 50 . when the sorter 18 is selected , the belt is brought to the position indicated by dotted line so that transfer paper is discharged passing through the discharging roller 51 . deck 53 can receive about 2000 - 3000 paper sheets whereas the cassette can receive about 500 - 1000 paper sheets . in the sorter 18 , the paper is further transported to one of the bins 20 by rollers 55 or belt 55 always rotating . guide pawls a to k are provided , respectively one for each bin , respectively as shown in fig1 - 2 . these guide pawls are actuated successively every time when sensor 68 detects a coming paper and the paper is delivered to a bin alloted for it . setting of the discharge belt to the position directed to the sorter is made by keying on the key 25 which actuates a solenoid sl2 . if the operator does not key on the copy key 21 or any other key in a predetermined time period ( 30 sec .) after setting the paper outlet to the sorter &# 39 ; s side , then the solenoid sl2 is automatically made inactive and the outlet is moved back to the tray &# 39 ; s side . also , the paper outlet is automatically set to the tray &# 39 ; s side when the power source switch sw is turned on or when the machine is left alone for 30 seconds after the end of a copying operation with the outlet being set to the sorter &# 39 ; s side . therefore , the operator need not worry about the position of the paper outlet and can start the copying operation promptly . by turning on any one of the keys 28 - 1 to 28 - 3 , the quantity of current flowing to the exposure lamp 4 is adjusted to a level corresponding to the set copy density . however , if neither copy key 21 nor any other key is keyed on by the operator , then the level of the light quantity is automatically returned to a level as given by key 28 - 2 . when the key 26 is keyed on , the machine is set to the position in which only the paper feeding roller 9 associated with the cassette 52 is operable . on the contrary , when the key 27 is actuated , the feeding roller 9 associated with the deck 53 is made operable . however , like the above , if the machine is left alone for 30 seconds after this setting , the paper feeding position is automatically returned to the position in which the paper feeding roller for deck 53 containing sheets of a4 size , which is usually most frequently used among others . when any one of the reduction keys 30 - 1 to 30 - 3 is depressed to produce copies at a desired reduction rate , the mirror 15 and the lens system arranged in the optical axis of the reflection image formed by the lamp 4 are moved by a motor and a solenoid and set to the positions designated therefor . however , like the above , if the machine is left alone for 30 seconds after this setting , then the set position is automatically returned to such a position as given by the key 30 - 1 ( 1 : 1 ). similarly , if the machine is left alone for a predetermined time period after a repeating copying mode has been set by the key 22 , the mode once set is automatically cancelled and instead the position of the machine is returned back to one sheet copying mode . in this manner , the copying machine always returns to the standard mode whenever the machine is left alone 30 seconds long after the last setting action for various special condition modes . when any jamming of paper happens in the copying machine , the occurrence of the jam and the location of it are indicated by a jam position indicator 40 which flickers in response to a jam detection sensor as described later . the portion of the indicator 40 at which light flickers corresponds to the portion of the paper path at which the sensor detected the jam . indicators 42 and 41 indicate a jam occurred within the sorter shown in fig1 - 2 and within the main body of the copying apparatus shown in fig1 - 1 , respectively . simultaneously with the jam indication , the contents of indications appearing in the indicators 23 - 1 and 23 - 2 are automatically altered . indicator 48 is one to indicate that there is need of supplying toner ( toner is unavailable ), and an indicator 44 indicates that there is no paper available in the selected paper feed section . an indicator 43 indicates that there is trouble in the machine which is in need of a serviceman &# 39 ; s help . an indicator 46 indicates that there is missing the key counter for accounting copy fee . a wait indicator 47 indicates that the machine is not ready for copying operation . fig3 is a control circuit diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention in which a 4 - bit parallel - processing micro - computer is used . in fig3 rom is a read - only memory of the type μpd 454 by nippon electric co ., ltd . it contains indicating operation program sequences of key input data , setting and resetting operation program sequences of standard mode , error diagnostic program sequences and sequence control program sequences of copy processing operation in a predetermined order and at addresses alloted therefor . these program sequences are shown in the following drawings as flow charts with reference to which description will be made hereinafter in detail . from the memory , its content can be taken out whenever addressed . ram is a read and write memory for storing various data such as data of the number of copy sheets , data of error and data for process sequence control . the memory stores a set of binary codes and is shown in detail in fig7 - 1a , 7 - 1b and 7 - 2 . the memory is composed of a plural number of units each containing a plural number of flip - flops . any unit can be selected by an address assignment signal to read out or write data in the flip - flops in the selected unit . in this embodiment , as the memory ram , there is used μpd 462 by the above mentioned manufacturer . in fig7 - 1 , an address of memory and memory area is expressed , for example , in terms of x &# 39 ; 043 &# 39 ;. the units digit represents a column , the tens digit does a line and the hundreds digit does a memory chip . therefore , from fig7 - 1a and 7 - 1b , it is seen that x &# 39 ; 043 &# 34 ; is an area for storing data of reduction useful for assignment of lens magnification and indicating operation of the indicator 31 . similarly , x &# 39 ; 033 &# 39 ; is an area for storing data assigned by the reduction key . in case of unity , the binary data of x &# 39 ; 043 &# 39 ; is 0000 and in case of 0 . 7 , it becomes 1000 . x &# 39 ; 062 &# 39 ; is an area for storing data of 1000 when no paper is available in the paper feed section set at that time . as to other data areas , see table i later given . numerical data for making indication on segment indicators 23 - 1 and 23 - 2 are stored areas of set and copy , respectively . key input data are provisionally stored in c &# 39 ; 018 &# 39 ; and x &# 39 ; 01c &# 39 ;. wa ( 0 ) is a three figure working register and has a function to excute timer for returning copy mode to standard mode . wa ( 1 ) to wa ( 7 ) are the registers adapted to store other data . relations between key inputs and stored data are shown in the following table i . table i______________________________________key ( x &# 39 ; 018 ) key ( x &# 39 ; 01c &# 39 ;) ______________________________________0 0 1 : 1 key 01 1 0 . 7 12 2 0 . 6 23 3 dark key 34 4 medium 45 5 light 56 6 clear 67 7 copy key 78 8 cassette 89 9 deck 9no key input f sorter a tray b no key input f______________________________________ referring again to fig3 a , 3b and 3c i / o 100 - i / o are input - output apparatus which receive data input signals by keys etc ., and issue . signals to drive solenoids etc . fig4 - 1 and 4 - 2 show i / o and its related circuit . i / o 100 - i / o boo are of the known type including latch and gate circuits , and in this embodiment there is used μpd 752 . in i / o boo shown in fig4 - 11 , the output port o 1 is connected to a circuit for driving the motor m 1 which in turn drives the screen drum 1 and dielectric drum 7 into rotation , through dc driver . port o 2 is connected to a high voltage transformer for corona discharge and port o 3 is connected to a clutch for driving the paper feeding roller and registering roller . input port io is so connected as to receive clock pulse clk from the disc 83 through a line receiver ( input interface ). the clock pulse clk is of importance to determine the timing operation of transformer and clutch . input port i 2 is connected to a switch sw1 interlocked with the main switch sw so as to read which position the main switch sw is in , on or off . port i 3 is connected to a circuit of thermister th1 for sensing the temperature of fixing heater so as to read whether wait time is up . in i / o 200 shown in fig4 - 2 , the output ports o o and o 2 are connected to motor m3 for copy reduction and motor m2 for outlet changing - over respectively through an input circuit similar to that of m1 described above . output ports o 1 and o 3 are connected to solenoid sl 1 for reduction and sl 2 for output respectively through an input similar to that of the above cl 1 . input ports i 1 - i 3 are connected to rd 1 , rd 6 and rd 7 ( unity , 0 . 6 and 0 . 7 ) of the hall elements hic provided along the path of a lens system in a manner similar to that of the above input port b respectively for setting copy magnification ( reduction ). in i / o 300 shown in fig4 - 3 , i 0 and i 1 are connected to tp ( tray ) and sp ( sorter ) of the hall elements hic provided at the outlet for reading which the output is , tray or sorter respectively in the above - mentioned manner so as to be useful for setting the outlet . output ports o 0 to o 3 are connected to copy density indication lamps l 1 to l 3 ( medium , dark , light ) and to reduction indication lamps l 0 . 6 , l 0 . 7 and l 1 . 0 ( 0 . 6 magnification , 0 . 7 magnification and unit magnification ), respectively . in i / o 400 , output ports o 0 to o 3 are connected to paper feed port indication and outlet indication lamps l s , l t , l d , l p , l c ( sorter , tray , deck , paper out , cassette ) respectively . input port i o is connected to a switch kcnt which detects plug - in of the key counter counting the total of copies . ports i 1 and i 2 are connected to optical sensor 60 and microswitch 61 . the optical sensor is of the type known per se for detecting that no paper is available in the cassette or deck . key & amp ; display i / o port 100 shown in fig4 - 1 takes the input signals given by the above - described keys into the computer and drives the segment indicators . in fig4 - 1 , mat is a known matrix circuit through whose intersections current flows when keyed on . t o - t 5 are time divisional scanning signals for digit selection at the indicators 23 - 1 and 23 - 2 and for scanning the matrix circuits . kr 0 - kr 3 are ports for input of matrix signals by key - on and numerals 100 to 107 designate driver circuits composed of transistors as shown in the drawing . in mat , [ 0 ], [ 1 ]. . . [ 9 ] are numeral keys , cl is a clear key , copy is a copy start key , 1 . 0 , 0 . 6 , 0 . 7 are reduction keys , dark , medium , light are density keys and dec , cas , sp and tp are selection keys for deck , cassette , sorter and tray , respectively . the shown apparatus is of the known type including buffer register for key entry , shift register for storing indication data , digit signal generator for time divisional display of the indication data and the like and in this embodiment there is used μpd 757 . in i / o 500 shown in fig4 - 5 , the input ports receive inputs from motor circuits and wire breaking detection circuits . the output ports issue signals for turning off the relay k 1 and for putting on the jam indicators 41 and 42 . in i / o 600 , i / o 700 and i / o 800 shown in fig4 - 6 , 4 - 7 and 4 - 8 , respectively , their i ports are connected to circuit d for sensing the movement of paper . from o ports of i / o 600 are issued signals for putting on the indicators 43 , 46 , 47 and 48 and from o ports of i / o 700 are issued signals for actuating the clutches cl 2 and cl 3 to move the optical system forward and backward . to i 1 - i 3 of i / o 800 are connected sorter door switch 74 and web sensor 73 , and to o 3 of i / o 800 and o ports of i / o 900 are connected high voltage driving parts respectively . each of hvta to hvte is a circuit as shown in the part a of fig4 - 11 . they are provided to actuate corona dischargers 2 , 3 , 6 and 17 - 2 to 17 - 11 , respectively . i 3 of 800 and i ports of 900 are connected to the above high voltage circuits to have inputs of operation state signals . i / o a00 is so connected to hall elements as to receive various signals necessary for sequence control such as dhp ( detection signal of screen drum stop position 81 ), ohp ( detection signal of optical system stop position 84 ), registration signal rg by 83 and reversal signal obp by 85 . referring again to fig3 cpu comprises 4 - bit registers ac and pc for addressing the above described memories and input - output apparatus , other 4 - bit registers a , b , c and d for storing other primary data and addresses , overflow bit checker ovf , read , write and instruction block cft , control part ct with adding and subtracting logic control for decoding the input data from data signal lines and for processing data , and operational circuit alu . the operational circuit alu has functions for decimal data correction , addition and exclusive or . the contents of register a ( accumulator acc ) can be turned right ( rightward shift ) and left ( leftward shift ) so that bit checking may be carried out by ovf . cpu comprising the various circuits described above is connected to the external circuits previously described through connection lines . in brief , cpu is connected to the external circuits in the following manner : the cpu addresses the programmed rom for data . contents of the instructed address are read into cpu through data signal line db 1 and cpu decodes the contents . in accordance with the contents decoded , cpu executes various control programs in time series starting from turning on the power source . sometimes cpu processes data in itself and sometimes cpu delivers some data from it to ram to have the data stored in the latter at a certain appointed address . furthermore , cpu can take in data from an instructed address of ram or develop data stored in it to a signal line , for example , to db 3 of i / o aoo . at another time , data on the signal line db 3 may be introduced into cpu . in this manner , cpu carries out various controls . fig5 - 1 shows a program sequence relating to initial set , key entry and process sequence diagnostic flow which are coded in this order and stored in the memory rom shown in fig3 . when a sub power source switch ( not shown ) provided in the body of the apparatus is turned on , a power source is connected to the control part including cpu to read out the program of rom and start processing ( stat ). at step 1 , all the data of ram 4 bit , 256 words , addresses x &# 39 ; 000 &# 39 ; to x &# 39 ; off &# 39 ; are cleared . after reading whether the main switch sw is on or off , step 2 is carried out only when the main switch sw is on . reading of the position of sw is made by reading whether the input port i 2 of i / o port boo ( fig4 - 5 ) is 1 or not . cpu appoints chip boo and takes the input data 4 bits into the accumulator acc . repeating leftward shift , reading is made as to whether 1 is set at the first bit . at step 2 , to set the image forming condition to the standard mode , data necessary for it are at first written in the predetermined addresses of ram . contents of the data are shown in the following table ii . table ii______________________________________ address 1 . 0 0 . 7 0 . 6______________________________________reduction indication x &# 39 ; 043 &# 39 ; 0 8 4instructed position of x &# 39 ; 033 &# 39 ; 0 8 4reduction______________________________________ dark medium light______________________________________copy density x &# 39 ; 053 &# 39 ; 1 0 2______________________________________ tray sorter______________________________________outlet indication x &# 39 ; 042 &# 39 ; 2 1instructed position of x &# 39 ; 032 &# 39 ; 2 1outlet______________________________________ for the standard mode , the reduction ratio is 1 : 1 , the outlet is a tray and the copy density is medium . therefore ram data are a number other than 0 for ( x &# 39 ; 043 &# 39 ;), 0 for ( x &# 39 ; 033 &# 39 ;), 0 for ( x &# 39 ; 053 &# 39 ;), 2 for ( x &# 39 ; 042 &# 39 ;) and a number other than 2 for ( x &# 39 ; 032 &# 39 ;). herein , ( x &# 39 ; 043 &# 39 ;) means the data of address x &# 39 ; 043 &# 39 ;. at step 3 , it is checked whether paper is present or not . as mentioned above , a deck has a capacity to receive four times as large an amount of paper ( about 2 , 000 sheets ) as a cassette does . therefore , it is recommended that paper sheets of the size most frequently used ( for example a4 format ) be contained in the deck and paper feeding be made from the deck . so , at this step , at first a check is made as to whether paper sheets remain in the deck for the standard mode where the deck is to be selected . for this purpose i / o 400 is sensed to check the paper detector 61 . when the presence of paper is confirmed , data of the deck is set in ram . namely , ( x &# 39 ; 052 &# 39 ;) is made to 8 ( 3 - 1 ). when the deck contains no paper , cassette is selected and the paper detector 60 is checked to see whether paper sheets remain in the cassette when the answer is &# 34 ; no &# 34 ;, the lamp 33 is put on . to this end , ( x &# 39 ; 062 &# 34 ;) is made to 8 . when &# 34 ; yes &# 34 ; , it is made 0 ( 3 - 3 ). thus , when there is paper in the cassette , x &# 39 ; 052 &# 39 ; is made 0 and the cassette is set ( 3 - 2 ). at step 4 , to make 1 indicated on the count indicator 23 - 1 and 0 on the other count indicator 23 - 2 , the hundreds digit ( x &# 39 ; 03a &# 39 ;) of counter set at ram is set to 0 , the tens digit ( x &# 39 ; 03b &# 39 ;) to 0 and the units digit ( x &# 39 ; 03c &# 39 ;) to 1 , whereas the hundreds digit ( x &# 39 ; 04a &# 39 ;) of counter copy is set to 0 , the tens digit ( x &# 39 ; 04b &# 39 ;) to 0 and the units ( x &# 39 ; 04c &# 39 ;) to 0 . at step 5 , all the data set in ram at the previous steps 1 to 4 are produced to i / o ports , 4 bits all at once . indication data ( x &# 39 ; 022 &# 39 ;) is derived to i / o 400 in the form of ( x &# 39 ; 032 &# 34 ;)+( x &# 39 ; 052 &# 39 ;)+( x &# 39 ; 062 &# 39 ;). thereby , the paper - out lamp and deck and cassette selection lamps are turned on . for a standard mode , there is put out 6 , that is , 0110 to turn the deck indication lamp and tray indication lamp on . ( x &# 39 ; 023 &# 39 ;) is developed to i / o port of x &# 39 ; 300 &# 39 ; as the content obtained by operation of ( x &# 39 ; 033 &# 39 ;)+( x &# 39 ; 053 &# 39 ;) so that the unit magnification lamp and medium copy density lamp are turned on . furthermore , ram contents of x &# 39 ; 02a &# 39 ;- x &# 39 ; 02c &# 39 ; and x &# 39 ; 03a &# 39 ;- x &# 39 ; 03c &# 39 ; are delivered to address of key & amp ; display i / o 100 so that 001 and 000 are displayed on the set number counter 23 - 1 and copy number counter 23 - 2 respectively . at step 6 , data keyed in kr 0 to kr 3 of key & amp ; i / o are read in . when there is no keyed - in data , there is given data xf &# 39 ; to x &# 39 ; 01c &# 39 ; and x &# 39 ; 018 &# 39 ;. when there is keyed - in data , the data is provisionally stored in ram x &# 39 ; 01c &# 39 ; and x &# 39 ; 018 &# 39 ;, which is shown in detail in the flow chart in fig6 - 1 . this flow chart is based on the type of μpd 757 and each step corresponds to one step to be stored in rom . at step 7 , the data stored at step 6 are set to load ram with keyed - in data at the necessary addresses mentioned above in accordance with the contents of the data . for example , when 0 . 7 reduction key was depressed , then ( x &# 39 ; 01c &# 39 ;) is 1 . therefore , ram is loaded with ( x &# 39 ; 033 &# 39 ;). in other words , bit 1 is set at 8 , that is , 0 . 7 . when the numeral key is 9 , then , since ( x &# 39 ; 018 &# 39 ;) is 9 , ( x &# 39 ; 02b &# 39 ;) is shifted to ( x &# 39 ; 02a &# 39 ;), ( x &# 39 ; 02c &# 39 ;) to x &# 39 ; 02b &# 39 ; and 9 is set at x &# 39 ; 02c &# 39 ;. at the same time , like in step 5 , the mode is indicated . at step 8 , the paper feeding section set at steps 6 and 7 is checked . since the set paper feeding section is a cassette when ( x &# 39 ; 052 &# 39 ;) is 0 whereas it is a deck when 4 , the corresponding paper sensor 60 or 61 gives the necessary information . when there is paper in the feeding section , paper reflects the light of lamp 60a or 61a and the reflected light is sensed by a cds device 60b or 61b . if no reflected light is sensed , it is regarded as paper being out in the section . according to the result of the check , the paper - out lamp is put on or off like in step 3 . hereinafter , a means a lamp and b means a photo element . at step 9 , check is made as to whether the lens system and mirror system are in the instructed positions for the selected reduction mode . if not , the positions are adjusted to the proper ones ( fig5 - 2 ). more particularly , at step 16 shown in fig5 - 2 , data of ram given by step 7 is compared with that of i port of i / o 200 . in other words , it is checked whether ( x &# 39 ; 033 &# 39 ;) of ram is equal to ( x &# 39 ; 043 &# 39 ;). assuming that an instruction of reduction is 0 . 7 and the lens system is positioned at 0 . 7 , then ( x &# 39 ; 033 &# 39 ;) is 1000 and ( x &# 39 ; 043 &# 39 ;) is also 1000 . they are equal to each other . however , if the lens is positioned at the position of unit magnification , then ( x &# 39 ; 043 &# 39 ;) will be 0000 because i 2 of i / o 200 is 0 . in this case , ( x &# 39 ; 033 &# 39 ;) is not equal to ( x &# 39 ; 043 &# 39 ;) and therefore the position of the lens system is shifted to its correct position . to move the optical system , reduction motor m 3 is turned on at first and then rotation locking solenoid sl 3 is turned on as shown in fig8 - 1 . when the magnet carried on the lens reaches the position of sensor rd7 , the port i 2 of i / o 200 becomes 1 and therefore m 3 and sl 3 are turned off . this data is set to x &# 39 ; 043 &# 39 ;. at step 10 , the position of power source switch sw is checked so long as the lens system is in the instructed position . whether control has to be carried out once more again from start or not is determined by this check which is made by sensing the port i 2 of i / o boo . if sw is off , the flow is returned to start and ram is cleared . at step 11 , it is checked whether the paper outlet is in the instructed position . when not , the position of outlet is changed ( fig5 - 2 ). more particularly , data ( x &# 39 ; 032 &# 39 ;) of ram given by step 7 is compared with data ( x &# 39 ; 042 &# 39 ;) from i port of i / o 300 at step 18 . as an example , assuming that the instructed position is tray and the outlet is correctly in tray position , then ( x &# 39 ; 032 &# 39 ;) is 0010 and ( x &# 39 ; 042 &# 39 ;) is also 0010 , which are equal to each other . but , if the outlet is at sorter , then ( x &# 39 ; 042 &# 39 ;) is 0001 which is different from 0010 of ( x &# 39 ; 032 &# 39 ;). in this case , changing of outlet is carried out in the following manner : at first , the outlet motor m 2 and rotation locking solenoid sl 2 are turned on to shift the outlet from sorter to tray . when the magnet provided at a fixed shaft of the belt 19 reaches the area of tray sensor 70 , the latter is turned on which makes 1 input at the port i o of i / o 300 to inform that the outlet has just arrived at tray . then , m 2 and sl 2 are turned off and the data is set at x &# 39 ; 042 &# 39 ; of ram . at step 12 , check is made as to whether the key counter is plugged in or whether the apparatus is in the position ready for copying . whether wait is up or whether the temperature has reached the level at which fixing is possible , is checked by instruction of i / o boo and sensing the port . when the apparatus is in the position ready for copying and after the changing of the reduction position and outlet position has been carried out , the flow enters step 20 at which a 30 sec . stand - by timer is set . through this step , routine to check key entry and routine to check paper in feeding section , outlet position and reduction position are executed once more . at step 13 , check is made as to whether the copy key 21 is available . this check is carried out by checking the corresponding ram data . when not , step is advanced to step 14 at which check is made as to whether any other key has been keyed in by checking whether ( x &# 39 ; 018 &# 39 ;) and ( x &# 39 ; 01c &# 39 ;) are f . when it is found that there has been no key input , step is advanced to step 15 . the number of steps to this step is about 1000 and each one step requires about 10 μsec . therefore , a period of 30 sec . passes when the routine up to step 15 has been repeated about 3000 times . taking this into account , 3000 is stored at wa ( o ) in ram ( step 20 ) and subtraction of 1 from 3000 is made every time when step 15 is carried out ( 15 - 1 ) and when it becomes o , an advancement to the initial step stat is made and setting of standard mode is carried out after clearing ram ( step 2 ). if any key entry is made during this period of 30 sec ., then step 20 is carried out again and 30 sec . is stored at wa ( o ) in ram . the above subtraction routine is executed . the details of steps 14 and 15 are shown in fig6 - 2a and 6 - 2b . if the copy key is keyed on during the time , the routine enters step 21 . drum motor m 1 and high voltage transformer are turned on and copying operation is started . if any jamming occurs during copying operation or if papers in deck or cassette are all out , then motor m 1 and high voltage transformer are turned off . but , the step remains at 21 . therefore , ram data remains held and the indications of the number of copies and the like remain as they were even when the power source switch sw is turned off . when the door is opened , ram data are kept unerased but various indications on the indicators disappear . counter copy of ram is incremented at each end of one copy cycle ( every paper feed ) and the count is indicated on the indicator 23 - 2 which is compared with counter set . when the two values are coincident to each other , the main motor m 1 and high voltage transformer are turned off . then , step is advanced to step 20 and 30 sec . timer is set . the timing to leave step 21 for step 20 with turn - off of m 1 is just after the last paper has passed over the paper detectors 64 and 65 . also , when the clear key is keyed on at the time of jam or paper being out , the step leaves 21 and enters 20 where 30 sec . timer is set . if key entry of the copy key or other key is not done after this setting of 30 sec . or if the next key entry is not done after the first key entry , then the step is returned to stat step and the mode is returned to the standard mode . when the copy key is keyed on during this time period of 30 sec ., copying is carried out from the beginning with the previously set number . check on the stop key is carried out before step 21 - 4 and when stopped , the routine goes to the same step as in the case of copy count up . step 24 - 4 is carried out immediately after feeding paper . at microsteps of from 14 - 1 to 14 - 4 shown in fig6 - 2a and 6 - 2b , data of x &# 39 ; 018 &# 39 ;, that is inputs of various keys for reduction of unit , 0 . 7 and 0 . 6 , copy density , clear , cassette , deck , sorter and tray are checked . at step 14 - 3 , exclusive or of data stored in acc and ac is stored in acc and when incidence is obtained at f , acc becomes o . therefore , after carrying out steps 14 - 5 to 14 - 8 , check on the data of x &# 39 ; 01c &# 39 ; is made and the numeric keys are examined . at microsteps of from 15 - 1 to 15 - 3 , x &# 39 ; 001 &# 39 ;- x &# 39 ; 003 &# 39 ; are shown at wa ( o ) as 3 digit working register . after subtracting 1 from the numerical value , the subtracted value is again stored in wa ( o ). at steps 15 - 4 to 15 - 6 , it is checked whether the hundreds digit of wa ( o ) is o , at steps 15 - 7 to 15 - 9 whether the tens digit is 0 and at steps 15 - 10 to 15 - 12 whether the units digit is 0 . when yes , step is returned to the start step . fig8 - 1 shows a mechanism for carrying out reduction shift . lens system 59 and mirror 15 are moved forward and backward by motor m 3 . in accordance with the instruction for reduction , the position of the lens 59 and mirror 15 together is shifted to the instructed position determined by rd1 , rd7 or rd6 which gives the optical system a given optical length necessary for making the instructed reduction copy . when the above optical system is in the instructed position , sl 3 is turned off to lock it in the position . fig9 - 1 shows a time chart for the case in which the position of the optical system is shifted from unit to 0 . 6 . when keyed on , ( x &# 39 ; 033 &# 39 ;) of ram is made 4 and since ( x &# 39 ; 043 &# 39 ;) is 0 , 3 is set at o of i / o 200 to turn sl 3 and m 3 on . when it is found by checking that i of i / o 200 has been turned to 8 ( i 3 = 1 ) by hall elements rd1 , rd7 and rd6 , sl 3 and m 3 are turned off . at the same time , 4 is set at x &# 39 ; 043 &# 39 ;. fig8 - 2 shows a mechanism for carrying out the outlet shift . with the rotation of motor m 2 the belt 19 is moved upwardly or downwardly . in accordance with the instruction for outlet , the position of the belt 19 is shifted in such a manner that when any one of sensors 70 and 71 is on , the belt is in the position for the instructed outlet . when the outlet is in the instructed position , sl 2 is turned off to lock the outlet in the position . fig9 - 2 shows a time chart for the case in which the outlet is shifted from tray to sorter . when keyed on , ( x &# 39 ; 032 &# 39 ;) of ram is set which is compared with ( x &# 39 ; 042 &# 39 ;). since the latter is different from the former , o of i / o 200 is set to turn sl 2 and m 2 on . in the manner mentioned above , sl 2 and m 2 are turned off by signals coming from the sensors 70 and 71 when the outlet reaches the instructed position . thus , the outlet is set at the instructed position . as seen from the foregoing , according to the invention , various copying conditions given by key inputs are shown on the indicators and when the copying process is not started within a predetermined time length after the last key entry , the indications appearing on the indicators are all cleared or returned to those for standard mode . therefore , mistakes or errors in forming images are minimized and a prompt restart of image forming operation is allowed . fig1 a and 10b are a flow chart for showing the details of the jam check step 21 - 3 previously described with reference to fig5 - 1a through 5 - 1d . at step 31 , a jam , especially paper jammed in the paper moving path is detected . detection of jam is carried out by sensing the paper sensors 62 - 67 provided in the copying machine shown in fig1 as well as the paper sensors 68 and 69 in the sorter in a given timing to check whether paper has reached the area of the corresponding sensor at the proper time . each sensor is an optical sensor known per se which outputs a signal 1 when it detects a sheet of paper . sensors 62 and 63 are provided in paper feeding section , 64 and 65 designate sensors in conveying section and 66 and 67 designates sensors in the paper discharge section . at the position 62 , two pairs of lamps and light receiving elements are disposed perpendicularly to the moving direction of paper with one pair being spaced from the other by a predetermined distance . the sensors can check any deviation of paper from the normal moving path so that paper feeding may be stopped whenever such deviation occurs . hereinafter , the paper detection signals from the sensors 62 - 65 are designated by j 1 - j 5 , signals from the outlet sensors 66 and the 67 by j t and j s and signal from the deviation sensor 62 &# 39 ; by j 1 &# 39 ;. when the above sensors 62 &# 39 ;, 62 - 69 do not sense any paper , it is regarded as a jam and the step is advanced to 32 . at step 32 , check is made as to whether the reset button 100 provided in the machine body for removing jam is on . since the machine remains held in the jam mode even after the jam has been removed , it is required to release the jam mode by the reset button 100 . when the reset button is on , the step further goes to 33 at which the sensors 62 - 69 are once more scanned to check whether the jammed paper still remains . if the paper remains in the area of any sensor ( step 34 ), then , an error flag is set at ram as an error mode and a symbol f - p showing the diagnostic mode during the jam is indicated on the segment indicator 23 - 1 for setting the number of copies to be made ( step 35 ). in these steps steps 33 - 35 , check and indication relating to the jammed and remaining paper are carried out one by one successively starting from the sensor 62 . when paper is detected by sensors 62 and 63 , symbols e 1 and e 2 are alternately indicated on the segment indicator 23 - 2 for counting the number of copies completed . this routine corresponds to those shown in fig1 - 1a through 12d with the exception of steps 11 - 5 to 11 - 7 . the purpose of this routine is to set data at the area of ram corresponding to the sensor at which the paper remains , and to scan the area and indicate it during the time the error flag is set . when the paper is removed , it is allowed to key in as in step 6 shown in fig5 - 1 ( step 36 ). by keying on the copy key , the number of completed copies is compared with the set number at step 21 - 4 and copying operation is restarted to complete the remaining number of copies . when the clear key is keyed on without keying on the copy key , the step is advanced to step 20 where stand - by is set and keyed - in data can be stored in ram . thus , it is allowed to cancel the previously stored data such as data of reduction and numeric data and instead to set new data . however , change of data and automatic reset of data of process mode are impossible until the clear key is keyed on in the state of sw being on . when sw is turned off , the step is returned to step stat and ram is cleared for waiting . in this manner , jam resetting after occurrence of a jam does not clear previously selected special image forming modes . rather , all of such modes are held as they were . therefore , it is no longer necessary to reset the various conditions in a time consuming manner . fig1 - 1a through 11 - 2c show a diagnostic sequence to be interposed between steps 11 and 12 shown in fig5 - 1a through 5 - 1d . the diagnostic sequence is provided to check and indicate the result of the check in the following respects : whether any paper remains in the area of any of the above mentioned sensors along the paper path after throwing on the power source switch sw ; whether there is any wire breaking in the thermistor for controlling the temperature of fixing device ; whether the side plate of the sorter is closed and the like . this makes it possible to start a copying operation only after those locations have been checked which are normally not checked particularly . by carrying out checking on these locations , troubles which otherwise may occur can be prevented to a great extent . since the above mentioned check points include such location or part which is never used for ordinary copying operation , even when any error is found in such location , copying operation can be carried out without removing a cause for the error . referring to fig1 - 1a through 11 - 2d , the above - mentioned paper sensors 62 - 67 are scanned and sensed to store the data of each sensor in a register at step 11 - 1 . at first , it is checked whether there is paper at the sensor 62 . when yes , the data is set at x 081 of ram and an error flag is set at x 080 ( 11 - 3 ). then , a similar checking is carried out at the sensor 62 &# 39 ; ( 11 - 4 ). similarly , checks are made also as to the sensors 63 to 65 . further , at the tray &# 39 ; s side discharge detection sensor 66 and the sorter &# 39 ; s side discharge detection sensor 67 the same check is made and , when yes , error data and error flag are set . then , an operational amplifier op 1 ( fig4 - 11 ) is checked . when any wire breaking is found in its thermistor , an output of 1 is issued ( 11 - 5 ). if 1 is issued , then the data is set at x091 of ram and the error flag is set to x 080 . similarly , check is carried out on the sensor 73b for detecting the cleaner web at the cleaning section . when it is detected that no cleaner web is available , the data is stored in ram and error flag is set ( 11 - 6 ). also , in case the sorter is selected as outlet , it is checked whether the sorter &# 39 ; s side door plate is opened in response to the disabling of the door switch 74 ( 11 - 7 ). thereafter , the jam detection sensor 68 provided at the sorter inlet and the sensor 69 provided at the sorter dish are sensed to check whether there are papers and the result is stored in ram ( 11 - 9 ). at step 11 - 10 , check is made as to whether the error flag is set in ram . when yes , the error mode is indicated on the segment indicators 23 - 1 and 23 - 2 in the manner previously described . this step is essentially the same as step 35 shown in fig1 a and 10b and will be described in detail later . thereafter , the above routine is repeated . when no error flag is set or when the error flag is removed by removing the paper on the sensor , the segment indicators 23 - 1 and 23 - 2 indicate the numbers of copies set and completed respectively which have been stored in set and copy areas of ram . then , step goes to step 12 . the above - mentioned cleaner web is indicated by 72 in fig1 . the web 72 is used to effect pre - cleaning of the dielectric drum 7 and is wound up in the direction of the arrow . web end is sensed by the sensor 73 which is a known optical sensor . the output of the sensor is introduced into i 2 of i / o 800 . numeral 74 denotes a microswitch which is turned on when the sorter &# 39 ; s side door is completely closed . the side door is opened and closed when the papers received in the sorter are taken out from it . the output of the microswitch 74 is introduced into i 3 of i / o 800 . the sensors 68 and 69 are also of the known type and detect papers jammed at the vicinity of sorter inlet and at every bin of the sorter inlet and at every bin of the sorter respectively . the output of the optical sensor 68 is introduced into i 3 of i / o 700 and that of 69 to i 0 of i / o 800 . the paper detection sensors 62 - 67 for detecting jam along the path within the copying machine give their detection signals to i 0 - i 3 of i / o 700 , i / o 600 and the thermistor wire breaking detection signal is input to i 3 of i / o 500 . as previously mentioned , the above sensor signals constitute conditions for error indication control . the manner of operation for error mode indication is described with reference to fig1 a through 12d . the keys and display chips μpd 757 used in i / o 100 have a segment display relation to 4 - bit hexadecimal code inputs as shown in the following table , table iii . table iii______________________________________code 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 97 segmentdisplaycode x &# 39 ; a &# 39 ; x &# 39 ; b &# 39 ; x &# 39 ; c &# 39 ; x &# 39 ; d &# 39 ; x &# 39 ; e &# 39 ; x &# 39 ; f &# 39 ; 7 segment e f l p -- blankdisplay______________________________________ the relation between error contents and segment indications is that when paper remains at the sensors 62 and 62 &# 39 ; at a jam time there are displayed f - p and e 1 on the indicators 23 - 1 and 23 - 2 , respectively . f on the indicator 23 - 1 means that diagnostic program is now in execution and p means a diagnostic mode , that is , in this case a jam time . when the diagnostic mode p is in stand - by , is displayed . e at the left side on the indicator 23 - 2 means a detection of malfunction and is an error symbol . digit 1 at the right side of the indicator indicates the location of the malfunction the indicators 23 - 1 and 23 - 2 show the above symbols at the same time . for troubles detected by the paper detection sensors 62 - 69 , symbols e - 1 to e - 8 are displayed respectively . similarly , e - 9 , e - 10 and e - 11 correspond to the web check sensor 73 , sorter switch 74 and thermistor wire breaking check sensor respectively . in a case wherein malfunctions take place at two or more different locations at the time of jam or stand - by , error indication is made in the following manner : for example , it is assumed - that the sensor 63 detects paper and also the sensor 73 detects the absence of cleaner web at the time of stand - by . in this case , the indicator 23 - 1 shows f - 0 and the indicator 23 - 2 shows alternately e - 2 and e - 9 . the above operation is described in detail in respect to ram with reference to fig7 and 12 . for error indication cpu carries out the following processing steps : at step 35 - 1 , hexadecimal code xa ( bcd 1010 ) is set to address x 0 d 3 of ram . this becomes e as 7 segment display when decoded by i / o - x 100 . this output ( indication ), when issued , means that an error is found in the diagnosis . at step 35 - 2 , hexadecimal code xf ( bcd 1111 ) is set to x 0 d 4 . this code is decoded by key & amp ; display i / o - x 100 and becomes a blank . then , x 081 is set as ram address and step is advanced to 35 - 3 . at step 35 - 3 , when the content of ram address set at the previous step is 0 , an increment of 1 is given to the instructed ram address after jumping to do . for example , 1 is added to x 081 to make x 082 . step 35 - 3 is repeated until at least 4 - bit significants become hexadecimal xa ( bcd1010 ). if the instructed ram address has a set significant other than 0 , the address &# 39 ; s least significant , that is , for example , 2 in the case of the address being x 082 , is set to x 0 d 5 and the contents of x 0 d 5 - x 0 d 0 are transferred sequentially to i / o - x 100 for indication . after holding the indication for about a second , the flow enters do and thereafter the above procedure is repeated until the least significants of the ram address set become xa ( bc1010 ). in other words , as indications in steps 35 - 2 and 35 - 3 , error modes set to the addresses from x 081 to x 089 are sequentially indicated at intervals of a second . for example , when paper is at the sensor 62 in the stand - by diagnostic mode , the indication data are to be f , -, o , e , blank , 1 in accordance with the figure switching - over timing signals t 0 , t 2 , t 3 , t 4 , t 5 of i / o 100 . at steps 35 - 4 to 35 - 6 , like at step 35 - 2 , error mode data set from ram address x 090 to x 099 , from x 0a0 to x 0a9 , from x 0b0 to x 0b9 and from x 0c0 to x 0c9 are sequentially indicated at intervals of a second . at x 0a1 to x 0c9 there are stored the diagnostic data in the later described key diagnostic mode . scanning and indication of the data are carried out at the time of the next key diagnostic mode . in this manner , indications of diagnostic operations and indications of errors detected by the diagnosis can be made making use of indicators such as segment indicators which are normally used for other purposes of indication . this makes it possible to indicate the stage of the operation to which the diagnosis now being in operation belongs and the result of the diagnosis with the minimum number of indicators . therefore , the apparatus operation part is very simple in structure . under the condition of a normal stand - by , the numeral keys 22 are used to set the number of copies to be made and the clear key c is used to clear the set number or the like . similarly , the indicators 23 - 1 and 23 - 2 are used to indicate the number of copies set and that of copies completed respectively . however , according to the present invention , there is provided a diagnostic step 100 between steps 1 and 2 shown in fig5 - 1a through 5 - 1d . to this end , during the execution of diagnostic program the above mentioned keys and indicators serve as instruction switches and indicators having other functions . when the power source switch sw is turned on , step 1 is carried out in accordance with the stand - by program shown in fig5 - 1a through 5 - 1d . following the step 1 the diagnostic program 100 is executed . this diagnostic program can be carried out selectively by using diagnostic keys ( not shown ) if desired to do so . as shown in fig1 , the diagnostic sequence begins with step 101 at which error memory is cleared . this makes the ram addresses ( fig7 - 1 , b ) x &# 39 ; 080 &# 39 ;- x &# 39 ; 089 &# 39 ;, x &# 39 ; 090 &# 39 ;- x &# 39 ; 099 &# 39 ; x &# 39 ; 0a0 &# 39 ;- x &# 39 ; 0a9 &# 39 ;, x &# 39 ; 0b0 &# 39 ;- x &# 39 ; 0b9 &# 39 ;, x &# 39 ; 0c0 &# 39 ;- x &# 39 ; 0c9 &# 39 ; loaded with 0000 ( hereinafter referred to as 0 for the sake of simplicity ) further , diagnostic mode storing and indicating memory address , x &# 39 ; 0d0 &# 39 ;- x &# 39 ; 0d5 &# 39 ; are cleared and loaded with 0 . at step 102 , the start of diagnostic sequence is indicated . this makes at first x &# 39 ; 0d0 &# 39 ;, x &# 39 ; 0d1 &# 39 ; and x &# 39 ; 0d2 &# 39 ; loaded with hexadecimal x &# 39 ; b &# 39 ; ( which is 1011 in terms of binary decimal code bcd ), x &# 39 ; e &# 39 ; ( 1110 ) and x &# 39 ; f &# 39 ; ( 1111 ) respectively . then , 8 ( 1000 ) is set to x &# 39 ; 0d3 &# 39 ;, x &# 39 ; 0d4 &# 39 ; and x &# 39 ; 0d5 &# 39 ;. thereafter , x &# 39 ; 0d5 - x &# 39 ; 0d0 &# 39 ; are transferred to key and display i / o - x &# 39 ; 100 &# 39 ; from cpu sequentially in this order . port i / o - x &# 39 ; 100 &# 39 ; decodes each 4 bits of the input data and makes the indicators 23 - 1 and 23 - 2 indicate the following in accordance with the above codes : on the indicator 23 - 1 , f , - , blank and on the indicator 23 - 2 , , , with the timing t 0 , t 1 , t 2 , t 3 , t 4 , t 5 . f at timing to means the start of execution of the diagnostic program . since selection of diagnostic mode has not been made yet at step 102 , indication at timing t 2 is blank , that is , no indication . for timings t 3 - t 5 indication must properly be made as to the results of diagnosis . but , at the stage of step 102 , provisionally , , , that is , no error is indicated with timing of t 3 , t 4 and t 5 . at step 103 , it checked whether any error is occurred by reading whether error flag is set . when yes , error mode is indicated because a numerical figure other than 0 ( no error when 0 ) is set at ram address x &# 39 ; 080 &# 39 ; as described later . however , at the first execution of this routine , since x &# 39 ; 080 &# 39 ; is 0 , no such indication is made and instead x &# 39 ; 0d5 &# 39 ; to x &# 39 ; 0d0 &# 39 ; are indicated like in step 102 , and step jumps to 104 . at step 104 , if there is no input data to key & amp ; display i / o - x &# 39 ; 100 &# 39 ;, namely no key input by key 22 , cpu returns to step 103 and repeats step 104 . when key input is received , cpu decodes the content of the key data and when the key is clear key c , it terminates the diagnostic sequence . step jumps to end and returns to the step of power on of the above mentioned stand - by sequence ( fig5 - 1a through 5 - 1d ). when the key is any one of 0 to 9 of the numeral keys 22 , step is advanced to the next step , step 105 to select the desired diagnostic mode when the key is not numeral key 22 but another selection key such as cassette selection key , step is returned back to 103 and step 104 is carried out again . thus , above indication is continued until input from numeral key of clear key comes in . when an input is keyed in by numeral key 22 , like in step 101 , the memory addresses in ram are cleared at step 105 . at step 106 , the signal of the input numerical key is decoded and the decoded signal is set to x &# 39 ; 0d2 &# 39 ; of ram . for example , when key of 1 is keyed on , the signal is set to x &# 39 ; 0d2 &# 39 ; and 0 is to x &# 39 ; 0d3 &# 39 ;- x &# 39 ; 0d5 &# 39 ;. at step 107 , x &# 39 ; 0d5 &# 39 ; to x &# 39 ; 0d0 &# 39 ; are transferred to key and display i / o - x &# 39 ; 100 &# 39 ; sequentially in this order to make the indicators 23 - 1 and 23 - 2 display the following indication symbols : at the timings of t 0 , t 1 , t 2 , t 3 , t 4 , t 5 , symbols f , -, 1 on the indicator 23 - 1 and , , on the indicator 23 - 2 . at t 2 there is an indication showing the diagnostic mode selected by the operator ( in the shown case , diagnosis on motor ) and at t 3 , t 4 and t 5 indicates that the selected diagnosis is now in execution . a detailed description of various diagnostic modes and the manner of control thereof will be made hereinafter . this is a diagnostic mode for visually carrying out checking of all indicators by the operator . this diagnostic mode is carried out by checking whether 0 is set to ram x &# 39 ; 0d2 &# 39 ;. all indications of display part ( fig2 ) are lighted on and the operator visually checks every indicator to examine whether there is any breaking or deterioration . to this end , all the indicator outputs of i / o shown in fig4 - 1 to 4 - 12 are turned on . this mode is carried out by checking whether 1 is set to x &# 39 ; 0d2 &# 39 ;. it is automatically checked in this diagnostic mode whether there is any trouble in any motor in the machine . as an example , fig1 - 1 shows the flow chart of diagnostic sequence on the main motor m 1 . at first m 1 is turned off by putting 0000 in x &# 39 ; b00 . after a certain timer delay , 4 bits of x &# 39 ; 500 &# 39 ; are put in , whether i 0 of x &# 39 ; 500 &# 39 ; is 1 or 0 , x &# 39 ; 0b1 &# 39 ; and x &# 39 ; 080 &# 39 ; are loaded with 1 when i 0 is 1 is checked , and address data error flag of m 1 is set . to x &# 39 ; b00 &# 39 ; is put out 0001 to turn m 1 on . after a certain timer delay , 4 bits of x &# 39 ; 500 &# 39 ; are put in . when i 0 of x &# 39 ; 500 &# 39 ; is 0 , it loads x &# 39 ; 0b1 &# 39 ; and x &# 39 ; 080 &# 39 ; with 1 to turn m 1 off . following the diagnosis on the main motor , diagnosis on optical system motor m 3 and outlet motor m 2 is excuted in the same manner . if there is found any failure , the data is set and then error flag is set . diagnosis on every motor according to the flow chart shown in fig1 - 1 is performed using circuit a of the output part of i / o shown in fig4 - 11 . when the main motor m1 is off , triac ta for a motor switch remains off and the output of photocoupler phc connected to both terminals of ta is 0 of logic level . however , if ta and its trigger circuit remain always on due to any trouble , then the output signal of phc is 1 . by reading this signal in a program step as described above , the malfunction can be found out . in case ta does not become on when m 1 is on , the output signal of photocoupler which must be correctly 1 becomes 0 . therefore , in this case also the malfunction can be detected similarly . in this manner , diagnosis is carried out for each of the motors m 1 , m 2 , m 3 and m 4 and for each of machine cooling fan motors fm 1 , fm 2 and fm 3 using similar detection circuits provided therefor . when trouble occurs , a value other than 0 is set to ram address x &# 39 ; 0b1 &# 39 ;- x &# 39 ; 0b9 &# 39 ; corresponding to the motor in question and at the same time error flag ( x &# 39 ; 080 &# 39 ;) is set . this is a diagnostic mode for checking various high voltage transformers and is executed by using ram data by turning on the numeral key of 2 . the flow chart for this diagnostic mode is essentially the same as that for diagnosis on motor described above and can be obtained by substituting hvta , - b , - c , - d , - f , - g . . . for m 1 . on these high voltage transformers , diagnosis is executed one by one in a manner similar to above . as shown in the output part b of fig4 - 11 circuit , the detection circuit issues a logic level 1 when high voltage output comes out from the high voltage output detection terminal of hv transformer . by reading the logic level error indication is made . this is a diagnostic mode for examining trouble in various jam detection sensors 62 to 69 and is carried out by reading 3 of x &# 39 ; 0d2 &# 39 ; set by the numeral key of 3 . as an example , diagnosis on sensor 62 is described with reference to fig1 - 2 . at first 4 bits of i / o port x &# 39 ; 600 &# 39 ; is put in and check is made as to whether i 0 of x &# 39 ; 600 &# 39 ; is 1 or 0 . when 1 , x &# 39 ; 081 &# 39 ; and x &# 39 ; 080 &# 39 ; are loaded with 1 ( 0001 ). when the i 0 is 0 , relay k 1 is turned on by putting out 1000 to x &# 39 ; 500 &# 39 ; to put lamp 62a on . after putting 4 bits of x &# 39 ; 600 &# 39 ; in , it is checked whether i 0 of x &# 39 ; 600 &# 39 ; is 1 or 0 . when 0 , x &# 39 ; 081 &# 39 ; and x &# 39 ; 080 &# 39 ; are loaded with 1 . as for other jam detection sensors the same diagnosis is executed and memory operates similarly . diagnosis on the jam detection sensor according to the flow chart shown in fig1 - 2 is performed using the circuit d of the input part shown in fig4 - 6 to 4 - 8 . normally , the lamp for illuminating cds device is on and input to i / o is 0 . if wire breaking occurred in the lamp or jammed paper remains unremoved , then the input to i / o becomes 1 by which the trouble can be detected . breaking of cds or trouble on the input interface part opposite to the above can be detected by carrying out checking in the opposite direction to the above . the cds illuminating lamp is turned off and the relay k 1 on to terminate the irradiation of light to cds . then , reading of the input signal is effected in the opposite direction to the above . in any case , when the result of diagnosis reveals some trouble , 1 is set to address x &# 39 ; 081 &# 39 ;- x &# 39 ; 089 &# 39 ; of ram and an error flag ( x &# 39 ; 080 &# 39 ;) is set at the same time . this is a diagnostic mode on position sensors 66 , 67 and 83 to 88 ( for positions of optical system , outlet etc .) by keying on of numeral key of 4 . if any trouble is detected in any position detection sensor , then the corresponding ram address of x &# 39 ; 0a3 &# 39 ; to x &# 39 ; 0a9 &# 39 ; is loaded with 1 and an error flag ( x &# 39 ; 080 &# 39 ;) is set . fig1 - 4a through 14 - 4f show the flow chart for carrying out the diagnosis . at first , the main motor m 1 is turned on to prepare itself for moving the optical system forward and backward . then , it is checked whether the optical system is correctly in its stop position at the sensor 84 . when not , the optical system return clutch cl 2 is actuated to return the optical system to the proper stop position . after a predetermined timer time ( maximum estimated time ), the above check is repeated again . when 1 is not detected at the sensor 84 even this time , error flag and sensor error data 3 are set to ram . after that or when the sensor 84 is not wrong , the return clutch cl 2 is turned off and the optical system forward clutch cl 1 is turned on . after a certain timer time , it is checked whether the sensor 83 is on ( whether signal rg is 1 ) in the same manner as above . if the sensor is wrong , then error flag and error data 5 are stored in ram . similarly , check is made on sensor 85 and its data is stored in ram . upon the end of above check , the main motor m 1 is turned off and instead the reduction motor m 3 is turned on . then , it is checked whether the sensor 86 ( rd 1 ) is 1 . this check is continued for a predetermined time length which corresponds to the time normally required for the sensor to detect the optical system . when the sensor fails to detect the optical system within the time , error flag and error data are set . the limit of time mentioned above was determined by repeating the time up decision routine a given number of times . this is the same as that in step 15 shown in fig5 - 1a through 5 - 1d . after checking sensors 87 and 88 in the same manner , the reduction motor m 3 is turned off . after that or when all the reduction sensors are not wrong , outlet sensors 66 and 67 are checked in the following manner : at first , it is checked by tray sensor 70 whether the tray exists . when yes , the outlet motor m 2 is and a check is made as to whether sorter sensor 67 is on it is not on , the sorter sensor is regarded as wrong and ram is processed by the data . when the tray sensor is off , the sorter sensor 71 is checked . when the signal of the sensor 67 is 1 , clutch sl 2 is turned on to reverse the rotational direction of the outlet motor m 2 which is then turned on to move the belt upward . if the tray sensor 66 does not become on , it is regarded as failure of the sensor 66 and ram is processed in the same manner as above . if neither sensor 66 nor 67 are on , it is regarded as both the sensors being wrong and ram is processed . after turning m 2 and sl 2 off , step is returned to the flow of main diagnosis shown in fig1 . then , it is advanced to the indication step 103 in fig1 . in the flow chart shown in fig1 - 14 , timer is operated . the operation of timer can be done within cpu and is well known . therefore , it need not be further described . this is a diagnostic mode for carrying out diagnosis on the clock pulse generator 82 in synchronism with the drum rotation . diagnosis in this mode is carried out on the basis of keying on of numeral key of 5 . the diagnostic sequence is shown in fig1 - 3 . at first the main motor m 1 is turned on by putting out 0001 to x &# 39 ; boo &# 39 ; and 4 bits of port x &# 39 ; boo &# 39 ; is put i reading the output kcp from clock pulse generator . of x &# 39 ; boo &# 39 ; is checked ( input circuit a in fig4 - 11 ). is operated irrespective of whether kcp is 0 or 1 . thereafter , kcp is checked once more . the timer time is so determined as to be longer than one cycle of clock pulse . when kcp was 0 at the first check , it is checked at the second check time to see whether kcp is 1 . on the contrary , when it was 1 at the first time , the second check is made as to whether kcp is 0 . the clock pulse generator is regarded as right when kcp at the second time is 1 in the former case and 0 in the latter . so , motor m 1 is turned off . but , if kcp remains unchanged it means failure of the generator . in this case , an error information is given to x &# 39 ; 0a1 &# 39 ; and x &# 39 ; 080 &# 39 ;. this mode is carried out by keying on the numeral key of 6 for diagnosis on the . screen drum stop position detection sensor 51 . the procedure of this diagnosis is essentially the same as the above described mode 5 . if failure is detected ram x &# 39 ; 0a2 &# 39 ; is loaded with a numeral data other than 0 , for example , 1 and error flag x &# 39 ; 080 &# 39 ; is set . diagnostic modes l and 1 to 6 by numerals keys of 0 to 6 have been described in detail . similarly , other various diagnostic modes may be executed making use of numeral keys of 7 to 9 , cassette selection key and the like . for example , check can be made as to various troubles in paper feed registration clutch cl 1 , forward and backward clutches cl 2 and cl 3 , heater in fixing roller 13 and exposure lamp 4 ( wire breaking ) to have the error flag and error data set to the memory . after setting flag and data in the manner described above , step is advanced to step 103 for reading the data and indicating the error mode . since error flag ( x &# 39 ; 080 &# 39 ;) has already been set when failure was found by diagnosis at step 107 , the error is indicated on the indicators at step 103 for the second and succeeding times . the indication system of error modes has been described with reference to fig1 . when there are two or more errors detected , these errors are sequentially indicated . if no error is detected by the diagnosis , indication of error mode is not made . instead , data 8 ( bcd 1000 ) is set to x &# 39 ; 0d3 &# 39 ;- x &# 39 ; 0d5 &# 39 ; and there are indicated x &# 39 ; 050 &# 39 ;- x &# 39 ; 0d0 &# 39 ; through key & amp ; display i / o - x100 &# 39 ;. for example , in the diagnosis on motor there are displayed f , -, 1 on the indicator 23 - 1 and , , on the indicator 23 - 2 in accordance with the timings of t 0 , t 1 , t 2 , t 3 , t 4 and t 5 . numeral keys 0 to 9 which are used to set the number of copies to be made in the normal stand - by routine as well as the clear key which is normally used to clear the set number can be used also to select the diagnostic mode and instruct a termination of the diagnostic routine . this contributes to reduction of cost and simplicity in structure of the operation part of the image forming apparatus indicators 23 - 1 and 23 - 2 which are used , in the normal stand - by routine and copy routine , to indicate the number of copies set and the number of copies completed , can be used also to indicate the diagnostic mode and results of the diagnosis . this contributes to reduction of cost and simplicity in structure of the display part . diagnosis on two or more loads can be executed by only one key input . this saves the operator from troublesome operation work . diagnostic result is repeatedly indicated by one and the same indicator . this enhances warning effect . in the case of errors in those sensors and loads which are provided for such device and member which are not used in the normal copying procedure , for example , sorter and adf ( automatic original feeding and discharging device ), copying can be carried out without removing such an error . therefore , objects of the errors can be classified by ranking which makes the operation easy . fig1 - 1 and 15 - 2 show a microflow relating to fig1 in which above - mentioned μcom4 is used . fig1 - 1 corresponds to key input processing step 104 and error memory clear step 105 in fig1 . fig1 - 2 corresponds to numeral key signal decoding step 106 and diagnostic mode selection step 107 . wr ( 6 ) means data of ram x &# 39 ; 018 &# 39 ; and wa ( 2 ) is data of the second working register of ram . the micro flow sequence can be understood very easily from the drawing and the system of μcom4 and need not be further described . after the error indication routine in fig1 - 2a , 11 - 2b and 11 - 2c , the following routine can be executed in accordance with the flow chart shown in fig1 . at first , check is made as to whether sorter mode is selected by reading the outlet mode memory ( x &# 39 ; 032 &# 39 ;) in ram . when yes , step is advanced to step 11 - 3 , and when no , it jumps to do to repeat the above routine ( 11 - 2 ). at step 13 , key & amp ; i / o apparatus , namely , data keyed in the address x700 &# 39 ; is read in . then , ram address x &# 39 ; 01c &# 39 ; is checked in which keyed - in data is stored . when the data is found to be 6 , that is , clear key input , the step is jumped to 11 - 6 ( 11 - 14 ). when it is not clear key input , the step is advanced to 11 - 15 . at step 11 - 15 , it is checked whether the data in x &# 39 ; 01c &# 39 ; is x &# 39 ; b &# 39 ; namely , input of the tray selection key . when yes , the step is advanced to step 11 - 16 , and when no , it jumps to do to repeat the above routine ( 11 - 15 ). at step 11 - 16 , the content of outlet mode memory ( x &# 39 ; 032 &# 39 ;) is changed to 2 from 1 , that is , to tray mode from sorter mode . thereafter , step jumps to do to execute the above routine again . in this case , if the detected error is one relating to sorter , no further check as to the sorter error is carried out in the next execution of the routine and therefore the indication on the indicators 23 - 1 and 23 - 2 is changed over from error indication to usual numeral indication . as will be understood from the foregoing , according to the above - described diagnostic programs , the machine cannot get free from the program but is locked in its inoperative position until the detected error is completely removed so long as the error is fatal to the normal copying operation of the machine . however , in case that the error concerns an accessory of the machine such as a sorter , it is allowed to bring the copying machine into its operable position by selecting a new tray instead of the sorter . in this case , the escape from diagnostic sequence can be effected using not only the clear key but also the mode change - over key , which assures easiness of operation . it is sometimes inconvenient , in particular for a test run that the above - described diagnostic sequence 1 after jam and sequence 2 during stand - by are kept always in the position ready for operation . to solve the problem , fig1 shows a sequence for disenabling any diagnostic program . this sequence can be effected by providing diagnosis disenabling switches x and y not shown in the machine casing . diagnostic program remains disenabled until the switches are turned off . similarly , a key switch z is provided for the initial diagnostic sequence 3 so that the sequence may be executed only when it is required . switches x and y are connected to the remaining input part of above mentioned i / o port and key z is connected to the remaining matrix intersection of key i / o . in this manner , disenabling and selection of the diagnostic program can be controlled by slightly modifying the program . fig1 shows another example . at the time of cpu run start , namely at the time of power on of cpu , 12 bits of address bus data are set so as to make the address bus produce data of rom address storing diagnostic sequence 2 . according to this embodiment , it is allowed to start the execution of the diagnostic program at once by keying on a sub - switch . in this case , power supply to sensors , at least to paper sensors is maintained by the sub - switch . escape from diagnostic sequence also may be effected by turning off the main switch sw when an additional step is provided at the beginning of diagnostic sequences shown fig1 and 13 ( in case of fig1 , before step 33 ). the step is one which returns to stat after checking the main switch sw as in step 10 in fig5 - 1 . in fig1 - 2 , designated by 75 is a sorter bin home position sensor the function of which is to detect that the first sorter bin is in the position ready for receiving paper . numeral 77 designates a paper transportation assisting member the function of which is to deflect the moving direction of paper coming through a paper path 76 in the sorter . the moving direction of the paper in the path 76 is indicated by arrow x . leaving the path 76 the paper is deflected to the direction indicated by arrow y and guided downward vertically by the member 77 . the paper thus guided is received in one of sorter bins 20 . for each one bin there are provided a pair of entrance rollers and a guide pawl . such guide pawls are designated by a , b , c , d , . . . in the drawing . selection of the bin in which the coming paper is to be received is made by a cam ( not shown ) which can move upward and downward . the guide pawl at which the cam is stopping deflects the coming paper toward the entrance roller from the direction y . thus , the paper can enter the selected bin through the entrance roller . for a sorter of the type described above , the sorter bin in which the first copy paper coming from the copying machine is to be received , may be different case by case which depends primarily upon the state of the copying machine . however , normally the first arrived paper is received in the uppermost bin positioned by the sorter home position sensor . starting from the uppermost one a , the cam moves downward step by step in the direction of arrow y so that the second bin b receives the second copy paper , bin c the third , d the fourth . . . etc . therefore , it is usually required to return the sorter cam back to the position of the home position sensor 75 prior to start of a copying operation . for this purpose , a control sequence as shown in fig1 is interposed in the flow chart in fig5 - 1a through 5 - 1d at the step just before the diagnostic sequence 2 . when the sorter home position sensor does not deliver a signal informing that the sorter is in its home position although sorter mode is selected , a sorter bin skip on signal is delivered to the sorter to set the cam at the position of sorter home position sensor 75 . in this case , a sorter control circuit ( not shown ), when it receives the sorter bin skip on signal , makes the cam move continuously to the home position 75 where the cam is stopped . after stopping the cam , the control circuit delivers to the copying machine a signal informing that the sorter is now in its home position . responding to the signal , the copying machine cuts off the sorter bin skip signal . therefore , the first completed sheet is always received in the uppermost bin so long as the copying operation is normal . in case a paper jam occurred in the copying machine or in the sorter before completion of the set number of copies , the operator restarts copying the remaining number of sheets without checking on the sorter home position signal . the copy sheet arriving first after the restart is received in a bin at the right step . sorting goes on properly without error . if the operator ceases copying the remaining number of sheets after cleaning the jam and the preset mode was cancelled by the clear key , then the step in fig1 a and 10b is returned to ○ to after checking the input of the clear key and the sorter bin is reset to its home position . therefore , the first arrived copy sheet in the next copying operation is received in the uppermost bin . this is the same for the case where the copying operation is stopped by keying on the stop key . when the copying operation is interrupted because of paper depletion and the copying operation is restarted after supply of paper , the same control of the sorter bin as in the above - described interruption case by jam is performed . in any case , the sorter bin is controlled in such a manner that no error in making up the pages of copies may be caused sorter is exchanged from one to another when the first sorter is filled up . a sequence for sorter exchange according to the shown embodiment is as follows : when the first sorter gets filled up , paper feed is interrupted by a signal from a counter which counts the paper feed signal issued within the machine and indicates the number of copies completed . the signal is issued at the time point when the count just reaches the total number of bins in the sorter . the machine is brought into its waiting position until the last bin in the first sorter receives the completed copy . during this wait time , the dielectric drum and screen drum rotate idly without formation of secondary latent image . removing charge and cleaning are carried out for the dielectric drum . the primary latent image on the screen drum remains unerased . at the time of the last one being received , a detection signal ( later described ) is issued . by this detection signal the pawl 77 is moved and the formation of secondary image is restarted . the total number of sorter bins is stored in the memory ram by using a manual digital switch in the main body ( not shown ) or a digital switch automatically set by the connection of the sorter with the copying machine . based on the stored member cpu controls the above described interruption and idle operation . fig2 shows a sorter jam detection circuit . designated by f1 and f2 are conventional r / s flip - flops . s is set input port and r reset input port q and q means outputs complementary to each other . t1 through t4 are conventional monostable multivibrators ( timers ) which are triggered by a positive - going edge of input signals at trigger terminals respectively . the output remains at a constant level for a certain time . cnt1 and cnt2 are common 4 - bit binary counters , c is clock input , o is 4 bit binary output terminal and comp is a conventional 4 - bit magnitude comparator . when binary signals at input terminals a 1 , a 2 , a 3 , a 4 are all equal to those at other input terminals b 1 , b 2 , b 3 , b 4 respectively , the output o develops a logic level &# 34 ; h &# 34 ;. q1 through q7 are inverters and q8 through q12 are and gates . differentiation circuits a , b , c , d , e , f , g and h each issue a differentiation pulse of level &# 34 ; h &# 34 ; at the time of the positive going edge of the input signal . jam1 represents a jam signal which is issued when paper remains at sensor 68 ( pd 1 ) for a time period longer than a certain limit time , jam2 is a jam signal issued when the sheet first delivered toward the sorter fails to reach sensor 69 ( pd 2 ) after passing through pd 1 , and jam 3 is a jam signal issued when a sheet remains at pd 2 for a time length longer than a certain limit time . jam 4 is a jam signal which is issued when a delay longer than a predetermined delay time takes place between one sheet and the next one . fig2 shows a timing chart of the above mentioned various signals in the jam detection circuit . the timing chart is made using the paper detection signals of pd1 / and pd2 as basis . as mentioned above , sensors pd 1 and pd 2 issue logic level &# 34 ; h &# 34 ; when papers stay at the sensors respectively . the paper signals pd 1 and pd 2 passing through differentiation circuits a and c generated signals a and c ( fig2 ) respectively . on the other hand , the paper signals pd 1 and pd 2 passing through inverters q 1 and q 2 and differentiation circuits b and d generate signals b and d respectively . signal a triggers timer t1 . at this step , t1 issues from its output q level &# 34 ; h &# 34 ; for a certain time ( t1 ). signal b is applied to one input of nand q8 to set flip - flop f2 and trigger t2 . further , it is applied to the count input terminal of counter cnt1 to make an increment of the count number . signal c sets f1 , resets f2 and triggers t3 . the timer t3 puts out from its output q level &# 34 ; h &# 34 ; for a certain time length ( t3 ). setting of f1 makes the output q turned to level &# 34 ; l &# 34 ; and the level &# 34 ; l &# 34 ; is applied to one input of nand q8 . thereby the output of and q8 is turned to &# 34 ; l &# 34 ; irrespective of another signal of and q8 so that no setting of f2 and no triggering of timer are effected . signal d triggers timer t4 which then issues &# 34 ; h &# 34 ; at output q for a certain time length ( t4 ). also , signal d is applied to the count input terminal of counter cnt2 for increment of the count number . the outputs of the triggered timers t1 through t4 pass through inverters q3 through q6 respectively and are inverted by them . after the time is up , the logic level of each timer changes from &# 34 ; l &# 34 ; to &# 34 ; h &# 34 ;. this change makes the differentiation circuits e , f , g , h produce rising differentiation pulses at their outputs e , f , g , h respectively . the 4 - bit outputs of cnt1 and cnt2 are put into the input terminals a and b of comparator comp respectively . the output o of comp becomes &# 34 ; h &# 34 ; when the 4 bits applied to input terminal a are equal to those to b . therefore , through inverter q7 , one input to and q12 becomes &# 34 ; l &# 34 ; and its output becomes &# 34 ; l &# 34 ; irrespective of the level of the other two inputs . thus , jam4 is not issued when the counts by cnt1 and that by cnt2 are equal to each other . the output of comp is a signal informing that the last bin of the first sorter has just received the corresponding copy sheet . by means of this signal , the guide pawls 77 are moved turning to the second sorter and the copying operation is restarted . the sheets copied thereafter are delivered to the second sorter through the outlet 81 . when no paper is on pd1 and pd2 and the signal level is l , differentiation pulses e and d generated at time - up of t1 and t3 do not appear at outputs q9 and q11 and therefore jam1 and jam2 are not generated . flip - flop f2 is set by rise of pd1 and reset by that of pd2 . to set f2 it is necessary that the gate of and q8 is open which depends upon q output of f1 . initially , f1 is in its reset position and its output q is &# 34 ; h &# 34 ;. it is set by rise of pd2 and its output q is turned to &# 34 ; l &# 34 ;. from this time point , the gate of and q8 is closed so that setting of f2 and triggering of t2 no longer take place . this means that q output of the flip - flop f1 continues to be &# 34 ; h &# 34 ; during the time of the first sheet being moved from pd1 to pd2 . f2 is reset by the paper arrival signal from pd2 and when the output q is &# 34 ; l &# 34 ; no jam 2 is issued because of and q10 being closed . if a copy sheet , for example , the third sheet directed to the sorter is jammed at pd1 , then the signal level of pd1 continues to be &# 34 ; h &# 34 ;. since the gate of and q9 is open when t1 times up and signal e is generated , there is issued jam signal jam 1 . if paper directed to the sorter fails to reach the area of pd2 after passing over pd1 the rising signal of which sets f2 and triggers . t2 , then f2 which is normally reset by signal c with the rise of pd2 remains set and and q10 remains opened . therefore , signal f generated at the time of time - up of timer t2 appears at its output so that jam signal jam2 is issued . like the case of jam 1 , if the third paper directed to the sorter is jammed at pd2 , then the signal level of pd2 continues to be &# 34 ; h &# 34 ;, timer t3 triggered by signal c is timed up and jam signal jam43 is issued because the gate of and q11 is open when signal c is generated . if paper sheets up to the third sheet are safely received by the sorter but the fourth paper fails to reach the area of pd2 , then the inverted signal of pd2 continues to be &# 34 ; h &# 34 ;. at this stage , the count of cnt1 is 5 and that of cnt2 is 3 . the output o of the comparator is &# 34 ; l &# 34 ; which is inverted to &# 34 ; h &# 34 ; by inverter q7 . this &# 34 ; h &# 34 ; level signal is applied to and q12 . therefore , its two inputs are turned to h and the gate is opened . signal h is generated by time - up of timer t4 . the signal passes through and q12 and generates jam signal jam4 . as sensor pd1 , the outlet sensor 67 in the main body may be used . by doing so , it is made possible to detect jam of papers continuously conveyed to the sorter by only one sensor . when there occurs any sorter jam as described above , paper feeding operation in the main body and sorting operation ( in the direction of arrow y ) in the sorter are stopped at once . as for the paper already fed in the paper path in the main body , conveying operation of such paper sheet are continued until the paper is discharged from the main body . as soon as a sorter jam occurs the cover member 79 of the sorter 18 is automatically turned up about the pivot 80 as indicated by arrow to prevent the paper from being discharged outward or toward a bin from the passage 76 . the sheet arrived at the sorter after the jam is held in the passage 76 . fig2 and 23 show jam detection circuit according to the invention . designated by cnt is a counter for counting clock pulse cp and putting out jam check signals t 1 - t 6 &# 39 ;. g 1 - g 4 are and gates for checking the paper detection signals of tray and sorter 66 and 67 , g 5 - g 10 are and gates for checking the paper detection signals of sensors 62 - 65 along the paper path , g 11 and g 12 are and gates for further detecting jam after a detected jam and g 13 and g 14 are and gates for checking paper staying at the outlet . g 15 - g 21 are or gates for outputting jam detection signals and g 22 , g 23 and g 24 are nand , and and or gates for outputting further jam detection signals respectively . i 1 - i 14 are inverters , t 11 - t 12 are timers for detecting further jamming , s 1 and s 2 are waveform shaping schmitt trigger circuits and cnt 2 is an up - down or reversible counter . the counter cnt 2 takes an increment (+ 1 ) by signal pf which turns the feeding roller 9 on for feeding paper , and takes a decrement (- 1 ) by paper discharge signals j s and j t . j 1 - j 4 are signals each of which is 1 when paper is detected by paper sensors 62 - 65 . cup is a signal which is 1 when the set number of copies and the number of completed copies are made equal to each other . this signal cup resets the counter cnt 1 . ff 1 is a flip - flop for controlling the operation of main motor m 1 and ff 2 is a flip - flop for controlling that of rear belt motor m 4 . when 1 is at port s , they output 1 at port q to drive the motors m 1 and m 4 , and when 1 is at port r they output o at port q to stop the motors . t 1 - t 6 are pulses as shown in fig2 and they are issued in timings timed to the time points at which paper normally passes over the sensors 62 - 67 respectively . t &# 39 ; 5 and t &# 39 ; 6 are also pulses issued in timings timed to the time points in which normally the interval between one sheet and the next one fed continuously reaches the area of outlet sensors 66 and 67 respectively . the main motor m 1 can drive the drums 1 and 7 , registering roller 35 and front belt 12 . m 4 can drive the rear belt 12 , fixing roller 13 , discharging belt 19 and discharging roller 50 independently of the main motor m 1 . the manner of operation of the apparatus shown in fig2 is as follows : at first , the copy key is depressed , which produces a m 1 on signal to set ff 1 . thus , the main motor m 1 is brought into operation and the drum 1 starts rotating from its stop position . the rotation of the drum generates pulses from encoder 82 . counter cnt 1 begins counting the pulse . after the rotation of the screen drum 1 , a secondary latent image is formed on the dielectric drum 7 through exposure and modulation . when the counts of pulses reach a predetermined number , a paper feed signal pf is issued . here , it is to be noted that the motor m 4 is brought into operation with a certain delay to m 1 . paper sheets are fed through paper feeding roller 9 from the upper or lower cassette . when the paper properly reaches the sensor 62 at the timing pulse of t 1 , the output of gate g 5 is 0 and therefore flip - flop ff 1 cannot be reset . similarly , when , passing the sensor 62 , the paper properly reached sensors 63 , 64 and 65 at timing pulses t 2 , t 3 and t 4 respectively , the outputs of g 6 , g 7 and g 8 are all 0 and therefore ff 1 cannot be reset . timing relation between t 1 - t 6 and j 1 - j 5 is normally that shown in fig2 . if paper gets jammed in the paper path and it fails to reach sensors 62 - 64 in the preset timings mentioned above , then any one of gates g 5 - g 7 outputs 1 which resets ff 1 so that the motor m 1 is stopped at once . the operator can remove the jammed paper . at this time , ff 2 remains unchanged and therefore the motor m 4 can continue rotating . the rear belt 12 continues moving to effect discharging the paper passing the vicinity of the fixing roller 13 at the time of jam . in this manner , when paper gets jammed in the path near the paper feed station or transferring station , only the driving and conveying system at the upstream side of the jam point is stopped and the remainder at the downstream side continues operating . this saves papers at the downstream side and loss of paper by jam trouble can be reduced to a minimum . now , description is made of a jam at the downstream side of the rear belt 12 . when the tray is selected by outlet selection signal ts = 1 , timing pulse t 5 is generated in response to tray sensor 66 through gate g 1 . for sorter sensor 67 , pulse t 6 is generated through gate g 2 . so long as the paper detection signal jt from tray sensor 66 or js from sorter sensor 67 is present at t 5 or t 6 , flip - flop ff cannot be reset because of no output from g 9 and g 10 . however , if the selected sensor 66 or 67 detects no paper at t 4 , t 5 and t 6 , flip - flop ff 2 is reset through or gates q 16 - q 18 to stop the motor m 4 . thus , roller 13 and belt 19 positioned downstream the belt 12 are stopped . at the same time , ff 1 is reset through g 20 and g 21 to turn the motor m 1 off . therefore , the registering roller 35 positioned at the upstream side of the belt 12 is also stopped . thus , the entire driving system is cut off . in this manner , when a paper gets jammed at a point near the paper discharge section , paper feeding operation at the upstream side of the jam point is stopped to prevent any further extension of the jam . if a paper sheet gets jammed at the area of outlet sensor 66 or 67 it can be detected by pulse t &# 39 ; 5 or t &# 39 ; 6 . in this case , gate g 3 or g 4 is selected and its pulse is applied to g 13 or g 14 to check whether paper is at the sensor 66 or 67 . when there is no paper , it means no jam and when there is a paper it means a jam . in the latter case , flip - flops ff 1 and ff 2 are reset in the same manner as above . sometimes it happens that after a jam has been detected at the upstream side ( area near paper feed section and transferring section ), another jam takes place at the downstream side ( area near the rear outlet ). the second jam is caused , for example , by such paper which was present at the downstream side at the first jam and then caught in the roller 13 at the time of further movement for discharge . in such double jam case , if the motor m 4 remained operating for a long time , the jam trouble may be complicated that such removal of the jammed paper may be no longer possible . according to the present invention such serious trouble can be prevented effectively . this is attained by further checking any paper jam at the downstream side after a paper jam has been detected at the upstream side and the motor m 1 has been stopped . for example , it is assumed that tray outlet is selected . in this case , the tray sensor 66 detects paper and its signal triggers timer t 11 through gates g 11 and g 19 . when the paper correctly goes over the sensor 66 within the timer time t 11 , g 19 changes its signal from 1 to 0 . since no output is issued from gate g 22 , ff 2 cannot be reset . however , if the signal of g 19 continues to be 1 for a longer time than t 11 , then gate g 22 will produce an output to one input of gate g 23 the other input of which is 1 . turn - on of g 23 resets ff 2 and turns m 4 off . t 12 starts when the signal of g 19 is turned to 0 by the passage of paper on the sensor 66 . if the signals of gate g 19 do not change from 0 to 1 within the timer time t 12 , then ff 2 is reset through g 22 and g 23 to stop the motor m 4 . in case that sorter outlet is selected , the motor is stopped through gates g 12 and g 19 in the same manner as above . fig2 is a time chart of the above described operation . if charged voltage is over the threshold levels s 1 and s 2 when paper is available and when paper is out respectively , then g 22 has an output . therefore , it is possible to continue jam detection in the downstream part of the paper path even after a jam has been detected in the upstream part . a further jam at the fixing roller or the like occurring immediately after the first jam can be detected promptly in this manner and any escalation of trouble can be prevented . as the main motor m 1 is turned off by a detected jam in the upstream part , jam check pulse is no longer generated . but , the jam check at the downstream part is effected by sensing the fore edge of paper and actuating the timer circuit . this operation can be performed independently of the process sequence . even after the occurrence of jam in the main body , paper conveying operation at the sorter &# 39 ; s side continues to receive the arrived paper in the corresponding bin . also , checking on sorter jam as to the arrived paper is continued . after receiving the arrived paper in the bin , the guide pawls are set for the second sorter . paper discharge signal coming from g 19 makes the up - down counter cnt 2 count down by a decrement (- 1 ). therefore , cnt 2 always counts only the number of papers existing in the paper path . this number can be indicated on an indicator when jammed . fig2 shows an example thereof . in this example , the number is displayed on the indicator 23 - 2 . jam 1 is an upstream jam detection signal coming from the gate g 15 shown in fig2 . by means of the signal , flip - flop 25 is set to introduce the above number of cnt 2 into the segment decoder 30 . thus , the number is indicated by the indicator 23 - 2 . at this time , gate 26 is blocked and therefore the copy counter 21 cannot indicate the number of copies . this is the same for jam 2 . since the jam output of flip - flop 25 is put in the segment decoder 30 , the indicator 23 - 2 indicates also a symbol σ at its third figure in addition to the number of cnt 2 . it is also possible to make the indicator 23 - 1 the number of cnt 2 as p - n at jam while the indication on the indicator 23 - 2 changing to the number of discharged copies from the number of sheets fed . normally it is convenient to the operator that the number of sheets fed is displayed on the indicator 23 - 2 , in particular when it is wished to interrupt a repeat copying operation . by combining the above described jam detection process with the previously described sorter jam detection process and / or diagnosis control process there can be provided copying machine , printer and fax having improved reliability . since the paper conveying path is divided into two parts which can be driven independently of each other and can be jam checked independently , process speed of copying machine and the like can be increased substantially and also escalation of jam trouble can be prevented effectively . furthermore , the operator can know the number of sheets remaining in the conveying path at jam by reading the indication on the indicator . in a high speed copying machine , a decrease in contact pressure between paper and feeding roller with an increase of the number of paper fed is usually compensated by gradually lifting the paper deck . when all the papers are fed out , the deck is manually moved downward for paper supply . this deck operation and paper supply in a large number of sheets require a relatively long time , which results in reduction of copy speed as a whole by delayed restart of copying operation . moreover , if paper gets jammed in area near the paper feeding section from the deck , treatment of the jam gives a difficult problem to the operator . since the deck has a large number of sheets laid thereon , it is very difficult for the operator to handle the deck . this causes also a long delay of restart . according to one embodiment of the present invention , the above mentioned problem is solved in the following manner : the paper containing device such as deck or filter is moved and spaced from the set position of the paper containing section when any of such detection signals is issued which inform : paper depletion in the containing section ; paper jam ; trouble in the vicinity of paper feed section such as trouble of paper feeding roller ; and opening of the side plate of - the copying machine . in particular , such a paper containing device which is gradually moved upward in operation to maintain an optimum contact pressure between the paper and the paper feeding roller , is moved downward by the detection signal mentioned above to assure a safe and easy handling of papers . furthermore , the detection signal makes the paper feeding path illuminated to make paper supply and treatment of jam much more easier . in fig2 , designated by 53 is a lifter containing therein a large number of papers 10 . the lifter is movable upward and downward by a motor 125 . when the lifter reaches the lowermost position , a microswitch 126 is turned on . when all paper sheets have been fed from the lifter 53 , a microswitch 127 is turned on . when the uppermost one of paper sheets 10 reaches the paper feeding section , a photointerrupter type switch 128 is turned on through a lever 129 . the lever 129 is provided in the vicinity of the paper feeding roller 9 in such a manner that the lever may be raised up by the paper in the lifter . after a number of paper sheets being fed from the lifter 53 , the lever comes down to its inoperative position . at the time , the motor 125 is turned on to move the lifter upward . again , switch 128 is turned on by the lever 129 and motor 125 is turned off when the lifter has been lifted by a certain distance . to prevent the lift from moving down due to its own weight , a brake is actuated to the motor . numeral 130 denotes a lamp for illuminating the paper path after transferring station . fig2 shows control circuitry for controlling the lifting operation for lifter 53 . designated by 131 is a microswitch ( door switch ) whose contact comes into no when the casing side plate of copying machine is opened . k1 - k4 are relays and k1 - k4 are contacts which are closed when the relays are on respectively . of the relays k1 is used for moving the lifter down , k2 is for moving it up , k3 for jam and k4 for brake . in the circuit part for motor 125 there are a main coil 132 for lifter ( deck ) down , a sub - coil 133 for lifter down , a condenser 135 for lifter down , a main coil 135 for lifter up , a sub - coil 136 for lifter up , a condenser 137 for lifter up and a coil 146 for brake . the manner of operation of the apparatus is described hereinafter in connection with , for example , the case in which a paper supply is carried out for the deck in its lowermost position . in this position , the lower limit detection switch 126 is in nc and transistor 140 is off . therefore , relay k1 is inactive and no current is supplied to the motor coil 132 and 133 for lifter down . for paper supply , the side plate is opened and therefore the door switch 131 is also in nc . transistor 141 is on and 142 is off . relay k2 is inactive and therefore no current flows in the coils for lifter up . briefly speaking , the lifter is stopped in the position . after completing the paper supply to the lifter , the side plate is closed which turns the door switch 131 to no . transistor 141 is turned off and 142 on . therefore , relay k2 is made active and current flows into coil 136 . motor 125 starts rotating to move the lifter up . with the upward movement of the lifter the lower limit detection switch 126 is turned to no . however , since transistor 143 is turned on by the turning off of transistor 141 , transistor 140 remains off and therefore relay k1 for lifter down remains inactive . the lifter moved up in this manner comes into contact with the feeding roller 9 at the top sheet in the lifter . the feeding roller is raised up and also the above mentioned lever 129 is raised up by the top sheet . as a result the optical axis of photointerrupter 128 is opened and photo interrupter 129 is turned on . thereby , transistor 144 is turned on which in turn makes the base electrode of transistor 142 grounded through diode 145 . transistor 142 is turned off and relay k2 is off so that the lift motor stops rotation . the lifter stops in the position . in this position , the contact pressure between the top sheet and the feeding roller 9 is at the optimum level and copying operation can be started at once . with the start of copying operation , paper is fed from the lifter . with the increase of number of sheets fed from the lifter , the lever 129 for detecting the contact pressure ( that really detected by the lever is the position of top sheet relative to the feeding roller ) lowers gradually . at last , it shuts the optical axis of photointerrupter 28 which is then turned off . namely , this is the position in which no further decrease of the contact pressure is allowable . so , transistor 144 is turned off and 142 is turned on by 24 v voltage cut off by diode 145 . relay k2 is energized and the lift motor 125 is rotated by contact k2 to move the lifter up . the above operation is repeated so long as copying continues . when all the sheets on the lifter are out , switch 127 is turned off and relay k3 is actuated by signal pep to put on the lamp 130 in the apparatus . the base of transistor 143 is grounded , 143 is off and 140 is on . therefore , relay k1 is actuated and the motor 125 is rotated to move the lifter down . when the side plate is opened for any reason , the door switch 131 is turned to nc side . transistor 143 is turned off and 140 on . thus , relay k1 is actuated and the motor is rotated in the direction of lifter down like the above . similarly , the lifter is moved down by actuating relay k3 by above mentioned jam detection signal jam . therefore , the lifter can be moved down at the same time as a jam is detected . when the lifter reaches its lower limit , it turns the switch 126 to nc side to turn transistor off . relay is made inactive and the motor is stopped rotating . the lifter stops at its lower limit position . lifter down at the time of paper out is preferably carried out after the last paper has passed through the transferring station . if the lifter is moved down before completion of transference of toner image to the last paper , then vibration of the copying machine may be caused by rotation of the lifter motor . moreover , the source voltage may be dropped . drop in source voltage often changes corona discharge of charger 11 for transferring . also , it is advisable that the copying machine be stopped at once to interrupt the process when a jam occurs . however , when the jam is at the upstream side of the transferring station , it is preferable that operation to discharge paper in the path at the downstream side of the station be continued as previously described . by doing so , the interrupted process can be restarted very smoothly . the manner of operation for locking the lifter motor 125 is as follows : an electromagnetic braking clutch is provided on the shaft of motor 125 . the clutch is operated with ac 100 v . when ac 100 v is applied to the clutch by turning on the main switch on the operation part , the clutch is actuated to unlock the rotor of motor 125 . when ac 100 is cut off by off of the main switch , the clutch is made inactive so that the rotor of motor is mechanically locked . since relay k4 continues to be excited through diodes 160 and 161 when relays k1 and k2 are excited , ac 100 v is applied to electromagnetic clutch coil at this time and the rotor is free . however , when relays k1 and k2 are in their inactive positions ( the lifter is stopping at a position ), relay k4 is inoperative and therefore the motor 125 is always in the state locked and braked . it never happens that the lift at an elevated position moves down due to the weight of papers on the lifter . to assure the above brake operation and lifter up and down operation , ac 100 v and 24 v should not be cut off by opening of the door switch . further safety is attained by using a timer . the timer is triggered by switching the lower limit position switch 126 to nc , jam detection signal and door switch off . at time - up of a certain timer time , the timer cuts off power spurces , in particular , those for ac 100 and charger with the exception of illumination lamp 130 . it is also possible to provide a reset switch in parallel with the door switch 131 so that the motor 125 can be rotated in the direction of lifter up by closing manually the reset switch . in this case , it is made possible to observe and adjust the contact of paper with the roller 9 while manually moving the lifter upward when turning off the reset switch is interlocked with the motion of the door switch to nc side . the lifter can be - moved down during wait mode immediately after completing copying operation or at of above mentioned 30 sec . after the end of a copying process . by keeping the deck at its elevated position only for a time length actually required for paper feeding from the deck and keeping it at its lowered position for the remaining time , deformation of parts and structural elements caused by the weight of the deck containing a large number of sheets can be minimized . in this manner , according to the embodiment , the copy sheet container such as a lifter or elevator deck is moved to a position most desirable for paper treatment and paper supply when the side plate of copying machine is opened or when a jam trouble occurs or other times . this makes paper treatment and jam treatment easy and improves safeness . in particular , when this embodiment is applied to a high speed copying machine provided with a paper container containing a large number of copy sheets such as elevator deck , a sooner restart of operation is assured and the copy speed can be essentially increased . while the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to the preferred embodiments thereof , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the foregoing and other changes in form and details can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . | 6 |
embodiments of the image forming apparatus according to the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings . a facsimile machine is described below as the image forming apparatus . referring to fig1 illustrated is a structure of a control circuit assembly 1 employed in a facsimile machine . the control circuit assembly 1 includes the following elements , units and devices in order to control these elements and units individually or in cooperation . specifically , the control unit assembly 1 includes a scanner unit 15 to scan an image of a document , a printing unit 20 to make a copy of the received image , and a transmission and reception unit 25 to transmit and receive the image information through a telephone line 29 . a main controller 2 providing individual or cooperative control for each unit connects to a power supply unit 3 , a sensor 4 , a memory 5 , a operation unit 6 , and a control interface 10 ( hereafter called i / f ), and controls every operation in accordance with the control information set in the memory 5 . in addition , the memory 5 has a function to accumulate and keep the image information scanned from an image of the document and the received image information . as described below , the main control circuit 2 also has a function of controlling the printing operation on paper by determining whether the environmental condition suits the printing upon receiving image data from a remote facsimile machine . an operation unit 6 connected to the main control circuit 2 includes a display 7 and a set of input buttons 8 . the display 7 displays the operation state of facsimile , the accumulative condition of the received information , and the reserved print on paper . i / f 10 is installed as a control means for a fan 11 and a heater 12 located in the apparatus , and is used to make adjustments to the inside environment of the apparatus in accordance with the outside environment of the apparatus like temperature or humidity measured by the sensor 4 and / or the inside environment of apparatus measured by sensors or detectors installed in the apparatus . the fan 11 has a function to exhaust the inside air of apparatus , and works as an exhaust fan while a copier module in the apparatus is operated . the heater 12 may be a heating roller of a fix unit and the heat emitted from the roller warms the inside of the apparatus . alternatively , a separate heater may be provided to warm the interior of the apparatus . a control i / f 16 is installed in the scanner unit 15 of the facsimile machine to control the operation of the scanner unit 15 . the control i / f 16 is connected to a drive unit 17 to drive an image sensor 18 and an image processing circuit 19 to process the image information obtained from the image sensor 18 . the image information obtained from the image sensor 18 is temporarily stored in the memory 5 , so that the information stored in the memory 5 may be transferred to the transmission and reception unit 25 in the case of the transmission over the telephone line 29 by way of the transmission and reception unit 25 . the printing unit 20 has a printing function of a general copier and includes an image processing unit 23 to control the function of image writing onto a photoconductive drum , a paper feed device 24 including a drive means like a roller for paper feeding , and a drive unit 22 to drive the unit and device . the main control circuit 2 controls the unit and device through a control i / f 21 and prints an image on a sheet of paper . the transmission and reception unit 25 , including a modem 27 and a transmission and reception circuit 28 , is controlled by the main control circuit 2 through a control i / f 26 and transmits and receives the image information over the telephone line 29 . each function installed in the control circuit assembly 1 is described on the assumption that the function is for a facsimile machine ; however , the present invention ( control circuit assembly 1 ) can be employed in an image forming apparatus that is a complex of a copier and a facsimile machine . for instance , in the case that only the function of a copier is operated to print on paper in accordance with the image information scanned from the document , the scanner unit 15 and the printing unit 20 are only caused to operate . in such a case , the operations of the fan 11 and the heater 12 are controlled through the control i / f 10 in order to set the optimum environmental condition for printing and the print operation is performed under the optimum condition . in the case of the facsimile reception with the control circuit assembly 1 , the main controller 2 controls to print on paper in accordance with conditions shown in the flowchart of fig2 . as depicted , when a facsimile signal is received , it is determined at step a - 1 whether a current environment condition reaches an operation - assured environment . if the environmental condition is satisfied , the program proceeds to step a - 2 such that a printing operation is carried out and the printed paper is produced . unless the environmental condition is satisfied at step a - 1 , the display 7 shows the warning message at step a - 3 , and it is determined at step a - 4 whether a user operation for the printing operation is made or not . if the printing operation is forcefully instructed by the user regardless of the environmental condition , the display of warning message on the display 7 is cancelled at step a - 5 and printing is made on paper at step a - 2 . if the user operation is not set at step a - 4 , the heater 12 and the fan 11 are driven at step a - 6 and a - 7 respectively . one or both of the heater 12 and the fan 11 are driven for a predetermined period ( step a - 8 ). after the time elapses longer than the predetermined period , which is set in a control table 31 of the memory 5 beforehand , the heater and / or fan is deactivated and the program proceeds to step a - 2 through step a - 5 in order to print on paper . it should be noted that even if the condition is satisfied at step a - 8 , the program may not advance to step a - 2 immediately ; instead , the printing unit may be kept in a stand by mode until the printing command is input by the user . in that case , the printing operation is performed only when the command of printing ( the user operation of step a - 4 ) is set . referring to fig3 illustrated is the control table 31 set in the memory 5 , which is used as the control information for the heater 12 at step a - 6 and for the fan 11 at step a - 7 . the control table 31 provides the operation time of the fan 11 and the heater ( fix unit ) 12 with respect to the environmental condition detected by the set of sensors 4 . for example , on condition that a temperature is x ° c . and the humidity is y %, the operation time of the fix unit ( the heating time of the heat roller ) is set as αsec and that of the fan is βsec . if the exact temperature and / or humidity is not indicated in the table 31 , the operation times of the fix unit 12 and the fan 11 are decided according to the proportional distribution among the data in the control table . accordingly , the environmental condition inside the apparatus is automatically set to be the optimum condition for printing . it should be noted that the control table 31 of fig3 is applicable to other embodiments described below . another embodiment will be described in reference to fig4 . steps b - 1 through b - 7 are the same as steps a - 1 through a - 7 in fig2 . after the fan 11 and the fix unit 12 are operated for respective periods , which are determined from the control table 31 , step b - 8 determines whether the operation - assured environment is achieved or not . if the inside environment of the apparatus is judged suitable for printing , the alarm message is deleted at step b - 5 and the printing is operated at step b - 2 . if step b - 8 concludes that the operation - assured environment is not achieved , the environmental information regarding the inside temperature and humidity of the apparatus on that occasion is measured by the sensor 4 , and the operations set in steps b - 6 and b - 7 are repeated again during the times that are newly obtained from the control table 31 . thereafter the program proceeds again to step b - 8 to determine whether the operation - assured environment is satisfied . if the answer is yes , the program proceeds to steps b - 5 and b - 2 . a still another embodiment is illustrated in fig5 . according to this flowchart , the received facsimile information is accumulated in the memory 5 if the operation - assured environment is not satisfied at the time of the facsimile information reception , and the printing operation is performed after the user instructs so . similar to the first and second embodiments , it is determined at step c - 1 whether the operation - assured environment is satisfied or not when the facsimile information is received , and at step c - 2 the printing is carried out if the environment is considered to be the optimum one . when step c - 1 decides that the condition is not met , a warning message is displayed at step c - 3 and the next operation is on hold until the input of user operation at step c - 4 . if the user presses the button 8 , the warning message is deleted at step c - 5 and the printing is operated at c - 2 . if the user does not touch the input button 8 at step c - 4 , the received facsimile information is kept in the memory 5 . however , the printing can be operated at step c - 2 after the satisfaction of the operation - assured environment is detected through the detection of it in step c - 1 at whatever time . the apparatus can have one or more flowcharts shown in fig2 to 5 , and a user freely can choose one of them for the operation . for example , at an office in the cold latitudes with extremely low ambient temperature in the night time when nobody is there , if the operation of fig5 is selected , it is not necessary to warm up the apparatus and print the facsimile information whenever received , but the apparatus can print the received facsimile information at whatever time after the working time begins in the office and the copier is used . this control contributes to energy savings . the present invention is applicable to a facsimile machine or a complex apparatus which is connected to computers or servers through the network such as lan if the apparatus prints out the data received from the computers . in such a case , energy savings is also attained . | 6 |
hereinafter , the preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the appended drawings . fig1 is a vertical sectional view of the multicolor image forming apparatus in the preferred embodiment of the present invention , showing the general structure thereof . this multicolor image forming apparatus is a full - color laser beam printer which uses an electrophotographic process of a transfer type , and employs a plurality of process cartridges removably mountable in its cartridge compartment . it has a process cartridge compartment in which a plurality of process cartridges are virtually vertically stacked in parallel . designated by a referential number 100 is the main assembly of the image forming apparatus ( which hereinafter will be referred to simply as apparatus main assembly ), and designated by a referential number 101 is a front cover of the apparatus ( which hereinafter will be referred to simply as front cover ). this front cover 101 is hinged to the apparatus main assembly 100 , being enabled to be opened or closed by being rotated about the hinge shaft 101 a located at the bottom edge of the front cover 101 . in fig1 , the front cover 101 is closed against the apparatus main assembly 100 , and in fig2 , the front cover 101 has been opened toward an operator , exposing the opening 91 through which process cartridges are inserted into the apparatus main assembly 100 . designated by referential numbers 7 a , 7 b , 7 c , and 7 d are four process cartridges ( which hereinafter will be referred to simply as cartridges ), that is , first to fourth cartridges for forming toner images of magenta , cyan , yellow , and black colors , which correspond to the color components into which the optical image of an intended full - color image is separated . these cartridges 7 are stacked in parallel in the direction slightly tilted from the true vertical direction , in the cartridge compartment of the apparatus main assembly 100 , being stacked in the listed order , with the cartridge 7 a positioned at the bottom . each cartridge 7 ( a - d ) has an electrophotographic photosensitive member , as an image bearing member 1 ( a - d ), in the form of a drum ( which hereinafter will be referred to as photosensitive drum ). it also has such electrophotographic processing devices as a charging apparatus ( charging means ) 2 ( a - d ) for uniformly charging the peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 1 , a developing apparatus ( developing means ) 4 for developing the electrostatic latent image formed on the peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 1 into a toner image ( image formed of toner ) by adhering toner to the electrostatic latent image , a cleaning apparatus ( cleaning means ) 6 ( a - d ) for removing the toner remaining on the peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 1 after the transfer of the toner image onto a transfer medium ( recording medium ), etc . the developers stored in the developing apparatuses 4 ( a - d ) of the first to fourth cartridges 7 ( a - d ) are magenta , cyan , yellow , and black toners , respectively . designated by reference characters 3 a , 3 b , 3 c , and 3 d are four scanner units which correspond to the four cartridges 7 one for one . the scanner unit is an exposing means for forming an electrostatic latent image on the peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 1 , by projecting a beam of laser light ( image forming light ) l onto the uniformly charged peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 1 . more specifically , the beam of laser light l outputted from the laser diode ( unshown ) while being modulated with image formation data is reflected ( deflected ) by the polygon mirror 9 ( a - d ) being rotated at a high speed by the scanner motor ( unshown ). the reflected beam of laser light l is sent through the image forming lens 10 ( a - d ), being thereby focused on the uniformly charged peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 1 . as a result , numerous points of the uniformly charged peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 1 are selectively exposed , forming an electrostatic image on the peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 1 . designated by a reference number 93 is a partitioning wall in the apparatus main assembly 100 . it partitions the cartridge compartment , in which the four cartridges 7 ( a - d ) are mounted , from the scanner unit compartment , in which the four scanner units 7 ( a - d ) are located . the beam of laser light l outputted from each of the scanner units 7 ( a - d ) enters the corresponding cartridge 7 through the corresponding window 95 , that is , one of the windows with which the partitioning wall 93 is provided , and scans the peripheral surface of the corresponding photosensitive drum 1 , selectively exposing the numerous points of the peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 1 . designated by a referential number 5 is an electrostatic transferring apparatus ( electrostatic transferring means ), which is attached to the inward side of the front cover 101 . thus , the front cover 101 is opened or closed , along with this electrostatic transferring apparatus 5 , against the apparatus main assembly 100 ( fig2 ). the electrostatic transferring apparatus 5 is provided with an electrostatic transfer belt 11 , which is circularly driven in contact with all of the photosensitive drum 1 of the first to fourth cartridges 7 after the front cover 101 is closed against the apparatus main assembly 100 . designated by referential numbers 12 a , 12 b , 12 c , and 12 d are four transfer rollers , which are placed within the loop formed by the electrostatic transfer belt 11 , being positioned so that the electrostatic transfer belt 11 remains pinched between the photosensitive drums 1 of the first to fourth cartridges 7 ( a - d ), and electrostatic transfer belt 11 . designated by a reference number 16 is a transfer medium conveying portion located in the bottom portion of the apparatus main assembly 100 . it is a portion for causing a transfer of a medium s to the electrostatic transfer belt 11 of the electrostatic transferring apparatus 5 . designated by a reference number 17 is a sheet feeder cassette of the transfer medium conveying portion 16 , in which a plurality of transfer media s are stored . designated by reference numbers 18 and 19 are a sheet feeder roller ( semicylindrical roller ), and a pair of registration rollers , respectively . designated by a referential number 20 is a fixation station located in the top portion of the apparatus main assembly 100 . it fixes to the transfer medium s a plurality of toner images different in color having been transferred onto the transfer medium s . it has a rotational heat roller 21 a , a pressure roller 21 b kept pressured upon the heat roller 21 a to apply pressure to the transfer medium s , etc . designated by referential numbers 23 and 24 are a pair of discharge rollers , and a delivery tray portion which catches the transfer medium s on which an image has just been formed . the photosensitive drums 1 in the first to fourth cartridges 7 are sequentially rotated in the counterclockwise direction indicated by an arrow mark with predetermined timings of the image formation sequence . then , the scanner units 3 ( a - d ) are sequentially driven in synchronism with the rotations of the photosensitive drums 1 of the corresponding cartridges 7 . further , the electrostatic transfer belt 11 of the electrostatic transferring apparatus 5 is circularly driven by a driver roller 13 in the clockwise direction indicated by an arrow mark at the peripheral velocity matching the peripheral velocities of the photosensitive drums 1 . as each photosensitive drum 1 is rotated as described above , its peripheral surface is uniformly charged ( primary charge ) by the charging apparatus 2 ( a - d ) to predetermined polarity ( negative in this embodiment ) and potential level . the charged peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 1 is exposed to the beam of laser light l outputted from the scanner unit 3 while being modulated with the image formation data . as a result , an electrostatic latent image in accordance with the image formation data is formed on the peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 1 . the electrostatic latent image is developed ( in reverse with use of toner , inherent polarity of which is negative , in this embodiment ) into a toner image ( image formed of toner ) by the developing apparatus 4 . as a result , toner images of magenta , cyan , yellow , and black colors are formed on the peripheral surfaces of the photosensitive drums 1 of the first to fourth cartridges 7 ( a - d ), respectively , with predetermined sequence control timings . meanwhile , the feed roller 18 of the transfer medium conveying portion 16 is rotationally driven with the predetermined sequence control timing , feeding the transfer mediums s into the apparatus main assembly 100 from the cassette 17 , while separating them one by one . as the leading end of each transfer medium s is conveyed , it comes into contact with the nip formed by the pair of registration rollers 19 which are not being rotated . as it comes into contact with the pair of registration rollers 19 , it is temporarily kept on standby , arcing upward . then , the registration rollers 19 begin to be rotationally driven in synchronism with the circular movement of the electrostatic transfer belt 11 and the movement of the line of the peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 1 , at which the toner image begins to be written . as a result , the transfer medium s is conveyed to the tension roller side of the upwardly moving side of the electrostatic transfer belt 11 , and is electrostatically adhered to the surface of the electrostatic transfer belt 11 by the static electricity naturally induced in the electrostatic transfer belt 11 , being thereby reliably held to the electrostatic transfer belt 11 . then , the transfer medium s is conveyed to the transfer station , or the most downstream station , by the movement of the electrostatic transfer belt 11 . the transfer medium conveying portion 16 may be provided with a charging means , such as an electrostatic adhesion roller , or the like , for intentionally charging the transfer medium s and / or electrostatic transfer belt 11 in order to electrostatically adhere the recording medium s to the electrostatic transfer belt 11 . while being conveyed as described above , the transfer medium s sequentially receives in layers the toner images formed on the peripheral surfaces of the photosensitive drums 1 ; the toner images formed on the peripheral surfaces of the photosensitive drums 1 of the first to fourth cartridges 7 are sequentially transferred in layers onto the recording medium s by the electric field formed between the photosensitive drums 1 and corresponding transfer rollers 12 . in this embodiment , bias with the positive polarity is applied to each transfer roller 12 , causing thereby positive electric charge to be applied to the transfer medium s through the electrostatic transfer belt 11 , generating the electric field , which transfers the toner images on the photosensitive drums 1 , which are positive in polarity , onto the transfer medium s being conveyed in contact with the photosensitive drums 1 ( a - d ), during the image transfer operation . more specifically , the transfer medium s is electrostatically adhered to the surface of the electrostatic transfer belt 11 , being held thereto , and is conveyed upward by the rotation of the electrostatic transfer belt 11 . while the transfer medium s is conveyed upward by the electrostatic transfer belt 11 as described above , it sequentially receives in layers the toner images of magenta , cyan , yellow , and black colors formed on the peripheral surfaces of the photosensitive drums 1 of the first to fourth cartridges 7 ; it receives one toner image in each transfer station . as a result , an unfixed full - color toner image is synthesized on the surface of the recording medium s . after the reception , in layers , of the four toner images different in color , the transfer medium s is separated from the electrostatic transfer belt 11 by the curvature of the driver roller 13 of the transfer medium conveying portion 16 , and is conveyed into the fixation station 20 . in the fixation station 20 , the transfer medium s is conveyed through the fixation nip formed by the rotating heat roller 21 a , and pressure roller 21 b rotated while being pressed against the heat roller 21 a . as a result , the plurality of toner images different in color are fixed to the transfer medium s by the heat and pressure applied to the transfer medium s by the pair of rollers 21 a and 21 b . after the fixation of the toner images to the transfer medium s in the fixation station 20 , the transfer medium s is discharged by the pair of discharge rollers 23 into the external delivery tray 24 of the apparatus main assembly 100 , with the image bearing surface of the transfer medium s facing downward . the residues such as the toner remaining on the peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 1 in each of the first to fourth cartridges 7 after the transfer of the toner image onto the transfer medium s are removed by the cleaning apparatus 6 , and the photosensitive drum 1 is used for the following image formation . fig3 is an enlarged cross sectional view of the cartridge 7 , and fig4 and 5 are schematic perspective views of the cartridge 7 . in this embodiment , the photosensitive drum 1 is an integral part of the cartridge 7 , and therefore , it is removably mounted into the apparatus main assembly 100 as the cartridge 7 is removably mounted into the apparatus main assembly 100 . in the following description of this embodiment , the widthwise direction of the cartridge 7 or the structural components thereof is the direction parallel to the direction in which the cartridge 7 is mounted into , or removed from , the apparatus main assembly 100 , whereas the lengthwise direction means the direction intersectional ( perpendicular ) to the direction in which the cartridge 7 is mounted into , or removed from , the apparatus main assembly 100 . the front side of the cartridge 7 means the side of the cartridge 7 which faces the direction from which the cartridge 7 is inserted into the apparatus main assembly 100 , or the direction toward which the cartridge 7 is removed from the apparatus main assembly 100 ; in other words , it is the side of the cartridge 7 where the hole of the cartridge 7 through which the photosensitive drum 1 is exposed is present . the rear side of the cartridge 7 means the side opposite to the front side . the left and right of the cartridge 7 means the left and right sides , as seen from the front side of the cartridge 7 . the top and bottom sides of the cartridge 7 means the sides which will be on the top and bottom sides , respectively , after the mounting of the cartridge 7 into the apparatus main assembly 100 . the first to fourth cartridges 7 ( a - d ) are the same ( in structure ) except for the developers stored in the toner container portions ( developer storage portions ) of the developing apparatuses 4 ( a - d ) of the first to fourth cartridges 7 ( a - d ); the toner container portions of the first to fourth cartridges 7 a , 7 b , 7 c , and 7 d contain magenta toner , cyan toner , yellow toner , and black toner , respectively . the cartridge 7 is made up of the cleaner unit 50 and development unit 4 a . the cleaner unit 50 comprises the photosensitive drum 1 , charging means 2 , and cleaning means 6 , whereas the development unit 4 a comprises the developing means for developing an electrostatic latent image on the peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 1 . the cleaner unit 50 also comprises a frame 51 to which the photosensitive drum 1 , primary charging apparatus 2 for uniformly charging the photosensitive layer , or the outermost layer , of the photosensitive drum 1 , cleaning blade 60 as the cleaning means 6 for removing the developer ( residual toner ) remaining on the peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 1 after the image transfer , and a flexible sheet 80 , etc ., are attached . the photosensitive drum 1 comprises an aluminum cylinder , and a photosensitive layer formed on the peripheral surface of the aluminum cylinder . it is provided with flanges 72 and 75 , which are attached to the lengthwise ends of the photosensitive drum 1 , one for one . the flanges 72 and 75 are rotatably supported by supporting members ( bearings ) 31 a and 31 b , with which the left and right walls of the cleaner unit frame 51 are provided . of the two flanges 72 and 75 , the flange 72 functions as a driving force transmitting member which couples with the rotational driving force transmitting member ( unshown ) of the apparatus main assembly 100 , and receives the driving force from the driving force transmitting member ( unshown ) of the apparatus main assembly 100 . the configurations of the driving force transmitting member of the apparatus main assembly 100 and the flange 72 , and the manner of their connection , will be described in section ( 4 ). as the charging apparatus 2 , a charging apparatus of a contact type may be used . the charging member is an electrically conductive roller , the peripheral surface of which is placed in contact with the peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 1 . the roller is rotated by the rotation of the photosensitive drum 1 . the peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 1 is uniformly charged by applying charge bias voltage to the roller while the roller is rotated by the rotation of the photosensitive drum 1 . the residual toner ( waste toner ) is removed from the peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 1 by the cleaning blade 60 , and the removed residual toner is stored in the waste toner chamber ( residual toner storage chamber ) 55 located above the cleaning blade 60 . incidentally , the toner remaining on the peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 1 after the toner image transfer therefrom moves past the contact area between the flexible sheet 80 and the peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 1 , and reaches the cleaning blade 60 . the flexible sheet 80 is attached to the cleaner unit frame 51 in order to prevent the residual toner from leaking out of the cleaner unit frame 51 after the residual toner is removed from the peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 1 by the cleaning blade 60 . the development unit 4 a comprises : a development sleeve 40 , which is rotated ( in the direction indicated by arrow mark in fig3 ), with a minute gap maintained between the peripheral surfaces of the development sleeve 40 and photosensitive drum 1 by a pair of spacer rings 40 a ; and development means frames 45 a and 45 b , in which the toner is stored . the developing means frames 45 a and 45 b are joined by ultrasonic welding or the like means , forming the container unit 46 . the development sleeve 40 is rotatably supported by the developing means container unit 46 , with a pair of bearings placed between the development sleeve 40 and the unit 46 . in the adjacencies of the peripheral surface of the development sleeve 40 , a toner supply roller 43 , which is rotated in the clockwise direction indicated by an arrow mark in contact with the peripheral surface of the development sleeve 40 , and the development blade 44 , are located . further , in the toner container portion ( developer storage portion ) 41 of the developing means container unit 46 , a toner conveyance mechanism 42 for conveying the toner ( unshown ) stored in the toner container portion 41 , to the toner supply roller 43 while stirring it , is located . the development unit 4 a is provided with a pair of connective holes 47 , which are located at the lengthwise ends of the container unit 46 , one for one , whereas the cleaner unit frame 51 of the cleaner unit 50 is provided with a pair of supportive holes 52 , which are located at the length ends of the cleaner unit frame 51 . the development unit 4 a and cleaner unit 50 are connected to each other by inserting a pair of pins 49 through the connective holes 47 and supportive holes 52 while holding the two units so that the connective holes 47 and supportive holes 52 align one for one . as a result , the entirety of the development unit 4 a becomes rotatable about the pins 49 , being thereby movable relative to the cleaner unit 50 while remaining suspended from the cleaner unit 50 . further , the development unit 4 a is kept pressured by a pair of springs ( unshown ) in the direction to rotate the development unit 4 a about the pins 49 so that the spacer rings 40 a of the development sleeve 40 are kept in contact with the photosensitive drum 1 in the cleaner unit 50 . during a developing operation , the toner in the toner container 41 is conveyed by the stirring mechanism 42 to the toner supply roller 43 , which is being rotated in the clockwise direction , in contact with the development sleeve 40 which is being rotated also in the clockwise direction . as a result , the peripheral surface of the supply roller 43 is rubbed against the peripheral surface of the development sleeve 40 , causing the toner on the peripheral surface of the supply roller 43 to be transferred onto the peripheral surface of the development sleeve 40 . the toner having been borne on the peripheral surface of the development sleeve 40 is brought by the rotation of the development sleeve 40 to the development blade ( toner layer regulating member ) 44 . thus , as the development sleeve 40 is further rotated , the layer of the toner on the peripheral surface of the development sleeve 40 is regulated in thickness by the development blade 44 , into a thin layer of the toner uniform in thickness , while being given a predetermined amount of electric charge . then , the thin layer of the toner on the peripheral surface of the development sleeve 40 is brought by the further rotation of the development sleeve 40 to the development station , in which the distance between the photosensitive drum 1 and development sleeve 40 is extremely small . in the development station , the toner from the thin layer of the toner on the peripheral surface of the development sleeve 40 is adhered to the electrostatic latent image on the peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 1 , by the development bias applied to the development sleeve 40 from the electrical power source ( unshown ); in other words , the latent image is developed . more specifically , the development sleeve 40 forms ( develops ) a toner image on the peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 1 by transferring toner onto the numerous points of the electrostatic latent image , which are lower in potential level . the toner which did not contribute to the development of the latent image , that is , the toner which remained on the development sleeve 40 , is returned by the further rotation of the development sleeve 40 , into the container unit 46 , in which it is stripped from the development sleeve 40 by the supply roller 43 , in the area in which the peripheral surfaces of the supply roller 43 and development sleeve 40 are rubbing against each other ; in other words , the residual toner is recovered into the container unit 46 . the recovered toner is mixed into the toner in the container unit 46 by the stirring mechanism 42 . designated by a referential number 54 is a shutter for protecting the photosensitive drum 1 . the shutter 54 is attached to the cleaner unit frame 51 . it is movable by a shutter mechanism ( unshown ) between the closed position ( fig3 - 5 ) in which it covers the photosensitive drum exposure window on the front side of the cartridge 7 , and the open position ( indicated by double dot chain line in fig3 ) into which it is moved downward from the closed position to expose the photosensitive drum exposure window . when the cartridge 7 is out of the apparatus main assembly 100 , the shutter 54 is kept in the closed position , protecting thereby the portion of the peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 1 , which will remain exposed if there were no the shutter 54 . as the front cover 101 of the apparatus main assembly 100 is closed after the mounting of the cartridge 7 into the apparatus main assembly 100 , the shutter 54 is moved into the open position by the shutter mechanism ( unshown ) which is moved by the movement of the front cover 101 . as a result , the electrostatic transfer belt 11 is allowed to be placed in contact with the peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 1 through the aforementioned exposure window of the cartridge 7 ( fig1 ). designated by a referential number 53 is a cartridge insertion guide of the cleaner unit frame 51 . there are two cartridge insertion guides 53 located at the left and right lengthwise ends , one for one . designated by a referential number 90 is a handle to be used when mounting the cartridge 7 into the apparatus main assembly 100 or removing it therefrom . there are two handles 90 which project frontward from the left and right lengthwise ends of the cartridge 7 . next , the method for mounting the cartridge 7 into the apparatus main assembly 100 or dismounting it therefrom will be described . the operation for mounting the cartridges 7 into the apparatus main assembly 100 or removing them therefrom is to be carried out after opening the front cover 101 of the apparatus main assembly 100 to fully expose the cartridge insertion opening 91 of the apparatus main assembly 100 ( fig2 and 6 ). when the front cover 101 is in the closed state ( fig1 ), it remains locked to the apparatus main assembly 100 by a latching mechanism ( unshown ). thus , in order to mount or remove the cartridge 7 , first , the front cover 101 must be unlocked from the apparatus main assembly 100 by unlatching the latching mechanism , so that the front cover 101 can rotated ( opened ), along with the electrostatic transferring apparatus 5 attached thereto , frontward of the apparatus main assembly 100 , about the hinge shaft 101 a located at the bottom of the front cover 101 . as the front cover 101 is rotated ( opened ) all the way , the cartridge insertion opening 91 of the apparatus main assembly 100 becomes fully exposed . through the cartridge insertion opening 91 , the first to fourth cartridges 7 are mountable into the cartridge compartment of the apparatus main assembly 100 , in a manner to be stacked in parallel in the direction slightly tilted from the true vertical direction , in the listed order , that is , with the first cartridge mounted at the bottom . more specifically , the cartridge compartment is divided into four cartridge slots , which are the magenta , cyan , yellow , and black cartridge slots , listing from the bottom . the four cartridge slots are identical in cartridge mounting mechanism . each cartridge slot is provided with a pair of rough guides 103 , a pair of middle guides 104 , and a pair of guiding grooves 105 , for guiding the cartridge 7 into the image forming position . fig6 shows the inward side of the right plate of the apparatus main assembly 100 . the inward side of the left plate is symmetrical with that of the right plate . an operator is to hold the cartridge 7 by the left and right handles 90 , by grasping the handles 90 with both hands , and to insert the cartridge 7 into the proper cartridge slot through the cartridge insertion opening 91 , so that the rear side of the cartridge 7 , that is , the side opposite to the side where the photosensitive drum 1 is exposed , faces forward , and also , so that the left and right lengthwise end portions of the cartridge 7 will be rested on the left and right rough guides 103 of the apparatus main assembly 100 , respectively . as the cartridge 7 is inserted deeper into the apparatus main assembly 100 , the aforementioned pair of cartridge insertion guides 53 are moved onto the middle guides 104 , causing thereby the cartridge 7 to be lifted from the rough guides 103 . thereafter , the cartridge 7 is guided by the middle guides 104 . as the cartridge 7 is inserted even deeper into the apparatus main assembly 100 , the left and right supporting members 31 a and 31 b of the cartridge 7 are inserted into the left and right guiding grooves 105 , respectively . then , as the cartridge 7 is further inserted , the supporting members 31 a and 31 b come into contact with the deepest end of the guiding grooves 105 , and prevent the further insertion of the cartridge 7 into the apparatus main assembly 100 . as a result , the cartridge 7 is precisely positioned relative to the apparatus main assembly 100 in terms of the widthwise direction . after the cartridges 7 are inserted into the proper cartridge slots as described above , the front cover 101 , which was kept open , is to be closed , and to be locked to the apparatus main assembly 100 by latching the latching mechanism ( unshown ). the following are accomplished by the means ( unshown ) which is moved by the closing movement of the front cover 101 : 1 ) precise positioning of each cartridge 7 relative to the apparatus main assembly 100 in terms of the widthwise direction of each cartridge 7 , and keeping the cartridge 7 pressured in the direction in which the cartridge 7 is inserted ; 2 ) moving the shutter 54 of each cartridge 7 into the open position ; and 3 ) starting the multiple pre - rotations of the image forming apparatus in order to couple the flange 72 , on the driven side , of the photosensitive drum 1 of each cartridge 7 with the driving force transmitting member 73 on the main apparatus side . the function of precisely positioning each cartridge 7 relative to the apparatus main assembly 100 in terms of the widthwise direction of the cartridge 7 is carried out by a pair of pressing members ( unshown ), which are moved by the movement of the front cover 101 . when the front cover 101 is open , that is , when the front cover 101 is in the state in which the cartridges 7 can be mounted into , or removed from , the apparatus main assembly 100 , the pressing members are in the positions into which they have been retracted from the guiding grooves 105 . thus , when the cartridge 7 is inserted , the pressing members do not interfere with the supporting members 31 a and 31 b of the cartridge 7 . however , as the front cover 101 is closed after the insertion of the cartridges 7 , the pressing members are moved into the positions in which they press the supporting members 31 a and 31 b against the deepest end of the guiding grooves 105 , precisely positioning thereby the cartridge 7 relative to the apparatus main assembly 100 in terms of the widthwise direction . with each cartridge 7 precisely positioned relative to the apparatus main assembly 100 , the flange 72 , on the driven side , of the cartridge 7 , and the driving force transmitting rotational member 73 of the apparatus main assembly 100 become coupled with each other , making it possible for the diving force from the motor ( unshown ) of the apparatus main assembly 100 to be transmitted to the flange 72 , on the driven side , of the cartridge 7 , through the driving force transmitting rotational member 73 ; in other words , it becomes possible for the photosensitive drum 1 of each cartridge 7 to be rotationally driven . it should be noted here that the development sleeve 40 , toner conveyance mechanism 42 , and toner supply roller 43 are driven by the rotation of the photosensitive drum 1 through the gear train ( unshown ). also , electrical connection is established between the electrical contacts ( unshown ) on the cartridge side and the electrical contacts ( unshown ) on the main assembly side , making it possible for charge bias and development bias to be applied to the cartridge 7 from the power source ( unshown ) of the apparatus main assembly 100 , and also , for information or the like to be exchanged between the memory element on the cartridge side and the control circuit on the apparatus main assembly side . the structure for grounding the photosensitive drum 1 will be described later in section ( 4 ). all that is necessary to remove the cartridge 7 from the apparatus main assembly 100 is to carry out in reverse the above described steps for mounting the cartridge into the apparatus main assembly 100 . that is , first , the aforementioned latching mechanism is to be unlatched to unlock the front cover 101 from the apparatus main assembly 100 . then the front cover 101 is rotated downward about the hinge shaft 101 a located at the bottom of the front cover 101 in order to open the front cover 101 frontward . as the front cover 101 is rotated downward , the cartridge pressing members are retracted by the means which moved by the opening movement of the front cover 101 , being stopped from pressing the cartridge 7 . also as the front cover 101 is opened , the driving force transmitting rotational member 73 becomes disengaged from the flange 72 of the driven side , and the shutter 54 is moved into the open position . then , an operator is to grasp the handles 90 of the cartridge 7 with both hands , and to pull the cartridge 7 in the direction opposite to the direction in which the cartridge 7 is pushed when it is mounted into the apparatus main assembly 100 . this will remove the cartridge 7 from the apparatus main assembly 100 . next , referring to fig7 - 10 , the method for connecting the drum grounding plate 71 attached to the flange 72 on the driven side will be described in more detail . fig7 is a perspective view of the photosensitive drum ( which hereinafter will be referred to as photosensitive drum unit ) 1 , and the driving force transmitting rotational member 73 on the apparatus main assembly side . fig8 is a combination of a perspective view and vertical sectional views of the photosensitive drum unit 1 , showing the steps followed to assemble the photosensitive drum unit 1 . fig9 and 10 are enlarged views of the e portion in fig8 , showing the state of connection between the drum grounding plate 71 and drive shaft 70 . fig9 shows the positional relationship between the drum grounding plate 71 and drive shaft 70 at the moment the two have just come into contact with each other , or immediately before the two become separated from each other . fig1 shows the positional relationship between the drum grounding plate 71 and drive shaft 70 when the cartridge 7 has been successfully mounted , being therefore ready for image formation . first , referring to fig7 , the structure of the photosensitive drum unit 1 will be described . the photosensitive drum unit 1 has a drum cylinder 74 , which comprises , as described before , an aluminum cylinder and a layer of photosensitive substance coated on the peripheral surface of the aluminum cylinder . the photosensitive drum unit 1 also has a pair of flanges 72 and 75 , which are pressed into the openings of the lengthwise ends of the drum cylinder 74 , being virtually integrated with the drum cylinder 74 . the flanges 72 and 75 are rotatably supported by the bearing members 31 a and 31 b ( fig4 and 5 ) with which the cartridge 7 is provided . to the flange 72 located at one of the lengthwise ends of the photosensitive drum unit 1 , the driving force is transmitted from the motor ( unshown ) within the apparatus main assembly 100 through the driving force transmitting rotational member 73 , rotating thereby the photosensitive drum unit 1 . in this embodiment , hereinafter , the flange 72 to which the driving force is transmitted from the apparatus main assembly 100 will be referred to as the driver flange 72 , whereas the other flange will be referred to as the non - driver flange 75 . fig9 is an enlarged view of the joint between the driver flange 72 and driving force transmitting rotational member 73 . the driver flange 72 is provided with a spiral projection 72 a ( coupling projection ) with a non - circular cross section ; the cross section of the spiral projection has a plurality of apexes . the apparatus main assembly 100 is provided with the driving force transmitting rotational member 73 for transmitting the driving force from the motor ( unshown ) within the apparatus main assembly 100 , to the photosensitive drum unit 1 . the driving force transmitting rotational member 73 has a spiral hole 73 a ( coupling hole ) with a non - circular cross section ; the cross section of the spiral hole has a plurality of apexes . the axial line of the spiral hole 73 a coincides with that of the driving force transmitting rotational member 73 . as the cartridge 7 is mounted into the apparatus main assembly 100 , the spiral projection 72 a enters the spiral hole 73 a , enabling the rotational driving force to be transmitted to the photosensitive drum unit 1 . as the driving force transmitting rotational member 73 is rotated by the motor on the apparatus main assembly side , a force a ′ which acts in a direction to pull the spiral projection 72 a into the spiral hole 73 is generated , causing the driving force transmitting rotational member 73 and the photosensitive drum unit 1 to be drawn toward each other . the spiral projection 72 a is provided with an electrically conductive second member 71 ( which hereinafter will be referred to as a drum grounding plate ) for establishing an electrical connection between the photosensitive drum unit 1 and apparatus main assembly 100 . the drum grounding plate 71 is located at the center of the spiral projection 72 a , in terms of the radius direction of the projection 72 a , and is placed in contact with the internal surface of the drum cylinder 74 . the driving force transmitting rotational member 73 is provided with an electrically conductive first member 70 ( which hereinafter will be referred to as a drive shaft ) for establishing our electrical connection between the photosensitive drum unit 1 and apparatus main assembly 100 . the electrically conductive first member , or the drive shaft 70 , projects a predetermined distance from the center of the bottom of the spiral hole 73 a . the first and second electrically conductive members 70 and 71 allow the residual electric charge of the photosensitive drum unit 1 to escape to the apparatus main assembly 100 . referring to fig8 , the drum grounding plate 71 is a single - piece member , and flat contact portion 71 a , and a contact portion 71 b in the form of an arm . the flat contact portion 71 a , as one of the contacting means , is supported by the flat portion 72 g provided within the driver flange 72 . the arm - shaped contact portion 71 b as the other contacting means is formed by bending or the like method . in terms of the lengthwise direction , the arm - like contact portion 71 b extends outward beyond the flat contact portion 71 a . referring to fig9 , the driver shaft 70 , which is on the apparatus main assembly side , rotates with the driving force transmitting rotational member 73 . the driver flange 72 is provided with a hole 72 j into which the drive shaft 70 fits , and which is located roughly at the center of the driver flange 72 in terms of the radius direction . when the image forming apparatus is actually ready for image formation , the tip 70 a of the drive shaft 70 is in contact with the flat contact portion 71 a . the flat contact portion 71 a is supported ( backed ) by the flat portion 72 g provided within the driver flange 72 . as the drive force transmitting rotational member 73 is rotated , with the spiral projection 72 a being in the spiral hole 73 a , the force a ′ which acts in the direction to pull the projection 72 a into the hole 73 a is generated . the contact pressure generated by the force a ′ applies to the tip 70 a of the drive shaft 70 and the flat contact portion 71 a . this concludes the coupling between the driving force transmitting rotational member 73 and driver flange 72 ( photosensitive drum unit 1 ). the driving force transmitting rotational member 73 is provided with a spring ( unshown ) for keeping the connected photosensitive drum unit 1 pressured in the lengthwise direction . thus , the non - driver flange 75 is kept pressured upon the cleaner unit 50 ( cartridge 7 ) through the photosensitive drum unit 1 . therefore , the cleaner unit 50 is kept pressed upon - the side plate 102 of the apparatus main assembly 100 . as a result , the cartridge 7 is precisely positioned - relative to the apparatus main assembly 100 in terms of the lengthwise direction . next , the process through which the drum grounding plate 71 becomes connected to its counterpart will be described in detail . referring to fig9 which shows the positional relationship between the drum grounding plate 71 and drive shaft 70 at the moment the two have just come into contact with each other , or immediately before the two become separated from each other , prior to the insertion of the cartridge 7 into the apparatus main assembly 100 , the driving force transmitting rotational member 73 of the apparatus main assembly 100 remains retracted , being thereby prevented from interfering with the insertion of the cartridge 7 . as the cartridge 7 is mounted into the apparatus main assembly 100 , and the front cover 101 of the apparatus main assembly 100 is closed ( fig2 ), the driving force transmitting rotational member 73 is moved , while being rotated , toward the driver flange 72 in the lengthwise direction . as a result , the cartridge 7 ( driver flange 72 ) and the apparatus main assembly 100 ( driving force transmitting rotational member 73 ) become partially connected ; the spiral projection 72 a partially enters the spiral hole 73 a . in this state , the pre - rotation step ( in which the apparatus is driven for a predetermined length of time between when a print start signal is inputted and when an actual image forming operation starts ) is carried out . during this pre - rotation step , a rotational driving force is inputted from the driving force transmitting rotational member 73 into the drive flange 72 integral with the photosensitive drum unit 1 . there occurs sometimes that the spiral projection 72 a fails to enter the spiral hole 73 a ( the driver flange 72 fails to mesh with the driving force transmitting rotational member 73 ) because they fail to synchronize in rotational phase during the preceding step , that is , the closing of the front cover 101 of the apparatus main assembly 100 . however , the driving force transmitting rotational member 73 is kept pressed upon 20 the photosensitive drum unit 1 ( driver flange 72 ) in the lengthwise direction , as described above . therefore , the driver flange 72 and the driving force transmitting rotational member 73 are eventually made to synchronize in rotational phase , meshing therefore with each other , during this pre - rotation period . as the rotational driving force is inputted , with the driving force transmitting rotational member 73 and the driver flange 72 partially meshed ( the spiral projection 72 a being partially placed in the spiral hole 73 a ), the force a ′, which acts in the direction to draw the driving force transmitting rotational member 73 and driver flange 72 ( photosensitive drum unit 1 ) toward each other ( draw spiral projection 72 a into spiral hole 73 a ), is generated . as a result , the spiral projection 72 a is drawn into the spiral hole 73 a . therefore , in the driver flange 72 , the drive shaft 70 and drum grounding plate 71 are drawn toward each other , causing the tip of the arm - shaped contact portion 71 b of the drum grounding plate 71 to come into contact with the tip of the drive shaft 70 , at a point b 1 ( fig9 ). as the input of the rotational driving force is continued , the generation of the force a ′ also continues , causing the tip of the arm - shaped contact portion 71 b of the drum grounding plate 71 to follow the surface of the tip 70 b of the drive shaft 70 in the radius direction of the drive shaft 70 as indicated by a referential letter c . in other words , the contact point between the tip of the arm - shaped portion 71 b of the drum grounding plate 71 and drive shaft 70 shifts as the spiral projection 72 a is drawn into the spiral hole 73 a . since the drum grounding plate 71 is formed of an electrically conductive elastic substance , it elastically deforms . therefore , the tip in the arm - shaped portion 71 b of the drum grounding plate 71 slides on the surface of the tip 70 b of the drive shaft 70 , while applying a slight pressure upon the surface of the tip 70 b of the drive shaft 70 , while the spiral projection 72 a is drawn into the spiral hole 73 a . in other words , as the input of the rotational driving force continues , the spiral projection 72 a is drawn into the spiral hole 73 a so that the drive shaft 70 and drum grounding plate 71 are drawn to each other . as a result , the tip 70 a of the drive shaft 70 comes into contact with the flat portion 71 a of the drum grounding plate 71 as shown in fig1 . in other words , at the same time as the cartridge 7 is precisely positioned relative to the apparatus main assembly 100 , electrical connection is established between the apparatus main assembly 100 and present invention drum unit 1 by the contact pressure a ′, which is the combination of the force a and the pressure generated by the resiliency of the springs ( unshown ). until the tip 70 a of the drive shaft 70 , and the flat portion 71 a of the drum grounding plate 71 come into contact with each other , the drive shaft 70 is continuously rotated relative to the drum grounding plate 71 . thus , during this period , the tip of the arm - shaped portion 71 b keeps on sliding on the surface of the tip 70 b of the drive shaft 70 , not only in the lengthwise direction of the drive shaft 70 , but also , in the radially outward direction of the drive shaft 70 . in other words , the tip of the arm - shaped portion 71 b of the drum grounding plate 71 slides on the surface of the tip of the shaft 70 , from the contact point b 1 ( fig9 ) to the contact point b 2 ( fig1 ) as indicated by the referential letter c in fig9 and 10 . thereafter , the electrical connection between the apparatus main assembly 100 and photosensitive drum unit 1 is maintained at the contact point b 2 between the tip of the arm - shaped portion 71 b of the drum grounding plate 71 , and the surface of the tip 70 a of the shaft 70 , by the contact pressure b generated by the arm - shaped portion 71 b of the drum grounding plate 71 . with the employment of the above - described method for electrically connecting the drum grounding plate 71 to the drive shaft 70 , the contact point between the photosensitive drum unit 1 and the drive shaft 70 does not shift ( slide ) in the lengthwise direction during the actual image forming operation . that is , while the driver flange 72 and the driving force transmitting rotational member 73 are rotating together , with the spiral projection 72 a engaged in the spiral hole 73 a , the drum grounding plate 71 ( flat portion 71 a and arm - shaped portion 71 b ) and the drive shaft 70 ( tip 70 a of drive shaft ) rotate together while remaining in contact with each other . therefore , the cartridge 7 is reliably grounded to the apparatus main assembly 100 . the drive shaft 70 , which rotates with the driving force transmitting rotational member 73 , is connected to the power supplying member ( unshown ) of the apparatus main assembly 100 . the portion of the drive shaft 70 ( portion of the power supplying member ), which rubs against the power supplying member is coated with electrically conductive grease to assure that the cartridge 7 is grounded to the apparatus main assembly 100 . it should be noted here that the contact point between the photosensitive drum unit 1 and drive shaft 70 , which a user can touch , is not coated with electrically conductive grease . with the provision of the above - described structural arrangement in this embodiment of the present invention in which the contact point between the apparatus main assembly 100 and the cartridge 7 does not shift in the lengthwise direction during a period in which an image is actually formed , the cartridge 7 remains better grounded than with the provision of the structural arrangement in accordance with the prior art . further , while the driver flange 72 ( drum grounding plate 71 ) and the drive shaft 70 rotate together , with the spiral projection 72 a remaining in the spiral hole 73 a , the wall of the hole 72 j into which the drive shaft 70 fits , and drum grounding plate 71 , are prevented from being worn by the friction between the two , minimizing therefore their frictional wear . the contact pressure between the flat portion 71 a of the drum grounding plate 71 and the tip 70 a of the drive shaft 70 is generated by the force a ′ generated as the drive shaft 70 is rotated by the rotational driving force transmitted thereto . in other words , the contact pressure is generated only while the driving force is inputted . therefore , the members pertinent to the electrical connection between the apparatus main assembly 100 and cartridge 7 are less likely to suffer from fatigue . in addition , at the beginning of the transmission of the driving force , the contact point between the tip 70 a of the drive shaft 70 and the flat portion 71 a of the drum grounding plate 71 slightly shifts , creating the wiping effect . as for the grounding of the photosensitive drum unit 1 through the arm - shaped portion 71 b , or the other contact point , of the drum grounding plate 71 , as the spiral projection 72 a is drawn into the spiral hole 73 a , the tip of the arm - shaped portion 71 b slides on the surface of the tip 70 b of the drive shaft 70 while being kept in contact with the surface by its own resiliency . in other words , it wipes itself while wiping the surface of the tip 70 b of the shaft 70 , better grounding therefore the photosensitive drum unit 1 . the configuration of the tip ( inclusive of points 70 a and 70 b ) of the drive shaft 70 does not need to be limited to the one in this embodiment . it has only to be such that allows the tip of the arm - shaped portion 71 b of the drum grounding member 71 to be slid on the surface of the tip ( inclusive of points 70 a and 70 b ) of the shaft 70 as the spiral projection 72 a is drawn into the spiral hole 73 a . referring to fig9 and 10 , in this embodiment , the arm - shaped portion 71 b of the drum grounding plate 71 is shaped so that while its tip slides on the surface of the tip 70 a of the drive shaft 70 , the angle of the surface of the tip of the arm - shaped portion 71 b relative to the line tangential to the surface of the tip 70 b of the drive shaft 70 remains as small as possible , making it easier for the tip of the arm - shaped portion 71 a to slide on the surface of the tip 70 a of the drive shaft 70 . obviously , as long as the arm - shaped portion 71 b is shaped so that as the spiral projection 72 a is drawn into the spiral hole 73 a , the tip of the arm - shape portion 71 b is allowed to slide on ( move in contact with ) the surface of the tip 70 a of the drive shaft 70 , the same wiping effect as that realized by this embodiment can be realized . in other words , the arm - shaped portion 71 b of the drum grounding plate 71 may be differently bent from the shape in which it is bent in this embodiment . further , in this embodiment , the arm - shaped portion 71 b and flat portion plate 71 b of the drum grounding plate 71 are formed by cutting and bending a single piece of an electrically conductive springy plate . however , the same effects as those described above can be obtained even if two or more electrically conductive members are combined to form the drum grounding plate 71 having the flat and arm - shaped portions 71 a and 71 b . further , even if the spiral hole 73 a with a non - circular cross section and spiral projection 72 a with a non - circular cross section are switched in position , the same effects as those obtained by this embodiment can be obtained . in other words , even if the driver flange 72 is provided with a non - circular spiral hole 73 a which has a cross section having a plurality of apexes , and the rotational axis of which coincides with that of the flange 72 , and the driving force transmitting rotational member 73 of the apparatus main assembly 100 is provided with a spiral projection ( 72 a ) which has a cross section having a plurality of apexes , and the rotational axis of which coincides with that of the driving force transmitting rotational member 73 , the same effects as those obtained by this embodiment can be obtained . further , the drive shaft 70 and drum grounding plate 71 may be switched in position . in other words , even if the drum grounding plate 71 is positioned at the center of the spiral hole 73 a with a non - circular cross section , and the spiral projection 72 a with a non - circular cross section is provided with the drive shaft 70 , the rotational axis of which coincides with that of the spiral projection 72 a , the same effects as those obtained by this embodiment can be obtained . however , placing the drum grounding plate 71 at the center of the spiral projection 72 a with a non - circular cross section makes the hole 72 j of the spiral projection 72 a , through which the drive shaft 70 is put to be connected to the drum grounding plate 71 , identical in diameter as the drive shaft 70 , and therefore , making it possible to reduce the spiral hole 73 a in cross section . therefore , placing the drum grounding plate 71 at the center of the spiral projection 72 a is superior for the purpose of preventing foreign objects from coming into contact with the springy drum grounding plate 71 from outside . next , referring to fig8 , the steps to be followed in order to attach the drum grounding plate 71 to the driver flange 72 will be described in detail . fig8 is a combination of a perspective view and vertical sectional views of the driver flange 72 and drum grounding plate 71 , showing the steps to be followed to attach the drum grounding plate 71 . the drum grounding plate 71 is attached to the driver flange 72 following steps 1 )- 8 ) in the numerical order . fig8 ( step 1 ) shows the drum grounding plate 71 and driver flange 72 prior to the attachment of the drum grounding plate 71 to the driver flange 72 . the drum grounding plate 71 in this embodiment is bent roughly in the shape of a letter l . in the sectional view of the drum grounding plate 71 , at a plane perpendicular to the vertical portion of the letter “ l ” ( direction perpendicular to lengthwise direction described before ), the drum grounding plate 71 has a pair of projections 71 c ( by which drum grounding plate 71 is guided ), which perpendicularly project from the longest edges of the drum grounding plate 71 , one for one . the drum grounding plate 71 also has : a positioning hole 71 d for precisely positioning the drum grounding plate 71 within the driver flange 72 ; a projection 71 e by which the drum grounding plate 71 is placed in contact with the internal surface of the drum cylinder to establish electrical connection between the drum grounding plate 71 and the drum cylinder 74 ; and aforementioned flat and arm - shaped portion 71 a and 71 b . the driver flange 72 is provided with a positioning pin 72 b which fits into the positioning hole 71 d of the drum grounding plate 71 , and the spiral projection 72 a ( coupling portion ) with a non - circular cross section , which has a plurality of apexes and projects from the end of the driver flange 72 . referring to fig8 ( step 2 ), the driver flange 72 is provided with an internal space 72 c into which the drum grounding plate 71 is inserted . when attaching the drum grounding plate 71 to the driver flange 72 , the drum grounding plate 71 is to be inserted , from its contact point side , into the driver flange 72 from the rear end of the driver flange 72 toward the front end , provided that the portion of the driver flange 72 , which has the coupling portion , is the front end portion . as the drum grounding plate 71 is inserted further into the driver flange 72 as shown in fig8 ( step 3 ), the pair of projections 71 c , which perpendicularly project from the longest edges of the drum grounding plate 71 , come into contact with a pair guide portions 72 d of the driver flange 72 , which are located within the internal space 72 c . each guide portion 72 d is tilted backward in terms of the direction in which the drum grounding plate 71 is inserted into the drum grounding plate 71 ; in other words , the bottom end of the guide portion 72 d is located more inward of the internal space 72 c than the top end of the guide portion 72 d . therefore , as the drum grounding plate 71 is further inserted , it is guided downward in the drawing by the pair of guiding portions 72 d . as a result , the tip portion of the drum grounding plate 71 , which essentially is the contact point , is elastically deformed into the space 72 c , and the positioning pin 72 b of the driver flange 72 , which projects from the rear surface of the driver flange 72 fits into the positioning hole 71 d of the drum grounding plate 71 . the bottom end of each of the slanted guide portion 72 d is connected to the slit ( groove ) 72 e , the dimension of which in terms of the vertical direction in fig8 is equal to the thickness of the drum grounding plate 71 . thus , as the drum grounding plate 71 is further insert after its contact with the pair of guiding portions 72 d in fig8 ( step 4 ), the pair of projections 71 c of the drum grounding plate 71 slide into the pair of slits ( grooves ) 72 e , one for one . even after the sliding of the pair of projections 71 c of the drum grounding plate 71 into the pair of slits ( grooves ) 72 e , the tip portion of the drum grounding plate 71 is kept within the space 72 c by the resiliency of the drum grounding plate 71 . the leading end portion of the drum grounding plate 71 , in terms of the plate insertion direction , is provided with a catch portion 71 f formed by bending the very tip of the leading end portion of the drum grounding plate 71 . thus , as the drum grounding plate 71 is further inserted into the driver flange 72 while elastically bending the trailing end portion of the drum grounding plate 71 in the direction indicated by an arrow mark in fig8 ( step 4 ), the catch portion 71 f is moved beyond the flat end portion 72 g of the driver flange 72 , and is moved downward , in the drawing , sliding on the flat end portion 72 g , by the resiliency of the drum grounding plate 71 itself . in other words , the tip of the drum grounding plate 71 is moved downward in the space 72 c , as shown in fig8 ( step 5 ). further , the driver flange 72 is provided with a recess 72 f into which the catch portion 71 f of the drum grounding plate 71 latches . as the pressure applied to the rear end of the drum grounding plate 71 is removed , the resiliency of the drum grounding plate 71 generates such force that acts in the direction to move the tip of the drum grounding plate 71 in the direction indicated by an arrow mark in fig8 ( step 6 ). as a result , the back side of the flat portion 71 a of the drum grounding plate 71 is placed flatly in contact with the flat portion 72 g of the driver flange 72 . it should be noted here that the dimension m ( distance between the rear end and flat end portion 72 g of the driver flange 72 ) and dimension n ( distance between the rear end and flat portion 71 a of the drum ground plate 71 ) are set so that even if the combination of the tolerances of the drum grounding plate 71 and river flange 72 is substantial , the equation n = m is satisfied , ensuring that the flat portion 71 a of the drum grounding plate 71 is placed flatly in contact with the flat end portion 72 g of the driver flange 72 . the catch portion 71 f located at the very tip of the drum grounding plate 71 latches into the recess 72 f of the driver flange 72 , preventing thereby the drum grounding plate 71 from floating upward , since the catch portion 71 f is formed by bending rearward the very tip of the drum grounding plate 71 . therefore , it entirely fits into the recess 72 f of the driver flange 72 , and therefore , does not interfere with the electrical connection between the drum grounding plate 71 and drive shaft 70 . in the step 7 ), the positioning pin 72 b is thermally deformed to form a retainer portion 72 h in order to prevent the drum grounding plate 71 from moving relative to the driver flange 72 . the above described steps 1 )- 7 ) ensure that the drum grounding plate 71 is precisely positioned in the driver flange 72 . in particular , they ensure that the aforementioned two contact points between the drive shaft 70 and drum grounding plate 71 remain stable in position . in the step 8 ), or the last step , the rear end portion 72 i of the driver flange 72 is pressed into the drum cylinder 74 . during this step , the projection 71 e of the drum grounding plate 71 slides on the internal surface of the drum cylinder 74 . after the rear portion 72 i of the drum grounding plate 71 is pressed into the drum cylinder 74 , the projection 71 e is kept pressed upon the internal surface of the drum cylinder 74 by the resiliency of the drum grounding plate 71 , ensuring the electrical connection between the drum grounding plate 71 and drum cylinder 74 . the above described steps for assembling the photosensitive drum unit 1 makes it possible to work on the driver flange 72 , from one end of the driver flange 72 , that is , the drum grounding plate 71 can be simply inserted into the driver flange 72 , from the rear end of the driver flange 72 , improving the efficiency with which the photosensitive drum unit 1 is assembled . further , since the drum grounding plate 71 is formed as a single - piece component , and the interior of the driver flange 72 is structured as described above , not only is it ensured that the photosensitive drum unit 1 is properly grounded , but also , the photosensitive drum unit 1 is improved in assembly efficiency . in other words , according to this embodiment of the present invention , the drum unit 1 can be reliably grounded to the apparatus main assembly 100 with the use of the simpler structural arrangement , improving thereby the image forming apparatus in cost performance . 1 ) the photosensitive drum unit 1 is grounded through the electrical connection between the drive shaft 70 ( first conductive member ) on the main assembly side of the image forming apparatus , and the drum grounding plate 71 ( second conductive member ) placed within the drum cylinder 74 of the photosensitive drum unit 1 . in the case of this structural arrangement , the drum grounding plate 71 is provided with the flat contact portion 71 a and arm - shaped contact portion 71 b . and as the rotational driving force is transmitted to the spiral projection 72 a having entered the spiral hole 73 a , the force a ′ which draws the spiral projection 72 a into the spiral hole 73 a ( driving force transmitting rotational member 73 ) is generated , causing the photosensitive drum unit 1 to be moved toward the driving force transmitting rotational member 73 . then , as the photosensitive drum unit 1 is moved toward the driving force transmitting rotational member 73 , the flat contact portion 71 a of the drum grounding plate 71 comes into contact with the tip of the drive shaft 70 , and the tip of the arm - shaped portion 71 b slides on the surface of the tip 70 a of the drive shaft 70 . in other words , the structural arrangement in this embodiment provides two means for electrically connecting the photosensitive drum unit 1 and apparatus main assembly 100 , making it possible to better grounding the photosensitive drum unit 1 . further , the contact point of the photosensitive drum unit 1 and the contact point of the drive shaft 70 are prevented from keeping on rubbing each other after they are connected , making it possible for the cartridge 7 to be more reliably grounded to the apparatus main assembly 100 . further , the drive flange 72 ( drum grounding plate 71 ) is solidly located with the drive shaft 70 . therefore , the wall of the hole 72 j of the driver flange 72 , into which the drive shaft 70 fits , and the drum grounding plate 71 , are presented from being frictionally worn . as for the first means for electrically connecting the photosensitive drum unit 1 to the apparatus main assembly 100 , the flat contact portion 71 a of the drum grounding plate 71 is placed , and kept , in contact with the tip 70 a of the drive shaft 70 by the contact pressure , or the force a ′ generated in the direction to draw the spiral projection 72 a of the driver flange 72 into the spiral hole 73 a of the driving force transmitting rotational member 73 as the rotational driving force is transmitted to the spiral projection 72 a placed in the spiral hole 73 a . therefore , the contact pressure applies only while the driving force is inputted , preventing the components pertinent to the electrical connection between the photosensitive drum unit 1 and apparatus main assembly 100 from being fatigued by the contact pressure . further , the point of contact between the contact points on the photosensitive drum unit side and the contact point on the apparatus main assembly side are structured so that they slightly shift in position , and once the connection is fully established , they do not shift in position while the driving force is transmitted . therefore , the tip 70 a of the drive shaft 70 and the flat contact portion 71 a of the drum grounding plate 71 wipe each other at the beginning of the transmission of the driving force , and yet , the components pertinent to the electrical connection between the photosensitive drum unit 1 and apparatus main assembly 100 are not frictionally worn during the rest of the transmission of the driving force . as for the second means for electrically connecting the photosensitive drum unit 1 to the apparatus main assembly 100 , the arm - shaped portion 71 b of the drum grounding plate 71 slides on the surface of the tip 70 b of the drive - shaft 70 , while being kept pressured upon the surface of the end portion 70 b of the drive shaft 70 by the resiliency of the drum grounding plate 71 . therefore , the point of contact between the arm - shaped portion 71 b and tip 70 b shifts in position only at the beginning and end of the transmission of the driving force ; it does not shift in position during the rest of the driving force transmission . therefore , the arm - shaped portion 71 b and the tip 70 b of the drive shaft 70 wipe each other as they become fully connected , ensuring the electrical connection between the photosensitive drum unit 1 and apparatus main assembly 100 . 2 ) the drum grounding plate 71 having the flat contact portion 71 a and the arm - shaped contact portion 71 b is formed as a single - piece component , reducing thereby the component count . 3 ) as the means for accurately attaching the drum grounding plate 71 to the driver flange 72 , the driver flange 72 is provided with the pair of guide portions 72 d for guiding the drum grounding plate 71 to the predetermined position in the internal space 72 c , whereas the drum grounding plate 71 is provided with the pair of projections 71 c by which the drum grounding plate 71 is guided by the pair of guide portions 72 d . therefore , the drum grounding plate 71 can be attached to the driver flange 72 by simply pushing the drum grounding plate 71 into the driver flange 72 from the rear end of the driver flange 72 , improving the photosensitive drum unit 1 in assembly efficiency . 4 ) for the purpose of preventing the drum grounding plate 71 from moving after its attachment to the driver flange 72 , the drum grounding plate 71 is provided with the catch portion 71 f bent toward the rear of the drum grounding plate 71 , whereas the driver flange 72 is provided with the recess 72 f into which the catch portion 71 f latches . in addition , the drum grounding plate 71 is shaped so that as the drum grounding plate 71 is attached to the driver flange 72 , the catch portion 71 f latches into the recess 72 f and remains latched therein , by the resiliency of the drum grounding plate 71 itself . therefore , the actual contact portion , or the tip , of the drum grounding plate 71 is prevented from floating ( becoming separated ) from the driver flange 72 . therefore , it is assured that the point of contact is precisely position . consequently , the photosensitive drum unit 1 is better grounded . 5 ) the photosensitive drum unit 1 having the above described drum grounding features 1 )- 4 ) may be structured so that it can be directly mounted into , or removed from , the apparatus main assembly 100 , without being placed in the process cartridge . such an arrangement also produces the same effects as those described above . 1 ) as for the developing method , one of the widely known developing methods , for example , two component magnetic brush based developing method , cascade developing method , touch - down developing method , cloud developing method , etc ., may be employed , instead of the developing method employed in the above described embodiment . 2 ) in the above described embodiment , the so - called contact type charging method is employed as the charging means . obviously , the charging method does not need to be limited to the above described one . for example , one of the charging methods , which has been widely used in the past , may be employed . namely , a piece of tungsten wire is surrounded on three sides by a shield formed of metallic substance such as aluminum , so that the positive or negative ions generated by applying high voltage to the tungsten wire can be transferred onto the peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum in order to uniformly charge the peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum . as for the charging means , a blade ( charge blade ), a pad , a block , a rod , a wire , or the like , may be employed in stead of the aforementioned roller . 3 ) as for the method for removing the toner remaining on the photosensitive drum , a cleaning means in the form of a blade , a fur brush , a magnetic brush , or the like , may be employed instead of the above described one . according to the present invention , it is possible to provide an electrophotographic photosensitive drum capable of reliably establishing electrical connection between it and the main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus , a process cartridge comprising said electrophotographic photosensitive drum , and an electrophotographic image forming apparatus compatible with said electrophotographic photosensitive drum and process cartridge . also according to the present invention , it is possible to provide an electrophotographic photosensitive drum capable of wiping its electrically conductive member in order to be reliably grounded , a process cartridge comprising the electrophotographic photosensitive drum , and an electrophotographic image forming apparatus compatible with the electrophotographic photosensitive drum and process cartridge . also according to the present invention , it is possible to provide an electrophotographic photosensitive drum capable of rotating the first and second electrically conductive members together in order to prevent the conductive members from being frictionally worn , a process cartridge comprising the electrophotographic photosensitive drum , and an electrophotographic image forming apparatus compatible with the electrophotographic photosensitive drum and the process cartridge . while the invention has been described with reference to the structures disclosed herein , it is not confined to the details set forth , and this application is intended to cover such modifications or changes as may come within the purposes of the improvements or the scope of the following claims . this application claims priority from japanese patent application no . 099503 / 2004 filed mar . 30 , 2004 , which is hereby incorporated by reference . | 6 |
fig2 a schematically illustrates the perspective view of the openable blocking cover 30 and the optical read / write drive 32 in accordance with the first preferred embodiment of the present invention . fig2 b illustrates the cross - sectional side view of the front portion of the optical read / write drive 32 and the openable blocking cover 30 and the spacial relationship between them . this invention discloses an optical read / write drive 32 comprising a case 31 have a slot 34 formed thereupon wherein an optical disk is drawn out of / into the slot - in optical read / write apparatus 32 through the slot 34 and an openable blocking cover 30 , which can be utilized to cover the slot 34 and to isolate the interior of the optical read / write drive 32 from the exterior . according to the first preferred embodiment of the present invention , the openable blocking cover 30 includes a swingable cover 302 and a fitting pad 304 , wherein the fitting pad 304 can be a soft pad . when the slot 34 is covered by the openable blocking cover 30 , the fitting pad 304 is tightly inserted in the slot 34 so that the dust and exterior object has been prevented from entering the optical read / write drive 32 via the slot 34 and the internal operation noise has been isolated from scattering out of the optical read / write drive 32 via the slot 34 . the schematic side view of the openable blocking cover 30 is shown in fig2 b , and the schematic perspective view of the openable blocking cover 30 from inward surface is shown in fig3 . according to the first preferred embodiment of the present invention , the swingable cover 302 is used to expose / block the slot 34 , wherein the fitting pad 304 is adherent to the swingable cover 302 , and is positioned between the swingable cover 302 and the slot 34 . when blocking the slot 34 , please referring to fig2 b , the swingable cover 302 forces the fitting pad 304 to insert in the slot 34 . as shown in fig3 , the size of the fitting pad 304 make itself lodge in as well as block the slot 34 , thus the interior of optical read / write drive 32 has been sealed to improve the dust - proof , intruding - object - proof , and sound - proof efficiency ; being fitted to the slot 34 , the fitting pad 304 makes the swingable cover 302 keep close even when an unexpected external force applied thereon . as depicted in the first preferred embodiment of the present invention , the material of the fitting pad can be made of rubber , soft material ( such as soft plastic or foamed plastic ) or elastic material . fig4 a schematically illustrates the perspective view of the openable blocking cover 30 and the optical read / write drive 32 in accordance with the second preferred embodiment of the present invention . fig4 b illustrates the cross - sectional side view of the front portion of the optical read / write drive 32 and the openable blocking cover 30 and the spacial relationship between them . according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure , the an optical read / write drive 32 comprising a case 31 have a slot 34 formed thereupon wherein an optical disk is drawn from / into the slot - in optical read / write apparatus 32 through the slot 34 and an openable blocking cover 30 , which can be utilized to block the slot 34 and to isolate the interior of the optical read / write drive 32 from the exterior . in addition , the openable blocking cover 30 includes a swingable cover 302 , a fitting pad 304 , and a impetus part 306 , wherein the fitting pad 304 can be a soft pad . when the slot 34 is covered by the openable blocking cover 30 , the fitting pad 304 is tightly inserted in the slot 34 so that the dust and exterior object has been prevented from entering the optical read / write drive 32 via the slot 34 and the internal operation noise has been isolated from scattering out of the optical read / write drive 32 via the slot 34 . one longitudinal side of the swingable cover 302 is axially jointed on the case 31 and adjacent to one edge of the enclosure surrounding the slot 34 , i . e ., is axially jointed to one edge of the slot 34 . as obviously depicted in fig4 b , the other longitudinal side of the swingable cover 302 can swing , thus enabling the swingable cover 302 to pivot on the axis parallel to the longitudinal side of the swingable cover 302 , which is jointed to the foregoing edge of the slot 34 , and the swingable cover 302 can expose / block the slot 34 thereby . in the second preferred embodiment of the present disclosure , please referring back to fig4 a , there are two pivots 36 located on two ends of the foregoing longitudinal side of the swingable cover 302 respectively . each pivot 36 correspondingly engages one of the two bearings 38 , which are respectively positioned on two ends of the foregoing edge of the enclosure surrounding the slot 34 . thus the swingable cover 302 can pivot on the direction parallel to the foregoing edge of the slot 34 . according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure , the schematic side view of the openable blocking cover 30 is shown in fig4 b , and the schematic perspective view of the openable blocking cover 30 is shown in fig3 . according to the second embodiment of the present invention , the swingable cover 302 is used to expose / block the slot 34 , wherein the fitting pad 304 is adherent to the swingable cover 302 , and is positioned between the swingable cover 302 and the slot 34 . when blocking the slot 34 , please referring to fig4 b , the swingable cover 302 forces the fitting pad 304 to cover and block the slot 34 . in addition , the size of the fitting pad 304 make itself lodge in as well as block the slot 34 , thus the interior of optical read / write drive 32 has been sealed to improve the dust - proof , intruding - object - proof and sound - proof efficiency . being fitted to the slot 34 , the fitting pad 304 makes the swingable cover 302 keep close even when an unexpected external force applied thereon . as depicted in the second preferred embodiment of the present disclosure , the material of the fitting pad can be made of rubber , soft material ( such as soft plastic or foamed plastic ) or elastic material . please refer to fig4 b , the impetus part 306 is protruded and positioned at outward surface of the swingable cover 302 , which is adjacent to simultaneously perpendicular to the surface facing the slot 34 . in other words , the impetus part 306 is located at the outward surface of the swingable cover 302 from the slot 34 . the swingable cover 302 can swing in an expected direction responding to a force applied on the impetus part 306 , and the slot 36 is opened / closed . because it is manually operated , the type of impetus part 306 mentioned above can be utilized in the swingable cover 302 referred as a manual type . in addition , in the third embodiment of the present invention , the swingable cover 302 can automatically swing to expose / block the slot 34 without manual force . to roughly illustrate the construction , please refer to fig5 , in side view , it schematically illustrates the cross section of the front portion of the optional read / write drive 32 including the openable blocking cover 30 , which utilizes a certain mechanism such as a gear drive to enable the swingable cover 302 to swing without manual force . because the mechanism operates responds to an electric signal , and is driven by electricity , this type of swingable cover 302 can be referred as electricity driven type . the gear drive mentioned above , according to the third embodiment of the present invention , includes a fixed gear wheel 40 being a semicircle gear wheel in this embodiment fixed on the inward surface of the swingable cover 302 , a gear wheel unit 42 and a driving device 44 electrically coupled to a button 46 . the gear wheel 40 is engaged to the gear wheel unit 42 , and the gear wheel unit 42 is driven by driving device 44 such as a motor which is driven by the power from electricity . the driving device 44 is activated by a control signal ( for example an electric signal ) generated responding to pushing the button 46 on the outward surface of the optional read / write drive 32 . thus , by pushing the button 46 , the user can easily control the swinging of the swingable cover 302 , thereby exposing / blocking the slot 34 easily . in order to more firmly fix the swingable cover 302 in position while the swingable cover 302 blocking the slot 34 , in the fourth embodiment of the present invention , please refer to fig6 , the swingable cover 302 and the edge of the slot 34 respectively include the positioning post 48 and positioning hole 50 formed thereon . this construction can also be applied to all other aspects of all embodiments of the present invention . the two positioning posts 48 are adherent to the inward surface of the swingable cover 302 , and are longitudinally separated by the fitting pad 304 , accordingly , the two positioning holes 50 are formed in the front of the case 31 of the optional read / write drive 32 and positioned corresponding to the two positioning posts 48 respectively , thus enabling the two positioning posts 48 inserting into the two positioning holes 50 when the swingable cover 302 blocking the slot 34 . solo squeezing the fitting pad 304 into the slot 34 sometimes can not provide enough force to hold the swingable cover 302 , so the fourth embodiment of the present invention use the positioning post 48 and the positioning hole 58 to provide additional force to prevent the swingable cover 302 from unexpected opening and to keep the swingable cover 302 in position . according to the foregoing description , the swingable cover 302 of the optical read / write drive 32 in the present invention can avoid dust and small object invasion from the exterior , and prevent the interior - generated noise from spreading out of the optical read / write drive 32 . so the life of the optical read / write drive 32 according to the present invention can be prolonged , and the value of this product can be raised . in addition , the fitting pad 304 adherent to the inward surface of the swingable cover 302 is to be squeezed into the slot 34 , so the present invention can further improve dust - proof , intruding - object - proof and sound - proof efficiency . furthermore , in order to make the optical read / write drive 32 a handy device , a impetus part 306 is added to the outward surface of the swingable cover 302 , thus the user can open the swingable cover 302 to expose the slot 34 more easily when the user wants to access the cd . while the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been set forth for the purpose of disclosure , modifications of the disclosed embodiments of the present invention as well as other embodiments thereof may occur to those skilled in the art . accordingly , the appended claims are intended to cover all embodiments which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention . | 6 |
fig1 a is a block diagram of an ultra - wide band ( uwb ) transceiver . in fig1 a , the transceiver includes three major components , namely , receiver 11 , radio controller and interface 9 , and transmitter 13 . alternatively , the system may be implemented as a separate receiver 11 and radio controller and interface 9 , and a separate transmitter 13 and radio controller and interface 9 . the radio controller and interface 9 serves as a media access control ( mac ) interface between the uwb wireless communication functions implemented by the receiver 11 and transmitter 13 and applications that use the uwb communications channel for exchanging data with remote devices . the receiver 11 includes an antenna 1 that converts a uwb electromagnetic waveform into an electrical signal ( or optical signal ) for subsequent processing . the uwb signal is generated with a sequence of shape - modulated wavelets , where the occurrence times of the shape - modulated wavelets may also be modulated . for analog modulation , at least one of the shape control parameters is modulated with the analog signal . more typically , the wavelets take on m possible shapes . digital information is encoded to use one or a combination of the m wavelet shapes and occurrence times to communicate information . in one embodiment of the present invention , each wavelet communicates one bit , for example , using two shapes such as bi - phase . in other embodiments of the present invention , each wavelet may be configured to communicate nn bits , where m ≧ 2 nn . for example , four shapes may be configured to communicate two bits , such as with quadrature phase or four - level amplitude modulation . in another embodiment of the present invention , each wavelet is a “ chip ” in a code sequence , where the sequence , as a group , communicates one or more bits . the code can be m - ary at the chip level , choosing from m possible shapes for each chip . at the chip , or wavelet level , embodiments of the present invention produce uwb waveforms . the uwb waveforms are modulated by a variety of techniques including but not limited to : ( i ) bi - phase modulated signals (+ 1 , − 1 ), ( ii ) multilevel bi - phase signals (+ 1 , − 1 , + a1 , − a1 , + a2 , − a2 , . . . , + an , − an ), ( iii ) quadrature phase signals (+ 1 , − 1 , + j , − j ), ( iv ) multi - phase signals ( 1 , − 1 , exp (+ jπ / n ), exp (− jπ / n ), exp (+ jπ2 / n ), exp (− jπ2 / n ), . . . , exp (+ j ( n − 1 )/ n ), exp (− jπ ( n − 1 )/ n )), ( v ) multilevel multi - phase signals ( a i exp ( j2πβ / n )| a i ε { 1 , a1 , a2 , . . . , ak }, βε { 0 , 1 , . . . , n − 1 }), ( vi ) frequency modulated pulses , ( vii ) pulse position modulation ( ppm ) signals ( possibly same shape pulse transmitted in different candidate time slots ), ( viii ) m - ary modulated waveforms g b i ( t ) with b i ε { 1 , . . . , m }, and ( ix ) any combination of the above waveforms , such as multi - phase channel symbols transmitted according to a chirping signaling scheme . the present invention , however , is applicable to variations of the above modulation schemes and other modulation schemes ( e . g ., as described in lathi , “ modern digital and analog communications systems ,” holt , rinehart and winston , 1998 , the entire contents of which is incorporated by reference herein ), as will be appreciated by those skilled in the relevant art ( s ). some exemplary waveforms and characteristic equations thereof will now be described . the time modulation component , for example , can be defined as follows . let t i be the time spacing between the ( i − 1 ) th pulse and the i th pulse . accordingly , the total time to the i th pulse is the signal t i could be encoded for data , part of a spreading code or user code , or some combination thereof . for example , the signal t i could be equally spaced , or part of a spreading code , where t i corresponds to the zero - crossings of a chirp , i . e ., the sequence of t i &# 39 ; s , and where for a predetermined set of a and k . here , a and k may also be chosen from a finite set based on the user code or encoded data . an embodiment of the present invention can be described using m - ary modulation . equation 1 below can be used to represent a sequence of exemplary transmitted or received pulses , where each pulse is a shape modulated uwb wavelet , g b i ( t − t i ). x ( t ) = ∑ i = 0 ∞ g b i ( t - t i ) ( 1 ) in the above equation , the subscript i refers to the i th pulse in the sequence of uwb pulses transmitted or received . the wavelet function g has m possible shapes , and therefore b i represents a mapping from the data , to one of the m - ary modulation shapes at the i th pulse in the sequence . the wavelet generator hardware ( e . g ., the uwb waveform generator 17 ) has several control lines ( e . g ., coming from the radio controller and interface 9 ) that govern the shape of the wavelet . therefore , b i can be thought of as including a lookup - table for the m combinations of control signals that produce the m desired wavelet shapes . the encoder 21 combines the data stream and codes to generate the m - ary states . demodulation occurs in the waveform correlator 5 and the radio controller and interface 9 to recover to the original data stream . time position and wavelet shape are combined into the pulse sequence to convey information , implement user codes , etc . in the above case , the signal is comprised of wavelets from i = 1 to infinity . as i is incremented , a wavelet is produced . equation 2 below can be used to represent a generic wavelet pulse function , whose shape can be changed from pulse to pulse to convey information or implement user codes , etc . g b i ( t )= re ( b i , 1 )· f b i , 2 , b i , 3 , . . . ( t )+ im ( b i , 1 )· h b i , 2 , b i , 3 , . . . ( t ) ( 2 ) in the above equation , function f defines a basic wavelet shape , and function h is simply the hilbert transform of the function f . the parameter b i , 1 is a complex number allowing the magnitude and phase of each wavelet pulse to be adjusted , i . e ., b i , 1 = a i & lt ; θ i , where a i is selected from a finite set of amplitudes and θ i is selected from a finite set of phases . the parameters { b i , 2 , b i , 3 , . . . } represent a generic group of parameters that control the wavelet shape . an exemplary waveform sequence x ( t ) can be based on a family of wavelet pulse shapes f that are derivatives of a guassian waveform as defined by equation 3 below . f b i ( t ) = ψ ( b i , 2 , b i , 3 ) ( ⅆ b i , 3 ⅆ t b i , 3 ⅇ - [ b i , 2 t ] 2 ) ( 3 ) in the above equation , the function ψ ( ) normalizes the peak absolute value of f b i ( t ) to 1 . the parameter b i , 2 controls the pulse duration and center frequency . the parameter b i , 3 is the number of derivatives and controls the bandwidth and center frequency . another exemplary waveform sequence x ( t ) can be based on a family of wavelet pulse shapes f that are gaussian weighted sinusoidal functions , as described by equation 4 below . f b i , 2 , b i , 3 , b i , 4 = f ω i , k i , b i ( t )= e −[ b i t ] 2 sin ( ω i t + k i t 2 ). ( 4 ) in the above equation , b i controls the pulse duration , ω i controls the center frequency , and k i controls a chirp rate . other exemplary weighting functions , beside gaussian , that are also applicable to the present invention include , for example , rectangular , hanning , hamming , blackman - harris , nutall , taylor , kaiser , chebychev , etc . another exemplary waveform sequence x ( t ) can be based on a family of wavelet pulse shapes f that are inverse - exponentially weighted sinusoidal functions , as described by equation 5 below . g b i ( t ) = ( 1 ⅇ - ( t - t1 i ) . 3 * tr i + 1 - 1 ⅇ - ( t - t2 i ) . 3 * tf i + 1 ) · sin ( θ i + ω i t + k i t 2 ) where { b i , 2 , b i , 3 , b i , 4 , b i , 5 , b i , 6 , b i , 7 , b i , 8 } = { t 1 i , t 2 i , t r i , t f i , θ i , ω i , k i } ( 5 ) in the above equation , the leading edge turn on time is controlled by t 1 , and the turn - on rate is controlled by t r . the trailing edge turn - off time is controlled by t 2 , and the turn - off rate is controlled by t f . assuming the chirp starts at t = 0 and t d is the pulse duration , the starting phase is controlled by θ , the starting frequency is controlled by ω , the chirp rate is controlled by k , and the stopping frequency is controlled by ω + kt d . an example assignment of parameter values is ω = 1 , t r = t f = 0 . 25 , t 1 = t r / 0 . 51 , and t 2 = t d − t r / 9 . a feature of the present invention is that the m - ary parameter set used to control the wavelet shape is chosen so as to make a uwb signal , wherein the center frequency f c and the bandwidth b of the power spectrum of g ( t ) satisfies 2f c & gt ; b & gt ; 0 . 25f c . it should be noted that conventional equations define in - phase and quadrature signals ( e . g ., often referred to as i and q ) as sine and cosine terms . an important observation , however , is that this conventional definition is inadequate for uwb signals . the present invention recognizes that use of such conventional definition may lead to dc offset problems and inferior performance . furthermore , such inadequacies get progressively worse as the bandwidth moves away from 0 . 25f c and toward 2f c . a key attribute of the exemplary wavelets ( or e . g ., those described in co - pending u . s . patent application ser . no . 09 / 209 , 460 ) is that the parameters are chosen such that neither f nor h in equation 2 above has a dc component , yet f and h exhibit the required wide relative bandwidth for uwb systems . similarly , as a result of b & gt ; 0 . 25f c , it should be noted that the matched filter output of the uwb signal is typically only a few cycles , or even a single cycle . for example , the parameter n in equation 3 above may only take on low values ( e . g ., such as those described in co - pending u . s . patent application ser . no . 09 / 209 , 460 ). the compressed ( i . e ., coherent matched filtered ) pulse width of a uwb , wavelet will now be defined with reference to fig1 b . in fig1 b , the time domain version of the wavelet thus represents g ( t ) and the fourier transform ( ft ) version is represented by g ( ω ). accordingly , the matched filter is represented as g *( ω ), the complex conjugate , so that the output of the matched filter is p ( ω )= g ( ω )· g *( ω ). the output of the matched filter in the time domain is seen by performing an inverse fourier transform ( ift ) on p ( ω ) so as to obtain p ( t ), the compressed or matched filtered pulse . the width of the compressed pulse p ( t ) is defined by t c , which is the time between the points on the envelope of the compressed pulse e ( t ) that are 6 db below the peak thereof , as shown in fig1 b . the envelope waveform e ( t ) may be determined by equation 6 below . e ( t )=√{ square root over (( p ( t ) 2 +( p h ( t ) 2 )}{ square root over (( p ( t ) 2 +( p h ( t ) 2 )} ( 6 ) accordingly , the above - noted parameterized waveforms are examples of uwb wavelet functions that can be controlled to communicate information with a large parameter space for making codes with good resulting autocorrelation and cross - correlation functions . for digital modulation , each of the parameters is chosen from a predetermined list according to an encoder that receives the digital data to be communicated . for analog modulation , at least one parameter is changed dynamically according to some function ( e . g ., proportionally ) of the analog signal that is to be communicated . referring back to fig1 a , the electrical signals coupled in through the antenna 1 are passed to a radio front end 3 . depending on the type of waveform , the radio front end 3 processes the electric signals so that the level of the signal and spectral components of the signal are suitable for processing in the uwb waveform correlator 5 . the uwb waveform correlator 5 correlates the incoming signal ( e . g ., as modified by any spectral shaping , such as a matched filtering , partially matched filtering , simply roll - off , etc ., accomplished in front end 3 ) with different candidate signals generated by the receiver 11 , so as to determine when the receiver 11 is synchronized with the received signal and to determine the data that was transmitted . the timing generator 7 of the receiver 11 operates under control of the radio controller and interface 9 to provide a clock signal that is used in the correlation process performed in the uwb waveform correlator 5 . moreover , in the receiver 11 , the uwb waveform correlator 5 correlates in time a particular pulse sequence produced at the receiver 11 with the receive pulse sequence that was coupled in through antenna 1 and modified by front end 3 . when the two such sequences are aligned with one another , the uwb waveform correlator 5 provides high signal to noise ratio ( snr ) data to the radio controller and interface 9 for subsequent processing . in some circumstances , the output of the uwb waveform correlator 5 is the data itself . in other circumstances , the uwb waveform correlator 5 simply provides an intermediate correlation result , which the radio controller and interface 9 uses to determine the data and determine when the receiver 11 is synchronized with the incoming signal . in some embodiments of the present invention , when synchronization is not achieved ( e . g ., during a signal acquisition mode of operation ), the radio controller and interface 9 provides a control signal to the receiver 11 to acquire synchronization . in this way , a sliding of a correlation window within the uwb waveform correlator 5 is possible by adjustment of the phase and frequency of the output of the timing generator 7 of the receiver 11 via a control signal from the radio controller and interface 9 . the control signal causes the correlation window to slide until lock is achieved . the radio controller and interface 9 is a processor - based unit that is implemented either with hard wired logic , such as in one or more application specific integrated circuits ( asics ) or in one or more programmable processors . once synchronized , the receiver 11 provides data to an input port (“ rx data in ”) of the radio controller and interface 9 . an external process , via an output port (“ rx data out ”) of the radio controller and interface 9 , may then use this data . the external process may be any one of a number of processes performed with data that is either received via the receiver 11 or is to be transmitted via the transmitter 13 to a remote receiver . during a transmit mode of operation , the radio controller and interface 9 receives source data at an input port (“ tx data in ”) from an external source . the radio controller and interface 9 then applies the data to an encoder 21 of the transmitter 13 via an output port (“ tx data out ”). in addition , the radio controller and interface 9 provides control signals to the transmitter 13 for use in identifying the signaling sequence of uwb pulses . in some embodiments of the present invention , the receiver 11 and the transmitter 13 functions may use joint resources , such as a common timing generator and / or a common antenna , for example . the encoder 21 receives user coding information and data from the radio controller and interface 9 and preprocesses the data and coding so as to provide a timing input for the uwb waveform generator 17 , which produces uwb pulses encoded in shape and / or time to convey the data to a remote location . the encoder 21 produces the control signals necessary to generate the required modulation . for example , the encoder 21 may take a serial bit stream and encode it with a forward error correction ( fec ) algorithm ( e . g ., such as a reed solomon code , a golay code , a hamming code , a convolutional code , etc .). the encoder 21 may also interleave the data to guard against burst errors . the encoder 21 may also apply a whitening function to prevent long strings of “ ones ” or “ zeros .” the encoder 21 may also apply a user specific spectrum spreading function , such as generating a predetermined length chipping code that is sent as a group to represent a bit ( e . g ., inverted for a “ one ” bit and non - inverted for a “ zero ” bit , etc .). the encoder 21 may divide the serial bit stream into subsets in order to send multiple bits per wavelet or per chipping code , and generate a plurality of control signals in order to affect any combination of the modulation schemes as described above ( and / or as described in lathi ). the radio controller and interface 9 may provide some identification , such as user id , etc ., of the source from which the data on the input port (“ tx data in ”) is received . in one embodiment of the present invention , this user id may be inserted in the transmission sequence , as if it were a header of an information packet . in other embodiments of the present invention , the user id itself may be employed to encode the data , such that a receiver receiving the transmission would need to postulate or have a priori knowledge of the user id in order to make sense of the data . for example , the id may be used to apply a different amplitude signal ( e . g ., of amplitude “ f ”) to a fast modulation control signal to be discussed with respect to fig2 , as a way of impressing the encoding onto the signal . the output from the encoder 21 is applied to a uwb waveform generator 17 . the uwb waveform generator 17 produces a uwb pulse sequence of pulse shapes at pulse times according to the command signals it receives , which may be one of any number of different schemes . the output from the uwb generator 17 is then provided to an antenna 15 , which then transmits the uwb energy to a receiver . in one uwb modulation scheme , the data may be encoded by using the relative spacing of transmission pulses ( e . g ., ppm , chirp , etc .). in other uwb modulation schemes , the data may be encoded by exploiting the shape of the pulses as described above ( and / or as described in lathi ). it should be noted that the present invention is able to combine time modulation ( e . g ., such as pulse position modulation , chirp , etc .) with other modulation schemes that manipulate the shape of the pulses . there are numerous advantages to the above capability , such as communicating more than one data bit per symbol transmitted from the transmitter 13 , etc . an often even more important quality , however , is the application of such technique to implement spread - spectrum , multi - user systems , which require multiple spreading codes ( e . g ., such as each with spike autocorrelation functions , and jointly with low peak cross - correlation functions , etc .). in addition , combining timing , phase , frequency , and amplitude modulation adds extra degrees of freedom to the spreading code functions , allowing greater optimization of the cross - correlation and autocorrelation characteristics . as a result of the improved autocorrelation and cross - correlation characteristics , the system according to the present invention has improved capability , allowing many transceiver units to operate in close proximity without suffering from interference from one another . fig2 is a block diagram of a transceiver embodiment of the present invention in which the modulation scheme employed is able to manipulate the shape and time of the uwb pulses . in fig2 , when receiving energy through the antenna 1 , 15 ( e . g ., corresponding antennas 1 and 15 of fig1 a ) the energy is coupled in to a transmit / receive ( t / r ) switch 27 , which passes the energy to a radio front end 3 . the radio front end 3 filters , extracts noise , and adjusts the amplitude of the signal before providing the same to a splitter 29 . the splitter 29 divides the signal up into one of n different signals and applies the n different signals to different tracking correlators 31 1 - 31 n . each of the tracking correlators 31 1 - 31 n receives a clock input signal from a respective timing generator 7 1 - 7 n of a timing generator module 7 , 19 , as shown in fig2 . the timing generators 7 1 - 7 n , for example , receive a phase and frequency adjustment signal , as shown in fig2 , but may also receive a fast modulation signal or other control signal ( s ) as well . the radio controller and interface 9 provides the control signals , such as phase , frequency and fast modulation signals , etc ., to the timing generator module 7 , 19 , for time synchronization and modulation control . the fast modulation control signal may be used to implement , for example , chirp waveforms , ppm waveforms , such as fast time scale ppm waveforms , etc . the radio controller and interface 9 also provides control signals to , for example , the encoder 21 , the waveform generator 17 , the filters 23 , the amplifier 25 , the t / r switch 27 , the front end 3 , the tracking correlators 31 1 - 31 n ( corresponding to the uwb waveform correlator 5 of fig1 a ), etc ., for controlling , for example , amplifier gains , signal waveforms , filter passbands and notch functions , alternative demodulation and detecting processes , user codes , spreading codes , cover codes , etc . during signal acquisition , the radio controller and interface 9 adjusts the phase input of , for example , the timing generator 7 1 , in an attempt for the tracking correlator 31 1 to identify and the match the timing of the signal produced at the receiver with the timing of the arriving signal . when the received signal and the locally generated signal coincide in time with one another , the radio controller and interface 9 senses the high signal strength or high snr and begins to track , so that the receiver is synchronized with the received signal . once synchronized , the receiver will operate in a tracking mode , where the timing generator 7 1 is adjusted by way of a continuing series of phase adjustments to counteract any differences in timing of the timing generator 7 1 and the incoming signal . however , a feature of the present invention is that by sensing the mean of the phase adjustments over a known period of time , the radio controller and interface 9 adjusts the frequency of the timing generator 7 1 so that the mean of the phase adjustments becomes zero . the frequency is adjusted in this instance because it is clear from the pattern of phase adjustments that there is a frequency offset between the timing generator 7 1 and the clocking of the received signal . similar operations may be performed on timing generators 7 2 - 7 n , so that each receiver can recover the signal delayed by different amounts , such as the delays caused by multipath ( i . e ., scattering along different paths via reflecting off of local objects ). a feature of the transceiver in fig2 is that it includes a plurality of tracking correlators 31 1 - 31 n . by providing a plurality of tracking correlators , several advantages are obtained . first , it is possible to achieve synchronization more quickly ( i . e ., by operating parallel sets of correlation arms to find strong snr points over different code - wheel segments ). second , during a receive mode of operation , the multiple arms can resolve and lock onto different multipath components of a signal . through coherent addition , the uwb communication system uses the energy from the different multipath signal components to reinforce the received signal , thereby improving signal to noise ratio . third , by providing a plurality of tracking correlator arms , it is also possible to use one arm to continuously scan the channel for a better signal than is being received on other arms . in one embodiment of the present invention , if and when the scanning arm finds a multipath term with higher snr than another arm that is being used to demodulate data , the role of the arms is switched ( i . e ., the arm with the higher snr is used to demodulate data , while the arm with the lower snr begins searching ). in this way , the communications system dynamically adapts to changing channel conditions . the radio controller and interface 9 receives the information from the different tracking correlators 31 1 - 3 1 n and decodes the data . the radio controller and interface 9 also provides control signals for controlling the front end 3 , e . g ., such as gain , filter selection , filter adaptation , etc ., and adjusting the synchronization and tracking operations by way of the timing generator module 7 , 19 . in addition , the radio controller and interface 9 serves as an interface between the communication link feature of the present invention and other higher level applications that will use the wireless uwb communication link for performing other functions . some of these functions would include , for example , performing range - finding operations , wireless telephony , file sharing , personal digital assistant ( pda ) functions , embedded control functions , location - finding operations , etc . on the transmit portion of the transceiver shown in fig2 , a timing generator 7 0 also receives phase , frequency and / or fast modulation adjustment signals for use in encoding a uwb waveform from the radio controller and interface 9 . data and user codes ( via a control signal ) are provided to the encoder 21 , which in the case of an embodiment of the present invention utilizing time - modulation , passes command signals ( e . g ., δt ) to the timing generator 7 0 for providing the time at which to send a pulse . in this way , encoding of the data into the transmitted waveform may be performed . when the shape of the different pulses are modulated according to the data and / or codes , the encoder 21 produces the command signals as a way to select different shapes for generating particular waveforms in the waveform generator 17 . for example , the data may be grouped in multiple data bits per channel symbol . the waveform generator 17 then produces the requested waveform at a particular time as indicated by the timing generator 7 0 . the output of the waveform generator is then filtered in filter 23 and amplified in amplifier 25 before being transmitted via antenna 1 , 15 by way of the t / r switch 27 . in another embodiment of the present invention , the transmit power is set low enough that the transmitter and receiver are simply alternately powered down without need for the t / r switch 27 . also , in some embodiments of the present invention , neither the filter 23 nor the amplifier 25 is needed , because the desired power level and spectrum is directly useable from the waveform generator 17 . in addition , the filters 23 and the amplifier 25 may be included in the waveform generator 17 depending on the implementation of the present invention . a feature of the uwb communications system disclosed , is that the transmitted waveform x ( t ) can be made to have a nearly continuous power flow , for example , by using a high chipping rate , where the wavelets g ( t ) are placed nearly back - to - back . this configuration allows the system to operate at low peak voltages , yet produce ample average transmit power to operate effectively . as a result , sub - micron geometry cmos switches , for example , running at one - volt levels , can be used to directly drive antenna 1 , 15 , such that the amplifier 25 is not required . in this way , the entire radio can be integrated on a single monolithic integrated circuit . under certain operating conditions , the system can be operated without the filters 23 . if , however , the system is to be operated , for example , with another radio system , the filters 23 can be used to provide a notch function to limit interference with other radio systems . in this way , the system can operate simultaneously with other radio systems , providing advantages over conventional devices that use avalanching type devices connected straight to an antenna , such that it is difficult to include filters therein . the uwb transceiver of fig1 a or 2 may be used to perform a radio transport function for interfacing with different applications as part of a stacked protocol architecture . in such a configuration , the uwb transceiver performs signal creation , transmission and reception functions as a communications service to applications that send data to the transceiver and receive data from the transceiver much like a wired i / o port . moreover , the uwb transceiver may be used to provide a wireless communications function to any one of a variety of devices that may include interconnection to other devices either by way of wired technology or wireless technology . thus , the uwb transceiver of fig1 a or 2 may be used as part of a local area network ( lan ) connecting fixed structures or as part of a wireless personal area network ( wpan ) connecting mobile devices , for example . in any such implementation , all or a portion of the present invention may be conveniently implemented in a microprocessor system using conventional general purpose microprocessors programmed according to the teachings of the present invention , as will be apparent to those skilled in the microprocessor systems art . appropriate software can be readily prepared by programmers of ordinary skill based on the teachings of the present disclosure , as will be apparent to those skilled in the software art . fig3 illustrates a processor system 301 upon which an embodiment according to the present invention may be implemented . the system 301 includes a bus 303 or other communication mechanism for communicating information , and a processor 305 coupled with the bus 303 for processing the information . the processor system 301 also includes a main memory 307 , such as a random access memory ( ram ) or other dynamic storage device ( e . g ., dynamic ram ( dram ), static ram ( sram ), synchronous dram ( sdram ), flash ram ), coupled to the bus 303 for storing information and instructions to be executed by the processor 305 . in addition , a main memory 307 may be used for storing temporary variables or other intermediate information during execution of instructions to be executed by the processor 305 . the system 301 further includes a read only memory ( rom ) 309 or other static storage device ( e . g ., programmable rom ( prom ), erasable prom ( eprom ), and electrically erasable prom ( eeprom )) coupled to the bus 303 for storing static information and instructions for the processor 305 . a storage device 311 , such as a magnetic disk or optical disc , is provided and coupled to the bus 303 for storing information and instructions . the processor system 301 may also include special purpose logic devices ( e . g ., application specific integrated circuits ( asics )) or configurable logic devices ( e . g , simple programmable logic devices ( splds ), complex programmable logic devices ( cplds ), or re - programmable field programmable gate arrays ( fpgas )). other removable media devices ( e . g ., a compact disc , a tape , and a removable magneto - optical media ) or fixed , high density media drives , may be added to the system 301 using an appropriate device bus ( e . g ., a small system interface ( scsi ) bus , an enhanced integrated device electronics ( ide ) bus , or an ultra - direct memory access ( dma ) bus ). the system 301 may additionally include a compact disc reader , a compact disc reader - writer unit , or a compact disc juke box , each of which may be connected to the same device bus or another device bus . the processor system 301 may be coupled via the bus 303 to a display 313 , such as a cathode ray tube ( crt ) or liquid crystal display ( lcd ) or the like , for displaying information to a system user . the display 313 may be controlled by a display or graphics card . the processor system 301 includes input devices , such as a keyboard or keypad 315 and a cursor control 317 , for communicating information and command selections to the processor 305 . the cursor control 317 , for example , is a mouse , a trackball , or cursor direction keys for communicating direction information and command selections to the processor 305 and for controlling cursor movement on the display 313 . in addition , a printer may provide printed listings of the data structures or any other data stored and / or generated by the processor system 301 . the processor system 301 performs a portion or all of the processing steps of the invention in response to the processor 305 executing one or more sequences of one or more instructions contained in a memory , such as the main memory 307 . such instructions may be read into the main memory 307 from another computer - readable medium , such as a storage device 311 . one or more processors in a multi - processing arrangement may also be employed to execute the sequences of instructions contained in the main memory 307 . in alternative embodiments , hard - wired circuitry may be used in place of or in combination with software instructions . thus , embodiments are not limited to any specific combination of hardware circuitry and software . as stated above , the processor system 301 includes at least one computer readable medium or memory programmed according to the teachings of the invention and for containing data structures , tables , records , or other data described herein . stored on any one or on a combination of computer readable media , the present invention includes software for controlling the system 301 , for driving a device or devices for implementing the invention , and for enabling the system 301 to interact with a human user . such software may include , but is not limited to , device drivers , operating systems , development tools , and applications software . such computer readable media further includes the computer program product of the present invention for performing all or a portion ( if processing is distributed ) of the processing performed in implementing the invention . the computer code devices of the present invention may be any interpreted or executable code mechanism , including but not limited to scripts , interpretable programs , dynamic link libraries , java or other object oriented classes , and complete executable programs . moreover , parts of the processing of the present invention may be distributed for better performance , reliability , and / or cost . the term “ computer readable medium ” as used herein refers to any medium that participates in providing instructions to the processor 305 for execution . a computer readable medium may take many forms , including but not limited to , non - volatile media , volatile media , and transmission media . non - volatile media includes , for example , optical , magnetic disks , and magneto - optical disks , such as the storage device 311 . volatile media includes dynamic memory , such as the main memory 307 . transmission media includes coaxial cables , copper wire and fiber optics , including the wires that comprise the bus 303 . transmission media may also take the form of acoustic or light waves , such as those generated during radio wave and infrared data communications . common forms of computer readable media include , for example , hard disks , floppy disks , tape , magneto - optical disks , proms ( eprom , eeprom , flash eprom ), dram , sram , sdram , or any other magnetic medium , compact disks ( e . g ., cd - rom ), or any other optical medium , punch cards , paper tape , or other physical medium with patterns of holes , a carrier wave , carrierless transmissions , or any other medium from which a system can read . various forms of computer readable media may be involved in providing one or more sequences of one or more instructions to the processor 305 for execution . for example , the instructions may initially be carried on a magnetic disk of a remote computer . the remote computer can load the instructions for implementing all or a portion of the present invention remotely into a dynamic memory and send the instructions over a telephone line using a modem . a modem local to system 301 may receive the data on the telephone line and use an infrared transmitter to convert the data to an infrared signal . an infrared detector coupled to the bus 303 can receive the data carried in the infrared signal and place the data on the bus 303 . the bus 303 carries the data to the main memory 307 , from which the processor 305 retrieves and executes the instructions . the instructions received by the main memory 307 may optionally be stored on a storage device 311 either before or after execution by the processor 305 . the processor system 301 also includes a communication interface 319 coupled to the bus 303 . the communications interface 319 provides a two - way uwb data communication coupling to a network link 321 that is connected to a communications network 323 such as a local network ( lan ) or personal area network ( pan ) 323 . for example , the communication interface 319 may be a network interface card to attach to any packet switched uwb - enabled personal area network ( pan ) 323 . as another example , the communication interface 319 may be a uwb accessible asymmetrical digital subscriber line ( adsl ) card , an integrated services digital network ( isdn ) card , or a modem to provide a data communication connection to a corresponding type of communications line . the communications interface 319 may also include the hardware to provide a two - way wireless communications coupling other than a uwb coupling , or a hardwired coupling to the network link 321 . thus , the communications interface 319 may incorporate the uwb transceiver of fig2 as part of a universal interface that includes hardwired and non - uwb wireless communications coupling to the network link 321 . the network link 321 typically provides data communication through one or more networks to other data devices . for example , the network link 321 may provide a connection through a lan to a host computer 325 or to data equipment operated by a service provider , which provides data communication services through an ip ( internet protocol ) network 327 . moreover , the network link 321 may provide a connection through a pan 323 to a mobile device 329 such as a personal digital assistant ( pda ) laptop computer , or cellular telephone . the lan / pan communications network 323 and ip network 327 both use electrical , electromagnetic or optical signals that carry digital data streams . the signals through the various networks and the signals on the network link 321 and through the communication interface 319 , which carry the digital data to and from the system 301 , are exemplary forms of carrier waves transporting the information . the processor system 301 can transmit notifications and receive data , including program code , through the network ( s ), the network link 321 and the communication interface 319 . | 7 |
referring to fig2 , a generalized block diagram illustrates a communication system 200 in accordance with the invention . the communication system 200 is a multi - network communication system , here shown to include the public switched telephone network ( pstn ) 216 , public land mobile network ( plmn ) 218 , and a picocellular network , shown generally at 201 . the picocellular network 201 includes a control radio interface ( cri ) 202 , connected to a plurality of cascaded radio heads ( rh ) ( 204 , 206 , 208 , 210 ) four of which are shown . in this embodiment , the radio heads can be located up to 1000 meters from the cri 202 . the mobile switching center ( msc ) 212 controls and monitors the cri 202 and radio heads ( 204 , 206 , 208 , 210 ). in this embodiment , each radio head ( 204 , 206 , 208 , 210 ) provides four radio transceivers ( trxs ) that are generally configured to operate on one digital control channel ( dcch ), one mobile location verification module ( ver ), and eight digital voice channels ( dvcs ). in this example , the antennas are located within the radio head . alternatively , external antennas may be used with the system . the following are various types of cell configurations that may be implemented : digital only , analog gateway , dual - mode , and analog - only . in this embodiment , the digital only cell offers support for mobile terminals with digital control and voice channels and supports hand - offs of these mobile terminals operating in digital mode from other cells operating in the 850 mhz cellular band . digital - only cells require dcch , dvc , and ver functions . the analog gateway cell in this embodiment provides hand - offs of is - 136 compatible mobile terminals that operate in the 850 mhz band from neighbor cells that support only avc . is - 136 is also known as tia / eia - 136 , the so - called “ north american ” tdma standard specified in document tia / eia - 136 , revision b , published mar . 1 , 2000 , by the telecommunications industry association ( tia ). an avc and a signal strength receiver ( sr ) are required for location and verification functions to support hand - offs . analog gateway cells use dcch , dvc , and ver functions internally . the dual - mode cell in this embodiment provides both analog and digital voice channel capability internally , with control provided through an analog control channel ( acc ). dual - mode cells require acc , avc , dvc , ver , and sr functions . alternatively , a dcch may be included . the analog - only cell provides analog voice and control channel capabilities . analog - only cells require acc , avc , and sr functions . cri 202 is connected to a msc 212 by a communication link 203 , which is in turn connected to a private branch exchange ( pbx ) 214 . the communication link 203 is a t1 line , but may alternatively be any other known communication link having allocable channels . an allocable channel is any channel that can be switched for use by one terminal to another terminal . the interwork between the pbx 214 and the mobile switching center 212 can take place using any type of extension interface . the extension interface may , for example , provide concentrated access e . g . via the isdn interface or may provide multiplexed access over the pcm ( pulse code modulation )/ cas ( channel associated signaling ) interface , but it may also be an analog line . pcm is the transmission technique in this embodiment . there are two types of channels utilized , namely , a control channel and a working channel . on the control channel , system information is transmitted back and forth between the mobile terminals and the radio head , and includes information such as channel availability , channel assignment , radio id / lid ( logical id )/ gid ( group id ) and other control - type data for system bookkeeping purposes . on the working channel , data and / or voice communication signals , with certain overhead information , are transmitted . as used herein , the term “ channel ” refers to a communication connection , or pathway for communication . a “ channel ” may consist of a frequency , a frequency and time slot ( such as in a tdma system ), any combination of frequencies and timeslots , or a spreading code ( such as in a cdma system ). control channels are used for setting up calls , informing the radio heads ( 204 , 206 , 208 , 210 ) about location and parameters associated with mobile terminals , and informing the mobile terminals about location and parameters associated with the radio heads ad cellular system configuration . the radio heads listen for call access requests by mobile terminals and the radio heads in turn listen for paging messages . once a call access message has been received , it must be determined which cell should be responsible for the call . next , the assigned cell is ordered , by the mobile switching center ( msc ) for example , to tune to an available voice channel which is allocated from the set of voice channels accessible to the assigned cell . the pbx 214 receives messages from , and sends messages to , the pstn 216 . the msc 212 may also be connected to the public land mobile network ( plmn ) 218 . the msc 212 is provisioned with information about the various mobile terminals ( 220 , 222 , 224 , 226 , 228 ) served so that exchange can appropriately handle system functions requiring channel allocation . thus , the cri 202 controls and coordinates the wireless connections among the plurality of radio heads ( 204 , 206 , 208 , 210 ) and various wireless communication devices , represented by mobile terminals ( mt ) ( 220 , 222 , 224 , 226 , 228 ) and the pstn 216 or plmn 218 . each radio head ( 204 , 206 , 208 , 210 ) includes a plurality of transceivers , each of which may be allocated and configured with a channel to handle one of a plurality of system functions . referring to fig4 , a block diagram of a cri 202 and radio head 204 is illustrated in more detail in accordance with the invention . the cri , in accordance with one embodiment of the invention , includes control part ( cop ) 402 having a programmed processing system . the processing system is conventional in nature and circuitry for managing the functions of the cri 202 as is well known and is therefore not specifically shown herein . in one embodiment , the processing system includes a central processing unit , such as a microprocessor or digital signal processor , and associated memory . the cri 202 includes a channel allocation function in the processing system which uses algorithms for making channel allocation decisions based on whether a system function requires a dedicated channel . additionally , the operator may program the processing system to define the function of a transceiver . the cri 202 has functions which include : interface to the msc 212 via the communication link 203 ; interface to the radio head 204 via pcm cable 404 ; network and air frame synchronization ( afs ) timing ; carrier frequency stabilization ; air interface logical control channel functions ; channel time switching to set up semi - permanent time - switched connections of coded speech data and control data to the transceivers ; regional processing for the distributed operating system ; and processing capability to perform mobile telephony channel functions . the modem part ( mop ) 406 provides conversion from speech and mobile station control channel data to and from radio waves to communicate with mobile terminals . the voice transcoder part of the mop functionality resides in the msc 212 ( shown in fig2 ). the antenna near part ( anp ) 408 in this embodiment includes combining and separating radio frequency carriers for transmitting and receiving on the same radio antennas . the support part ( sup ) 410 provides dc power to the hardware units hosting the functional modules . the sup 410 also provides cooling where needed . referring now to fig5 , a radio head 500 in accordance with the invention is illustrated in detail . the radio head 500 implements the mop functionality and part of the anp and sup functionality . rf shielding is typically used to minimize coupling of signals into and from the rf circuitry and allows compliance to electromagnetic interference ( emi ) and electromagnetic compatibility ( emc ) specifications . the radio head 500 includes two dual radio transceiver boards ( trx ) ( 502 , 504 ), and a remote pcm interface 506 , which is a pcm ( t1 ) link . each transceiver board ( 502 , 504 ) contains the functionality of two transceivers ( 512 , 514 , 516 , 518 ). in the transmit and receive sides , each transceiver ( 502 , 504 ) performs frequency upconversion and downconversion in two stages with both transceivers using the same transmit and receive intermediate frequency ( if ). both transceivers on a board share a local oscillator ( lo ) ( 520 , 522 ), which is used to upconvert and downconvert to and from the if . in the downlink direction , coded voice data and logical channel data are combined in the transceiver . the radio head 500 contains two integrated transmit and receive monopole antennas ( 508 , 510 ). the antennas ( 508 , 510 ) provide an omnidirectional pattern . alternatively , a patch antenna may be used , which provides directional pattern with gain . the pcm cable 524 provides a pcm interface between the cri 202 and radio head 500 . each transceiver in the radio head requires one voice and one control timeslot on the pcm cable 524 . in the digital mode , the voice timeslot is subdivided into three channels that transport coded speech data from the msc to the transceiver . an additional timeslot on the pcm cable 524 may be reserved for air frame synchronization ( afs ). in this embodiment , the cabling between the cri and the radio heads is 24 gauge twisted pair . referring now to fig2 and 3 , a generalized diagram illustrates a frame 301 of fig3 sent over a communication link 203 of fig2 having a plurality of channels for allocation in accordance with the invention . the communication link 203 of fig2 is a t1 line with the capability to support 1 . 544 mbits per second of data . one frame of a t1 line consists of 24 individual channels and one bit for frame coding 312 . only six channels are shown in fig3 . the frame - coding bit 312 is followed by the first channel 300 , the second channel 302 , the third channel 304 , the fourth channel 306 , the fifth channel 308 , and lastly the twenty - fourth channel 310 . each channel supports 64 kbits per second . a channel can be configured and allocated by the cri 202 to a channel function for use by a transceiver . each channel is comprised of 8 bits . in each channel , one bit is allocated for physical layer signaling ( shown in fig3 in the second channel 302 at the eighth bit 316 ). the other 7 bits of the channel 314 are data bits ( shown in the second channel at the first to seventh bits 314 ). furthermore , the communication link 203 of fig2 may be divided into channels in several other different ways . some of the known methods are tdm ( time division multiplexing ), fdm ( frequency division multiplexing ), and cdm ( code division multiplexing ). in fdm systems , the channel is defined by the used frequency . in cdm systems , the channel is defined by the used frequency hopping pattern or hash code . combinations of the division methods mentioned above can also be used . the present invention may be embodied in one or more systems , methods , apparatus and / or computer program products . accordingly , the present invention may be embodied in hardware and / or software ( including firmware , resident software , microcode , etc .). furthermore , the present invention may take the form of a computer program product on a computer - usable or computer - readable storage medium having computer - usable or computer - readable program code embodied in the medium for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system which is part of the communication system . in the context of this document , a computer - usable or computer - readable medium may be any medium that can contain , store , communicate , propagate , or transport the program for use by or in connection with the instruction execution system , apparatus , or device . the computer - usable or computer - readable medium may be , for example but not limited to , an electronic , magnetic , optical , electromagnetic , infrared , or semiconductor system , apparatus , device , or propagation medium . more specific examples ( a nonexhaustive list ) of the computer - readable medium would include the following : an electrical connection having one or more wires , a portable computer diskette , a random access memory ( ram ), a read - only memory ( rom ), an erasable programmable read - only memory ( eprom or flash memory ), an optical fiber , and a compact disc read - only memory ( cd - rom ). note that the computer usable or computer - readable medium could even be paper or another suitable medium upon which the program is printed , as the program can be electronically captured , via , for instance , optical scanning of the paper or other medium , then compiled , interpreted , or otherwise processed in a suitable manner , if necessary , and then stored in a computer memory . fig1 illustrates an exemplary algorithm for requesting channel resources according to the principles of the present invention . in one embodiment , the process of fig1 is implemented in a suitable processing circuitry such as a programmed processor located in a msc of an indoor , wireless communication system in this embodiment . the msc 212 controls the process of channel request . channel request is made to the cri 202 of fig2 . the process begins at start step 100 . at step 102 , the number of channels is set for the type of cri - rh communication and the number of channels available for allocation . for example , a communication link that has 24 channels available with 5 channels allocated for control has 19 timeslots available for allocation to the radio heads . next at step 104 , the number of radio heads on the communication link is determined . as described above , the radio heads are connected in a cascade . in the present algorithm , the channels are allocated to the radio heads in the sequence that the radio heads are cascaded together ( e . g . in fig2 , radio head 204 first , radio head 206 second , radio 208 third , and lastly radio head 210 ). alternatively , the channels may be allocated to the radio heads in any sequence in which the radio heads are arranged . at step 106 , a first radio head is designated for processing . once the first radio head is processed , the other radio heads are processed sequentially . next at step 108 , the type of channel function for any transceiver on the radio head is defined . in this example , an operator defines channel function in the msc 212 . for example , the channel function for the transceiver may be as a digital control channel ( dcch ), analog control channel ( acc ). digital voice channel ( dvc ), and analog voice channel ( avc ). other such channel functions may be used . next , it is determined whether any transceiver requires a dedicated channel 110 , such as for voice traffic . acc , ver , and sr are some of the channel functions that do not require a pcm channel . the types of channel functions that may require a dedicated channel are voice and video traffic . if it is determined that no transceivers on the radio head require dedicated channels , then only available control channels are assigned 112 . next at step 124 , the next radio head in the sequence is turned to for processing 124 . if any transceiver requires a dedicated channel , then the steps of assigning a dedicated channel begins at step 114 . the msc 212 transmits a message instructing the cri 202 to configure its time switch in steps 114 and 116 . at step 114 , the msc 212 transmits a channel request for the number of channels required by the transceiver . after requesting channels at step 114 , it is determined whether any channels are available on the communication link 116 . the cri 202 does this by checking to see if any channels are available . the msc 212 keeps a record in its database of the channels in use and the channels available . if there are no channels available , then the process stops at step 122 . if channels are available , the channels that are available are assigned . furthermore , it is determined whether this radio head currently being processed is the last radio head in the sequence 120 . if this is the last radio head in the sequence , then the process stops at step 122 . if there are more radio heads in the sequence , then the process proceeds to the next radio head in the sequence at step 124 . after step 124 , the entire process returns to step 108 . this radio head is processed as described above . although the above embodiment of the invention has been described as an indoor , wireless communication system , it may be embodied as any type of communication system . as used herein , the term “ communication system ” may include macrocellular communication systems , any type of microcellular communication system , and any other type of picocellular communication system . as used herein , the term “ mobile terminal ” may include a cellular radiotelephone with or without a multi - line display ; a personal communications system ( pcs ) terminal that may combine a cellular radiotelephone with data processing , facsimile , and data communications capabilities ; a pda that can include a radiotelephone , pager , internet / intranet access , web browser , organizer , calendar and / or a global positioning system ( gps ) receiver ; and a conventional laptop and / or palmtop receiver or other appliance that includes a radiotelephone transceiver . mobile terminals may also be referred to as “ pervasive computing ” devices . i have described herein specific embodiments of an invention . one of ordinary skill in the networking and computing arts will quickly recognize that the invention has other applications in other environments . in fact , many environments and implementations are possible . in addition , the recitation “ means for ” is intended to evoke a means - plus - function reading of an element in a claim , whereas , any elements that do not specifically use the recitation “ means for ,” are not intended to be read as means - plus - function elements , even if they otherwise include the word “ means .” the following claims are in no way intended to limit the scope of the invention to the specific embodiments described . | 7 |
referring now to the drawings wherein like reference numerals are used throughout the various views to designate like parts and , more particularly , to fig1 a compressor , provided with an inlet by - pass type capacity control function includes a casing generally designated by the reference numeral 1 , a frame 8 fixed in the casing 1 , a stationary scroll member generally designated by the reference numeral 10 mounted on the frame 8 , an orbiting scroll member generally designated by the reference numeral 11 mating with the stationary scroll member 10 , a compression chamber 20 defined between wraps of the two scroll members 10 , 11 , a motor 21 for driving the orbiting scroll member 11 , a driving means generally designated by the reference numeral 24 , a first back pressure chamber 30 filled with a gas of an intermediate pressure , a second back pressure chamber 31 to which a lubricating oil of a high pressure is introduced , and a capacity control means . the casing 1 has a hermetic structure composed of a barrel portion 2 , an upper cover 3 and a lower cover 4 . a compressed gas delivery chamber 5 , a compressed gas discharge chamber 6 and a lubricating oil chamber 7 are respectively formed in the upper , middle and lower parts of the casing 1 . the frame 8 is fixed to an upper portion of the barrel 2 of the casing 1 . a housing chamber is formed in the upper portion of the frame 8 , while a notched part 9 for discharging the compressed gas is formed in one side of the frame 8 . a passage port 38 for the compressed gas is formed in one end of the frame 8 . the stationary scroll member 10 is composed of an end plate 12 , a wrap 14 and an annular peripheral portion 16 , and is fixed at the peripheral portion 16 to the frame 8 through suitable fixing means such as bolts ( not shown ). the end plate 12 has a delivery port 36 through which the compressed gas is delivered from the central portion of the compression chamber 20 , while a suction port 34 for the gas to be compressed is formed in the peripheral portion 16 which defines at its inner side a suction chamber 35 . a passage port 37 for the compressed gas , formed in the end of the peripheral portion 16 , is communicated with the gas passage port 38 . the orbiting scroll member 11 has an end plate 13 on which formed is a wrap 15 . a shaft support portion 17 of the driving means 24 is formed on the back side of the end plate 13 opposite to the wrap 15 . the orbiting scroll member 11 is housed by the housing chamber formed in the upper portion of the frame 8 . a first back pressure chamber 30 is formed between the end plate 13 and the housing chamber . the end plate 13 is provided with back pressure ports 46a , 46b through which the pressurized gas is introduced into the first back pressure chamber 30 from a compression chamber 20 in the course of compression . the wrap 15 of the orbiting scroll member 11 has a form substantially identical to that of the wrap 14 of the stationary scroll member 10 . more specifically , each wrap has a form which is obtained as a combination of an involute curve and arcs . the stationary scroll member 10 and the orbiting scroll member 11 are coupled together in such a manner that the wraps 14 and 15 thereof mate with each other to define the compression chambers 20 therebetween . the end plate 12 of the stationary scroll member 10 and the axial end surface of the wrap 15 of the orbiting scroll member 11 makes a slight pressure contact with each other at the contact surface 18 . similarly , the end plate 13 of the orbiting scroll member 11 and the end surface of the wrap 14 of the stationary scroll member 10 makes a slight pressure contact at the contacting surface 19 . the motor 21 has a stator 22 and a rotor 23 , and is positioned in the casing 1 substantially at the heightwise mid portion of the latter . the stator 22 is provided with a plurality of circumferentially spaced gas passage ports 39 , 39 &# 39 ;. the driving means 24 has a main shaft 25 which is coupled to the rotor 23 of the motor 21 and rotatably supported by the frame 8 through a pair of slide bearings 52 and 53 , an eccentric shaft 26 connected to the upper end of the main shaft 25 and the shaft supporting portion 17 engaging with the eccentric shaft 26 . as shown in fig2 the axis o 2 of the eccentric shaft 26 is offset from the axis o 1 of the main shaft 25 by a distance ε . the eccentric shaft 26 is engaged by the shaft supporting portion 17 through a slide bearing 54 which also serves as a seal , so that the orbiting scroll member 11 makes an orbiting movement around the center of the stationary scroll member 10 . the slide bearing 53 has a sealing function . an oil pumping piece 47 is attached to the lower end of the main shaft 25 . an oil supplying passage 48 and two oil supplying ports 49 are formed over the main shaft 25 and the eccentric shaft 26 . the end plate 13 of the orbiting scroll member 11 is provided with an oil supplying port ( not shown ), through which a lubricating oil 51 is supplied to sliding portions requiring lubrication . a second back pressure chamber 31 is formed between the upper end of the eccentric shaft 26 and the shaft supporting portion 17 of the orbitary scroll member 11 . referring back to fig1 a balance weight 27 is provided on the main shaft , with rotation prevention members 28 being provided between the orbiting scroll member 11 and the frame 8 . a hermetic terminal 29 is provided on the end cover 4 . the gas to be compressed is drawn into the compression chamber 20 through a suction pipe 33 secured to an upper portion of the barrel 2 of the casing 1 , a suction port 34 formed in the peripheral portion 16 of the stationary scroll member 10 and a suction chamber 35 . the gas 50 compressed in the compression chamber 20 is discharged into the discharge chamber 6 in the casing 1 , through a delivery port 36 formed in the central portion of the end plate 12 of the stationary scroll member 10 , a discharge chamber 5 formed in the upper portion of the casing 1 , a gas passage port 37 formed in the peripheral portion 16 of the stationary scroll member 10 , and a gas passage port 38 formed in the frame 8 . a part of the compressed gas 50 is introduced from the discharge chamber 6 into the notched part 9 formed in the frame 8 , while the remaining part of the compressed gas 50 is introduced into the lubricating oil chamber 7 in the casing 1 through a gas passage port 39 formed in the stator 22 of the motor 21 and is further introduced into the notched part 9 formed in the frame 8 via another gas passage port 39 &# 39 ; formed in the stator 22 . this part of the gas is further discharged to the outside of the compressor through a discharge pipe 40 connected to the barrel 2 of the casing 1 and then through a discharge pipe 41 leading to the outside of the compressor . the capacity control means for the compression chamber 20 includes by - pass ports 42a , 42b for the sucked gas provided in the end plate 12 of the stationary scroll member 10 , a branched by - pass pipe 43 connected to the by - pass ports 42a , 42b , a by - pass pipe 44 through which the by - pass pipe 43 is connected to a suction pipe 32 , and a solenoid valve 45 disposed at an intermediate portion of the by - pass pipe 44 . the solenoid valve 45 is adapted to be maintained in an open position when the compressor is under a capacity control . when the solenoid valve 45 is opened , the sucked gas is allowed to directly flow back to the suction pipe 32 from an intermediate portion of the compression chamber 20 , through the by - pass ports 42a , 42b , by - pass pipe 43 , solenoid valve 45 and the by - pass pipe 44 to thereby effect a control of the volume of the gas finally confined in the compression chamber . the solenoid valve 45 , therefore , is closed during the rating operation of the compressor . the means for imparting the minimum required external force for keeping a seal between the contact surfaces of the end plates and wrap end surfaces of two scroll members 10 and 11 , i . e . the means for imparting suitable axial pressing force , includes two systems . one of the systems is constructed to introduce the gas from the compression chamber 20 in the course of compression into the first back pressure chamber 30 formed between the end plate 13 and the housing chamber of the frame 8 through the back pressure ports 46a , 46b formed in the end plate 13 of the scroll member 11 . the other of the two systems is constructed to introduce the pressure of the compressed gas from the central portion of the compression chamber 20 into the discharge chamber 6 formed in the intermediate portion of the casing 1 and the lubricating oil chamber 7 under the discharge chamber 6 , through the discharge port 36 formed in the end plate 12 of the stationary scroll member 10 , discharge chamber 5 formed in the upper part of the casing 1 , the gas passage port 37 formed in the peripheral portion 16 of the stationary scroll member 10 , the gas passage port 38 formed in the frame 8 and then through the gas passage port 39 formed in the stator 22 of the motor 21 . the discharge pressure thus introduced pressurizes the lubricating oil 51 so that the lubricating oil of the pressure corresponding to the discharge pressure of the gas is introduced through the lubricating oil passage 48 in the drive shaft 24 into the second back pressure chamber 31 formed between the upper end of the eccentric shaft 26 and the shaft supporting portion 17 of the orbiting scroll member 11 . fig4 illustrates the manner in which the wrapping angle may be employed for identifying the positions of the back pressure ports 46a , 46b . assuming that the wrap 15 is formed of an involute curve consisting of an inner curve 15b and an outer curve 15a , the wrapping angle λ is given as the angle of rotation of the involute curve on the base circle bs . the point λn on the outer curve 15a is a point appointed by the wrapping angle λ . a symbol bl represents a base axis line . the intermediate pressure pb required for imparting a suitable axial pressing force to the orbiting scroll member 11 varies in dependence upon various factors such as , for example , operating condition of the compressor , size and form of the wraps , area of the upper end surface of the eccentric portion 26 of the drive shaft 24 , and so forth . the positions of the back pressure ports 46a , 46b for obtaining necessary intermediate pressure for imparting suitable axial pressing force are determined as follows . the pressure pb derived through the back pressure ports 46a and 46b is calculated in accordance with the following formula ( 1 ). ## equ1 ## on the other hand , the back pressure necessary for attaining the suitable axial pressing force is given by the following formula ( 2 ). ab : area of the back surface of the orbiting scroll member to which the pressure pb is applied pd : high pressure of gas or lubricating oil ( pressure in the second back pressure chamber ) ms : moment imparted to orbiting scroll by the radial fluid force within wraps . fs : force applied to sliding surfaces of end plates caused by hydraulic pressure . the position λb of the back pressure port 46a and the position λb + π of the back pressure port 46b are determined by first calculating the level of the pressure pb in accordance with the formula ( 2 ) and then calculating the wrapping angle λb satisfying the thus obtained pressure pb in accordance with the formula ( 1 ). the positions of the back pressure ports 46a , 46b are thus determined are not always the positions that communicate only with the perfectly closed working chamber formed by the wraps 14 and 15 but , in some cases , the back pressure ports 46a , 46b are allowed to communicate for a certain period of time with a working chamber 20a opening to the suction chamber . the back pressure port 46a is formed at a position along the outer curve of the wrap 15 while the back pressure port 46b is formed at a position along the inner curve of the wrap 15 . the ports 46a , 46b are usually but not essentially circular , because the circular form is easy to obtain by machining . for an easier finishing , the back pressure ports 46a , 46b are so formed that their brim coincide with the inner curve and outer curve of each wrap 15 or spaced slightly therefrom , although the ports 46a , 46b may be formed to cut into the wrap 15 or in the side surface of the wrap 15 . the size of the back pressure ports 46a , 46b , i . e . the diameter of the ports when the later are circular , should be smaller than the thickness t of the wrap 14 at the greatest , because , when these ports are formed in the end plate 13 , they must be sealed by the end surfaces of the wrap 14 . according to an ordinary design , the thickness t of the wrap 14 is equal to the thickness of the wrap 15 . the lower limit of the diameter of the port is approximately ( ε + t )/ 10 , although it varies depending on the rate of gas treated by the machine per unit time , the volume of the first back pressure chamber 30 and other factors . in the first embodiment shown in fig1 the back pressure ports 46a , 46b are formed in the end plate 13 of the orbiting scroll member 11 . however , this is not exclusive and , for example , as shown in fig5 back pressure ports 56a , 56b may be formed in the end plate 12 of the stationary scroll member 10 at such a position so as to permit extraction of gas of a similar intermediate pressure . in such a case , the back pressure ports 56a , 56b are respectively connected to the back pressure chamber 30 through separate pipes 57a , 57b , 58a , 58b . if the introduction of the lubricating oil into the second back pressure chamber is not necessary , it is possible to form a small port in the central portion of the end plate 13 of the orbiting scroll member 11 defining the working chamber 20c so as to communicate with the second back pressure chamber 31 so that the gas of high pressure is introduced directly into the second back pressure chamber 31 . in this case , the second back pressure chamber 31 is isolated from the lubricating oil passage 48 . the scroll type compressor of the described above operates in the following manner . for the rated operation , i . e . full - load operation , of the compressor , the solenoid valve 45 is closed and the motor 21 is started so that the drive shaft 24 starts to rotate thereby to cause an orbiting motion of the orbiting scroll member 11 with a radius of orbiting movement coinciding with the distance ε between the main shaft 25 of the drive shaft 24 and the eccentric shaft 26 . as a result of the orbiting movement of the orbiting scroll member 11 , the gas is sucked into the compression chamber 20 through the suction pipe 32 , suction pipe 33 , suction port 34 and the suction chamber 35 , and is progressively compressed as it is moved from the outer peripheral portion 20a of the compression chamber 20 towards the central portion 20c through the intermediate portion 20b . as shown by the arrows in fig1 the compression gas 50 , compressed in the compression chamber 20 , is discharged to the discharge chamber 5 formed in the upper portion of the casing 1 through the discharge port 36 which is provided in the central portion of the stationary scroll member 10 . then , the gas is discharged to the discharge chamber 6 in the casing 1 , through the gas passage port 37 formed in the peripheral portion 16 of the stationary scroll member 10 and a gas passage port 38 formed in the frame 8 . a part of this gas 50 is introduced into the notched part 9 formed in the frame 8 through an upper portion of the motor 21 , while the other part flows into the lubricating oil chamber 7 in the casing 1 through the gas passage port 39 formed in the stator 22 of the motor 21 and further into the notched part 9 in the frame 8 through the other gas passage port 39 &# 39 ; provided in the stator 22 . while flowing in the manner described above , the compressed gas 50 effectively cools the motor 21 and is taken out of the compressor through the notched part 9 , discharge pipe 40 and the discharge pipe 41 . during the compression of the gas , a force produced by the compressed gas acts on the orbiting scroll member 11 to move the same away from the stationary scroll member 10 . on the other hand , the gas of the intermediate pressure , which is introduced through the back pressure ports 46a , 46b in the end plate 13 of the orbiting scroll member 11 into the first back pressure chamber 30 between the end plate 13 of the orbiting scroll member 11 and the housing chamber in the frame 8 , produces a force which acts on the back surface of the orbiting scroll member 11 to press towards the stationary scroll member 10 against the aforementioned force which tends to move the orbiting scroll member 11 away from the stationary scroll member 10 . at the same time , the compressed gas introduced into the lubricating oil chamber 7 pressurizes the lubricating oil 51 so that the lubricating oil of the pressure corresponding to the delivery pressure of the compressor is introduced into the second back pressure chamber 31 formed between the shaft supporting portion 17 of the orbiting scroll member 11 and the upper end of the eccentric shaft 26 . the pressure of the thus introduced lubricating oil produces a force which also acts on the back surface of the orbiting scroll member against the aforementioned force which tends to move the orbiting scroll member 11 away from the stationary scroll member 10 . it will be seen that the axial pressing force acting on the back surface of the orbiting scroll member , applied through two systems explained above , makes it possible to maintain a stable and safe seal on the contact surface 18 between the end plate 12 of the stationary scroll member 10 and the end surface of the wrap 15 of the orbiting scroll member 11 , as well as on the contact surface 19 between the end plate 13 of the orbiting scroll member 11 and the end surface of the wrap 14 of the stationary scroll member 10 . consequently , for effecting a capacity control to reduce the capacity of the compression chamber 20 , the solenoid valve 45 constituting the capacity control means is opened , and in the region of the compression chamber 20 in which the by - pass ports 42a , 42b open , the gas is allowed to directly flow into the suction pipe 32 through the by - pass ports 42a , 42b , by - pass pipe 43 , solenoid valve 45 and the by - pass pipe 44 . as a result , the effective compression is made only after the by - pass holes 42a , 42b are closed by the end of the wrap 15 of the orbiting scroll member 11 , so that the capacity of the compressor is reduced . when the compressor operates with reduced capacity , the electric power supplied to the motor 21 is also reduced and , therefore , it is possible to effect two - staged capacity control by a single compressor without changing the speed of the motor 21 . during the operation with reduced capacity , the by - pass ports 42a and 42b take positions near the back pressure ports 46a and 46b and the by - pass ports are allowed to communicate with the outer peripheral portion 20a of the compression chamber 20 for longer period of time . consequently , the pressure introduced into the first back pressure chamber 30 from the compresion chamber 20 through the back pressure ports 46a , 46b is reduced to a level approximating the suction pressure . however , the lubricating oil 51 is pressurized also in this case by the compressed gas 50 introduced into the lubricating oil chamber 7 , so that the oil pressure corresponding to the delivery pressure of the gas 50 is introduced through the oil supplying passage 48 in the drive shaft 24 into the second back pressure chamber 31 to produce a force of a level suitable to overcome the separating force acting between the orbiting scroll member 11 and the stationary scroll member 10 . it is , therefore , possible to maintain the stable and reliable seal on the contact surface 18 between the end plate 12 of the stationary scroll member 10 and the end surface of the wrap 15 on the orbiting scroll member 11 , as well as on the contact surface 19 between the end plate 13 of the orbiting scroll member 11 and the end surface of the wrap 14 of the stationary scroll member 10 . in the described embodiment , it is possible to omit specific piping arrangement and specific control means for the adjustment of the back pressure , because both of the gas passage ports 37 , 38 and 39 , 39 &# 39 ; are formed in the members which are mounted in the casing 1 . during the rating operation of the compressor , a suction pressure p 1 is applied on the side of the end plate 13 of the orbiting scroll member 11 . pressures in operating chambers p 2 , p 3 , p 4 progressively increases towards the center of the end plate 13 and a pressure p 5 , slightly higher than the suction pressure p 1 , acts on the end of the end plate 13 . on the other hand , the back side of the end plate 13 , opposite to the compression chamber 20 , receives the intermediate pressure pb of the gas under compression transmitted into the first back pressure chamber 30 through the back pressure ports 46a , 46b , as well as oil pressure p 4 &# 39 ; acting in the second back pressure chamber 31 and corresponding to the gas delivery pressure transmitted through the oil supply passage 48 provided in the drive shaft . the pressures pb and p 4 &# 39 ; in combination produce a force which act against the separating force produced by the pressures p 1 to p 5 which tends to separate the orbiting scroll member 11 from the stationary scroll member 10 . when the compressor operates with reduced capacity as a result of the capacity control , the pressures p 1 to p 4 act on the side of end plate 13 facing the compression chamber 20 in the manner shown in fig3 b . on the other hand , a pressure p 1 &# 39 ; substantially equal to the suction pressure p 1 acts in the first back pressure chamber 30 on the back side of the end plate 13 , through the back pressure ports 46a and 46b and , in addition , oil pressure p 3 &# 39 ; corresponding to the delivery pressure acts in the second back pressure chamber 31 through the oil supplying passage . it is , therefore , possible to apply at least the minimum axial pressing force by the pressures p 1 &# 39 ; and p 3 &# 39 ; on the back side of the end plate 13 , to overcome the separating force produced by the pressures p 1 to p 4 and acting on the side of the end plate 13 tending to separate the orbiting scroll member 11 from the stationary scroll member 10 . although the device described hereinabove is applied to a compressor having a capacity control function , it will be clear to those skilled in the art that the device of the invention can equally be applied to a compressor having no capacity control function . in such a case , the compressor is devoid of the by - pass ports 42a , 42b formed in the end plate of the stationary scroll member 10 , the by - pass pipes 43 , 44 and the solenoid valve 45 which are shown in fig1 and 2 . in such an application , the compressor operates in same manner as the described hereinabove except for the described capacity control operation . although the invention has been described through specific terms , it is to be noted here that the described embodiment is not exclusive and various changes and modifications may be effected without departing from the scope of the invention which is limited solely by the appended claims . | 5 |
with reference to the accompanying drawings , the quick install faucet assembly according to the principles of the present invention will be described the quick install faucet assembly described herein includes a spout 10 and a pair of separately mounted end body valve assemblies 12 , 14 . however , it should be understood that the principles of the present invention may also be applied to a faucet assembly having the spout 10 and valve assemblies 12 , 14 as a single unit . as shown in fig6 the spout 10 includes a water passage 16 which communicates with a waterway tube 18 . the waterway tube 18 has a threaded end portion 20 which engages an internally threaded portion 22 of the spout 10 . the waterway tube 18 includes a radially extending hexagonal flange portion 24 . a guide bracket 26 is provided with a pair of openings 28 and receives the threaded portion 20 of the waterway tube 18 through one of the openings 28 . the radially extending flange portion 24 supports the guide bracket 26 within a lower cavity 30 defined within the spout 10 . the threaded portion 20 of waterway tube 18 is engaged with the internally threaded portion 22 of spout 10 . as is known in the art , a teflon ® tape , thread sealant or other seal means , can be provided on the threaded portion 20 of the waterway tube 18 in order to provide a water sealed fit . a threaded rod 32 is provided with a hollow cylindrical body 34 which is externally threaded and is provided with an upper radially extending flange 36 . the threaded rod 32 extends through the second opening 28 in guide bracket 26 while flange 36 rests against the guide bracket 26 . the threaded rod 32 is aligned with an opening 38 in the spout 10 which allows access of an allen wrench for engaging an internal hexagonal engagement portion 40 provided in the upper portion of the threaded rod 32 . in the completed faucet assembly , a pop - up rod 58 extends through the central opening of the threaded rod 32 and through the opening 38 in spout 10 . as is well known in the art , the pop - up rod 58 engages a drain stopper assembly ( not shown ) for opening and closing the drain stopper . a wedge retainer assembly is provided for securing the faucet 10 to a deck or mounting surface 60 . the wedge retainer assembly includes a wedge nut member 42 which is threadedly engaged with the threaded rod 32 . as best shown in fig5 the wedge nut member 42 includes a threaded opening 44 which engages the threaded rod 32 and a second opening 46 which slidably receives the waterway tube 18 . the nut member 42 includes a wedge or cone shaped sidewall 48 . a retainer member 50 is slidably mounted to the waterway tube 18 and threaded rod 32 . the retainer member 50 includes a base portion 52 having a pair of holes 54 adapted to receive the waterway tube 18 and threaded rod 32 . the retainer member 50 includes a plurality of legs 55 each provided with a radially outwardly extending foot portion 56 . with reference to fig2 and 3 , the installation of the spout 10 according to the principles of the present invention will now be described . the spout 10 is mounted to a deck or mounting surface 60 which is provided with an opening 62 for receiving the threaded rod 32 and waterway tube 18 of the spout assembly . as shown in fig2 the retainer member 50 is slidably received over the waterway tube 18 and threaded rod 32 . the wedge nut member 42 is threadedly engaged with the threaded rod 32 and receives the waterway tube 18 in the second opening 46 . the wedge nut member 42 passes through the opening 62 in the deck 60 and the retainer member 50 is disposed above the wedge nut member 42 . the spout is then rotated to the final position such that the threaded rod 32 and waterway tube 18 extend generally vertically and the spout 10 is properly aligned with the sink . at this point , an allen wrench can be inserted through the opening 38 in the spout 10 to engage the hexagonal portion 40 of the threaded rod 32 . the threaded rod 32 can then be turned in order to draw the wedge nut member 42 and retainer member 50 in an upward direction so that the end portions of the legs 55 of the retainer member 50 are engaged by the wedge nut member 50 . as the wedge nut member is drawn further upward by rotation of the threaded rod 32 , the foot portions 56 of the legs 55 engage the underside of the deck 60 at four points spaced about opening 62 to secure the spout in place , as best shown in fig3 . the pop - rod 58 is slidably received in the opening in the threaded rod 32 and can be easily removed so that the allen wrench can be inserted through the opening 38 of spout 10 to engage the hexagonal portion 48 of the threaded rod 32 . as shown in fig1 the quick install faucet assembly of the present invention is provided with first and second end body valve assemblies 12 , 14 . one of the end body valve assemblies 12 is provided for the hot water line while the other of the end body valve assemblies 14 is for the cold water supply line . each end body valve assembly 12 , 14 is provided with an end connector 70 , secured in place by a connector clip 72 , for communicating water via interconnecting hoses 74 to the t - joint connector 76 mounted to the waterway tube 18 of spout assembly 10 . with reference to fig1 , end body valve assembly 14 will be described . it should be understood that the end body valve assemblies 12 , 14 have identical configurations and that a separate detailed description of each valve assembly is unnecessary . the end body valve assembly 14 includes a threaded body 80 mounted to a shut - off valve 82 . the threaded body 80 includes an upper hexagonal head portion 84 provided with a radially extending flange 86 below the hexagonal head portion 84 . the threaded body 80 also includes a hollow longitudinally extending base portion 88 which defines the waterflow path as best shown in fig1 . the threaded body 80 has a hollow central portion 90 which receives a spacer tube 92 ( shown in fig1 ). spacer tube 92 has a hollow opening therethrough which defines the central flowpath 93 which communicates fluid through the shut - off - valve 82 . the shut - off valve 82 communicates water from the waterflow path 93 to a concentrically formed waterflow path 95 between the threaded body 80 and spacer tube 92 to communicate water to radially extending openings 96 in the base portion 88 of the threaded body 80 . the openings 96 communicate with the end connector 70 for communicating water through the interconnecting hose 74 . the base portion 88 of threaded body 80 is provided with radial grooves 98 for supporting o - rings 102 between the base portion 88 and the end connector 70 for providing a water - tight fit between the end connector 70 and the threaded body 80 . the base portion 88 of the threaded body 80 includes a recessed area between the o - rings 102 for water flow . the base portion 88 also includes a groove 104 for receiving a retaining clip 72 , as shown in fig1 and 12 . a wedge retainer assembly is provided for securing the end body valve assembly 14 to a deck or mounting surface 60 . the wedge retainer assembly includes a threaded wedge nut 110 which is threadedly engaged with the threaded body 80 . threaded wedge nut 110 , as best shown in fig1 , is provided with a pair of oppositely disposed guide grooves 112 and a wedge or cone shaped sidewall surface 113 . the wedge retainer assembly also includes a retainer member 114 . the retainer member 114 , as best shown in fig9 includes a central opening 115 for receiving the threaded body 80 and a plurality of legs 116 . each of the legs 116 is provided with a radially outwardly extending foot portion 118 . a nut guide assembly 130 , as best shown in fig1 , is provided for guiding the threaded wedge nut 110 and preventing rotation of the threaded nut 110 . the nut guide assembly 130 includes a guide flange 132 which abuts against the radially extending flange 86 of threaded body 80 . as best shown in fig1 , guide flange 132 includes a pair of recesses 134 which mate with an upper bend portion 136 of oppositely disposed guide arms 138 , as best shown in fig1 and 17 . as the guide flange 132 rests against the radially extending flange 86 , the flange 86 helps to hold the upper bend portion 136 of the arms 138 in the recesses 134 . the guide arms 138 extend through the guide recesses 112 in the threaded wedge nut 110 to prevent the threaded wedge nut 110 from rotating relative to the nut guide assembly 130 . accordingly , as the threaded body 80 is rotated , the wedge threaded nut 110 is prevented from rotating relative to the nut guide assembly 130 therefore causing the threaded wedge nut 110 to move upward and downward along the threaded body 80 depending upon the direction of rotation of the threaded body 80 . as the threaded wedge nut 110 moves upward along the threaded body 80 upon rotation of the threaded body 80 , the threaded wedge nut 110 engages the legs 116 of the retainer member . during installation of the end body valve assembly 14 , according to the principles of the present invention , the threaded body 80 and wedge nut member 1 10 of the end body valve assembly 14 is inserted through an opening 150 in the deck or mounting surface 60 , as best shown in fig7 . in order to securely fasten the end body valve assembly 14 to the deck 60 , the guide flange 132 is held and the threaded body 80 is rotated in a clockwise direction in order to draw the threaded nut wedge 110 upward against the legs 116 of the retainer member 114 . as the threaded nut wedge 110 spreads the legs 116 of the retainer member 114 , the foot portions i 18 of each of the legs 116 engages the underside of the deck 60 in order to secure the end body valve assembly 14 to the deck 60 , as best shown in fig8 . a wrench can be used to engage the hexagonal head portion 84 of the threaded body 80 in order to tighten the end body valve assembly 14 in place . the height is automatically set for proper handle height . a lever handle ( not shown ) would then be applied to the upper splined portion 154 of the valve 82 as is known in the art . at this time , the end connector 70 is attached to the end body valve assembly 14 by sliding the connector 70 over the base portion 88 of the threaded body 80 and the connector clip 72 is inserted in the groove 104 for holding the connector 70 in place . preferably , the interconnecting hoses 74 are preassembled to the end connectors 70 and t - connector 76 , thus reducing the amount of time and work done under the sink where space is limited . the end connector 70 , as best shown in fig1 , includes a generally cylindrical body portion 160 having a radially extending port neck 162 extending therefrom . port neck 162 includes serrations 164 on an exterior surface thereof . the serrations 164 engage with the hose 74 to secure the hose 74 to the end connector 70 . as an alternative , the hoses 74 can be secured in place by other known fastening methods such as a crimped fitting . the t - connector 76 , shown in fig1 and 6 , includes a body portion 168 , as best shown in fig7 connected to the waterway tube 18 and further having first and second hose connector portions 170 for connecting with the hoses 74 . the body portion 168 , as shown in fig6 supports an o - ring 172 which surrounds the waterway tube 18 as well as a connector ring 174 . the connector ring 174 includes a plurality of fingers 176 which extend longitudinally and are provided with radially inwardly extending end portions 178 . the radially inwardly extending end portions 178 engage an annular groove 180 formed in the exterior surface of the waterway tube 18 in order to secure the t - connector 76 , as best shown in fig1 to the waterway tube 18 . the t - connector 76 is commercially available from the parflex division of parker hannifin , 1300 n . freedom street , ravenna , ohio 44266 . as an alternative , other known connectors can be utilized . the quick connect faucet assembly , according to the principles of the present invention , provides an installation which is much faster than conventional faucets . furthermore , installation is simplified since all components are tightened from above the sink . the quick install faucet assembly of the present invention has no loose parts that can be misplaced . the end body and spout can be preassembled and ready for installation by the user . the invention being thus described , it will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways . such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention , and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims . | 8 |
referring now to fig1 to 5 , a multileaf collimator 2 is illustrated in accordance with the present invention . a gantry 4 is shown in fig1 . gantry 4 includes a radiation head 6 for housing a radiation source 8 . a patient support assembly 10 is positioned within a radiation beam 9 . multileaf collimator 2 is housed within a multileaf collimator system 12 . a central axis 14 of radiation beam 9 is coincident with the central axis of multileaf collimator 2 . a pair of conventional movable collimators , identified as jaw - blocks or jaws 7 is positioned to generally align the radiation beam with the treatment field to be irradiated , as seen in fig2 . the radiation treatment volume is dependent on the shape of the tumor , as seen from radiation source 8 . it is desirable to generate a shaped treatment field to conform exactly to the shape of the tumor so as to permit a greater dose of radiation to be delivered to the tumor . therefore a plurality of leaves 16 are independently movable with respect to jaws 7 in a longitudinal direction 22 , oriented generally perpendicular to central axis 14 . referring to fig4 and 5 , each leaf 16 includes a leaf end 24 generally transverse to longitudinal direction 22 . the particular shape of the leaf ends ultimately determines the size of penumbra generated in conjunction with a radiation field . furthermore , the shape of leaf end 24 determines the extent to which leaves 16 can be extended across central axis 14 , while still producing a radiation field with acceptable penumbra . leaves 16 are movable in longitudinal direction 22 from a fully retracted position as seen in solid lines in fig5 to a fully extended position as seen in dashed lines in fig5 . in the preferred embodiment , the distance from central axis 14 to each of the fully withdrawn and fully extended positions is 20 cm , at a reference plane 23 positioned 100 cm from the source of radiation . therefore , coverage may occur over the entire 40 cm range of motion , as measured at reference plane 23 . this range of motion allows other conformal therapy methods to be employed with multileaf collimators employing leaf ends in accordance with the present invention . isocenter 35 is positioned on reference plane 23 at its intersection with central axis 14 . the difference in geometry between a proximal surface 39 of leaf 16 and a distal surface 40 of the leaf causes proximal surface 39 to produce penumbra values that are greater than distal surface 40 because radiation source 8 appears larger , as seen from the proximal position . the geometric penumbra is dependent on the size of radiation source 8 , the distance from the radiation source to either distal surface 40 or proximal surface 39 , and the distance from radiation source 8 to reference plane 23 . the equation for geometric penumbra , by considering similar traingles , is : in the preferred embodiment , proximal surface 39 is 48 . 2 cm from the radiation source 8 while distal surface 40 is 53 . 4 cm from the radiation source . from the above equation , the geometric penumbra factor for the distal surface 40 will be : ( source size ) ( 0 . 873 ) while the geometric penumbra factor for proximal surface 39 will be ( source size ) ( 1 . 075 ). therefore , in the preferred embodiment , the geometric penumbra for distal surface 40 will be ( 0 . 873 / 1 . 075 ) or 0 . 812 times as large as the geometric penumbra for proximal surface 39 . the geometric penumbra factors calculated above must be compensated with transmission penumbra . referring to fig4 this is done by offsetting the axis of symmetry of the leaf end distally from the longitudinal axis 36 of leaf 16 by an offset distance 38 . the amount of offset 38 is chosen such that the amount of radiation attenuation in offset 38 is equal to the geometric penumbra factor between proximal and distal surfaces 39 , 40 . for the preferred embodiment , the offset thickness is calculated as follows : table 1 lists calculated linear attenuation coefficients of several materials for common megavoltage x - ray beams . the calculated narrow - beam linear attenuation coefficients listed in table 1 can be used for megavoltage x - ray beams to calculate the required material thickness to achieve the desired offset . table 1______________________________________calculated narrow - beam , linear attenuation coefficients . ( inch . sup .- 1 ) atomic density 10 25number ( g / cm . sup . 3 ) 4 mv 6 mv mv 15 mv mv______________________________________al 4 2 . 70 0 . 365 0 . 316 0 . 256 0 . 215 0 . 186v 23 6 . 11 0 . 782 0 . 687 0 . 581 0 . 505 0 . 462fe 26 7 . 87 1 . 06 0 . 924 0 . 812 0 . 708 0 . 667cu * 29 8 . 96 1 . 21 1 . 05 0 . 924 0 . 806 0 . 759sn 50 7 . 30 0 . 958 0 . 869 0 . 802 0 . 745 0 . 735w 74 17 . 0 2 . 53 2 . 27 2 . 15 1 . 97 1 . 98pb * 82 11 . 3 1 . 60 1 . 51 1 . 43 1 . 31 1 . 32______________________________________ * copper data scaled from iron data and lead data scaled from tungsten data , accounting for differences in density . for leaves constructed of tungsten , the linear attenuation coefficient can be taken as 2 . 0 inches - 1 . substitution of the linear attenuation coefficient into the above equation yields an offset of 0 . 104 inches . thus , in the preferred embodiment having leaves 16 constructed of tungsten , the axis of symmetry of the leaf ends 24 should have an offset 38 on the distal side of longitudinal axis 36 of leaves 16 of 0 . 104 inches . a first flat end 28 and a second flat end 30 are directed at the edge of the radiation source when leaf 16 is fully extended or fully retracted , respectively , as seen in fig5 . a central portion 26 of leaf end 24 is an arc of fixed radius , as measured from the point p . the radius of central portion 26 influences the overall penumbral performance of the leaf end . in the preferred embodiment , the radius of curvature r is 8 cm . in operation , jaw - blocks 7 are positioned relative to patient support assembly 10 at the generally desired location such that the radiation field is positioned in the approximate desired area for treatment . leaves 16 are then driven on rails 20 to locate each respective leaf in the desired position for exactly defining the treatment volume of the tumor . first and second flat ends 28 , 30 and central portion of leaf end 24 allow leaves 16 to be positioned on either side of central axis 14 , as seen in fig5 while maintaining equal penumbra values for positions equidistant from central axis 14 . the calculated multileaf penumbra is shown in fig7 . the figure represents leaf ends 16 retracted away from central axis 14 as positive position values , while leaf positions extended beyond central axis 14 are represented by negative position values . fig7 shows the calculated penumbra for a simple 8 cm constant radius , and an asymmetric 8 cm radius with flat surface tangents . ( the asymmetric configuration can be seen in fig4 .) in both cases , the calculated penumbra values show the largest differences at the largest displacements from central axis , as is expected . from these positions at long displacements from central axis , the difference between the penumbra values smoothly diminish . at central axis , there is no difference between the simple 8 cm radius and the asymmetric 8 cm radius with tangents . although the penumbra generated by distal portion 40 of leaf 16 has been increased at large retractions from central axis , the penumbra for leaf positions near central axis has not increased . the asymmetric leaf end shape of the present invention has an additional benefit . second flat end 30 is shorter when leaf end 24 has an asymmetric configuration than if the leaf end 24 were symmetric about longitudinal axis 36 of leaf 16 . as leaf 16 is retracted away from central axis 14 , second flat end 30 defines the edge of the radiation field . it also rescatters charged secondary particles back into radiation beam 9 . these charged secondary particles ( typically electrons and positrons ) increase the surface dose in the reference plane 23 and cause the depth of the maximum dose in the reference plane to vary as a function of the size of radiation beam 9 . it is desirable to minimize both of these effects , and providing a shorter leaf second flat end 30 accomplishes this . the shorter surface makes it less probable for charged secondary particles to be rescattered into the radiation beam 9 . fig8 shows an alternate embodiment of the asymmetric leaf end where the asymmetric end is approximated by a polygon . clearly , the limit of a multifaceted polygon is a curved surface . the advantage of using a polygon is increased manufacturability , at the expense of increased transmission penumbra at the positions where the field edge is defined by a corner of the polygon . fig9 shows an alternate embodiment of the asymmetric radius leaf end where the leaf extends in the full lateral extent of the radiation field , what is normally called a jaw - block . fig1 shows an alternate embodiment of the asymmetric radius leaf end in which leaves 16 vary , dependent upon position . in the preferred embodiment , leaves 16 are identical for ease of fabrication . fig1 shows leaves 16 with variable width in the direction parallel with rays from source 8 . the embodiment of fig1 would be required for multileaf collimators positioned close to an extended source , such that each leaf projected the same width onto the reference plane . fig1 shows an alternate embodiment of the asymmetric radius leaf end in which a linear radiation source is oriented perpendicularly to the motion of collimator leaves 16 , rather than the generally circular sources typically used . as discussed above , the first and second flat ends and the asymmetric leaf end of the present invention provides uniform and minimized penumbra over the full range of travel of the collimator leaves , including travel across the central axis of the radiation source . furthermore , the equal penumbra values for points equidistant from the central axis simplifies operation of multileaf collimator requiring no differentiation between retraction and extension of the individual leaves . however , variations and modifications can be made to the preferred embodiment without departing from the scope of the present invention , which is limited only by the following claims . | 6 |
the present invention comprises methods of manufacturing silicon compound crystalline layers and substrates . in one embodiment , a method for the production of a crystalline silicon compound layer comprises heating a porous silicon deposition surface of a porous silicon substrate to a temperature operable for epitaxial deposition of at least one atom or molecule ; contacting the porous silicon deposition surface with a reactive gas mixture comprising at least one chemical species comprising a group iv element and at least one silicon chemical species ; and depositing a silicon - group iv element layer on the porous silicon deposition surface . in another embodiment of the present invention , a method for the production of a crystalline silicon compound substrate comprises heating a porous silicon deposition surface of a porous silicon substrate to a temperature operable for epitaxial deposition of at least one atom or molecule ; contacting the porous silicon deposition surface with a reactive gas mixture comprising at least one chemical species comprising a group iv element and at least one silicon chemical species ; depositing a silicon - group iv element layer on the porous silicon deposition surface ; and separating the silicon - group iv element layer from the porous silicon substrate . in some embodiments , once the silicon - group iv element layer is separated from the porous silicon substrate , further growth of the silicon - group iv element layer can be sustained . further growth can be sustained by continued epitaxial growth comprising heating the silicon - group iv element layer , contacting the layer with a reactive gas mixture comprising at least one chemical species comprising a group iv element and at least one silicon chemical species , and depositing a silicon - group iv compound on the heated layer . in embodiments of the present invention , group iv elements correspond to those of group iv of the periodic table comprising carbon , silicon , germanium , tin , and lead . in another embodiment of the present invention , a method for the production of a silicon silicide layer comprises heating a porous silicon deposition surface of a porous silicon substrate to a temperature operable for epitaxial deposition of at least one atom or molecule ; contacting the porous silicon deposition surface with a reactive gas mixture comprising at least one chemical species comprising a transition metal and at least one silicon chemical species ; and depositing a silicon silicide layer on the porous silicon surface . in some embodiments , the present method can further comprise processing the deposited silicon silicide layer to form silicon silicide semiconductor devices . in other embodiments , the deposited silicon silicide layer may be removed from the porous silicon substrate and subsequently processed to form silicon silicide semiconductor devices . in some embodiments where the silicon silicide layer is removed from the porous silicon substrate , further epitaxial growth of the silicon silicide layer can continue by heating the formed silicon silicide layer to a temperature suitable for epitaxial growth , contacting the silicon silicide layer with a reactive gas mixture comprising a chemical species comprising a transition metal , and depositing a silicon silicide on the heated layer . in some embodiments of methods of the present invention for the production of silicon silicide crystalline layers , transition metals can comprise titanium , chromium , iron , cobalt , nickel , palladium , platinum , and / or molybdenum . in other embodiments , any other transition metal known to one of ordinary skill in the art as suitable for the formation of silicon silicides can be employed . in some embodiments of the present invention , the porous silicon deposition surface can be heated to a temperature operable for epitaxial deposition of at least one atom or molecule wherein the temperature of the deposition surface can range from about 100 ° c . to about 1400 ° c . or greater . in some embodiments of the present invention , the porous silicon deposition surface can be heated to a temperature of ranging from about 100 ° c . to about 500 ° c . in other embodiments of the present invention , the porous silicon deposition surface can be heated to a temperature ranging from about 200 ° c . to about 900 ° c . in other embodiment of the present invention , the porous silicon deposition surface can be heated to a temperature ranging from about 900 ° c . to about 1400 ° c . in some embodiments where epitaxial growth of the formed silicon compound layer is continued after removal of the layer from the porous silicon substrate , the silicon compound layer can be heated up to about 2700 ° c . to continue the epitaxial growth . in some embodiments of the present invention , a reactive gas mixture can comprise trimethylsilanes , methylsilanes , dimethylsilanes , ethylsilanes , diethylsilanes , and / or mixtures thereof . in other embodiments , the reactive gas mixture can comprise sih 4 , sicl 4 , sih 3 cl , ch 4 , c 2 h 6 , geh 4 , digermane , alkyl germanes , such as ethyl and diethyl germane , snh 4 , sncl 4 , other metal organics , and / or mixtures thereof . in some embodiments direct deposition of the elements comprising carbon , silicon , germanium , and tin is achieved . in other embodiments , the reactive gas mixture can comprise chemical species comprising cobalt , chromium , platinum , palladium , nickel , iron , titanium , and / or molybdenum operable for the production of silicides . in some embodiments of the present invention , crystalline silicon - group iv layers can be removed from the porous silicon substrate for further processing into various semiconductor devices . in other embodiments , the crystalline silicon - group iv layers can remain deposited on the porous silicon substrate for further processing into various semiconductor devices . in some embodiments , methods of the present invention can produce commercial size silicon - group iv substrates , such as sic , that are compatible with existing semiconductor fabrication tools used in si technology , enabling economic production of wide band gap semiconductor devices and integrated circuits . wide band gap devices include radiation - resistant devices , high - power , high - frequency devices , short wavelength electro - optic devices ( including blue to ultraviolet sensors and emitters ). in other embodiments , methods of the present invention can produce and integrate islands of silicon - group iv element circuitry on and interconnected with conventional si integrated circuits . for example , a short wavelength light sensor may be incorporated with longer wavelength silicon light sensors and silicon integrated circuitry for the processing of the signals derived therefrom . embodiments of the present invention will now be illustrated in the following non - limiting example . example 1 demonstrates the preparation of a silicon carbide ( sic ) crystalline layer according to one embodiment of the present invention . referring to fig1 , a method 10 produces either a sic wafer endpoint 26 or a sic island in a si environment ( an hybrid endpoint ) 18 . a substantially conventional silicon 12 wafer is used as a starting material . depending on the endpoint , the wafer 12 may be processed directly in an anodization step 14 , or , using conventional photolithography means to open discrete locations on the wafer , the silicon wafer may be prepared for the hybrid endpoint 18 . the wafer is then anodized according to the method described in detail with regard to fig2 . the anodization produces a porous layer of the silicon that consists of a labyrinth of fissures , voids , hillocks , and microscopically rough surfaces . the depth of the voids can be from 10 - nm to the full thickness of the wafer . the lateral density of the voids depends on the anodization conditions . the feedstock silicon wafer preferably has one of the conventional lattice orientations , [ 110 ], [ 100 ] or [ 111 ] while the labyrinth of fissures , voids , hillocks , and microscopically rough surfaces exposes every conceivable angular inclination internal to the labyrinth . the silicon wafer with an anodized surface or islands of anodized regions is introduced to an epitaxial reactor 16 . the epitaxial reactor is preferably a chemical vapor deposition ( cvd ) reactor . the reactants contain at least a carbon - bearing gas and preferably a gas that contains carbon and silicon . cvd can be carried out and a reaction within the labyrinth of fissures , voids , hillocks , and microscopically rough surfaces can take place . the reactant gases can be doped to contain donor or acceptor atoms to create an n - type or p - type endpoint . the energy for the reaction can be supplied by heat , plasma excitation or optical excitation . the reaction temperature has two regimes , at higher temperatures the reaction is dominated by mass transfer and the film growth rate is substantially temperature independent . at lower temperatures the growth rate shows an arrhenius behavior . arrhenius behavior means that the growth rate decreases linearly against 1 / t , where t is the temperature in ° k and the slope is proportional to e a , the activation energy . the specific temperature for the crossover from the first to second regimes depends on the pressure , reactants and energy source . the values cited hereinafter are typical and not intended to limit the invention in any way . a 3c — sic single crystal thin - film is formed using cvd on the porous silicon surface within the labyrinth of fissures , voids , hillocks , and microscopically rough surfaces formed by the anodization step . for example , the silicon substrate may be heated to held at a temperature in the range of about 900 ° c . through about 1400 ° c . the silicon source may be sih 4 , sicl 4 , ( ch 3 ) 3 sicl , ( ch 3 ) 2 sicl 2 , ch 6 s 1 , c 2 h 8 si or any other silane gas . the latter four examples provide a single gas source where both si and c are provided . the carbon source may be ccl 4 or a hydrocarbon gas ( c 2 h 2 , c 2 h 6 , ch 4 , c 3 h 8 , etc .) hydrogen or argon may be used as a carrier gas . a partial pressure of dopant gases may be added to the mix . a 3c — sic single crystal thin - film is formed using cvd on the silicon surface within the labyrinth of fissures , voids , hillocks , and microscopically rough surfaces formed by the anodization step . the wafer with the porous surface is reacted with a carbon and silicon - bearing gas such as trimethylsilane ( shown ) at a temperature from about 900 ° c . to about 1400 ° c . to form a sic layer of any desired thickness . because the reaction surface consists of a labyrinth of fissures , voids , hillocks , and microscopically rough surfaces formed by the anodization step , conversion to sic and growth of sic layer start within the porous layer . the resultant film is substantially stress free because the voids in the porous layer permit alignment of the two crystalline lattices by skipped bonds . if desired , the endpoint film may be doped to form n - type or p - type sic by the introduction of a partial pressure of gases containing the appropriate dopants . other suitable carbon and silicon - bearing gases include but are not limited to methylsilane , dimethylsilane , ethylsilane , and diethylsilane . a 3c — sic single crystal thin - film is formed using cvd on the silicon surface within the labyrinth of fissures , voids , hillocks , and microscopically rough surfaces formed by the anodization step . carbon atoms may be derived from graphite or hydrocarbon due to the thermal decomposition and diffused into the labyrinthine surfaces on the silicon substrate surface . in methods of the present invention , the porous si with its labyrinth of fissures , voids , hillocks , and microscopically rough surfaces formed by the anodization step , acts as an elastic seed for the crystalline growth of the lattice - mismatched material . the labyrinthine structure accommodates the lattice - mismatch virtually minimizing misfit dislocations . this is critical in the development of subsequent devices . for example , high dislocation density implies short carrier lifetimes and thus unsatisfactory circuit performance . the thickness of the resultant , substantially stoichiometric sic film can be quite large . it can be made to any desirable thickness by adjusting the growth parameters . in one embodiment , the endpoint is silicon / silicon carbide implying further processing to form a hybrid integrated circuit . in this case , the sic is formed in islands in a conventional si wafer . further processing includes the formation of sic devices and circuits operatively interconnected to and integrated with conventional si circuitry . for example , the short wavelength associated with the wide energy gap of sic enables blue to ultraviolet light sensors and emitters . said sensors or emitters may desirably be interconnected with si integrated circuitry enabling a new range of applications , for example short wavelength fiber - optic communications . in another embodiment , the endpoint is a sic substrate . in this case , the entire surface of the silicon wafer feedstock is anodized and rebuilt into a thick (& gt ; 20 μm ) sic layer and the silicon is removed by any convenient means , for example mechanically , chemically or thermally . the resultant sic wafer can be processed to a final thickness in a second epitaxial step yielding a sic endpoint . further processing can result in sic devices or integrated circuits . this low cost sic substrate can be processed in conventional ways to enable unconventional results that are implied by the large band gap . for example , radiation - resistant integrated circuits are readily fabricated . further processing may include any of the steps encountered in silicon processing for diffusion of donor or acceptor species . for example , sic specific structures may use ion implantation . fig2 elaborates the principles of the anodization step 14 . the anodization produces a porous layer of the silicon that consists of a labyrinth of fissures , voids , hillocks , and microscopically rough surfaces . the anodization may be accomplished in a container 30 that is fabricated from or totally lined with a material that is inert to the electrolyte which is preferably hydrofluoric acid and ethanol . for example , the material may be a tetrafluoroethylene polymer such as teflon ® which is well known as a very chemically inert material over a wide temperature range (− 80 ° c . to 250 ° c .). the wafer 34 is clamped against a teflon block 38 and electrically contacted with a tungsten clamp 32 to become the anode . the current density is linearly related to the current since the geometry of the apparatus is fixed . the ammeter 44 is in series with a power supply 42 . the negative terminal of the power supply is operatively connected to a tungsten cathode of fixed geometry . tungsten was chosen because it is extremely stable in an acidic environment such as the hf containing electrolyte . the figure and the description hereabove illustrate the principles of the anodization apparatus . the principles may be embodied in a variety of manufacturing tooling which may or may not superficially resemble the illustration in fig2 . referring to fig3 , the effect of heteroepitaxy on silicon according to the prior art is illustrated . the silicon crystal 52 is represented by its lattice points with the lattice constant for silicon represented as “ a ” 58 . the epitaxial layer of sic 54 is grown on the silicon base . the lattice constant for silicon carbide is represented as “ b ” 56 . the interface 62 between the silicon and the silicon carbide layers illustrate stress bonds as bond on an angle . this lattice constant difference induces many dislocations at the interface 62 . these dislocations exert an adverse effect on the electronic properties of the silicon carbide single crystals obtained and may trigger the formation of stacking faults in the crystal , thereby making it difficult to obtain silicon carbide semiconductor devices with excellent characteristics . moreover , silicon carbide single crystals have a tendency to contain crystal defects referred to as antiphase boundaries , thereby making it difficult to produce silicon carbide semiconductor devices at desired positions on a silicon substrate . previous attempts at epitaxial growth of sic on si have met with limited success . for example , minority carrier lifetimes have been impractically short . the maximum obtainable thickness of the resultant films have been impractically thin for the separation of a stand - alone sic wafer . fig4 illustrates the silicon substrate 70 by its lattice points according to this invention . the surface of the silicon where silicon carbide is desired has been anodized leaving porous si with its labyrinth of fissures , voids , hillocks and microscopically rough surfaces . as in fig3 , the lattice constant is represented by “ a ” 58 . in the epitaxial reactor , a silicon and carbon - bearing gas such as trimethylsilane 74 reacts with the silicon substrate as in fig3 . however , the surface of the silicon confronting the reactive gas has been prepared with multiple voids 72 a , 72 b and 72 c . the voids allow the reacting gas to penetrate the confronting surface . the irregular internal surface permits the sic reactants to penetrate into the porous layer and react laterally to form sic while at the same time accommodating the resulting strain due to the lattice mismatch . the small dimension of si in the porous layer and presence of voids provide the mechanism by which strain is accommodated . moreover , the sic material can bridge voids and continue to grow to form a continuous layer . a feature of cvd is that the reactant gas can penetrate the labyrinthine surface in such a way that the reaction takes place on the internal surfaces . as the reaction builds through the labyrinth , the voids partially fill and are finally bridge with substantially strain - relieved sic . it should be noted that contamination can be a source of poor results in cvd reactors . the wafers are placed in the reactor vessel , the reactant gases are introduced with a carrier gas that is inert in the reaction . as the reactants are depleted , their partial pressure must be maintained by providing make - up gas as the reaction proceeds . in some cvd reactors , the gas may become contaminated due to the inadvertent introduction of materials from the inside walls of the vessel . known ways to ameliorate said contamination problems such as “ cold wall ” cvd may be applied here . the term “ cold wall ” refers to the common case wherein the wafer and its support are heated while keeping the container walls cold . the advantage is that the walls do not substantially evolve contaminating materials during the film growth . fig5 shows the effect of a porous silicon substrate 70 confronting the epitaxial sic layer . the pores permit stress - relieving gaps 72 a , 72 b , 72 c , and 72 d in the bonds allowing the bonds to restart at minimum energy pinning points . as a result , the epitaxial film 76 is substantially free of the strain and defects such as dislocations and stacking faults described under fig3 . note that the bonds at the interface 78 are now substantially relaxed . fig6 shows specific results from a specific realization of this invention using scanning electron microscopy ( sem ) and x - ray diffraction . these results do not represent a final process . however , important conclusions related to this invention can be made out of the figures . the sem image shows a cross - sectional image of sic on si . in this case , the growth process parameters were tuned to lead to self separation of the sic layer from the si ( note the gap between the two layers ). the sic layer can be easily separated by twisting the wafer with respect to the layer . the x - ray results shows only one orientation si ( 100 ). this is demonstrated by the peaks from the two equivalent sic ( 200 ) and sic ( 400 ) orientations that are parallel to the [ 100 ] direction . there are no measurable traces of any other orientation . this is a clear indication that the sic is single crystalline layer grown along the [ 100 ] direction . a 3c - silicon carbide layer produced by one embodiment of methods of the present invention can avoid problems that result from the fact the lattice constant of silicon single crystals is different from that of silicon carbide single crystals by as much as 20 %. in unimproved methods , the lattice constant difference induces a high density of misfit dislocations as well as stacking faults generated on the [ 111 ] planes within the silicon carbide single crystals grown on the silicon single - crystal substrate . both misfit dislocations and stacking faults exert an adverse effect on the electronic properties of the silicon carbide single crystals obtained , thereby making it difficult to obtain silicon carbide semiconductor devices with desired and reproducible characteristics . in some embodiments of the present invention , the crystalline silicon carbide layers can comprise cubic silicon carbide . in other embodiments of the present invention , the crystalline silicon carbide layers can comprise hexagonal silicon carbide . additionally methods of the present invention can produce commercial size silicon carbide substrates that are compatible with existing semiconductor tooling , enabling economic production of wide band gap semiconductor devices and integrated circuits that include radiation - resistant devices , high - power , high frequency devices , short wavelength electro - optic devices ( including blue to ultraviolet sensors and emitters ); moreover , the present invention can provide methods to integrate islands of sic circuitry on and interconnected with conventional si integrated circuits . it is to be understood that the foregoing description and specific embodiments are merely illustrative of the best mode of the invention and the principles thereof , and that various modifications and additions may be made to the apparatus by those skilled in the art , without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention , which is therefore understood to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims . | 7 |
fig1 through 5 illustrate the first preferred embodiment of the fisherman &# 39 ; s chair device of the present invention by the numeral 10 . as seen in overall view in fig1 , the chair device 10 includes a flat , substantially rectangular base member 12 , having a pair of wheels 14 , 16 which rotate freely and allow the chair device 10 to be wheeled into position onto the floor surface 18 of a pier 21 ( fig1 ), or bridge beam 110 ( fig2 and 3 ) or boat 121 ( fig4 ), as the case may be . as seen in fig1 , once in position , the lower surface 19 of the base member 12 rests on the floor surface 18 of pier 21 . there is further illustrated a vertical post 20 , having a first lower portion 22 , the lower end 24 of which is permanently secured through welding or the like , to the base member 12 . vertical post 20 has a second upper portion 26 which has the ability to telescope in and out from the distal end 28 of vertical post 20 , as seen by arrow 30 in fig1 , to a predetermined height . once the height is achieved , there is provided a clamp 32 which when tightened secures the upper portion 26 in the position within lower portion 22 until the clamp 32 is disengaged . further , when clamp 32 is disengaged , the upper portion 26 of post 20 may rotate to any position in a 360 degree direction as seen by arrow 33 in fig1 . clamp 32 would be engaged when the seat is at the proper height and direction . as seen further , the upper end 24 of upper portion 26 of vertical post 20 there is engaged a flat , substantially rectangular seat base 36 , having an upper surface 38 upon which may be set a seat or cushion member 37 , as the fisherman so desires , for greater comfort . further , there is provided a handle member 40 which extends outward and upward from seat base 36 , terminating in a grip 42 , so that the handle 40 can be used to guide the device 10 as it is rolled into position for fishing . turning now to another feature of the device , again reference is made to fig1 , wherein there is shown an arm member 50 , having a first portion 51 extending substantially horizontally from and engaged to the lower portion 22 of vertical post 20 . arm member 50 has a second portion 55 which telescopes in and out of the distal end 58 of first portion 51 , as seen by arrow 59 to a desired distance as will be explained . the first end 52 of arm member 50 includes a circular clamp 54 engaged around the circular wall 23 of lower portion 22 . the clamp member is of the type having a knob 53 which can be engaged and disengaged against the wall 23 during use . this feature allows the arm member 50 to be moved to any point along the wall 23 of lower portion 22 , in the direction of arrow 56 , so that when the desired height is achieved , the knob 53 is tightened against the wall 23 of lower portion 22 to maintain the arm member 50 at the desired height . it should be noted that the wall 23 of lower portion 22 of post 20 may include a plurality of protruding teeth 60 so that when the knob 53 is engaged , it would be engaged in a space defined by the teeth , so as to assure the arm member 50 maintains secure and in place . likewise , the first end 52 of arm member 50 includes a swivel 70 and thumb screw member 72 at the connection of the circular clamp 54 to the first end 52 of the arm member 50 , which allows the arm member 50 to pivot up and down , as needed , in the direction of arrow 73 , so that one may fix the arm to an upper beam railing 25 or a lower beam railing 27 , when the clamp is in the proper position , the screw 72 is tightened to maintain the arm member 50 in the desired position . turning now to the second portion 55 which telescopes out from the distal end 58 of the first portion 51 of arm member 50 , there is provided a clamp 60 , which as seen in fig1 , has a pair of wall portions 62 and 64 , secured to a top portion 66 , and spaced apart to define an opening 68 therebetween . in use , once the user determines the distance the device 10 is to be set from the upper or lower rail s 25 , 27 of the pier 21 , the clamp 60 is engaged around the top or side of the rail and set in place . as with the first end 52 of arm member 50 , the distal end 58 likewise includes a swivel 70 thumb screw member 72 at the connection of the end 58 to the clamp 60 , which allows the clamp 60 to be inclined or declined as needed , in the direction of arrow 73 , so that when the clamp is in the proper position , the screw 72 is tightened to maintain the clamp 60 in the desired position . fig2 and 3 illustrate another preferred embodiment of the fisherman chair device 100 of the present invention . this embodiment of the device would be designed to be secured to the rail or beam 110 of a bridge , as illustrated . for sake of avoiding repetition , all of the features of the second embodiment of device 100 are identical to the features of the device 10 as explained in reference to fig1 , except for the features that will be more fully explained below . in fig2 and 3 , fisherman chair device 100 is modified from device 10 shown in fig1 , in terms of how it relates to the manner in which this device 100 is secured to a railing or beam 110 of a bridge . the horizontal arm 50 has been modified in that the second portion 55 of arm 50 telescopes out from first portion 52 , but , second portion 55 includes a threaded wall portion 102 having a continuous thread 104 extending along a substantial portion of its length . at the distal end 106 of portion 102 there is provided a plate 107 , shaped in an “ l ” configuration having a first portion 108 engaged to the end 106 of portion 102 , and a face portion 111 secured to and at a right angle from first portion 108 , defining an inner face 112 which will engage against a beam 110 of a bridge . there is a second “ l ” shaped plate 113 slidably moveable along the threaded portion 102 of second portion 55 , which allows it to be slid in and out along portion 102 , in the direction of arrow 117 , and held in position by the threading of nut 116 on thread 104 . plate 113 is configured identical to plate 107 and also defines a face 115 which engages against an opposing wall 120 of beam 110 . when the plates are set against beam 110 , the nut 116 is tightened into position ( arrow 117 ) against plate 113 , and the arm 50 is secured in place , which , of course , secures the device 100 into position . turning now to another embodiment shown in fig4 , fisherman chair device 200 is modified from device 100 shown in fig2 , very slightly , to allow it to be secured to the wall or gunnel 220 of a boat 221 . as was stated earlier in regard to the embodiment in fig2 and 3 , the horizontal arm 50 has been modified in that the second portion 55 of arm 50 telescopes out from first portion 52 , but , second portion 55 includes a threaded wall portion 102 having a continuous thread 104 extending along a substantial portion of its length . at the distal end 106 of portion 55 there is provided a plate 207 , shaped in an “ l ” configuration having a first portion 208 engaged to the end 206 of portion 55 , and a face portion 210 secured to and at a right angle from first portion 208 , defining an inner face 212 which will engage against the wall 223 of the boat . in the embodiment shown in fig4 , the second member could be defined as a clamp 222 and is shaped similar to the clamp 60 described in regard to fig1 . that is , clamp 222 , which is similar , if not identical to clamp 60 seen in fig1 , includes a pair of wall portions 224 and 226 , secured to a top portion 228 , and spaced apart to define an opening 230 therebetween . therefore , when plate 207 is set against the wall 223 of a boat 221 , the nut 216 , on threaded portion 102 is tightened into position against clamp 222 , which in turn engages the gunnel 220 of the wall 223 of the boat 221 , and the arm 50 is secured in place , which , of course , secures the device 200 into position . in fig5 , the device 10 is illustrated in the embodiment which would be set upon a boat 221 . of course , the movement of the device in any of the embodiments would be in the same manner as will be explained below . as seen the device 10 or 100 or 200 would be tilted back by the use of handle member 40 , so that it could be rolled on wheels 14 , 16 . as seen , during transport , the arm member 50 has been secured in its highest position , so that the device 10 can be more easily maneuvered than if the arm 50 were extended outward . once it is moved into place , the arm 50 would be lowered to the desired height and distance from vertical post 20 , and as explained in regard to the three embodiments , the clamps would be tightened so that the device is secured in place for the fisherman . it is foreseen that the device as disclosed above could be modified so that the base 12 could be removed , and the lower end of post 20 would be sharp and pointed so that the device or chair could be rolled out onto a beach and the point end could be set into the sand a sufficient depth to allow the chair to remain upright and support a fisherman thereupon . in each of the embodiments discussed in fig1 through 5 , it is foreseen that there is an alternative embodiment in which the device is attached to a pier or a beam of a bridge or to the gunnel of a boat , or any other structure . the device could be altered to allow the end of the arm 50 extending out from the vertical post 20 so that there is a pair straps , having industrial strength hook and fasteners , of the type material registered as velcro ®, a trademark owned by velcro industries . the straps would simply extend outward from the end of the arm 50 and have sufficient length to be wrapped around the pier or beam or other structure to hold the chair secured to the structure , without the use of the types of clamps described and shown . fig6 through 9 illustrate additional preferred embodiments of the present invention by the numeral 300 . first , reference is made to fig6 and 7 which illustrate fishing chair 300 mounted to a pier railing 400 . chair 300 includes a padded seat 302 upon which a user 304 of the chair 300 would be seated when used , as seen in phantom view in fig7 . in fig6 and 7 , chair 300 includes a frame 305 upon which the seat 302 is secured . frame 305 includes a horizontal portion 307 and a bracket portion 309 upon which seat 302 is secured . there is provided a first arm 306 extending from the frame 305 at an angle , so that the distal end 308 of the arm 306 terminates at a point above the seat 302 at essentially at the level of the cap portion 402 of pier railing 400 . at the distal end 308 of arm 306 there is provided a pair of fingers 310 , which , as seen in side view in fig7 , include a first horizontal portion 312 extending over the top of cap 402 of railing 400 , and a second portion 314 extending vertically from the end of horizontal portion 312 , so that the fingers 310 are secured over and around cap 402 of railing 400 . in order to allow the chair 300 to be positioned upright which arm 306 is engaged around cap 402 , there is provided a second horizontal arm 315 extending horizontally out from frame 305 , and terminating at a flat metal plate 317 , to a predetermined distance , so that when the arm 306 is secured over cap 402 , and plate 317 is engaged against the railing 400 , the chair is upright , and the seat is horizontal so the user 304 is seated upright , as seen in fig7 . as illustrated further , there is provided a leg 316 extending downward from frame 305 and terminates in a cross member 320 which has a wheel 322 mounted on each end 324 of the cross member 320 , so that during use , as seen in fig7 , the wheels do no make contact with a surface 325 below , but the cross member 320 can be used as a foot rest for the user 304 . however , when the chair 300 is not in use , the fingers 310 are disengaged from the cap 402 , and the chair 300 is lowered and may be rolled away or to a second location . finally , for the user 304 there is provided a pair of rod holders 330 mounted near the distal end 308 of the arm 306 , of the type known in the art into which the handle of a fishing rod 346 may be inserted to maintain the rod in position for fishing rather than the user 304 continue to support the rod during fishing . turning now to an embodiment of the chair 300 which is used mounted to a vertical wall , such as a tailgate 500 of a truck 502 . as seen in fig8 and 9 , the embodiment in these figures also include a seat 302 mounted on a seat frame 305 . as with the chair 300 in fig6 and 7 , in this embodiment , there is a first arm 306 extending from the frame 305 at an angle , so that the distal end 308 of the arm 306 terminates at a point above the seat 302 at essentially at the level of the top edge 504 of truck tailgate 500 . at the distal end 308 of arm 306 there is provided a pair of fingers 310 , which , as seen in side view include a first horizontal portion 312 extending over the top edge 504 of tailgate 500 , and a second portion 314 extending vertically from the end of horizontal portion 312 , so that the fingers 310 are secured over and around tailgate 500 of truck 502 . as with the chair 300 illustrated in fig6 and 7 , in order to allow the chair 300 to be positioned upright while arm 306 is engaged around tailgate 500 , there is provided a second horizontal truncated arm 315 extending horizontally out from frame 305 , and terminating at a flat metal plate 317 , to a predetermined distance , plate 317 having a rubber bumper 319 mounted thereupon , which makes contact with the face 508 of tailgate 500 , and will not damage the tailgate surface . therefore , when the arm 306 is secured over tailgate 500 , and the rubber bumper 315 mounted on plate 314 is engaged against the face 508 of truck bumper 510 , the chair 300 sits upright , and the seat 302 is horizontal so the user 304 is seated upright , as seen in fig8 . there is also provided a back rest portion 318 mounted on the frame 305 for greater comfort for the user 304 . also , as seen in fig8 and 9 , because the user 304 is seated away from the arm member 306 , unlike the embodiment discussed in fig6 and 7 , the rod holders 330 cannot be mounted on arm 306 . therefore , there is provided a second arm 340 which extends outward and angulated up from frame 305 in the direction the user 304 is facing . the arm terminates at point 342 where there is provided a mounting member 344 upon which one or more rodholders 330 would be mounted , securing a fishing rod 346 in place within the rodholder 330 . it should be noted that there are differences in the two embodiments of the cantilevered chairs shown in fig6 and 7 , and the chair shown in fig8 and 9 . first , the seat in the chair 300 shown in fig6 and 7 is positioned so that the user 304 is facing the first arm 306 and is facing the pier rail 400 upon which the chair 300 is mounted , so that the user 304 can see and fish above the rail 400 . in the embodiment shown in 8 and 9 , the seat 302 is positioned so that the user faces away from the arm 306 , and away from the tailgate 500 , so that the user 304 can face the water into which he is fishing . also the embodiment in fig8 and 9 does not include wheels as are illustrated in fig6 and 7 . although not shown , the embodiment depicted in fig6 and 7 could include a back rest portion 318 mounted onto frame 305 for the comfort of the user . the following is a list of parts and materials suitable for use in the present invention . all measurements disclosed herein are at standard temperature and pressure , at sea level on earth , unless indicated otherwise . all materials used or intended to be used in a human being are biocompatible , unless indicated otherwise . the foregoing embodiments are presented by way of example only ; the scope of the present invention is to be limited only by the following claims . | 0 |
it is to be understood that while a certain embodiment of the invention is illustrated , it is not to be limited to the specific embodiment 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 in the drawings and described in the specification . fig1 - 4 show an enforcement device 10 for detecting seat belt usage in vehicles equipped with a vehicle device 11 . the enforcement device 10 has an enforcement printed circuit board 16 including a transmitter 12 and a receiver 13 for transmitting and receiving a signal to and from the vehicle device 11 , respectively . the transmitter 12 is preferably a transmitter , part number txe - 418 - kh sold by linx technologies having an office at 575 s . e . ashley place , grants pass , oreg ., 97526 . the receiver 13 , is preferably , an eight channel data receiver , part number rxd - 418 - kh sold by linx technologies having an office at 575 s . e . ashley place , grants pass , oreg ., 97526 . voltage regulators 35 , 36 are electrically connected to and recommended by the manufacturers of the transmitter 12 and the receiver 13 , respectively . the voltage regulator 35 is a 5 vdc voltage regulator and is electrically connected to the transmitter 12 . the voltage regulator 36 is a 3 . 3 vdc voltage regulator and is electrically connected to the receiver 13 . the enforcement device 10 is battery powered by a 12 vdc battery 14 . a charger jack 34 is electrically connected to and used for charging the battery 14 . referring to fig1 and 2 , the battery 14 supplies power to the enforcement circuit board 16 of the enforcement device 10 via a battery connection 15 . once the power is supplied to the enforcement circuit board 16 , a trigger 17 is used to transmit a signal to the vehicle device 11 . the trigger 17 is mounted to a handle 18 of the enforcement device 10 . the handle 18 is mounted transverse to an insulator 19 via a screw 20 and bolt 21 . spacers 22 are mounted between the insulator 19 and the enforcement circuit board 16 . an antenna ground plane 23 is intermediate to the insulator 19 and the enforcement circuit board 16 . the antenna ground plane 23 provides a ground for enforcement antennas 24 , 38 . the enforcement antennas 24 , 38 are , preferably , 418 mega - hertz ( mhz ) antennas and are mounted to the enforcement ground plane 23 and extend in the horizontal plane and transverse to the handle 18 . when a user is holding the handle 18 , the enforcement antennas 24 , 38 are pointed toward the desired target ( i . e ., a vehicle ). the enforcement antennas 24 , 38 have enforcement antenna wires 28 , 39 and are connected to the enforcement ground plane 23 via antenna connectors 26 , 80 , respectively . the enforcement antenna wires 28 , 39 have distal ends having second connectors 27 , 37 for connecting the enforcement antenna wires 28 , 39 to the transmitter 12 and the receiver 13 , respectively , of the enforcement circuit board 16 . the second connectors 27 , 37 are , preferably , sma connectors and mate with enforcement board connectors 35 , 36 . the enforcement antenna 24 is operatively , electrically connected to the transmitter 12 , and the enforcement antenna 38 is operatively , electrically connected to the receiver 13 . the enforcement antennas 24 , 38 are used to transmit and receive signals from the vehicle device 11 . the transmitter 12 on the enforcement printed circuit board 16 is coded with an enforcement transmit code . in the preferred embodiment , there is an enforcement transmit code device 112 for encoding the transmitter 12 of the enforcement printed circuit board 16 . the receiver 44 on the vehicle printed circuit board 40 is coded with a vehicle receiver code that is identical to the enforcement transmit code . in the preferred embodiment , there is an vehicle receiver code device 144 for encoding the receiver 44 of the vehicle printed circuit board 40 with the identical enforcement transmit code as that of the enforcement printed circuit board 16 . in that way , the communication between the transmitter 12 and the receiver 40 is impervious to outside noise and interference . the transmitter 43 on the vehicle printed circuit board 40 is coded with an vehicle transmit code . in the preferred embodiment , there is a vehicle transmit code device 143 for encoding the transmitter 43 of the vehicle printed circuit board 40 . the receiver 13 on the enforcement printed circuit board 16 is coded with an enforcement receiver code that is identical to the vehicle transmit code . in the preferred embodiment , there is an enforcement receiver code device 113 for encoding the receiver 13 of the enforcement printed circuit board 16 with the identical vehicle transmit code as that of the vehicle printed circuit board 16 . in that way , the communication between the transmitter 43 and the receiver 13 is impervious to outside noise and interference . the address for the transmitter 12 of the enforcement printed circuit board 16 and the receiver 44 of the vehicle printed circuit board 40 is different from the address for the transmitter 43 of the vehicle printed circuit board 40 and the receiver 13 of the enforcement printed circuit board 16 . to use the enforcement device 10 , the user turns “ on ” a power switch 32 and resets reset displays 31 to zeros or starting status via a reset 25 . to detect seat belt usage or lack thereof in a vehicle having the vehicle device 11 installed therein , the user points the enforcement antenna 24 of the enforcement device 10 at the vehicle and squeezes the trigger 17 . referring now to fig4 the trigger 17 activates a one - shot transmit enable q 11 producing a 100 millisecond signal to the transmitter 12 , thereby activating the transmitter 12 . the transmitter 12 has an identification code of ( 0101010101 ), which will only communicate with a receiver in a vehicle having the same code . the transmitter 12 transmits a signal from the enforcement antenna 24 . the enforcement device 10 will receive a return signal via the enforcement antenna 38 from the vehicle device 11 . the enforcement antenna 38 receives and provides the incoming signal to the receiver 13 . the receiver 13 is , preferably , an eight channel ( d 0 - d 7 ) receiver . if the receiver 13 verifies that an incoming signal from the vehicle device 11 is from an identification code consistent with the vehicle transmitter 43 code ( i . e ., 1010101010 ), the receiver 13 will generate a verified transmission signal vt and release digital information from the eight channels ( d 0 - d 7 ) of the receiver 13 . the digital information is transferred from the receiver 13 and buffered by q 1 and q 2 , thereby not loading the receiver &# 39 ; s 13 outputs . inputs 1 , 2 , 4 , and 8 of display driver / latches q 7 - q 10 receive binary code information buffered by q 2 . four channels d 0 — belt switch status , d 1 — clock and arm window ( 1 - shot ) combined , d 2 —“ a ” binary sequence and d 3 —“ b ” binary sequence of digital information from the receiver 13 are buffered by q 1 . thereafter , the belt switch status d 0 is directed to q 3 , which decodes a “ yes ” or “ no ” and illuminates a yes lamp 30 or a no lamp 29 , respectively . in an alternative embodiment , the yes lamp 30 is colored green and the no lamp 29 is colored red , such that when the seat belt is fastened , a green light is displayed and when the seat belt is not fastened , a red light is displayed . the clock and arm window d 1 signal is buffered by q 1 , inverted by an inverter q 4 and sent to a clock input ci of q 5 . the “ a ” binary sequence d 2 and “ b ” binary sequence d 3 contain binary status ( i . e ., 00 , 01 , 10 , 11 ) and are received by q 5 , which produces an output decoding sequence of 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 . the decoding sequence of q 5 is controlled by an inverted vt signal . this combination activates four switches of q 6 , which in sequence enables display / latches q 7 - q 10 . the display / latches q 7 - q 10 provide output drivers for the displays 31 for displaying the last four vehicle identification numbers of the vehicle having the vehicle device 11 that was detected . the displays 31 are , preferably , two digit , seven segment displays . a display filter 33 is located between the displays 31 and user to enhance the light ( e . g ., red light ) emitted from the light emitting diodes ( led ). in alternative embodiments , liquid crystal display ( lcds ) are substituted for the leds and display filter 33 , which has a lower power requirement . the displays 31 are reset via the reset 25 each time the user uses the enforcement device 10 . fig5 - 18 show the vehicle device 11 having a vehicle circuit board 40 and vehicle antennas 41 , 42 . the vehicle antennas 41 , 42 are , preferably , 418 mega - hertz ( mhz ) antennas . referring now to fig8 the vehicle antennas 41 , 42 are dual ¼ wavelength antenna elements . the vehicle antennas 41 , 42 are mounted horizontally and in the direction of travel of the vehicle . the vehicle antennas 41 , 42 are , preferably , mounted above a vehicle &# 39 ; s headliner . referring again to fig5 - 8 , the vehicle antennas 41 , 42 are operatively attached to a vehicle antenna ground plane 45 . the vehicle antenna ground plane 45 provides a ground for the vehicle antennas 41 , 42 . the vehicle antennas 41 , 42 have vehicle antenna wires 46 , 47 and are connected to the vehicle ground plane 45 and via vehicle antenna connectors 48 , 49 , respectively . the vehicle antenna wires 46 , 47 have distal ends having second vehicle connectors 52 , 53 for electrically connecting the vehicle antenna wires 46 , 47 to a transmitter 43 and a receiver 44 , respectively , of the vehicle circuit board 40 . the second vehicle connectors 52 , 53 are preferably sma connectors and mate with vehicle board connectors 50 , 51 , respectively . the vehicle antenna 42 is operatively , electrically connected to the transmitter 43 , and the vehicle antenna 41 is operatively , electrically connected to the receiver 44 . the vehicle antennas 41 , 42 are used to transmit and receive signals , respectively , from the enforcement device 10 . the vehicle device 11 has a vehicle printed circuit board 40 including the transmitter 43 and the receiver 44 for transmitting and receiving a signal to and from the enforcement device 10 , respectively . the transmitter 43 is preferably a transmitter , part number txe - 418 - kh sold by linx technologies having an office at 575 s . e . ashley place , grants pass , oreg ., 97526 . the receiver 44 is preferably an eight channel data receiver , part number rxd - 418 - kh sold by linx technologies having an office at 575 s . e . ashley place , grants pass , oreg ., 97526 . voltage regulators 54 , 55 are electrically connected to and recommended by the manufacturers of the transmitter 43 and the receiver 44 , respectively . the voltage regulator 54 is a 5 vdc voltage regulator and is electrically connected to the transmitter 43 . the voltage regulator 55 is a 3 . 3 vdc voltage regulator and is electrically connected to the receiver 44 . the vehicle device 11 is battery powered by the vehicle &# 39 ; s 12vdc system . the vehicle &# 39 ; s 12 vcd is applied to the vehicle &# 39 ; s printed circuit board 40 via terminal 140 each time the ignition switch is turned “ on .” the vehicle equipped with the vehicle device 11 receives a signal from the enforcement device 10 . the receiver 44 receives the signal via the vehicle antenna 41 and , if accepted as the correct code , a transmission verified vt signal is generated from the receiver 44 and buffered by buffers q 1 - 1 . a capacitive coupled output of q 1 - 1 triggers a 100 millisecond pulse out of q 2 . the output pulse becomes the transmit enable te for the return path to the transmitter 43 . the q 2 pulse is also combined with a 100 hertz clock q 3 by way of the and function of q 1 - 2 . this signal is the input of input channel d 1 of the transmitter 43 . q 1 - 3 is a buffer for a seat belt switch 56 , which produces a high signal for “ yes ” or a low signal for “ no ” seat belt connection status from the seat belt switch 56 and delivers this signal to channel d 0 of the transmitter 43 for transmission to the receiver 13 of the enforcement device 10 . in alternative embodiments , each seat belt has the seat belt switch 56 connected thereto and a “ no ” seat belt connection status is generated if one or more of the seat belt switches 56 are disconnected and a “ yes ” seat belt connection status is generated if all seat belt switches 56 are connected . there are a number of seat belt switches for indicating whether a seat belt is fastened that is known by those in the automotive industry . many of these switches and circuits have an audio ( i . e ., a beep ) or visual ( i . e ., a warning light ) reminder to the driver . for example , u . s . pat . nos . 5 , 883 , 441 and 6 , 215 , 395 have seat belt switches and circuits that can be modified and used herein . the clock signal and 1 - shot signal from q 1 - 2 provide a clocking action for binary counter q 4 . q 4 generates an output code 00 , 01 , 10 , 11 through outputs a and b to inputs a and b of q 5 and q 6 , which will control multiplexers q 5 and q 6 . the a and b codes also become digital inputs d 2 and d 3 , respectively , of the transmitter 43 . q 5 and q 6 receive four digits of the vehicle identification number ( vin ) from four bcd code switches 160 ( 1 , 2 , 4 , 8 ). this vehicle identification code is specific to each vehicle and is set by the manufacturer via the switches 160 or programmed in a memory device . this code is placed at the digital inputs d 4 , d 5 , d 6 , d 7 of the transmitter 43 at regular intervals , with each digit following the previous digits . during the return path transmission to the receiver 13 of the enforcement device 10 and while the te signal is high , all digital information including return path identification code ( 1010101010 ) transmitted to receiver 13 of the enforcement device 10 is repeated at least three times . the receive , delay and respond function of the vehicle device 11 is completed and insures that the transmitters 12 and 43 or the receivers 13 and 44 will not be on at the same time causing improper function of the system . the technology used for and components on the enforcement circuit board 16 and the vehicle circuit board 40 are , preferably , through hole , surface mount or hybrid technology . the technology used is not meant to be limiting and is selected dependent upon the cost , production capabilities and spacing requirements . the enforcement device 10 is described as an individual unit ; however , it is important to note that the enforcement unit 10 is capable of being part of a speed radar gun . in that way , an all purpose safety enforcement device for detecting speeding and non - seat belt usage is provided . in an alternative embodiment , the enforcement unit 10 is attached to an existing radar gun by means of a holder , thereby creating a single piece of equipment . in another embodiment , the enforcement unit 10 is placed proximate the roadway and is automatically triggered by sensors that detect the presence of a vehicle . these sensors are known to those skilled in the art and further explanation is not required . in another embodiment , there is an apparatus and method integrating the technology for detecting red light violations with the above - mentioned invention . surveillance cameras or videos used to issue a photo ticket are easily adapted to with aforementioned inventions to provide monitoring and detection of seat belt usage and issuance of tickets for non - seat belt usage . the invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specific mechanisms shown and described but departures may be made therefrom within the scope of the accompanying claims without departing from the principles of the invention and without sacrificing its chief advantages . | 1 |
referring now to fig1 - 1c , there is shown a saliva container 100 that includes a collection vessel 101 and a cap 103 , which is releasably attached to saliva vessel 101 . collection vessel 101 may be made from a suitable optically clear material , such as , for example , polypropylene , polystyrene , poly methyl methacrylate , or glass . in embodiments , portions may be formed of the optically clear material and other portions opaque or translucent . such separate portions may be joined by welding or overmolding , for example . saliva container 100 includes a visual marking 105 . visual marking 105 can be a letter or other indicia , figure , or , as illustrated in fig1 , a simple printed or dyed color splotch applied to collection vessel 101 . additional marking 102 may be applied to the region 103 where the light will be transmitted from when the saliva is to a level that covers the reflective surface such as is illustrated in fig2 b . the vessel may be generally cylindrical shaped with respect to the exterior surface 107 , and have interior structure 109 , including the reflective surface 201 , formed during molding such that said interior structure is unitary with the rest of the vessel . vessel structure includes a mouth 110 , a conduit region 111 , and a saliva reservoir region 112 . exterior surface structure 114 may additionally include defined viewing structure 120 , including exterior optical structure 121 which may have alternative configurations , including but not limited by , those illustrated by the cross sections of fig1 a - 1c . such structure can guide the user to the correct viewing window 122 and can provide enhanced optics such as focused , enhanced , magnified , and / or widened image , as well as ribs 126 or other indicia or structure 127 to define or identify the location of the window . such exterior structure can extend to the bottom of the container for molding simplicity . the interior optical structure 128 can complement the exterior optical structure 121 to create the desired enhanced imaging such as shown in particular in fig1 a . the vessel can have an internal diameter of about 0 . 4 to 0 . 6 inches in an embodiment with a saliva reservoir sized for about 1 . 0 ml . “ sized ” meaning the positioning of the optical structure and markings positioned to indicate when the saliva is at least 1 . 0 ml . in other embodiments , the structure and markings are positions to indicate a saliva fill level of 0 . 8 to 1 . 2 ml . in other embodiments , the structure and markings are positions to indicate a saliva fill level of 0 . 5 to 1 . 5 ml . in embodiments the saliva conduit can define a saliva flow path with a cross sectional area of 0 . 10 inches square to 0 . 30 inches square and a reservoir cross sectional area that changes depending on the level and whereby changes are associated with reflective surfaces . in embodiments the reservoir may be cylindrical with an inside diameter of 0 . 4 to 0 . 7 inches . in embodiments the reservoir may be cylindrical with an inside diameter of 0 . 6 to 0 . 9 inches . in embodiments the reservoir may be cylindrical with an inside diameter of 0 . 4 to 0 . 7 inches . in embodiments the reservoir may be cylindrical with an inside diameter at an upper portion thereof of 0 . 3 to 0 . 8 inches . in embodiments , the reservoir has steps associated with different indicating levels . fig2 a and 2b show reflective surface 201 , which is a functional element of the optical volume indicating feature of the claimed invention . the functioning of the optical volume indicator is as follows : observer 203 looks toward reflective surface 201 in the spatial configuration shown . in the absence of saliva , reflective surface 201 is a solid / gas interface and , due to the principle of total internal reflection , will reflect the visual marking 105 to observer 203 . however , if a liquid such as saliva 205 covers reflective surface 201 ( fig2 b ), the respective refractive index combination of the two interface materials no longer exhibits total internal reflection , and visual marking 105 is no longer reflected to observer 203 . the principle of total internal reflection is a well - known optical phenomenon whose basis is the difference in the speed of light in various transmission media . this difference causes light beams to change direction , or refract , at the interface of two different media . however , if the angle of incidence of light to the interface is beyond a critical angle , governed by the indices of refraction for the two media , all light is reflected rather than refracted . because of the different refractive indices of the materials involved ( e . g . clear plastic , saliva , and air ), the critical angle is different enough between the two conditions , saliva and air , to make the necessary geometry convenient to construct . this general principle has been employed in numerous prior art liquid level sensing devices and is described in suitable detail throughout the patent literature . examples include u . s . pat . no . 1 , 883 , 971 to kryzanowsky , u . s . pat . no . 2 , 943 , 530 to nagel , and u . s . pat . no . 4 , 353 , 252 to jeans . said patents are incorporated herein by reference . fig1 e and 1f illustrate a visual indication a user might see of an insufficient quantity of saliva , such as provided by an empty container of fig2 a and an adequate supply of saliva as illustrated in fig2 b . fig3 shows an additional embodiment of the claimed invention in which a plurality of reflective surfaces ( reflective surface a 301 , reflective surface b 303 , and reflective surface c 305 ) of saliva container 100 are depicted . in this embodiment , observer 203 can discern multiple saliva volume levels through three viewing windows or regions 207 , 208 , 209 . fig3 a illustrates an arrangement where the optical surfaces may be configured such that the vessel does not have to be repositioned for viewing the separate reflective surfaces in that the reflective angles are different to converge the respective indicating images . although not illustrated , exterior optical structure may be modified as well to provide this feature . the claimed invention can be used in conjunction with , or as part of any type of saliva collection device , although it is best suited to the spongeless types . one suitable saliva collector example that uses the present invention is the saliva collection device 401 , shown in fig4 . collection vessel 101 has been relieved of cap 103 , which has been replaced with header assembly 403 . header assembly 403 includes a mouthpiece 405 , which includes a saliva inlet 407 . header assembly 403 also includes a vent 409 ( or vents ). an embodiment of a header assembly 403 is also described in us patent application no . 20120046574 , which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety . fig5 shows the internal components of saliva collection device 401 , including a header housing 501 attached to the aforementioned mouthpiece 405 , and a valve 505 , which is in fluid communication with the saliva inlet 407 , and a vent 409 integrated into an outer wall of header housing 501 . vent 409 can be covered by a vent membrane ( not shown ), which prevents escape of saliva through the vent , yet permits escape of air during saliva donation . collection vessel 101 is removably attached to header housing 501 . to use the saliva collection device 401 , a saliva donor places mouthpiece 405 into the mouth and spits and blows . saliva enters saliva inlet 407 , flows through valve 505 , and into header housing 501 . air expelled by the donor is vented out of saliva collection device 401 through vent 409 , whereas saliva flows downward into collection vessel 101 . observer 203 , who can also be the donor , watches for the expected optical effect to determine when the desired saliva volume has accumulated . this corresponds to a volume that just covers reflective surface 201 , which makes visual marking 105 invisible to observer 203 . so if , for example , visual marking 105 is a blue stripe or patch , observer 203 will initially see a corresponding blue patch reflection when looking straight on as shown in fig4 . this blue reflection disappears once the predetermined saliva volume is accumulated , and observer 203 will know to stop the donation . after the donation is complete , header assembly 403 can be removed , and a seal such as cap 103 can be reapplied so that the saliva sample can be stored or transported for subsequent use . the alternate embodiment of the present invention shown in fig6 uses two reflecting surfaces disposed within collection vessel 101 . reflective surface a 601 serves as the volume indicating surface , whereas reflective surface b 603 allows a different pathway for incident light . this arrangement , is particularly - well suited for electronically reading the optical volume indicator . so , for example , rather than the human eye being observer 203 , a photosensor 605 can be the observer , and a light emitting diode 607 can replace the visual marking 105 . moreover , because the signal strength can be calibrated to a corresponding percentage of immersion of reflective surface a 601 , it is also possible using this scheme to discern a percentage of a fill volume as well . this principle can be extended to a plurality of optical indicators by disposing a bank of discrete optically reflective surfaces within collection vessel 101 as shown in fig7 . in this example , a single light source , light emitting diode 607 , is used to illuminate three reflective surfaces 701 by being reflected by reflective surface b 603 . as each surface is immersed in saliva , the corresponding electronic signal changes state . a common use for collected saliva is in drugs - of - abuse screening tests . these tests often use lateral flow immunoassay reagent strips to test for the presence of drugs of abuse such as barbiturates , opioids , methamphetamine , thc , and so on . by using lateral flow immunoassay strips , an immediate , albeit preliminary , result can be obtained at the point - of - collection , avoiding the need to transport the screening sample to a laboratory . the present invention can be incorporated into a saliva collection device that also includes lateral flow immunoassay strips . one such device embodiment is shown in fig8 . a saliva collection and screening device 801 includes a mouthpiece 405 , a header assembly 403 , and a collection vessel 803 , and also includes the herein described optical volume indicator . referring now to fig9 , header assembly 403 is analogous to the already - described header assembly 403 shown in fig4 and 5 , and accepts collection vessel 803 . an insert 805 is positioned within collection vessel 803 , and a plurality of immunoassay strips 807 is disposed into slots 809 of insert 805 . insert 805 includes reflective surface 201 ( shown in fig1 ), as well as visual marking 105 , which in this case is a color splotch . a possible alternate embodiment places visual marking 105 on either the inside or outside bottom of collection vessel 803 . other visual markings may be on the side of the vessel . the function of screening device 801 is described , with reference to fig1 , as follows . a donor spits and blows saliva into mouthpiece 405 as before . air flows out vent 409 , and saliva flows downward into collection vessel 803 as before . insert 805 is , in this embodiment , a hollow cylinder that directs the saliva to the bottom of collection vessel 803 , and also isolates immunoassay strips 807 from the downward flowing saliva . once the saliva reaches the bottom ( saliva 205 not shown ), it can be taken up by the bottom ends of immunoassay strips 807 , which is the prescribed test method for these immunoassay strip elements . the saliva donation continues until observer 203 , which in this case could be a drug - test administrator , sees the optical volume indicator change state as previously described . this confirms that an adequate volume of saliva has been collected to run the immunoassay strip tests to completion , regardless of the test progress . saliva donation can then be terminated , yet still letting the tests run to completion . this embodiment offers a clear advantage for oral drugs - of - abuse testing wherein the needed collected volume is minimized , thus speeding and simplifying the test methodology . the embodiments above are intended to be illustrative and not limiting . additional embodiments are within the claims . in addition , although aspects of the present invention have been described with reference to particular embodiments , those skilled in the art will recognize that changes can be made in form and detail without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention , as defined by the claims . persons of ordinary skill in the relevant arts will recognize that the invention may comprise fewer features than illustrated in any individual embodiment described above . the embodiments described herein are not meant to be an exhaustive presentation of the ways in which the various features of the invention may be combined . accordingly , the embodiments are not mutually exclusive combinations of features ; rather , the invention may comprise a combination of different individual features selected from different individual embodiments , as understood by persons of ordinary skill in the art . any incorporation by reference of documents above is limited such that no subject matter is incorporated that is contrary to the explicit disclosure herein . any incorporation by reference of documents above is further limited such that no claims included in the documents are incorporated by reference herein . any incorporation by reference of documents above is yet further limited such that any definitions provided in the documents are not incorporated by reference herein unless expressly included herein . the above references in all sections of this application are herein incorporated by references in their entirety for all purposes . all of the features disclosed in this specification ( including the references incorporated by reference , including any accompanying claims , abstract and drawings ), and / or all of the steps of any method or process so disclosed , may be combined in any combination , except combinations where at least some of such features and / or steps are mutually exclusive . each feature disclosed in this specification ( including references incorporated by reference , any accompanying claims , abstract and drawings ) may be replaced by alternative features serving the same , equivalent or similar purpose , unless expressly stated otherwise . thus , unless expressly stated otherwise , each feature disclosed is one example only of a generic series of equivalent or similar features . the invention is not restricted to the details of the foregoing embodiment ( s ). the invention extends to any novel one , or any novel combination , of the features disclosed in this specification ( including any incorporated by reference references , any accompanying claims , abstract and drawings ), or to any novel one , or any novel combination , of the steps of any method or process so disclosed the above references in all sections of this application are herein incorporated by references in their entirety for all purposes . although specific examples have been illustrated and described herein , it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that any arrangement calculated to achieve the same purpose could be substituted for the specific examples shown . this application is intended to cover adaptations or variations of the present subject matter . therefore , it is intended that the invention be defined by the attached claims and their legal equivalents , as well as the following illustrative aspects . the above described aspects embodiments of the invention are merely descriptive of its principles and are not to be considered limiting . further modifications of the invention herein disclosed will occur to those skilled in the respective arts and all such modifications are deemed to be within the scope of the invention . for purposes of interpreting the claims for the present invention , it is expressly intended that the provisions of section 112 , sixth paragraph of 35 u . s . c . are not to be invoked unless the specific terms “ means for ” or “ step for ” are recited in a claim . | 7 |
referring now to fig1 and 2 , in one embodiment of the present invention , there is provided a method for reprocessing nanoparticle powders to an agglomerated form suitable for thermal spray deposition of nanostructured coatings . according to this method , as - synthesized nanostructured powders 10 , 12 and 14 are ultrasonically disintegrated and dispersed in a liquid medium , and then spray - dried to form spherical nanoparticle agglomerates 16 suitable for thermal spray deposition . the original particles , typically less than 50 microns , can be reduced to submicron dimensions , forming a viscous slurry or a colloidal suspension within minutes . while nanoparticles 10 synthesized via the solution reaction ( osr or asr ) method , nanoparticles 12 synthesized via the scp method , or nanoparticles 14 synthesized via the cvc method are each suitable for reprocessing by the method of the present invention , it is to be understood that nanoparticles synthesized by any method are suitable for use in the present invention . in addition , while the agglomerated nanoparticle powders are particularly useful for thermal spray deposition , they may also find utility in other applications requiring agglomerated nanoparticles . in the practice of the method of this embodiment , an as - synthesized powder which may comprise the particles 10 , 12 , 14 or a mixture thereof is first suspended in a liquid medium to form suspension 18 . the liquid medium may be aqueous - based or organic - based , depending on the desired characteristics of the final agglomerated powder . suitable organic solvents include , but are not limited to , toluene , kerosene , methanol , ethanol , isopropyl alcohol , acetone and the like . the medium is then treated with ultrasound to disperse the nanostructured material , forming dispersion 20 . the ultrasonic dispersal effect is most pronounced in the cavitation zone 22 at the tip of the ultrasonic horn 24 . the nanostructured powder may be merely dispersed in solution , or it may form a colloidal suspension , typically within minutes . a binder is also added to the solution , forming mixture 26 . in organic - based liquid mediums , the binder comprises from about 5 % to about 15 % by weight , and preferably about 10 % by weight of paraffin dissolved in a suitable organic solvent . suitable organic solvents include , but are not limited to , hexane , pentane , toluene and the like . in aqueous - based liquid mediums , the binder comprises an emulsion of commercially available polyvinyl alcohol ( pva ), polyvinylpyrrolidone ( pvp ), carboxymethyl cellulose ( cmc ), or some other water soluble polymer , formed in de - ionized water . the binder is present in the range from about 0 . 5 % to about 5 % by weight of the total solution , and preferably from about 1 % to about 10 % by weight of the total solution . the preferred binder is cmc . after mechanical mixing and if required further ultrasound treatment the suspension of nanostructured powder in the liquid medium 26 is spray - dried in hot air to form agglomerated particles 16 . while any suitable non - reactive gas or mixture thereof may be used , hot nitrogen or hot argon is preferred . because there is no requirement for the treatment of exhaust gases from the spray drier using aqueous - based liquid mediums , these are preferred where possible . after spraying , powders 16 are heat - treated at low temperatures (& lt ; 250 ° c .) to expel residual moisture , leaving the organic component ( polymer or paraffin ) as a binder phase . if necessary , a further heat treatment step at a high temperature effective to remove adsorbed and chemisorbed oxygen and to promote partial sintering may be added . for example , heat treatment at about 600 ° c . is effective . the resulting powder may then be used in conventional thermal spray deposition processes . the following non - limiting examples illustrate the method of re - processing as - synthesized nanostructured powders using ultrasonic dispersion . typical processing conditions for preparing nanostructured wc / co powder agglomerates are as follows . nanostructured wc / co , prepared by means well - known in the art , is formed into an approximately 50 wt % solution in de - ionized and deoxygenated water . an ultrasonic horn , operating at a frequency of 20 , 000 hertz and power of 300 - 400 watts , is used to disperse the nanostructured wc / co to form a low viscosity slurry . with this energy input , original as - synthesized hollow spherical shell particles of 10 - 50 micron diameter are rapidly disintegrated and dispersed in the fluid medium , forming a dispersed phase of particle size of about 100 nm . subsequently , 5 - 10 wt % carbon black and a 2 - 3 % by weight solution of pvp in deionized , deoxygenated water are added to the suspension . carbon black is optionally added to compensate for the carbon loss of wc particles by high reaction in the flame or plasma . cmc is also suitable for use with wc / co materials . after mixing and further ultrasonic treatment , the slurry is spray - dried in a commercial unit to form a powder consisting of solid spherical particles with a mean diameter in the 5 - 20 micron range as shown in fig3 . finally , it is preferable to clean the powders after agglomeration by a low temperature de - gassing treatment under reduced pressure prior to back filling with dry nitrogen . the powders can then be stored indefinitely in nitrogen without degradation . because of the high surface area of the nanostructured wc / co powder agglomerates , there is the potential for in - situ decarburization within the agglomerates , due to the presence of oxygen or oxygen - rich species . to eliminate this problem it is preferable to introduce a passivation treatment at some stage in the powder processing using a suitable oxygen - free compound , such as paraffin . the paraffin is chemisorbed on the high surface area nanoparticles . preferably , the paraffin is introduced in a hexane solution ( 5 - 10 % by weight ). the high velocity oxy - fuel ( hvof ) process is ideally suited for depositing nanostructured cermet coatings , because of the relatively low flame temperature and short particle transit time , which minimizes deleterious reactions in the flame . a feature of using cermet nanostructured powders such as wc / co reprocessed by the method of the present invention is the homogeneous melting of the matrix ( binder ) phase upon thermal spray coating , with the formation of semi - solid or “ mushy ” particles . referring now to fig4 a and 4b , a conventional powder particle 40 contains a hard particle phase 42 surrounded by a solid matrix phase 44 . in the thermal region of the spray apparatus , the solid matrix phase 44 becomes a molten matrix phase 46 . thus , in a conventional cermet powder particle 40 the large ( 5 - 25 micron diameter ) carbide grain 42 undergoes little size change in the thermal region , because of the finite time for heat transfer during the 1 millisecond transit time between exiting the gun nozzle and impact with substrate . the coatings 48 formed by these particles may therefore be porous . in contrast , the agglomerated cermet powder particles 50 of the present invention contain hard particles 52 , with a grain size in the range from about 5 to about 50 nanometers , within a matrix phase 54 , agglomerated by binder 56 . during thermal spraying , the small size of the carbide grains 52 of the agglomerated nanostructured particles 50 allow the particles to rapidly dissolve in the molten matrix 58 to produce a “ mushy ” cermet particle 60 . this mushy particle 60 will readily flow upon impact with the substrate to form a highly adherent dense coating with low porosity 62 . the degree of fluidity of the impacting particle can be controlled by selecting the degree of superheat above the eutectic point of the impacting particles . additionally , a high impact velocity of the mushy nanostructured cermet particles facilitates improved spreading and adhesion to the substrate surface . nanostructured cr 3 c 2 / nicr powders produced by the asr and osr methods are in the form of loose agglomerates of variable size and morphology . using the above general procedure , these powders can be ultrasonically dispersed in an aqueous or organic liquid medium with a polymer or paraffin binder and spray dried to form uniform - sized spherical agglomerates of 5 - 25 microns diameter . moreover , during thermal spraying , the nanocomposite powders experience partial melting and undergo splat quenching when they impact the substrate surface . this behavior is similar to that described for nanostructured wc / co powders . nanostructured sio 2 powders may be produced by combustion flame synthesis , a commercial process . the as - synthesized powder has a high surface area (& gt ; 400 m 2 / gm ), and is in the form of hard agglomerates known as “ cemented aggregates ,” with up to 10 - 100 nanoparticles per aggregate . such powders can be readily dispersed in an aqueous solution because they are inherently hydrophilic . the resulting colloidal suspension , containing pva , pvp or cmc as a binder , can then be converted into spherical agglomerates by spray - drying , as discussed above . the behavior in thermal spraying , however , is different since the sio 2 particles experience softening rather than melting . the spray - dried agglomerated nanostructured powders described in the above examples have a spherical shape and narrow particle size distribution in the optimal 10 - 50 micron range . as such , they have superior feed characteristics in thermal spraying and also experience uniform melting behavior in the combustion flame or plasma , and the coatings formed therefrom display uniform nanostructures , negligible porosity , good substrate adhesion and excellent wear properties . in particular , coatings formed by this method from cermet materials such as wc / co , cr 3 c 2 / ni , fe 3 mo 3 c / fe have novel nanostructures comprising a nanodispersion of hard carbide phase in an amorphous or nanocrystalline metal - rich matrix phase , thereby displaying superior hardness and wear resistance . in an alternative embodiment of this invention , nanostructured powder feeds are introduced into a thermal spray system directly after ultrasound dispersion . suitable as - synthesized nanostructured powders for the practice of this invention are those produced by any physical method , such as gcp , or by chemical processing methods , such as the igc and cvc methods . such powders are monodispersed and loosely agglomerated . particle size is easily controlled over the range 3 - 30 nanometer range by careful adjustments of certain critical processing parameters known in the art . these loosely agglomerated powders can be readily dispersed in de - ionized water , various alcohols or liquid hydrocarbons by ultrasonic agitation to form a colloidal suspension or slurry . this nanoparticle suspension or slurry can then be introduced , along with liquid kerosene fuel , directly into the combustion zone of an hvof gun via the liquid feed . alternatively , the suspension or slurry may be introduced in the form of an aerosol into the gas feed of a plasma or hvof gun . characteristics of this embodiment are that the particles rapidly heat up in a short distance from the gun nozzle and almost instantaneously achieve the velocity of the gas stream , which is in the supersonic range . in some cases , the nanoparticles vaporize , prior to condensation on the cold substrate . in this case , the method becomes in effect a very high rate cvd process . where applicable for an individual composition , direct nanoparticle injection by this method offers a number of advantages . first , it eliminates the need for powder re - processing . secondly , two or more nanoparticle feed systems , operating continuously or sequentially , can produce nanomultilayers or compositionally modulated structures , even down to nanoscale dimensions . thirdly , the dispersion may be done in the same liquid used as the fuel for the thermal spray apparatus , e . g ., kerosene . and finally , because of the short diffusion distances , very fast reactions occur between nanoparticles and the vapor species in the gas stream ( e . g ., carburization , nitridation and boridization ). the direct injection method may also be used to incorporate ceramic nanostructured whiskers , hollow shells and other particulate forms into the nanocomposite coating . hollow ceramic microspheres ( 1 - 5 microns diameter ) are available commercially . more generally , mixtures of different phases and particle morphologies may be used to generate almost any desired coating structure , including whisker - reinforced and laminated nanocomposites . the simplicity , versatility , and scaleability of the direct nanoparticles injection method thus presents opportunities to develop new classes of thermal sprayed nanostructured coatings . moreover , because direct injection in thermal spray apparatuses can be adapted to existing thermal spray systems , it is inherently cost effective . the following non - limiting examples illustrate the method of this embodiment for injection of as - synthesized nanostructured powders directly after ultrasonic dispersion . nanostructured zro 2 , al 2 o 3 , sio 2 and sic x n y powders produced by the cvc method , or nano structured cr 3 c 2 / nicr produced by the osr process , are readily dispersed in organic liquid media to form colloidal suspensions , because of their ultra - fine particle size . thus , these materials are ideal for direct injection of nanoparticles into the fluid stream of a typical thermal spray gun . high density coatings with amorphous and partially amorphous structures were produced from nanostructured sio 2 and nanostructured cr 3 c 2 / nicr powders respectively . submicron nanostructured wc / co particles can be maintained in a highly dispersed state in a liquid phase after ultrasonic treatment provided that mechanical agitation is continuously applied . thus , it is not necessary to form completely stable colloidal suspensions with nanostructured wc / co powders . the coatings produced by subsequent direct injection into the combustion zone of a thermal spray gun are similar to those generated using powder agglomerates as feed materials . the direct injection method was used to spray - deposit nanostructured yttria - stabilized zirconia ( ysz ) coatings on pre - oxidized metal - craly substrates . the coatings are preferentially compositionally graded to minimize thermal expansion mismatch stresses , which is a prerequisite to enhancing their resistance to spallation under thermal cycling conditions . a novel type of thermal barrier coating ( tbc ) may be produced by introducing hollow ceramic microspheres into a nanostructured ysz overlay coating , which is supported on a metal - craly bond coat . alternatively , the ceramic microspheres may be incorporated into the metal - craly bond coat . in this case , a high volume fraction of micro spheres is required to ensure a high thermal impedance for the coating layer . when a slurry mixture of ceramic nanoparticles and hollow microspheres is introduced into a combustion flame or plasma , it is possible to selectively melt the nanoparticles while leaving the microspheres unmelted . thus , a composite coating is developed in which the hollow ceramic spheres are bonded to the substrate by a dense nanograined ceramic coating . thermal barrier coatings of nanostructured ysz may be prepared by either the re - processing method or by the direct injection method . in either case , the final coating may consist of either equiaxed or columnar grains , depending primarily on the particle deposition rate and temperature gradient in the deposited coating . in yet another embodiment of this invention , metalorganic precursor aerosols generated by an ultrasonic nozzle serve as feedstock materials for thermal spraying processing . this offers the advantage of combining of nanoparticle synthesis , melting and quenching in a single operation . referring now to fig5 liquid precursor 80 is introduced into ultrasonic nozzle 82 . the nozzle sprays the resulting aerosol 84 into a plasma flame 86 , generated by the passage of plasma gas over electrode 88 , yielding nanoparticles 90 , which may then be quenched on a substrate . for example , the metalorganic precursor hexamethyldisilazane ( hmds ) was ultrasonically atomized in air and delivered to the exit nozzle of a dc plasma gun . rapid pyrolysis of the precursor compound led to the formation of clusters or nanoparticles of nanostructured sic x n y , which emerged as a high velocity beam from the gun . the coating formed when these hot particles impinged and coalesced on the substrate surface . the nanostructured coatings formed by the methods of this invention find utility in a broad range of applications . in particular , nanostructured coatings formed from hydroxyapatite or vitellium are useful in medical devices . the coatings display uniform nanostructures , negligible porosity , good substrate adhesion and excellent wear properties . in contrast to powders mixed by ball milling or mechanical blending , for example , the method of this invention allows mixing of the material &# 39 ; s constituent elements at a molecular level . the very short diffusion distance in the direct injection embodiment allows fast reactions to occur between nanoparticles and the vapor species in the gas stream , for example , carburization , nitridation , and boridization . while preferred embodiments have been shown and described , various modifications and substitutions may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . accordingly , it is to be understood that the present invention has been described by way of illustrations and not limitation . | 2 |
the resultant formulation is chemically and physically stable and can be a suspension or a solution of the pharmacologically active substance . preferably it is filled into a preservative - free , airless multi - dose device able to accurately deliver doses of the above formulation , also at higher viscosities . once at the absorption site , the drug or the drug particles should be efficiently trapped at the deposition site and be absorbed at a predictable rate across the mucous membrane of the patient , thereby limiting possible deactivation by metabolizing enzymes and / or protein - binding . the term “ sexual hormone drug ” shall mean at least one sexual hormone ( such as testosterone ) or at least one biologic pro - drug of a sexual hormone ( such as androstenedione , progesterone , 17 - α - hydroxyprogesterone ) or at least one derivative of a sexual hormone ( such as mestanolone and 4 - chloro - 1 - dehydromethyltestosterone ) or a combination thereof . in a preferred embodiment the sexual hormone drug is testosterone . the sexual hormone drug is comprised within the formulation in an amount of from 0 . 5 to 6 % by weight , preferably 2 to 4 % by weight , more preferably 0 . 5 to 2 % by weight , and most preferably at around 2 % by weight the drug of this invention may be introduced into the formulation also in a processed form such as microspheres , liposomes etc . the term “ lipophilic carrier ” shall comprise , but not limited to , a vegetable oil such as castor oil , soybean oil , sesame oil or peanut oil , fatty acid ester such as ethyl - and oleyloleat , isopropylmyristate , medium chain triglycerides , glycerol esters of fatty acids , or polyethylene glycol , phospholipids , white soft paraffin , or hydrogenated castor oil . particularly useful is castor oil . the incorporation of the drug is also possible into an oil mixture . the particular amount of oil that constitutes an effective amount is dependent on the particular viscosity regulating agent ( see below ) used in the formulation . it is therefore not practical to enumerate specific amounts for use with specific formulations of the invention . generally , however , the lipophilic part can be present in a formulation in an amount between 30 % and 98 % by weight , preferably between 60 and 98 % by weight , more preferably between 75 % and 95 % by weight , even more preferably between 85 % and 95 % by weight and most preferably around 90 % by weight of the formulation . component ( c ) shall comprise at least a surfactant such as , but not limited to , lecithin , fatty acid ester of polyvalent alcohols , of sorbitanes , of polyoxyethylensorbitans , of polyoxyethylene , of sucrose , of polyglycerol and / or at least one humectant such as sorbitol , glycerine , polyethylene glycol , or macrogol glycerol fatty acid ester . particularly useful , however , are oleoyl macrogolglycerides ( such as labrafil m 1944 cs , as available from gattefossé ( franco )). the incorporation of the drug is also possible into a surfactant mixture . the particular amount of surfactant that constitutes an effective amount is dependent on the particular oil or oil mixture ( see above ) used in the formulation . it is therefore not practical to enumerate specific amounts for use with specific formulations of the invention . generally , however , the surfactant can be present in a formulation in an amount of from 1 to 20 % by weight , preferably 1 to 10 % by weight , more preferably 1 to 5 % by weight , and most preferably at around 4 % by weight . the term “ viscosity regulating agent ” shall mean a thickener or gelling agent . examples are , but not limited to , cellulose and derivatives thereof , polysaccharides , carbomers , polyvinyl alcohol , povidone , colloidal silicon dioxide , cetyl alcohols , stearic acid , beeswax , petrolatum , triglycerides or lanolin . particularly useful however is colloidal silicon dioxide ( such as acrosil 200 , as available from degussa ). the incorporation of the drug is also possible into a mixture of thickeners or gelling agents . the particular amount of thickener / gelling agent that constitutes an effective amount is dependent on the particular oil or oil mixture ( see above ) used in the formulation . it is therefore not practical to enumerate specific amounts for use with specific formulations of the invention . generally , however , the thickener / gelling agent ( s ) can be present in a formulation in an amount from 0 . 5 to 10 % by weight , preferably 0 . 5 to 5 % by weight , more preferably 1 to 3 % by weight , and most preferably at around 3 % by weight . the formulation according to this invention may also be processed into powder form , e . g . by lyophilization or spray - drying . generally the formulations of the invention can be prepared very easily by conventional methods , i . e . : the thickener or gelling agent is added to a sufficient amount of water and dispersed with high speed mixing and , if necessary , a surfactant ( mixture 1 ). in a second container water and / or the lipophilic carrier are introduced and , if necessary , a surfactant ( mixture 2 ). to mixture 2 the hormone is added very carefully avoiding introducing air . mixture 2 is added to mixture 1 , if necessary ph and tonicity are adjusted and the final mixture is homogenised and sterilised . lipophilic carrier and emulsifier are filled into a stirrer vessel and about 75 % of the viscosity regulating agent is mixed in . the hormone is added under stirring until a homogenous dispersion of the active ingredient is obtained . then the formulation is adjusted to the necessary viscosity with the rest of the viscosity regulating agent . the formulation is preferably filled into a preservative - free , airless nasal spray device such as the comod system available from ursatec . by “ higher availability ” is meant that after a single application a serum level of sexual hormone significantly higher than baseline is maintained for 6 hours , more preferably for 8 hours and most preferably for at least 10 hours . because sexual hormones are nearly not soluble in water liberation from the formulation is the speed - limiting step for adsorption . it has been surprisingly found that the incorporation of a sexual hormone drug such as testosterone in an oily formulation containing a suitable surfactant according to the invention leads of to physiologic serum levels and to a steady , sustained action of the hormone over time . on one hand , the release of the hormone is sustained due to its solubility in the oily carrier and to the viscosity of the formulation remaining on the mucous membrane for a prolonged duration of time . on the other hand , upon contact of the formulation with the humidity of the mucous membrane the drug &# 39 ; s precipitation is hindered by the surfactant &# 39 ; s property to form oil drops containing the drug . thus by adding a suitable surfactant to the formulation the dissolution pattern of the hormone becomes more favourable and effective because there is no big variability in dissolution ensuring bioequivalence . the formulation shown below was selected considering the serum level of the active ingredient achieved but it also exhibits a skin care property which is important for long term applications . comparing different formulations ( see fig1 ) containing testosterone it is obvious that cmax is clearly decreased in the special oily formulation of this invention , which is desirable in view of toxicological considerations . further the level of unbound testosterone is very constant over at least 10 hours mimicking the physiologic daily rhythm of testosterone release . the dotted line shows the serum level after application of 1 spray per nostril once of the most preferred formulation ( see table 1 ). it can be concluded that the formulation for nasal application of this invention is different from conventional formulations , especially to those for sustained release , as it is mimicking the physiologic daily rhythm of testosterone release . it is also avoiding supra - and sub - normal testosterone levels , which is pleasant for the patient and a demand for hormone replacement therapy . as shown in fig1 ( upper line ), a simple nasal spray containing testosterone is unsatisfactory in this sense . the features disclosed in the foregoing description , in the claims and / or in the drawings may , both separately and in any combination thereof , be material for realising the invention in diverse forms thereof . | 0 |
referring now to fig1 there is shown a first embodiment of the invention , particularly one in which a light - transmitting apparatus supplies light energy in the form of infrared radiation to penetrate the skin of a living body , and then transforms the light energy to electrical energy for use by implanted apparatus , such as a pacemaker . in fig1 reference numeral 1 designates an energy - transmitting member which comprises a bundle of optical fibers 2 , a condensing lens 3 as an input terminal and a protective membrane 4 , formed of silicone rubber which covers the optical fibers and the condensing lens . the input terminal of the energy - transmitting member 1 is disposed adjacent the inner surface of the skin 6 of a living body , and preferably is stitched to the skin . preferably the energy - transmitting member has a circular cross section , and an annular projection 7 is formed in the protective membrane 4 about the input terminal end for facilitating the attachment of the member to the skin as by sewing . the output end of energy - transmitting member 1 is connected to an electric power source 5 including , for example , a solar battery of a pacemaker 8 implanted adjacent the heart . numeral 9 indicates a light source , such as an infrared lamp , for supplying energy through the skin and the energy - transmitting member to the power source 5 from outside of the living body . moreover , if the light source 9 is of high performance , there is no necessity for using the condensing lens of the energy - transmitting member . referring now to fig2 there is shown one form of a detailed construction including the optical fibers 2 , the power source 5 and the pacemaker 8 . the power source 5 is composed of solar battery including a photoelectric converter 5a , such as a photodiode , which is coupled to the output ends of the optical fibers 2 . the pacemaker 8 comprises a conventional pulse generator 8a actuated by the solar battery 5 and a mounting electrode 8b for supplying rhythm to the heart . the pulse generator includes a resistor r 1 and a condenser c 1 connected across the battery for determining an oscillation time constant value , an oscillation coil l , a diode d 1 and a switching transistor q 1 constructed as a so called blocking oscillator . q 2 denotes an emitter follower transistor of which the gate is connected to a connection point of the diode d 1 and the switching transistor q 1 through a biasing resistor r 2 , the collector is connected to a positive terminal of the battery and the emitter is connected to a negative terminal of the battery through a biasing resistor r 3 . an oscillation output acquired from the emitter of the transistor q 2 is adapted to be supplied to the electrode 8b through a condenser c 2 and a resistor r 4 . next , explaining about the operation of the pacemaker and the charging method of the battery , the pacemaker 8 operates in the manner that the pulse generator 8a is actuated by a voltage supply from the source 5 for causing an oscillation output which is supplied to the electrode 8b to supplement the rhythm of the heart . the oscillation output frequency is determined by the time constants of the resistor r 1 and condenser c 1 . in due consideration of the lifetime of the source , i . e ., the solar battery 5 , the battery is periodically charged by bringing the infrared lamp in close proximity to the living body skin . as the skin and the silicone rubber membrane have an infrared transmission property , the infrared radiation from the infrared lamp 9 is condensed by the condenser lens 3 of the energy - transmitting member 1 , is entered into the optical fibers 2 from their input ends 2a , and is led into the power source 5 through the outer ends of the optical fibers . the photoelectric converter 5a generates electromotive force to charge the battery 5b . if the above - described energy - transmitting member is used , the power source such as the battery of the pacemaker could be easily charged by supplying infrared radiation from outside the living body . therefore , there is no necessity for performing a second surgical operation for the battery exchange as in the past . furthermore , the feeling of mental uneasiness and the pain of the patient are excluded and the problem that threatens the life of the patient through failure of replacement of the battery is minimized . the energy - transmitting member of the invention has several distinct advantages , such as ( 1 ) the silicone rubber protective membrane is non - tissue reactive and will not injure the human anatomy ; ( 2 ) the optical fibers in the silicone rubber protective membrane can be bent and are , therefore , easy to position ; ( 3 ) the energy - transmitting efficiency of the member is not affected by external electronic noise ; and ( 4 ) a bundle of optical fibers is much lighter in weight than an electric cable and , therefore , more comfortably borne in the body . fig3 shows another embodiment of the energy - transmitting apparatus according to the invention wherein a heat pipe is used as the energy - transmitting member . that is , this energy - transmitting member 1 &# 39 ; comprises a pipe - shaped water - containing porous layer 10 , a so - called &# 34 ; wig &# 34 ;, and a protective membrane , such as a silicone rubber membrane 11 . the input end of the heat pipe is disposed adjacent the inner surface of a living body skin and stitched and preferably thereto by means of a projection 12 defined on the protection membrane 11 . the output end of the heat pipe is coupled to a thermo - electric converter such as a thermocouple or a thermopile . the output terminal of the charge of the battery is carried out by disposing a heater 14 outside of the living body skin . when the heater 14 is heated to about 40 ° c ., water in the wig 10 is evaporated by the heat and moved from the input end to the output end of the heat pipe , so that the output end is heated at about 40 ° c . consequently , the thermocouple or thermopile coupled to the output end of the heat pipe generates electromotive force to charge the battery . namely , the energy - transmitting member 1 &# 39 ; has the function of transmitting heat energy from the heat source such as heater 14 . the embodiment utilizing the heat pipe has the same advantages in transmitting energy as stated for the first embodiment . although the above - mentioned embodiments both relate only to apparatus through which a battery is charged , the energy - transmitting apparatus according to the invention can also control the action of the apparatus implanted in the living body . for example , this result can be accomplished by putting control apparatus 15 such as shown in fig4 at the front of the pacemaker 8 . the control apparatus 15 comprises a high - pass filter 16 , a low - pass filter 17 , and f / v converters 18 , 19 which , respectively , convert output frequency signals f of the high - pass filter 16 and the low - pass filter 17 to voltage signals v h and v l . the output v h of the f / v converter 18 is supplied to the source terminal of the pacemaker 8 , while the output v l of the f / v converter 19 is supplied to the charge terminal of the power source . the above - mentioned apparatus is to be implanted in the living body wherein the output terminal of the energy - transmitting apparatus shown in fig1 is to be connected to the photoelectric converter 5a . with this arrangement , either of two light pulse signals f h , f l which respectively have different frequencies , can be externally applied . the low frequency pulse f l can be used , for example , for charging the battery of the source 5 and the high frequency pulse f h can be used for raising or lowering the oscillating output frequency of the pacemaker 8 . for example , by the supply of the low - frequency pulse signal f l , this frequency pulse passes only through the low - pass filter 17 to be applied to the f / v converter 19 of which the output v l charges the battery . during the charging of the battery , the pacemaker 8 continues to generate the oscillating frequency signal supported by the battery voltage of the source 5 . on the other hand , by the supply of the high - frequency pulse signals f h , this frequency pulse passes only through the high - pass filter 16 to be applied to the source terminal of the pacemaker 8 . since the v h is higher than battery voltage v l , the current which flows into the time constant resistor r 1 and condenser c 1 of the pulse generator 8a may be used to vary the oscillating frequency of the pacemaker . since the oscillating output of the pacemaker can be controlled as above - mentioned , for example , when the patient is in the state of rest the rhythm of the heart can be controlled in conformity with the normal frequency , and when the patient is in the state of motion ( especially in the state of running ) the rhythm of the heart can be quickly increased by raising the oscillating frequency of the pacemaker . moreover , the pacemaker may be constructed with a voltage - frequency ( v / f ) converter of which the input terminal is connected to a changeover switch , and a plurality of energy signals which are respectively different may supply different voltages to the v / f converter through the changeover switch for controlling the pacemaker at different rhythms . since the energy - transmitting apparatus according to the invention is provided with the construction aforementioned , it can be extensively applied for supplying energy to apparatus implanted in the living body without being limited to a pacemaker . | 0 |
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