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embodiments of the present invention will be hereinafter described in detail with reference to the attached drawings . as an embodiment of the present invention , fig1 shows a basic structure of a transmitting circuit of a communication device for a mobile unit according to a tdma system ( time division multiple access system ). in the transmitting circuit , an i - q component generating circuit 1 converts a digital information signal to be transmitted into a quadrature component q and an in - phase component i and outputs them in accordance with the digital phase modulation of a π / 4 shift dqpsk method . the operation of the i - q component generating circuit 1 is controlled by a microcomputer 2 . a d / a converter 3 is connected to an output of the i - q component generating circuit 1 . the d / a converter 3 changes the transferred symbol data of i and q channels to corresponding analog data and supplies it to an lpf 4 . the lpf 4 passes only a given low - frequency band of an input signal , in other words , the lpf 4 removes a higher harmonic component thereof , and supplies it to a modulator 5 . the modulator 5 is of , for example , a costas type , and performs a modulation of the π / 4 shift dqpsk method while treating the output signal of the lpf 4 as a signal to be transmitted on the basis of an oscillating output signal of a local oscillator 6 . the oscillating output signal of the local oscillator 6 has a predetermined carrier frequency in the communication device concerned , and this becomes the central frequency in that modulation . a transmission signal that is a modulation output of the modulator 5 is supplied to a power amplifier 8 through a variable gain amplifier 7 . the variable gain amplifier 7 is disposed as a pre - amplifier of the power amplifier 8 , and an amplification gain is controlled by the microcomputer 2 . the power amplifier 8 further amplifies the transmission signal amplified by the variable gain amplifier 7 , and applies it to an antenna 9 , and , as a result , the transmission signal is radiated from the antenna 9 in the form of transmission waves . as shown in fig2 in the thus constructed transmitting circuit , a tdma transmission signal transmitted along the time series ( t ) performs a downward communication ( from a base station to a moving apparatus ) and an upward communication ( from the moving apparatus to the base station ) per frame . one channel is allocated by a pair of time zones , i . e ., slots ( transmission block ) that have been allocated to each communication period in the tdma frame . in order to facilitate understanding , fig2 shows a case where two channels ( two slots in each of the down and up ) exist in one frame . for example , in slot number 1 , data a is transmitted during the downward communication , and data b is transmitted during the upward communication , as shown in the figure . in other words , the transmitting circuit of the base station ( or , of the moving apparatus ) transmits ( or , receives ) data a , and receives ( or , transmits ) data b in the time zone indicated by slot number 1 . the channel can be subdivided into a control channel and a communication channel . the control channel is to be used in communication for setting the communication channel , and in practice , the communication channel is to transmit information for performing communication , such as a conversation on the telephone . there are cases in which the slot is in a burst state , and it consists of 280 bits , for example . the slot of the control channel has a structure shown in ( a ) of fig3 for example , and the slot of the communication channel has a structure shown in ( b ) of fig3 for example . in the figure , g designates a guard time , p designates a preamble ( i . e ., bit necessary for bit synchronization ), r designates a lamp time part ( burst transient response bit ), sw designates a sync - word ( bit necessary for frame synchronization ), cac designates a common access channel for radio system control , tch designates a traffic channel that carries information , and sacch designates an associated control channel that is associated with tch . the guard time g is provided so that the waveforms of adjoining slots never overlap with each other because of , for example , a synchronous deviation . herein , the traffic channel tch and the associated control channel sacch are transmission information , and the preamble p and the sync - word sw are control data necessary for synchronous capture . the numerical values in ( a ) and ( b ) of fig3 designate bit number . since it is impossible to steeply increase the output of the power amplifier 8 , rcr std - 27 , which is the specification of pdc ( personal digital cellular ), prescribes that the envelope waveform of the output signal of the power amplifier 8 with respect to the slot is only required to change within the range between the upper and lower limits shown by the oblique lines in ( c ) of fig3 . the mean power is 29 dbm , and its accuracy is + 20 %, and − 50 %. the microcomputer 2 controls the gain of the variable gain amplifier 7 according to items in the slot to be transmitted . next , the gain control will be described with reference to a flowchart . as shown in fig4 the microcomputer 2 determines whether the item to be transmitted is a preamble p or not ( step s 1 ). if it is a preamble p corresponding to a control data portion , the gain of the variable gain amplifier 7 is set at a first predetermined value ( step s 2 ). if it is not a preamble p , the microcomputer 2 determines whether the item to be transmitted is a sync - word sw or not ( step s 3 ). if it is a sync - word sw corresponding to a control data portion , the stage proceeds to step s 2 , and the gain of the variable gain amplifier 7 is set at the first predetermined value . if it is not a sync - word sw , the microcomputer 2 determines whether the item to be transmitted is one of the other items or not ( step s 4 ). in the slot of a communication channel , the other items are a transmission information portion , such as the traffic channel tch , and a control data portion , such as the associated control channel acch , excluding a preamble p , sync - word sw , and guard time g . if it is the other item , the gain of the variable gain amplifier 7 is set at a second predetermined value that is smaller than the first predetermined value ( step s 5 ). as shown in fig5 as a result of the gain control of the variable gain amplifier 7 by the microcomputer 2 , the transmission power by the power amplifier 8 becomes higher during a period corresponding to each of the preamble p and the sync - word sw than during the other periods in the slot . the envelope waveform of this transmission signal is included within the range between the upper and lower limits shown in ( c ) of fig3 . the preamble p and the sync - word sw of each slot are indispensable because the preamble p takes bit synchronization at the receiving side and because the sync - word sw takes frame synchronization at the receiving side . accordingly , if the envelope waveform of the output signal of the power amplifier 8 during periods corresponding to the preamble p and the sync - word sw is heightened more than during the other periods , the synchronous capture per slot will be easily and steadily carried out at the receiving side . additionally , several bits following the preamble p are needed besides the preamble p in order to capture the stable bit synchronization , and therefore those bits may be arranged so as to set the gain of the variable gain amplifier 7 at the first predetermined value . in the above embodiment , the envelope waveform of the output signal of the power amplifier 8 is heightened during the periods corresponding to the preamble p and the sync - word sw more than during the other periods . however , the period corresponding to the preamble p and the period corresponding to the sync - word sw do not need to have the same transmission power . what is needed is for it to be heightened more than during the other periods . further , in the above embodiment , the transmission power is changed by the gain control of the variable gain amplifier 7 in the slot . however , without providing the variable gain amplifier 7 , the transmission power may be changed in the slot by controlling the applied voltage of a negative voltage power supply 11 onto the power amplifier 8 by means of the microcomputer 2 , as shown in fig6 . further , in the above embodiment , information necessary for the bit synchronization and the frame synchronization is described as an example . however , without being limited to this , other information may be used if it is a synchronizing signal needed when a transmission block , such as a slot , is received . herein , the phrase “ when a transmission block is received ” means “ when a transmission block is received by a relay station , a base station , or the communication device itself for a mobile unit .” further , since there is a case in which some communication systems have difficulty in extracting only information ( control data ) necessary for synchronization , the transmission level may be raised by extracting peripheral information including the information necessary for synchronization in this case . further , in the above embodiment , a case in which the present invention is applied to the tdma type transmitting circuit is described . however , without being limited to this , the present invention may be applied to a transmitting circuit of the type that has transmission information and information necessary for various synchronizations in a slot . for example , if the present invention is applied to a transmitting circuit of the cdma system ( code division multiple access system ), each of a plurality of consecutive frames , as shown in ( a ) of fig7 is provided with slots having different transmission powers , as shown in ( b ) of fig7 . in each slot , an arrangement may be made to raise the transmission level of information necessary for the synchronous capture when the slot is received . further , in each of the above embodiments , the signal level of the transmission signal is described as a structure to be always adjusted . however , without being limited to this , the present invention may be made according to the receiving status . for example , a judgment may be made about whether the receiving status is good or not in accordance with the error percentage of a received signal or the receiving level thereof . if good , the processing of the present invention is carried out , and , if not , the processing thereof is not carried out . as described above , according to the communication device for a mobile unit of the present invention , the transmission power of a part necessary for synchronization is increased at the receiving side , and therefore it is possible to save electric power without inviting a deterioration in communication performance .

a communication device for a mobile unit designed to save power without inviting a deterioration in communication performance . in the communication device for performing radio communication by a frame unit having a plurality of transmission blocks each of which comprises a transmission information portion and a control data portion relative to the transmission information portion , the communication device includes a transmission level adjusting part for adjusting the respective transmission levels of the transmission information portion and the control data portion so as to make them differ from each other .

the presently disclosed subject matter now will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings , in which some , but not all embodiments are shown . indeed , this invention may 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 satisfy applicable legal requirements . like numbers refer to like elements throughout . a device for use with a drain is illustrated in fig1 through 4 and is generally designated 10 . the device 10 is configured for being received within a floor drain 1 . the device includes a basket assembly 12 containing a treatment material 14 therein . as used herein , basket assembly may refer to any assembly , device , or structure capable of carrying or containing a treatment material the treatment material 14 may be a generally solid or liquid material additionally , the treatment material 14 may be a liquid - soluble material configured to release aromatic treatment when dissolved or dissipated with liquid . as used herein , liquid - soluble includes any material in which the passage - by or pass - through of liquid causes some material change or reaction to occur . for example , liquid - soluble may refer to a material that is at least liquid - dispersible . furthermore , liquid - soluble may also describe the condition in which the liquid that passes by or through the aromatic material carries the dissolved liquid - soluble material the treatment material 14 may contain anti - bacterial or other sanitizing characteristics . the treatment material 14 may be a bacterial or enzyme treatment that is configured for destroying odor - causing microorganisms and the like that may be found in drains . the treatment material 14 may include a bioactive agent that produces enzymes that digest collected grease and oil . the treatment material 14 may include materials that are insecticidal in nature and repel and kill insects . in other embodiments , the basket assembly 12 may contain some medium that may or may not be liquid - soluble , including , for example , a sponge soaked in an appropriate chemical . in other embodiments , the treatment material 14 may be a liquid - soluble treatment material configured to emit a desired aroma when liquid flows about the material . the basket assembly 12 may include a plurality of openings 13 , such as , for example the slots shown throughout the drawings . the basket assembly 12 may be generally concentric with the drain opening 3 when installed thereon . the treatment material 14 is configured such that when liquid , which may be liquid waste - water , grease , oil , or any other liquid that is poured down a drain , passes into the openings 13 and through the treatment material 14 , the treatment material 14 releases an aroma to mask any odor emanating from the drain 1 . the device 10 includes a drain cover skirt 16 . the drain cover skirt 16 may define an opening 20 that receives and carries the basket assembly 12 . in this manner , the drain cover skirt 16 and basket assembly 12 may be integrally formed . the drain cover skirt 16 may further define a plurality of openings 18 that allow flow of liquid therethrough . a basket assembly lid 22 is provided for engaging with the opening 20 . the basket assembly lid 22 defines at least one aperture 24 for allowing flow of liquid into the basket assembly 12 . the basket assembly 12 may include a flange 26 for cooperatively engaging a recess 30 that is defined in the drain cover skirt 16 to thereby engage the lid 22 with the drain cover skirt 16 . the basket assembly lid 22 may be further configured for engagement with the drain cover skirt 16 by other appropriate manners . for example , a hook 32 carried by the drain cover skirt 16 may be further configured for engaging the flange 26 and extending into a recess 33 defined in the lid 22 . the hook 32 may be configured for rotatable movement or pivotable movement about the drain cover skirt 16 such that the hook 32 can be selectively engaged therewith . the hook 32 may be rotated or pivoted out ofthe way by inserting an elongate object such as a screwdriver or blade into the gap defined between the hook 32 and basket lid 22 and pressing the hook 32 into an unobstructed position . installation of the device 10 is accomplished by fastening the drain cover skirt 16 to a supporting floor surface 2 . the drain 1 should be aligned with the opening 20 ofthe drain cover skirt 16 such that the basket assembly 12 may be received within the drain 1 . the drain cover skirt 16 may be fastened to the supporting floor surface 2 by the use of a threaded fastener , such as a screw , though in other embodiments , any appropriate fastener may be used . the treatment material 14 is then placed into the basket assembly 12 . the treatment material 14 may occupy substantially all or only a portion of the basket assembly 12 when installed . the lid 22 is then engaged with the drain cover skirt 16 . in the one or more embodiments illustrated in fig1 , this is accomplished by engaging the flange 26 with the recess 30 . in the one or more embodiments of fig4 , this may include rotating or pivoting the hook 32 until the flange 26 is in engagement therewith . to replace a spent treatment material 14 , the lid 22 is disengaged from the drain cover skirt 16 , the treatment material 14 is replaced , and the lid 22 is then re - engaged with the drain cover skirt 16 . a device according to one or more embodiments is illustrated in fig5 through 8 and is generally designated 110 . the device 110 is similar in many respects to the device 10 illustrated in fig1 through 4 and shares many of the same aspects . the device is configured for being received within a floor drain 1 . the device 110 also includes a drain cover skirt 116 . the drain cover skirt 116 may define an opening 120 that receives a basket assembly 112 . the drain cover skirt 116 may further define a plurality of openings 118 that allow flow of liquid therethrough . the basket assembly 112 may contain treatment material 14 therein . alternatively , any desired material may be placed in the basket assembly 112 . the basket assembly 112 may include a plurality of openings 113 , such as , for example , the slots shown throughout the drawings . the plurality of openings 113 allow liquid to , flow there - through and into the drain 1 . a basket assembly lid 122 is provided for engaging with the opening 120 and is carried by the basket assembly 112 . the basket assembly lid 122 may define at least one aperture 124 for allowing flow of liquid into the basket assembly 112 . the basket assembly 112 may include a flange 126 for cooperatively engaging a recess 130 that is defined in the drain cover skirt 116 to thereby engage the lid 122 and the basket assembly 112 with the drain cover skirt 116 . the one or more embodiments illustrated in fig5 through 8 may differ from the one or more embodiments illustrated in fig1 through 4 in that the basket assembly 112 may be replaced when the treatment material or other material contained therein needs replacing . the basket assembly 122 may be further configured for engagement with the drain cover skirt 116 by other appropriate manners . for example , a hook 132 carried by the drain cover skirt 116 may be further configured for engaging the flange 126 and extending into a recess 133 defined in the lid 122 . the hook 132 may be configured for rotatable movement or pivotable movement about the drain cover skirt 116 such that the hook 132 can be selectively engaged . the hook 132 may be rotated or pivoted out of the way by inserting an elongate object such as a screwdriver or blade into the gap defined between the hook 132 and basket lid 122 and pressing the hook 132 into an unobstructed position . installation of the device 110 is accomplished by fastening the drain cover skirt 116 to a supporting floor surface 2 as illustrated in fig5 . the drain 1 should be aligned with the opening 120 of the drain cover skirt 116 such that the basket assembly 112 may be received within the drain 1 . the drain cover skirt 116 may be fastened to the supporting floor surface 2 by the use of a threaded fastener , such as a screw , though in other embodiments , any appropriate fastener may be used . the treatment material may occupy substantially all or only a portion of the basket assembly 112 when installed . the basket assembly 112 is then lowered into the drain 1 until the lid 122 is in general alignment with the drain cover skirt 116 . the lid 122 is then engaged with the drain cover skirt 116 by engaging the flange 126 of the lid 122 with the recess 130 of the cover skirt 116 thereby securing the basket assembly 112 into the drain 1 . this may be accomplished by bending or flexing of the basket 122 until the flange 126 can be engaged in the recess 1230 . in the one or more embodiments illustrated in fig8 , this may include rotating or pivoting the hook 132 until the flange 126 is in engagement therewith . the basket assemblies 12 and 112 are shown as having a generally cylindrical or frusto - conical shape , though in one or more embodiments , may have a specially configured shape . in this manner , only similarly shaped treatment material could be placed in the basket assemblies 12 and 112 . for example , the basket assemblies 12 and 112 could have an “ a ” or “ v ” shape . in this example , the treatment material would need to have a corresponding “ a ” or “ v ” shape in order to be placed into the basket assemblies 12 and 112 . this may be important to ensure that proper and authorized treatment materials are utilized with the devices disclosed herein . one or more embodiments sharing many features and elements as the one or more embodiments illustrated in fig1 through 8 are illustrated in fig9 through 15 . as illustrated in fig9 , the device 210 may include an assembly 212 containing a first material 214 and a second material 215 that is adhered thereto . in one or more embodiments , the first material 214 may be an aromatic material and the second material 215 may be a pesticide material . in one or more embodiments , one of the first material 214 and the second material 215 may also include a degreaser for aiding in preventing drain clogs . the portion of the assembly 212 may include a plurality of catches 217 that are configured for aiding in adhering the first material 214 and the second material 215 thereto . the assembly 212 is configured for being received within an opening 220 of a drain cover skirt 216 . the drain cover skirt 216 may include one or more apertures 218 that allow flow - through of liquid into the drain assembly 1 . the drain assembly 1 may include a tab 4 that is configured for receiving a threaded fastener for securing the drain cover skirt 216 thereto . the assembly 212 may include a snap arm assembly 213 that is configured for allowing placement of the assembly 213 into the opening 220 and engaging a slot 233 formed in the drain cover skirt 216 . removal of the assembly 212 is effectuated by pressing the snap assemblies 213 inward so that that the assemblies 213 are no longer in interference with the drain cover skirt 216 . subsequent pulling upward on the assembly 212 until assembly 212 is no longer in engagement with the drain cover skirt 216 completes removal . as illustrated in fig1 , a device 310 may include an assembly 312 containing a first material 314 and a second material 315 that is adhered to a portion of the assembly 312 . each ofthe first material 314 and second material 315 may be one o f any desired material , including an aromatic material , a pesticide , a degreasing material , an enzyme material , and the like . one or more catches 317 may be provided for engaging with the first material 314 and second material 315 . the assembly 312 is configured for being received within an opening 320 of a drain cover skirt 316 . the drain cover skirt 316 may include one or more apertures 318 that allow flow - through of liquid into the drain assembly 1 . the assembly 312 may include a snap arm assembly 313 that is configured for allowing placement of the assembly 312 into the opening 320 and engaging a slot 333 formed in the drain cover skirt 316 . removal of the assembly 312 is effectuated by pressing the snap assemblies 313 inward so that that are no longer in interference with the drain cover skirt 316 and pulling upward on the assembly 312 until the assembly 312 is no longer in engagement with the drain cover skirt 316 . as illustrated in fig1 , a device 410 for use with a drain 1 is provided . the device 410 may include an assembly 412 containing a first treatment material 414 and a second treatment material 415 that is adhered to a portion ofthe assembly 412 . each of the first material 414 and second material 415 may be one of any desired material , including an aromatic material , a pesticide , a degreasing material , an enzyme material , and the like . the assembly 412 is configured for being received within an opening 420 ofthe drain cover skirt 416 . the drain cover skirt 416 may include one or more apertures 418 that allow flow - through of liquid into the drain assembly 1 . the assembly 412 may include a shoulder assembly 421 that is configured for being received within a slot 422 defined by a panel 423 hingedly connected to the drain cover skirt 416 . in this manner , removal of the shoulder assembly 421 , first material 414 , and second material 415 is carried out by rotating the panel 423 away from the drain cover skirt 416 , and sliding the shoulder assembly 421 away from the slot 422 . installation and replacement of a spent first material 414 and second material 415 is accomplished by replacing the shoulder assembly 421 having an unspent first material 414 and second material 415 carried thereby with an unspent shoulder assembly . as illustrated in fig1 , a device 510 for use with a drain 1 is provided . the device 510 may include an assembly 512 containing a first material 514 and a second material 515 that is adhered to a portion ofthe assembly 512 . each of the first material 515 and second material 515 may be one of any desired material , including an aromatic material , a pesticide , a degreasing material , enzyme material , and the like . the assembly 512 is configured for being received within an opening 520 of the drain cover skirt 516 . the drain cover skirt 516 may include one or more apertures 518 that allow flow - through of liquid into the drain assembly 1 . the assembly 512 may include a shoulder assembly 521 that is configured for being received within a slot 522 carried by a panel 523 hingedly connected to the drain cover skirt 516 . in this manner , removalo f the shoulder assembly 521 , first material 515 , and second material 515 is carried out by rotating the pane 1523 away from the drain cover skirt 516 , and sliding the shoulder assembly 521 away from the slot 522 . installation and replacement of a spent first material 515 and second material 515 is accomplished by replacing the shoulder assembly 521 with a shoulder assembly 521 having unspent first material 515 and second material 515 . the panel 523 may be configured to close against and engage the cover skirt 516 by any appropriate manner , including fasteners , detents , and the like . as illustrated in fig1 , a device 610 for use with a floor drain 1 is provided . the device 610 may include a basket assembly 612 containing a material therein . the material 614 may be one of an aromatic material , pesticide material , degreaser material , enzyme material , and the like . the basket assembly 612 is configured for being received within an opening 620 ofthe drain cover skirt 616 . the drain cover skirt 616 may include one or more apertures 618 that allow flow - through of liquid into the drain assembly 1 . the basket assembly 612 may include a snap arm assembly 613 that is configured for allowing placement of the basket assembly 612 into the opening 620 and engaging a slot 633 formed in the drain cover skirt 616 . removal of the basket assembly 612 is effectuated by pressing the snap assemblies 613 inward so that that are no longer in interference with the drain cover skirt 616 and pulling upward on the basket assembly 612 until no longer in engagement with the drain cover skirt 616 . as illustrated in fig1 , a device 710 for use with a floor drain 1 is provided . the device 710 may include a basket assembly 712 containing a material therein . the material 714 may be one of an aromatic material , pesticide material , degreaser material , enzyme material , and the like . the basket assembly 712 is configured for being received within an opening 720 ofthe drain cover skirt 716 . the drain cover skirt 716 may include one or more apertures 718 that allow flow - through of liquid into the drain assembly 1 . the basket assembly 712 may include a snap arm assembly 713 that is configured for allowing placement of the basket assembly 712 into the opening 720 and engaging a slot 733 formed in the drain cover skirt 716 . removal of the basket assembly 712 is effectuated by pressing the snap assemblies 713 inward so that that are no longer in interference with the drain cover skirt 717 and pulling upward on the basket assembly 712 until no longer in engagement with the drain cover skirt 716 . as illustrated in fig1 , a device 810 for use with a floor drain 1 is provided . in fig1 , the device 810 is shown in a cross - sectional view . the device 810 may include a basket assembly 812 that includes a first vessel 840 and a second vessel 842 . each ofthe first vessel 840 and second vessel 842 may contain a material therein , and may include the same or different materials . the material may be one of an aromatic material , pesticide material , degreaser material , enzyme material , and the like . the basket assembly 812 is configured for being received within an opening 820 of the drain cover skirt 816 . the drain cover skirt 816 may include one or more apertures 818 that allow flow - through of liquid into the drain assembly 1 . the basket assembly 812 may include a snap arm assembly 813 that is configured for allowing placement of the basket assembly 812 into the opening 820 and engaging a slot 833 formed in the drain cover skirt 816 . removal of the basket assembly 812 is effectuated by pressing the snap assemblies 813 inward so that that are no longer in interference with the drain cover skirt 816 and pulling upward on the basket assembly 812 until no longer in engagement with the drain cover skirt 816 . a support 844 may be provided that spans across the drain cover opening 820 for providing support to the drain cover skirt 816 . in this manner , the support 844 may be provided such that the portion of the basket assembly 812 defined about the intersection of the first vessel 840 and the second vessel 842 rests thereon when the basket 812 is installed within the drain cover skirt 816 . in one or more embodiments , the one or more devices disclosed herein may provide for a lid or base portion ofthe basket assembly that may be selectively removable such that the treatment material may be replaced . alternatively , the basket assembly may be integrally formed such that only by replacing the basket assembly that has new treatment material therein can the basket be “ refilled .” in one or more embodiments , the basket assembly may also take on a two - part assembly such that the basket assembly may be selectively disassembled at about any of a medial portion thereof . additionally , in one or more embodiments , the one or more basket assemblies disclosed herein have been illustrated with a fastener extending therefrom . in one or more embodiments , the skirt cover may define a fastener for engaging with the one or more basket assemblies . as illustrated in fig1 a , 16 b , and 16 c , a tool 50 may be provided for engaging with any of the basket assemblies and snap arm assemblies disclosed herein . for purposes of illustration only , the tool 50 is shown interacting with basket assembly 812 and snap arm assembly 813 . the tool 50 is configured for moving the snap arm assembly 813 from a first position in which the arm assembly 813 is in engagement with the drain cover skirt 818 and a second position in which the arm assembly 813 is free of the drain cover skirt 818 . the tool 50 may include one or more openings 52 that may be provided for receiving an operator &# 39 ; s fingers . additionally , the tool 50 may include shoulders 54 that are configured for extending into the drain cover assembly 818 through openings 824 and engaging the snap arm assembly 813 to move the assembly from the first position in which the snap arm assembly 813 is in engagement with the drain cover skirt 818 and a second position in which the snap arm assembly 813 is free of the drain cover skirt 818 . one or more hooks 56 may also be provided for extending into and engaging the basket assembly 812 . in this manner , the hooks 56 will pull upward on the basket assembly 812 when the operator pulls the tool 50 upwards away from the drain . the tool 50 may be sufficiently resilient such that any bending , flexing , or other resiliency necessary for the tool to operate is provided . the tool may define planar nesting surface 58 that is configured for nesting with a top portion of the basket assembly 812 . the tool 50 may be provided with the one or more devices disclosed herein as a kit . one or more embodiments of a device for use with a floor drain are illustrated in fig1 in which an apparatus 60 is provided for engagement with the one or more basket assemblies disclosed herein . for purposes of illustration only , the basket assembly is illustrated as basket assembly 112 . the apparatus 60 includes a fluid spraying device 62 , such as a mister . a housing 64 may define a chamber for holding appropriate fluid to be sprayed , such as an aromatic material . a fan 66 may be provided extending from the housing for providing air movement of the fluid being sprayed . a battery or other energy storage may be additionally provided for powering the fan 66 . one or more alternate embodiments of a device for use with a floor drain are illustrated in fig1 in which an adaptor cover skirt 70 having a first skirt material is provided for use with the one or more basket assemblies disclosed herein . for purposes of illustration only , the basket assembly is illustrated as basket assembly 612 . the adaptor skirt 70 is provided for using square shaped drain assemblies as illustrated in fig1 with the one or more basket assemblies disclosed herein . the adaptor skirt 70 defines a void or cutout 72 , which may be a square as illustrated in fig1 . the void 72 is configured for receiving a skirt cover plate 74 that defines a second skirt material . the skirt cover plate 74 defines an opening therein for receiving the basket assembly 612 . the skirt cover plate 74 is configured , along with adaptor skirt 70 , to have varying sizes in order to accommodate drains of varying sizes , shapes , and configurations . one or more devices are illustrated in fig1 a , fig1 b , and fig1 c that are configured for being used with a drain assembly according to one or more embodiments disclosed herein . the one or more devices are generally depicted as 910 . the device 910 includes an insert cover skirt 912 that has one or more fasteners , illustrated as pegs 914 in fig1 a , 19 b , and 19 c , extending therefrom . the one or more pegs 914 may include one or more detents 916 on an end thereof the insert cover 912 may include one or more openings 918 for allowing from through of liquid . the insert cover 912 is configured for being received by a conventional drain skirt , illustrated as 920 . the pegs 914 are configured for extending into openings 922 defined in the conventional drain skirt such that the insert cover can nestably engage with the conventional drain skirt 920 . the detents 916 may be provided for maintaining the insert cover 912 with the drain skirt 920 and may be formed from a resilient material for releasable engagement as desired by the operator . in one or more embodiments disclosed herein , the insert cover 912 may be fabricated with an injection molding process that includes injecting fragrance , aromatic material , or other desired material into the molding material . in this manner , the insert cover 912 may have a pleasing fragrance and may be installed as shown in fig1 c to mask odors emanating from the drain assembly 1 . in one or more embodiments disclosed herein , any ofthe devices herein may be fabricated with an injection molding process that includes injecting fragrance , aromatic material , or other desired material into the molding material . in this manner , the one or more devices herein may have a pleasing fragrance and may be installed to mask odors emanating from the drain assembly 1 . while the embodiments have been described in connection with the preferred embodiments of the various figures , it is to be understood that other similar embodiments may be used or modifications and additions may be made to the described embodiment for performing the same function without deviating therefrom . therefore , the disclosed embodiments should not be limited to any single embodiment , but rather should be construed in breadth and scope in accordance with the appended claims .

a tool for use with a basket assembly is provided . the basket assembly is of the type configured for being receivably engaged with an opening defined in a drain cover skirt for covering the perimeter of a floor drain . the tool is configured for engaging the basket assembly and removing the basket assembly from the drain cover skirt upon force input from a user .

fig1 to 4 show a gas flow valve 1 configured as a 2 / 2 - way valve . in accordance with a first embodiment shown in fig1 and 2 a cylindrical pressure vessel 7 is provided which is partly filled with a magnetic fluid 3 . outside of the pressure vessel 7 an electromagnet 9 in the form of a spool surrounds the part of the pressure vessel 7 filled with fluid . the electromagnet 9 is connected to a voltage source via leads 10 , making and breaking the connection of which depends on the position of a switch 12 . the cylindrical shape of the pressure vessel enables the valve 1 as well as its electromagnet 9 annularly surrounding the pressure vessel 7 and adjoining the latter to be simply fabricated . the inlet tube 11 extends through an opening in the shell surface area of the pressure vessel 7 into the magnetic fluid 3 and further bow - shaped above the fluid level 5 before finally protruding into the fluid 3 from above by its gas inlet 2 . due to part of the inlet tube 11 extending above the fluid level 5 no magnetic fluid 3 is able to flow from the pressure vessel 7 via the inlet tube 11 . a gas outlet 6 is located on the upper side 8 of the pressure vessel 7 . the functioning of the valve 1 will now be explained with respect to the fig1 and 2 . in fig1 the switch 12 is shown in the open condition , i . e . the electromagnet 9 is not connected to the voltage source and no magnetic field is generated . in this condition the magnetic fluid 3 is in the liquid phase , non - magnetic particles 4 being utmost finely dispersed in the magnetic fluid 3 . water is employed as the dispersion medium for the magnetic particles present in the magnetic fluid 3 . since the magnetic fluid 3 , as shown in fig1 is present in its liquid phase gas is able to flow via the inlet tube 11 and the gas inlet 2 through the fluid 3 . the portion of the interior of the pressure vessel 7 not filled with fluid 3 is filled with gas which is able to flow via the gas outlet 6 to a consumer . if the valve 1 is to be closed , the switch 12 , as shown in fig2 must also be closed so that the electromagnet 9 creates a magnetic field which acts on the magnetic fluid 3 . the magnetic field is thereby so strong that a change in viscosity of the magnetic fluid 3 and a phase transition from fluid to solid takes place . the non - magnetic particles present in the magnetic fluid 3 , preferably in the form of elastomers , are selected such that they receive a magnetic buoyancy in this state in the fluid 3 and are forced to the fluid level 5 where they are pressed together to form an additional barrier layer . the solidified magnetic fluid 3 permits no flow of gas and totally interrupts the gas flow . the further embodiment shown in the fig3 and 4 substantially corresponds to the embodiment explained heretofor except that instead of the electromagnet 9 a permanent magnet 19 is provided arranged vertically shiftable on the shell surface area of the pressure vessel 7 so that the shell surface area represents the mounting for the permanent magnet 19 . contrary to the embodiment described above the inlet tube 11 extends from below through a base surface area 13 of the pressure vessel 7 into the interior of the latter . in the open position of the valve 1 as shown in fig3 the permanent magnet 19 is arranged in the upper portion of the pressure vessel 7 . in this arrangement the magnetic field generated by the latter is so far removed from the magnetic fluid 3 that it is too weak to translate the fluid 3 present in the liquid phase as shown in fig3 into the solid phase or to attract it into portions having a stronger magnetic field . when , however , the permanent magnet 19 , as shown in fig4 is shifted downwards so that it surrounds the part of the pressure vessel 7 filled with fluid 3 , the actions in the fluid 3 as explained in conjunction with fig2 occur and the valve 1 assumes its closed position . the tensides also present in the fluid 3 are surface - active and prevent a kind of agglomeration of non - magnetic particles . it is also possible to configure valves 1 to incorporate both electromagnets 9 and permanent magnets 19 . fig5 and 6 show a gas flow valve 1 configured as a 3 / 2 - way valve . in accordance with this embodiment a cylindrical pressure vessel 7 is provided which is partly filled with a magnetic fluid 3 . protruding from above through openings in the upper side 8 of the pressure vessel 7 into this magnetic fluid 3 is a vent tube 14 and an inlet tube 11 having a gas inlet 2 , a gas outlet 6 being located on the upper side 8 of the pressure vessel 7 . outside of the pressure vessel 7 two electromagnets 9 , 16 in the form of spools are arranged such that one surrounds the region of the gas inlet 2 , the other the region of the gas inlet 23 . the electromagnets 9 and 16 are connected via leads 10 and 22 respectively to the voltage sources ( not shown ), the circuits being closed or interrupted depending on the position of the switches 12 , 21 . two of the possible four switching positions of the switches 12 , 21 are made use of to achieve the 3 / 2 - way valve , namely the switching position switch 12 open , switch 21 closed ( fig5 ) and the switching position switch 12 closed , switch 21 open ( fig6 ). the functioning of the 3 / 2 - way valve will now be explained with respect to the fig5 and 6 . in fig5 the circuit of the electromagnet 16 is closed , i . e . electromagnet 16 generates a magnetic field which attracts the magnetic fluid 3 into the region of the gas inlet 23 where it translates from the liquid phase into the solid phase . in this case too , the non - magnetic particles 4 dispersed in the liquid phase , as shown in fig2 are displaced by the magnetic field outwards , i . e . to the fluid surface represented by the inclined fluid level 5 , where they form an additional barrier layer . the solidified magnetic fluid 3 allows no flow of gas and totally seals off the vent tube 14 . between inlet tube 11 and gas outlet 6 the gas is able to flow unobstructed , valve 1 being open . in the position shown in fig6 the circuit of the electromagnet 9 is closed via the switch 12 , whereas the circuit of the electromagnet 16 is broken by the switch 21 . the electromagnet 9 generates a magnetic field which attracts the magnetic fluid 3 into the region of the gas inlet 2 so that the fluid there translates from the liquid phase into the solid phase . here too , the same as in the switching position shown in fig5 the barrier layer consists of non - magnetic particles 3 . the gas inflow through the inlet tube 11 is totally interrupted , valve 1 is closed . between gas outlet 6 and vent tube 14 gas is able to flow via the pressure vessel 7 , however , i . e . valve 1 is vented . the embodiment shown in fig7 to 10 corresponds substantially to the embodiment explained by way of fig5 and 6 , here however , instead of the vent tube 14 a second inlet tube 15 protrudes from above into the magnetic fluid 3 . the two inlet tubes 11 , 15 may be closed or opened or switched in common by a corresponding assigned magnetic field . the result is a valve 1 having a mixing function . in accordance with fig7 the inlet tube 15 is closed by the effect of the magnetic field of the electromagnet 16 . between the inlet tube 11 and the gas outlet 6 gas is able to flow unobstructed . fig8 shows the inverse function . in this case the inlet tube 11 is closed by the effect of the magnetic field of the electromagnet 9 and gas is able to flow unobstructed between inlet tube 15 and gas outlet 6 . in fig9 the circuits of both electromagnets 9 , 16 are closed . due to the effect of the magnetic fields the magnetic fluid 3 is attracted in each case to the inlet tubes 11 and 15 sealing off the gas inlets 2 and 23 totally due to the actions in the magnetic fluid 3 as already described , valve 1 being closed . part of the fluid 3 is displaced to the left - hand side of the pressure vessel 7 to close the gas inlet 23 by an inclined gas - tight fluid surface 5 . the remaining other part of the fluid 3 is displaced to the right - hand side of the pressure vessel 7 where it closes off the gas inlet 2 by an inclined gas - tight fluid surface . in fig1 the switches 12 and 21 are open , i . e . the electromagnets 9 and 16 generate no magnetic fields . the magnetic fluid 3 is present in the liquid phase and allows gases to flow from both gas inlets 2 , 23 to the gas outlet 6 . fig1 to 14 show an embodiment which substantially corresponds to the embodiment illustrated in fig7 to 10 . due to the change in the arrangement a valve 1 having a distribution function materializes . in this case the inlet tube 11 is arranged between two outlet tubes 17 , 18 so that should no magnetic field be applied the gas inlet 2 and ends 24 and 25 of the outlet tubes 17 and 18 respectively protrude into the magnetic fluid 3 . in fig1 closing the switch 21 closes the circuit of the electromagnet 16 , whereas the circuit of the electromagnet 9 is open . the electromagnet 16 generates a magnetic field in the region of the end 24 . due to the effect of the magnetic field the magnetic fluid 3 is attracted into this region where it solidifies . the aforementioned inner actions seal off the gas outlet 17 totally , whereas gas from the inlet tube 11 is able to flow via the outlet tube 18 from the pressure vessel 7 without needing to flow through magnetic fluid . fig1 shows the inverse function of valve 1 . in this case the outlet tube 18 is shut off by the magnetic field generated by the electromagnet 9 . from the inlet tube 11 gas is able to flow via the outlet tube 17 from the pressure vessel 7 . in fig1 the switches 12 and 21 are closed . the electromagnets 9 and 16 generate magnetic fields which attract the magnetic fluid 3 into the regions of the ends 24 and 25 , the fluid translating into the solid phase . the two outlet tubes 17 and 18 are totally shut off by the inner actions in the magnetic fluid as already described , valve 1 being in the blocking function . in fig1 the circuits of the electromagnets 9 and 16 are open so that no magnetic field effects the magnetic fluid 3 . as described in fig1 gas is able to flow from the inlet tube 11 through the fluid 3 and outlet tubes 17 , 18 . in this case the gas is distributed to the two outlet tubes 17 and 18 . fig1 and 16 show a further embodiment of a valve 1 configured as a multiway valve having a mixing function comprising four inlet tubes 11 , 15 , 26 and 27 and a gas outlet 6 . the way in which the valve 1 works corresponds substantially to that as already explained with respect to fig7 to 10 . shutting off or opening individual inlet tubes 11 , 15 , 26 , 27 is done by means of the electromagnet 9 being horizontally rotatable at a hemispherical lower part 13 &# 39 ; of the valve 1 about the vertical longitudinal axis of the pressure vessel 7 ( cf arrow a ) and / or being shiftably mounted about the lower end of the hemispherical lower part 13 &# 39 ; oscillatingly ( cf arrow b ). the corresponding guidance of the electromagnet 9 is not shown . the electromagnet 9 can be arrested in several positions or even continuously so . instead of the electromagnet 9 a permanent magnet may also be provided . in accordance with fig1 the annular electromagnet 9 is shiftably mounted by a guiding means ( not shown ) such that its magnetic field attains only the region of the gas inlet 2 . due to the effect of the magnetic field the solidified magnetic fluid 3 shuts off the inlet tube 15 . if the fluid level 5 is brought to the fluid level 5a by replenishing the fluid 3 via a filler tube ( not shown ) further inlet tubes are shut off , these being in the example inlet tubes 26 and 27 , depending on the fluid level 5a , the magnetic fluid 3 and the position of the electromagnet 9 . in the position shown in fig1 the electromagnet 9 extends around the lower part 13 &# 39 ; of the valve 1 . in this horizontal basic setting all lower tube ends of the inlet tubes 11 , 15 , 26 and 27 lie in the region of its magnetic field . the switch 12 of the circuit is opened and no magnetic field acts on the magnetic fluid 3 . as described above , in this case gas is able to flow from the inlet tubes 11 , 15 , 26 and 27 through the magnetic fluid 3 and through the gas outlet 6 from the pressure vessel 7 since valve 1 is totally opened . when , however , the switch 12 in this basic setting of the electromagnet 9 is closed , the magnetic fluid 3 solidifies due to the effect of the magnetic field of the electromagnet 9 as already described and seals off all inlet tubes 11 , 15 , 26 and 27 so that valve 1 is totally shut off . fig1 and 18 show the gas flow valve 1 as has already been explained with respect to fig1 and 16 . to change the fluid level 5 a gas - sealable filler tube 28 is introduced from above through the upper side 8 of the pressure vessel 7 sufficiently downwards so that it protrudes into the magnetic fluid 3 in the horizontal basic setting of the magnet 9 . the filler tube 28 is connected to a pumping system ( not shown ) and permits a continuous change in function of the valve 1 . depending on the position of the electromagnet 9 and the filling level 5 , one , two or three inlet tubes are thus sealed off . it is also possible to configure valves incorporating both electromagnets 9 and additional permanent magnets 19 . the multiway valves as described above are characterized by a single pressure vessel being sufficient since the magnetic fluid is drawn into a strong magnetic field so that predetermined inlet or outlet tubes can be opened or closed . in addition to this , however , multiway valves may also be produced by several of the valves already described , connected to each other and switched via corresponding drilled passageways . in addition at the input of each switch 12 , 21 a potentiometer may be arranged with which the amperage applied to the electromagnet 9 or 19 can be continuously varied . varying the amperage in turn varies the viscosity of the magnetic fluid 3 so that this too is continuously variable to allow more or less gas to flow through the valve 1 , thus achieving a continuously adjustable valve .

a gas flow valve comprises at least one gas inlet , at least one gas outlet , a flow path between said gas inlet and said gas outlet , a magnetic fluid in the valve arranged in the flow path and means for application of a magnetic field to the magnetic fluid . the magnetic fluid solidifies upon application of the magnetic field , interrupts the flow path from at least one gas inlet to at least one gas outlet gas - tight and permits gas flow when no magnetic field is applied .

fig1 is a skeleton diagram schematically showing an automatic which forms the subject of the present invention . the automatic transmission , as shown , is equipped as its shift mechanism with a torque converter 20 , a second transmission assembly 40 and a first transmission assembly 60 for effecting three - forward and one reverse gear changes . the torque converter 20 is equipped with a pump impeller 21 , a turbine runner 22 , a stator 23 and a lockup clutch 24 . the pump impeller 21 is connected to the crankshaft 10 of an engine e , and the turbine runner 22 is connected to the carrier 41 of a planetary gear set in the second transmission assembly 40 . in this second transmission assembly 40 , a pinion gear 42 held rotatably by the carrier 41 is meshing with a sun gear 43 and a ring gear 44 . moreover , a clutch c0 and a one - way clutch f0 are interposed between the sun gear 43 and the carrier 41 , and a brake b0 is interposed between the sun gear 43 and a housing hu . the first transmission assembly 60 is equipped with two front and rear planetary gear sets . these planetary gear sets share a sun gear 61 and are equipped , respectively , with pinion gears 64 and 65 for meshing with the common sun gear 61 , carries 66 and 67 for holding the pinion gears 64 and 65 , and ring gears 62 and 63 for meshing with the pinion gears 64 and 65 . the ring gear 44 of the second transmission assembly 40 is connected through a clutch c1 to the aforementioned ring gear 62 . another clutch c2 is interposed between the ring gear 44 and the sun gear 61 . moreover , the aforementioned carrier 66 and ring gear 63 are connected to each other and together to an output shaft 70 . between the aforementioned carrier 67 and housing hu , on the other hand , there are interposed a brake b3 and a one - way clutch f2 . moreover , a brake b2 is interposed through another one - way clutch f1 between the sun gear 61 and the housing hu , and a brake b1 is interposed between the sun gear 61 and the housing hu . the automatic transmission is equipped with the shift mechanism thus far described and has its individual clutches and brakes engaged and / or released , as presented at the column b in fig2 to perform the shift control . this shift control is effected by controlling solenoid valves s1 to s3 and ssln and a linear solenoid valve sslu in an oil pressure control circuit 106 in accordance with a present shift pattern , by means of an electronic control unit ( ecu ) 104 which is made receptive of the signals of a throttle opening sensor 100 for detecting a throttle opening θ representation of a load state of the engine e and a vehicular velocity sensor 102 for detecting the running velocity of the vehicle . in the clutch and brake application chart of fig2 : symbols ◯ indicate the engaged state ; symbols x indicate the engaged state to be taken only at the time of engine braking ; and blanks indicate the released state . considering the balance between the difficulty in the control of simultaneous shifts and the benefit of multiple gear changes , the present invention is exemplified by an automatic transmission capable of effecting five - forward gear changes of 1st , 2nd , 3rd , 5th and 6th speeds while abolishing the 4th speed appearing in the clutch and brake application chart of fig2 . the aforementioned solenoid valves s1 and s2 control the first and second shift valves of the first transmission assembly 60 , and the solenoid valve s3 controls a third shift valve for shifting the second transmission assembly 40 from high to low gears , as shown in fig3 a and 3b . on the other hand , the solenoid valve ssln controls the back pressures of the individual accumulators including the accumulator of the brake b0 . moreover , the linear solenoid valve sslu controls the oil pressure of the brake b0 . in fig1 reference numeral 110 designates a shift position sensor for detecting such one of positions including the neutral range ( n ), the drive range ( d ) or the reverse range ( r ), as is selected by the driver . numeral 112 designates a pattern select switch for selecting one of shift patterns including the economy mode ( e ) and the power mode ( p ). moreover , numeral 114 designates a water temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the cooling water of the engine e . numeral 116 designates a brake switch for detecting the depression of the foot brake . numeral 118 designates a brake switch for detecting the pull of the side brake . for the gear change from 2nd to 3rd speeds , the automatic transmission thus constructed is controlled , as is apparent from fig2 to engage the brake b2 of the first transmission assembly 60 and to release the brake b0 of the second transmission 40 . if , in this case , no control is elaborately performed like the prior art for releasing the brake b0 , this release of the brake b0 is stated earlier than the engagement of the brake b2 of the first transmission assembly 60 so that the down shift of the second transmission assembly 40 goes ahead irrespective of the upshift from 2nd to 3rd speeds . this gives the automatic transmission the overall characteristics , in which a small downshift is accompanied by a large upshift . in this automatic transmission , therefore , the brake b0 has its oil pressure modulated at its release time so that it may be release while maintaining the balance with the brake b2 . this control is exemplified by feeding back the oil pressure on the basis of a control signal coming from the electronic control unit 104 while monitoring the actual shifted state such as the revolving states of the rotary members . as a result , the following two pressure modulating mechanisms are connected with the hydraulic servomechanism for engaging and releasing the brake b0 : an accumulator acting as the pressure modulating means for functioning when in the ordinary engagement control ; and a control valve acting as the pressure modulating means for functioning when in the release . in order to avoid the interference between these two pressure modulating mechanisms , there is adopted the following oil passage structure . fig3 a and 3b show an essential portion of the aforementioned hydraulic system . in fig3 a and 3b : reference numeral 210 designates a shift valve for switching supply and discharge of the oil pressure to and from the brake b0 ; numeral 220 designates a b0 control valve for modulating the oil pressure at the time of releasing the brake b0 ; numeral 230 designates a first relay valve ; numeral 240 designates an accumulator control valve for controlling the back pressures of the plural accumulators ; numeral 250 designates a b0 accumulator for controlling the oil pressure at the time of engaging the brake b0 ; numeral 250 designates a b2 accumulator for controlling the oil pressure at the time of engaging the brake b2 ; numeral 270 designates a manual valve to be operated in association with the shift lever disposed sideways of the driver &# 39 ; s seat ; numeral 280 designates a solenoid relay valve ; numeral 290 designates a second relay valve ; and numeral 300 designates a check valve . the engagement and release of the brake b0 are controlled in the following manners . first of all , the engagement of the brake b0 will be described in the following . the shift for engaging the brake b0 is divided into two cases , in which only the second transmission assembly 40 shifts by itself while the first transmission assembly 60 being left as it is and in which the first transmission assembly 60 shifts down whereas the second transmission assembly 40 shifts up to a high gear . the former case is exemplified by the shift from the 1st to 2nd speeds or from the 5th to 6th speeds , and the latter case is exemplified by the downshift from the 3rd to 2nd speeds . in the shift for achieving the shift of the automatic transmission in its entirety by shifting the second transmission assembly 40 simultaneously with the first transmission assembly 60 , the time lag till the engagement of the brake b0 is desirably suppressed to be as short as possible for the sequence control of the shift . in the shift for the second transmission assembly 40 only , on the other hand , such desire is not demanded , but a rather relatively slow engagement is preferable for the shifting characteristics . for engaging the brake b0 , therefore , this embodiment switches the oil passage between the cases in which only the second transmission assembly 40 shifts by itself and in which the second transmission assembly 40 is shifted together with the first transmission assembly 60 . these operations will be specifically described in the following . when the brake b0 is to be engaged , the solenoid valve s3 is turned off to apply the oil pressure to one end of the shift valve 210 so that the shift valve 210 is brought into the lefthand state of fig3 a to output a line pressure pl at a port 212 from a port 211 . the b0 control valve 220 is of the spool type , in which a spool 225 is formed with : a land 226 for opening or closing a port 221 to be fed with the line pressure pl ; a land 227 for opening or closing a drain port ex which is formed adjacent to a port 223 for outputting a modulated oil pressure ; and a land 228 having a larger diameter than the land 227 . at the axially opposed end to a spring fs2 for urging the spool 225 axially , there is formed a port 229 which communicates with the port 223 . moreover , a control pressure port 224 is opened between the larger - diameter land 228 and the adjacent land 227 . as a result , the line pressure pl is modulated to a level according to the elastic force of the spring fs2 so that the modulated pressure is outputted from the port 223 , in case the control pressure is not applied to the control pressure port 224 . in case the control pressure is applied to the control pressure port 224 , on the other hand , the pressure modulating level is reduced according to the control pressure . here , the control pressure for the control pressure port 224 is generated by the linear solenoid valve sslu and is fed through the solenoid relay valve 280 . moreover , the spool 225 is forced into the state , as shown at the lefthand side of fig3 a , to block the pressure modulating action by applying the oil pressure to a port 222 , which is located at the lower side of fig3 a , by the action of the spring fs2 . incidentally , this state is achieved by feeding from the first relay valve 230 to the port 222 the d - range pressure which is generated when the shift lever ( although not shown ) is in the drive range . the aforementioned first relay valve 230 is provided for augmenting the oil supply passage to the brake b0 when the automatic transmission is shifted down from the 3rd to 2nd speeds . this first relay valve 230 effects the connection and disconnection between ports 236 and 237 and the connection and disconnection between ports 231 and 232 according to the balance among the oil pressure of the brake b2 acting upon a port 233 , the oil pressure of the the clutch c0 acting upon a port 234 , the oil pressure of the clutch c2 acting upon a port 235 , and the elastic force of a spring fs3 . if the shift from the 3rd to 2nd speeds is decided , more specifically , a higher gear shift command signal of the second transmission assembly 40 is outputted at first to turn off the solenoid valve s1 and the solenoid valve s3 and on the solenoid valve s2 . simultaneously with this , the output pressure pslu of the linear solenoid valve sslu is minimized . in this state , not the oil pressure of the clutches c2 and c0 but only the oil pressure of the brake b2 is established and applied to the port 233 of the first relay valve 230 . then , this first relay valve 230 takes its righthand position , as shown , to provide the communication between the port 236 and the port 237 . this provides the oil passages of a smaller orifice 310 and a larger orifice 320 for the oil passages for the brake b0 so that the oil passage resistances are reduced to effect a rapid engagement of the brake b0 . since , moreover , the output pressure pslu of the linear solenoid valve sslu is minimized , the output pressure of the b0 control valve 220 can be maximized to shorten the time lag till the oil supply to and the engagement of the brake b0 . this occurs not only because the oil passage resistance is dropped but also because the supply oil pressure itself is raised . after a predetermined time period has elapsed from the shift decision from the 3rd to 2nd speeds , a downshift command signal of the first transmission assembly 60 is outputted to turn on the solenoid valve s1 and the solenoid valve s2 and off the solenoid valve s3 . then , the b2 oil pressure of the port 233 of the first relay valve 230 is drained so that the first relay valve 230 takes the lefthand position of fig3 a . as a result , the communication between the port 236 and the port 237 is shut off , but the communication between the port 231 and the port 232 is established . then , the oil passage through the larger orifice 320 of the oil passages to the brake b0 is closed so that the oil is supplied by way of only the oil passage through the smaller orifice 310 . as a result , the shift of only the second transmission assembly 40 by the engagement of the brake b0 is slowly effected to reduce the shifting shocks . in other words , in case of the shift from the 3rd to 2nd speeds , the oil is supplied not only via the oil passage through the smaller orifice 310 but also via the oil passage through the larger orifice 320 for the predetermined time period from the decision of the shift to the output of the shifting command of the first transmission assembly 60 , so that the oil passage resistance is reduced . after lapse of this predetermined time period , the oil is supplied to the brake b0 only via the oil passage through the smaller orifice 310 so that the oil passage resistance is increased to reduce the shocks at the time of the high gear shift of the second transmission assembly 40 . incidentally , for a shift other than that from the 3rd to 2nd speed , e . g ., the shift from the 1st to 2nd speeds or the shift from the 5th to 6th speeds for bringing the brake b0 from released to engaged states , the individual ports of the first relay valve 230 takes the lefthand positions , as shown , so that the oil supply passage to the brake b0 is restricted to that through the smaller orifice 310 only . here , the automatic transmission shown in fig1 has its b0 accumulator 250 functioning no matter whether the oil might be supplied to the brake b0 only by way of the oil passage through the smaller orifice 310 or additionally by way of the oil passage through the larger orifice 320 . specifically , the second relay valve 290 is of spool type , which is formed with : a port 291 communicating with the check valve 300 at its portion housing a spring 295 for urging a spool 294 axially ; and a port 296 for applying a control oil pressure generated by the linear solenoid valve sslu , at its end portion opposed to the end having the former port 291 . the second relay valve 290 is further formed at its axially middle portion with : a port 292 communicating with the hydraulic servomechanism of the brake b0 ; and a port communicating with the b0 accumulator 250 . the communication between the ports 292 and 293 is established or shut off . the second relay valve 290 thus constructed has its port 291 fed with the output pressure of the check valve 300 and takes the righthand position of fig3 a at all times except for the shift from the 2nd to third speeds . the check valve 300 outputs the oil pressure to the second relay valve 290 when the oil pressure of the clutch c0 , the l - range oil pressure and the &# 34 ; 2nd &# 34 ; range oil pressure are individually generated . this automatic transmission uses the gear ratios other than the 4th speed shown in fig2 the second relay valve 290 takes the righthand position , as shown , at the gear changes other than that from the 2nd to 3rd speeds . as a result , in these other gear changes , the oil supplied to the hydraulic servomechanism of the brake b0 is also fed to the port 250 to cause the accumulator 250 to perform its function . thus , in this embodiment , when the brake b0 has its hydraulic servomechanism supplied with the oil , i . e ,. is to be engaged , its transitional characteristics are basically controlled by the b0 accumulator 250 . moreover , this b0 accumulator 250 has its pressure modulating characteristics controlled in the well - known manner by the solenoid valve ssln and the accumulator control valve 240 . on the other hand , as has been described hereinbefore , the b0 control valve 220 never fails to be fixed in the shown lefthand position by the first relay valve 230 , when the brake b0 is to be engaged , to execute no pressure modulation . as a result , the oil pressure at the engagement of the brake b0 is controlled exclusively by the pressure modulating function of the b0 accumulator . next , the control of the oil pressure when the brake b0 has its hydraulic servomechanism drained of its oil , namely , is to be released will be described in the following . since , in this automatic transmission , the gear ratio corresponding to the 4th speed of fig2 is cut off , the shifts for releasing the brake b0 are restricted to the gear changes from the 2nd to 1st speeds , from the 6th to 5th speeds , and from the 2nd to 3rd speeds . of these , the shifts from the 2nd to 1st and from the 6th to 5th are kept away from any change in the first transmission assembly 60 so that no problem will arise even if the release of the brake b0 is not accurately timed . on the contrary , the shift from the 2nd to 3rd speeds is required to have a strictly dimed pressure modulation control because the first transmission assembly 60 is shifted up from the 1st to 2nd speeds concurrently with the release of the brake b0 . for this shift from the 2nd to 3rd speeds , therefore , the second relay valve 290 is brought into the lefthand position , as shown , to have its port 291 kept away from the oil pressure outputted from the check valve 300 , so that the second relay valve 290 has its ports 292 and 293 shut off . as a result , the oil passage between the b0 accumulator 250 and the brake b0 is shut off , and the oil passage between the b2 accumulator and the brake b0 is accordingly shut off so that the b2 accumulator 260 attached to the brake b2 for effecting the gear changes of the first transmission assembly 60 can be freely controlled by the solenoid valve ssln and the accumulator control valve 240 while exerting none of its influences upon the brake b0 . on the other hand , the first relay valve 230 is brought into the shown righthand position so that the d - range pressure at the port 222 of the b0 control valve 220 is drained to enable the b0 control valve 220 to modulate its pressure . as a result , the brake b0 has its releasing oil pressure controlled finely through the b0 control valve 220 by the control pressure pslu which is generated by the linear solenoid valve sslu . fig4 plots the shifting characteristics in case the hydraulic servomechanism of the brake b0 is left connected to the b0 accumulator 250 , and fig5 plots the shifting characteristics in the disconnected case . in case of connection to the accumulator , as seen from fig4 a considerable difference is created between the output pressure of the b0 control valve 220 and the actual oil pressure of the brake b0 . this difference is found , as hatched in fig4 and implies that the oil pressure of the brake b0 is deviated from the target pressure and accordingly that the shift controlling accuracy is all the more deteriorated . in case of a shift with the brake b0 and the accumulator 250 being shut off , on the contrary , little difference arises between the output pressure of the b0 control valve 222 and the actual oil pressure of the brake b0 . this implies that the oil pressure of the brake b0 can be controlled to hit the target , and supports that an arbitrary pressure - modulated state can be accurately realized by properly controlling the control oil pressure pslu which is established by the linear solenoid valve sslu . according to the present embodiment , the communication of the b0 accumulator 250 with the brake b0 can be shut off by the second relay valve 290 , and the b0 control valve 220 can be brought out of its pressure modulation by the first relay valve 230 . thus , the two valve modulating mechanisms of the brake b0 , which might otherwise interfere with each other , are disconnected so that their interferences can be prevented to provide excellent shifting characteristics .

herein disclosed is a hydraulic servomechanism control system in an automatic transmission , for modulating the oil pressure of any hydraulic servomechanism to engage or release frictional engagement devices . the control system comprises : two pressure modulating mechanisms for modulating the oil pressure of said hydraulic servomechanisms ; and a shutoff mechanism for shutting off , when one of said pressure modulating mechanisms is caused to communicate with said hydraulic servomechanism , the communication between the other pressure modulating mechanism and said hydraulic servomechanism .

before any embodiments of the invention are explained in detail , it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the following drawings . the invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways . also , it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting . the use of “ including ,” “ comprising ,” or “ having ” and variations thereof herein is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items . unless specified or limited otherwise , the terms “ mounted ,” “ connected ,” “ supported ,” and “ coupled ” and variations thereof are used broadly and encompass both direct and indirect mountings , connections , supports , and couplings . further , “ connected ” and “ coupled ” are not restricted to physical or mechanical connections or couplings . reference is now made to the drawings wherein like numbers refer to like elements throughout . fig1 illustrates a septic system , generally identified 10 with which the improved apparatus and method of the present invention is intended to be used . it is to be understood , however , that the precise configuration of the improved system is not a limitation of the present invention and could assume any number of sizes and layouts . the septic system 10 shown is for illustration purposes only . a six foot tall man 4 is included for relative size reference as well . as shown in fig3 , the septic system 10 lies , for the most part , below earth grade 2 . the system 10 includes a pipe 12 leading from a home or building ( not shown ) which pipe 12 is connected to a first septic tank 14 . the first tank 14 may or may not have a vented cover . as shown , the first tank 14 includes a riser 16 . the first tank 14 is , in turn , connected to a second tank 18 . this second tank 18 may or may not have a vented cover as well . as shown , the second tank 18 includes a riser 20 and a vent 21 . as will become apparent later in this detailed description , if either the first or second tanks 14 , 18 do not have a vented cover atop of 16 , 20 , respectively , one may need to be added in order to utilize the apparatus of the present invention . this second tank 18 may also be a pumping chamber . it should also be noted that the second tank 18 lies slightly below the first tank 14 such that gravity affects a downstream flow of effluent from one tank to the other . the second tank 18 is , in turn , connected to a dry well or seepage pit 22 . the dry well or seepage pit 22 includes a vent 24 . an alternate to a dry well or seepage pit 22 is an absorption field 26 or an above grade mound system ( not shown ). the absorption field 26 may include a distribution box 28 and a vent 30 . the distribution box 28 of the absorption field 26 may or may not include a distribution box riser 32 and a distribution box vent 34 . again for reasons that will become apparent later in this detailed description , a distribution box riser 32 will likely need to be added to the system 10 if one is not already included . as shown in fig3 , it will be shown that the downward flow of effluent is affected by gravity . alternatively , the effluent can be moved by a positive pressure pump to the soil distribution component of the system . in general , the improved apparatus of the present invention is comprised of at least one high volume ozone - generating pump 40 connected to at least one low pressure drop sintered air stone 60 . the air stone 60 has a relatively large surface area , see fig4 . the pumps 40 and all internal electrical connections are packaged in a weatherproof container 42 . the external electrical connection 44 is connected via an extension cord to a circuit breaker or may be permanently hardwired to an electrical junction box . the pumps 40 force oxygen and ozone , or ozone only , into clear vinyl tubing 50 , although many types of tubing are acceptable and would be within the scope of the present invention . the tubes , or aeration lines , 50 are then connected to the air stones 60 , which are placed at various locations inside the septic system 10 . it is to be understood that at least one high volume ozone - generating pump 40 be utilized to introduce ozone into the system . other pumps 40 may be used with or without ozone - generating capabilities . as shown in fig1 , and using the improved system illustrated therein as representative of a typical system , the preferred location for the aeration lines 50 is in the vent pipe 34 of the distribution box 28 , the vent pipe 24 of the dry well 22 , or the vent pipe 21 of the second tank or pumping chamber 18 . for example , as shown in fig1 , 2 and 3 , a first pump 40 a , tubing 50 a , and air stone 60 a are used with the second tank 18 . at that location , the first air stone 60 a and a portion of the tubing 50 a are inserted into the second tank 18 via the tank vent 21 . a second pump 40 b , tubing 50 b , and air stone 60 b are used with the dry well or seepage pit 22 , and a third pump 40 c , tubing 50 c , and air stone 60 c are used with the distribution box 28 of the absorption field 26 . if the standing effluent level in the distribution box 28 is not of adequate depth , an alternate location should be considered . if a vent pipe or well is not available at this location , one may be installed for a rather nominal cost . in most cases , the standard vent cap can be used during remediation . it is to be understood that the improved apparatus of the present invention could be installed in alternate locations . for example , the aeration lines could be installed in the final septic tank or pumping chamber of a multiple tank system or in the septic tank in a single tank system immediately prior to the outlet to the soil absorption system . as an alternate to installing through a vented cover , small holes can be drilled through the lid of the tank or compartment and the aeration lines installed . installation of an approved effluent filter is recommended with this application method . remediation is a lengthy process . however , the improved method , and apparatus of the present invention provides some degree of immediate relief quite quickly . thereafter , the rate of remediation tapers off over time . substantial remediation can occur in most systems within about 6 months , although other systems may require as long as one year . if , even then , the system is not completely remediated , the equipment can be operated for longer periods without detrimental effects to the system . one advantage to the use of at least one ozone - generating pump 40 within the system is that the application of ozone to any medium , liquid or gas , does not add other chemicals to the system . depending on conditions , the introduction of ozone , approved bacteria , enzymes and vitamins may expedite the remediation process . unfortunately , after the remediation equipment has been removed , there will be a lag of decomposition activity while the aerobic bacteria die and the anaerobic bacteria again takes over . many types of bacteria are available for purchase which include both aerobic , and or anaerobic and or facultative that can expedite the system &# 39 ; s return to normalcy . addition of these products is not required in the improved method of the present invention but may be considered to enhance performance . in the experience of this inventor , the length of time required to remediate a failing or failed absorption field depends on several factors , including , but not limited to , system type , size , severity of failure , site conditions , precipitation , and the average temperature during the remediation process . several trials have been conducted that show the influences of these conditions . all trials showed successful application of the remediation program . the trials showed little change in measured effluent in the absorption system during the first several days of remediation . the following weeks showed a significant drop in effluent levels . over time , the rate of effluent reduction decays . rapid effluent drop near the top of the absorption system is to be expected as it is not normally used until the lower levels become plugged and the effluent levels begin to rise . daily specific hydraulic loading and local precipitation had similar effects on all systems . in another particular application , the present invention provides for use of one enaly ozx - 1000u ozone generator 40 , two 12 inch micro - bubble air stones 60 , 20 feet of tubing 50 , a pair of “ tees ”, one tube weight , a weatherproof container 42 , an extension cord 44 and a ul rated ground fault circuit interrupter , or gfci . see also fig4 . all electrical connections for the generator 40 are located inside the weatherproof container 42 . an extension cord runs to a gfci and then to the power source . the generator 40 used in this embodiment of the invention provides an ozone output of 1000 mg / hour with a pump output of 4 to 5 liters per minute , although other generators of various output capacities could be used . other sizes and types of tubing 50 would also work equally well . additionally , several types of air stones 60 other than that specified will work . the air stones 60 are attached to the end of the tubing 50 and distribute ozone more effectively to wet areas . it would also be possible to achieve favorable remediation by using a combination of air pumps and ozone generators 40 , which combination would still come within the scope of the present invention . in the opinion of this inventor , installation of the improved device of the present invention is relatively simple and straightforward and can frequently be accomplished by the homeowner . the user should first identify the components of his or her particular septic system . frequently , the local government or health department will have information about the homeowner &# 39 ; s septic system on file . however , as a general rule , home septic systems are comprised of a pipe running from the house to the septic tank , in some cases , a pipe running to a second septic tank or pumping chamber , and a typical distribution box that splits the effluent into several pipes going into the absorption field , as discussed above . with this configuration , there are several different locations in which the improved apparatus of the present invention can be installed to eliminate excess bio - mat . the preferred location to install the remediation equipment is as close to the bio - mat problem as possible . therefore , in a septic system having a first septic tank 14 , a second septic tank or pumping chamber 18 , a dry well 22 and a distribution box 28 leading to one or more absorption field vents 3d , 34 , the preferred location would be in the dry well or seepage pit 22 . a secondary , but still beneficial location would be to install the aerator stone 60 in the distribution box 28 . however , it would also be beneficial to install the aerator stone 60 of the present invention after the second septic tank 18 . obviously , different septic systems will require slightly different installations . in the event that a septic system 10 does not have a vent at a convenient location to monitor the progress of the remediation method , a monitoring well can be added to a conventional soil absorption system by driving a “ sandpoint ” well point not less than 12 inches and not more than 24 inches below the bottom of the soil absorption vent pipe 30 . the bottom of the “ sandpoint ” should be driven to the bottom of the soil absorption field 26 . therefore , the effluent level in the “ sandpoint ” can then be monitored . the improved remediation apparatus of the present invention should be allowed to operate for six months . if the system 10 is severely plugged , the equipment can operate for more time without damaging the septic system . the depth of the ponded effluent should be recorded regularly . frequently , plotting the data on a program such as microsoft ® excel will enable the user to predict the amount of time required for remediation . a good estimate of the required operating time can be obtained by examining a plot of the ponded effluent depth as shown in fig5 . normally , treatment should continue for two months after the ponded effluent depth stabilizes . for the system plotted in fig5 , the owner of the septic system might expect to operate the system a total of 120 days . the user should expect some anomalous measurements during the remediation period . for example , in fig5 , the ponded effluent depth in the septic system declined for several days , remained steady , and then rose again . this rise could be attributed to many things such as increased water usage and precipitation . this improved process and apparatus can also be applied to the effluent contained in a holding tank . in this application , the effluent category can be changed from untreated waste to treated waste . this re - categorization may reduce the pumping cost associated with the holding tank . typically , untreated waste of a holding tank must be disposed of in a waste treatment facility . the waste treatment facility charges the waste hauler for this service , who in turn charges the owner of the holding tank . treated waste can be alternatively distributed into the surface of the ground at less cost . yet another application of this improved process and equipment is in mobile and portable holding tanks . mobile and portable holding tanks can be found in but not limited to recreational vehicles , camping trailers , boats , etc . these holding tanks are anaerobic in nature and emit odorous methane gases . owners typically add chemical odor controllers containing paraformaldehyde , alkyl dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride ( quaternary ammonium ) or other disinfectants . these chemicals are toxic and detrimental to a private on - site wastewater treatment system . many rural campgrounds are serviced by private on - site wastewater treatment systems . many campgrounds discourage or have banned the use of these additives . as alluded to earlier , the application of ozone to any medium does not add any other chemicals . in this application , the naturally occurring aerobic bacteria can eliminate the odors of a blackwater or sewage holding tank . in fact , ozone in its gaseous state is a proven deodorizer for a variety of odorous materials . ozone also has the proven ability to convert bio - refractory organic materials to biodegradable materials . thus , ozone oxidation can produce wastewater with lower concentrations of problematic organic compounds . the equipment will keep the holding tank significantly free of sludge build up on the sidewalls and depth sensors . application of this improved process to the gray water holding tank will also reduce odor and sludge build up on the sidewalls and depth sensors of the holding tank . this treated gray water is then suitable for the use of flushing the toilet . an embodiment of the above application is shown in fig6 and 7 , and provides a portable tank wastewater treatment system that may be used in mobile and portable holding tanks . such holding tanks may be found in but not limited to recreational vehicles 102 , camping trailers , boats , portable restrooms , and non - vehicle portable restrooms . fig6 schematically represents a portable tank wastewater treatment system 100 , with which the improved apparatus and method of the present invention is intended to be used . it is to be understood , however , that the precise configuration of the improved system is not a limitation of the present invention and could assume any number of sizes and layouts . the portable tank wastewater treatment system 100 shown is for illustration purposes only . the portable tank wastewater treatment system 100 includes a potable water source 105 , which may be treated with an ozone generating device 106 before it is sent to a point of use 110 . the point of use 110 may be a sink , shower , laundry machine , toilet , etc . after the water is expelled from the point of use 110 it enters a grey water holding tank 115 . while in the grey water holding tank 115 , the water is treated with a diatomic oxygen , ozone , or a combination of the two , by a generating device 116 , and is separated into solids , grey water , and clear water . the clear water is released from the grey water holding tank 115 and sent to a non - potable water holding tank 125 , while the solids and grey water are dumped to a wastewater treatment system 170 which may be a holding tank , wastewater facility , etc . the transfer of clear water to the non - potable water holding tank 125 may be aided by an optional pump 120 . an optional filter 127 may be installed before or after the pump . the water that is sent to the non - potable water holding tank 125 is again treated with a diatomic oxygen and ozone , or ozone only , generating device 126 before it is used to flush a toilet 135 . the water may be pumped via an optional pump 130 to the toilet 135 . an optional filter 131 may be installed before or after the pump . the non - potable water holding tank 125 may additionally dump a portion of the treated water to a grade / daylight site 155 , aided by an optional pump 150 , or to the wastewater treatment system 170 , aided by an optional pump 160 . the non - potable water holding tank 125 may additionally provide water to the potable water tank 105 via an intermediate holding tank 136 . this can be facilitated using optional pumps 137 and filters 138 . in addition , to improve the quality of the water , it is preferred to treat the water in the intermediate holding tank with oxygen , ozone , or a combination of the two . the toilet waste is expelled from the toilet 135 to a black water holding tank 145 where the water is again treated with a diatomic oxygen and ozone , or ozone only , generating device 146 . while in the black water holding tank 145 , the water is separated into clear water , black water , and solid waste . the clear water is returned to the non - potable water holding tank 125 , while the black water and solid waste is dumped to the wastewater treatment system 170 . transfer to the non - potable water holding tank 125 may be aided by an optional pump 140 , and filtered by an optional filter 141 . dumping to the wastewater treatment system 170 may be aided by an optional pump 165 . as illustrated with respect to the first embodiment , the ozone generating device 106 may include an air stone similar to the air stone 60 and a pump similar to pump 40 . in addition , the several diatomic oxygen and ozone , or ozone only , generating devices 116 , 126 , and 146 may also include such an air stone and pump . also similar to the first embodiment , the air stones may be connected to the pumps with clear vinyl tubing similar to the tubing 50 . based on the foregoing , it will be apparent that there has been provided an improved apparatus and method for introducing oxygen and ozone , or ozone only , into a failed or failing soil absorption field for the purpose of converting the biochemical process from an anaerobic one to an aerobic one . the forced introduction of oxygen and ozone , or ozone only , into the system allows the aerobic bacteria to scour the bio - mat , thereby working to reduce the thickness of the bio - mat and permitting the system to revert back to an anaerobic passive system as originally designed . by using , the improved method and apparatus of the present invention , the biochemical process is altered by complete or localized conversion of the soil absorption component as above described . the improved apparatus of the present invention may seem quite simple in practice compared to existing aerobic systems . however , the goal of this improved approach to remediation is value based . the idea is to provide an inexpensive and effective alternative to replacing the absorption system of a septic system . this has been accomplished by the improved method and apparatus of the present invention . in addition , a second embodiment provides an improved apparatus and method for introducing oxygen , ozone , or a combination of the two , into a portable tank wastewater treatment system for the purpose of water recycling , as well as the reduction and prevention of the build up of odorous organic material within the system . the forced introduction of oxygen , ozone , or a combination of the two , into the system at several key points allows aerobic bacteria to better process the wastewater . in addition , ozone has proven deodorizing characteristics and reduces the amount of odorous organic compounds often found in portable wastewater tanks thus allowing a user to maintain an acceptable environment near the wastewater tank without the use of prohibited or discouraged chemicals . thus , the invention provides , among other things , an improved portable tank wastewater treatment system method and apparatus . various features and advantages of the invention are set forth in the following claims .

a portable wastewater treatment system comprising a wastewater holding tank having an interior adapted to hold wastewater , and a generator positioned to provide ozone , oxygen , or a combination of the two to the interior of the holding tank . in one embodiment , the holding tank comprises a gray - water tank , and the system further comprises a non - potable water tank having an interior . in this embodiment , the system further includes a second generator positioned to provide ozone , oxygen , or a combination of the two to the interior of the non - potable water tank and a conduit coupling the gray - water tank to the non - potable water tank . the system can further include a black - water tank having an interior , a third generator positioned to provide ozone , oxygen , or a combination of the two to the interior of the black - water tank , and a conduit coupling the black - water tank to the non - potable water tank . the system can further include a toilet having an inlet and an outlet , a first conduit coupling the non - potable water tank to the inlet of the toilet , and a second conduit coupling the outlet to the black - water tank . the system can also include a potable water tank , a point of water usage coupled to the potable water tank , and a fourth generator positioned to provide ozone , oxygen , or a combination of the two to the potable water tank .

referring to fig1 a , a laser light show device 10 in accordance with the present invention consists of the following elements , coupled as shown : multiple colored laser assemblies 12a - 12c ; dielectric mirrors 14a - 14c ; multiple beam splitters 16a - 16c , 18a - 18c ; multiple reference and object beam generator assemblies 20a - 20c ; an object information source 22 ; an amorphic dipolyhedral lens assembly 24 ; and a diffraction gratings assembly 26 . as shown in fig1 a , three laser light assemblies 12a - 12c , preferably having red , yellow and green laser light sources , are used in a preferred embodiment of the present invention . however , it will be appreciated that any number or colors of laser light sources can be used in accordance with the present invention as described below . each laser assembly 12a - 12c emits an incident laser beam 28a - 28c which is reflected off a dielectric mirror 14a - 14c . the reflected laser beams 30a - 30c pass through the first set of beam splitters 16a - 16c , producing secondary incident laser beams 32a - 32c and secondary reflected laser beams 34a - 34c . as described more fully below , the secondary incident laser beams 32a - 32c are diffracted through the amorphic dipolyhedral lens assembly 24 prior to projection . the secondary reflected laser beams 34a - 34c are passed through the second set of beam splitters 18a - 18c , producing tertiary incident laser beams 36a - 36c and tertiary reflected laser beams 38a - 38c . as described more fully below , the tertiary reflected laser beams 38a - 38c are passed through the diffraction gratings assembly 26 prior to projection . the beam splitters 16a - 16c , 18a - 18c can be selected according to subjective desires regarding the relative beam intensities of the resulting laser beams 32a - 32c , 34a - 34c , 36a - 36c , 38a - 38c . for example , the first beam splitters 16a - 16c can be selected to allow approximately 30 % of the intensities of the reflected laser beams 30a - 30c to pass through as the secondary incident laser beams 32a - 32c , with the remaining intensities reflecting as he secondary reflected laser beams 34a - 34c . the tertiary incident laser beams 36a - 36c are coupled into the reference and object beam generators 20a - 20c for processing prior to projection of the reference 78a - 78c and object 68a - 68c beams . as explained more fully below , object image information signals 40a - 40c from the object image information source 22 are also coupled into the reference and object beam generators 20a - 20c for use in processing the tertiary incident laser beams 36a - 36c prior to projection of the reference 78a - 78c and object 68a - 68c beams . the object image information signals 40a - 40c , supplied by the object image information source 22 , can contain virtually any type of image data . for example , the object image information signals 40a - 40c can represent graphics data , such as that used in an engineering workstation , a video game or medical imaging applications . as seen in fig1 a , the dielectric mirrors 14a - 14c are staggered horizontally so that the incident laser beams 28a - 28c produce reflected laser beams 30a - 30c which are similarly horizontally staggered . by appropriately staggering the dielectric mirrors 14a - 14c horizontally , the reflected laser beams 30a - 30c can be proximally located adjacent to one another at distances on the order of several millimeters . thus , the horizontal spacing of the reflected laser beams 30a - 30c can be substantially less than the horizontal spacing of the incident laser beams 28a - 28c , which is dictated by the physical dimensions of the laser assemblies 12a - 12c ( typically on the order of several inches ). as shown in fig1 b , the laser assemblies 12a - 12c can be mounted along an inclined plane 42 . by mounting the laser assemblies 12a - 12c in this fashion , the vertical spacing of the reflected laser beams 30a - 30c can also be established to be on the order of several millimeters . just as with the horizontal spacing constraints imposed by the physical sizes of the laser assemblies 12a - 12c , the vertical spacing would otherwise be substantially greater . therefore , by appropriately staggering the dielectric mirrors 14a - 14c horizontally , and mounting the laser assemblies 12a - 12c along a properly inclined plane 42 , the reflected laser beams 30a - 30c can be proximally located adjacent one another as desired . referring to fig2 each laser assembly 12 contains a laser light source 44 , which produces an original laser beam 46 , and a shutter 48 , which is driven by a shutter motor 50 through a coupling shaft 52 . as described further below , the shutter motor 50 is controlled by a shutter control signal 54 . the original laser beam 46 produced by the laser light source 44 is modulated by the shutter 48 to produce the incident laser beam 28 . this modulation is done by rotating the shutter 48 . as the shutter 48 rotates , a hole 56 in the shutter , perpendicular to the axis of rotation , alternates between being aligned and non - aligned with the original laser beam 46 . when the hole 56 is in alignment with the original laser beam 46 , the incident laser beam 28 is produced . this means of modulating the original laser beam 46 produces an incident laser beam 28 which can be effectively turned on and off very quickly . referring to fig3 a , the reference and object beam generator assembly 20 consists of the following elements , coupled as shown : a beam splitter 58 ; an x - y scanner assembly 60 ; a wobbler plate assembly 62 ; and a spherical lens 64 . the tertiary incident laser beam 36 enters the reference and object beam generator assembly 20 and passes through the beam splitter 58 . the reflected beam 66 is reflected through the x - y scanner assembly 60 to produce the object beam 68 for projection . the x - y scanner assembly 60 is driven by the object image information signal 40 , appropriately scanning , i . e . deflecting , the reflected beam 66 in the x - and y - directions to product the object beam 68 for projection . the non - reflected beam 70 exiting the beam splitter 58 is reflected off a wobbler plate assembly 62 . the dielectric mirror 72 of the wobbler plate assembly 62 rotates in a non - planar manner . the non - reflected beam 70 strikes the wobbling mirror 72 slightly off center , thereby striking a wobbling mirror surface . this produces a wobbling reflected beam 74 which spins conically about a central axis . the wobbling beam 74 is passed through the spherical lens 64 to produce a singly hemispherically diffracted beam 76 and then a doubly hemispherically diffracted beam 78 . as shown in fig3 a and 3b , the single and double diffraction patterns are hemispherical in the sense that the diffraction patterns extend in both the vertical and horizontal directions . in a preferred embodiment , the spherical lens 64 is constructed of substantially optically pure quartz crystal . the latticed structure of the quartz crystal enhances the regularity and uniformity of the diffraction properties of the spherical lens 64 . this results in more uniform hemispherically diffracted beams 76 , 78 . both the object image beam 68 and reference image beam 78 are projected together . when so projected , the reference image beam 78 serves as a dim background providing a sensation of parallax , while the object image beam 68 provides the subject image . the overall holographic effect can be enhanced by selectively synchronizing the wobbler control signal 80 with the shutter control signal 54 . by selectively controlling the rotational speed of the wobbling dielectric mirror 72 , relative to the rotational speed of the shutter 48 , the relative wobbling circular motion of the wobbling beam 74 , relative to the on - off modulation of the incident laser beam 28 , and therefore the non - reflected beam 70 , produces a reference image beam 78 having variable stasis . by varying the relative rotational speeds of the wobbling mirror 72 and shutter 48 , the reference beam 78 can be selectively provided with negative stasis , wherein the reference beam pattern appears to rotate counterclockwise , or positive stasis , wherein the reference beam pattern tends to rotate clockwise . this produces an overall effect of making the projected object image appear to recede or approach the viewer . another x - y scanner ( not shown ) can be used in line with the non - reflected beam 70 . by &# 34 ; averaging &# 34 ; the object image information signal 40 , the x - y , i . e . planar , center of the object image can be represented . such an &# 34 ; averaged &# 34 ; object image information signal can then be used to drive the x - y scanner for the non - reflected beam 70 . this would produce a wobbling beam 74 , and therefore a reference beam 78 , which projects a reference image which is substantially centered about the projected object image . further projected background image information can be provided by using the amorphic dipolyhedral lens assembly 24 , as shown in fig4 a - 4b . the lens assembly 24 consists of an amorphic dipolyhedral lens 82 rotated by a motor 84 via a shaft 86 . the rotational speed of the lens 82 can be set at any speed subjectively deemed desirable , based upon the visual effect produced . the secondary incident laser beam 32 enters the lens 82 , producing a singly vertically diffracted beam 88 . the singly vertically diffracted beam 88 , exits the lens 82 , producing a doubly vertically diffracted beam 90 . fig4 b illustrates this vertical diffraction in more detail . the amorphic dipolyhedral lens 82 is a hollow cylinder constructed of glass with irregular longitudinal protrusions , e . g . knurls , about its periphery . in a preferred embodiment , glass is preferred over crystal to take advantage of the non - latticed structure of glass . this non - latticed structure , in conjunction with the longitudinal outer surface irregularities , enhance the amorphic diffraction properties of the lens 82 . an experimental version of the lens 82 was constructed from an empty finlandia ® vodka bottle . still further background image information can be projected to further enhance the holographic effect of the laser light show device in accordance with the present invention . such additional background image information can be provided with the diffraction gratings assembly 26 . referring to fig5 the tertiary reflected laser beam 38 first passes through a fixed diffraction grating 92 . this produces a singly diffracted beam 100 , which is passed through a rotating diffraction grating 94 , producing a doubly diffracted beam 102 . the rotating diffraction grating 94 is rotated by a motor 96 via a shaft 98 . in an alternative embodiment , the first diffraction grating 92 can also be rotated , either in a direction counter to that of the rotational direction of the first rotating diffraction grating 94 , or in the same direction but at a different speed . this double diffraction of the laser beam 38 through multiple diffraction gratings moving relative to one another produces a background image beam 102 which imparts a further sensation of motion which enhances the holographic effect of the displayed object image . as stated above , the background and object image information need not be projected onto a surface , but can instead be projected to produce a suspended holographic image . this can be accomplished by using a holographic suspension projector as shown in fig6 . top and bottom opposing concave reflective saucers 104 , 106 , preferably parabolic reflectors , are used . centrally located within the bottom reflector 106 , is a substantially spherical image reflector 108 the image reflector 108 should have a substantially white surface with a matte , i . e . not glossy , finish . for example , a white plastic material can be used , however , a white ceramic material will produce a better image . centrally disposed within the top reflector 104 is an aperture 110 . object image information modulated onto multiple laser beams 112a - 112c is projected substantially equiangularly about the equator of and onto the image reflector 108 . the multiple images thereby produced on the image reflector 108 are reflected within the parabolic reflectors 104 , 106 and converge at a point 114 just beyond the aperture 110 . this converging image information produces a holographic image which appears to be suspended just above the aperture 110 . the object image information modulating each of the laser beams 112a - 112c can be identical , thereby producing a suspended holographic image which appears substantially identically regardless of the horizontal viewing perspective . alternatively , the object image information modulating each of the laser beams 112a - 112c can represent different views of the same subject , thereby producing a suspended holographic image which appears to be three - dimensional as the horizontal viewing perspective changes . it should be understood that various alternatives to the embodiments of the present invention described herein can be employed in practicing the present invention . it is intended that the following claims define the scope of the present invention and that structures and methods within the scope of these claims and their equivalents be covered thereby .

a laser light show device and method produces a surface projected or suspended holographic image , and includes multiple image projectors . one image projector provides the object image information representing the primary subject . for surface projections , additional background image projectors provide background image information generated using a wobbler plate - reflected beam diffracted through a spherical lens , a beam unidimensionally diffracted through a rotating cylindrical amorphic dipolyhedral lens , and a beam diffracted through multiple diffraction gratings . a suspended holographic image is produced by parabolically focusing multiple images projected onto a spherical image screen .

the skein of this invention may be used in a liquid - liquid separation process of choice , and more generally , in various separation processes . the skein is specifically adapted for use in microfiltration processes used to remove large organic molecules , emulsified organic liquids and colloidal or suspended solids , usually from water . typical applications are ( i ) in a membrane bioreactor , to produce permeate as purified water and recycle biomass ; for ( ii ) tertiary filtration of wastewater to remove suspended solids and pathogenic bacteria ; ( iii ) clarification of aqueous streams including filtration of surface water to produce drinking water ( removal of colloids , long chain carboxylic acids and pathogens ); ( iv ) separation of a permeable liquid component in biotechnology broths ; ( v ) dewatering watering of metal hydroxide sludges ; and , ( vi ) filtration of oily wastewater , inter alia . the problem with using a conventional membrane module to selectively separate one fluid from another , particularly using the module in combination with a bioreactor , and the attendant costs of operating such a system , have been avoided . in those instances where an under - developed country or distressed community lacks the resources to provide membrane modules , the most preferred embodiment of this invention is adapted for use without . any pumps . in those instances where a pump is conveniently used , a vacuum pump is unnecessary , adequate driving force being provided by a simple centrifugal pump incapable of inducing a vacuum of 75 cm hg on the suction side . the fibers used to form the skein may be formed of any conventional membrane material provided the fibers are flexible and have an average pore cross sectional diameter for microfiltration , namely in the range from about 1000 å to 10000 å . preferred fibers operate with a transmembrane pressure differential in the range from 7 kpa ( 1 psi )- 69 kpa ( 10 psi ) and are used under ambient pressure with the permeate withdrawn under gravity . the fibers are chosen with a view to perform their desired function , and the dimensions of the skein are determined by the geometry of the headers and length of the fibers . it is unnecessary to confine a skein in a modular shell , and a skein is not . preferred fibers are made of organic polymers and ceramics , whether isotropic , or anisotropic , with a thin layer or “ skin ” on the outside surface of the fibers . some fibers may be made from braided cotton covered with a porous natural rubber latex or a water - insoluble cellulosic polymeric material . preferred organic polymers for fibers are polysulfones , poly ( styrenes ), including styrene - containing copolymers such as acrylonitrile - styrene , butadiene - styrene and styrene - vinylbenzylhalide copolymers , polycarbonates , cellulosic polymers , polypropylene , poly ( vinyl chloride ), poly ( ethylene terephthalate ), and the like disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 230 , 463 the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference thereto as if fully set forth herein . preferred ceramic fibers are made from alumina , by e . i . dupont denemours co . and disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 069 , 157 . typically , there is no cross flow of substrate across the surface of the fibers in a “ dead end ” tank . if there is any flow of substrate through the skein in a dead end tank , the flow is due to aeration provided beneath the skein , or to such mechanical mixing as may be employed to maintain the solids in suspension . there is more flow through the skein in a tank into which substrate is being continuously flowed , but the velocity of fluid across the fibers is generally too insignificant to deter growing microorganisms from attaching themselves , or suspended particles , e . g . microscopic siliceous particles , from being deposited on the surfaces of the fibers . for hollow fiber membranes , the outside diameter of a fiber is at least 20 μm and may be as large as about 3 mm , typically being in the range from about 0 . 1 mm to 2 mm . the larger the outside diameter the less desirable the ratio of surface area per unit volume of fiber . the wall thickness of a fiber is at least 5 μm and may be as much as 1 . 2 mm , typically being in the range from about 15 % to about 60 % of the outside diameter of the fiber , most preferably from 0 . 5 mm to 1 . 2 mm . as in a &# 39 ; 424 array , but unlike in a conventional module , the length of a fiber in a skein is essentially independent of the strength of the fiber , or its diameter , because the skein is buoyed both by bubbles and the substrate in which it is deployed . the length of fibers in the skein is preferably determined by the conditions under which the skein is to operate . typically fibers range from 1 m to about 5 m long , depending upon the dimensions of the body of substrate ( depth and width ) in which the skein is deployed . the fixing material to fix the fibers in a finished header is most preferably either a thermosetting or thermoplastic synthetic resinous material , optionally reinforced with glass fibers , boron or graphite fibers and the like . thermoplastic materials may be crystalline , such as polyolefins , polyamides ( nylon ), polycarbonates and the like , semi - crystalline such as polyetherether ketone ( peek ), or substantially amorphous , such as poly ( vinyl chloride ) ( pvc ), polyurethane and the like . thermosetting resins commonly include polyesters , polyacetals , polyethers , cast acrylates , thermosetting polyurethanes and epoxy resins . most preferred as a “ fixing ” material ( so termed because it fixes the locations of the fibers relative to each other ) is one which when cured is substantially rigid in a thickness of about 2 cm , and referred to generically as a “ plastic ” because of its hardness . such a plastic has a hardness in the range from about shore d 50 to rockwell r 110 and is selected from the group consisting of epoxy resins , phenolics , acrylics , polycarbonate , nylon , polystyrene , polypropylene and ultra - high molecular weight polyethylene ( uhmw pe ). polyurethane such as is commercially available under the brand names adiprene ® from uniroyal chemical company and airthane ® from air products , and commercially available epoxy resins such as epon 828 are excellent fixing materials . the number of fibers in an array is arbitrary , typically being in the range from about 1000 to about 10000 for commercial applications , and the preferred surface area for a skein is in the range from 10 m 2 to 100 m 2 . the particular method of securing the fibers in each of the headers is not narrowly critical , the choice depending upon the materials of the header and the fiber , and the cost of using a method other than potting . however , it is essential that each of the fibers be secured in fluid - tight relationship within each header to avoid contamination of permeate . this is effected by potting the fibers essentially vertically , in closely - spaced relationship , either linearly in plural equally spaced apart rows across the face of a header in the x - y plane ; or alternatively , randomly , in non - linear plural rows . in the latter , the fibers are displaced relative to one another in the lateral direction . fig1 presents the results of a comparison of three runs made , one using the teachings of yamamoto in his &# 39 ; 89 publication ( curve 2 ), but using an aerator which introduced air from the side and directed it radially inwards , as is shown in chiemchaisri et al . a second run ( curve 1 ) uses the gas - scrubbed assembly of the &# 39 ; 424 patent , and the third run ( curve 3 ) uses the gas - scrubbed skein of this invention . the specific flux obtained with an assembly of an inverted parabolic array with an air distributor means ( yamamoto et al ), as disclosed in wat . sci . tech . vol . 21 , brighton pp 43 - 54 , 1989 , and , the parabolic array by cote et al in the &# 39 ; 424 patent , are compared to the specific flux obtained with the vertical skein of this invention . the comparison is for the three assemblies having fibers with nominal pore size 0 . 2 μm with essentially identical bores and surface area in 80 l tanks filled with the same activated sludge substrate . the differences between the stated experiment of yamamoto et al , and that of the &# 39 ; 424 patent are of record in the &# 39 ; 424 patent , and the conditions of the comparison are incorporated by reference thereto as if fully set forth herein . the vertical skein used herein differs from the &# 39 ; 424 skein only in the vertical configuration of the 280 fibers each of which was about 1 % longer than the distance between the spaced apart headers during operation . the flow rate of air for the vertical skein is 1 . 4 m 3 / hr / m 2 using a coarse bubble diffuser . it will be evident from fig1 in which the specific flux , liters / meter 2 hr / kpa ( conventionally written as ( 1 mh / kpa ), is plotted as a function of operating time for the three assemblies , that the curve , identified as reference numeral 3 for the flux for the vertical skein , provides about the same specific flux as the parabolic skein , identified as reference numeral 1 . as can be seen , each specific flux reaches an equilibrium condition within less than 50 hr , but after about 250 hr , it is seen that the specific flux for the inverted parabolic array keeps declining but the other two assemblies reach an equilibrium . referring to fig2 there is illustrated , in exploded view a portion of a membrane device referred to as a “ vertical skein ” 10 , comprising a lower header 11 of a pair of headers , the other upper header ( not shown ) being substantially identical ; a collection pan 20 to collect the permeate ; and , a permeate withdrawal conduit 30 . the header shown is a rectangular prism since this is the most convenient shape to make , if one is going to pot fibers 12 in a potting resin such as a polyurethane or an epoxy . though the fibers 12 are not shown as close together as they would normally be , it is essential that the fibers are not in contact with each other but that they be spaced apart by the cured resin between them . as illustrated , the open ends of the terminal portion 12 ′ of the fibers are in the same plane as the lower face of the header 11 because the fibers are conventionally potted and the header sectioned to expose the open ends . a specific potting procedure in which the trough of a u - shaped bundle of fibers is potted , results in forming two headers . this procedure is described in the &# 39 ; 424 patent ( col 17 , lines 44 - 61 ); however , even cutting the potted fibers with a thin , high - speed diamond blade , tends to damage the fibers and initiate the collapse of the circumferential wall . in another conventional method of potting fibers , described in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 202 , 023 , bundled fibers have their ends dipped in resin or paint to prevent potting resin penetration into the bores of the fibers during the potting process . the ends of the bundle are then placed in molds and 10 uncured resin added to saturate the ends of the fiber bundle and fill the spaces between the individual fibers in the bundle and the flexible tubing in which the bundle is held . the cured molded ends are removed from the molds and the molded ends cut off ( see , bridging cols 11 and 12 ). in each art method , sectioning the mold damages the embedded fibers . therefore a novel method is used to form a header 11 in the form of a rectangular prism . the method requires forming a composite header with two liquids . a first liquid fugitive material , when solidified ( cured ), forms a “ fugitive lamina ” of the composite header ; a second liquid of non - fugitive fixing material forms a “ fixing lamina ”. by a “ fugitive material ” we refer to a material which is either ( i ) soluble in a medium in which the fibers and fixing material are not soluble , or ( ii ) fluidizable by virtue of having a melting point ( if the material is crystalline ) below that which might damage the fibers or fixing material ; or , the material has a glass transition temperature tg ( if the material is non - crystalline ), below that which might damage the fibers or material ( s ) forming the non - fugitive header ; or ( iii ) both soluble and fluidizable . the first liquid is poured around terminal portions of fibers , allowed to cool and solidify into a fugitive lamina ; the fibers in the fugitive lamina are then again potted , this time by pouring the second liquid over the solid fugitive lamina . in greater detail , the method for forming a finished header for skein fibers comprises , forming a stack of at least two superimposed essentially coplanar and similar arrays , each array comprising a chosen number of fibers supported on a support means having a thickness corresponding to a desired lateral spacing between adjacent arrays ; holding the stack in a first liquid with terminal portions of the fibers submerged , until the liquid solidifies into a first shaped lamina , provided that the first liquid is unreactive with material of the fibers ; pouring a second liquid over the first shaped lamina to embed the fibers to a desired depth , and solidifying the second liquid to form a fixing lamina upon the first shaped lamina , the second liquid also being substantially unreactive with either the material of the fibers or that of the first shaped lamina ; whereby a composite header is formed in which terminal portions of the fibers are potted , preferably in a geometrically regular pattern , the composite header comprising a laminate of a fugitive lamina of fugitive material and a contiguous finished header of fixing lamina ; and thereafter , removing the first shaped lamina without removing a portion of the fixing lamina so as to leave the ends of the fibers open and protruding from the aft face of the header , the open ends having circular cross - section . the step - wise procedure for forming an array “ a ” with the novel header is described with respect to an array illustrated in fig3 as follows : a desired number of fibers 12 are each cut to about the same length with a sharp blade so as to leave both opposed ends of each fiber with an essentially circular cross - section . the fibers are coplanarly disposed side - by - side in a linear array on a planar support means such as strips or cards 15 and 16 . preferably the strips are coated with an adhesive , e . g . a commercially available polyethylene hot - melt adhesive , so that the fibers are glued to the strips and opposed terminal portions 12 ″ respectively of the fibers , extend beyond the strips . intermediate portions 12 ′ of the fibers are thus secured on the strips . alternatively , the strips may be grooved with parallel spaced - apart grooves which snugly accommodate the fibers . the strips may be flexible or rigid . if flexible , strips with fibers adhered thereto , are in turn , also adhered to each other successively so as to form a progressively stiffer stack for a header having a desired geometry of potted fibers . to avoid gluing the strips , a regular pattern of linear rows may be obtained by securing multiple arrays on rigid strips in a stack , with rubber bands 18 or other clamping means . the terminal portions 12 ″ are thus held in spaced - apart relationship , with the center to center distance of adjacent fibers preferably in the range from 1 . 2 ( 1 . 2 d ) to about 5 times ( 5 d ) the outside diameter ‘ d ’ of a fiber . spacing the fibers further apart wastes space and spacing them closer increases the risk of fiber - to - fiber contact near the terminal end portions when the ends are potted . preferred center - to - center spacing is from about 1 . 5 d to 2 d . the thickness of a strip and / or adhesive is sufficient to ensure that the fibers are kept spaced apart . preferably , the thickness is about the same as , or relatively smaller than the outside diameter of a fiber , preferably from about 0 . 5 d to 1 d thick , which becomes the spacing between adjacent outside surfaces of fibers in successive linear arrays . having formed a first array , a second array ( not shown because it would appear essentially identical to the first ) is prepared in a manner analogous to the first , strip 15 of the second array is overlaid upon the intermediate portions 12 ′ on strip 15 of the first array , the strip 15 of the second array resting on the upper surfaces of the fibers secured in strip 15 of the first array . similarly , strip 16 of the second array is overlaid upon the intermediate portions 12 ′ on strip 16 of the first array . a third array ( essentially identical to the first and second ) is prepared in a manner analogous to the first , and then overlaid upon the second , with the strips of the third array resting on the upper surfaces of the fibers of the second array . additional arrays are overlaid until the desired number of arrays are stacked in rows forming a stack of arrays with the adhesive - coated strips forming the spacing means between successive rows of fibers . the stack of arrays on strips is then held vertically to present the lower portion of the stack to be potted first . referring to fig4 there is schematically illustrated a rectangular potting pan 17 the length and width dimensions of which correspond substantially to the longitudinal ( x - axis ) and transverse ( y - axis ) dimensions respectively , of the desired header . the lower stack is submerged in a first liquid which rises to a level indicated by l 1 , in the pan 17 . most preferred is a liquid wax , preferably a water - soluble wax having a melting point lower than 75 ° c ., such as a polyethylene glycol ( peg ) wax . the depth to which the first liquid is poured will depend upon whether the strips 15 are to be removed from , or left in the finished header . a . first illustrated is the potting of skein fibers in upper and lower headers from which the strips will be removed . ( 1 ) a first shaped lamina having a thickness l 1 ( corresponding to the - depth to which the first liquid was poured ) is formed to provide a fugitive lamina from about 5 - 10 cm thick . the depth of the first liquid is sufficient to ensure that both the intermediate portions 12 ′ on the strips and terminal portions 12 ″ will be held spaced apart when the first liquid solidifies and plugs all the fibers . ( 2 ) the second liquid , a curable , water - insoluble liquid potting resin , or reactive components thereof , is poured over the surface of the fugitive lamina to surround the fibers , until the second liquid rises to a level l 2 . it is solidified to form the fixing lamina ( which will be the finished header ) having a thickness measured from the level l 1 to the level l 2 ( the thickness is written “ l 1 - l 2 ”). the thickness l 1 - l 2 of the fixing lamina , typically from about 1 cm to about 5 cm , is sufficient to maintain the relative positions of the vertical fibers . a first composite header is thus formed having the combined thicknesses of the fugitive and fixing laminae . ( 3 ) in a manner analogous to that described immediately hereinabove , a stack is potted in a second composite header . ( 4 ) the composite headers are demolded from their potting pans and hot air blown over them to melt the fugitive laminae , leaving only the finished headers , each having a thickness l 1 - l 2 . the fugitive material such as the peg wax , is then reused . alternatively , a water - soluble fugitive material may be placed in hot water to dissolve the wax , and the material recovered from its water solution . ( 5 ) the adhered strips and terminal portions of the fibers which were embedded within the fugitive lamina are left protruding from the permeate - discharging aft faces of the headers with the ends of the fibers being not only open , but essentially circular in cross section . the fibers may now be cut above the strips to discard them and the terminal portions of the fibers adhered to them yet maintaining the circular open ends . the packing density of fibers , that is , the number of fibers per unit area of header preferably ranges from 4 to 50 fibers / cm 2 depending upon the diameters of the fibers . b . illustrated second is the potting of skein fibers in upper and lower headers from which the strips will not be removed , to avoid the step of cutting the fibers . ( 1 ) the first liquid is poured to a level l 1 ′ below the cards , to a depth in the range from about 1 - 2 . 5 cm , and solidified , foriming fugitive lamina l 1 ′. ( 2 ) the second liquid is then poured over the fugitive lamina to depth l 2 and solidified , forming a composite header with a fixing lamina having a thickness l 1 ′- l 2 . ( 3 ) the composite header is demolded and the fugitive lamina removed , leaving the terminal portions 12 ″ protruding from the aft face of the finished header , which aft face is formed at what had been the level l 1 ′. the finished header having a thickness l 1 ′- l 2 embeds the strips 15 ( along with the rubber bands 18 , if used ). c . illustrated third is the potting of skein fibers to form a finished headers with a cushioning lamina embedding the fibers on the opposed ( fore ) faces of the headers from which the strips will be removed . the restricted swayability of the fibers generates some intermittent ‘ snapping ’ motion of the fibers . this motion has been found to break the potted fibers around their circumferences , at the interface of the fore face and substrate . the hardness of the fixing material which forms a “ fixing lamina ” was found to initiate excessive shearing forces at the circumference of the fiber . the deleterious effects of such forces is minimized by providing a cushioning lamina of material softer than the fixing lamina . such a cushioning lamina is formed integrally with the fixing lamina , by pouring cushioning liquid ( so termed for its function when cured ) over the fixing lamina to a depth l 3 as shown in fig4 which depth is sufficient to provide enough ‘ give ’ around the circumferences of the fibers to minimize the risk of shearing . such cushioning liquid , when cured is rubbery , having a hardness in the range from about shore a 30 to shore d 45 , and is preferably a polyurethane or silicone or other rubbery material which will adhere to the fixing lamina . upon removal of the fugitive lamina , the finished header thus formed has the combined thicknesses of the fixing lamina and the cushioning lamina , namely l 1 - l 3 when the strips 15 are cut away . d . illustrated fourth is the formation a finished header with a gasketing lamina embedding the fibers on the header &# 39 ; s aft face , and a cushioning lamina embedding the fibers on the header &# 39 ; s fore face ; the strips are to be removed . whichever finished header is made , it is preferably fitted into a permeate pan 20 as illustrated in fig2 with a peripheral gasket . it has been found that it is easier to seal the pan against a gasketing lamina , than against a peripheral narrow gasket . a relatively soft gasketing material having a hardness in the range from shore a 40 to shore d 45 , is desirable to form a gasketing lamina integrally with the aft face of the finished header . in the embodiment in which the strips are cut away , the fugitive lamina is formed as before , and a gasketing liquid ( so termed because it forms the gasket when cured ) is poured over the surface of the fugitive lamina to a depth l 4 . the gasketing liquid is then cured . upon removal of the fugitive lamina , when the strips 15 are cut away , the finished header thus formed has the combined thicknesses of the gasketing lamina ( l 1 - l 4 ), the fixing lamina ( l 4 - l 2 ) and the cushioning lamina ( l 2 - l 3 ), namely an overall l 1 - l 3 . in another embodiment , to avoid securing the pan to the header with a gasketing means , and , to avoid positioning one or more gas - distribution manifolds in an optimum location near the base of the skein fibers after a skein is made , the manifolds are formed integrally with a header . referring to fig5 there is illustrated in perspective view an “ integral single skein ” referred to generally by reference numeral 100 . the integral single skein is so termed because it includes an integral finished header 101 and permeate pan 102 . the pan 102 is provided with a permeate withdrawal nipple 106 , and fitted with vertical air - tubes 103 which are to be embedded in the finished header . the air - tubes are preferably manifolded on either side of the skein fibers , to feeder air - tubes 104 and 105 which are snugly inserted through grommets in the walls of the pan . the permeate nipple 106 is then plugged , and a stack of arrays is held vertically in the pan in which a fugitive lamina is formed embedding both the ends of the fibers and the lower portion of the vertical air - tubes 103 . a fixing lamina is then formed over the fugitive lamina , embedding the fibers to form a fixing lamina through which protrude the open ends of the air - tubes 103 . the fugitive lamina is then melted and withdrawn through the nipple 106 . in operation , permeate collects in the permeate pan and is withdrawn through nipple 106 . fig6 illustrates a cross - section of an integral single skein 110 with another integral finished header 101 having a thickness l 1 - l 2 , but without a cushioning lamina , formed in a procedure similar to that described hereinabove . a permeate pan 120 with outwardly flared sides 120 ′ and transversely spaced - apart through - apertures therein , is prefabricated between side walls 111 and 112 so the pan is spaced above the bottom of the reservoir . a pair of air - manifolds 107 such as shown in fig7 a or 7 b , is positioned and held in mirror - image relationship with each other adjacent the permeate pan 120 , with the vertical air - tubes 103 protruding through the apertures in sides 120 ′, and the ends 104 and 105 protrude from through - passages in the vertical walls on either side of the permeate pan . permeate withdrawal nipple 106 ( fig6 ) is first temporarily plugged . the stack of strips 15 is positioned between air - tubes 103 , vertically in the pan 120 which is filled to level l 1 to form a fugitive lamina , the level being just beneath the lower edges of the strips 15 which will not be removed . when solidified , the fugitive lamina embeds the terminal portions of the fibers 12 and also fills permeate tube 106 . then the second liquid is poured over the upper surface of the fugitive lamina until the liquid covers the strips 15 but leaves the upper ends of the air - tubes 103 open . the second liquid is then cured to form the fixing lamina of the composite header which is then heated to remove the fugitive material through the permeate nozzle 106 after it is unplugged . fig7 a schematically shows in perspective view , an air - manifold 107 having vertical air - tubes 103 rising from a transverse header - tube which has longitudinally projecting feeder air - tubes 104 and 105 . the bore of the air - tubes which may be either “ fine bubble diffusers ”, or “ coarse bubble diffusers ”, or “ aerators ”, is chosen to provide bubbles of the desired diameter under operating conditions , the bore typically being in the range from 0 . 1 mm to 5 mm bubbles of smaller diameter are preferably provided with a perforated transverse tube 103 ′ of an air - manifold 107 ′ having feeder air - tubes 104 ′ and 105 ′, illustrated in fig7 b . in each case , the bubbles function as a mechanical brush . the skein fibers for the upper header of the skein are potted in a manner analogous to that described above in a similar permeate pan to form a finished header , except that no air manifolds are inserted . referring to fig8 there is schematically illustrated , in a cross - sectional perspective view , an embodiment in which a bank of two skeins is potted in a single integral finished header enclosure , referred to generally by reference numeral 120 b . the term “ header enclosure ” is used because its side walls 121 and 122 , and end walls ( not shown ) enclose a plenum in which air is introduced . instead of a permeate pan , permeate is collected from a permeate manifold which serves both skeins . another similar upper enclosure 120 u ( not shown ), except that it is a flat - bottomed channel - shaped pan ( inverted for use as the upper header ) with no air - tubes molded in it , has the opposed terminal portions of all the skein fibers potted in the pan . for operation , both the lower and upper enclosures 120 b and 120 u , with their skein fibers are lowered into a reservoir of the substrate to be filtered . the side walls 121 and 122 need not rest on the bottom of the reservoir , but may be mounted on a side wall of the reservoir . the side walls 121 and 122 and end walls are part of an integrally molded assembly having a platform 123 connecting the walls , and there are aligned multiple risers 124 molded into the platform . the risers resemble an inverted test - tube , the diameter of which need only be large enough to have an air - tube 127 inserted through the top 125 of the inverted test - tube . as illustrated , it is preferred to have “ n + 1 ” rows of air - tubes for “ n ” stacks of arrays to be potted . crenelated platform 123 includes risers 124 between which lie channels 128 and 129 . channels 128 and 129 are each wide enough to accept a stack of arrays of fibers 12 , and the risers are wide enough to have air - tubes 127 of sufficient length inserted tberethrough so that the upper open ends 133 of the air - tubes protrude from the upper surface of the fixing material 101 . the lower ends 134 of the air - tubes are sectioned at an angle to minimize plugging , and positioned above the surface s of the substrate . the channel 129 is formed so as to provide a permeate withdrawal tube 126 integrally formed with the platform 123 . side wall 122 is provided with an air - nipple 130 through which air is introduced into the plenum formed by the walls of the enclosure 120 b , and the surface s of substrate under the platform 123 . each stack is potted as described in relation to fig6 above , most preferably by forming a composite header of fugitive peg wax and epoxy resin around the stacks of arrays positioned between the rows of risers 124 , making sure the open ends of the air - tubes are above the epoxy fixing material , and melting out the wax through the permeate withdrawal tube 126 . when air is introduced into the enclosure the air will be distributed through the air - tubes between and around the skeins . referring to fig9 there is shown a schematic illustration of a skein having upper and lower headers 41 u and 41 b respectively , and in each , the protruding upper and lower ends 12 u ″ and 12 b ″ are evidence that the face of the header was not cut to expose the fibers . the height of the contiguous intermediate portions 12 u ′ and 12 b ′ respectively , corresponds to the cured depth of the fixing material . it will now be evident that the essential feature of the foregoing potting method is that a fugitive lamina is formed which embeds the openings of the terminal portions of the fibers before their contiguous intermediate portions 12 u ′ and 12 u ″ and 12 b ′ and 12 b ″ respectively are fixed in a fixing lamina of the header . an alternative choice of materials is the use of a fugitive potting compound which is soluble in a non - aqueous liquid in which the fixing material is not soluble . still another choice is to use a water - insoluble fugitive material which is also insoluble in non - aqueous liquids typically used as solvents , but which fugitive material has a lower melting point than the final potting material which may or may not be water - soluble . the fugitive material is inert relative to both , the material of the fibers as well as the final potting material to be cast , and the fugitive material and fixing material are mutually insoluble . preferably the fugitive material forms a substantially smooth - surfaced solid , but it is critical that the fugitive material be at least partially cured , sufficiently to maintain the shape of the header , and remain a solid above a temperature at which the fixing material is introduced into the header mold . the fugitive lamina is essentially inert and insoluble in the final potting material , so that the fugitive lamina is removably adhered to the fixing lamina . the demolded header is either heated or solvent extracted to remove the fugitive lamina . typically , the fixing material is cured to a firm solid mass at a first curing temperature no higher than the melting point or tg of the fugitive lamina , and preferably at a temperature lower than about 60 ° c . ; the firm solid is then post - cured at a temperature high enough to melt the fugitive material but not high enough to adversely affect the curing of the fixing material or the properties of the fibers . the fugitive material is removed as described hereinafter , the method of removal depending upon the fugitive material and the curing temperature of the final potting material used . since , during operation , a high flux is normally maintained if cleansing air contacts substantially all the fibers , it will be evident that when it is desirable to have a skein having a cross - section which is other than generally rectangular , for example elliptical or circular , or having a geometrically irregular periphery , and it is desired to have a large number of skein fibers , it will be evident that the procedure for stacking consecutive peripheral arrays described above will be modified . further , the transverse central air - tube 52 ( see fig9 ) is found to be less effective in skeins of non - rectangular cross - section than a vertical air - tube which discharges air radially along its vertical length and which vertical air - tube concurrently serves as the spacing means . such skeins with a generally circular or elliptical cross - section with vertical air - tubes are less preferred to form a bank , but provide a more efficient use of available space in a reservoir than a rectangular skein . referring further to fig2 the header 11 has front and rear walls defined by vertical ( z - axis ) edges 11 ′ and longitudinal ( x - axis ) edges 13 ′; side walls defined by edges 11 ′ and transverse ( y - axis ) edges 13 ″; and a base 13 defined by edges 13 ′ and 13 ″. the collection pan 20 is sized to snugly accommodate the base 13 above a permeate collection zone within the pan . this is conveniently done by forming a rectangular pan having a base 23 of substantially the same length and width dimensions as the base 13 . the periphery of the pan 20 is provided with a peripheral step as shown in fig2 a , in which the wall 20 ′ of the pan terminates in a step section 22 , having a substantially horizontal shoulder 22 ″ and a vertical retaining wall 22 ′. fig2 b is a bottom plan view of the lower face of header 13 showing the open ends of the fibers 12 ′ prevented from touching each other by potting resin . the geometrical distribution of fibers provides a regular peripheral boundary 14 ( shown in dotted outline ) which bounds the peripheries of the open ends of the outermost fibers . permeate flows from the open ends of the fibers onto the base 23 of the pan 20 , and flows out of the collection zone through a permeate withdrawal conduit 30 which may be placed in the bottom of the pan in open flow communication with the inner portion of the pan . when the . skein is backwashed , backwashing fluid flows through the fibers and into the substrate . if desired , the withdrawal conduit may be positioned in the side of the pan as illustrated by conduit 30 ′. whether operating under gravity alone , or with a pump to provide additional suction , it will be apparent that a fluid - tight seal is necessary between the periphery of the header 11 and the peripheral step 22 of the pan 20 . such a seal is obtained by using any conventional means such . as a suitable sealing gasket or sealing compound , typically a polyurethane or silicone resin , between the lower periphery of the header 11 and the step 22 . as illustrated in fig2 permeate drains downward , but it could also be withdrawn from upper permeate port 45 u in the upper permeate pan 43 u ( see fig9 ). it will now be evident that a header with a circular periphery may be constructed , if desired . headers with geometries having still other peripheries ( for example , an ellipse ) may be constructed in an analogous manner , if desired , but rectangular headers are most preferred for ease of construction with multiple linear arrays . referring to fig9 and 2a , six rows of fibers 12 are shown on either side of a gas distribution line 52 which traverses the length of the rows along the base of the fibers . the potted terminal end portions 12 b ″ open into permeate pan 43 b . because portions 12 u ′ and 12 b ′ of individual fibers 12 are potted , and the fibers 12 are preferably from 1 % to 2 % longer than the fixed distance between upper and lower headers 41 u and 41 b , the fibers between opposed headers are generally parallel to one another , but are particularly parallel near each header . also held parallel are the terminal end portions 12 u ″ and 12 b ″ of the fibers which protrude from the headers with their open ends exposed . the fibers protrude below the lower face of the bottom header 41 b , and above the upper face of the upper header 41 u . the choice of fiber spacing in the header will determine packing density of the fibers near the headers , but fiber spacing is not a substantial consideration because spacing does not substantially affect specific flux during operation . it will be evident however , that the more fibers , the more tightly packed they will be , giving more surface area . since the length of fibers tends to change while in service , the extent of the change depending upon the particular composition of the fibers , and the spacing between the upper and lower headers is critical , it is desirable to mount the headers so that one is adjustable in the vertical direction relative to the other , as indicated by the arrow v . this is conveniently done by attaching the pan 43 u to a plate 19 having vertically spaced apart through - passages 34 through which a threaded stud 35 is inserted and secured with a nut 36 . threaded stud 35 is in a fixed mounting block 37 . the density of fibers in a header is preferably chosen to provide the maximum membrane surface area per unit volume of substrate without adversely affecting the circulation of substrate through the skein . a gas - distribution means 52 such as a perforated air - tube , provides air within the skein so that bubbles of gas ( air ) rise upwards while clinging to the outer surfaces of the fibers , thus efficiently scrubbing them . if desired , additional air - tubes 52 ′ may be placed on either side of the skein near the lower header 41 b , as illustrated in phantom outline , to provide additional air - scrubbing power . whether the permeate is withdrawn from the upper header through port 45 u or the lower header through port 45 b , or both , depends upon the particular application , but in all instances , the fibers have a substantially vertical orientation . the vertical skein is deployed in a substrate to present a generally vertical profile , but has no structural shape . such shape as it does have changes continuously , the degree of change depending upon the flexibility of the fibers , their lengths , the overall dimensions of the skein , and the degree of movement imparted to the fibers by the substrate and also by the oxygen - containing gas from the gas - distribution means . referring to fig1 there is illustrated a typical assembly referred to as a “ wall - mounted bank ” which includes at least two side - by - side skeins . indicated generally by reference numerals 40 and 40 ′ with their fibers 42 and 42 ′; fibers 42 are potted in upper and lower headers 41 u and 41 b respectively ; and fibers 42 ′ in headers 41 u ′ and 41 b ′; headers 41 u and 41 b are fitted with permeate collecting means 46 u and 46 b respectively ; headers 41 u ′ and 41 b ′ are fitted with permeate collecting means 46 u ′ and 46 b ′ respectively ; and , the skeins share a common gas - distribution means 50 . a “ bank ” of skeins is typically used to retrofit a large , deep tank from which permeate is to be withdrawn using a vacuum pump . in a large reservoir , several banks of skeins may be used in side - by - side relationship within a tank . each skein includes multiple rows ( only one row is shown ) of fibers 42 and 42 ′ in upper headers 41 u and 41 u ′, and lower headers 41 b and 41 b ′ respectively , and arms 51 and 51 ′ of gas - distribution means 50 are disposed between the lower headers 41 b and 41 b ′, near their bases . the upper headers 44 u and 44 u ′ are mounted by one of their ends to a vertical interior surface of the wall w of a tank , with mounting brackets 53 and 53 ′ and suitable fastening means such as bolts 54 . the wall w thus functions as a spacer means which fixes the distance between the upper and lower headers . each upper header is provided with a permeate collection pan 43 u and 43 u ′, respectively , connected to permeate withdrawal conduits 45 u and 45 u ′ and manifolded to permeate manifold 46 u through which permeate being filtered into the collection pans is continuously withdrawn . each header is sealingly bonded around its periphery , to the periphery of each collection pan . the skein fibers ( only one array of which is shown for clarity ) shown in this perspective view have an elongated rectangular parallelpiped shape the sides of which are irregularly shaped when immersed in a substrate , because of the random side - to - side displacement of fibers as they sway . an elongated rectangular parallelpiped shape is preferred since it permits a dense packing of fibers , yet results in excellent scrubbing of the surfaces of the fibers with bubbles . with this shape , a skein may be formed with from 10 to 50 arrays of fibers across the longitudinal width ‘ w ’ of the headers 41 u , 41 b , and 41 u ′, 41 b ′ with each array having fibers extending along the transverse length ‘ l ’ of each header . air - tubes on either side of a skein effectively cleanse the fibers if there are less than about 30 arrays between the air - tubes . a skein having more than 30 arrays is preferably also centrally aerated as illustrated by the air - tube 52 in fig9 . thus , if there are about 100 fibers closely spaced - apart along the transverse length ‘ l ’ of an array , and there are 25 arrays in a skein in a header of longitudinal width ‘ w ’, then the opposed terminal end portions of 2500 fibers are potted in headers 41 u and 41 b . the open ends of all fibers in headers 41 b and 41 b ′ point downwards into collection zones in collection pans 43 b and 43 b ′ respectively , and those of all fibers in headers 41 u and 41 u ′ point upwards into collection zones in collection pans 43 u and 43 u ′ respectively . withdrawal conduits 45 u and 45 u ′ are manifolded to permeate manifold 46 u through which permeate collecting in the upper collection pans 43 u and 43 u ′ is typically continuously withdrawn . if the permeate flow is high enough , it may also be withdrawn from the collection pans 43 b and 43 b ′ through withdrawal conduits 45 b and 45 b ′ which are manifolded to permeate manifold 46 b . when permeate is withdrawn in the same plane as the permeate withdrawal conduits 45 u , 45 u ′ and manifold 46 u , and the transmembrane pressure differential of the fibers is in the range from 35 - 75 kpa ( 5 - 10 psi ), manifold 46 u may be connected to the suction side of a centrifugal pump which will provide adequate npsh . in general , the permeate is withdrawn from both the upper and lower headers , until the flux declines to so low a level as to require that the fibers be backwashed . the skeins may be backwashed by introducing a backwashing fluid through the upper permeate collection manifold 46 u , and removing the fluid through the lower manifold 46 b . typically , from 3 to 30 skeins may be coupled together for internal fluid communication with one and another through the headers , permeate withdrawal means and the fibers ; and , for external fluid communication with one another through an air manifold . since the permeate withdrawal means is also used for backflushing it is generally referred to as a ‘ liquid circulation means ’, and as a permeate withdrawal means only when it is used to withdraw permeate . when deployed in a substrate containing suspended and dissolved organic and inorganic matter , most fibers of organic polymers remain buoyant in a vertical position . the fibers in the skein are floatingly buoyed in the substrate with the ends of the fibers anchored in the headers . this is because ( i ) the permeate is essentially pure water which has a specific gravity less than that of the substrate , and most polymers from which the fibers are formed also have a specific gravity less than 1 , and , ( ii ) the fibers are buoyed by bubbles which contact them . fibers made from ceramic , or , glass fibers are heavier than water . adjacent the skeins , an air - distribution manifold 50 is disposed below the base of the bundle of fibers , preferably below the horizontal plane through the horizontal center - lines of the headers . the manifold 50 is preferably split into two foraminous arms 51 and 51 ′ adjacent the bases of headers 41 b and 41 b ′ respectively , so that when air is discharged through holes in each portion 51 and 51 ′, columns of bubbles rise adjacent the ends of the fibers and thereafter flow along the fibers through the skeins . if desired , additional portions ( not shown ) may be used adjacent the bases of the lower headers but located on the outside of each , so as to provide additional columns of air along the outer surfaces of the fibers . the type of gas ( air ) manifold is not narrowly critical provided it delivers bubbles in a preferred size range from about 1 mm to 25 mm , measured within a distance of from 1 cm to 50 cm from the through - passages generating them . if desired , each portion 51 and 51 ′ may be embedded in the upper surface of each header , and the fibers potted around them , making sure the air - passages in the portions 51 and 51 ′ are not plugged with potting compound . if desired , additional arms of air - tubes may be disposed on each side of each lower header , so that fibers from each header are scrubbed by columns of air rising from either transverse side . the air may be provided continuously or intermittently , better results generally being obtained with continuous air flow . the amount of air provided depends upon the type of substrate , the requirements of the type of microorganisms , if any , and the susceptibility of the surfaces of the fibers to be plugged , there always being sufficient air to produce desired growth of the microorganisms when operated in a substrate where maintaining such growth is essential . referring to fig1 , there is schematically illustrated another embodiment of an assembly , referred to as a “ stand - alone bank ” of skeins , two of which are referenced by numeral 60 . the bank is referred to as being a “ stand - alone ” because the spacer means between headers is supplied with the skeins , usually because mounting the skeins against the wall of a reservoir is less effective than placing the bank in spaced - apart relationship from a wall . in other respects , the bank 60 is analogous to the wall - mounted bank illustrated in fig1 . each bank 60 with fibers 62 ( only a single row of the multiple , regularly spaced apart generally vertical arrays is shown for the sake of clarity ) is deployed between upper and lower headers 61 u and 61 b in a substrate ‘ s ’. the lower headers rest on the floor of the reservoir . the upper headers are secured to rigid vertical air tubes 71 and 71 ′ through which air is introduced into a tubular air manifold identified generally by reference numeral 70 . the manifold 70 includes ( i ) the vertical tubular arms 71 and 71 ′; ( ii ) a lower transverse arm 72 which is perforated along the length of the lower header 61 b ′ and secured thereto ; the arm 72 communicates with longitudinal tubular arm 73 , and optionally another longitudinal arm 73 ′ ( not shown ) in mirror - image relationship with arm 73 on the far side of the headers ; and ( iii ) transverse arms 74 and 74 ′ in open communication with 72 and 73 ; arms 74 and 74 ′ are perforated along the visible transverse faces of the headers 61 b an 61 b ′, and 74 and 74 ′ may communicate with tubular arm 73 ′ if it is provided . the vertical air - tubes 71 and 71 ′ conveniently provide the additional function of a spacer means between the first upper header and the first lower header , and because the remaining headers in the bank are also similarly ( not shown ) interconnected by rigid conduits , the headers are maintained in vertically and transversely spaced - apart relationship . since all arms of the air manifold are in open communication with the air supply , it is evident that uniform distribution of air is facilitated . as before , headers 61 u and 61 u ′ are each secured in fluid - tight relationship with collection zones in collection pans 63 u and 63 u ′ respectively , and each pan has withdrawal conduits 65 u and 65 u ′ which are manifolded to longitudinal liquid conduits 81 and 81 ′. analogously , headers 61 b and 61 b ′ are each secured in fluid - tight relationship with collection zones in collection pans 63 b and 63 b ′ respectively , and each pan has withdrawal conduits 65 b and 65 b ′ which are manifolded to longitudinal conduits 82 and 82 ′. as illustrated , withdrawal conduits are shown for both the upper and the lower headers , and both fore and aft the headers . in many instances , permeate is withdrawn from only an upper manifold which is provided on only one side of the upper headers . a lower manifold is provided for backwashing . backwashing fluid is typically flowed through the upper manifold , through the fibers and into the lower manifold . the additional manifolds on the aft ends of the upper and lower headers not only provides more uniform distribution of backwashing fluid but support for the interconnected headers . it will be evident that , absent the aft interconnecting upper conduit 81 ′, an upper header such as 61 u will require to be spaced from its lower header by some other interconnection to header 61 u ′ or by a spacer strut between headers 61 u and 61 b . in the best mode illustrated , each upper header is provided with rigid pvc tubular nipples adapted to be coupled with fittings such as ells and tees to the upper conduits 81 and 81 ′ respectively . analogously , each lower header is connected to lower conduits 82 and 82 ′ ( not shown ) and / or spacer struts are provided to provide additional rigidity , depending upon the number of headers to be interconnected . permeate is withdrawn through an upper conduit , and all piping connections , including the air connection , are made above the liquid level in the reservoir . the length of fibers ( between headers ) in a skein is generally chosen to obtain efficient use of an economical amount of air , so as to maintain optimum flux over a long period of time . other considerations include the depth of the tank in which the bank is to be deployed , the positioning of the liquid and air manifolds , and the convection patterns within the tank , inter alia . in another embodiment of the invention , a bioreactor is retrofitted with plural banks of skeins schematically illustrated in the elevational view shown in fig1 , and the plan view shown in fig1 . the clarifier tank is a large circular tank 90 provided with a vertical , circular outer baffle 91 , a vertical circular inner baffle 92 , and a bottom 93 which slopes towards the center ( apex ) for drainage of accumulating sludge . alternatively , the baffles may be individual , closely spaced rectangular plates arranged in outer and inner circles , but continuous cylindrical baffles ( shown ) are preferred . irrespective of which baffles are used , the baffles are located so that their bottom peripheries are located at a chosen vertical distance above the bottom . feed is introduced through feed line 94 in the bottom of the tank 90 until the level of the substrate rises above the outer baffle 91 . a bank 60 of plural skeins 10 , analogous to those in the bank depicted in fig1 , each of which skeins is illustrated in fig9 is deployed against the periphery of the inner wall of the bioreactor with suitable mounting means in an outer annular permeate extraction zone 95 ′ ( fig1 ) formed between the circular outer baffle 91 and the wall of the tank 90 , at a depth sufficient to submerge the fibers . a clarification zone 91 ′ is defined between the outer circular baffle 91 and inner circular baffle 92 . the inner circular baffle 92 provides a vertical axial passage 92 ′ through which substrate is fed into the tank 90 . the skeins form a dense curtain of fibers in radially extending , generally planar vertical arrays as illustrated in fig9 potted between upper and lower headers 41 u and 41 b . permeate is withdrawn through manifold 46 u and air is introduced through air - manifold 80 , extending along the inner wall of the tank , and branching out with air - distribution arms between adjacent headers , including outer distribution arms 84 ′ on either side of each lower header 41 b at each end of the bank . the air manifold 80 is positioned between skeins in the permeate extraction zone 95 ′ in such a manner as to have bubbles contact essentially the entire surface of each fiber which is continuously awash with bubbles . because the fibers are generally vertical , the air is in contact with the surfaces of the fibers longer than if they were arcuate , and the air is used most effectively to maintain a high flux for a longer period of time than would otherwise be maintained . it will be evident that if the tank is at ground level , there will be insufficient liquid head to induce a desirable liquid head under gravity alone . without an adequate siphoning effect , a centrifugal pump may be used to produce the necessary suction . such a pump should be capable of running dry for a short period , and of maintaining a vacuum on the suction side of from 50 cm ( 10 ″)- 51 cm ( 20 ″) of hg , or − 35 kpa (− 5 psi ) to − 70 kpa (− 10 psi ). examples of such pumps rated at 18 . 9 l / min ( 5 gpm ) @ 15 ″ hg , are ( i ) flexible - impeller centrifugal pumps , e . g . jabsco # 30510 - 2003 ; ( ii ) air operated diaphragm pumps , e . g . wilden m2 ; ( iii ) progressing cavity pumps , e . g . ramoy 3561 ; and ( iv ) hosepumps , e . g . waukesha sp 25 . the skein may also be potted in a header which is not a rectangular prism , preferably in cylindrical upper and lower headers in which substantially concentric arrays of fibers are non - removably potted in cylindrical permeate pans , and the headers are spaced apart by a central gas tube which functions as both the spacer means and the gas - distribution means which is also potted in the headers . as before , the fibers are restrictedly swayable , but permeate is withdrawn from both upper and lower headers through a single permeate pan so that all connections for the skein , when it is vertically submerged , are from above . permeate is preferably withdrawn from the lower permeate pan through a central permeate withdrawal tube which is centrally axially held within the central gas ( air ) tube . the concentric arrays are formed by wrapping successive sheets of flat arrays around the ′ central air - tube , and gluing them together before they are potted . this configuration permits the use of more filtration surface area per unit volume of a reservoir , compared to skeins with rectangular prism headers , using the same diameter and length of fibers . referring to fig1 there is schematically illustrated another embodiment of skein 180 in which rigid permeate tube 185 is held concentrically within a rigid air - supply tube 186 which is potted axially within skein fibers 112 held between opposed upper and lower headers 183 and 184 in upper and lower rings 120 u and 120 b which are in turn sealed in end - caps 181 and 182 respectively . for ease of manufacture , the lower end 185 b of permeate tube 185 is snugly fitted and sealed in a bushing 187 . the bushing 187 and end 185 b are then inserted in the lower end 86 b of the air supply tube 186 and sealed in it so that the annular zone between the outer surface of permeate tube 185 and the inner surface of air supply tube 186 will duct air to the base of the fibers but not permit permeate to enter the annular zone . the air supply tube is then placed on an array and the array is rolled into a spiral which is held at each end with rubber bands . the lower end of the roll is placed in a ring 120 b and a lower ring header is formed with a finished header 184 as described above . it is preferred to use a relatively stiff elastomer having a hardness in the range from 50 shore a to about 20 shore d , and most preferred to use a polyurethane having a hardness in the range from 50 shore a to about 20 shore d , measured as set forth in astm d - 790 , such as ptu - 921 available from canadian poly - tech systems . to form the upper finished header 183 the air supply tube is snugly inserted through an o - ring held in a central bore in a plate such as used in fig5 to avoid loss of potting resin from the ring 120 , and the fugitive resin and finishing resins poured and cured , first one then the other , in the ring . lower finished header 184 is formed with intermediate portions 112 b ′ embedded , and terminal portions 112 b ″ protruding from the header &# 39 ; s aft face . upper finished header 183 is formed with intermediate portions 112 u ′ embedded , and terminal portion 112 u ″ protruding from the header &# 39 ; s fore face . after the finished headers 183 and 184 are formed and the fibers checked for defects , the upper end 186 u of the air supply tube 186 is inserted through a central bore 188 in upper end - cap 181 and sealed within the bore with sealing compound or a collar 189 . preferably the permeate tube 185 , the air supply tube 186 and the collar 189 are all made of pvc so that they are easily cemented together to make leak - proof connections . as shown , permeate may be withdrawn through the permeate tube 185 from the permeate collection zone in the lower end - cap 182 , and separately from the upper end - cap 181 through permeate withdrawal port 181 p which may be threaded for attaching a pipe fitting . alternatively , the permeate port 181 p may be plugged and permeate withdrawn from both end - caps through the permeate tube 185 . upper end 185 u of permeate tube 185 and upper end 186 u of air supply tube 186 are inserted through a t - fitting 201 through which air is supplied to the air supply tube 186 . the lower end of 201 b of one of the arms of the t 201 is slip - fitted and sealed around the air supply tube . the upper end 201 u of the other arm is inserted in a reducing bushing 202 and sealed around the permeate tube . air supplied to intake 203 of the t 201 travels down the annular zone between the permeate tube and the air supply tube and exits through opposed ports 204 in the lower portion of the air supply tube , just above the upper face 184 u of the lower header 184 . it is preferred to thread ports 204 to threadedly secure the ends of arms 141 to form a sparger which distributed air substantially uniformly across and above the surface 184 u . additional ports may be provided along the length of the vertical air supply tube , if desired . microfiltration of an activated sludge at 30 ° c . having a concentration of 25 g / l ( 2 . 5 % tss ) is carried out with a skein of polysulfone fibers in a pilot plant tank . the fibers are “ air scrubbed ” at a flow rate of 12 cfm ( 0 . 34 m 3 / min ) with a coarse bubble diffuser generating bubbles in the range from about 5 mm to 25 mm in nominal diameter . the air is sufficient not only for the oxidation requirements of the biomass but also for adequate scrubbing . the fibers have an outside diameter of 1 . 7 mm , a wall thickness of about 0 . 5 mm , and a surface porosity in the range from about 20 % to 40 % with pores about 0 . 2 μm in diameter , both latter physical properties being determined by a molecular weight cut off at 200 , 000 daltons . the skein which has 1440 fibers with a surface area of 12 m 2 is wall - mounted in the tank , the vertical spaced apart distance of the headers being about 1 % less than the length of a fiber in the skein . the opposed ends of the fibers are potted in upper and lower headers respectively , each about 41 cm long and 10 cm wide . the fixing material of the headers is an epoxy having a hardness of about 70 shore d with additional upper an lower laminae of softer polyurethane ( about 60 shore a and 30 shore d respectively ) above and below the epoxy lamina , and the fibers are potted to a depth sufficient to have their open ends protrude from the bottom of the header . the average transmembrane pressure differential is about 34 . 5 kpa ( 5 psi ). permeate is withdrawn through lines connected to the collection pan of each header with a pump generating about 34 . 5 kpa ( 5 psi ) suction . permeate is withdrawn at a specific flux of about 0 . 7 lm 2 h / kpa yielding about 4 . 8 l / min of permeate which has an average turbidity of & lt ; 0 . 8 ntu , which is a turbidity not discernible to the naked eye . it will now be evident that the membrane device and basic separation processes of this invention may be used in the recovery and separation of a wide variety of commercially significant materials , some of which , illustratively referred to , include the recovery of water from ground water containing micron and submicron particles of siliceous materials , preferably “ gas scrubbing ” with carbon dioxide ; or , the recovery of solvent from paint - contaminated solvent . in each application , the choice of membrane will depend upon the physical characteristics of the materials and the separation desired . the choice of gas will depend on whether oxygen is needed in the substrate . in each case , the simple process comprises , disposing a skein of a multiplicity of hollow fiber membranes , or fibers each having a length & gt ; 0 . 5 meter , together having a surface area & gt ; 1 m 2 , in a body of substrate which is unconfined in a modular shell , so that the fibers are essentially restrictedly swayable in the substrate . the substrate is typically not under pressure greater than atmospheric . the fibers have a low transmembrane pressure differential in the range from about 35 kpa ( 0 . 5 psi ) to about 350 kpa ( 50 psi ), and the headers , the terminal portions of the fibers , and the ends of the fibers are disposed in spaced - apart relationship as described hereinabove , so that by applying a suction on the aft face of at least one of the headers , preferably both , permeate is withdrawn through the collection means in which each header is mounted in fluid - tight communication . having thus provided a general discussion , and specific illustrations of the best mode of constructing and deploying a membrane device comprising a skein of long fibers in a substrate from which a particular component is to be produced as permeate , how the device is used in a gas - scrubbed skein , and having provided specific illustrative systems and processes in which the skein is used , it is to be understood that no undue restrictions are to be imposed by reason of the specific embodiments illustrated and discussed , and particularly that the invention is not restricted to a slavish adherence to the details set forth herein .

an apparatus for treating a multi component liquid substrate while leaving particulate matter therein as a skein of hollow fiber filtering membranes immersed in the substrate which is contained in a non - pressurized reservoir . a pumping fluid communication with the lumens of the membranes draws a component of the substrate as permeate through the membranes by applying a section to the lumens of the membranes . in various embodiments , an aeration system as a gas distributor for discharging air directly into the substrate within the skein , upper and lower headers of the skein are spaced apart by a gas tube , and a gas distribution system has through passages through the lower header to discharge bubbles into the substrate above the lower header .

referring to fig1 is shown a block diagram showing a portion of an electrical power circuit within a hybrid powered vehicle . the hybrid powered vehicle may any hybrid powered vehicle which includes a high voltage charge storage device such as ( hv ) battery 12 a . the hv battery 12 a may be used for powering an electric drive motor ( traction motor ) in the hybrid vehicle and may be used for providing power to start an engine , such as an internal combustion or diesel engine . for example , the high voltage ( hv ) battery 12 a may operate in a range of form about 200 to about 400 volts dc . it will be appreciated that other charge storage devices including capacitors and ultra - capacitors , as are known in the art , may be used in place of a high voltage ( hv ) battery or low - voltage ( lv ) battery according to the present invention . the hybrid vehicle includes solar collection means 14 , which may be solar panels attached and positioned on the vehicle in any convenient manner or may be solar collection means incorporated into the exterior facing portions of the vehicle such as the vehicle body or windshields . for example , collection means ( solar panels ) 14 collect electrical charge upon exposure to solar energy which is then transferred by conventional wiring means to a power transfer electronic circuit including a power / voltage converter 16 a which may be connected to ( e . g ., wired connection 21 d ) or have incorporated therein a programmable charge controller 16 b . the power / voltage converter 16 a accepts an input voltage from the solar panels , for example , through inputs 18 a , 18 b ( positive and negative terminals ). the power / voltage converter 16 a is further in communication with the charge controller ( 16 b ). the power / voltage converter 16 a outputs the voltage , for example through outputs 20 a , 208 according to a predetermined programmed voltage , where one of the terminals ( e . g ., 20 a ) of the voltage output ( e . g ., positive voltage ) is connected to a selected input ( e . g ., a , b , c , d , e ) including auxiliary power circuits ( e . g ., c , d , e ) or an hv battery ( a ) wired in parallel with respect to the power / voltage converter . an electrical circuit switching means 22 , included in the power transfer electronic circuit , is in communication with charge controller 16 b ( e . g ., wired connection 21 c ) and may be used to selectively connect a voltage output ( e . g ., 20 a ) to one of the inputs ( e . g ., a , b , c , d , e ). the circuit switching means 22 may be a conventional relay switching device capable of multiplexed switching controlled by charge controller 168 . for example the switching means 22 is capable of connecting an output of the voltage converter ( e . g ., 20 a ) to an input of the lv battery 12 b ( terminal b ) where the voltage source to the power / voltage converter is the solar collection means 14 . in addition , the switching means may operate terminal b as an output of the lv battery 12 b which is then also connected to an input of the power / voltage converter 16 a ( e . g ., 20 c ) by connection of terminal f with terminal b and where the switching means 22 additionally connects the output of the power / voltage converter 20 a to the input terminal of the hv battery 12 a , or to one of the input terminals of the auxiliary power systems 12 c , 12 d , 12 e ( i . e ., terminals c , d , e ). it will be appreciated that the power / voltage converter 16 a may operate to control the output voltage of the lv battery 12 a to match a determined voltage input of the hv battery 12 a or an input of one of the auxiliary power systems . the other terminal of the voltage output ( e . g ., 20 b ) as well as the hv battery , lv battery and auxiliary power circuits associated with the hybrid vehicle electrical system are connected to ground potential 24 . by selecting one of the inputs ( a , c , d , e ) to connect the output voltage ( e . g ., 20 a ) by switching means 22 , one of multiple auxiliary power circuits e . g ., 12 c , 12 d , 12 e , or the hv battery 12 a , the lv battery 128 may be used to provide power at a selected voltage through the power / voltage converter 16 a . in addition , the lv battery 128 or the hv battery 12 a may be powered by voltage from the power / voltage converter 16 a where the voltage source for the power / voltage converter 16 a is the solar panels 14 or other plug - in power source ( not shown ). in a preferred embodiment , when the circuit switching means 22 is connected to one of multiple auxiliary power circuits e . g ., 12 c , 12 d , 12 e , ( terminals c , d , e ) or the hv battery 12 a ( terminal a ), the power from the power / voltage converter 16 a is provided at a selected operating voltage from the lv battery 12 b ( by connecting terminal b to terminal f ). when the output of the power / voltage converter 20 a is connected to the input to the lv battery ( through terminal b ; terminal f open ), the power source for the power / voltage converter 16 a is the solar collection means , e . g ., solar panels 14 , where the solar charge is transferred to and accumulated by the lv battery 123 . the power / voltage converter 16 a may be a conventional , bidirectional device that is capable of converting the power supplied by a power source ( e . g ., lv battery or solar charge collectors ) into a voltage that is compatible with the requirements of the system loads , e . g . hv battery , cooling devices , resistive heating devices , and auxiliary power requirements . specifically , the power / voltage converter 16 a converts the voltage and current supplied by the power source ( e . g ., output of lv battery or solar charge collector ) to levels that match the voltage to the system load requirements . in addition , power / voltage converter converts the charge collected by the solar collection means into an output voltage compatible for charging the lv battery when the output of the voltage / power converter is connected to the input of the lv battery . for example , the hv battery 12 a preferably is equipped with a conventional state - of - charge ( soc ) sensor 22 a which in turn is in communication with the charge controller 16 b ( e . g ., wired connection 21 a ) to provide a soc value of the hv battery to the charge controller 16 b . the relative amount of power stored in a battery is often referred to as its “ state - of - charge ” ( soc ), i . e . the amount of stored energy expressed as a percentage of the battery pack &# 39 ; s total ampere - hour capacity . in order to efficiently charge and discharge , the battery ( or other charge storage device ) may be maintained within a charge range known as an soc window that is adequate to meet the power requirements of the power system in which the battery is utilized . if the charge controller determines that the hv battery 12 a is at less than full charge ( e . g ., 55 to 60 %) or less than a preprogrammed charge level ( below an soc window ), the charge controller 16 a may be pre - programmed to recharge the hv battery from power provided by the lv battery e . g ., by selecting input terminal a according to circuit switching means 22 which connects voltage output 20 a to hv battery input a and sets the output voltage to an appropriate charge voltage corresponding to the voltage of the hv battery , e . g ., from about 200 to 400 volts dc . when there is no demand for power from the hv battery ( the soc is at full charge or greater than a pre - programmed charge level ) and no demand for power from the auxiliary power circuits e . g ., cooling circuit ( e . g ., fan ) 12 c , heating circuit 12 d , or auxiliary charging circuit 12 e , the circuit switching means 22 remains in a position where power / voltage converter output voltage 20 a is connected through terminal b , to the lv battery 12 b and where the power source is the solar collection means , e . g ., solar panels 14 , where the lv battery 12 b collects solar charge to a useable voltage level , for example sufficient to recharge the hv battery 12 a by connecting lv battery 12 b to hv battery 12 a through power / voltage converter 16 a including using circuit switching means 22 to select terminal a ( input for hv battery ). it will be appreciated that either or both the lv battery or hv battery may be recharged by separate plug - in voltage sources and that the charge controller 16 b may control the power / voltage converter 16 a output 20 a to supply solar charge to the hv battery from the solar collection means 14 rather than from the lv battery 12 b . the lv battery 12 b is also preferably equipped with a soc sensor 22 b which is in communication ( e . g ., wired connection 21 b ) with charge controller 16 b . the charge controller 16 b may be preprogrammed to determine whether there is a sufficient charge in the lv battery to accomplish a charging function of the hv battery . if there is insufficient charge in the lv battery to charge the hv battery , the charge controller 16 b may be pre - programmed to engage switching means 22 to allow the lv battery 12 b to be recharged by solar collection means 14 or a plug - in charge source to a pre - programmed charge level to the exclusion of other power demands . alternatively , the lv battery may power the auxiliary power circuits under special circumstances ( e . g ., the vehicle is being operated or manual override by vehicle operator / occupant ). it will be appreciated that the charge controller 16 b in cooperation with the power / voltage converter 16 a and lv battery 12 b may provide power to the hv battery 12 a through either pre - programmed instructions or in combination with a specialized electrical circuit ( e . g ., boost circuit ) to enable control of a voltage output ( e . g ., from lv battery through power / voltage converter ) to the hv battery to accomplish the charging function quickly and safely . for example , the charge controller 16 b together with the power / voltage converter 16 a and lv battery 12 b may begin to charge the hv battery at a selected output voltage level depending on the soc of the hv battery and then follow a pre - programmed voltage output level depending on the subsequent soc of the hv battery during charging . in addition , it will be appreciated that the boost circuit and / or charge controller may be operated by manual override by operator / occupant interaction , for example , when the soc of the hv battery is too low to start the engine , manual override by activating the boost circuit and / or charge controller may be immediately effectuated by the operator / occupant ( e . g ., from within the vehicle ) to provide an emergency boost ( charge ) from the lv battery to the hv battery ( e . g ., emergency charge and startup ). it will be appreciated that normally , recharging the hv battery by the charge controller 16 b together with the power / voltage converter 16 a and lv battery 12 b is automatically effected according to the pre - programmed charge controller when the hv battery falls below a predetermined charge level , including when the vehicle is not being operated . the lv charge storage device such as lv battery 12 b may be what is nominally referred to in the art as a 12 volt battery . it will be appreciated that the lv battery may have a range of output voltages depending on the soc , e . g ., including from 9 up to about 15 volts . for example , the charge controller 16 b may be pre - programmed to provide a selected output voltage from the power / voltage converter where the charge source is the solar panels 14 and / or where the lv battery is connected ( through the power / voltage converter ) to the auxiliary power circuits at a predetermined voltage level . in addition , the charge controller 16 b may be pre - programmed to control the power / voltage converter 16 a to produce an output voltage from solar collection means at a selected voltage level for the most efficient charging of the lv battery , depending on the soc of the lv battery as determined by soc sensor 22 b . for example , a voltage of 13 . 7 dc volts may be output from the power / voltage converter 16 a to lv battery 12 b where the power source is the solar panels to accumulate solar charge in the lv battery or from the lv battery to power the auxiliary power circuits . it will be appreciated that the charge controller 16 b may be pre - programmed to selectively provide charge from the solar collection means to the lv battery or hv battery to accumulate solar charge , or provide power ( charge ) from the lv battery to the hv battery or auxiliary power circuits according to a variety of priority based decision logic trees including overriding manual operation ( e . g ., from operator control panels ) by a vehicle operator . for example , the decision logic tree may be constructed to give priority to charging the hv battery ( assuming a sufficient charge exists in the lv battery ) to the exclusion of all other power demands . alternatively , or in addition , manual interaction by a vehicle operator from a control panel may override such pre - programmed instructions . for example , in the case the lv battery charge level falls below a pre - programmed lower charge value , the charge controller may be programmed to exclude ( ignore ) power demands from the lv battery until the lv battery is recharged to a predetermined lower charge level by the solar collection means and / or plug - in charging sources . when the lv battery charge level is above the programmed lower charge level , there may be an intermediate range of charge level values where auxiliary power circuits or hv battery power demands may be met under special circumstances , e . g ., the vehicle is being operated and / or a manual override interaction ( e . g ., emergency hv charge to start vehicle ) is effected by a vehicle operator / occupant . when the lv battery charge level is above the intermediate range of charge level values , priority may be given to charging the hv battery , if required , as well as secondarily operating auxiliary power demands in the absence of a manual override interaction ( e . g ., emergency hv charge to start vehicle ) by a vehicle operator / occupant . for example , referring to fig2 is shown an exemplary pre - programmed decision logic for operating the charge controller 16 a to control output voltage from the power / voltage converter 16 b . if the hv battery is at less than full charge then : thus , in the exemplary decision logic tree shown in fig2 , charging the hv battery has the highest priority , recharging the lv battery has the next highest priority , and operation of auxiliary power systems ( e . g ., heating or cooling the vehicle ) has the next highest priority based on a sensed vehicle condition . it will be appreciated that other decision trees may be provided as discussed above . thus , a hybrid vehicle charging / auxiliary power system and method has been presented that provides solar charging of an auxiliary charge storage device such as an lv battery which can then be used to ensure that a second charge storage device such as an hv traction battery is fully charged prior to or at the start of operation of a hybrid vehicle , thus ensuring enough power is always available to start the hybrid vehicle . an additional advantage provided by the present invention , is that the auxiliary lv battery may be used to power auxiliary systems without the consequential concern that the lv battery will be discharged to the detriment of starting and driving the hybrid vehicle . while the embodiments illustrated in the figures and described above are presently preferred , it should be understood that these embodiments are offered by way of example only . the invention is not limited to a particular embodiment , but extends to various modifications , combinations , and permutations as will occur to the ordinarily skilled artisan that nevertheless fall within the scope of the appended claims .

a solar powered hybrid power system including a solar charge collector ; a charge storage system comprising at least a first charge storage device adapted to receive and store charge from said solar charge collector ; wherein said charge storage system further comprises a power electronic circuit selectively connectable to at least a second charge storage device , said power electronic circuit adapted to transfer said stored charge to said at least a second charge storage device at a selectable voltage level .

referring initially to fig1 , in a representatively illustrated embodiment thereof the present invention provides a specially designed reversible circuit heat pump - based system 10 comprising an indoor heat pump coil unit 12 ( representatively , as denoted in fig1 , having no electric resistance type of secondary heating structure ), an outdoor heat pump unit 14 , and a fuel - fired supplemental heating source which is representatively a non - condensing type gas - fired modular blower 16 . illustratively , the indoor heat pump coil unit 12 rests atop the modular blower 16 which has the schematically depicted blower and heating sections 18 and 20 , the heating section 20 being supplied with gas ( or another type of fuel ) via a fuel supply line 22 . the indoor heat pump coil unit 12 has an indoor refrigerant coil 24 which , via refrigerant lines 26 and 28 , is operatively coupled to an outdoor coil and associated circuit components ( not shown ) within the outdoor unit 14 . three control components are associated with the system 10 — a heat pump thermostat 30 representatively mounted external to the indoor heat pump unit 12 on a wall 32 , a specially designed modified modular blower control 34 representatively associated with the blower section 18 of the modular blower 16 , and a heat pump controller 36 representatively mounted on the outdoor heat pump unit 14 . the heat pump thermostat 30 is electrically coupled to the modular blower controller 34 , as schematically depicted by the numeral 38 , and to the heat pump controller 36 , as schematically depicted by the numeral 40 . during cooling operation of the heat pump system 10 , the blower section 18 of the non - condensing fuel - fired modular blower 16 sequentially flows system return air 42 upwardly through the modular blower heating section 20 ( which is unfired during heat pump cooling cycles ), and then upwardly across the indoor refrigerant coil 24 which cools the air 42 so that it exits the heat pump 12 as conditioned ( i . e ., cooled ) air 42 a . alternatively , the heat pump coil unit 12 may be a downflow or horizontal unit if desired . during normal heating operation of the heat pump system 10 , the blower section 18 of the non - condensing fuel - fired modular blower 16 sequentially flows system return air 42 upwardly through the unfired modular blower heating section 20 , and then upwardly across the indoor refrigerant coil 24 which heats the air 42 so that it exits the indoor heat pump coil unit 12 as conditioned ( i . e ., heated ) air 42 b . using a specially designed overall control technique for the system 10 , as subsequently described herein , in a heating cycle thereof the system 10 normally produces the heated discharge air 42 b using only the refrigerant heat from the indoor coil 24 but if its heating output is detected as being insufficient to meet a particular heat demand , the overall system control automatically terminates heat pump operation and initiates firing of the modular blower heating section 20 to replace the refrigerant - based heating of the indoor coil 24 with combustion heat and thereby raise the temperature of the heated supply air 42 b being discharged from the heat pump 12 . when the overall system control detects that the replacement combustion heat from the modular blower heating section 20 is no longer required , such combustion heat is terminated and the heat pump coil unit 12 is re - activated until the heat demand is met by the indoor refrigerant coil 24 . in the depicted representative embodiment of the present invention , the use of a non - condensing gas - fired modular blower 16 as an alternative to electric resistive elements for back - up heat is uniquely coupled with the specially designed modified modular blower control 34 in a manner assuring that the modular blower 16 is only utilized for secondary heat when the heat pump portion 12 , 14 of the system 10 cannot provide adequate heat ( e . g ., at extremely low outdoor ambient temperature conditions or if the heat pump portion 12 , 14 has failed ). a simplified wiring diagram for the system 10 is shown in fig2 and indicates the arrangement of the connection terminals , and the electrical wires interconnecting them , for the heat pump ( hp ) thermostat 30 , the modified non - condensing gas - fired modular blower ( mb ) electronic control 36 , and the outdoor heat pump ( hp ) control 36 . with the following exceptions relating to the modular blower control 34 , the thermostat 30 and the controls 34 and 36 may be of conventional construction and configurations . first , the modified modular blower control 34 is provided with a new connection terminal “ b ” that indicates when a call for heat pump heating operation is requested from the heat pump thermostat 30 ( via its connection terminal “ b ”), for example , when the heat pump reversing valve has been switched to its heating orientation . second , the modified modular blower control 34 is provided with a new input connection terminal “ e ” indicating when a call for secondary heat operation is requested from the heat pump thermostat 30 ( via its connection terminal “ e ”), such request being indicative of a call for emergency heat during a heat pump heating cycle . the new terminal “ e ” of the modular blower control 34 may be the former “ w ” input terminal from a conventional control used in a non - condensing gas furnace . third , the software algorithms in the modular blower control 34 are modified to prevent utilization of the non - condensing gas - fired modular blower 16 except under secondary conditions ( i . e ., when the “ e ” input to the modular blower control 34 is active ). an alternate embodiment of the fig2 simplified control wiring diagram is depicted in fig3 . the fig3 wiring diagram is identical to the fig2 wiring diagram with the exception that in the fig3 electrical wiring circuit an outside air temperature lockout portion 44 is incorporated therein . the lockout portion 44 has an outside air temperature ( oat ) sensor portion 46 and functions to limit when the modular blower ( mb ) 16 can be used for back - up heat . a logic flow diagram 48 is shown in fig4 and illustrates the operation of the modified modular blower control 34 in controlling the use of combustion heat from the modular blower 16 to replace the refrigerant - based heat provided by the heat pump portions 12 , 14 ( see fig1 ) during a space heating demand cycle . subsequent to a suitable starting step 50 , a query is made at step 52 as to whether a heat pump thermostat output signal “ b ” is being input to the modular blower control 34 . if it is not , the system loops back to step 52 . if the step 52 query answer is “ yes ” a transfer is made from step 52 to step 54 at which a query is made as to whether the heat pump thermostat output signal “ e ” is being input to the modular blower control 34 . if it is not , the system loops back to step 52 . if the step 54 query answer is “ yes ”, a transfer is made from step 54 to step 56 . at step 56 the heat pump is turned off and the modular blower heating section 20 ( see fig1 ) is energized to replace the refrigerant - based heat previously being generated by the now idle heat pump indoor refrigerant coil 24 ( see fig1 ). a transfer is then made from step 56 to step 58 at which a query is made as to whether the signal “ e ” transmitted to the modular blower control 34 has terminated . if it has not , the system loops through steps 56 and 58 , continuing to provide replacement combustion heat from the modular blower until the answer to the step 58 query becomes “ yes ”. when this occurs , a transfer is made from step 58 to step 60 at which the heating of the modular blower section 20 is terminated , heat pump operation is re - enabled , and a transfer is made from 60 back to step 52 . when the previously described outside air temperature lockout circuit portion 44 ( see fig3 ) is utilized , the fig4 logic flow diagram is modified , as shown in fig5 , by interposing an additional step 62 between the previously described steps 50 and 52 . at the additional step 62 shown in fig5 , a query is made as to whether the outside ambient temperature is less than a predetermined magnitude . if it is not , the system pauses at step 62 until the query answer becomes “ yes ” at which point a transfer is made from the additional step 62 to the previously described step 52 in the logic flow diagram of fig4 . as can be seen from the foregoing , in an illustrated representative embodiment of the present invention , combustion heat from a fuel - fired modular blower , preferably a non - condensing type fuel - fired modular blower , is used to replace the refrigerant - based heating capacity of a reversible circuit heat pump only when the heat pump refrigerant heat is insufficient to meet a heat pump heating demand as evidenced by the receipt by a modular blower control from a heat pump thermostat of both a first signal indicative of a call for heat pump heat ( by , for example , the heat pump reversing valve having been set to its heating orientation ), and a second signal indicative of a call for emergency heat during a heat pump heating cycle . additionally , this is done in a manner desirably restricting the user from overriding the heat pump . the foregoing detailed description is to be clearly understood as being given by way of illustration and example only , the spirit and scope of the present invention being limited solely by the appended claims .

an air heating and cooling system includes a heat pump , illustratively devoid of auxiliary electric resistance type air heating structure , operative to provide refrigerant - based heating or cooling of air being delivered to a conditioned space , a fuel - fired modular blower selectively operable to generate combustion heat , and a control system associated with the heat pump and the modular blower . the control system has a heat pump thermostat electrically connected to a modular blower control and operative to transmit to the modular blower a first signal indicative of heating operation of the heat pump , and a second signal indicative of a need for alternative heat during a heating demand cycle . the modular blower is operative , in response to receiving both signals , to provide combustion - based air heating in place of refrigerant - based heat pump air heating .

the fully assembled street graphic cage of the present invention is depicted in fig1 wherein the post top light fixture 10 sits atop a light post 12 in standard fashion for illumination of a predefined area therebelow . the post top light fixture 10 , as seen in conjunction with fig2 is comprised of a prismatic refractive globe or other lamp enclosing device which itself is surrounded by the street graphic cage 20 . the street graphic cage 20 , depicted in fig1 and 2 , may attach directly to the light post support and also be affixed to the globe 14 at the lower portion thereof . the street graphic cage 20 provides a mechanism for supporting a plurality of sign panels 18 and logo blocks 16 in illuminating relationship with the globe 14 and light source or lamp located therein . used in conjunction with the post top light fixture 10 and street graphic cage 20 of the present invention are a plurality of sign panels 18 which may be acrylic having high gloss vinyl . as shown in fig2 the translucent sign panel 18 may be slightly deformed or bent for insertion into one of the panel apertures 27 formed in the upper frame element 24 . the sign panel 18 is received within the panel aperture and as depicted the upper frame element 24 may have a plurality of apertures located therein for receiving the opal acrylic sign panels 18 . as shown in the embodiment of the figures , four panel apertures 27 are provided for displaying the panels in 90 degree segments around the upper frame element . however , a number of varying implementations for use of panel apertures in conjunction with translucent panels fall within the teaching of the invention described herein and no unnecessary limitations are to be interpreted from the exemplary construction depicted . turning now to fig3 and 4 depicting the street graphic cage 20 of the present invention and its implementation on a post top environment , it is clear that the street graphic cage 20 of the present invention allows previous post top luminaires to be converted into graphic panel displays . as the lamp or other light source within the globe 14 emits light from the globe 14 , the street graphic cage 20 of the present invention positions the translucent sign panels 18 in a position wherein the plurality of acrylic signs 20 may be readily illuminated and visible , either day or night . the cage 20 , as shown in fig3 may be constructed of aluminum or other rigid supporting material . the street graphic cage 20 has a lower frame element 22 , an upper frame element 24 and ribs 23 connecting the two . in this example , the lower and upper frame elements 22 and 24 are depicted as being annular . however , any geometric construct allowing the panels apertures to position the panels within illumination distance from the light source within the globe 14 is sufficient . further , lower and upper frame elements can be formed alternatively in square , rectangular or other geometries matching the lamp support or other desired feature . the street graphic cage 20 depicted has a plurality of ribs which connect the lower frame element 22 with the upper frame element 24 . the lower frame element 22 may be firmly retained within the lamp post support 13 around the exterior of the globe 14 . the lower frame element 22 can be overlaid onto the lamp post support and affixed thereto by a plurality of screws or other retention elements , as shown in fig6 or may be interiorly positioned between the globe and the lamp post support . the ribs 23 connect the upper frame element 24 to the rigid connection to the lamp post support 13 and support the upper frame element 24 . as can be seen from the figures however , alternatively the upper frame element 24 may also be positioned on the lamp top 29 such that the panels 18 are readily illuminated within the need for support . in the construction shown , the upper frame element 24 has a plurality of panel apertures 27 and also a plurality of block apertures 28 . the panel apertures receive sign panels 18 while the block apertures receive the logo blocks 16 . logo blocks 16 may be translucent logo blocks or may alternatively be metal decorative blocks affixed to the upper frame element 24 in the block aperture 28 . the upper frame element 24 may be viewed as having an upper cylindrical frame member 51 and a lower cylindrical frame member 52 which form the upper and lower edges or walls of the panel apertures 27 . as shown in this example , the panel apertures therefore are constructed in rectangular geometry with the upper cylindrical frame member 51 forming the upper side or edge of the panel aperture while the lower cylindrical frame member 52 forms the lower side or edge of the panel aperture . the logo blocks 28 formed in the upper frame element 24 may separate the panel apertures and form the side walls or edge thereof . as depicted , the logo blocks may be squared . as shown in fig5 a close up of the street graphic cage 20 of the present invention is depicted wherein the panel apertures 27 are apparent as well as the retaining tabs 31 a and 31 b which hold the panel 18 in position . as can be seen from the figure , the positioning of the panel apertures 27 allows the plurality of panels 18 be removed and changed within the necessity of entry in to the globe 14 or other aspects of the post top light . thus , a tool - less ability to modify the panels is provided . the panels 18 are retained in proper position within the panel apertures by opposing tabs 31 a , 31 b and allow the panels to be either slid down into proper positioning or they may be slightly bent , placed into position and then released wherein the outward flexing of the panels then forces the side edges into the retention tabs 31 a , 31 b within the upper frame element 24 . also shown in fig5 is the block aperture 28 which receives the logo blocks 16 . the logo blocks 16 may be either translucent logo blocks having user definable indicia on them as with the translucent acrylic sign panels 18 or may be solid cast aluminum decorative blocks affixed within the logo block apertures 28 . as shown in fig3 and 5 , the translucent logo blocks 16 may be retained within the apertures 28 by use of brackets 32 and similarly be illuminated by the lamp or other light source located within the globe 14 . alternatively , decorative blocks which are rigid in construction may be affixed to the brackets 32 by use of screws which may enter through apertures 33 in brackets 32 to firmly hold the logo block in place . turning to fig7 an alternative embodiment of the logo block aperture 23 is shown in upper frame 24 . the upper frame 24 at the point of the logo block aperture 23 is defined with a first and a second retaining elements 44 a and 44 b which allow tool - less changing of the logo block 16 a . as shown , the block 16 may have a washer 41 attached to the upper portion by a threaded screw 42 . affixed to the lower portion of the logo block 16 a is spring or clip 43 which is also attached by screw 42 . when a change of the logo block 16 a is desired , the new block may be easily inserted into aperture 23 by placing washer 41 and clip 43 behind the retaining elements 44 a and 44 b . this allows the logo blocks 16 a to be easily replaced for seasonal displays or other particularized special occasion . these tool - less installable logo blocks 16 a therefore provide an alternative to the other blocks shown or with solid or welded cast aluminum logo blocks . the modular design of the street graphic cage 20 therefore accepts the aluminum blocks , tool - less clip on mounted and screw attached logo blocks as shown herein . the street graphic cage 20 of the present invention used in conjunction with the post top refractive globe 14 allows for the efficient backlighting of the translucent panels 18 located with the plurality of panel apertures 27 . the street graphic cage 20 may be modular with the post top light source and allows for ready interchangeability of the panels 18 without entry into the post top light fixture . thus , the plurality of panels 18 or logo panels 16 may be readily changed without disassembly of the street cage or entry into the post top light fixture . the foregoing detailed description is given primarily for clearness of understanding and no unnecessary limitations are to be understood therefrom for modifications will become obvious to those skilled in the art upon reading this disclosure and may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention and scope of the appended claims .

a street graphic cage for a post top light wherein the cage is installed around a globe positioned on said post . the street graphic cage has an upper frame element defining a plurality of panel apertures . the panel apertures receive translucent panels therein such that they may be backlit and illuminated . the panels are readily removable without entry into the globe or electrical system of the post top light and may contain user defined indicia thereon . the upper frame element may also have a plurality of logo block apertures which can receive either translucent logo blocks or decorative die - cast aluminum blocks . the cage may also have a lower circular frame element for affixing the cage to the post top light below the globe .

referring to fig1 and 2 , there is shown an assembly of a right circular cylinder 10 having end faces 1 and a hollow shaft 12 . shaft 12 is formed with annular collars 13 that are segmented by longitudinal slots 14 at ninety degree intervals about the shaft . the shaft is joined to the cylinder within its central bore 15 at lands 16 by adhesive . such an assembly is typically of metal , such as steel , and may be used in a gyroscope , magnetic drum memory rotor , bearing or the like . the cylinder is enclosed by a journal or sleeve ( not shown ) for relative rotation at extremely high speeds . usually the right circular cylinder and its journal are separated from each other by a thin gas film such as air , that is either a self - acting film or one produced by pressurized jacking fluid . with an accurately machined assembly and journal , rotation is accomplished with little friction and a high degree of stability , due t the film stiffness . achievement of the necessary dimensional accuracy within a few millionths of an inch for the cylindricity , end face perpendicularity , end face parallelism , squareness and flatness requires hours of machine finishing and measuring , thus making the final product unreasonably costly . it has been discovered that a significant portion of the manufacturing time can be eliminated and the finishing equipment used to better efficiency by fabricating right circular cylinder 10 as a separate component without an integral shaft . when the cylinder is machined alone , its two end faces 11 can be lapped and honed simultaneously and in large groups in a flat lapping machine during a single setup thereby attaining improved control and accuracy . absence of shaft 12 permits the lapping plates to advance entirely across the end faces without encountering a limiting projection . this procedure also enables fabricating the end faces with improved parallelism and perpendicularity relative to the exterior curved surface of the cylinder and results in improved end face flatness , all critically necessary for a gas or fluid bearing support system . shaft 12 , which may be either an input or output shaft , is formed as a separate element from a machined rod and is preferably hollow . however , the addition of a conventional separate shaft to bore 15 of cylinder 10 by known techniques such as a press fit , brazing or adhesive , transmits stresses to cylinder 10 , producing unacceptable distortive strain sufficient to exceed the required manufacturing tolerances . had the shaft been an integral portion of the cylinder , internal stresses would have been relieved via heat treatment . it has been found that cylinder 10 and shaft 12 can be formed separately and joined adhesively or by brazing at low temperatures at connections having limited contact area such that lower stresses from the shaft due to temperature changes are insufficient to produce strain in the cylinder . in the preferred embodiment , hollow shaft 12 is formed from stock that is drilled or bored leaving sufficient wall thickness for the anticipated loading . the tube is machined and ground on its outer surface to provide a plurality of annular collars 13 that fit within central bore 15 of cylinder 10 . in this embodiment , two are shown . the shaft wall is then machined to provide slots 14 that segment collars 13 and the shaft wall at ninety degree intervals . the longitudinal axis of each slot parallels the longitudinal axis of the shaft . an adhesive , preferably of the anerobic type , ( curable in the absence of air ) is applied to the outer surfaces of the collar segments , the cylinder and shaft joined , and the adhesive cured . this adhesive , however , will break loose if bearing seizure were to occur and cylinder 10 were suddenly stopped from rotating . a weakened shaft side wall , due to piercing slots 14 and the small junction areas between the segments of collars 13 and surface of bore 15 , limits any forces transmitted radially to cylinder 10 by the shaft due to its different coefficient of expansion or other external force applied to the shaft . contact segment area is preferably kept at the minimum necessary to start , stop or carry the loading on the shaft and cylinder . the size of the collar segments and area of remaining shaft wall depend upon the cylinder and shaft application and torque required . it is desirable that the shaft be unable to transmit or produce strain in cylinder 10 due to differential coefficients of expansion between the two members 10 and 12 . slots 14 are located and are of size and extent such that there is discontinuity of contact area in any transverse section across the assembled members . by providing the discontinuity , the shaft is unable to transmit significant stresses to the cylinder when the former has the greater coefficient of expansion . slots 14 may be placed at other locations and parallel or at acute angles relative to the longitudinal axis of the shaft . the number or position of slots 14 need not be prescribed but are more correctly determined by the loading and manufacturing methods employed . an alternative attachment technique between a shaft and cylinder is illustrated in fig3 where the shaft wall 20 is formed in accordion or pleated fashion to produce a plurality of attachment points at external peaks 21 . attachment to the surface of bore 15 is preferably with an adhesive . the pleating provides discontinuous circumferential attachment areas and the surface convolutions of the shaft enable expansion of the shaft wall without transmitting contorting stress to cylinder 10 . in the foregoing embodiments , a highly accurate right circular cylinder can be fitted with a separate input or output shaft without concern that the union will produce distorting strain in the cylinder . this enables the cylinder to be manufactured with ultimate precision and used reliably in gas bearings . further , because the end faces of the cylinder can be finished in a flat lapping machine across their entire surfaces with better accuracy the improved finish renders the cylinder highly suitable for thrust bearing applications . in the event , cylinder 10 is used in a gas bearing and seizure occurs , shaft 12 can break free of the cylinder , yet retain any elements secured to its ends . while the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to preferred embodiments thereof , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the foregoing and other changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention .

method of constructing an assembly having as one element a right circular cylinder with center bore and accurately machined and lapped circular surfaces and perpendicular end faces , and as another element a hollow shaft fitted and joined within said center bore in a manner unable to transmit distorting strain to said cylinder when said shaft has a coefficient of expansion greater than that of said cylinder . the shaft either has an interrupted exterior with severely limited contact areas for joining adhesively to the bore surface or is of other structure that is incapable of straining the cylinder .

embodiments are described more fully below with reference to the accompanying figures , which form a part hereof and show , by way of illustration , specific exemplary embodiments . these embodiments are disclosed in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention . however , embodiments may be implemented in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments set forth herein . the following detailed description is , therefore , not to be taken in a limiting sense in that the scope of the present invention is defined only by the appended claims . in fig1 , the numeral 10 refers to a conventional bore hole drilling machine such as disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 7 , 413 , 031 b2 . the machine 10 utilizes a plurality of drill pipes 12 which are successively connected together in an end - to - end manner to create a drill pipe string 14 having a drill bit 16 at the distal end thereof . the numeral 18 refers to a pit which is dug in the ground 20 . preferably , the pit 18 is approximately four to five feet deep and has a transverse length of approximately eight feet and a width of four feet . the drilling machine 10 is operated to drill a bore hole 22 which extends downwardly and outwardly from a first location 24 , through pit 18 to a predetermined location remote from the pit 18 . fig2 illustrates a first attachment means 26 which is connected to a dual coil fitting or elbow 28 having tubular portions 30 and 31 which are fluidly connected together . tubular portions 30 and 31 of dual coil fitting 28 are fluidly connected to heat loop pipes 32 and 33 respectively to form a heat loop 34 . a preferred dual coil fitting is the dual coil fitting illustrated in u . s . design patent no . d488 , 486 which has a centrally positioned upstanding rib 35 at its upper side . dual coil fitting 28 has an identical downwardly extending rib at its underside . attachment means 26 includes an upper plate member 36 having a trailing or rearward end 38 and an arcuate leading or forward end 40 . a slot 42 extends rearwardly into plate member 36 from the forward end 40 thereof . the numeral 43 refers to a flexible link - type chain having one end thereof welded or otherwise secured to the upper surface of plate member 36 at 44 . a ring 46 is attached to chain 43 as seen in fig2 . plate 36 has a bolt opening 47 formed therein adjacent the rearward end 38 as seen in fig2 . the numeral 48 refers to a lower plate member having a trailing or rearward end 50 and an arcuate leading or forward end 52 . a slot 54 extends rearwardly into plate member 48 from the forward end 52 thereof . the other end of chain 43 is welded or otherwise secured to the lower side of plate member 48 in the same manner as the chain 43 is secured to plate member 36 . plate member 48 has a bolt opening 56 formed therein adjacent its rearward end 50 as seen in fig2 . the numeral 58 refers to a hollow sleeve which is adapted to be positioned between plate members 36 and 48 . bolt 60 is extended downwardly through bolt opening 47 , through sleeve 58 and through bolt opening 56 . nut 62 is adapted to be threadably mounted on the end of bolt 60 . fig4 and 5 illustrate another form of an attachment means which is designated by the reference numeral 64 which is connected to a dual coil fitting 66 having tubular portions 68 and 70 which are fluidly connected together . one type of dual coil fitting is the dual coil fitting illustrated in u . s . design pat . no . d498 , 771 which has spaced - apart upstanding ribs 72 and 74 at its upper side . dual coil fitting 66 has identical downwardly extending ribs at its underside . tubular portions 68 and 70 of dual coil fitting 66 are fluidly connected to heat loop pipes 76 and 78 respectively to form a heat loop 80 . attachment means 64 includes an upper plate member 82 having a trailing or rearward end 84 and a forward end 86 . a finger - like member 88 extends forwardly from the forward end 86 of plate member 82 and has one end of the flexible link - type chain 90 secured thereto at 92 by welding or any other convenient means . the numeral 94 refers to a lower plate member having a trailing or rearward end 94 and a forward or leading end 96 . a finger - like member 98 extends forwardly from the forward end 96 of plate member 92 . the other end of chain 90 is secured to the underside of member 98 by welding or the like . chain 98 has a ring 100 attached thereto as seen in fig4 . plate member 82 has a bolt opening 102 formed therein while plate member 92 has a bolt opening 104 formed therein . the numeral 106 refers to a hollow sleeve which is positioned between plate members 82 and 92 . bolt 108 extends downwardly through bolt opening 102 , through sleeve 106 and through bolt opening 104 . nut 110 is threadably secured to the lower end of bolt 108 . the heat loops , whether they be heat loops 34 or 80 , are installed in the ground as will now be described . the drilling machine 10 is operated to drill a first bore hole 22 in the ground as previously described . the length of the drill string 14 is successively lengthened by connecting the lengths of drill pipes 12 together in conventional fashion . when the bore hole 22 has been drilled to the desired location , the drill string 14 is removed from the bore hole 22 . assuming that attachment means 26 is going to be utilized , the plate member 36 is positioned on the top of dual coil fitting 28 so that the upstanding rib 35 is received in the slot 42 . plate member 48 is then positioned at the underside of dual coil fitting 28 so that the downwardly projecting rib of dual coil 28 is received in the slot 54 . bolt 60 is then extended downwardly through bolt opening 47 , sleeve 48 and bolt opening 56 . nut 62 is then tightened onto bolt 60 so that the dual coil fitting 28 is firmly held in place between the upper plate member 36 and the lower plate member 48 . an elongated head member assembly 112 is then provided which includes an enlarged head portion 114 at its distal end and a shaft or pipe section 116 which extends rearwardly therefrom . the rearward end of shaft 116 is threadably secured to the distal end of the drill pipe string 14 . the assembly 112 includes a forwardly presented hook 118 which is attached to the shaft 116 as illustrated in fig6 . the ring 46 of chain 43 is then looped onto the hook 118 . the drill string 114 is then extended downwardly and outwardly through the bore hole 22 to the predetermined location with the distal end of the heat loop 34 being pulled through the bore hole 22 by the attachment means 26 as seen in fig8 . when the heat loop 34 has been positioned at the predetermined location in the bore hole 22 , the drill string 14 is then removed from the bore hole which causes the ring 46 to disconnect from the hook 118 as seen in fig9 leaving the heat loop 34 in the desired position in the bore hole . as the enlarged head portion 114 is moved rearwardly past the dual coil fitting 28 , the enlarged head portion 114 presses the dual coil fitting 28 and the distal end of the heat loop 34 into the side wall of the bore hole 22 to firmly position the heat loop 34 in the bore hole 22 . if the attachment means 64 is utilized , the plate members 82 and 92 are positioned on opposite sides of the dual coil fitting 66 so that the member 88 is received between the upstanding ribs 72 and 74 and so that the member 98 is received between the downwardly extending ribs at the underside of dual coil fitting 66 . bolt 108 is then extended downwardly through bolt opening 102 in plate member 82 , through sleeve 106 and through bolt opening 104 in plate member 92 . nut 110 is then threadably secured to bolt 108 to securely attach the attachment means 64 to the dual coil fitting 66 which has the pipes 76 and 78 secured thereto . fig6 illustrates the attachment means 64 being used to attach the dual coil fitting to the hook member 118 by way of the chain 90 . the attachment means 64 functions identically to attachment means 26 but is designed to accommodate a slightly differently configured or sized dual coil fitting . thus it can be seen that the invention accomplishes at least all of its stated objectives . although the invention has been described in language that is specific to certain structures and methodological steps , it is to be understood that the invention defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific structures and / or steps described . rather , the specific aspects and steps are described as forms of implementing the claimed invention . since many embodiments of the invention can be practiced without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention , the invention resides in the claims hereinafter appended .

a method is described for installing a geothermal heat loop in the ground so that the heat loop extends downwardly and outwardly into the ground from a pit dug in the ground . the method also includes the utilization of means for extending the heat loop through a drilled bore hole .

the present assays include one or more disulfide compounds . the disulfides contain a donor - acceptor fret pair . when the disulfide is added to an assay medium , thiols present in the medium cleave the disulfide . this allows the emission spectrum of the donor portion of the pair to be observed ; a thiol is detected and can be quantified according to the intensity of the emission . disulfides according to the present invention have a general structure as shown below ( structure i ): r 1 is oh or nh ; r 2 is h or so 3 —; r 3 is h or so 3 —; and r 4 is o or nh 2 +. “ x — y ” is a symmetrical or unsymmetrical disulfide having the general structure — nh — r 5 — ss — r 6 — nh —, where r 5 and r 6 are either aryl groups or alkyl groups . structure ii and structure iii below depict two more specific structures of disulfides of the present invention , where the substitution pattern on one aryl moiety is defined . the substituents for these structures are the same as for structure i . structure iv and structure v below depict two still more specific structures of disulfides of the present invention , where the substitution pattern on one aryl moiety and the tricyclic moiety are defined . substituents “ x — y ” for these structures are the same as for structure i . as noted above , the group “ x — y ” is a symmetrical or unsymmetrical disulfide having the general structure — nh — r 5 — ss — r 6 — nh —, where r 5 and r 6 are either aryl groups or alkyl groups . the aryl groups can be unsubstituted aryl groups , substituted aryl groups , unsubstituted heteroaryl groups and substituted heteroaryl groups . an unsubstituted aryl group is represented by structure vi , structure vii or structure viii below . a substituted aryl group is represented by structure ix , structure x or structure xi below . r 7 , r 8 , r 9 and r 10 are independently selected from the group consisting of h , ch 3 , ch 2 ch 3 , ch 2 ch 2 ch 3 , ch ( ch 3 ) 2 , f , cl , br , i , cn , och 3 , och 2 ch 3 , co 2 ch 3 , co 2 ch 2 ch 3 , n ( ch 3 ) 2 , n ( ch 2 ch 3 ) 2 , sch 3 , sch 2 ch 3 ; at least one of the substituents is not h . an unsubstituted heteroaryl group is represented by structure xii , structure xiii , structure xiv , structure xv , structure xvi , structure xvii , structure xviii , structure xix and structure xx below . a substituted heteroaryl group is represented by structure xxi , structure xxii , structure xxiii , structure xxiv , structure xxv , structure xxvi , structure xxvii , structure xxviii and structure xxix below . r 11 and r 12 are independently selected from the group consisting of h , ch 3 , ch 2 ch 3 , ch 2 ch 2 ch 3 , ch ( ch 3 ) 2 , f , cl , br , i , cn , och 3 , och 2 ch 3 , co 2 ch 3 , co 2 ch 2 ch 3 , n ( ch 3 ) 2 , n ( ch 2 ch 3 ) 2 , sch 3 , sch 2 ch 3 ; at least one of the substituents is not h . r 13 and r 14 are independently selected from the group consisting of h , ch 3 , ch 2 ch 3 , ch 2 ch 2 ch 3 , ch ( ch 3 ) 2 , f , cl , br , i , cn , och 3 , och 2 ch 3 , co 2 ch 3 , co 2 ch 2 ch 3 , n ( ch 3 ) 2 , n ( ch 2 ch 3 ) 2 , sch 3 , sch 2 ch 3 ; at least one of the substituents is not h . r 15 and r 16 are independently selected from the group consisting of h , ch 3 , ch 2 ch 3 , ch 2 ch 2 ch 3 , ch ( ch 3 ) 2 , f , cl , br , i , cn , och 3 , och 2 ch 3 , co 2 ch 3 , co 2 ch 2 ch 3 , n ( ch 3 ) 2 , n ( ch 2 ch 3 ) 2 , sch 3 , sch 2 ch 3 ; at least one of the substituents is not h . where r 5 and / or r 6 are alkyl groups , the alkyl groups can be unsubstituted alkyl groups , substituted alkyl groups and heteroalkyl groups . the following are non - limiting examples of unsubstituted alkyl groups : — ch 2 ch 2 —; — ch 2 ch 2 ch 2 —; — ch ( ch 3 ) ch 2 —; — ch ( ch 3 ) ch 2 ch 2 —; — ch 2 ch ( ch 3 ) ch 2 —. the following are non - limiting examples of substituted alkyl groups : — ch ( co 2 ch 3 ) ch 2 —; — ch ( co 2 ch 2 ch 3 ) ch 2 —; — ch 2 ch ( och 3 ) ch 2 —; — ch 2 ch ( cn ) ch 2 —; — ch 2 ch ( co 2 ch 3 ) ch 2 —; — ch 2 ch ( ch 2 co 2 ch 3 ) ch 2 —; — ch 2 ch ( och 3 ) ch 2 ch 2 —. the following are non - limiting examples of heteroalkyl groups : — ch 2 ch 2 — o — ch 2 ch 2 —; — ch 2 ch 2 — n [ c ( o ) ch 3 ]— ch 2 ch 2 —; — ch 2 ch 2 — s — ch 2 ch 2 —. the group “ x — y ” is symmetrical or asymmetrical . non - limiting examples of such groups are : — nh — ch 2 ch 2 — ss — ch 2 ch 2 — nh —; — nh —( c 6 h 4 )— ss —( c 6 h 4 )— nh —; — nh — ch 2 ch 2 — ss —( c 6 h 4 )— nh —; — nh —( c 6 h 4 )— ss — ch 2 ch 2 — nh —; — nh — ch 2 ch 2 — ss — ch 2 ch 2 ch 2 — nh —; — nh — ch 2 ch 2 ch 2 — ss — ch 2 ch 2 — nh —; — nh — ch 2 ch 2 ch 2 — ss — ch 2 ch 2 ch 2 — nh —; — nh — ch 2 ch 2 ch 2 ch 2 — ss — ch 2 ch 2 — nh —; — nh — ch 2 ch 2 ch 2 ch 2 — ss — ch 2 ch 2 ch 2 — nh —; — nh — ch 2 ch 2 ch 2 ch 2 — ss — ch 2 ch 2 ch 2 ch 2 — nh —; — nh — ch 2 ch 2 — och 2 ch 2 — ss — ch 2 ch 2 — nh —; — nh — ch 2 ch 2 och 2 ch 2 — ss — ch 2 ch 2 ch 2 — nh —; — nh — ch 2 ch 2 och 2 ch 2 — ss — ch 2 ch 2 ch 2 ch 2 — nh —; — nh — ch 2 ch 2 och 2 ch 2 — ss — ch 2 ch 2 och 2 ch 2 — nh —; — nh — ch 2 ch 2 — ss — ch 2 ch 2 och 2 ch 2 — nh —; — nhch 2 ch 2 ch 2 — ss — ch 2 ch 2 och 2 ch 2 nh —; — nhch 2 ch 2 ch 2 ch 2 — ss — ch 2 ch 2 och 2 ch 2 nh —; — nh — ch 2 ch 2 — ss —( c 4 h 2 o )— nh —; — nh — ch 2 ch 2 ch 2 — ss —( c 4 h 2 o )— nh —; — nh — ch 2 ch 2 ch 2 ch 2 — ss —( c 4 h 2 o )— nh —; — nh — ch 2 ch 2 och 2 ch 2 — ss —( c 4 h 2 o )— nh —; — nh —( c 4 h 2 o )— ss — ch 2 ch 2 — nh —; — nh —( c 4 h 2 o )— ss — ch 2 ch 2 ch 2 — nh —; — nh —( c 4 h 2 o )— ss — ch 2 ch 2 ch 2 ch 2 — nh —; — nh —( c 4 h 2 o )— ss — ch 2 ch 2 och 2 ch 2 — nh —; — nh ( c 4 h 2 o )— ss —( c 4 h 2 o )— nh —; — nh — ch 2 ch 2 — ss —( c 4 h 2 s )— nh —; — nh — ch 2 ch 2 ch 2 — ss —( c 4 h 2 s )— nh —; — nh — ch 2 ch 2 ch 2 ch 2 — ss —( c 4 h 2 s )— nh —; — nh — ch 2 ch 2 och 2 ch 2 — ss —( c 4 h 2 s )— nh —; — nh —( c 4 h 2 s )— ss — ch 2 ch 2 — nh —; — nh —( c 4 h 2 s )— ss — ch 2 ch 2 ch 2 — nh —; — nh —( c 4 h 2 s )— ss — ch 2 ch 2 ch 2 ch 2 — nh —; — nh —( c 4 h 2 s )— ss — ch 2 ch 2 och 2 ch 2 — nh —; — nh ( c 4 h 2 s )— ss —( c 4 h 2 s )— nh —. referring to structure ii , the following are non - limiting examples of disulfides according to the present invention : r 1 is nh 2 ; r 2 is so 3 —; r 3 is so 3 —; r 4 is nh 2 +; x — y is — nh — ch 2 ch 2 — ss — ch 2 ch 2 — nh —. r 1 is nh 2 ; r 2 is so 3 —; r 3 is so 3 —; r 4 is nh 2 +; x — y is — nh —( pc 6 h 4 )— ss —( pc 6 h 4 )— nh —. r 1 is nh 2 ; r 2 is so 3 —; r 3 is so 3 —; r 4 is nh 2 +; x — y is — nh — ch 2 ch 2 — ss — ch 2 ch 2 ch 2 — nh —. r 1 is nh 2 ; r 2 is so 3 —; r 3 is so 3 —; r 4 is nh 2 +; x — y is — nh — ch 2 ch 2 ch 2 — ss — ch 2 ch 2 — nh —. r 1 is nh 2 ; r 2 is so 3 —; r 3 is so 3 —; r 4 is nh 2 +; x — y is — nh — ch 2 ch 2 — ss —( pc 6 h 4 )— nh —. r 1 is nh 2 ; r 2 is so 3 —; r 3 is so 3 —; r 4 is nh 2 +; x — y is — nh —( pc 6 h 4 )— ss — ch 2 ch 2 — nh —. r 1 is oh ; r 2 is h ; r 3 is h ; r 4 is o ; xy is — nhch 2 ch 2 — ss — ch 2 ch 2 — nh —. r 1 is oh ; r 2 is h ; r 3 is h ; r 4 is o ; xy is — nh —( pc 6 h 4 )— ss —( pc 6 h 4 )— nh —. r 1 is oh ; r 2 is h ; r 3 is h ; r 4 is o ; xy is — nh — ch 2 ch 2 — ss — ch 2 ch 2 ch 2 — nh —. r 1 is oh ; r 2 is h ; r 3 is h ; r 4 is o ; xy is — nh — ch 2 ch 2 ch 2 — ss — ch 2 ch 2 — nh —. r 1 is oh ; r 2 is h ; r 3 is h ; r 4 is o ; xy is — nh — ch 2 ch 2 — ss —( pc 6 h 4 )— nh —. r 1 is oh ; r 2 is h ; r 3 is h ; r 4 is o ; xy is — nh —( pc 6 h 4 )— ss — ch 2 ch 2 — nh —. referring to structure iii , the following are non - limiting examples of disulfides according to the present invention : r 1 is nh 2 ; r 2 is so 3 —; r 3 is so 3 —; r 4 is nh 2 +; x — y is — nh — ch 2 ch 2 — ss — ch 2 ch 2 — nh —. r 1 is nh 2 ; r 2 is so 3 —; r 3 is so 3 —; r 4 is nh 2 +; x — y is — nh —( pc 6 h 4 )— ss —( pc 6 h 4 )— nh —. r 1 is nh 2 ; r 2 is so 3 —; r 3 is so 3 —; r 4 is nh 2 +; x — y is — nh — ch 2 ch 2 — ss — ch 2 ch 2 ch 2 — nh —. r 1 is nh 2 ; r 2 is so 3 —; r 3 is so 3 —; r 4 is nh 2 +; x — y is — nh — ch 2 ch 2 ch 2 — ss — ch 2 ch 2 — nh —. r 1 is nh 2 ; r 2 is so 3 —; r 3 is so 3 —; r 4 is nh 2 +; x — y is — nh — ch 2 ch 2 — ss —( pc 6 h 4 )— nh —. r 1 is nh 2 ; r 2 is so 3 —; r 3 is so 3 —; r 4 is nh 2 +; x — y is — nh —( pc 6 h 4 )— ss — ch 2 ch 2 — nh —. r 1 is oh ; r 2 is h ; r 3 is h ; r 4 is o ; xy is — nhch 2 ch 2 — ss — ch 2 ch 2 — nh —. r 1 is oh ; r 2 is h ; r 3 is h ; r 4 is o ; xy is — nh —( pc 6 h 4 )— ss —( pc 6 h 4 )— nh —. r 1 is oh ; r 2 is h ; r 3 is h ; r 4 is o ; xy is — nh — ch 2 ch 2 — ss — ch 2 ch 2 ch 2 — nh —. r 1 is oh ; r 2 is h ; r 3 is h ; r 4 is o ; xy is — nh — ch 2 ch 2 ch 2 — ss — ch 2 ch 2 — nh —. r 1 is oh ; r 2 is h ; r 3 is h ; r 4 is o ; xy is — nh — ch 2 ch 2 — ss —( pc 6 h 4 )— nh —. r 1 is oh ; r 2 is h ; r 3 is h ; r 4 is o ; xy is — nh —( pc 6 h 4 )— ss — ch 2 ch 2 — nh —. the disulfides of the present invention are synthesized according to methods known to those skilled in the art . examples of reaction types that are used to synthesize the disulfides can be found in u . s . patent application ser . no . 11 / 512 , 485 , issued as u . s . pat . no . 7 , 820 , 833 on oct . 26 , 2010 , which is incorporated - by - reference into this document for all purposes . one such reaction type is a condensation of a diamine ( e . g ., h 2 n — ch 2 ch 2 — ss — ch 2 ch 2 nh 2 and h 2 n —( c 6 h 4 )— ss —( c 6 h 4 )— nh 2 ) with an activated carboxylic acid moiety of a fret pair donor and a fret pair acceptor , which is typically performed in two separate synthetic steps . assays of the present invention are performed by bringing a disulfide of the present invention in contact with a sample thought to include one or more types of thiols . as noted above , the disulfides contain a donor - acceptor fret pair . when the disulfide is added to the sample , thiols present in the sample cleave the disulfide . cleavage ensures that the acceptor no longer quenches the emission spectrum of the donor portion of the fret pair . excitation of the donor accordingly results in fluorescence , which can be measured .

the present invention is generally directed to thiol quantitation assays , methods of performing the assays , and compounds used in the assays . it is more specifically directed to assays that include one or more disulfides and related molecules and methods . the disulfides contain a fret pair .

the toilet facility of fig1 comprises a wc ( water closet ) 1 and a washbasin 2 with hot and cold taps ( faucets ) 3 . the wc 1 and the taps 3 are supplied with water via respective pipes 4 each including an electrically operable shut - off valve 5 . as shown in the diagram of fig5 each shut - off valve 5 comprises a bistable solenoid actuator 100 for switching the valve 5 between its on and off states . the bistable solenoid actuator has an armature 101 pivotably mounted at end 110 to a support 111 , an electromagnetic drive coil 102 and a permanent holding magnet 103 . the armature 101 is coupled to the valve member ( as indicated by dashed line 109 ) of the valve 5 and is movable between first and second limit positions 104 and 105 corresponding to the off and on states of the valve . if the armature 101 is at the second limit position 105 it remains held in this position by the holding magnet 103 . if the armature is at the first position 104 , it remains there because the holding magnet is not strong enough on its own to cause the armature to move . however , by applying a first pulse signal to the electromagnetic coil , the holding magnet 103 is supplemented by the field due to the electromagnetic coil 102 and then the armature does move to the second limit position 105 . to release the armature from being held by the holding magnet , a reverse polarity pulse is applied to the coil . this not only overcomes the attractive force of the holding magnet but actually drives the solenoid armature back to its first limit position 104 . thus , the solenoid actuator 100 is operated , i . e . driven between its valve open and valve closed positions by short pulses only and no position - maintaining drive signal need be supplied . the armature 108 may be coupled to spring means 106 or another permanent magnet 107 arranged to maintain it gently held back to its first limit position 104 or there may be no such spring means and other permanent magnet . each valve may be of the kind in which a valve member is moved to shut off or release the flow of water directly or , as shown in the drawings the valve may have one or more stages 108 of indirect or “ servo ” control , e . g . in which the valve member controls a small bleed hole in a diaphragm or the like so allowing or releasing a pressure build - up which in turn results in movement of the diaphragm and control of the water flow through the valve . the valves are controlled by a microprocessor based control unit 6 powered by a lithium manganese dioxide dry cell battery 7 . as shown in fig2 to 4 , each control unit 6 comprises a microcontroller 8 and an electrically erasable programmable read - only memory ( eeprom ) 9 connected to the microcontroller and containing the program and data for the microcontroller 8 . the pulse signals for driving the valves are supplied by respective driver circuits 10 . each driver circuit has two output terminals 11 connected to the respective valve . the output terminals 11 in each drive circuit are connected via diodes 12 and via npn / pnp transistor pairs 13 to high and low supply rails 14 and 15 respectively , connected to the battery 7 . the microcontroller 8 and other semiconductor devices in the control unit 6 are driven by the battery 7 via a constant voltage regulator 16 . the microcontroller 8 is also coupled via microprocessor 19 and connector unit 80 to a sensor / display unit 17 . the function of the microprocessor 19 is to receive the temperature indicative signals from the temperature sensor of the unit 17 , to process these signals and compare them with an appropriate over - temperature threshold . the microprocessor then supplies an automatic over - temperature shut down signal to the unit 8 . the sensor / display unit 17 may comprise a commercially available pre - made unit , basically a digital thermometer , perhaps with adaptation as appropriate . the sensor / display unit may , of course , comprise yet another microcontroller for running the digital display . the control unit also has a switch interface circuit 18 which comprises two eight bit registers 20 and 21 having outputs multiplexed into respective signal inputs of the microcontroller 8 . the register 20 is settable in accordance with eight push button switches 22 comprises in a control panel 23 while register 21 reflects the state of five dip switches 23 and a push button switch 24 mounted on the printed circuit board of the control unit 8 . the register 21 is also connected to input terminals 25 and 26 for receiving an optional external input signal and an optional key switch ( not shown ). the circuit board ( pcb ) of the control unit has terminals 30 for connection to a 6v dry cell battery such as lithium manganese dioxide battery . the microcontroller 28 pin ic with two sets of pins leading to respective output sub - circuits ( 50 , 60 and 70 ) each to control a respective valve . the master ic is also connected to button input chip 20 and via chip 21 to an external i / p and key switch terminals 25 and 26 , the dip switches 23 , a push - button and to the connector 80 for the temperature sensor / display module circuit 17 . chip 20 is coupled to connector 90 for linking to switches 22 on panel 23 . the circuit board of fig3 is the main control board for a system incorporating valves v 1 , v 2 , v 3 and so on , e . g . for tap , shower and w . c . control . the board can independently control up to 3 latching solenoid valves , v 1 , v 2 , v 3 . these open ’ or close according to manual operation of switches not shown . the valve ‘ open ’ times can be set to any value within a wide range , but the valves can also be closed early at any time . there is provision for a key operated switch 100 that will act as a lockout , whereby all valves will be closed and all switch inputs will be inhibited during its operation . certain switch inputs have additional attributes such as top up / stop function and the third channel can be closed if the temperature sensor circuit 17 detects a temperature beyond the set high limit . functions can be enabled or disabled as desired . if required , to help prevent overfilling , restrict water use or provide a safety control , a ‘ disable ’ time can be provided so that after a fill has taken place , no further fills can be started for a set periods ( channels 1 and 2 only ). the top up / stop continues to be available , subject to a maximum of 5 operations . these are two separate , but identical channels . each channel has 4 switch inputs , one of which may be designated as top up / stop , and each switch can have its own respective fill time programmed with it . for the first 3 switch inputs , the valve will open for the pre - programmed period , then close . in addition , the 3 switches themselves can be set either , ( a ) to be disabled whilst filling is taking place or , ( b ) to allow a second operation to close the valve . if the fourth switch is set to be top up / stop , it will only be enabled following a fill operation commenced by one of the first 3 switches . whilst the valve is open , this switch will act as a stop , closing the valve and cancelling the current fill time . whilst the valve is closed , the switch becomes top up and a maximum of 5 operations are allowed before this switch becomes disabled . if the fourth switch is set to be on / off , it will always be available to commence a fill , and then a second push will close the valve . if the unit is set by dipswitches to give a delay time , switches 1 to 3 will be disabled for this time period following a fill , but the top up / stop will remain enabled . this channel has one switch associated with it , connected to the ext i / p terminals , and would usually be used for shower control . this channel can have its own fill time programmed with it . operating the switch will cause the valve to open for a preset period , whilst operating the switch a second time will cause the valve to close . the module senses and displays the water temperature at a suitable point and if the optional auto - close module is fitted , when the temperature reaches 43 ° c . or above the valve will close . the valve cannot be opened whenever the temperature exceeds this setting . the lockout keyswitch can be used to prevent unauthorised personnel from operating the unit . whilst in the lockout condition , all valves will be closed and all switch inputs become disabled . from stages 1 and 2 below , choose the fill times and mode of operation required . the unit will normally be supplied with ‘ default ’ settings , whereby all the fill times are set to zero so the unit will not respond to any switch inputs until it has been setup . the unit can be returned to ‘ default ’ settings whereby all fill times are set to zero by implementing stage 3 . all settings will remain in the board &# 39 ; s memory even if the battery is disconnected for prolonged periods . 1 . programming fill time is the same for each switch , and must be followed for each and every one used ii ) press and release the prog button ( any open valves will close ). iii ) determine what run time or fill time is required for the switch to be programmed . press that fill switch — the respective valve will open . once the desired run time has elapsed ( or the fill level is achieved ), press the same fill switch again — the valve will close . v ) repeat steps ( ii ) to ( iv ) for all other fill switches . the unit will normally be supplied with each of the first 3 switches on channels 1 and 2 set for on / off operation and the fourth switch as top up / stop . if required , the first 3 switches can be reprogrammed for on mode operation , and the fourth switch can be reprogrammed as on / off . for channel 3 , only on / off is provided and cannot be altered . check the current setting for each switch by trial — only reprogrammed if an alternative setting is required . ( ii ) press and release the prog button ( any open valves will close ). ( ii ) press prog and hold down for at least 3 seconds ( any open valves will close ). these can be changed at any time , but it is recommended to leave this until all the above programming steps have been made and the correct fill times and modes have been checked . there are 5 dipswitches that operate as detailed below . the dipswitch is ‘ on ’ when it is in the up position and ‘ off ’ when it is down . say a shower time of 5 minutes ( 300 seconds ) is required , this could be achieved in two ways . a ) follow setup stage 1 , waiting the full 5 minutes between pressing the fill switch for the open and close times . then leave dipswitch pole 5 off b ) follow setup stage 1 , but wait just 30 seconds between pressing the fill switch for the open and close times . put dipswitch pole 5 on ( 10 × 30 = 300 seconds ). it will be seen that the control unit has been constructed to provide a multiplicity of functions for a plurality of valves , all powered from a single dry cell battery . the invention is not just applicable to toilet facilities , plumbing installations or even fluid control valves . instead , a control unit as described may be used in other situations . in particular , the method described at b ) above for programming a time value into a control unit is generally useful . the power supply used in the described embodiments could be adapted for mains operation , or for receiving power from a local supply such as a large battery , but with back - up from the dry cell battery mentioned . the battery could be rechargeable and arranged to be rechargeable whilst in situ or elsewhere .

control apparatus including a plurality of fluid control valves , especially for supplying items of sanitary ware . the valves have magnetic bistable solenoid actuators drivable by pulse signals and a common control circuit able to drive the actuators independently and the control circuit and actuators are driven by a local power supply including a dry cell battery .

the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to a few preferred embodiments thereof as illustrated in the accompanying drawings . in the following descriptions , numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention . it will be apparent , however , to one skilled in the art , that the present invention may be practiced without some or all of these specific details . in other instances , well known process steps and / or structures have not been described in detail in order to not unnecessarily obscure the present invention . to facilitate discussion , fig2 is a schematic view of a twist - n - lock wap ring 200 , including the twist - n - lock bore 205 , and the twist - n - lock wap ring hanger assembly 210 , which is composed of the hanger adapter 215 attached to the plunger shaft 220 . the hanger adapter 215 is attached via alien bolt 225 . further , the 300 mm twist - n - lock wap ring also contains a hanger hole 230 , for attaching the stepped hanger 235 . [ 0033 ] fig3 is a schematic diagram of an installed twist - n - lock wap hanger assembly . referring back to fig2 to install the twist - n - lock wap ring assembly , the receiving or forward portion of the twist - n - lock bore 205 is aligned below the wap hanger assembly 210 . the ring is then lifted into position such that the hanger assembly 210 enters the receiving bore 205 upon which the wap ring is twisted or turned clockwise approximately 5 degrees clockwise and then slightly dropped to lock the wap ring into its locked position as shown in fig3 . [ 0034 ] fig4 shows various perspectives of the twist - n - lock hanger adapter 215 . referring to fig4 a , the adapter is primarily comprised of the main body portion 400 , l notch 405 and the hanging lip 410 . the adapter is designed to be installed in conjunction with existing cam plungers for easy retrofit . to this end , the top portion contains the l notch 400 such that it fits snugly with the counter notched bottom portion of the plunger shaft . the l shaped notch prevents “ cowbelling ” or swinging of the adapter . the hanging lip 410 allows the ring to longitudinally contact the hanger , allowing the ring to hang from the hanger adapter and by extension , the hanger assembly . attachment hole 415 allows attachment of the hanger adapter to the plunger shaft . dimensions are given in fig4 and shown in inches . [ 0035 ] fig5 a is a bottom view schematic diagram of a twist - n - lock wap ring used in conjunction with processing 300 mm wafer substrates . three twist - n - lock bores 205 are machined every 120 degrees . fig6 is a schematic which shows the detail of the twist - n - lock bore . the twist - n - lock bore 205 is essentially elliptical composed of two circular bores 610 and 615 machined next to one another ( the reception bore 610 and the lock bore 615 ) and set 5 degrees apart 620 on the same radial line 625 . the stepped hanger bore 630 allows independent attachment of the stepped hanger shown in fig7 . fig7 is a schematic view of a stepped hanger 700 . [ 0036 ] fig6 b shows a cross section of the twist - n - lock bore 205 taken through line 3 - 3 of fig6 a . the bottom of the wap twist - n - lock bore is elliptical , the result of machining both the receiving bore 610 and the lock bore 615 completely through the quartz on the underside of the wap ring . the elliptical bottom of the bore must be of a width minimally as wide as the diameter of the bottom of the hanger adapter 410 ( i . e ., the bottom lip portion ). this allows unfettered passage to the locking bore . the portion of hanging bore which extends through the top of the ring must allow passage of the plunger shaft and hanger adapter assembly to pass to the lock bore during the 5 degree clock - wise twist . this shaft passage minimally must as wide as the shaft portion of the hanger adapter to allow unfettered passage to the locking bore . unlike the reception bore , the lock bore does not continue through the top of the wap twist - n - lock ring . instead , it ends , creating a lip , 635 which allows the hanger adapter lip to contact the lock bore lip , creating a secure platform . [ 0037 ] fig7 shows several views of the modified stepped hanger attachment . the modified stepped hanger attachment can be attached to the wap twist - n - lock ring through the stepped hanger attachment hole by conventional means , such as a screw . it should be noted that the ring assembly ( i . e ., the multiple rings ) can be step hung together prior to the opening of the chamber . dimension of the stepped hanger attachment are given in inches in fig7 . [ 0038 ] fig8 a shows a bottom schematic view of the 200 mm twist - n - lock ring with relevant dimensions given in inches . the hanging bore configuration is identical to that of the 300 mm ring . however , due to the decreased size ( i . e ., diameter ) of the 200 mm ring , the stepped hanger if left in the same relative position , would strike the electrostatic chuck and not allow rings to collapse or the chamber to be shut properly . therefore , the stepped hanger must be disposed of and the stepping of the rings handled differently . this is done by machining three sets of step shaft bores 805 in the ring . placed in the three step shaft bore are three step shafts of different but consistent lengths , i . e , the first set is 0 . 924 inches long , second set , 1 . 140 inches long and the third set is 1 . 354 inches long . fig9 b and 9 c show the step shaft holes in greater detail , with fig9 c showing a magnified cross section of detail 5 in fig9 b . the step shaft bore is comprised of two portions ; the shaft bore and the nut bore . fig1 shows a schematic of the step shaft . the primary design consideration of the stepped shaft bore is that the nut bore be of greater diameter than the shaft bore , allowing the step shaft to float loosely from the ring . ideally the bottom of the nut bore is chamfered to allow seating of the nut . referring now to fig1 , shown is the schematic of the shaft bore . the distal end is threaded to allow it to be screwed into the nut portion shown in fig1 . three distinct lengths of stepped shafts are required to allow for the difference in floating height of the three wap rings . ideally , the nut portion is chamfered to allow for proper seating in the nut bore . dimensions are given in inches .

wafer area pressure rings used to confine plasma in plasma processing chambers which are manufactured with bores therein such that replacement of the pressure rings during routine or repair maintenance is significantly eased . the bores allows the pressure rings to be installed by simply aligning the bores under hanging adapters which are connected to the ceiling of the chamber , lifting the rings such that a the hanging adapter enters the ring and then turning or twisting the entire apparatus a miniscule amount and then dropping the ring apparatus on the hanging apparatus , locking the rings in place .

referring to fig1 - 8 , an embodiment of the key - cutting device 10 is operable to produce by a punching technique one or more notches 11 in a key blank 12 . the key - cutting device includes a body comprised of foundation beam 13 elongated upon an axis 26 between forward and rearward extremities 14 and 15 , respectively , and further bounded by side surfaces 16 , upper surface 17 and lower surface 18 . a handle 19 is downwardly and rearwardly emergent from lower surface 18 adjacent rearward extremity 15 . a punch rod 20 is slidably held within a housing 21 which is removably secured upon upper surface 17 by first holding bolt 78 . said punch rod , adapted for reciprocating axial movement within housing 21 , has a rear extremity 22 and a forward extremity milled to have an upwardly directed angled apex 23 which constitutes a key - shearing punch . punch rod 20 is constrained to non - rotative movement by virtue of retaining pin 24 configured to slide within slot 25 positioned atop housing 21 in parallel coplanar alignment with axis 26 . an anvil 27 removably held upon upper surface 17 adjacent forward extremity 14 , has an aperture 28 disposed in alignment with punch 23 . said anvil is secured in place by abutment plate 29 having debris - emergent port 30 disposed forwardly of aperture 28 , and bolts 31 that treadably engage anvil 27 . a second holding bolt 32 , upwardly directed through beam 13 , threadably secures abutment plate 29 . a removable hand lever 33 , mounted by pivot bolt 34 to beam 13 adjacent handle 19 , extends to an upper extremity 35 located above upper surface 17 . said upper extremity 35 holds thrust wheel 36 adapted to rotate in the plane of lever 33 . said thrust wheel contacts rear extremity 22 of punch rod 20 . accordingly , when lever 33 is squeezed toward handle 19 , thrust wheel 36 forces punch rod 20 forwardly . a track beam 37 extends orthogonally upward from upper surface 17 and is threadably secured in place by third holding bolt 38 upwardly directed through beam 13 . a channel 43 in beam 37 allows penetrative passage of punch rod 20 . carriage 39 , slideably mounted upon beam 37 for reciprocal thereupon , is comprised of side panels 40 which laterally embrace beam 37 , top panel 41 , and forward surface 42 . the lowermost portion of panel 41 contains a passage 44 aligned with channel 43 and configured to permit passage of punch 23 . a transverse slot 45 is disposed in forward surface 42 and bounded by upper and lower straight shoulders 46 and 47 , respectively . a positioning shaft 48 is secured by plate 49 to the upper portion of forward surface 42 and axially centered within vertical plane 50 , shown in fig5 that includes axis 28 of beam 13 as shown in fig1 . the forward extremity of shaft 48 is equipped with knurled turning knob 51 , and the rearward extremity of shaft 48 has a pinion configuration having teeth 52 that protrude downwardly through the upper shoulder 46 of transverse slot 45 . the lowermost extremity of plate 49 extends downwardly below upper shoulder 46 , forming therewith a trough - like guide channel 53 . a circular positioning drum 54 is rotatively supported by removable bolt 55 upon track beam 37 , and extends rearwardly therefrom upon an axis parallel to axis 28 within plane 50 . drum 54 is provided with a plurality of numbered peripheral detents 56 of varied depth . a ball bearing 57 , disposed above drum 54 and centered within plane 50 , is adapted to enter the uppermost detent 58 . a calibration bolt 79 , threadably held by top panel 41 of carriage 39 , is positioned to abut ball bearing 57 and force it toward said uppermost detent . paired restorative coil springs 58 are interactive between top panel 41 and track beam 37 in a manner to urge carriage 39 downwardly upon track beam 37 . by said virtue of such manner of construction , rotation of drum 54 causes said carriage to be positioned at different elevations with respect to punch 23 . as will be seen , this controls the depth of cut of a given notch in a key blank , said depth being selected merely by rotation of drum 54 to a numbered position . interchangeable key - gripping vise assembly 59 is comprised of upper vise plate 60 , lower vise plate 61 and locking bolt 62 having threaded rear extremity 63 , winged forward extremity 64 , and bearing shoulder 65 . a hole 66 in upper vise plate 60 permits passage of threaded extremity 63 which then engages threaded hole 67 in lower vise plate 61 but does not penetrate said plate 61 . such disposition causes shoulder 65 to urge both plates together to grip intervening key blank 12 . a threaded spacing bolt 68 in upper vise plate 60 seats within recess 69 in the forward face 70 of lower vise plate 61 . such construction affords control over the alignment and spacing of both clamping plates . the upper edge of lower vise plate 61 is configured to slide within guide channel 53 of transverse slot 45 , and is provided with a straight rack of teeth 71 adapted to interact with pinion teeth 52 . the lower edge of forward face 70 of lower vise plate 61 is provided with a key - receiving recess 72 which accurately controls the length of the key disposed within the vise assembly , and precisely disposes the lower edge of the key blank parallel to the lower straight edge 73 of vise plate 61 . as shown in fig4 said lower straight edge 73 is provided with a series of positioning notches 74 . the distance of separation of said notches corresponds to the coded spacing of the notches to be cut into the key blank . on the rear face 75 of said rearward clamping plate 61 there is disposed a series of markings 76 which correspond to the sequence number of particular notches to be cut into a key blank . by virtue of the aforesaid construction , said key - gripping vise permits the cutting of notches in both straight edges of a key blank . in the operation of the device , a vise assembly 59 having a key blank properly gripped is pushed into transverse slot 45 , as shown in fig5 . knob 51 is then rotated , thereby sliding assembly 59 and key blank across axis 26 until the number one position is observed from the rear upon lower vise plate 61 , as shown in fig7 . the exact transverse position of the vise assembly is assured by spring urged ball 77 that protrudes through lower shoulder 47 into transverse groove 45 . with each successive transverse position of the vise assembly , corresponding to the notch number of the key blank , the depth of the notch is selected by rotating drum 54 to a numbered position . lever 33 is then squeezed , causing punch 23 to move forward and interact with anvil 27 to create a notch in the key blank . the cut out piece of metal from the key blank emerges from exit port 30 . upon release of squeezing force upon lever 33 , punch rod 20 is urged to its rearward , starting position , by the action of coil spring 80 disposed upon said punch rod and interactive between pin 24 and track beam 37 . the vise assembly 59 is sequentially advanced transversely to the carriage to perform the coded cutting or punching of notches in the key blank . the key is then removed from the clamping member and the removable vise assembly is ready to reload in preparation for cutting other keys of like code . if the next code is different , then the vise assembly is easily slid out of the transverse groove 45 , and the appropriate vise is reloaded with an option of having the key preloaded ( before installation into the transverse groove ) or loading once the vise assembly is installed onto the transverse groove . it is interesting to note that the aforesaid particular construction of the vise assembly and the means whereby the assembly is held during key cutting is such that the lower edge of the vise assembly can be pushed forward slightly before the key blank abuts the anvil . such motion is achieved by virtue of a deliberate loose fitting of the upper edge of vise plate 61 within guide channel 53 . this permits swinging forward motion of the lower edge of said rearward clamp . such movement is permitted by ball 77 which maintains accurate transverse registry of the key blank despite the fact that the lower edge of the key blank is displaced forward slightly during the punching operation . such manner of function minimize wear of the punch . furthermore , said loose fitting of the upper edge of plate 61 within guide channel 53 causes minimal interaction of pinion teeth 52 with the teeth of rack 71 . by virtue of such construction , the positioning of the vise assembly is controlled by the interaction of stopping notches 74 with ball 77 . as can be seen from the foregoing description , various vise assemblies can be utilized interactively with the device . each vise assembly is designed to hold a given style of key blank at a controlled degree of insertion , and contains the notch spacing code 74 for that particular series of keys . drum 54 , which contains the depth of cut code , can be easily removed by removal of holding bolt 27 . punch rod 20 and matching anvil 27 can be removed and replaced with a punch rod and anvil which provide a different notch - cutting angle . removal of punch rod 20 is achieved by first removing hand lever 33 , then housing 21 . while particular examples of the present invention have been shown and described , it is apparent that changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the invention in its broadest aspects . the aim of the appended claims , therefore , is to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention .

a portable hand - held device for code cutting notches in a key blank by a punching mechanism permits quick and easy modification to accommodate key blanks of different configurations and keys requiring different notch depth , notch spacing and notch angle . a key - gripping vise slidably held by a carriage moves transversely to the punch to achieve proper notch spacing . the carriage is controllably moved to different heights above the punch by detents in a circular drum , whereby the depth of the notch is determined . the punch rod and matching anvil may be replaced to achieve a different notch angle .

referring to the only figure , a photodetector 10 is connected to a gate bias source 12 and an admittance bridge 14 . the admittance bridge 14 is further connected to a reference oscillator 16 and a lock - in amplifier 18 . the lock - in amplifier 18 is further connected to a recording device 20 that outputs appropriate information such as the light intensity of a beam 22 of light being of an infrared wavelength , for example . although , a broad range of wavelengths for detection is desired and made possible by the present invention . further , although the present invention is shown as a single photodetector 10 , it is clearly within the scope of the invention to place multiple photodetectors 10 on a single ic with the related electronics to output , for example , digital signals as to the intensity of each photodetector 10 . such electronics could include not only the above items but phase - lock loops , counters , and processors . referring in particular to photodetector 10 , a wafer 42 is an n - type semiconductor single - crystal silicon wafer which has upon a top surface 44 and a bottom surface 46 , a highly doped donor ( n +) layer 32 and ( n +) layer 28 , respectively . an electrically insulating layer 26 is placed on bottom highly doped donor layer 28 . layer 26 has a drain contact 24 and a source contact 22 therethrough . emitter contact 24 is bonded to layer 28 and source contact 22 is bonded to a source 40 being a highly doped acceptor area . substrate 30 being n - type acts as a drain 48 of the photodetector 10 . a layer 50 is deposited upon the highly doped donor layer 32 . layer 50 is a layer which is electrically insulating as well as chemically inactive to the material of photoactive layer 34 . photoactive layer 34 is preferrably solid but an encapsulated liquid layer is possible . layer 50 may be aluminum oxide , zinc oxide , or tantalum oxide or other materials that satisfy the criteria noted above . photoactive layer 34 may be essentially a mixture of porphyrin - quinone . u . s . pat . no . 3 , 873 , 215 is incorporated by reference as to the teachings contained therein especially those directed at the light sensitive compounds . it has been found that certain light sensitive porphyrin - quinone solutions eject protons and uptake protons when illuminated . charge separation accompanies the movement of protons and is observed in light - sensitive solid solutions . the amount of uptake or ejection is proportional to the light intensity with a constant porphyrin concentration . the wavelength can be varied over a wide range which depends on the absorption characteristic of the porphyrin . when the light sensitive porphyrin - quinone solution is exposed to light , protons are ejected into the surrounding media . the photo - response of the photodetector 10 may also arise from a charge - transfer mechanism of layer 34 . many porphyrins can be used as a component of the photoactive layer 34 . chlorophyll a , chlorophyll b , pheophytin , bacteria - chlorophyll and zinc tetraphenylporphin have been found to be especially useful . hydroquinone and benzoquinone have been found useful as the quinone component . hydroquinone gives greater responses . with the use of benzoquinone , air can be present but air must be absent when using hydroquinone as the quinone component . the porphyrin concentration is usually in the range of about 10 - 2 to 10 - 5 moles while the quinone concentration is generally in the range of about 10 - 2 to 10 - 4 moles . the photoactive layer 34 need not be limited to porphyrins - quinone ( hydroquinone ) systems . a protective layer 52 may be deposited over photoactive layer 34 to prevent any environmental impact such as oxidation of the chemicals therein . layer 52 is only partially shown thereon . a gate electrode 36 is deposited either upon layer 34 or layer 52 as the case may be . lead 38 provides the connection to the gate bias source 12 . the only figure shows the structure of a three - terminal modified gate - controlled photodetector 10 . there are three possible ways to measure the differential admittance of photodetector 10 . one way to measure the admittance is through the gate electrode 36 and contacts 22 and 24 by an essentially standard mos measurement . the second method of measurement is through the gate electrode 36 and source contact 22 with substrate 30 floating or shorted to the source . the preferred method described is through the source contact 22 and drain contact 24 with the gate electrode 36 controlled by a bias voltage . the differential admittance is measured by means of capacitance bridge 14 and lock - in amplifier 18 with other devices as shown in the figure . when the gate voltage biases the area under insulating layer 50 into accumulation , the admittance is only the p - n junction capacitance between the source and substrate . when a sufficiently negative gate bias voltage is applied , a p - type inversion layer starts to build up . this inversion layer connects to the p + and the measured capacitance increases drastically due to the extension of the inversion region . light on the photoactive layer 34 contributes to the capacitance change . the inversion layer resistivity is dependent on the applied bias . if the operating frequency is high enough , the current cannot follow the voltage in the inversion layer . as a result , the loss term rises and the capacitance decreases . when the p - n junction is biased , the c - v g and g - v g characteristics of the device will change . sets of c - v g and g - v g curves obtained at 10 khz frequency with different junction bias illustrate such . when the p - n junction is reverse biased , the depletion region will be widened which requires stronger electric fields at the silicon surface to invert the depletion layer . in other words , a higher negative gate bias is necessary to turn on the inversion layer . this causes the curves to shift in the negative gate bias direction with increased p - n junction reverse bias . the maximum capacitance for strong inversion also decreases due to the widening of depletion layer . when the junction is forward biased , a reverse situation occurs . since forward bias causes current to flow through the junction , it can only be measured in a relatively small range of forward bias voltages . the bias has the same effect on the g - v g characteristics . when porphyrins are excited with light in the presence of quinones or hydroquinones , protons are either ejected into the media by hydroquinone or protons are taken up by the semiquinone that is formed in the porphyrin - quinone reaction . the amount of proton movement is a function of the intensity of light . this movement has been found to be a straight line relationship . the wavelength of light whose intensity is being measured is determined by the absorption properties of the porphyrin . various wavelengths can be determined by changing the porphyrin e . g ., zn porphyrins , cd porphyrins , zn tetraphenylporphine , pheophytin , etc . when the photoactive layer 34 is irradiated , proton movement ( ph change ) or charge separation induces a change in the amount of capacitance of the p - n junction . the change in capacitance is measured by the change in frequency necessary to maintain the original capacitance valve . this change in frequency reflects the intensity of light irradiating the photoactive layer 34 . the ph change or charge separation can also be measured as a change in the gate voltage at a fixed value of source - substrate ( drain ) capacitance . the photodetector 10 can be fabricated by the following procedure : a ( 100 ) oriented single - crystal silicon wafer 42 being 2 - ωcm n - type phosphorus doped and about 12 mils thick is used with only one side polished . after a series of regular cleaning steps , the silicon wafer is coated with a layer of spin - on - dopant glass ( p atom concentration of 10 21 / cm 3 ) on both sides , after which it is given a drive - in treatment at 1100 ° c . for 1 hour to produce n + doped layers 28 and 32 of about 1 μm thick on both sides . the doped glass layer is removed and the wafer is thermally oxidized in a dry oxygen ambient at 1100 ° c . for 3 hours . this yields 200 - nm layers 26 and 50 of sio 2 . a 150 μm diameter aluminum dot is evaporated on top of the polished surface through a molybdemun mask . the distance between centers of the aluminum dots was 0 . 5 mm . the aluminum can be anywhere from 4 - 6 μm in thickness . the wafer 42 is then subjected to a temperature gradient zone melting process . the temperature gradient zone melting process is a process in which a liquid zone in the form of a sheet , rod , or droplet migrates through a solid in a temperature gradient . the migration of the liquid zone is caused by three spatially sequential processes : dissolution of the solid on the hot forward side of the liquid zone ; diffusion transport of the dissolved silicon to the cold rear side of the liquid zone ; and deposition of the silicon - aluminum alloy on the cold rear surface . in the present case , the front side of the wafer 42 is put directly underneath the infrared light source with the rear side of the wafer radiatively cooled by means of a water - cooled heat sink so that a temperature gradient over 200 ° c ./ cm is obtained across the wafer 42 . the 150 μm aluminum dot can be stably migrated through the silicon wafer in about 5 minutes . once the silicon wafer 42 is heated up to around 1200 ° c ., the already molten aluminum dot moves through the 0 . 20 μm layer 50 and penetrates into the silicon bulk . after migrating through the silicon substrate 30 the a1 droplet penetrates the sio 2 layer 26 on the other surface . it is obvious that the gradient grown zone will be degenerate p + due to the aluminum alloy . as a result , the sharp p - n junction forms . conventional lithographic methods are applied to open a window on both sides with the aluminum dot at its center . the silicon - aluminum alloy zone can be etched in a similar way , although the etching rate is generally not the same . the parameters which control the etching rate include : concentration of koh , temperature , stirring , ultrasonic agitation , etc . if these factors are properly controlled , the opened windows can be etched down preferentially and become a trapezoid as shown in the figure . the front surface is etched down about 100 μm . the bottom surface of the etched window is ( 100 ) oriented as is the silicon wafer itself and the four sides of the window are all in the ( 111 ) direction or its equivalents . a similar etching cycle is carried out to remove the aluminum on the rear side so that contact can be made to the aluminum enriched p + region . after the preferential etching is completed , the remaining sio 2 in layer 26 is removed in an hf solution . a thermal oxidation cycle is used to regrow layer 26 of sio 2 . a layer of sio 2 with a thickness of approximately 1500 angstroms is grown . a further procedure deposits layer 50 of aluminum oxide in place of sio 2 , for example . additional conventional procedures deposit photoactive layer 34 and protective layer 52 thereon as required . clearly , many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings and it is therefore understood , that within the inventive scope of the inventive concept , the invention may be practiced otherwise than specifically claimed .

a photodetector using a modified gate controlled diode has therein a layer of photoactive material . photons interacting therein cause the formation of free protons which alter the electrical characteristics of the photodetector . the change in electrical characteristics is measureable and related to the intensity of photons received .

preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the annexed drawings . in the following description , a detailed description of known functions and configurations incorporated herein has been omitted for clarity and conciseness . the present invention relates to a hybrid - mode terminal ( or hybrid terminal ) in which several types of communication systems supported by the terminal time - share hardware resources such as radio frequency unit ( rf ) and modem , and in particular , to controller software that simultaneously processes sleep processors of several communication systems using one sleep controller hardware . the terminal includes ‘ n ’ system protocol stacks ( ps ) 305 to 310 , one hybrid sleep controller ( hsc ) 315 , one sleep controller 320 and a shared hardware 325 . hsc 315 is a software module , and sleep controller 320 is a hardware module . in the present invention , all sleep and wake - up related hardware interfaces , which were conventionally performed in the system pss , are performed by hsc 315 . system pss 305 and 310 do not need to perform a monitoring operation and a control operation for the sleep controller and the hardware such as the clock and rf , and when a sleep condition is satisfied , system pss 305 and 310 are allowed to send a sleep request to hsc 315 or perform the next software process upon receipt of a wake - up command from hsc 315 . herein , hsc 315 controls sleep and wake - up of several systems using one sleep controller 320 and a timer ( not shown ). a detailed description will now be made of an example of sleep / wake - up processes of the hybrid terminal . in the terminal where two systems 305 and 310 operate , it is assumed that a system - 1 ps 305 performs a wake - up process and a system - 2 ps 310 performs a sleep process . if system - 2 ps 310 sends in step 1 a sleep request to the hybrid sleep controller 315 as it is in a sleep condition , hybrid sleep controller 315 informs in ; step 2 system - 2 ps 310 whether it will turn off the hardware , depending on the entire system situation . when there is a need to turn off hardware 325 , hybrid sleep controller 315 directly turns off hardware 325 in step 3 . sleep controller 320 , when a wake - up interrupt has occurred therein , reports in step 4 the occurrence of the wake - up interrupt to hybrid sleep controller 315 and hybrid sleep controller 315 informs whether it can wake up or it should turn on the hardware , depending on the entire system situation . when wake - up is possible , hsc 315 sends a wake - up command to system - 1 ps 305 in step 5 . however , when wake - up is not possible , hsc 315 calculates the next sleep interval and re - sets sleep controller 320 in step 6 . when there is a need to turn on the hardware , system - 1 ps 305 turns on the hardware in step 7 . the present invention classifies the sleep mode into a real sleep mode and a virtual sleep mode . when all systems of the terminal have entered the sleep mode , i . e . when there is no system using hardware of the terminal , the terminal operates in the real sleep mode of turning off the hardware . however , when there is any system in waiting or in operation , the terminal does not enter the sleep mode but operates in the virtual sleep mode in which the terminal counts sleep time of the sleep requesting system using a timer and reports arrival of wake - up time at the wake - up time . determination and execution of real sleep and virtual sleep are both achieved by hsc 315 . upon receipt of a sleep request message from an arbitrary system , hsc 315 analyzes states of other systems , and when there are other systems waiting to use the hardware , hsc 315 allocates hardware to the systems that wait for the hardware while performing virtual sleep . when all other systems are in the sleep state , i . e . in the virtual sleep state , hsc 315 calculates the sleep interval taking into account wake - up times of all systems , and then performs the real sleep mode . the conventional terminal needs 5 interfaces for each individual system in this way , but the terminal according to the present invention can perform the sleep mode only with 2 interfaces separately for each individual system , in addition to 3 shared interfaces . in addition , when the number of interfaces between blocks decreases , the number of exceptional cases decreases and debugging is easy to perform . hsc 315 analyzes states of all systems only with the sleep request and appropriately controls the state of each system , so there is no need for additional interfaces from each system to the hsc 315 . a description will now be made of an example of a real sleep mode and a virtual sleep mode in a terminal that simultaneously supports two systems . it is assumed herein that as a system 1 is higher in priority than a system 2 , when the system 1 should operate in an active state , the system 2 , even though it is using hardware in the active state , should make a concession for the hardware and wait until the process of the system 1 is ended . in the case of fig4 , two systems both repeat sleep and wake - up in the idle state . system 2 is already in the sleep state at the time system 1 intends to sleep after completing its processing , and the wake - up time closest to the current time is the wake - up time of system 2 . the hsc calculates a sleep interval taking into account the current time and the wake - up time of system 2 , and performs real sleep for the sleep interval . because terminal 1 enters the real sleep , system 2 , although it was in virtual sleep , has no more need for virtual sleep , so it disables the timer . in the case of fig5 , a system 1 is in an idle state and a system 2 is in an active state . when system 1 wakes up , system 2 stops its use of the hardware and waits until the process of system 1 is completed . after completing its process , system 1 sends a sleep request to the hsc . the hsc , because system 2 is in a waiting state , performs virtual sleep for the sleep interval of system 1 , and informs system 2 of availability of the hardware . in fig6 a , because the system ps has no need for monitoring or control for a sleep controller or hardware such as clock and rf , when a sleep condition is satisfied in step 610 , the system ps sends a sleep request message to the hsc in step 620 . in step fig6 b , upon receipt of a wake - up command from the hsc in step 650 , the system ps wakes up by performing a software wake - up process in step 660 . in this manner , because the system ps has no interface to the sleep controller , when the system ps is in the sleep state , it provides the corresponding information to the hsc , and performs a wake - up process upon receipt of a wake - up command from the hsc . in fig7 a to 7c , upon receipt of a sleep request message from an arbitrary system , the hsc determines whether the current state is a real sleep state or a virtual sleep state , and determines the system that it should drive when a sleep timer expires or when it receives a wake - up signal from the sleep controller . to this end , upon receipt of a sleep request from each system , the hsc stores a wake - up time of the system and stores a sleep related status . referring to fig7 a , upon receipt of a sleep request message from an arbitrary system in step 702 , hsc analyzes in step 704 states of other systems and checks whether they are waiting for processing . in step 706 , the hsc determines presence / absence of any waiting system . if it is determined in step 706 that there is no waiting system , the usc calculates in step 714 a hardware sleep interval to perform real sleep . in this calculation , the usc compares a wake - up time of the sleep requesting system with wake - up times of other systems currently in sleep , to select the earliest wake - up time , and calculates a hardware sleep interval from a sleep setting start time until the selected wake - up time . in step 716 , the usc sets the calculated sleep interval , and simultaneously sets the sleep controller so that it may turn off the main clock of the modem . thereafter , in step 718 , the usc turns off the hardware power . at this time , if a virtual sleep timer is in operation , the usc releases the timer . however , if it is determined in step 706 that a particular system is waiting for hardware allocation thereto , the usc performs virtual sleep through steps 708 to 712 . that is , in step 708 , the usc sends an active command to the particular system waiting for the hardware allocation . in step 710 , the usc compares wake - up times of all systems except for the system waiting for hardware allocation , to select the earliest wake - up time , and then calculates a sleep interval from the sleep setting start time until the selected wake - up time . thereafter , in step 712 , the usc sets a sleep timer for the calculated sleep interval , and informs the allocation - waiting system that hardware has been allocated thereto . when more than one system is waiting for hardware allocation , the usc selects an appropriate system according to priority of the systems and the requirement of the terminal , and allocates the hardware to the selected system . referring to fig7 b , when a wake - up interrupt has occurred from a sleep controller in step 730 , the usc sends in step 732 a wake - up command indicating the wake - up situation to the corresponding system . in step 734 , the usc provides the sleep controller with information indicating a timing offset between a main clock and a slow clock , and the sleep controller compensates for the timing offset and then turns on the main clock of the modem at the set time . in step 736 , the usc turns on power of the hardware . in step 738 , the hsc determines whether there is any system requiring virtual sleep among the systems other than the waked - up ( awaken ) system , and if needed , the usc compares wake - up times of the systems to select the earliest wake - up time , and calculates a sleep interval from the sleep setting start time until the selected wake - up time . thereafter , the hsc sets a sleep timer in step 740 . the reason for setting the timer during wake - up is because when the system allocated hardware continues its processing without sleeping until the time that another system should wake up , in order to perform access or handover , the hsc cannot recognize the time that another system should wake up . in addition , the hsc sets the timer because there is a possible case in which it should wake up another system after stopping the system currently in operation according to the requirement of the terminal . when the currently awaken system sleeps before expiration of the timer , the hsc compulsorily releases the timer as described above , and then performs real sleep processing . referring to fig7 c , if the virtual sleep timer has expired in step 750 , i . e . if another system is operating at a wake - up time of one system , the hsc determines in step 752 if the system should be allocated hardware , according to priority of two systems and the requirement of the terminal . if it is determined in step 752 that the system currently in operation has higher priority , the hsc continuously maintains the hardware allocation and calculates the next wake - up time for the wake - up requesting system , in step 754 . thereafter , in step 756 , the hsc selects the earliest wake - up time among the calculated wake - up times , and re - sets the sleep timer . however , if it is determined in step 752 that the wake - up requesting system has higher priority , the hsc sends in step 758 a hold command to the system currently , in operation to stop its use of the hardware . in step 760 , the hsc sends a wake - up command indicating the wake - up situation to the wake - up requesting system . thereafter , in step 762 , the hsc calculates the next wake - up times for the systems except for the current system and the awaken system . in step 756 , the hsc selects the earliest wake - up time among the calculated wake - up times , and re - sets the sleep timer . with use of the hsc operating procedures of fig7 a to 7c , several systems of the hybrid terminal can control the slotted mode function . as is apparent from the foregoing description , the present invention can realize slotted mode control of the hybrid terminal simultaneously supporting several communication systems , using one sleep controller and a timer , so the present invention is simple in terms of the inter - system control path compared to the prior art , thereby contributing to a reduction in the sleep and wake - up processing time . in this case , the idle time for which the terminal is awaken decreases , and the sleep time increases , thus contributing to a reduction in the power consumption of the terminal . while the invention has been shown and described with reference to a certain preferred embodiment thereof , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims .

a method for controlling a slotted mode of several systems using one sleep controller enhanced a hybrid sleep controller that performs sleep / wake - up interface of system protocol stacks in a hybrid terminal including at least two system pss used for different communication networks of a mobile communication system . the method includes determining whether there is a shared hardware - waiting system according to a sleep request from a system ps ; if there is no shared hardware - waiting system , turning off a clock of the sleep controller and power of shared hardware to enable operation in a real sleep mode ; and if there is a shared hardware - waiting system , sending an active command to a corresponding system and simultaneously driving a sleep timer until a time that other systems wake up , to enable operation in a virtual sleep mode .

fig2 shows the basic structure of a system of growth of an sic single crystal by the solution method which is suitable for performing the method of the present invention . a high frequency heating coil 12 which surrounds a graphite crucible 10 is used to heat and melt the base materials in a crucible 10 to form a solution 14 . an sic seed crystal 18 which is supported above that at the bottom end of the graphite support rod 16 is brought into contact with the solution surface s of the solution 14 to form an sic single crystal at the bottom face of the sic seed crystal 18 in an ar gas or other inert atmosphere 20 . the graphite crucible 10 is covered overall by a heat insulating material 22 . the temperature of the solution surface s is measured by a radiant thermometer 24 by a non - contact method , while the temperature of the back surface of the seed crystal 18 is measured by an w — re or other thermocouple 26 by the contact method . a ccd camera 24 is set at an observation window above the solution surface from which the solution surface s can be directly viewed . the solution surface s during sic growth can be directly observed . the radiant thermometer , like the ccd camera 24 , is set at the observation window above the solution surface from which the solution surface s can be directly viewed and can measure the temperature of the solution surface before and after bringing the seed crystal 18 into contact with the solution 14 . the thermocouple 26 is fastened at its detecting end to the inside of the bottom end of the graphite support rod to which the seed crystal 18 is bonded ( position about 2 mm from bonded surface of seed crystal 18 ) and can measure the seed crystal temperature from right after the seed crystal 18 is brought into contact with the solution 14 . in general , the graphite crucible 10 is charged with the base material of the si solution , that is , si . the high frequency heating coil 12 is used to heat this to form the si solution . from the inside walls of the graphite crucible 10 , c dissolves into this si solution whereby a si — c solution 14 is formed . in this way , the source of the c of the sic is basically the graphite crucible 10 , but it is also possible to supplementarily add a graphite block . further , the crucible 10 may also be made of sic . in this case , as the source of c , a graphite block must be added . depending on the case , to raise the growth rate , first , the graphite crucible 10 can be charged with not only si , but for example cr , ni , etc . to form an si — cr solution , si — cr — ni solution , etc . the above configuration has been used in the past , but the present invention is further characterized in that a control device 30 is provided for growth while maintaining the wetting height of the solution to the side faces of the sic seed crystal within the range where the sic single crystal which grows from the crystal growth face and the sic single crystal which grows from the side faces grow as an integral sic single crystal . in a best mode , only the growth face of the seed crystal is brought into contact with the solution and the wetting height is made 0 . the control device 30 is electrically and / or mechanically connected with a not shown solution surface height detector and seed crystal support rod drive apparatus and controls the height of the crystal growth face of the seed crystal from the solution surface to a suitable value at each instant . the method of the present invention provides a method of growing an sic single crystal by using a system of the basic configuration of fig2 to maintain a temperature gradient in an si solution in a graphite crucible where the temperature falls from the inside toward the solution surface while using the sic seed crystal which is brought into contact with the solution surface as a starting point , characterized by bringing only the crystal growth face of the sic seed crystal which forms the starting point of growth of the sic single crystal into contact with the solution surface . the characterizing feature of the present invention will be explained in comparison with the prior art . fig3 ( 1 ) schematically shows the relationship between the seed crystal and solution surface in the solution method of the prior art . ( a ) first , the bottom end of the support rod 16 is made to hold the seed crystal 18 , then the crystal growth face g is brought into contact with the solution surface s of the solution 14 . at this time , as illustrated , the crystal growth face g and the solution surface s match or the crystal growth face g is slightly immersed in the solution 14 somewhat below the solution surface s . ( b ) if held in this state , the solution 14 wets the side faces of the seed crystal 18 whereby , as illustrated , a meniscus 40 is formed . ( c ) in the seed crystal 18 , the bottom face is the preferential growth orientation [ 0001 ] or [ 000 - 1 ] crystal growth face , while the side faces are not the preferential growth orientation of the sic single crystal , so from the parts contacting the side faces and forming the meniscus 40 , polycrystals 42 comprised of a large number of single crystals with scattered orientations result . that is , polycrystallization such as shown in fig1 occurs . therefore , the present invention controls the wetting height to the seed crystal side faces such as shown in ( b ) of fig3 ( 1 ) to prevent polycrystallization . in a best mode , the wetting height is made 0 . that is , in a best mode , as shown in fig3 ( 2 ), at the time of contact shown in ( a ), the crystal growth face g and the solution surface s are made to match and the crystal growth face g is strictly prevented from being immersed in the solution 14 below the solution surface s . in addition , preferably , immediately after the contact of ( a ) occurs ( for example , within 2 minutes ), some pull - up is performed ( pull - up height “ h ”: fig4 ) and , as shown in ( b ), a meniscus 50 is formed between the crystal growth face g and the solution . that state is maintained to grow the sic single crystal . more preferably , the contact angle α between the meniscus 50 and the side faces of the seed crystal 18 is 200 degrees or less . due to this , it is possible to advantageously prevent polycrystallization . in a general aspect , the crystal is grown while maintaining the wetting height of the solution to the side faces of the sic seed crystal within the range where the sic single crystal which grows from the crystal growth face and the sic single crystal which grows from the side faces grow as an integral sic single crystal . in many cases , the crystal which grows from the crystal growth face and crystal which grows from the side faces will not become integral along with macrodefects between them . this is the understanding from the past . as explained in the above best mode , only the crystal growth face has been brought into contact with the solution surface . wetting of the side faces by the solution has been strictly avoided . as opposed to this , as a new discovery by the present invention , it was observed that even if the wetting height is not necessarily 0 , sometimes no macrodefects result and the crystal which grows from the side faces ( side face crystal ) and crystal which grows from the crystal growth face ( main crystal ) become integral . fig5 shows one example . fig5 ( 1 ) shows the case where the wetting height reaches the height of the seed crystal of 1 mm . macrodefects occur between the side face crystal and main crystal , penetration by the solution ( inclusions ) end up occurring , and the side face crystal and main crystal grow as separate crystals . this not only causes polycrystallization , but also blocks expanded growth of the sic single crystal . expanded growth is essential for growing an sic single crystal of a shape which has a practical straight barrel part . fig5 ( 2 ) shows the case where wetting occurs up to a height of 0 . 3 mm at the side faces of the seed crystal , but the side face crystal and the main crystal grow as an integral single crystal without macrodefects . fig5 ( 3 ) shows the case of the best mode of a wetting height of 0 mm , that is , the case where only the crystal growth face contacts the solution surface . no macrodefects are formed . in this way , it is learned that there is an allowable range to the wetting height of a solution to the side faces of a seed crystal . therefore , it is possible to run preliminary experiments to find the relationship between the formation of macrodefects and the wetting height and follow that relationship to adjust the pull - up height etc . to thereby grow the crystal in the allowable range of the wetting height . the existence of an allowable range in the growth parameters in this way is extremely significant from the viewpoint of industrial growth of an sic single crystal . in the present invention , preferably , the angle β formed by the crystal growth face g of the seed crystal 18 and the side faces ( fig4 ) is 90 degrees or less . due to this , it is possible to advantageously prevent polycrystallization . preferably , the seed crystal 18 is pulled up to form a meniscus 50 , then rotation of the seed crystal 18 with respect to the solution surface s is started . due to this rotation , the temperature and composition of the solution become more uniform . when the solution surface s is vibrating , this vibration is utilized to make the solution surface s and the crystal growth face g of the seed crystal 18 contact each other . in this case as well , it is possible to pull up the seed crystal 18 to form the meniscus 50 immediately after contact . furthermore , the shape of the bottom end of the support rod 16 which holds the seed crystal 18 is preferably not one where wetting by the solution 14 readily occurs . as a bad typical example , as shown in fig6 ( a ) , if the seed crystal mounting part of the front end face of the support rod 16 is recessed , the other parts ( projecting parts ) of the front end face approach the solution surface s first . when , as shown in fig6 ( b ) , the crystal growth face g of the seed crystal 18 is made to contact the solution surface s , the projecting parts also end up contacting the solution surface s . in the end , in the illustrated example , the solution 14 of the seed crystal ends up contacting the front end part of the support rod 16 and the side faces of the seed crystal 18 . the front end face of the support rod 16 is preferably flat . most preferably , the outer shape of the seed crystal 18 and the outer shape of the front end face match . due to this , transmission of heat from the seed crystal to the support rod , which has a direct effect on the crystal growth , becomes uniform . a system for growing a single crystal which has the basic configuration which is shown in fig2 was used . a crucible 10 was charged with solid si , cr , and ni , then a heating coil 12 was used to melt them to form an si - 20cr - 5ni solution . here , the cr and ni are additive elements for raising the solubility and do not contaminate the grown sic single crystal . the sic seed crystal 18 uses the [ 0001 ] face as the crystal growth face . the angle β between the crystal growth face and side faces was made the most desirable 90 °. after the charged solids were completely melted and a solution was formed , the solution was held at a temperature of 1900 ° c . in that state , only the crystal growth face of the seed crystal was brought into contact with the solution surface . after contact , crystal growth was performed for 2 hours . at this time , the crystal was grown while changing the height “ h ” of the crystal growth face g of the seed crystal 18 from the solution surface s to ( a ) 0 mm , ( b ) 1 . 5 mm , and ( c ) 2 . 5 mm . the state of growth of the obtained crystal is shown in fig7 . ( a ) in the case of a pull - up height “ h ”= 0 mm , the solution 14 wetted not only the crystal growth face g but also the support rod 16 . as a result , polycrystals 42 formed from the support rod 16 and the seed crystal 18 were completely covered . ( b ) in the case of a pull - up height “ h ”= 1 . 5 mm , polycrystals are not formed from the support rod 16 , but polycrystals are formed from portions other than the crystal growth face g of the seed crystal 18 . ( c ) in the case of a pull - up height “ h ”= 2 . 5 mm , crystal growth occurred from only the crystal growth face g of the seed crystal 18 . polycrystallization from the support rod 16 and the side faces of the seed crystal 18 could be prevented . the contact angle α formed by the side faces of the seed crystal 18 and the meniscus 50 changes in accordance with the pull - up height “ h ”. in addition to this example , the relationship between the contact angle α when changing the pull - up height “ h ” in the range of 0 to 3 . 5 mm and the presence of polycrystallization is shown in table 1 . as shown in table 1 , if the pull - up height “ h ” is 2 . 0 mm or more and the contact angle α is 200 degrees or less , polycrystals are not formed . among the parameters relating to polycrystallization , compared with the pull - up height “ h ”, it is considered that the contact angle α is the more basic in relationship . table 1 further shows an expansion angle γ which shows the expansion of the diameter of the crystal which is grown . as shown in fig8 , the expansion angle γ is the angle between the pull - up axis of the seed crystal 18 ( vertical direction ) and the meniscus 50 during crystal growth . if the expansion angle γ is a positive value , the crystal expands in diameter along with growth , while conversely if it is negative , the crystal contracts in diameter along with growth . the relationship between the expansion angle γ and the pull - up height “ h ” which is shown in table 1 is plotted in fig9 . as shown in table 1 and fig9 , along with the increase in the pull - up height “ h ”, the expansion angle γ is reduced . when the pull - up height “ h ” is less than 3 . 0 mm , the expansion angle γ becomes 0 ° and the crystal diameter is maintained in diameter in the growth . in this way , by setting the pull - up height “ h ”, expansion of the diameter , contraction of the diameter , and maintenance of a constant diameter at the time of crystal growth can be selectively controlled . the same procedure was performed as in example 2 to grow an sic single crystal . however , the angle β between the crystal growth face g of the seed crystal 18 and the side faces was made 60 degrees . further , the pull - up height was made 1 . 0 mm . the contact angle α was 180 degrees or under 200 degrees . fig1 shows the obtained sic single crystal . there was no crystal growth other than from the crystal growth face g . polycrystallization is prevented . the same procedure was performed as in example 2 to grow an sic single crystal . however , the angle β between the crystal growth face g of the seed crystal 18 and the side faces was changed in various ways . the obtained results are shown in table 2 . as shown in table 2 , when the angle β between the crystal growth face g of the seed crystal and the side faces is 90 degrees or less , polycrystallization is prevented . the same procedure was performed as in example 1 to grow an sic single crystal . however , the angle β between the crystal growth face g of the seed crystal 18 and the side faces was made 30 degrees . the crystal growth face g of the seed crystal and the solution surface s were brought into contact , then immediately the meniscus was formed . the pull - up height “ h ” was changed in the range of 0 . 5 to 1 . 5 mm and the crystal was grown for 2 hours . the rest of the conditions were made ones similar to example 1 . due to this , as shown in fig8 and fig1 , an sic single crystal which was enlarged in diameter from the seed crystal 18 was obtained . there was no crystal growth other than from the crystal growth face g . it can be confirmed that polycrystallization from the side faces can be suppressed . the contact angle in this case is α = 180 ° which satisfies the condition of being 200 ° or less . the obtained results are summarized in table 3 and fig1 . however , in fig1 , the black diamond plot shows the result of the above example 1 ( β = 90 °). it is learned that the pull - up height can be adjusted to control the expansion angle . the same procedure was performed as in example 1 to grow an sic single crystal . however , an si - 23 % ti solution was used and the angle β between the crystal growth face g of the seed crystal 18 and the side faces was made 30 degrees . the crystal growth face g of the seed crystal and the solution surface s were brought into contact , then immediately the meniscus was formed . the pull - up height “ h ” was changed in the range of 2 to 5 mm and the crystal was grown for 2 hours . the rest of the conditions were made ones similar to example 1 . due to this , an sic single crystal which was enlarged in diameter from the seed crystal was obtained . there was no crystal growth other than from the crystal growth face g . it can be confirmed that polycrystallization from the side faces can be suppressed . the contact angle in this case is α = 180 ° which satisfies the condition of being 200 ° or less . the obtained results are summarized in table 4 and fig1 . in fig1 , for comparison , the result of the si — cr — ni solution which is shown in fig1 are also shown . however , the ordinate and abscissa are switched . from the results of table 4 and fig1 as well , it will be understood that the pull - up height can be adjusted to control the expansion angle . at the same time , it is learned that the curve of the relationship between the expansion angle and the pull - up height shifts due to the composition of the solution . one reason of the shift is believed to be the viscosity of the solution . in this case , an si — ti solution is much more viscous than an si — cr — ni solution . the same procedure was performed as in example 1 to grow an sic single crystal . the angle β between the crystal growth face g of the seed crystal 18 and the side faces was made the same 90 degrees . the crystal growth face g of the seed crystal and the solution surface s were brought into contact , then immediately the meniscus was formed . the pull - up height “ h ” was made 3 . 5 mm ( constant ), while the contact angle α between the side faces of the seed crystal 18 and the solution surface s was made 158 . 5 °. during growth , the contact angle α was gradually made to increase and was made 195 ° at the time of the end of growth . the rest of the conditions were made ones similar to example 1 . fig1 shows the obtained sic single crystal . it was confirmed that thru was no crystal growth other than at the crystal growth face g and that polycrystallization from the side faces could be suppressed . further , it could be confirmed that the grown crystal diameter , if viewed over time , first was contracted , then was held constant , and finally was expanded . the above examples followed the best mode of the present invention which makes only the crystal growth face of the seed crystal contact the solution , that is , made the wetting height 0 , to grow the sic single crystal . in the present example , the general aspect of the present invention was used to find the allowable range of the wetting height . that is , the same procedure was followed as in example 1 to grow an sic single crystal . however , the angle β between the crystal growth face g of the seed crystal 18 and the side faces was made 90 degrees . further , the pull - up height was adjusted ( 1 . 0 mm to 3 . 0 mm ) to change the wetting height in various ways ( 0 mm to 0 . 9 mm ). the contact angle α was 180 degrees , that is , was less than 200 degrees . fig1 ( 1 ) to ( 4 ) show the obtained sic single crystals . the results are shown together in table 5 . ( 1 ) when making the wetting height 0 mm ( pull - up height 3 . 0 mm ), that is , when bringing only the crystal growth face of the seed crystal into contact with the solution surface ( best mode in the present invention ), there was no crystal growth from portions other than the crystal growth face and an excellent sic single crystal which is prevented from formation of macrodefects and polycrystallization was grown . ( 2 ) when making the wetting height 0 . 3 mm ( pull - up height 2 . 0 mm ), the crystal which grows from the crystal growth face of the seed crystal ( main crystal ) and the crystal which grows from the side faces of the seed crystal ( side face crystal ) grew as an integral single crystal and , in the same way as ( 1 ), an excellent sic single crystal which was prevented from formation of macrodefects and polycrystallization was grown . ( 3 ) when making the wetting height 0 . 68 mm ( pull - up height 1 . 5 mm ), macrodefects formed between the main crystal and the side face crystals and a good sic single crystal could not be grown . ( 4 ) when making the wetting height 0 . 9 mm ( pull - up height 1 . 0 mm ), in the same way as ( 3 ), macrodefects formed between the main crystal and the side face crystals and a good sic single crystal could not be grown . in the case of the present embodiment , the allowable upper limit of the wetting height is a value in the range of 0 . 3 mm to 0 . 68 mm . furthermore , if finely setting the wetting height and running experiments , a more detailed upper limit can be found . that is , it is possible to run preliminary experiments to find the upper limit of the wetting height and set the pull - up height and other manufacturing parameters so that this is not exceeded and thereby grow the sic single crystal . in this way , the angle γ between the pull - up axis of the seed crystal 18 and the meniscus 50 can be used to control the rate of expansion or the rate of contraction of the diameter of the crystal which is grown . further , the pull - up height “ h ” of the seed crystal 18 can be used to control the angle γ between the pull - up axis and the meniscus 50 . furthermore , a map which shows the relationship between the pull - up height “ h ” and the angle γ between the pull - up axis and the meniscus 50 can be prepared in advance and this map used to adjust the pull - up height “ h ” to adjust the angle between the pull - up axis and the meniscus 50 . according to the present invention , there are provided a method of production of an sic single crystal by the solution method , which method of production of an sic single crystal prevents polycrystallization where a large number of crystals grow in a scattered manner from faces of the seed crystal other than the crystal growth face or from a graphite rod which supports the seed crystal and a system of production by the same . furthermore , the parameters of the angle α between the side faces of the seed crystal and the solution surface , the angle β between the crystal growth face g of the seed crystal and the side faces , the angle ( expansion angle ) γ between the pull - up axis of the seed crystal and the meniscus during crystal growth , and the pull - up height “ h ” can be adjusted to prevent polycrystallization while performing selective control to expand , contract , or maintain constant the diameter of the grown crystal . 40 meniscus ( formed by side faces of seed crystal and solution ) 50 meniscus ( formed by crystal growth face of seed crystal and solution )

provided is a method for producing sic single crystals while maintaining a temperature gradient such that the temperature decreases from within an si solution inside a graphite crucible toward the solution surface , with the sic seed crystals that have contacted the solution surface serving as the starting point for crystal seed growth , wherein when the crystal growth surface of the sic seed crystals , which serves as the starting point for sic single crystal growth , contacts the solution surface , the height by which the solution rises to the side of the sic seed crystals is within the range where the sic single crystals that have grown from the crystal growth surface and the sic single crystals that have grown from the side grow as one sic single crystal unit . also provided is a device for producing an sic single crystal comprising a graphite crucible , a heating device for heating and melting base materials in the crucible to form a base material solution and maintaining a temperature gradient required for growth of sic single crystal , a support rod which holds a sic seed crystal at its bottom end , and a holding structure which maintains the holding by the support rod so that a height by which the solution rises to the side of the sic seed crystal is within a range where the sic single crystal that have grown from the crystal growth surface and the sic single crystal that have grown from the side grow as one sic single crystal unit .

the deficiencies of the prior art are overcome by the instant modified vtizrnicrmn electrochemical hydrogen storage alloy . in order to improve the catalytic activity of the prior art negative hydride alloys , the base alloy material was modified by the addition of one or more elements to increase the surface area of the heat - activated alloys and to enhance the catalytic nature of the surface of the materials . in addition to vtizrnicrmn , the alloys also contain al , co , and sn . the alloy has an increased charge / discharge rate capability over that of the base vtizrnicrmn electrochemical hydrogen storage alloy . it also has an electrical formation cycling requirement which is reduced to one tenth that of the base vtizrnicrmn electrochemical hydrogen storage alloy . a chemical / thermal activation is required by the base vtizrnicrmn electrochemical hydrogen storage alloy . finally the alloy has an oxide surface layer having a higher electrochemical hydrogen storage catalytic activity and higher surface area than the base vtizrnicrmn electrochemical hydrogen storage alloy . each of these properties will be discussed in detail hereinbelow . the 591 patent , discussed hereinabove , represents the best prior art teaching of the desirable properties of the metal / electrolyte interface , or surface oxide of the metal hydride material providing specific teaching on the role of metallic nickel sites as catalytic sites . the 591 patent also describes the nickel sites as approximately 50 - 70 angstroms in size , with a broad proximity range of 2 - 300 angstroms . with respect to proximity , the stem micrographs provided suggest approximately 100 - 200 angstrom proximity as following the teaching of the &# 39 ; 591 patent . to distinguish the alloys of the present invention over those of the &# 39 ; 591 patent , the inventors have discovered superior catalysis and high rate discharge performance can be achieved by one or more of the following : 1 ) the catalytic metallic sites of the inventive alloys are formed from a nickel alloy such as nimncoti rather than just ni ; 2 ) the catalytic metallic sites of the inventive alloys are converted by elemental substitution to an fcc structure from the bcc structure of the prior art ni sites ; 3 ) the catalytic metallic sites of the inventive alloys are much smaller in size ( 10 - 50 , preferably 10 - 40 , most preferably 10 - 30 angstroms ) than the ni sites of the prior art alloys ( 50 - 70 angstroms ) and have a finer distribution ( closer proximity ); 4 ) the catalytic metallic sites of the inventive alloys are surrounded by an oxide of a multivalent material ( containing mno x ) which is believed to possibly be catalytic as well , as opposed to the zrti oxide which surrounded the prior art ni sites ; 5 ) the oxide could also be multiphase with very small ( 10 - 20 angstrom ) ni particles finely distributed in a mncoti oxide matrix ; 6 ) the oxide may be a mix of fine and coarse grained oxides with finely dispersed catalytic metallic sites : 7 ) alloy modification with aluminum may suppress nucleation of large ( 50 - 70 angstrom ) catalytic metallic sites ( at 100 angstrom proximity ) into a more desirable “ catalytic cloud ” ( 10 - 20 angstroms in size and 10 - 20 angstroms proximity ); 8 ) nimn oxide is the predominant microcrystalline phase in the oxide and the catalytic metallic sites may be coated with nimn oxide . the instant alloys , therefore , distinguish over the &# 39 ; 591 alloys in that : 1 ) the catalytic metallic sites are still present but may be nickel alloy and are much smaller and more finely divided ; 2 ) the old tizr oxide support is replaced by a nimncoti oxide which is more catalytic and more porous ; and 3 ) aluminum metal doping provides a very fine grain catalytic metallic site environment . sn , co , al , and fe were considered as additives to a base ab 2 alloy . sixteen different chemical formulas were designed according to the orthogonal array used in the taguchi method to minimize the total number of alloys needed to complete the design matrix . each element has four different levels ; i . e ., sn ( 0 . 4 , 0 . 6 , 0 . 8 , 1 . 0 ), co ( 0 , 0 . 5 , 1 . 0 , 1 . 5 ), al ( 0 , 0 . 4 , 0 . 8 , 1 . 2 ), fe ( 0 , 0 . 4 , 0 . 8 , 1 . 2 ), as shown in table 1 ( all numbers are in atomic percentages ). alloy - 01 is the base formula ( control ) with only 0 . 4 % sn originating from one of the source materials ( zircalloy in replacement of zirconium ) to reduce raw materials cost . all sixteen alloys were prepared by induction melting under an argon atmosphere with commercially available raw materials . the melt size ranged from 20 to 60 kg depending on the crucible size been used . after reaching 1600 ° c ., the melt was held at that temperature for 20 minutes to homogenize it . afterwards , the liquid was cooled down to 1300 ° c . and tilt - poured into a carbon steel mold . the ingots thus obtained were pulverized by a hydride / dehydride process without mechanical grinding as indicated in u . s . application ser . no . 09 / 141 , 668 , filed aug . 27 , 1998 , entitled a method for powder formation of a hydrogen storage material , herein incorporated by reference . powder of 200 mesh or smaller was roll - milled onto a ni - mesh substrate without other conducting metal powder or inorganic additives . the electrochemical capacity of each alloy was determined by constructing a flooded full cell using grafted pe / pp separators , partially pre - charged ni ( oh ) 2 counter electrodes , and 30 % koh solution as the electrolyte the cells were charged at 50 ma / g for 13 hours and then discharge at 50 ma / g and a final pull current at 12 ma / g . the discharge capacity for the third cycle at 50 and 12 ma / g for each alloy are plotted in fig1 . this figure indicates that alloy - 12 shows the smallest differential between capacities at 50 and 12 ma / g , which indicates a good high - rate material . electrical formation or workup cycling of nimh type batteries , as discussed herein above , has previously been a requirement for alkaline type batteries . this electrical formation was required to bring the battery to full capacity and especially full power . without such formation , the batteries perform below maximum capability . typical formation entails cycling the virgin battery many times at differing charge / discharge rates . for example , the base alloy , having a nominal composition ( in atomic %) ti 9 . 0 %, zr 27 . 0 %, v 5 . 0 %, ni 38 . 0 %, cr 5 . 0 %, and mn 16 . 0 %, required 32 charge / discharge cycles to achieve full power . particularly in the area of electric vehicles , where power translates into acceleration of the vehicle , formation cycling is an expensive process with respect to equipment , processing time and inventory control . any reduction in the number of cycles required to form the battery to it &# 39 ; s full capability reduces the cost of manufacturing . the instant alloy materials have been specifically designed to speed up formation . to that end the instant alloy materials have reduced the electrical formation requirement thereof to just three cycles in consumer , cylindrical cells and also ev batteries . this reduction in formation cycles is ten fold over the prior art base alloy . therefore , production times and costs are reduced , and throughput is increased . c - size cylindrical batteries were constructed using the alloys fabricated from example i as negative electrode . these cells included paste ni ( oh ) 2 as the positive electrodes and 30 % koh solution as electrolyte . the peak power of the battery was measured by the pulse discharge method and the results of a few key alloys are plotted in fig2 as a function of cycle number . it is clear from the figure that alloys - 02 , - 03 , - 04 , - 05 , - 12 , and - 13 all have higher peak power than the control ( alloy - 01 ). especially alloy - 12 which reached it &# 39 ; s full rate capability after only three electrical formation cycles . this is a dramatic improvement over alloy - 1 for which more than 15 cycles are needed . both electrodes from alloy - 01 and alloy - 12 were made into identical prismatic cells for electrical vehicle application ( 90 ah by design ). testing results for these cells are summarized in fig3 a , 3 b and 3 c . both cells reached their designed capacity and power after 5 days of heat treatment at 60 ° c . and various number of mini - cycles for electrical formation . cell employing alloy - 12 showed marginal advantages in both capacity and power . however , the most significant finding is that the number of mini - cycles needed to achieve the maximum power was dramatically reduced from 39 ( alloy - 01 ) to 9 ( alloy - 12 ), which offers a substantial cost reduction in capital equipment and electricity . the electrical formation was further studied to take full advantage of alloy - 12 . instead of the typical 37 hours of electrical formation for alloy - 01 , the whole formation process can be reduced to 12 hours by using alloy - 12 . the final capacity and specific power were not affected by this aggressive formation scheme , ash show in fig4 . all sixteen alloys obtained from example i were examined after various etching conditions . this alkaline etch was designed to simulate the heat formation process during battery fabrication . electrodes were cut into proper size ( 2 by 5 inches ) and etched in a 100 ° c . 30 % koh solution for 1 , 3 , and 4 hours . etched electrodes together with unetched electrodes were used to construct flooded full cells using graft pe / pp separators , partially pre - charged ni ( oh ) 2 counter electrodes , and 30 % koh solution electrolyte . the cells were charged at 50 ma / g for 13 hours and then discharge at 50 ma / g and a final pull at 12 ma / g . the capacities under various etching conditions are plotted as a function of cycle number in fig5 a and 5 b for the alloy - 01 and fig6 a and 6 b for alloy - 12 , respectively . it is found that alloy - 12 is easier to form ( reaching full capacity and rate capability within fewer cycles ) when compared to the alloy - 01 . the instant alloy materials have far outdistanced misch metal nickel based metal hydride alloys . the rate of catalytic surface activity of the instant alloys and rate of bulk diffusion of hydrogen are similar . therefore , neither process inhibits the rate of charge / discharge , when compared to the other . in fact , because of the improvements in catalytic surface activity , the instant alloys have much improved discharge rate capability , i . e . as much as 300 % greater rate capability . this , as will be discussed further herein below , appears to be caused by the enhanced oxide layer of the instant alloy materials . electrochemical studies were conducted to characterize the newly developed derivative alloys and compare their properties with alloy - 01 material . the study helped to better understand the nature of the changes occurring at the surface of alloy - 01 as a result of the compositional and structural modifications and the relation of these changes to the increased catalytic activity and rate capability of the material . fig7 shows ac impedance plots ( nyquist plots ) at 85 % state of charge ( soc ) of thermal / chemical activated negative electrodes prepared from the alloy - 01 and alloy - 12 . the main semicircle in the impedance plots of fig7 is due to the charge transfer which occurs at the surface of the mh electrode . the hydrogen species formed at this step are adsorbed to the electrode &# 39 ; s surface . the diameter of this circle represents the charge transfer resistance r ct of the hydride reaction . at frequencies lower than that of the charge transfer semicircle , the impedance is attributed to the absorption of the hydrogen below the surface of the metal . this step is followed by the bulk diffusion step in which the absorbed hydrogen species diffuse into the bulk of the metal hydride material . the absorption step gives rise to a small semicircle at the lower frequency range of the impedance plots and the bulk diffusion step gives rise to the straight , warburg , behavior observed at lower frequency range of the impedance plots . following the warburg region , the impedance turns into a 90 ° capacitive line due the fact that the hydrogen diffusion occurs through a finite length . the impedance behavior shown in fig7 therefore support a three step mechanism as described in the following equations : where mh ad is the adsorbed hydrogen , mh abs is the absorbed hydrogen just below the surface and mh abb is the absorbed hydrogen in the bulk of the negative material . the charge transfer step ( a ) controls the impedance of the electrode at the high frequency range . at lower frequencies , the bulk diffusion process dominates the impedance . the surface kinetics of the hydride reaction is measured by the charge transfer resistance ( r ct ) or the exchange current ( l 0 ). l 0 is related to r ct by the equation : table 2 shows the charge transfer resistances obtained from the impedance plots of figure 7 and the exchange currents for alloy - 01 and alloy - 12 . as table 2 shows the exchange current for the 2 . 7 % co , al , sn modified alloy - 12 is 2 - 3 times larger than that of alloy - 01 , indicating faster charge transfer kinetic by the same proportion . the magnitude of the exchange current ( l 0 ) is generally determined by the catalytic activity of the electrode surface measured by the exchange current density ( i 0 ) and by the specific surface area ( a ) of the electrode . in order to understand better how each of these parameters contribute to the increase in charge transfer kinetics observed in the derivative alloys , the values of i 0 and a for the different electrodes were also measured . the double layer capacitance ( c d1 ) of the electrodes calculated from the ac impedance plots of fig7 were used to determine the surface area a of the different electrodes . to calculate the surface area from c d1 , a specific capacitance of 20 uf / cm 2 ( a common literature value ) was assumed . the exchange current densities of the different electrodes were calculated using the relationship where i 0 in equation 2 is in ma / cm 2 , l 0 is in ma / g and a is in m 2 / g . table 3 shows the values of l 0 , c d1 , a and i 0 for alloy - 01 and alloy - 12 . as table 3 shows , both the surface area and the exchange current densities are higher in alloy - 12 electrodes as compared to alloy - 01 electrodes . calculations from table 3 show that for alloy - 12 about 50 % of the increase in the exchange current ( l 0 ) can be attributed to the higher surface area of these materials and about 50 % of the increase can be attributed to the higher exchange current densities of these materials as compared to alloy - 01 . the higher surface area of the alloy - 12 electrodes with respect to alloy - 01 electrodes occurred during the heat activation of the electrodes since ac impedance measurements showed that the surface area of these electrodes in the virgin state were similar to each other . the heat activation process helps to increase the surface area of the electrodes . the results presented here show that the modifying elements added to alloy - 01 serve an important role in creating higher surface area due to their dissolution at the surface during the heat activation process . the higher exchange current densities of alloy - 12 as compared to the base alloy indicates the added elements not only contributed to the increase in surface area of the electrodes but also contribute to the enhancement in the catalytic nature of the materials by changing the surface composition . though not wishing to be bound by theory , it is possible the oxide surface area is substantially increased by a mechanism similar to that in which co , al , and sn modification causes the nickel catalytic sites to be reduced from 50 - 70 angstroms to 10 angstroms . it is possible in the vtizrnicrmn prior art material , that two mechanisms control 50 - 70 angstroms size sites . first , microcrystallite size within the bulk alloy may inherently influence resultant ni sites after oxidation of the remaining elements . it is more likely , however , that the dissolution , erosion and corrosion of the resultant oxide is influenced by its chemical makeup . for example , in a prior art oxide matrix dominated by tizr oxide , which is relatively insoluble , corrosion / erosion may occur in large chunks of 50 - 70 angstrom size , while the sn , al , co modified materials may be corroding on an atomic basis on the order of 10 angstroms . al and sn may be particularly crucial in this regard in that they may be bonded to ni within the surface oxide but dissolve in a “ finer ” or less “ chunky ” manner than vtizr oxides . from the ac impedance plots of fig7 , the diffusion rate of hydrogen in the bulk material can also be determined . while the surface kinetics determine the power capability of the electrode and batteries which use them , the diffusion rate determines the rate capability . the diffusion rate of the hydrogen species is reflected in the impedance of the electrodes at the lower frequency range of the impedance plots of fig7 . r d is related to the diffusion coefficient of the hydrogen species ( d h ) and to the diffusion length ( l ) by equation 3 : r d = v m / zfa ( de / dy )( l / 3 d ) ( 3 ) where v m is the molar volume of the electrode material , z is the charge per hydrogen atom absorbed , f is faraday number , a is the geometric surface area of the electrode and ( de / dy ) is the change of equilibrium potential of the electrode per unit change of hydrogen absorption . this parameter was obtained from measured data of equilibrium potential versus state of charge of the electrodes and was calculated to be approximately 0 . 06v at a state of charge between 85 % to 50 %. d and i are the diffusion coefficient and diffusion length respectively . assuming a diffusion length equal to the electrode thickness , the hydrogen diffusion coefficient of the different alloy materials could be calculated . table 4 shows the diffusion resistance obtained from the nyquist plot of fig7 and the diffusion coefficient calculated for alloy - 01 and alloy - 12 . the diffusion coefficient of alloy - 12 is larger , giving rise to a proportionally higher diffusion rate and better rate capability for alloy - 12 . though not wishing to be bound by theory , the mechanism through which the sn , co , al modified alloys may have improved bulk hydrogen diffusion rates may be related to one or more of the following : 1 . refinement of microstructure towards smaller crystallite sizes , which in turn promotes grain boundaries and hydrogen transport ; 3 . finer dispersion of catalytic sites within the bulk ( similar to surface oxide ). the performance of the different negative electrodes was also studied in cylindrical c - cells . fig8 shows discharge curves at 2c rate of c - cells manufactured using negative electrodes fabricated from alloy - 01 and from alloy - 12 . as fig8 shows , the cells using alloy - 12 exhibited higher operating voltages reflecting superior power capability . fig9 shows the capacity of electrodes fabricated from alloys - 01 and - 12 . c - cells using the alloy - 12 electrodes exhibited better rate capability . the oxide surface of the instant alloys is the same thickness as that of the prior art alloys , however , the instant inventors have noticed that the modification of the alloys has affected the oxide surface in several beneficial ways . first the oxide accessibility has been affected . that is , the additives to the alloy have increased the porosity and the surface area of the oxide . this is believed to be caused by al , sn and co . the modifiers added to the alloy are readily soluable in the electrolyte , and believed to “ dissolve ” out of the surface of the alloy material , leaving a less dense , more porous surface into which the electrolyte and ions can easily diffuse . second , the inventors have noted that the derivative alloys have a higher surface area than the prior art alloys . it is believed that the mechanical properties of the alloy ( i . e . hardness , ductility , etc .) has been affected . this allows the material to be crushed easier , and allows for more microcracks to be formed in the alloy material during production and also easier in - situ formation of microcracks during electrochemical formation . finally , the inventors have noted that the alloys are more catalytically active than the prior art alloys . this is believed to be cause by a more catalytic active oxide surface layer . this surface layer , as is the case with some prior art materials ( see for example u . s . pat . no . 5 , 536 , 591 to fetcenko et al .,) includes nickel particles therein . these nickel particles are believed to provide the alloy with its surface catalytic activity . in the instant alloy , the inventors believe there are a number of factors causing the instant increase in catalytic surface activity . first , the inventors believe that the nickel particles are smaller and more evenly dispersed in the oxide surface of the instant alloy materials . the nickel particles are believed to be on the order of 10 to 50 angstroms in size . second , the inventors believe that the nickel particles may also include other elements such as cobalt , manganese and iron . these additional elements may enhance the catalytic activity of the nickel particles , possibly by increasing the roughness and surface area of the nickel catalytic sites themselves . third , the inventors believe that the oxide layer itself is microcrystalline and has smaller crystallites than prior art oxide . this is believed to increase catalytic activity by providing grain boundaries within the oxide itself along which ions , such as hydrogen and hydroxyl ions , may move more freely to the nickel catalyst particles which are situated in the grain boundaries . finally , the instant inventors have noted that the concentrations of cobalt , manganese and iron in the oxide surface are higher than in the bulk alloy and higher than expected in the oxide layer . the surface area of the base alloy increased by about a factor of two during the activation treatment , the inventive alloy increases in surface area by about a factor of four . as discussed earlier , the higher surface area of the inventive alloy is only partially responsible for the higher catalytic property of these alloys . as the ac impedance measurements demonstrated , the better catalytic activity of the surface of the inventive alloy also contributes to the enhanced catalytic behavior thereof . hence , the improved power and rate capability of the inventive alloys is the result of the higher surface area within the surface oxide as well as improved catalytic activity within the oxide due to the smaller size and finer dispersion of the nickel catalyst particles compared to prior art materials . observations from high resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy ( stem ) included presence of nickel catalyst “ clouds ” having a size in the 10 - 30 angstrom range and extremely close proximity , on the order of 10 - 20 and 10 - 50 angstrom distance . another contributing factor to the improved catalysis within the oxide is the transformation of the supporting oxide in which the ni particles reside . in prior art materials , the supporting oxide may be primarily rare earth or tizr based oxides while in the case of the inventive materials , the support oxide is now comprised of at least regions of nicomnti “ super catalysts .” this could also be nimn regions surrounded by tizr oxide . these super catalysts show a surprising lack of oxygen based on electron energy loss spectroscopy ( eels ). it may be possible these regions are partially metallic or in a low oxidation state . another observation with the inventive materials is that prior art nickel catalytic regions within the oxide were bcc crystallographic orientation based on select area electron diffraction ( saed ), which the inventive materials were observed to have an fcc orientation . it may be possible that the catalytic regions of ni have been partially substituted by co , al , mn , sn , or other elements which have shifted the crystallographic orientation . it is indeed likely the bcc to fcc ni shift reflects a higher degree of substitution . though not wishing to be bound by theory , it is also possible the fcc ni in conjunction with nicomnti regions and tizr oxide may form a super lattice which may further promote ionic diffusion and reaction . still another theory based on analytical evidence suggests that metallic ni particles reside in a mn oxide support . the presence of the mn oxide is intriguing in that mno x is multivalent and could promote catalysis via changing oxide states during the charge / discharge reactions . finally , another interpretation of the analytical evidence suggests even a multiphase surface oxide . in addition to metallic ni or ni alloys , there appears to exist both a fine grained and coarse grained support oxide . perhaps the course grained aspect to the surface is dominated by tizr prior art style oxide while the appearance of the fine grained support oxide in the inventive materials may be the mnox or nimncoti oxide or a mncoti oxide . the difficulty in assigning these structures more specifically resides in the very invention itself , i . e . the extremely small size and fine distribution . even state of the art analytical instruments using electron probes , etc ., have some kind of analytical region where averaging is taking place . difficulty in assignment is mainly due to overlap of these extremely fine regions with one another during analysis . in this context , one key role of al , sn , co modification in these alloys may be as a “ poison to the surface ”, inhibiting the growth of large ni particles . in other words , these specific dopants may be viewed as metallic catalysts and support oxide dispersants . performance of negative electrodes produced with alloys of the instant invention can be further optimized by adjusting the melt - casting conditions of the alloys . for example , a flat slab mold was used to increase the quench rate during casting relative to the conventional cylindrical mold used in example 1 . the ingots obtained from the slab mold have an average thickness of less than about 5 inches and preferably less than about one inch as compared with 10 inch thick ingots obtained from the cylindrical mold . the pressure - concentration isotherm ( pct ) curves of alloy - 12 from both casting methods are plotted in fig1 . from this figure , one can easily identify the superiority of faster solidification via the slab mold as compared with the slower cooling of the cylindrical mold by the extended curve into higher hydrogen storage . electrodes were formed from alloy material from both ingots and subjected to half - cell testing as taught in example 1 . the results , which are listed in table 5 , confirm the pct predictions about capacity . not only did the full capacity increase from 355 mah / g for the cylindrical mold to 395 mah / g for the slab mold , but the capacity loss at high rate discharge was less for the slab mold . these increases in capacity can be directly related to higher power in the finished battery .

an electrochemical hydrogen storage alloy including an oxide surface having metallic catalytic particles distributed throughout , wherein said metallic catalytic particles have an average particle size of 10 - 40 angstroms in size .

hydrogen gas is a versatile material having many uses in industrial and energy application ranging from the production of ammonia , to power vehicles being propelled into space . since the hydrogen molecule is one of the smallest known particles , containing and controlling leaks of hydrogen gas is very difficult . monitoring of these leaks is important as it is typically an indicator of performance degradation and or component wear . typically , prior art systems have used combustible gas sensors to monitor levels of combustible gas in the system . when unacceptable levels of hydrogen are detected in the system , the system is either shut down , or the operator is alerted that preventative maintenance is required . commercial combustible gas sensors typically use a technology referred to as a “ catalytic bead ” type sensor , such as the detcon , inc . model fp - 524c . these sensors monitor the percentage of lower explosive limit (“ lel ”) of combustible gas in a product gas stream . this lel measurement represents the percentage of a combustible gas , such as hydrogen , propane , natural gas , in a given volume of air . one limitation of catalytic bead sensors is their sensitivity to moisture in the gas they are monitoring . once the gas reaches 95 % relative humidity , the ability of the sensor to detect combustible gas deteriorates resulting in less than desirable life and reliability . many hydrogen applications , including but not limited to electrochemical cells , electrolyzers , fuel cells and methane steam reformers , also utilize water in their processes which tends to effect the relative humidity of the product gas stream being monitored . it should be appreciated that while the examples described herein typically refer to electrochemical systems such as electrolyzers or fuel cells , the present invention can be equally applied in any application where a combustible gas needs to be monitored . referring to fig1 a and 1b , and electrochemical system 12 of the present invention is shown . electrochemical cells 18 typically include one or more individual cells arranged in a stack , with the working fluids directed through the cells within the stack structure . the cells within the stack are sequentially arranged , each including a cathode , proton exchange membrane , and an anode ( hereinafter “ membrane electrode assembly ”, or “ mea ” 119 ) as shown in fig1 b . each cell typically further comprises a first flow field in fluid communication with the cathode and a second flow field in fluid communication with the anode . the mea 119 may be supported on either or both sides by screen packs or bipolar plates disposed within the flow fields , and which may be configured to facilitate membrane hydration and / or fluid movement to and from the mea 119 . membrane 118 comprises electrolytes that are preferably solids or gels under the operating conditions of the electrochemical cell . useful materials include , for example , proton conducting ionomers and ion exchange resins . useful proton conducting ionomers include complexes comprising an alkali metal salt , alkali earth metal salt , a protonic acid , a protonic acid salt or mixtures comprising one or more of the foregoing complexes . counter - ions useful in the above salts include halogen ion , perchloric ion , thiocyanate ion , trifluoromethane sulfonic ion , borofuoric ion , and the like . representative examples of such salts include , but are not limited to , lithium fluoride , sodium iodide , lithium iodide , lithium perchlorate , sodium thiocyanate , lithium trifluoromethane sulfonate , lithium borofluoride , lithium hexafluorophosphate , phosphoric acid , sulfuric acid , trifluoromethane sulfonic acid , and the like . the alkali metal salt , alkali earth metal salt , protonic acid , or protonic acid salt can be complexed with one or more polar polymers such as a polyether , polyester , or polyimide , or with a network or cross - linked polymer containing the above polar polymer as a segment . useful polyethers include polyoxyalkylenes , such as polyethylene glycol , polyethylene glycol monoether , and polyethylene glycol diether ; copolymers of at least one of these polyethers , such as poly ( oxyethylene - co - oxypropylene ) glycol , poly ( oxyethylene - co - oxypropylene ) glycol monoether , and poly ( oxyethylene - co - oxypropylene ) glycol diether ; condensation products of ethylenediamine with the above polyoxyalkylenesl ; and esters , such as phosphoric acid esters , aliphatic carboxylic acid esters or aromatic carboxylic acid esters of the above polyoxyalkylenes . copolymers of , e . g ., polyethylene glycol monoethyl ether with methacrylic acid exhibit sufficient ionic conductivity to be useful . ion - exchange resins useful as proton conducting materials include hydrocarbon and fluorocarbon - type resins . hydrocarbon - type ion - exchange resins include phenolic resins , condensation resins such as phenol - formaldehyde , polystyrene , styrene - divinyl benzene copolymers , styrene - butadiene copolymers , styrene , styrene - divinylbenzene - vinylchloride terpolymers , and the like , that can be imbued with cation - exchange ability by sulfonation , or can be imbued with anion - exchange ability by chloromethylation followed by conversion to the corresponding quaternary - amine . fluorocarbon - type ion - exchange resins can include , for example , hydrates of tetrafluoroethylene - perfluorosulfonyl ethoxyvinyl ether or tetrafluoroethylene - hydroxylated ( perfluorovinylether ) copolymers and the like . when oxidation and or acid resist is desirable , for instance , at the cathode of a fuel cell , fluorocarbon - type resins having sulfonic , carboxylic and / or phosophoric acid functionality are preferred . fluorocarbon - type resins typically exhibit excellent resistance to oxidation by halogen , strong acids , and bases . one family of fluorocarbon - type resins having sulfonic acid group functionality is nafion ™ resins ( commercially available from e . i . du pont de nemours and company , wilmington , del .). electrodes 114 and 116 comprise catalyst suitable for performing the needed electrochemical reaction ( i . e . electrolyzing water to produce hydrogen and oxygen ). suitable electrodes comprise , but are not limited to , platinum , palladium , rhodium , carbon , gold , tantalum , tungsten , ruthenium , iridium , osmium , and the like , as well as alloys and combinations comprising one or more of the foregoing materials . electrodes 114 and 116 can be formed on membrane 118 , or may be layered adjacent to , but in contact with or in ionic communication with , membrane 118 . flow field members ( not shown ) and support membrane 118 , allow the passage of system fluids , and preferably are electrically conductive , and may be , for example , screen packs or bipolar plates . the screen packs include one or more layers of perforated sheets or a woven mesh formed from metal or strands . these screens typically comprise metals , for example , niobium , zirconium , tantalum , titanium , carbon steel , stainless steel , nickel , cobalt and the like , as well as alloys and combinations comprising one or more of the foregoing metals . bipolar plates are commonly porous structures comprising fibrous carbon , or fibrous carbon impregnated with polytetrafluoroethylene or ptfe ( commercially available under the trade name teflon ® from e . i . du pont de nemours and company ). after hydrogen and oxygen have been disassociated from the water , the hydrogen exits the electrochemical cell 18 as described herein above via the separator 24 and an optional dryer 26 . the oxygen gas and excess process water exit the electrochemical cell through a conduit 20 which carries the oxygen and water into a phase separator 50 and exits the system through exhaust outlet 54 . it should be noted that while the phase separator 50 removes water from the gas stream , the oxygen gas typically exits the separator 50 in a saturated condition with a relative humidity in excess of 95 %. since high relative humidity has undesirable effects , the present invention addresses these issues by either controlling the temperature of the gas stream or by controlling the pressure of the gas stream . referring to fig2 , two different types of combustible gas sensor arrangements are shown . as will be described in more detail herein , the arrangement of the gas sensor in combination with other components reduce the relative humidity of the sampled gas to increase the performance of combustible gas measurements . the combustible gas (“ cg ”) sensor arrangement utilized by the prior art is shown in fig1 a . in this arrangement , the cg sensor device 36 includes a cg sensor 42 and a housing 44 . the housing 44 is typically tubular in shape and attaches to the sensor 42 by any convenient means such as a thread ( not shown ). the cg sensor 42 also includes a sensing face 43 which detects the levels of combustible gas , this face 43 is located opposite a housing open end 46 . a gas sample tube 48 is inserted into the open end 46 . during operation , the saturated gas stream 49 exits the sample tube 48 and mixes with the air in the housing allowing some drying of the saturated gas . an exemplary embodiment of the cg sensor of the present invention is shown in fig2 . in this embodiment , the cg sensor 36 is mounted to one end of a vent conduit 52 adjacent a vent exhaust 54 . the conduit 52 is vertically connected to above a water - gas phase separator 50 . the separator 50 is a large container which receives water from an upstream process such as an electrochemical cell 18 through tubes 56 , 58 . the separator may also utilize other components such as filters 60 , water lines 62 , level sensors 64 , and overflow drain 66 . in operation , the separator 50 receives the process water which may contain entrained gases , including oxygen and possibly combustible gas , from tube 58 . as the water mixture enters the separator 50 it experiences a slight pressure drop causing some of the water entranced in the stream to condense and drop to the bottom of the phase separator . the separated water exits via a conduit 68 to be either recycled back into the process or is otherwise disposed of . the liberated gases , exit through conduit 52 and exit the system through exhaust outlet 54 . as the gas vertically ascends conduit 52 , additional water is separated from the gas stream through condensation on the side walls of conduit 52 . in the preferred embodiment , the conduit 52 is made from a metal such as stainless steel to enhance the condensation of water out of the gas . by knowing the operating conditions of the process and the temperature of the environment , the conduit 52 may be sized appropriately to dry the gas to desired relative humidity level to allow the cg sensor 36 to function as desired . a conductive metallic conduit 52 also provides additional benefit in providing an electrical ground for the sensor 36 . it should be noted that the electrical grounding provides a further benefit of eliminating a possible voltage potential between the sensor and the conduit . by eliminating the voltage potential , the possibility of an electrical arc forming between the sensor 36 and the conduit 52 is also eliminated , which is advantageous when operating in an environment which may contain combustible gases . alternatively to the metallic conduit , a conductive polymer could also be used to achieve the appropriate grounding . the cg sensor 36 being positioned adjacent and perpendicular to the exhaust port 54 allows the monitoring of the gas to ensure that any combustible gases present are maintained at appropriate levels . an alternate embodiment of combustible gas sensing arrangement is shown in fig3 – 5 . this embodiment comprises a sensor assembly 70 having a housing 76 secured to a bracket 72 by a pair of fasteners 90 which thread into corresponding holes 92 . a set of tabs 82 in housing 76 are sized and positioned to fit into corresponding slots 84 in the bracket 72 . to connect the vent conduit 52 to the assembly 70 a coupling 88 secures the conduit 52 to a hole 86 in the housing 76 . the housing 76 further includes projections 94 on one end which provide for venting of the enclosed space created by the assembly . to provide for flexibility in manufacturing of the assembly 70 , the bracket 72 includes a first flange 78 and second flange 79 for the mounting of the cg sensor 42 . cg sensors 42 from different manufacturers may be of different sizes . to accommodate this variation , the cg sensor mounting holes 96 and 97 are of different sizes . to switch from one cg sensor manufacturer to another simply requires the bracket 72 to be rotated 180 °, orienting the flange 79 on top and mounting the cg sensor 42 to the flange 79 . a cable 98 connected to cg sensor 42 carries signals generated by the sensor 42 to a monitoring unit 99 . in this embodiment , which may be preferred in applications where a vertical conduit is undesirable , the conduit 52 is connected to a sensor assembly 70 by coupling 88 . as best shown in fig4 , the oxygen gas stream enters the assembly 70 through a housing 76 and impinges on bracket 72 . as with the phase separator 50 , as the stream enters the assembly 70 , it experiences a further pressure drop which causes the relative humidity to less than 95 %. the dried gas and any water exit through the open bottom portion 74 . due to the mixing of the gas stream within the assembly 70 when the stream contacts the bracket 72 , the cg sensor 36 is able to monitor for levels of combustible gas . by arranging the sensor vertically above the entrance of the gas stream , the sensor 42 can be protected from liquids in the stream and providing a drier gas for monitoring . since combustible gases such as hydrogen are lighter than air , any hydrogen mixed with the oxygen gas stream will disperse vertically toward the cg sensor 42 , to prevent the accumulation of combustible gases in the assembly 70 which would result in faulty measurements , a set of vent openings formed between the housing and the flange 78 by the projections 94 adjacent to the cg sensor 42 . it should be appreciated that the flanges 78 , 79 for mounting the cg sensor 42 may alternatively be located on the housing 76 . additional advantages in calibration of the sensor 42 are achieved by positioning the flanges 78 , 79 as shown in the preferred embodiment . cg sensors such as those which are described herein require a periodic calibration to ensure proper measurements . these calibration procedures typically involve using a canister of premixed combustible gas having a predetermined lel and introducing the gas to the sensor . for accurate results to be achieved , the premixed gas must be introduced directly adjacent the sensor . to calibrate the system as shown in the preferred embodiment , the user simply needs to remove the housing 76 by removing bolts 90 without disturbing the cg sensor . the premixed gas can then be introduced to the sensor 42 without any physical hindrances to the procedure . 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 . for example , while the embodiments shown referred specifically to an electrochemical system generating hydrogen , this invention would apply equally to any system where there is a potential for mixing hydrogen with air or oxygen including , but not limited to photolysis , fuel cells , steam methane reformers or hydrocarbon reformers . accordingly , it is to be understood that the present invention has been described by way of illustrations and not limitation .

a system is provided for monitoring the levels of combustible gas in a gas stream . the system includes means for controlling the relative humidity of the gas stream and maintain a humidity level in the performance range of combustible gas sensors . a number of methods are illustrated for achieving the humidity control including secondary phase separations and the adjusting of the gas stream temperature .

a flow visualization study was made of water flow over grooved surface models with air injection into surface grooves . the effects of groove geometry and surfactants were examined as well as air flow rate . the results show that the grooved surface geometry acts to hold the injected airstream near the wall and in some cases , results in a tube of air attached to the wall . groove dimension and the presence of surfactants were shown to greatly affect formation and stability of the air tube in the grooved surface . deeper grooves , surfactants with high contact angles , and angled air injection increased the stability of the attached air tube . convected disturbances and high shear were shown to increase the interfacial instability of the attached air tube . if the air tubes are maintained in turbulent high speed flows , skin friction of marine vehicles would be reduced . referring now the drawings , fig1 shows the primary testing facility which consisted of a small open - circuit water tunnel 11 with a clear plexiglass test section 12 , which was four inches long and had a one - half inch by one - half inch cross - section . the tunnel configuration is shown in fig1 . the tunnel was fed by municipal water and throttled by controlling two three - quarter inch sections of honeycomb with one - quarter inch cells , a compressed section of air conditioner filter to break up the incoming jet and a 16 : 1 contraction section . dye injected upstream of the test section showed the flow 13 through the test section to be relatively smooth and laminar . the bottom wall of rectangular test section 12 was replaced by flush mounted test model 14 . test models 14 were made of four inches long by one inch wide aluminum plate , one - half inch thick . see fig2 . the surfaces of the models which were exposed to the flow were machined with triangular longitudinal grooves 15 of varying depth and width dimensions . surfactant coatings of a hydrocarbon base , anti - wetting agent were either topically applied to the aluminum groove surface 15 or the entire model was constructed of teflon ® , which is available commercially and which has anti - wetting properties . in order to more clearly understand the action of surfactants to alter the interfacial tension or change the surface energy , the contact angle ( which corresponds to the relative strength of the solid / liquid and gas liquid interfaces ) of a sessile water drop was measured on each of the surfaces tested . each model 14 had an air injection hole 16 drilled in the valley of the center groove . the injector diameter was nominally one - half groove width . air was supplied by a regulated compressor and throttled with a needle valve . because the flow rates were relatively low ( between 0 and 200 cc / min . ), the volumetric flow rate was measured by displacement of water over a period of one minute in a graduated cylinder . the overall experimental set up is shown in fig3 . flow visualization was conducted with a telephoto lens 17 mounted to an image intensifier system 18 with the output image coupled to a vidicon video camera 19 . the image intensifier 18 produced a high enough effective gain to allow the video system to operate in low light level stroboscopic conditions . data were recorded on a sony u - matic editing , three - quarter inch format vcr . framing rate was 60 - fields per second . lighting consisted of a strobotach 20 operating at 3600 hz and less to allow recording of the dynamic bubble sheet behavior . lighting frequency was synchronized to flow phenomena such as eddies shown by dye injection or bubble emission frequency . air was supplied by source 21 ( e . g ., a regulated compressor ), throttled by needle valve 22 , to air supply post 23 . initial tests were conducted at a water free stream velocity of 4 - ft / s . this velocity was chosen because simple laminar flow conditions were desired to better observe the mechanisms of groove / air interactions . the freestream water velocity was also varied in several model tests up to 8 - ft / s in order to briefly examine the sensitivity of the groove / air interaction to velocity . velocity was measured with a pitot tube which equated dynamic pressure to hydrostatic head . length reynolds number at the end of the model was on the order of 90 , 000 . a test run consisted of injecting air at various flow rates and observing the trajectory and dynamics of the bubble sheet / grooved surface interaction . volumetric flow rate was determined throughout the study at discrete settings which corresponded to groove / air interaction phenomena . in several test sequences , a small diameter cylinder was placed upstream of the model to produce von karaman eddies that swept the model surface to simulate the effects of flow unsteadiness and turbulence . the variation of contact angle θ for different surface materials is illustrated in fig4 . base aluminum 24 has a contact angle θ of 77 ° as measured by the drop method . a topical surfactant applied to the surface 25 increases the contact angle θ to between 86 ° and 93 ° teflon ® 26 , depending on the roughness thereof , can have a contact angle θ varying from 80 ° to 149 °. using the contact angle θ as a measure of wetability , it is clear that surfactants can be used to favorably alter the surface tension ( or surface energy ) relative to bare aluminum . referring now to fig5 air injection from a bare aluminum flat plate with an 0 . 010 inch diameter injector showed that at all airflow rates the injected bubble stream exhibits no tendency to remain near the wall . see fig5 a . air injection from the flat plate with a 0 . 020 inch diameter injector angled 45 ° downstream showed the bubble path line to be closer to the plate initially , as the bubbles exited the ejector , but again indicated no tendency for the bubble stream to remain near the wall . air injection for nearly every grooved model configuration ( with and without surfactant coating ) produced a bubble emission path line differing from that of a flat plate and , for some conditions , a continuous tube of air confined in the rib valley . the air tube structure normally ran from the injector downstream to the end of the model . this tube structure was characterized by three different phases of behavior which were a function of air injection rate . see fig5 b , 5c , and 5d . these phases consist of air tube fracturing ( 5b ) when the air injection rate was too low , a stable tube structure within a discrete airflow range ( 5c ), and an erupting behavior ( 5d ) caused by an air injection rate that was too large . air injection for a 0 . 010 inch wide by 0 . 020 inch deep grooved surface with an 0 . 008 inch injector showed that the model has a slight attractive effect on the stream of bubbles as they are emitted from the ejector . see fig6 . this appears to be due to the attractive force of the grooves causing the bubbles to exit the injector at a lower angle -- an effect similar to that achieved by angled injection on the flat plate . adding surfactant had no major effect for this geometry . line 27 represents a stream of bubbles from a flat plate ; line 28 , a stream of bubbles from a flat plate with an angled injector ; line 29 , discrete bubbles from a grooved surface ; and line 30 , a captured air tube in a grooved surface . air injection from a 20 × 20 ( groove dimensions will be abbreviated hereinafter by showing width followed by height in thousandths of inches ) model with a 0 . 010 inch injector showed the same tendency to redirect the emission angle , but no continuous air tube would attach . for this geometry , coating the surface with a non - wetting surfactant resulted in the ability to trap a continuous air tube in the groove . fracturing occurred up to volumetric flow rates , q , of 2 cc / min ., and erupting behavior at 6 cc / min . a 20 × 20 model made of slightly roughened teflon ® was able to hold a stable tube over a wider range and flow rates from q = 3 cc / min . to q = 17 cc / min , without applying surfactant . air injection from a model 20 × 40 with a 0 . 010 inch injector produced a stable tube of air from q = 3 cc / min . to q = 44 cc / min . the increased depth apparently increased the surface tension sufficiently to hold the air tube without surfactant . upon adding surfactant , the surface resulted in the lower threshold of stability , raising to q = 14 cc / min ; this appears to be caused by enhanced fracturing due to the greater surface tension provided by the surfactant . air injection from a 40 × 20 model with a 0 . 020 inch injector diameter did not result in an attached air tube without surfactant . adding surfactant resulted in a stable tube being established between q = 18 cc / min . and q = 59 . 5 cc / min . the greater width of this model caused a more pronounced interfacial instability than was observed for the previous models . for the 40 × 80 model series , two injection configurations were investigated : one with a standard 0 . 020 inch injector normal to the surface , and one with the same diameter injector , but angled approximately 45 ° downstream . the 40 × 80 model with normal injection exhibited no separation of the air tube at low q values , but rather a series of convecting air tube segments . increasing the airflow rate resulted in a merging of the tube segments , and , finally , erupting behavior began at q = 237 cc / min . the model with 45 ° angled injection showed similar behavior to the normal injection at low airflow rates , but the onset of erupting was delayed until q = 366 cc / min . as expected , the injector bulge was also noticeably more diffuse than with normal injection . the normal injector model with surfactant maintained a stable tube from q = 15 cc / min . to q = 164 cc / min . the angled injector model had the same lower threshold , but the upper threshold was delayed until q = 234 cc / min . tests conducted with an eddy shedding cylinder showed a significant effect of flow unsteadiness on the grooved surface / air interaction . in all the models but the 40 × 80 series , eddy disturbances prevented the attached air tube from establishing -- both with and without surfactant . the addition of surfactant coating to the 40 × 80 model stabilized the tube to such an extent that the region of tube stability was only slightly smaller with than without the eddy disturbance . the normal injection model was stable from q = 30 cc / min . to q = 150 cc / min . and the angled injection model from q = 30 cc / min . to q = 218 cc / min . the action of surfactant coatings appears to be quite significant . the ability of surfactants to stabilize the air tube is clear from their action in the 0 . 020 inch wide model series and also their stabilizing effect on the 40 × 80 model in the presence of eddy disturbances . the action of surfactants was influenced by smoothness of application and thickness of coating . rough and / or thick coatings of surfactant could detrimentally affect the air / groove interaction by altering the groove dimensions and / or affecting the airflow through the attached tube . while the majority of the comparative tests were run at a water velocity of 4 ft / s , most models showed the ability to hold a stable air tube at least up to a water velocity 8 ft / s . this required that the increases in water velocity be matched with an increase in injected airflow . an attempt was made to optimize the groove / surfactant combination using the 20 × 40 teflon ® model . see fig7 . the modified air injector was a transverse slot 31 , one - eighth inch long in the streamwise direction and running nearly the width of model 14 . the slot 31 was covered with a plastic film 32 which slightly overlapped the top of the grooves 15 downstream so that the air was injected parallel to and inside of the grooves 15 . it was thus possible to fill the entire exposed groove surface 15 with adjacent air tubes . the resulting stability range extended from very low air flow ( with slight fracturing ), up to nearly q = 80 cc / min . per individual groove . eddy disturbances appeared to have no effect for this configuration . a summary of the experimental program is shown in fig8 as a bar graph of air tube stability range for the various models tested as a function of average airflow velocity through the groove ( using the measured volumetric flow through a groove of given dimensions , and assuming the groove volume is filled to the tips with air ). the figure does not include model configurations where a stable air tube was unable to form . flow visualization studies of injected air / grooved surface interaction with surface coatings at a mean water velocity of 4 ft / s and injected airflow rates varying from zero to nominally 200 cc / min . have shown that grooved surfaces alter the local surface tension to such an extent that an injected air sheet is attracted and held to the surfaces over a discrete range of airflow rates . the ability of such a grooved surface to hold an air sheet was found to depend on groove geometry and surfactant coating . the general trend uncovered was that the deeper the groove , the stronger the attraction , and the smaller the width , the more stable the gas / liquid interface . grooves too wide , too shallow , or both , did not hold the injected air in a sheet ; grooves too narrow apparently require a larger force to push the airstream into the groove than was locally available from dynamic pressure or interfacial friction . anti - wetting surfactants boosted the surface tension force of the grooves to such an extent that an air sheet was held in otherwise unstable conditions . teflon ®- surfaces enhanced the surface tension attraction of the basic groove geometry even without a topical surfactant , in accordance with the high observed contact angle . using teflon ® also avoided problems associated with topical surfactant application . as expected , changing the angle of injection so that the momentum of the injected airstream is more nearly tangential to the flow extended the range of air sheet stability by distributing the bulge in the air tube caused by injection , thereby delaying the erupting phenomenon . the wide stability range and uniform air sheet covering produced on the surface of the 20 × 40 teflon ® slot model with a plastic shroud over the injector further showed the virtues of decreasing or , in this case , eliminating the injector bulge and directing the injected air in a more tangential direction . several models tested at various freestream velocities showed that air sheet stability depends on a balance between water flow rate and airflow rate . it is important to note that the results of this study show only the relative effect of groove geometry , surfactants and injection angle ; the absolute parameters for air sheet stability will change with liquid velocity ( magnitude of interfacial shear ) and flow conditions . the effect of eddy unsteadiness disrupting the attached airflow in most configurations gives a clue to the potential problems for such conditions as turbulent boundary layer flow . as velocity is increased , the groove angle will most likely need to be reduced to increase the surface tension force , and perhaps the peak to peak distance must be decreased to address the interfacial stability . the present invention has been described in detail with respect to certain preferred embodiments thereof . as is understood by those of skill in the art , variations and modifications in this detail may be effected without any departure from the spirit and scope of the present invention , as defined in the hereto - appended claims .

a process for reducing skin friction , inhibiting the effects of liquid turbulence , and decreasing heat transfer in a system involving flow of a liquid along a surface of a body includes applying a substantially integral sheet of a gas , e . g ., air , immediately adjacent to the surface of the body , e . g ., a marine vehicle , which has a longitudinally grooved surface in proximity with the liquid and with a surface material having high contact angle between the liquid and said wall to reduce interaction of the liquid , e . g ., water , with the surface of the body , e . g ., the hull of the marine vehicle .

referring now in greater detail to the drawings , in which like numerals represent like components throughout the several views , the preferred embodiment of the object retention device 20 of the present invention is shown in fig1 and 2 as including an outer body 21 and an inner body 22 which can be coupled , as in fig1 or separated into two parts , as shown in fig2 . outer body ring 25 is attached to outer body 21 through attachment swivel 24 , and inner body ring 27 is attached directly to inner body outer end 26 . fig3 is a cross - sectional top view of the preferred embodiment of fig1 taken along line 3 -- 3 of fig1 and shown without rings 25 and 27 of fig1 and 2 . in addition , an alternate embodiment of inner body outer end 26 is shown having a smaller diameter than that of the preferred embodiment shown in fig1 and 2 . inner body 22 is seen located within outer body cavity 41 of outer body 21 . retaining loop 45 is seen located within outer body loop channel 46 , with which inner body loop channel 23 is aligned . as is discussed in greater detail below , the lower section of retaining loop 45 ( not shown in fig3 ) interacts with both outer body loop channel 46 and inner body loop channel 23 to couple inner body 22 to outer body 21 . attachment swivel 24 is linked to outer body 21 in the preferred embodiment by washer 51 located partially within both swivel washer channel 52 and outer body washer channel 50 . during assembly , washer 51 , manufactured in a ` c ` shape , is compressed into swivel washer channel 52 as attachment swivel 24 is inserted into outer body 21 . as washer 51 aligns with outer body washer channel 50 , washer 51 expands into outer body washer channel 50 to securely connect attachment swivel 24 to outer body 21 . washer 51 is preferably made of nylon . outer body ring hole 12 and inner body ring hole 11 are also seen in fig3 and are considered to teach one of many acceptable methods of attaching objects to bodies 21 and 22 . fig4 a shows a cross - sectional top view , similar to fig3 of inner body 22 with disconnected elements . cap 32 is seen removed from vial 29 and inner body 22 , thus providing access to vial 29 and storage area 28 . vial 29 forms an elongated container , with vial opening 30 at one end . a raised bead 31 ( or &# 34 ; domed &# 34 ; section ) is defined around the interior of vial opening 30 . in the preferred embodiment , cap 32 is designed for at least two purposes : insertion into vial opening 30 to seal the contents of vial 29 , and insertion into and sealing of storage area 28 . to effect a seal between cap 32 and vial 29 , vial retention ring 35 engages with raised bead 31 of vial 29 , and to effect a seal between cap 32 and inner body 22 , body retention ring 36 engages with cap retention channel 37 of inner body 22 . cap 32 can be easily removed through gripping textured grip end 33 . one feature of cap 32 is to enable separation between cap 32 and inner body 22 while maintaining a connection between cap 32 and vial 29 . in the preferred embodiment , compression channel 34 begins at appendage 42 of cap 32 and extends at least partially through the center of cap 32 . the design of compression channel 34 and the flexibility of the preferred construction material allow cap 32 to compress in a limited area near body retention ring 36 without dislodging vial 29 from cap 32 . cap 32 and vial 29 of the preferred embodiment are made of plastic . because one possible use of vial 29 is to carry various substances , such as perfume , the plastic selected should not be affected by nor have an effect on the substance vial 29 is intended to hold . fig4 b shows cap 32 &# 39 ;, an alternate embodiment which includes wick 60 inserted into compression channel 34 &# 39 ;. appendage 42 &# 39 ; of cap 32 &# 39 ; is longer than appendage 42 seen in fig4 a so that wick 60 will not interfere with the previously discussed functions of compression channel 34 . the extension of appendage 42 &# 39 ; includes an extension of compression channel 34 &# 39 ; with a greater diameter for receiving wick 60 . the diameter transition provides a shoulder for limiting the depth of insertion of wick 60 . wick 60 , constructed of cellulose in the preferred embodiment , is provided primarily as a tool for accessing liquids stored inside vial 29 , for example , without limitation , cologne or perfume . furthermore , when the supply of liquid in vial 29 and on wick 60 has been exhausted , wick 60 can be dipped into a reservoir of the liquid to replenish the supply . in still other embodiments , vial 29 is not used to store fluid , but to simply slow down evaporation of liquid on wick 60 . fig5 a shows a cross - sectional right side view of the preferred embodiment of outer body 21 , taken along line 5 -- 5 of fig2 . outer body cavity 41 is seen extending through outer body 21 , and outer body washer channel 50 appears similar to its representation in fig3 . release aperture 44 is shown above release shoulder 47 , and outer body loop channel 46 is seen extending downward into outer body cavity 41 . fig5 b is a cutaway top view of the rear end of the preferred embodiment of outer body 21 showing the circular shape of release aperture 44 . loop slot 49 is seen extending from each end of outer body loop channel 46 with a length indicated by distance &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ;. loop slot 49 also provides access to outer body cavity 41 , represented by dotted lines extending throughout outer body 21 . the preferred embodiment of the present invention further includes a release assembly 70 which is seen in more detail in fig6 and 7 . fig6 is a cutaway cross - sectional right side view , similar to fig5 a , showing the rear end of outer body 21 along with release assembly 70 . fig7 is a cross - sectional front view of outer body 21 and release assembly 70 , taken along line 7 -- 7 of fig6 . fig7 also shows a sectional view of inner body 22 cut at inner body loop channel 23 . referring to fig6 retaining loop 45 is seen extending down into outer body cavity 41 . fig8 a and 8b are isolated rear and cross - sectional left side views , respectively , of retaining loop 45 . according to the preferred embodiment , loop taper 71 is seen included in loop bottom 75 , and loop spring recess 74 is seen included in loop top 73 , which extends between loop shoulders 72 with a length indicated by distance &# 34 ; t &# 34 ;. furthermore , in the preferred embodiment , the length of retaining loop 45 between the ends of loop shoulders 72 , indicated by distance &# 34 ; s &# 34 ;, is slightly less than the length of release slot 49 , shown in fig5 b as length &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ;. referring back to fig6 and 7 , release button 43 is seen connected to loop top 73 . fig9 a , 9b , and 9c show bottom , cross - sectional right side , and cross - sectional front views , respectively , of release button 43 . cap loop recess 76 is formed to securely receive loop top 73 as shown in fig6 and 7 , and cap spring recess 77 is formed to receive leaf spring 80 as shown in fig6 and 7 . referring again to fig6 and 7 , retaining ring 65 is seen resting on release shoulders 47 of outer body 21 . fig1 a and 10b show top and cross - sectional side views , respectively , of retaining ring 65 . in the preferred embodiment , multiple ring wings 67 are seen extending radially out from the center of ring passage 66 and curving away from the plane of retaining ring 65 . in other alternate embodiments , ring wings 67 are omitted , yet the overall diameter is maintained so that the functions of the two alternate retaining rings 65 are similar . in the preferred embodiment , the diameter of ring passage 66 , indicated as distance &# 34 ; d &# 34 ;, is slightly greater than the length of loop top 73 between loop shoulders 72 , indicated as distance &# 34 ; t &# 34 ; in fig8 a . also , leaf spring 80 is seen extending through loop spring recess 74 between loop top 73 and retaining ring 65 . fig1 a and 11b are side and top views , respectively , of leaf spring 80 . to assemble release assembly 70 , retaining ring 65 is placed over loop top 73 to rest on loop shoulders 72 so that ring wings 67 are curved away from loop shoulders 72 . leaf spring 80 is then inserted through loop spring recess 74 so that the center of leaf spring 80 is in contact with loop top 73 , and the ends of leaf spring 80 curve down to and press against retaining ring 65 . this assembly is then inserted into release aperture 44 of outer body 21 so that the majority of retaining loop 45 passes through release slot 49 ( shown in fig5 b ) into outer body cavity 41 . as retaining ring 65 enters release aperture 44 , ring wings 67 come into contact with and wedge against the sides of recess release aperture 44 . because the length (&# 34 ; s &# 34 ;) of release loop 45 is greater than the diameter (&# 34 ; d &# 34 ;) of ring passage 66 , loop shoulders 72 interact with retaining ring 65 to hold retaining loop 45 at least partially within outer body 21 . release button 43 is then attached to loop top 73 . in the preferred embodiment , release button 43 snaps securely over loop top 73 so that friction holds release button 43 in place . other attachment methods are contemplated , such as gluing or ultrasonically welding release button 43 to loop top 73 . in the preferred embodiment , outer body 21 , inner body 22 and release button 43 are made from brass or molded plastic . retaining loop 45 is made from stamped brass . while these materials are preferred , other materials may be substituted , as appropriate , without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention . during normal use , with reference to fig1 - 7 , inner body 22 is ordinarily coupled within outer body 21 . to access vial 29 , bodies 21 and 22 must first be separated . this can be accomplished by depressing release button 43 and pulling inner body ring 27 away from outer body 21 . during the coupled stage , inner body loop channel 23 of inner body 22 is aligned with outer body loop channel 46 , and loop bottom 75 is partially positioned within inner body loop channel 23 , as is shown in fig7 . the front , non - tapered , side of loop bottom 75 contacts the front side of inner body loop channel 23 to prevent inner body 23 from becoming separated from outer body 21 . leaf spring 80 maintains this position of retaining loop 45 by biasing retaining loop 45 upward . as release button 43 is depressed , compressing leaf spring 80 , retaining loop 45 is moved downward so that loop bottom 75 clears inner body loop channel 23 . retaining loop 45 then no longer restrains inner body 22 and allows it to be easily removed from outer body 21 . when bodies 21 and 22 are separated , textured grip end 33 of cap 32 is revealed . to remove cap 32 from inner body 22 , textured grip end 33 is grasped and pulled away from inner body 22 . as a result , vial 29 also exits from storage area 28 . compression channel 34 is designed to allow cap 32 to be compressed in the immediate area of body retention ring 36 without releasing the seal between appendage 42 of cap 32 and vial opening 30 , as is discussed above . finally , cap 32 can be removed from vial 29 to allow access to the interior of vial 29 . for the most part , reversal of this process will return object retention device 20 to its original , coupled status . however , release button 43 need not be depressed for re - insertion of inner body 22 into outer body cavity 41 . in the preferred embodiment , as inner body 21 engages loop taper 71 of loop bottom 75 , retaining loop 45 is moved downward to enable easy insertion of inner body 22 . in other embodiments , loop taper 71 is omitted , and the front end of inner body 21 is constructed with a sufficient taper so as to move retaining loop 45 downward . as inner body loop channel 23 becomes aligned with outer body loop channel 46 , loop bottom 75 moves into inner body loop channel 23 due to force from leaf spring 80 . a first acceptable alternate embodiment of release assembly 70 of fig6 and 7 , is shown , in part , in fig1 - 14b . this alternate embodiment utilizes release button 43 and retaining loop 45 of the preferred embodiment . ( subsequent references to these elements should be understood as referring to fig6 and 7 .) however , outer body 21 , leaf spring 80 , and retaining ring 65 of fig6 and 7 are replaced by the alternate elements shown in fig1 - 14b . fig1 is a top view of outer body 21 &# 39 ; similar to the view of the preferred embodiment shown in fig5 b . release aperture 44 , release shoulder 47 , and release slot 49 are roughly similar in shape and dimensions to the preferred embodiment . yet the salient addition to this alternate embodiment is the multitude of tapered anchor holes 54a - 54d . fig1 a is a top view of spring plates 57a and 57b . anchor passages 56a - 56d , spring arms 55a and 55b , and spring plate loop recesses 58a and 58b are shown formed into spring plates 57a and 57b . fig1 b is a front view of spring plate 57b , showing the vertical extension of spring arm 55b . fig1 a is a top view of anchor plates 61a and 61b . anchor pins 62a - 62d and anchor plate loop recesses 63a and 63b are seen formed into anchor plates 61a and 61b . fig1 b is a right side view of anchor plate 61a , showing the vertical extension of anchor pins 62a and 62b . in this embodiment , spring plates 57a and 57b are preferably made from stamped spring steel , and anchor plates 61a and 61b are preferably made from die cast brass , die cast zinc , molded nylon , or stamped metal . with reference to fig1 - 14b , assembly of this first alternate release assembly embodiment begins with the insertion of retaining loop 45 into release slot 49 . spring plates 57a and 57b are then inserted into release aperture 44 so that spring arms 55a and 55b extend upward away from anchor holes 54a - 54d , and so that anchor passages 56a - 56d are aligned with anchor holes 54a - 54d , respectively . in other words , anchor passage 56a is aligned with anchor hole 54a , and so on . furthermore , when spring plates 57a and 57b are placed in release aperture 44 , spring plate loop recesses 58a and 58b come together to form a rectangle which resembles and is positioned directly over release slot 49 . this newly formed rectangle has a width that is roughly equivalent to the width of release slot 49 . however , the length of this newly formed rectangle is smaller than the length of release slot 49 . the length of this rectangle is the length of spring plate loop recesses 58a and 58b , indicated by distance &# 34 ; p &# 34 ;, and is slightly greater than the length of loop top 73 , indicated as distance &# 34 ; t &# 34 ; in fig8 a . because loop shoulders 72 extend longer than the length of this new rectangle , retaining loop 45 is held in place as long as spring plates 57a and 57b remain in release aperture 44 . anchor plates 61a and 61b are then placed into release aperture 44 over spring plates 57a and 57b . anchor pins 62a - 62d are inserted through anchor passages 62a - 62d , respectively , and into anchor holes 54a - 54d , respectively . in other words , anchor pin 62a is inserted through anchor passage 62a and into anchor hole 54a , and so on . anchor pins 62a - 62d and anchor holes 54a - 54d are designed so that anchor pins 62a - 62d can be wedged tightly into anchor holes 54a - 54d , thereby securely holding spring plates 57a and 57b , and thus retaining loop 45 , in place . the rectangle formed from anchor plate loop recesses 63a and 63b by placement of anchor plates 61a and 61b will be directly over , and have essentially the same dimensions , as the previously discussed rectangle formed from placement of spring plates 57a and 57b . release button 43 is then attached to loop top 73 as in the preferred embodiment . forces from spring arms 55a and 55b then , through contact with the bottom of release button 43 , bias retaining loop 45 upward . an alternate method of construction considered to be within the scope of the present invention includes the steps of first placing retaining loop 45 within release slot 49 , placing anchor plates 61a and 61b ( in an upside down orientation ) onto a separate movable holder having four magnetic prongs oriented similar to anchor holes 54a - 54d , placing spring plates 57a and 57b ( in an upside down orientations ) onto the movable holder and on top of anchor plates 61a and 61b , mechanically moving the holder to place plates 61a , 61b , 57a , and 57b in the previously mentioned locations within release aperture 44 . a second alternate release assembly embodiment is shown in fig1 and 16b . fig1 is a cross - sectional front view of this alternate embodiment which is similar to that of fig7 of the preferred embodiment . outer body 21 and inner body 22 , complete with inner body loop channel 23 , are similar to the corresponding elements in the preferred embodiment . however , release button 43 &# 39 ;, retaining loop 45 &# 39 ;, retaining ring 65 &# 39 ;, and coil spring 81 are different from the corresponding elements of the preferred embodiment . fig1 a shows a bottom view of release button 43 &# 39 ;. fig1 b shows a cross - sectional front view , taken along line 16b of fig1 a . release button 43 &# 39 ; is seen including button plug 17 . it can be seen from fig1 that retaining loop 45 of this embodiment is configured differently from the retaining loop of previous embodiments . included in loop top 73 &# 39 ;, are spring coves 15 defined on each side of loop top 73 &# 39 ; and a plug catch 16 defined in the center of loop top 73 . plug catch 16 creates a one - way grip on button plug 17 when release button 43 &# 39 ; is assembled onto retaining loop 45 . retaining ring 65 &# 39 ; is seen positioned within release aperture 44 without the ring wings of the preferred embodiment , but performing the similar function of holding retaining loop 45 &# 39 ; in place . coil spring 81 is positioned in spring coves 15 , between the top portion of loop top 73 &# 39 ; and retaining ring 65 &# 39 ; so that upward force from coil spring 81 is first received by retaining loop 45 &# 39 ;, rather than by release button 43 &# 39 ;. also , the shoulders of spring channel 18 provide alignment for coil spring 81 , ensuring that coil spring 81 remains in a proper position . in other alternate embodiments , an elastic &# 34 ; o - ring &# 34 ; or other elastic material is used in place of coil spring 81 . another alternate embodiment of the present invention includes whistle inner body 13 shown in fig1 , a cross - sectional right side view . whistle inner body 13 is insertable into outer body cavity 41 of outer body 21 , shown in fig5 a . when inserted , whistle front 14 of whistle inner body 13 is kept clean . whistle inner body 13 is shown including inner body loop channel 23 and inner body ring hole 11 . by blowing through whistle front 14 , a whistling noise may be generated for various well - known purposes . fig1 shows a cross - sectional front view of another alternate release assembly embodiment . release button 43 &# 34 ; and retaining loop 45 &# 34 ; are seen assembled as a unitary construction . other embodiments include attaching separate button and loop elements through glue or other similar adhesive . resting within release aperture 44 and between release button 43 &# 34 ; and outer body 21 is elastic o - ring 82 . elastic o - ring 82 is preferably constructed with adhesive on top and bottom surfaces for attachment to release button 43 &# 34 ; and outer body 21 . during operation , when release button 43 &# 34 ; is depressed , ( compressing elastic o - ring 82 ) retaining loop 45 &# 39 ; moves downward to clear outer body loop channel 46 &# 39 ;, thus releasing inner body member 22 , shown in fig4 a , in a manner relatively similar to that discussed above . fig1 - 23 show another alternate embodiment of the present invention . fig1 is a pictorial view of object retention device 20 &# 39 ; with body members joined together , and fig2 is a pictorial view of the embodiment of fig1 , showing the body members separated . outer body ring 25 is attached to outer body 21 &# 39 ; through swivel 24 &# 39 ;, and inner body ring 27 is attached to inner body 22 &# 39 ; through inner body swivel 126 . release button 43 &# 34 ;&# 39 ; is attached to the side of outer body 21 &# 39 ;. a relatively rectangular - shaped outer body cavity 41 &# 39 ; is defined within outer body 21 &# 39 ;. inner body 22 &# 39 ; includes release channels 123 , and textured grip end 33 of cap 32 is seen partially inserted into inner body 22 &# 39 ;. fig2 and 22 are top and cross - sectional top views , respectively , of inner body 22 &# 39 ;. storage areas 28a &# 39 ; and 28b &# 39 ; are defined by inner body 22 &# 39 ;. cap 32 and vial 29 are seen partially inserted into storage area 28b &# 39 ;. similar to the preferred embodiment , vial 29 includes raised bead 31 , and cap 32 includes compression channel 34 , vial retention ring 35 , and body retention ring 36 . storage channels 28a &# 39 ; and 28b &# 39 ; also define cap retention channels 37a &# 39 ; and 37b &# 39 ;, respectively . fig2 is a cross - sectional top view of outer body 21 &# 39 ; which also shows outer body ring 25 and swivel 24 &# 39 ;. release button 43 &# 34 ;&# 39 ; is attached to spring arm 83 which is attached to outer body 21 &# 39 ; at spring arm fixed end 86 and extends down into outer body cavity 41 &# 39 ; at spring arm free end 85 . fulcrum 84 is also seen contacting the bottom of spring arm 83 between release button 43 &# 34 ;&# 39 ; and spring arm free end 85 . it should be clear that cap 32 can be used with or without vial 29 to seal either storage area 28a &# 39 ; or 28b &# 39 ;. an additional cap 32 may also be used so that both storage areas are sealed . alternately , storage areas 28a &# 39 ; and 28b &# 39 ; can be used without cap 32 when solids , such as pills , are stored . furthermore , the operation and utility of cap 32 and vial 29 are similar to that discussed above with reference to the preferred embodiment . when inner body 22 &# 39 ; of this embodiment is inserted into outer body cavity 41 &# 39 ;, release channel 123 catches on spring arm free end 85 to couple inner body 22 &# 39 ; within outer body 21 &# 39 ;. depressing release button 43 &# 34 ;&# 39 ; causes spring arm 83 to cooperate with fulcrum 84 to drive spring arm free end 85 upward , out of release channel 123 . inner body 22 &# 39 ; may then be separated from outer body 21 &# 39 ;. it should be understood that the scope and spirit of the present invention includes other applications of the various elements and features of the present invention . for example , the various release assemblies disclosed herein have application in other devices unrelated to object retention . while the embodiments of the present invention which have been disclosed herein are the preferred forms , other embodiments of the method and apparatus of the present invention will suggest themselves to persons skilled in the art in view of this disclosure . therefore , it will be understood that variations and modifications can be effected within the spirit and scope of the invention and that the scope of the present invention should only be limited by the claims below . it is also understood that the relative dimensions and relationships shown on the drawings are given as the preferred relative dimensions and relationships , but the scope of the invention is not to be limited thereby .

an object retention apparatus which includes , in its most preferred embodiment , an outer body member and an inner body member , which inner body member is insertable into the outer body member and includes an interior storage compartment closed by a cap to seal in solids , such as heart medication tablets or diabetes medication and which is preferably designed to additionally seal a container or vial which fits within the compartment for storing liquids , such as perfume , cologne , breath freshener , etc . the object retention apparatus also features two attachment rings attached to the body members and a quick release mechanism to allow separation of the two body members and , thus , the rings . the quick release mechanism includes a push button , a retaining loop , a biasing device , and a retaining ring device for holding the release mechanism in place . in an alternate embodiment , the inner body consists of a whistle . the quick release mechanism also has application in other devices unrelated to object retention .

referring to the embodiment of fig1 and 2 , reference number 10 refers generally to the transport apparatus of this invention . reference number 12 refers generally to the platform of the present invention , which platform receives a mobility device 14 as shown in fig1 and 5 . reference number 16 refers generally to the lifting apparatus of the present invention . as shown in fig1 and 5 , the mobility device 14 comprises two drive wheels 18 ( only one of which is shown ), two support wheels 20a positioned to the rear of the drive wheels 18 , and two anti - tip wheels 20b positioned to the front of the drive wheels 18 . referring specifically to fig1 and 2 , the platform 12 comprises a pair of ramps 22 on a first side a of the platform 12 , and a pair of ramps 22 on a second side b of the platform 12 , each of which ramps 22 is wide enough to accommodate the drive wheel 18 and support wheels 20a that are in alignment with the respective ramp 22 . the ramps 22 permit a mobility device 14 to drive onto the platform 12 from side a and to drive off of the platform 12 from either side a or side b . located between each opposing pair of support ramps 22 is a first drive wheel well 24 and a second drive wheel well 25 . adjacent each drive wheel well 24 and 25 and parallel thereto , on the side nearest the center of the platform 12 , is a support wheel path 26 . the support wheel path 26 allows the support wheels 20a to travel over the platform 12 during loading and unloading . preferably , when the transport apparatus 10 of the present invention is being used with a jazzy ® power chair , wheel well 24 should have a width of approximately three and one - quarter inches , and wheel well 25 should have a width of about four inches , to allow the platform to lower fully without binding on the drive wheels 18 as they touch the ground . in particular , by making wheel well 25 wider than wheel well 24 , it is possible to reduce , if not eliminate , the tendency of the drive wheel 18 located in the wheel well 25 to rub on the inside of the wheel well 25 during lowering of the platform 12 . while the width of the wheel wells 24 and 25 can be altered without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention , a sizing of the wheel wells 24 and 25 that is too large may result in the mobility device 14 swivelling within the wheel wells 24 and 25 , preventing the latching apparatus ( described below ) from functioning properly . located at each of the short sides of the wheel wells 24 and 25 are centering devices 28 , which centering devices 28 are substantially stirrup - shaped . the centering devices 28 rotate about shafts 30 , with such rotation being limited by torsion springs 32 which are attached about shafts 30 and which connect a side member of each center device 28 to the nearest short side of the respective wheel wells 24 and 25 , as shown in fig2 . the torsion springs cause the centering devices 28 to maintain a position that is substantially parallel to the support wheel paths 26 , and thus prevent the centering devices 28 from hanging below the plane of the platform 12 when the transport apparatus 10 is not in use . when a mobility device 14 is located on the platform 12 so that the drive wheels 18 are located in the wheel wells 24 and 25 , the drive wheels 18 rest on the centering devices 28 , and the centering devices 28 substantially center the drive wheels 18 within their respective wheel wells . additionally , the centering devices 28 provide an easier exit and entrance of the mobility device 14 by providing a ramp effect and thereby limiting the amount of drop when the drive wheels 18 enter the wheel wells 24 and 25 . referring specifically to fig7 the automatic latching apparatus 34 of the transport apparatus 10 is shown . the latching apparatus 34 comprises a first shaft 36 , preferably having a diameter of three - fourths of one inch , and a second shaft 38 substantially parallel to the first shaft 36 , and preferably having a diameter of one - half of one inch . the first shaft 36 is rotatably mounted at both ends to the platform 12 , as shown in fig2 . the second shaft 38 is rotatably mounted at one end to the platform 12 , as shown in fig2 and passes through openings 39 in the platform 12 . proximate both ends of the second shaft 38 are l - shaped latches 40 , which latches 40 can be made of flat stock , metal rods , or any other appropriate material . a cable 42 is wound around each of the first shaft 36 and the second shaft 38 . one end of the cable 42 is connected to the first shaft 36 , while the second end of the cable 42 is connected to a spring 44 , which spring 44 is attached to a wall 45 that abuts the support ramp 22 located on side a of the platform 12 as shown in fig2 . the spring 44 provides tension during the automatic latching and unlatching of the mobility device 14 . referring specifically to fig7 and 8 , located along first shaft 36 is a latch engaging mechanism 46 . the latch engaging mechanism 46 is substantially l - shaped , with a base member 48 comprising a pair of opposing rectangle - shaped members , an arm member 50 which is rotatably coupled to the base member 48 , and a wheel 52 which is rotatably coupled to the arm member 50 . adjustably connected at substantially a ninety degree angle to arm member 50 distal the wheel 52 is a push rod 54 . the end of the push rod 54 that is adjustably connected to the arm 50 is threaded , and the push rod 54 is adjustably connected to the arm 50 with a nut 55 . the length of the push rod 54 below the arm 50 determines the amount of travel of the latches 40 . that length can be adjusted with the nut 55 . the second end of the push rod 54 is rotatably connected to a substantially y - shaped member 56 , which extends from and is fixedly connected to the first shaft 36 , and which y - shaped member 56 is substantially parallel to the arm member 50 . referring to fig1 and 5 , the lifting apparatus 16 is capable of lowering the platform 12 to a position adjacent the ground , so that a mobility device 14 may be safely driven onto or off of the platform 12 . the lifting apparatus 16 is also capable of lifting the platform 12 , with a mobility device 14 located thereon , until the platform 12 is at a height above the ground that is safe for travel . as shown in fig3 and 4 , if no mobility device 14 is located on the platform 12 , then the transport apparatus 10 will &# 34 ; fold &# 34 ; by causing the platform 12 to automatically move toward the lifting apparatus 16 , until the platform 12 and the lifting apparatus 16 are nearly in contact with each other . prior art machines have the capability of automatically &# 34 ; folding &# 34 ; in this manner . when a mobility device 14 is located on the platform 12 , the platform 12 will remain at substantially a ninety degree angle relative to the lifting apparatus 16 while the platform 12 is lifted to a height that is safe for travel , as shown in fig1 . as shown in fig7 and 8 , as the platform 12 is being lifted , the wheel 52 will contact an angled face 58 , which angled face 58 is located at one end of a body 60 , which is attached at a second end at substantially a ninety degree angle relative to the lifting apparatus 16 . as the wheel 52 moves upward along the angled face 58 , the arm member 50 will rotate toward the push rod 54 , causing the first shaft 36 to turn . that turning , which is communicated through cable 42 to the second shaft 38 , causes the second shaft 38 and thus the l - shaped members 40 to turn in a clockwise direction . the l - shaped members 40 will continue to turn until the short ends of the l - shaped members 40 pass over a portion of the undercarriage ( not shown ) of the mobility device 14 , thereby retaining the mobility device 14 in position . the l - shaped members 40 may not actually contact the undercarriage of the mobility device 14 ; rather , the short ends are positioned over the undercarriage so as to prevent it from lifting up from the platform 12 during travel . a plurality of eyelets 62 may be attached to the platform 12 as shown in fig1 to provide fastening locations for bungee cords or other similar devices , used to further secure the mobility device 14 to the platform 12 if desired . referring to fig9 and 11 , certain models of mobility devices 14 lack an undercarriage portion positioned so that the mobility device 14 may be retained with one or more of the l - shaped members 40 . for example , one model of the jazzy ® power chair has a leg rest feature , the creation of which results in the omission of a portion of the undercarriage that would otherwise be positioned under one of more of the l - shaped members 40 . referring first to fig9 reference fig1 refers to a portion of the undercarriage of a mobility device 14 of this particular type . it is necessary to provide an extension perpendicularly from the undercarriage portion 100 so that this particular mobility device 14 may be retained by one or more of the l - shaped members 14 . the extension 110 comprises a tube member 120 , an l - shaped lip portion 130 , and an l - shaped removable plate 140 . the extension 110 is secured in position by placing the l - shaped lip portion 130 over the undercarriage portion 100 as shown in fig9 by placing the l - shaped removable plate under the undercarriage portion 100 so as to be in line with the l - shaped lip portion 130 , and to secure the l - shaped plate 140 relative to the tube member 120 and the undercarriage portion 100 with a screw 150 which passes through an opening 160 in the l - shaped plate 140 . referring now to fig1 , shown is an undercarriage portion 200 of another type of mobility device 14 . an example of a mobility device 14 having an undercarriage portion 200 of this dimension is a jazzy ® power chair having a remote control feature . the undercarriage portion 200 has a projection 210 , into which an extension 220 of appropriate dimension may be inserted . the extension 220 may be secured into position using a screw 230 that is inserted through an opening 240 in the in the projection 210 . referring now to fig1 , 4 , 6 and 10 , the locking apparatus 300 of the present invention is shown . while other transport apparatuses are capable of folding automatically when a mobility device is not present on the platform -- a feature of the present invention as well -- the apparatus of the present invention also has the capability of mechanically locking the platform 12 in an up position proximate the lifting apparatus 16 . the locking apparatus 300 comprises a piston 310 , which is coupled to an extension 320 , which extension 320 is slidably retained within a housing 330 . rotatably coupled to housing 330 is an outer housing 340 , which rotates about bolt 350 . as shown in fig1 , located in an upper portion of the outer housing 340 is a first roller 360 located nearer the side that is distal the bolt 350 , and slightly below the roller 360 and located nearer the side that is proximate the bolt 350 is a second roller 370 . slidably retained to the outer housing 340 is a locking leg 380 , which is capable of sliding in a vertical direction relative to the outer housing 340 along bolts 390 , which are retained within grooves 400 . the housing 330 is rotatably coupled to the lifting apparatus 16 along bolt 410 . at a distal end of the locking leg 380 , there is located a projection 420 . at the proximate end of the locking leg 380 , there is a plate 430 having a substantially u - shaped opening 440 therein . attached at a proximate end of the housing 330 is a substantially rectangular member 450 , which member 450 has located thereon a bolt 460 and a bolt 470 . bolt 470 is substantially parallel to the roller 370 , while the bolt 460 is substantially parallel to the roller 360 . a pair of springs 480 are coupled on both sides to the exposed ends of bolt 460 and roller 360 . the locking apparatus 300 operates in the following manner . when the platform 12 is lifted by the lifting apparatus 16 , piston 310 will travel in an upwards direction . if a mobility device is not present on the platform 12 , the platform 12 will ascend in a parallel manner while the springs 480 maintain the member 450 and the outer housing 340 in an adjacent position . as the platform 12 proceeds higher , a bolt 490 ( see fig1 ) on the platform 12 will contact the projection 420 . this will cause the locking leg 380 to travel upward , until the bolt 470 enters the u - shaped opening 440 as shown in fig3 . at this point , the platform 12 will be locked in position relative to the lifting apparatus 16 . if a mobility device 14 is present on the platform 12 , the weight of the mobility device 14 will cause the extension 320 to force apart the springs 480 , causing the outer housing 340 to rotate away from the member 450 along bolt 350 . this rotation will prevent the bolt 470 from entering the u - shaped opening 440 and will prevent the plate 430 from contacting the bolt 470 , as shown in fig1 . the transport apparatus 10 of the current invention may be used to lift and transport a mobility device 14 . to lift a mobility device 14 , the user will first wheel or drive the mobility device 14 onto the ramps 22 from side a of the platform 12 . the anti - tip wheels 20b and the drive wheels 18 will first ascend the ramps 22 , and the drive wheels 18 will enter the wheel wells 24 and 25 , coming to rest on the centering devices 28 . the anti - tip wheels 20b will pass next to the wheel wells 24 and 25 , along support wheel paths 26 , and down the opposing ramps 22 . the user will stop the mobility device 14 when the drive wheels 18 are each in their respective wheel wells 24 and 25 , resting on the centering devices 28 . the user will next activate the lifting apparatus 16 of the present invention , causing the l - shaped members 40 to secure the mobility device 14 to the platform 12 , as shown in fig7 and 8 and as described above . when the platform 12 has been raised to a secure position for travel , the lifting apparatus 16 is turned off . the user may then , optionally , further secure the mobility device 14 to the eyelets 62 with bungee cords , cables , or like devices . when the user is prepared to unload the mobility device 14 , the process is reversed . if bungee cords , cables or like devices have been used to further secure the mobility device 14 to the platform 12 , those devices are removed . the lifting apparatus 16 lowers the platform 12 until the platform 12 reaches the ground . as the platform 12 is lowered , the l - shaped members 40 rotate in the opposite direction , until they are fully open and are no longer in position to prevent the movement of the mobility device 14 from the platform 12 . the drive wheels 18 will settle on the ground , allowing the platform 12 to continue to descend until it also rests on the ground . at this point , the mobility device 14 may be driven off of the platform 12 from side b or backed off from side a . while the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to preferred embodiments thereof , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the foregoing and other changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention .

the present invention is directed to an apparatus and method for safely transporting mobility devices on the rear of a motor vehicle . the apparatus and method includes wheel wells to receive the drive wheels of the mobility device , and l - shaped members which automatically retain the undercarriage of the mobility device when it is being lifted into position for transport and which automatically disengage from the undercarriage when the mobility device is being lowered to the ground for unloading .

although specific terms are used in the following description for the sake of clarity , these terms are intended to refer only to the particular structure of the invention selected for illustration in the drawings , and are not intended to define or limit the scope of the invention . referring now to the drawings , as seen in fig1 and 2 , a light weight armor structure 10is shown which has been bonded to an outer metallic surface 12 , for example , the body of a motor vehicle which forms the first impact zone . adjacent surface 12 is a composite 13 which is comprised of a woven fiber in a resinous matrix . the resinous matrix may be the same or different from the resin . the resin can comprise a high strength modulus resin such as ethylene - acrylate or methacrylate copolymers ( surlyn ), vinyl ester phenolic , bismaleimide , polyamide , high strength medium modulus thermoplastics such as an ionomer ( i . e . crosslinked ethylene - methyl acrylate or methyl methacrylate copolymer ), polycarbonate , polyurethane , nylon , aramid , modified epoxies , or the like . the addition of the fibers is usually sufficient to modify the modulus and elongation characteristics of the resin . suitable fibers include fiberglass , carbon , polyester , nylon , aramid ( i . e ., tiviron , kevlar 29 , kevlar 49 and kevlar 129 ), semi - crystalline polyolefins ( i . e ., spectra semi - crystalline polystyrene and polyethylene ), nordyl , toron , vectran , technora can also be used . the fibers which are utilized in the composite 13 may also comprise hybrids , for example , aramid and carbon ; aramid and glass ; aramid , carbon and glass ; carbon , glass and spectra , etc . hybridization of the fibers not only reduces costs but in many instances improves the performance in armor structures . it is known that aramid fiber and carbon are significantly lighter than glass fiber . the specific modulus of elasticity of aramid is nearly twice that of glass , while a typical high tensile strength grade of carbon fiber is more than three times as stiff as glass in a composite . however , aramid fiber has a lower compressive strength than either carbon or glass , while carbon is not as impact resistant as aramid . therefore , a hybrid of the two materials results in a composite that is ( 1 ) lighter than a comparable glass fiber - reinforced plastic ; ( 2 ) higher in modulus , compressive strength , and flexural strength than an all - aramid composite ; and ( 3 ) higher in impact resistance and fracture toughness than an all - carbon composite . the layer 14 is a thermoplastic resin which preferably is an ionomer or a polycarbonate . a suitable ionomer is a crosslinked ethylene - ethylene acrylate copolymer sold under the trademark noviflex by artistic glass products company . adjacent layer 14 is the polygonal panel 15 having 3 to 8 sides of each cell . preferably , the panel 15 comprises a honeycomb configuration . suitable honeycomb panels may be obtained from supracor systems , sunnyvale , calif . and are sold under the trademark supracor . the honeycomb structure may be formed using adhesives , weld bonding or fusion bonding . the polygonal structures are rigid and are formed from a high modulus synthetic resin or metal . the cells of the polygonal panel may be closed , perforated , open , empty or filled . when the cells are open they act both as a kinetic energy absorber and as a spacer to provide an air gap . the direction of the cells depends upon the armor in which it is employed , the effect desired and the characteristic of the material within the core . the metals used for the polygonal or honeycomb depends upon its use . for example , steel and the like are suitable for installations . aluminum would be preferred for personal armor and aircraft . however , other metals can be readily determined for the different uses and environments that they are to be utilized . as shown in fig3 there is provided an armor structure 20 which can be used to prepare light weight armor . the structure 20 is formed with an outer ceramic tile 21 which receives the initial impact . ballistic material such as resinous composite 22 with polyethylene or aramid fibers is adjacent the ceramic tile for absorbing the major impact . adjacent the composite 22 is a layer 23 of a thermoplastic , preferably , a polycarbonate or an ionomer . a semi - rigid honeycomb layer 24 , preferably comprised of an aramid forms the inner layer and is used both as an energy absorber and as an air gap . fig4 discloses an armor composite 29 which is used to stop needle penetration . the composite 29 is formed with an outer ballistic fabric 30 comprising high modulus fibers and a thermoplastic resin . a polygonal panel 32 is sandwiched between two thermoplastic layers 31 , 35 and attached to the ballistic fabric 30 . the cells 33 of the polygonal panel 32 contain abrading material in the form of particles or grit which stops needle penetration . fig5 illustrates an armor structure 36 which comprises an outer metal layer 37 that takes the initial impact . the adjacent layer 38 may comprise an armor fabric or a rigid thermoplastic sheet . a rigid thermoplastic layer 39 sandwiches a honeycomb panel 40 which contains the core section open or perforated in a direction away from the impact . the panel 40 may comprise a multiplicity of cells , for example , having a core diameter of about 0 . 125 inches , a wall gauge of about 0 . 012 inches and a core thickness of about 0 . 025 inches in the case of personal armor . the panel 40 is adhered to the layers 38 , 39 by means of a thermoplastic elastomer 41 . the particles , grit , or tiles and the like may be formed of any suitable metallic or ceramic materials . the particles , grit , or the like configured materials preferably overlap each other to prevent needle penetration . the particles or grit are preferably about - 10 to - 3 mesh . the ceramic materials which can be utilized in the present invention comprises the oxides or mixtures of oxides , of one or more of the following elements : magnesium , calcium , strontium , barium , aluminum , scandium , yttrium , the lanthanides , the actinides , gallium , indium , thallium , silicon , titanium , zirconium , hafnium , thorium , germanium , tin , lead , vanadium , niobium , tantalum , chromium , molybdenum , tungsten , and uranium . compounds such as the carbides , borides and silicates of the transition metals may also be used . other suitable ceramic materials which may be used are zircon - mullite , mullite , alpha alumina , magnesium silicates , zircon , petalite , spodumene , cordierite and alumino - silicates . suitable proprietary products are &# 34 ; mattecel &# 34 ; ( trade name ) supplied by matthey bishop , inc ., &# 34 ; torvex &# 34 ; ( registered trademark ) sold by e . i . du pont de nemours & amp ; co ., &# 34 ; wi &# 34 ; ( trade name ) sold by corning glass and &# 34 ; theecomb &# 34 ; ( registered trademark ) sold by the american lava corporation . another useful product is described in british patent no . 882 , 484 . other suitable active refractory metal oxides include for example , alumina , titania , hafnia , thoria , zirconia , magnesia or silica , and combination of metal oxides such as boria - alumina or silica - alumina . preferably the active refractor oxide is composed predominantly or oxides of one or more metals of groups ii , iii , and iv of the periodic table . among the preferred abrading compounds may be mentioned yc , tib 2 , hfb 2 , wc , vb 2 , vc , vn , nbb 2 , nbn , tib 2 , crb 2 , mob 2 , w 2 b , and s - 2 glass , for example , steel , ni , ti ; and the like . thus , according to the present invention , the maximum stopping power per given weight and thickness is achieved when the impact energy inherent in a missile or projectile is spread laterally as quickly as possible . the faster and more effectively this is performed , the less the force per unit area that each successive zone or layer is subjected . by the present arrangement the maximum force is converted into deflection and dampening rather than impact injury or penetration through all of the layers of the armor structure . although the invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity , it is understood that the present disclosure has been made only by way of example and that numerous changes in the details of construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention .

the invention relates to an improvement in armor structures through the utilization of at least one panel capable of absorbing kinetic energy . the panel comprises a rigid structure having a multiplicity of joined polygonal cells having 3 to 8 sides throughout the panel . the cells have individual cell diameters of about 0 . 1 to 8 . 0 inches .

embodimetns of the present invention will be described hereinbelow with reference to the drawings . fig6 is a schematic constructional diagram of a photoelectric converting device of the invention . in the diagram , reference numeral 1011 denotes the substrate ; 1016 the insulative layer ; 1015 the third electrode ( gate electrode ); 1014a the first electrode ( drain electrode ); 1014b the second electrode ( source electrode ); 1013a and 1013b ohmic contact layers ; and 1012 the photoconductive semiconductor layer . the photoconductive semiconductor layer 1012 has a double layer structure comprising : the a - si : h layer 1012a on the side of the drain electrode 1014a and source electrode 1014b ; a nd the crystalline layer 1012b on the side of the insulative layer 1016 . fig7 is a constructional conceptional diagram for explaining an example of a plasma cvd apparatus used in manufacturing of the photoelectric converting device of the embodiment . in fig7 reference numeral 70 denotes a reaction chamber ; 11 a substrate in which functional layers such as a photoconductive semiconductor layer and the like are formed on the surface ; 71 an anode electrode having a heater ( not shown ); 72 a cathode electrode ; 73 a high frequency power source of 13 . 56 mhz ; 74 an exhaust pump ; 75 an sih 4 gas introducing tube ; 76 an h 2 gas ( containing the ar gas ) introducing tube ; 77 a microwave source of 2 . 45 ghz and a microwave applicator ; and v 1 and v 2 valves to control the sih 4 gas and h 2 gas , respectively . the valves v 1 and v 2 are connected to a computer to accurately control the opening / closing times . the photoelectric converting device of the embodiment is manufactured in the following manner . ( 1 ) a cr layer having a film thickness of 0 . 1 μm is deposited onto the glass substrate 1011 (# 7059 made by corning glass works co ., ltd .) by a sputtering method and is patterned into a desired pattern , thereby forming the gate electrode 1015 . ( 2 ) the substrate 1011 is set into the ordinary plasma cvd apparatus and a temperature of substrate is set to 350 ° c . after that , the sih 4 gas , nh 3 gas , and h 2 gas are introduced at desired mixture ratios and the layer of sin x : h is deposited , thereby forming the insulative layer 1016 having a film thickness of 3000 å . ( 3 ) subsequently , the photoconductive semiconductor layer 1012 is deposited by the following procedure by using the plasma cvd apparatus shown in fig7 . 1 first , the substrate 1011 is set , the inside of the reaction chamber 70 is exhausted up to a predetermined pressure by the exhaust pump 74 , and the substrate 1011 is simultaneously heated up to 340 ° c . by the heater ( not shown ). the introducing timing of the sih 4 gas and h 2 gas are controlled as shown in fig8 . that is , one unit ( time t a ) having a time t 1 to deposit the film and a time t 2 to irradiate an h 2 plasma is repeated . for the film depositing time t 1 , both of the valves v 1 and v 2 are open , so that the sih 4 gas , ar gas , and h 2 gas are fed into the reaction chamber . the sih 4 gas is set to 10 sccm , the h 2 gas is set to 10 sccm , and a pressure in the reaction chamber is adjusted to 0 . 1 torr by the ar gas . in this instance , a dpositing speed is set to about 3 å / sec . a thickness of film which is deposited for the time t 1 is set to about 5 å . for the h 2 plasma irradiating time t 2 , the valve v 1 is closed , the valve v 2 is opened , and the h 2 plasma is irradiated . a quality of film deposited for the time t 1 changes in dependence on the h 2 plasma irradiating time t 2 . particularly , it has been found that an amount of h contained in the film changes and , when the time t 2 is set to a value longer than 80 seconds , a crystallite layer is formed . in the embodiment , the crystallite layer 1012b having a film thickness of 1000 å is formed on the insulative layer 1016 side by alternately repeating the processes for the above times t 1 and t 2 a number of times . the substrate is cooled up to 250 ° c . after that , the sih 4 gas is set to 10 sccm , the h 2 gas is set to 10 sccm , the supply of the ar gas is stopped , and the inside of the reaction chamber is set to 0 . 5 torr , thereby depositing the a - si : h layer 1012a having a film thickness of 4000 å . ( 4 ) the substrate is set into the ordinary plasma cvd apparatus and an ohmic contact layer having a film thickness of 1500 å is formed by using the sih 4 gas , ph 3 gas , and h 2 gas . ( 5 ) lastly , an al layer having a thickness of 8000 å is formed by a sputtering method and is patterned together with the above ohmic contact layer , thereby forming the ohmic contact layers 1013a and 1013b , drain electrode 1014a , and source electrode 1014b . to examine the fundamental characteristics of the thin film transistor formed as mentioned above , a voltage within a range from - 10 to 20 v is applied to the gate electrode 1015 , a voltage of 1 v is applied to the drain electrode 1014a , and a voitage of 0 v is applied to the source electrode 1014b , and currents flowing between the drain electrode 1014a and the source electrode 1014b in both the light irradiating mode and the light non - irradiating mode are measured . in fig9 the ordinate axis indicates the current flowing between the drain electrode 1014a and the source electrode 1014b and the abscissa axis indicates a voltage v g of the gate electrode 1015 . in fig9 a and a &# 39 ; indicate characteristics of the thin film transistor according to the embodiment of the invention in both of the light irradiating mode and the light non - irradiating mode , respectively . b and b &# 39 ; show characteristics of the thin film transistor in both of the light irradiating mode and the light non - irradiating mode in the case where such a thin film transistor is formed by a method similar to the above method except that the step ( 3 ) of forming the crystallite layer 1012b among the steps ( 1 ) to ( 5 ) of forming the thin film transistor according to the embodiment of the invention and that the a - si : h layer having a film thickness of 6000 å is formed in the step of forming the a - si : h layer 1012a . as shown in fig9 when comparing the characteristics a &# 39 ; and b &# 39 ; in the light non - irradiating mode , in the case of the thin film transistor ( shown by a &# 39 ;) of the embodiment of the invention , the current ( dark current ) flowing across the source electrode and the drain electrode near the gate electrode voltage of 20 v is increased by tens of %. on the other hand , when comparing the characteristics a and b in the light irradiating mode , in both of the thin film transistor of the embodiment of the invention and the thin film transistor as a comparison example , similar currents ( photo - currents ) flowing across the source electrode and the drain electrode are obtained . from fig9 it will be understood that the charge transfer ability of the thin film transistor of the embodiment of the invention is improved as compared with the charge transfer ability of the thin film transistor as a comparison example because of an increase in current between the source and drain electrodes in the light non - irradiating mode . it will be also understood that the current between the source and drain electrodes in the light irradiating mode in a region of v g ≦ 0 v where a sufficiently large ratio between the photo - current and the dark current can be obtained in the thin film transistor of the embodiment of the invention is almost similar to that of the thin film transistor as a comparison example , so that the transistor of the embodiment can be also sufficiently used as a photoelectric converting section . fig1 is a schematic constructional diagram of a photoelectric converting device in which the charge transfer ability of the photoelectric converting device of the embodiment 1 is further improved . in the diagram , the same component elements as those in fig6 are designated by the same reference numerals . in fig1 , reference numeral 1015b denotes a gate electrode and 1016b indicates a gate insulative layer made of sin x or the like . the device of fig1 differs from that of fig6 with respect to the depositing of an a - si : h layer 1012a and a crystallite layer 1012b of the photoconductive semiconductor layer 1012 and the position of the gate electrode 1015b . the photoelectric converting device of the embodiment 2 is manufactured in the following manner . ( 1 ) the step ( 1 ) is similar to the step ( 3 ) in the embodiment 1 except that the forming order of the a - si : h layer 1012a and the crystallite layer 1012b is reversed and the substrate temperature when the crystallite layer 1012b is formed is set to 230 ° c . ( 2 ) the step ( 2 ) is similar to the step ( 4 ) in the embodiment 1 . ( 3 ) the step ( 3 ) is similar to the step ( 5 ) in the embodiment 1 . ( 4 ) the substrate 1011 is set into the ordinary plasma cvd apparatus and the substrate temperature is set to 220 ° c . after that , the sih 4 gas , nh 3 gas , and h 2 gas are introduced at predetermined mixture ratios and an sin x : h layer is deposited , thereby forming the insulative layer 1016b having a film thickness of 3000 å . ( 5 ) lastly , an ito transparent layer having a film thickness of 2000 å is formed by a sputtering method and is patterned , thereby forming the transparent gate electrode 1015b . to examine the fundamental characteristics of the thin film transistor formed as mentioned above , a voltage within a range from - 10 to 20 v is applied to the gate electrode 1015b , a voltage of 1 v is applied to the drain electrode 1014a , a voltage of 0 v is applied to the source electrode 1014b , and currents flowing between the drain electrode 1014a and the source electrode 1014b in the light irradiating mode and the light non - irradiating mode are measured . in fig1 , the ordinate axis indicates a current between the drain electrode 1014a and the source electrode 1014b and the abscissa axis shows a voltage v g of the gate electrode 1015b . in fig1 , a and a &# 39 ; indicate the characteristics of the thin film transistor of the embodiment of the invention in both the light irradiating mode and the light non - irradiating mode , respectively . b and b &# 39 ; indicate the characteristics of the thin film transistor as a comparison example in the light irradiating mode and the light non - irradiating mode , respectively , in the case where such a thin film transistor is formed by substantially the same forming method as the above method except that the step ( 1 ) of forming the crystallite layer 1012b among the steps ( 1 ) to ( 5 ) of forming the thin film transistor of the embodiment of the invention and that the a - si : h layer having a film thickness of 6000 å is formed in the step of forming the a - si : h layer 1012a . as shown in fig1 , when comparing the characteristics a &# 39 ; and b &# 39 ; in the light non - irradiating mode , in the case of the thin film transistor of the embodiment of the invention , the current ( dark current ) flowing across the source and drain electrodes near the gate electrode voltage of 20 v is increased by about 1 . 5 digits . when comparing the characteristics a and b in the light irradiating mode , in both of the thin film transistor of the embodiment of the invention and the thin film transistor as a comparison example , the similar currents ( photo - currents ) flowing across the source and drain electrodes are obtained . it will be understood from fig1 that the charge transfer ability of the thin film transistor of the embodiment of the invention is improved as compared with the charge transfer ability of the thin film transistor as a comparison example due to a large increase in current flowing between the source and drain electrodes in the light non - irradiating mode . since the current between the source and drain electrodes in the light irradiating mode in the thin film transistor of the embodiment of the invention is almost similar to that in the thin film transistor as a comparison example , it will be understood that the thin film transistor of the embodiment can be also sufficiently used as a photoelectric converting section . fig1 is a schematic constructional diagram of a photoelectric converting device in which the charge transfer ability of the photoelectric converting device of the embodiment 1 is further improved . in fig1 , the component elements similar to those shown in fig6 are designated by the same reference numerals . in fig1 , reference numeral 1015a denotes a third electrode ( gate electrode ); 1015b the fourth electrode ( gate electrode ); and 1016 and 1016b gate insulative layers made of sin x or the like . the device of fig1 largely differs from the device of fig6 with respect to the depositing positions of the a - si : h layer 1012a and the crystallite layer 1012b of the photoconductive semiconductor layer 1012 and the presence or absence of the gate electrode 1015b . the photoelectric converting device of the embodiment is manufactured in the following manner . ( 3 ) the step ( 3 ) is similar to the step ( 3 ) of the embodiment 1 except that the forming order of the a - si : h layer 1012a and the crystallite layer 1012b is reversed and the substrate temperature when the crystallite layer 1012b is formed is set to 230 ° c . ( 6 ) the substrate 1011 is set into the ordinary plasma cvd apparatus and the substrate temperature is set to 220 ° c . after that , the sih 4 gas , nh 3 gas , and h 2 gas are introduced at predetermined mixture ratios and an sin x : h layer is deposited , thereby forming the insulative layer 1016b having a film thickness of 3000 å . ( 7 ) lastly , an ito transparent layer having a film thickness of 2000 å is formed by a sputtering method and is patterned , thereby forming the transparent gate electrode 1015b . to examine the fundamental characteristics of the thin film transistor formed as mentioned above , a voltage within a range from - 10 to 20 v is applied to the gate electrode 1015b , a voltage of 1 v is applied to the drain electrode 1014a , a voltage of 0 v is applied to the source electrode 1014b , and currents flowing between the drain electrode 1014a and the source electrode 1014b in both of the light irradiating mode and the light non - irradiating mode are measured . the voltage of gate electrode 1015 is set to 0 v . the light enters from the direction on the side of the gate electrode 1015b . in fig1 , the ordinate axis indicates the current flowing between the drain electrode 1014a and the source electrode 1014b and the abscissa axis indicates the voltage v g of the gate electrode 1015b . in fig1 , a and a &# 39 ; indicate the characteristics of the thin film transistor of the embodiment of the invention in both the light irradiating mode and the light non - irradiating mode , respectively . b and b &# 39 ; indicate the characteristics of the thin film transistor as a comparison example in the light irradiating mode and the light non - irradiating mode , respectively , in the case where such a thin film transistor is formed by substantially the same method as the foregoing method except that the step ( 3 ) of forming the crystallite layer 1012b among the steps ( 1 ) to ( 7 ) of forming the thin film transistor of the embodiment of the invention is omitted and that the a - si : h layer having a film thickness of 6000 å is formed in the step of forming the a - si : h layer 1012a . as shown in fig1 , when comparing the characteristics a &# 39 ; and b &# 39 ; in the light non - irradiating mode , in the case of the thin film transistor of the embodiment of the invention , the current ( dark current ) flowing between the source and drain electrodes near the gate electrode voltage of 20 v is increased by about 1 . 5 digits . when comparing the characteristics a and b in the light irradiating mode , in both of the thin film transistor of the embodiment of the invention and the thin film transistor as a comparison example , the similar currents ( photo - currents ) flowing between the source and drain electrodes are obtained . it will be understood from fig1 that the charge transfer ability of the thin film transistor of the embodiment of the invention is improved as compared with the charge transfer ability of the thin film transistor as a comparison example due to a large increase in current across the source and drain electrodes in the light non - irradiating mode . since the current flowing between the source and drain electrodes in the light irradiating mode in the thin film transistor of the embodiment of the invention is almost similar to that in the thin film transistor as a comparison example , it will be understood that the thin film transistor of the embodiment can be also be used as a photoelectric converting section . a circuit as shown in fig3 is constructed as a one - dimensional contact sensor array by using the photoelectric converting section comprising the thin film transistor formed in the second embodiment and the drive circuit section comprising such a thin film transistor or the like . in a manner similar to the embodiment 1 , the various characteristics of the thin film transistor type photoelectric converting section are examined . thus , the characteristics similar to those in the embodiment 1 were obtained . in the thin film transistor of the drive circuit section or the like , sufficient characteristics are shown and the charge transfer ability is improved by about one digit . fig1 is a cross sectional view showing a state in which the photoelectric converting device of the invention is installed as a one - dimensional complete contact type photo sensor array . in fig1 , an abrasion resistant layer 121 made of glass or the like is formed through a protective layer 120 over the photoelectric converting section and the drive circuit section . an original 123 is illuminated by a light source 122 such as a light emitting diode or the like from the back side of the translucent substrate 1011 such as glass or the like , thereby reading the original 123 . it will be obviously understood that the photo sensor array using the photoelectric converting device of the invention can be also used as a one - dimensional contact type photo sensor array using an equal magnification image forming lens . in the above embodiments , sih 4 , h 2 , and the like are used as materials to form the thin film . however , the invention is not limited to those materials but can also use materials containing f or the like or materials containing gases having a chemical formula of sih 2n + 2 ( n is an integer of 2 or more ). as silicon used in the invention , in addition to materials comprising at least silicon and hydrogen , silicon materials containing , for instance , fluorine or the like and other materials can be used . according to the invention as described above , since the semiconductor layer or photoconductive semiconductor layer comprising the crystallite layer and the amorphous layer is used , it has good performance as a semiconductor apparatus and good performance is maintained as a photoelectric converting section . therefore , there is provided a photoelectric converting apparatus having a drive circuit section in which a thin film transistor or the like of the drive circuit section can be formed by a construction which is common to that of the photoelectric converting section , the costs are low , the size is not enlarged , and a high enough transfer ability is obtained .

a semiconductor device comprises , at least , an insulative layer ; a semiconductor layer provided in contact with the insulative layer ; first and second electrodes provided in contact with the semiconductor layer ; and a third electrode provided through the insulative layer . the semiconductor layer has a crystallite layer whose average grain diameter lies within a range from 50 to 350 å and an amorphous layer .

referring generally to fig1 , a computer system enclosure 20 is featured . enclosure 20 includes a chassis 22 , a front bezel 24 , a rear panel 26 , an access panel 28 , and two moveable catches 30 for securing access panel 28 to chassis 22 . each movable catch 30 is operated by a catch release 32 accessible from the exterior of chassis 22 . in the illustrated embodiment , each moveable catch 30 is disposed on two sides 33 of chassis 22 , towards rear panel 26 . each catch release 32 is disposed in a recess 34 in each side 33 so as to minimize the profile of catch release 32 . in the illustrated embodiment , access panel 28 is released from chassis 22 by sliding both catch releases 32 towards rear panel 26 . referring generally to fig2 , chassis 22 is illustrated with access panel 28 in an open , or unsecured , position . the closed , or secured , position of panel 28 is shown in dashed lines . as best illustrated in fig8 , access panel 28 includes two tabs 36 used to secure access panel 28 to chassis 22 . alternatively , access panel 28 may be configured with one tab , or more than two tabs . referring again to fig2 , to secure access panel 28 to chassis 22 each tab 36 is seated under a lip 38 on the top rear portion of front bezel 24 . lip 38 and tabs 26 enable access panel 28 to be pivoted into the closed position . however , lip 38 prevents movement of tabs 36 when access panel 28 is in the closed position on chassis 28 . alternatively , the end of access panel 28 proximate front bezel 24 can be secured to chassis 22 by another mechanism , such as a hinge . fig2 also illustrates latch 40 of access panel 28 . chassis 22 and access panel 28 are preferably formed of sheet metal with latch 40 being formed by a series of bending operations on access panel 28 . however , latch 40 can also be formed separately . latch 40 includes an angled latch portion 42 , a flat latch portion 44 , and a connecting member 46 . access panel 28 also includes two support rails 48 that extend along the sides of panel 28 . as best illustrated in fig8 , each support rail 48 includes a plurality of holes 50 . a ground spring 52 is disposed between each hole 50 and the main cover portion 54 of access panel 28 . each rail 48 rests on a first bracket surface 56 and a second bracket surface 58 on each side 33 of chassis 22 . first bracket 56 includes a plurality of ground tabs 60 . each ground tab 60 is configured for insertion through each hole 50 of access panel 28 so as to contact ground spring 52 and ground access panel 28 to chassis 22 . second bracket 58 is configured with a leaf spring 62 to bias access panel 28 to an open position . referring generally to fig3 and 3a , movable catch 30 also includes an inner member 64 secured to release switch 32 , shown in dashed lines . as best illustrated in fig1 , inner member 64 is connected to release switch 32 through a hole 66 in chassis 22 . movable catch 30 includes a block portion 68 that extends through hole 66 . block 68 has a side opening 70 that allows movable catch 30 to travel along a guide member 72 formed in chassis 22 . block 68 could be disposed on release switch 32 or inner member 64 . however , in the illustrated embodiment , block 68 is disposed on release switch 32 . chassis 22 also includes two tabs 74 that cooperate with block 68 and guide member 72 to secure a biasing spring 76 . in the illustrated embodiment , inner member 64 includes a raised member 78 having an angled catch portion 80 and a flat catch portion 82 . inner member 64 also includes a hole 84 through which a screw 86 is inserted to secure inner member 64 to release switch 32 . as best illustrated in fig9 , release switch 32 includes a corresponding threaded hole 88 into which screw 86 is threaded . as best illustrated in fig1 , inner member 64 includes four guideposts 90 that are configured for insertion into four guide holes 92 in central block 68 . referring again to fig3 , the illustrated embodiment of raised member 78 includes a second angled catch portion 94 and a second flat catch portion 96 . second angled catch portion 94 and second flat catch portion 96 are symmetrical about an axis with angled catch portion 80 and flat catch portion 82 . the symmetry of inner member 64 allows a single design to be used on opposite sides of chassis 22 . in the exemplary embodiment , two movable catches 30 are used to secure access panel 28 to chassis 22 . the operation of each movable catch 30 , preferably , is identical . therefore , for clarity the following discussion of the operation of movable catch 30 will refer only to a single movable catch 30 . referring generally to fig4 and 4a , as access panel 28 is being closed , angled latch portion 42 of access panel 28 contacts first angled catch portion 80 of inner member 64 . in this view , as access panel 28 is pivoted downward , angled latch portion 42 forces inner member 64 to the right , causing spring 76 to be compressed . angled latch portion 42 of access panel 28 slides along the surface of angled catch portion 80 as it forces inner member 64 to the right . referring generally to fig5 , access panel 28 eventually pivots to a point where angled latch portion 42 no longer engages angled catch portion 80 . when that point is reached , the force of compression in spring 76 pushes block 68 to the left towards a biased position . the movement of movable catch 30 to the biased position causes flat catch portion 82 to be placed over flat latch portion 44 . flat catch portion 82 blocks movement of flat latch portion 44 . the flat catch portions 82 of two movable catches 30 and lip 38 thus cooperate to secure access panel 28 to chassis 22 . additionally , the spring force of leaf spring 62 must be overcome to place access panel 28 in the closed position . referring generally to fig6 and 6a , release switch 32 is operated to displace movable catch 30 from the biased position to gain access to chassis 22 . an operator displaces movable catch 30 laterally to remove flat catch portion 82 from its blocking position over flat latch portion 44 . as best illustrated in fig6 a , the force of leaf spring 62 then forces edge 98 of access panel 28 upward . this makes it easier for an operator to grab access panel 28 and remove it from chassis 22 . referring generally to fig7 and 7a , electromagnetic shielding for enclosure 20 is provided by a system of ground springs 52 and ground tabs 60 . each tab 60 on chassis 22 is inserted through a respective hole 50 in support 48 of access panel 28 when access panel 28 is installed in a closed position on chassis 22 . in the illustrated embodiment , ground springs 52 are formed of a strip of metal fixed at one end 100 to support 48 . each tab 60 contacts a free end 102 of a respective ground spring 52 , thus grounding panel 28 to chassis 22 . referring generally to fig8 , a bottom view of access panel 28 is featured . preferably , access panel 28 is made from a sheet metal . in the illustrated embodiment , latch 40 and support rails 48 are formed by a series of bending operations on the sheet metal of access panel 28 . referring generally to fig9 and 10 , front and back views of the release switch 32 are illustrated . fig9 illustrates the side of catch release 32 facing inner member 64 . fig1 illustrates the side of catch release 32 that is visible from the exterior of protective enclosure 20 . raised ridges 103 are provided on the outer surface of release switch 32 to enable an operator to more easily operate release switch 32 . referring generally to fig1 , an exterior view is shown of base 22 . this view illustrates recessed landing 34 , hole 66 , and guide member 72 . referring generally to fig1 and 13 , front and back views of inner member 64 are illustrated . fig1 illustrates the side of inner member 64 that faces catch release 32 . fig1 illustrates the side of the inner member that faces the interior of enclosure 20 . referring generally to fig1 , an alternative embodiment of a chassis 104 is shown . in the illustrated embodiment , chassis 104 is configured so that movable catch 30 is proximate to front bezel 24 so that access panel 28 may be removed from the front of chassis 22 , rather than the back . it will be understood that the foregoing description is of preferred exemplary embodiments of this invention , and that the invention is not limited to the specific forms shown . for example , elements , such as latch 40 and brackets 56 and 58 described as portions of chassis 22 and access panel 28 , may be formed separately and secured to chassis 22 and access panel 28 . these and other modifications may be made in the design and arrangement of the elements without departing from the scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims .

a protective assembly for electronic components . the protective assembly has a chassis and a removable cover . the removable cover is secured to the chassis by a latch and a catch . the catch is biased by a spring to a first position . the latch slidingly engages the catch to displace the catch during the installation of the cover . the spring returning the catch to the first position when the cover is disposed on the chassis in the securing position . the panel being removeable by sliding the catch against the spring to release the latch from the catch .

fig1 and 2 show a multipack 1 having containers 2 joined to each other by adhesive spots 3 . the resulting multipack 1 avoids the use of shrink wrap or film . the particular multipack 1 shown in fig1 is a six - piece multipack because it has six containers 2 . however , other numbers of containers 2 can be formed into a multipack 1 . in some multipacks 1 , the individual containers 2 are pet bottles . however , other types of containers can be used . the adhesive spots 3 are spots of bonding or adhesive agents that connect the individual containers 2 to one another . as used herein , “ adhesive ” refers to any bonding or adhesive agent .” an adhesive spot 3 is made of one or more of these bonding or adhesive agents . for the customer &# 39 ; s convenience , a multipack 1 has an optional carrying handle or carrying loop 4 having first and second ends that connect to opposed first and second containers 2 as shown in fig1 and 2 . in some embodiments , the carrying loop 4 is adhesively bonded to the containers 2 . each container 2 also has an alignment feature 5 . these alignment features 5 are used by a container - processing machine as a basis for rotating individual containers 2 about their container axes so as to bring the adhesive spot 3 into the desired position . in fig2 , one container 2 has been removed from the multipack 1 to reveal the locations of the adhesive spots 3 . it can be seen that adhesive spots are placed so that every container has one or more adhesive spots 3 that face its adjacent containers . the adhesive spots 3 can be found on the belly , on the head , or near the base of a container 2 . it is of particular importance that each point of contact between two containers 2 in a multipack 1 have an adhesive spot thereon , as shown in fig3 a and 3b . fig1 and 2 show a paired arrangement in which a container 2 has a pair of adhesive spots 3 at its head or , respectively , at its belly and near its base . in some cases , an adjacent container 2 does not have any adhesive spot 3 at all . in other cases , the two adhesive spots are on different containers 2 . for example one container 2 has the adhesive spot 3 on the head side and an adjacent container 2 has an adhesive spot 3 on its base . in some embodiments , it is useful for the adhesive spot 3 to made from least two adhesives . the enlarged portion of fig2 shows an adhesive spot 3 formed by first and second adhesives that define first and second zones 3 ′, 3 ″ of the adhesive spot 3 . the different adhesives have different physical or chemical properties . in the embodiment show , the first and second zones 3 ′, 3 ″ of the adhesive spot 3 are spaced apart to form an archipelago of zones 3 ′, 3 ″ arranged in a preselected configuration . however , in other embodiments , the zones 3 ′ 3 ″ are contiguous , and thus do not form adhesive islands within the spot 3 . in the illustrated embodiment , the zones 3 ′, 3 ″ are arranged like the spots in a standard five - spot die from a pair of dice used in a typical casino for such games as craps . the arrangement features a centered first zone 3 ′ and four second zones 3 ″ that define vertices of a square centered about the first zone 3 ′. in the configuration shown , the first zone 3 ′ is made of a first adhesive having a high adhesive strength . in contrast , the second zones 3 ″ are made of a second adhesive having an adhesive strength that is lower than that of the first adhesive . this arrangement enables a container 2 to be easily detached from the multipack 1 , as illustrated in fig2 . in the embodiments of fig1 and 2 , the adhesive spots 3 and any zones 3 ′, 3 ″ thereof are arranged in horizontal planes that are coplanar . in this situation there is the further possibility of applying the individual adhesive spots 3 , 3 ′, 3 ″ inside the multipack 1 in different positions on the container 2 , as indicated in fig3 a and 3b . these can be placed in the same horizontal plane , in different vertical positions , or in different positions in relation to a longitudinal axis of the container 2 . each container 2 has a container axis that defines a cylindrical coordinate system for that container 2 . adhesive spots 3 can be applied anywhere on the surface of that container 2 at any axial coordinate and at any circumferential coordinate defined by the cylindrical coordinate system . fig3 a and 3b show containers 2 arranged in rows and columns in a multipack 1 . although only four containers are shown , it will be understood that a multipack is in effect a container lattice for which the arrangement shown in fig3 a and 3b forms a primitive cell that is tiled to form the lattice . thus , the description of fig3 a and 3b is applicable to any subset of four containers in a larger multipack 1 . the multipack 1 consists of a first container , a second container , a third container , and a fourth container arranged to form vertices of a square . the first and second containers define a top row , the third and fourth containers define a bottom row , the first and third container define a left column , and the second and fourth containers define a right column . a first set of adhesive spots 3 ′ joins the left and right columns of containers 2 and a second set of adhesive spots 3 ″ joins the top and bottom rows of containers 2 . a convenient way to refer to the different circumferential coordinates of the adhesive spots 3 ′, 3 ″ in fig3 a and 3b is by reference to different positions on a clock face . in fig3 a , each container in the left column has an adhesive spot 3 ′ at the three o &# 39 ; clock position , whereas each container in the right column has an adhesive spot 3 ′ at the nine o &# 39 ; clock position . these spots 3 ′ hold the two columns together . additional spots 3 ″ hold the top row to the bottom row . in particular , the second container , which is in the top row and right column , has an adhesive spot 3 ″ at the five o &# 39 ; clock position while the fourth container , which is in the bottom row and the right column , has an adhesive spot 3 ″ at the one o &# 39 ; clock position . meanwhile , the first container , which is in the top row and left column , has an adhesive spot 3 ″ at the seven o &# 39 ; clock position and the third container , which is in the bottom row and left column , has an adhesive spot 3 ″ in the eleven o &# 39 ; clock position . an alternative way to describe the circumferential coordinates of the adhesive spots 3 ′, 3 ″ is by identifying an inter - spot angle formed by a first line that extends from the first adhesive spot 3 ′ to the container axis , and a second line that extends from the second spot 3 ″ to the container axis . in the embodiment shown in fig3 a , these inter - spot angles are all obtuse angles . in contrast , in the embodiment shown in fig3 b , the second adhesive spots 3 ″ have been interchanged so that the resulting inter - spot angle becomes acute . in some embodiments , the adhesive strength that connects columns to each other can differ from that connecting rows to each other . this affects the manner in which one would separate containers from the multipack 1 . for instance , if the adhesive strength connecting columns to each other is the greater of the two , it will be easier to separate one row at a time from the multipack 1 . conversely , if the adhesive strength connecting rows to each other is the greater of the two , it will be easier to separate one column at a time from the multipack 1 . this difference between adhesive strengths is suggested in fig3 a and 3b by showing adhesive spots 3 ′, 3 ″ that have different thicknesses , with the second adhesive spots 3 ″ being noticeably thicker than the first adhesive spots 3 ′. having first and second sets of adhesive spots 3 ′, 3 ″ with different adhesive strengths can be executed in different ways , for example by using different adhesive materials or different configurations of adhesive materials within a spot , or by pre - treatment of the adhesive material .

a method for producing multipacks of containers includes placing adhesive spots on surfaces of the containers . at least two kinds of adhesives are used , both of which plastic melt adhesives that melt as a result of exposure to heat and that develop cohesion after cooling . after placing the adhesive spots , the containers are connected to each other using the adhesive spots so as to form a multipack .

those of ordinary skill in the art will realize that the following description of the present invention is illustrative only and is not intended to be in any way limiting . other embodiments of the invention will readily suggest themselves to such skilled persons from an examination of the within disclosure . the atomic force microscope of the present invention is identified by the reference numeral 10 in fig2 . microscope 10 comprises a base member 11 having a plurality of leveling screws 12 depending therefrom and supporting a flat pedestal 13 thereupon . pedestal 13 has a u - shaped opening 14 defined in the middle thereof . microscope 10 further comprises a vertical support member 15 with which a horizontal support mount 16 is integrally formed to extend outwardly therefrom . a laser adjustment attachment 18 , a pzt tube scanner 19 , and the detector position adjustment attachment 20 are mounted on support mount 16 as hereinafter described in detail . u - shaped opening 14 provides space in which to position sample stage 21 in operative relationship to pzt tube scanner 19 . base member 11 preferably functions as a motorized translation stage to enable the height and the tilt of pedestal 13 to be adjusted as needed . one end of the pzt tube scanner 19 is attached to the bottom surface 17 of support mount 16 . the other end of pzt tube scanner 19 is connected with cantilever holder 22 and beam tracking lens 23 . a cantilever probe 24 is secured to the free end 25 of cantilever holder 22 . a laser module 26 such as a diode laser element is attached to laser adjustment attachment 18 as shown in fig2 which , as described , is attached to support mount 16 . support mount 16 has an opening 27 defined therethrough to allow the shank of laser module 26 to extend downwardly therethrough towards the cantilever probe 24 . laser module 26 , thus positioned , produces a coherent , collimated laser light beam directed downwardly through beam tracking lens 23 toward the upper surface of cantilever probe 24 . detector position adjustment attachment 20 comprises position sensitive photodetector module 28 and is likewise attached to support mount 16 adjacent to laser module 26 . a clearance opening ( not shown ) is defined through support mount 16 to enable the photodetector embodied in position sensitive photodetector module 28 to receive laser light reflected from cantilever probe 24 . an l - shaped support member 32 is attached to the lower surface 33 of pzt tube scanner 19 and extends outwardly and upwardly therefrom . lens support arm 34 is integrally formed with l - shaped member 32 and extends outwardly therefrom . beam tracking lens 23 is seated within lens seating opening 36 formed in lens support arm 34 and secured thereto . the vertical arm 37 of l - shaped member 32 will be the same length as the focal length of beam tracking lens 23 . cantilever holder 22 is formed preferably of flat steel and is attached to the bottom portion of l - shaped member 32 and extends outwardly therefrom . the distal end 38 of cantilever holder 22 carries cantilever probe 24 which is positioned directly under beam tracking lens 23 . sample stage 21 is separate from pedestal 13 and the assembly of microscope 10 which is positioned on the top of motorized translational stage or base 11 . sample stage 21 normally will be formed of a block of stainless steel having a thickness sufficient to allow a sample 40 , which is located on top of sample stage 21 to be engaged by cantilever probe 24 within the mechanical travel distance of base 11 in response to leveling screws 12 which are preferably motor driven . as previously described , base 11 has three levelling screws 12 extending from the bottom which , in a preferred practice of this invention are controlled , individually , by three motors , or three thumb screws ( not shown ). the amount of available extension of the screws 12 governs the distance between the cantilever probe 24 and surface of sample 40 . as particularly shown in fig1 and 2 , microscope 10 comprises a sample stage 21 supporting sample 40 and the cantilever probe 24 . a collimated diode laser module 26 is mounted so as to remain stationary with respect to microscope 10 during operation of microscope 10 . the cantilever probe or tip 24 is attached to pzt tube scanner 19 directly and in fixed relationship to beam tracking lens 23 as shown . a beam tracking lens 23 is attached , as described above , to l - shaped member 32 . beam tracking lens 23 can be a commercial grade bi - convex lens ( diameter 10 mm ) of focal length 25 mm . cantilever holder 22 , including beam tracking lens 23 , is so designed to be as light as possible ( less than 20 g ) and mechanically rigid . the moving beam tracking lens ( moving with the movement of the lower surface 33 of pzt tube scanner 19 ) acts as a guide to the stationary laser beam to follow the moving cantilever . such tracking action is achieved based upon the geometric optical principal , that all rays passing through the beam tracking lens 23 go to one focal point , regardless of the positions of incidence at the lens aperture as shown in fig1 . if the upper reflective surface of cantilever probe 24 moves slightly out of the initial optic axis , the beam tracking lens 23 moves out of the axis the same amount , leaving the laser beam arriving at the outer portions of the lens , where the curvature of the lens makes the beam bend toward the axis . the degree of the bend is such that the beam is still focused at the focal point , which is fixed at the reflective back surface of the cantilever , thus the automatic tracking action is achieved without any complicated active - control elements . the position sensitive photodetector module 28 mounted within detector position adjustment attachment 20 produces electrical signals indicating the change of the position of the light beam which is reflected from the reflective back of the moving cantilever 29 . at the end of the moving cantilever 29 there is a sharp - pointed probe tip 24 to inspect the surfaces and topologies of the sample 40 . the electrical signal from the position detector is the measure of the amount of the force of atomic interaction between the probe tip 24 the surface of sample 40 . this is the result of the force causing the probe tip 24 to be pushed or pulled higher or lower thus producing a bend in the cantilever 29 . such bending makes the laser light beam , focused by the moving beam tracking lens 23 , change its angle of deflection , which causes the reflected light beam to emerge in the direction of position sensitive photodetector module 28 with force - varying angles . the motion of cantilever probe 24 also causes the absolute position of the focus to move . however , due to the intrinsic optical property , within the practical limit , such position changes do not contribute significantly to the direction of the reflected laser light beam . therefore , only the reflection angle of the beam , which is proportional to the magnitude of the force acting on the cantilever probe 24 , is the cause of the change of the position of the bright spot ( due to the reflected laser light beam ) on the position sensitive photodetector module 28 . images are recorded from microscope 10 using existing art equipment such as the model tac 3 . 0 available from at corp . of tempe , ariz . during imaging , the beam tracking lens 23 focuses all of the parallel incident light rays from laser module 26 into a fixed focused position below the cantilever probe 24 . during operation , pzt tube scanner 19 , beam tracking lens 23 , cantilever probe 24 and cantilever holder 22 are moved so that the cantilever probe 24 is translated across the desired area of the surface of sample 40 which remains stationary on sample stage 21 . the laser beam detection with the optical lever method is performed by using beam tracking lens 23 to guide the laser beam automatically with the moving cantilever probe 24 . although the laser , the bi - cell photodetector , and cantilever are virtually the same as described in the optical lever scheme , the present invention provides three noteworthy advantages compared to the conventional optical lever scheme . first , the cantilever probe is attached directly to the pzt tube scanner by the cantilever holder . second , a beam tracking lens is attached to the moving probe holder and to the bottom of the pzt tube scanner . third , an s - shaped pzt tube scanner is provided . unevenness with an afm image is caused by three factors . first , the &# 34 ; mirror &# 34 ; ( reflective back of cantilever 29 ) moves out of the laser beam spot , as anticipated . thus , the maximum range of scanning , r 0 , may be expressed as : where w is the diameter of the laser spot , and d is the diameter of effective mirror area . when d and w are both equal to 20 μm , then r 0 = 28 μm . second , , a constant background slope of average 5 % is observed even after the relative sample tilt is adjusted to its minimum . it is interpreted that the finite size of the cantilever mirror selectively reflects part of the beam wave front . the wave front is found to be already highly spherical , even at a small distance ( larger than - 100 μm ) from the beam waist . in a typical experiment , the focal point is located 2 mm above the cantilever to allow the largest scanning area . using gaussian optics , this deviation is calculated . the results predict the background to have 3 % slope , in agreement with the observed 5 %. third , the uneven field near the boundaries of the image in respect to the detector orientation . such a deflection can exist when there is diffraction of the beam by the non - perpendicular edges , especially of triangular tube cantilevers . other causes , such as non - linear pzt response , are not significant in the images discussed here . these factors are corrected by adding the beam tracking lens . in a geometric optic regime , the simple lens focuses all of the parallel incident rays into a fixed focus position . the lens eliminates most errors . the percent error in this case can be obtained as follows . consider that the lens moves out of the optical axis slightly , as the scanner moves ; then , the beam is no longer parallel to the axis because it is directed to the cantilever . this changes the incident angle which , in turn , may result in a beam shift at the detector position . therefore , if the maximum scanning area is p 2 , and the focal length of the lens is f , then the change of the reflection angle θ is given by θ = 2p / f . in terms of height error z , using the optical lever formula described by saridin in &# 34 ; scanning force microscopy &# 34 ; ( oxford u . press ) 1991 , p . 120 , θ = 3z / 2l . therefore , the percent error t is given by t = z / p = 4l / 3f , where l is the length of the cantilever . when l = 100 μm and f = 25 mm , then f = 0 . 50 %. compared to the previous lensless case , the error is reduced by an order of magnitude . within the gaussian optics frame , which covers the experimental conditions here , the error is linear in p . based on these , the maximum scanning range using a moving probe can be larger than 100 × 100 μm 2 . in order to move the cantilever , it is attached at the end of the scanning piezoceramic tube , which is controlled by the high voltages applied to the electrodes located at the side walls of the tube . when the pzt is bent by these voltages , it is accompanied by a tilt of the bottom surface as described by carr , r . g . &# 34 ; finite element analysis of pzt tube scanner motion for scanning tunneling microscopy &# 34 ;, journal of microscopy , 152 , pp . 379 - 385 , 1988 . this results in a large change in the probe height during scanning . the tilt is removed to less than experimental tolerances by using the special s - shaped scanner of this invention . experiments demonstrate that this design and method yields excellent images in afm . see jung and yaniv , electronics letters , 29 , no . 3 , pp . 264 - 265 . in the prior art , which makes the pzt tube bend in an l - shape , one of the electrodes is controlled by a scanning voltage , say , in the x direction ( vx +), and the opposite electrode is controlled by another voltage ( vx -) in the x direction . the tube bends by an amount proportional to the difference in the two high voltages in the x direction . in the orthogonal direction ( y ), each of the two electrodes facing each other has another controlling voltage in the y direction in a similar fashion . one is vy + and the other is vy -. therefore , the tube will bend in the y direction in response to the difference between vy + and vy -. in addition , the inner surface of the tubes is covered with a separate cylindrical metallic electrode . a separate voltage to control the amount of the extension of the tube is applied to that electrode ( vz ). the amount of the voltage difference between the vz and the average values of the vx +, vx -, vy + and vy - determines the amount of the extension , which is used to adjust the height . the s - shaped scanner 19 , as shown in fig3 and 5 , is composed of two identical pzt scanners implemented one on the top of the other . both parts have four independent electrodes around the side walls of the tube , thus the total number of independent electrodes in the s - shaped scanner of the current invention is eight . each electrode occupies one quadrant and tracks on the side wall outer surface as shown in fig3 and 4 where &# 34 ; a &# 34 ; represents applied voltage vx +, &# 34 ; b &# 34 ; represents vx - voltage , &# 34 ; c &# 34 ; represents vy - voltage , and &# 34 ; d &# 34 ; represents vy + applied voltage . in the current invention , two of the tubes with the same electrode configuration as the prior art are used . the improvement is to make one body scanner by placing one on top of the other . this is achieved either by gluing two separately made pzt tubes together or separating the four quadrant electrodes by half , at the midway along the length of the scanner tube , thus realizing eight different electrodes . then the top and bottom half electrodes are connected to the opposite polarities of the control voltages , such that if one of the top electrodes has vx +, the bottom electrode at the same side has vx - connected , and vice versa . at the orthogonal direction , vy + is at the top , the vy - is at the bottom , and vice versa . therefore , although four additional electrodes are added , the number of necessary control voltages are the same , including the vz which is connected at the inside electrode , to control the height as shown in fig3 . when the top section of the s - shaped scanner bends to one side , the tilt is created at the end of the section , which is the exact mid - point of the tube . at the same time , the bottom part bends to the opposite direction , with exactly the same amount of the tilt but , in the opposite direction , because the relative polarities of the voltages are opposite . therefore , the net tilt at the bottom of the overall tube is virtually eliminated , as long as the sections are of the identical property . in fact , the two sections bend to the opposite directions . however , the direction of the tilt of the top part is to the same direction of the bend , which makes the bottom part displaced to the same direction as the bending . the bottom part is bending toward the opposite direction . the top surface of the tube is a fixed flat surface , and the bottom part bends from the tilt angle caused by the top section of the pzt tube toward the direction of the displacement . the bending of the bottom part always leaves the overall net displacement to the direction of the bending of the top part . this result is obtained because the direction of the tilt is the same as the direction of the bending ; the amount of the tilt is proportional to the amount of the bending ; and the two sections are exactly identical to each other . therefore , the tilt angles are eliminated , while achieving the net scanning motion of the pzt tube . when the bending occurs , the overall shape looks like as alphabet &# 34 ; s &# 34 ;. the extension action in the z - direction is not affected by such electrode configuration . fig5 shows the s - shaped bending of the present invention . mathematically , two same sections of arcs taken from one circle connected tangentially at the one end to the opposite direction will always yield a net displacement between the two end points , so long as the arcs are less than one - half of the circle . the displacement of the prior art l - shaped bending is given by : where r is the radius of the arc and l is the length of the overall tube , if r & gt ;& gt ; l . the s - shape yields : therefore , the displacement is reduced by 1 / 2 , which is compensated for by increasing the length of the pzt tube by 1 . 4 times . while illustrative embodiments and applications of this invention have been shown and described , it would be apparent to those skilled in the art that many more modifications than have been mentioned above are possible without departing from the inventive concepts set forth herein . the invention , therefore , is not to be limited except in the spirit of the appended claims .

an atomic force , scanning probe microscope having a stationary - sample stage and a scanning cantilever using an optical lever method with an s - shape pzt is described . the cantilever tip is translated to measure surface profiles while a simple lens attached to the cantilever holder guides a focused beam from a fixed collimated diode laser . this enables the change of scanners or scanning techniques in air or solution without disturbing the sample . the imaging capability is demonstrated up to 100 × 100 square micrometers .

in this specification and claims , numerical values are not critical unless otherwise stated . that is , the numerical values may be read as if they were prefaced with the word &# 34 ; about &# 34 ; or &# 34 ; substantially &# 34 ;. a first component useful in the invention is maleic anhydride : ## str2 ## maleic anhydride is well known to those skilled in the art and is commercially available . the maleic anhydride is polymerized to form a homopolymer . by use of the term &# 34 ; homopolymer &# 34 ; herein the reference is likewise to encompass impliedly a polymer in which there is not a significant amount of another component . of course , most commercial grades of maleic anhydride may contain some quantity of other polymerizable compounds , and it would be possible ( although not advisable ) to add trivial amounts of another unsaturated compound . what is important is that the quantity of other components in the polymer be sufficiently low that the performance of the polymer is not significantly impaired . generally , the polymer will be at least 90 %, desirably at least 92 %, more desirably at least 94 %, preferably at least 96 %, more preferably at least 98 % and most preferably at least 99 % composed of repeating units of maleic anhydride . thus , while the term &# 34 ; homopolymer &# 34 ; is used herein for conciseness , the compositions and techniques should be recognized to be applicable to such limited copolymers as well . the maleic anhydride is polymerized to yield a polymer having the general structure : ## str3 ## wherein n is greater than 2 , desirably 2 to 100 , more desirably 2 to 50 , preferably 2 to 20 , and most preferably 2 to 10 . while the higher molecular weights ( i . e ., n = 11 to 100 , or more ) would be operable , such polymers are very difficult to produce . the lower moleoular weights ( i . e ., n = 2 to 10 ) are preferred because of their relative ease of manufacture . the polymerization takes place by conventional means , preferably including a free radical catalyst . suitable free radical catalysts include peroxides such as hydrogen peroxide , t - butyl peroxide , t - butyl hydroperoxide , and cumene hydroperoxide ; persulfates such as sodium persulfate , potassium persulfate , and ammonium persulfate ; and azo compounds such as azobisisobutronitrile . the peroxides , especially t - butyl peroxide , are preferred catalysts . because the polymerization of maleic anhydride is a rather slow and &# 34 ; difficult &# 34 ; reaction , the amount of catalyst used will desirably be greater than in a typical polymerization . generally , the catalyst will be present at 0 . 01 to 25 , desirably 0 . 1 to 20 , and preferably 1 to 15 weight percent , based on the weight of the monomer . the polymerization reaction may take place at any suitable temperature , for instance at 50 ° c . to 250 ° c ., preferably at 100 ° c . to 200 ° c . if no catalyst is used , the preferred polymerization temperature is 105 ° c . to 160 ° c . if a catalyst is used , the polymer will usually be such that the molecular weight will correspond to n being from 5 to 7 . if no catalyst is used ( i . e ., only heat is used to drive the polymerization ) n will be from 2 to 4 . the polymerization preferably takes place in a solvent such as diethylene glycol dimethyl ether . the polymerization reaction will generally be complete in 1 to 20 hours , desirably 2 to 10 hours . after the polymerization is complete , the maleic anhydride homopolymer will be reacted with an amine of the formula : ## str4 ## wherein r is an alkylene radical , preferably unbranched , having 1 to 12 , desirably 2 to 8 , preferably 2 to 6 , more preferably 2 to 4 , and most preferably , 3 carbon atoms ; and r 1 and r 2 are each independently h or alkyl radicals having 1 to 12 , desirably 1 to 8 , more desirably 1 to 4 , preferably to 3 , more preferably or 2 , and most preferably , 1 carbon atoms ; with the proviso that at least one ( preferably both ) of r 1 and r 2 is alkyl . an exemplary amine is n , n - dimethyl - 1 , 3 - diaminopropane : ## str5 ## the polymaleic anhydride is reacted with the amine either with or without water . it is believed that an amide will be formed first , and heating will result in formation of the imide from the amide . the reaction of the polymer with the amine , with or without water , generally takes place in 0 . 1 to 2 hours at ambient temperature to 300 ° c ., without a catalyst . at higher temperatures , e . g ., 100 ° c . to 300 ° c ., the byproduct water will be continually removed . the polymer and the amine will generally be reacted at a ratio of 0 . 9 to 1 . 1 mole of amine per mole of anhydride unit . the amine polyimide is then quaternized by the addition of a quaternization agent such as an alkyl halide or a dialkyl sulfate . exemplary quaternization agents include methyl bromide , ethyl bromide , methyl iodide , ethyl iodide , methyl chloride , and ethyl chloride . the degree of quaternization ( i . e ., the percent of the amino groups which become quaternized ) is desirably at least 40 %, more desirably at least 50 %, preferably at least 60 %, more preferably at least 70 %, and most preferably at least 80 % the quaternized polymer will have the general structure : ## str7 ## in which a + b = n and r 3 is the moiety supplied by the quaternization agent . r 3 is an organic moiety desirably having 1 to 12 carbon atoms , more desirably an alkyl moiety having 1 to 12 , more desirably 1 to 6 , preferably 1 to 4 , and more preferably or 2 carbon atoms . the quaternization is believed to occur randomly , and structure vii is not necessarily intended to represent a polymer having discrete blocks of quaternized and non - quaternized units . the quaternization ( and the imide formation ) can take place in the solvent used to form the original homopolymer . the fluid containing the composition of the invention is then contacted with the clay to be stabilized in a conventional manner , such as by injecting the fluid under pressure into the well bore . the compositions of the invention are particularly suitable for use in water - based hydraulic fracturing fluids which are injected into oil wells under very high pressure to cause the rock of the oil formation to crack , leaving channels for the oil to flow to the well bore . the invention will be further illustrated by the following examples . in the examples , all parts and percentages are by weight unless otherwise specified . 49 . 0 g of maleic anhydride and 42 . 2 g diglyme ( diethylene glycol dimethyl ether ) were combined in a 500 ml flask and heated to 120 ° c . 4 . 9 g of di - tertiarybutyl peroxide in 4 . 9 g of diglyme were added dropwise so as to not allow the exothermic reaction to raise the temperature over 155 ° c . as the reaction subsided , the mixture was maintained at 130 ° c . for five hours . based on nmr analysis , it was estimated that 5 % of the maleic anhydride was unreacted . the solution of step a ( missing 0 . 5 g which was used for analysis ) was combined with 50 g of water and heated to 90 ° c . 51 g of n , n - dimethyl - 1 , 3 - diaminopropane was added dropwise . a small amount of solid formed on the side of the reaction vessel , but was removed . an additional 100 g of water were then added . step c the solution of step b was combined with 25 . 5 g of chloromethane and heated to 90 ° c . for five hours . the product was identified as the 57 % quaternary ammonium salt of the n , n - dimethyl - 1 , 3 - diaminopropane imide of polymaleic anhydride : ## str8 ## a 280 g portion of the compound of example 1 was treated with an additional 5 g of chloromethane for five hours at 90 ° c . the resultant product was 83 % quaternized . a 1 inch ( 25 . 4 mm ) long , 1 inch ( 25 . 4 mm ) diameter core of berea sandstone ( purchased from cleveland quarries of amherst , ohio ) was soaked for 24 hours in an 8 % nacl solution , wrapped ( around the circumference ) with teflon ® tape , inserted into a rubber sleeve , and placed in a core test cell . 25 ml of 8 % nacl solution was then forced axially through the core under a nitrogen gas pressure of 20 psi ( 138 kpa ) and the time required for the saline to pass through the core recorded as 35 seconds . two additional 25 ml portions of saline were passed through the core in a similar manner , those trials requiring 38 and 37 seconds . an attempt was then made to pass 25 ml of deionized water through the core in a similar manner , but after one minute only 2 . 9 ml of water had been collected and the flow of water stopped completely . this indicated that the deionized water caused the clay in the rock to swell . in a manner similar to example 3 , a core was wrapped and placed in a core test cell . three 25 ml portions of saline were forced through the core , followed by treatment with a 25 ml portion of a 0 . 1 % ( active ) solution of the polymer of example 1 , forced through the core . then three 25 ml portions of deionized water were forced through the core and the third flow rate for the water compared to the third flow rate for the saline , as a percentage of the latter , was calculated . the procedure was then repeated for several other treatments with various polymer concentrations and degrees of quaternization . the data are reported in table i . table i______________________________________ concen - quat tration time flow returnsample (%) (%) fluid ( min : sec ) ( ml / s ) (%) ______________________________________ 1 * saline 0 : 35 0 : 38 0 : 37 40 . 5no polymer water ∞ 0 02 saline 1 : 03 1 : 07 1 : 09 21 . 7 57 0 . 1 treatment 2 : 11 water 2 : 34 3 : 01 3 : 13 7 . 8 35 . 93 saline 0 : 37 0 : 50 0 : 59 25 . 6 57 0 . 25 treatment 0 : 52 water 1 : 07 1 : 10 1 : 12 20 . 4 79 . 74 saline 0 : 34 0 : 34 0 : 34 44 . 3 57 0 . 25 treatment 0 : 31 water 0 : 28 0 : 29 0 : 30 50 . 0 112 . 95 saline 0 : 56 1 : 01 1 : 00 58 . 1 75 0 . 1 treatment 0 : 58 water 0 : 57 1 : 04 1 : 04 23 . 4 9 . 386 saline 0 : 55 1 : 00 0 : 59 25 . 3 75 0 . 25 treatment 0 : 51 water 0 : 48 0 : 50 0 : 51 29 . 4 116 . 27 saline 0 : 36 0 : 37 0 : 37 41 . 0 83 0 . 1 treatment 0 : 47 water 0 : 45 0 : 50 0 : 50 29 . 9 72 . 98 saline 0 : 37 0 : 36 0 : 35 42 . 7 83 0 . 25 treatment 0 : 30 water 0 : 31 0 : 31 0 : 31 48 . 7 1149 saline 1 : 10 1 : 16 1 : 12 20 . 9 89 0 . 1 treatment 1 : 07 water 1 : 00 1 : 01 1 : 02 24 . 3 116 . 310 saline 1 : 03 1 : 19 1 : 11 21 . 3 89 0 . 25 treatment 0 : 59 water 0 : 55 0 : 56 0 : 58 26 . 0 122 . 1______________________________________ * not an example of the invention . the data in table i show that at a given level of quaternization , a higher concentration of polymer in the treatment fluid produces a better return rate ( sample 2 vs . 3 or 4 , sample 5 vs . 6 , sample 7 vs . 8 , and sample 9 vs . 10 ) and that at a given concentration of polymer in the treatment fluid , a higher level of quaternization generally produces a better return ( sample 2 vs . 5 vs . 7 vs . 9 and samples 3 or 4 vs . 6 vs . 8 vs . 10 ). table i also shows that for a given treatment level and degree of quaternization , cores with higher saline flow rates are easier to treat ( i . e ., they receive more benefit ) than cores with low saline flow rates ( sample 4 vs . 3 ). a solution of 29 . 26 g ( 0 . 209 mole ) of 1 - decene , 20 . 5 g ( 0 . 209 mole ) of maleic anhydride , and 101 g of a mixed aromatic solvent was heated to 130 ° c . and 1 . 1 g of di - t - butyl peroxide was added . the mixture was maintained at 130 ° c . for five hours . an increase in viscosity was noted and the solution was cooled to 90 ° c . and diluted with an additional 28 . 3 g of the mixed aromatic solvent . the solution was then heated to 90 ° c . and 21 . 3 g of n , n - dimethyl - 1 , 3 - diaminopropane was added dropwise over a 30 minute period . the resulting solution was heated to reflux and the water removed . the remaining product and 78 g of water were heated with 10 . 5 g of chloromethane to 90 ° c . for two hours . the mixture was cooled and allowed to separate into aqueous and nonaqueous layers . the aqueous layer , containing the product , was recovered . the product was identified as the full quaternary salt of the imide of a copolymer of maleic anhydride and 1 - decene ( see wo 88 / 04680 , above ). this compound was evaluated as in example 4 and the results are reported in table ii . table ii______________________________________ concen - quat tration time flow returnsample (%) (%) fluid ( min : sec ) ( ml / s ) (%) ______________________________________11 * saline 1 : 18 1 : 21 1 : 23 18 . 0 100 . sup . 1 0 . 1 treatment 1 : 50 water 1 : 55 1 : 56 1 : 57 12 . 8 71 . 012 * saline 1 : 18 1 : 20 1 : 23 18 . 1 100 . sup . 1 0 . 25 treatment 1 : 30 water 1 : 29 1 : 29 1 : 29 17 . 0 93 . 4______________________________________ * not an example of the invention . . sup . 1 100 % of the maleic imide groups , which comprise only 50 mole % of the polymer . the data in table ii show that the copolymer stabilizes the clay in the core . if a treatment polymer causes &# 34 ; oil wetting &# 34 ; of the clay in the core , the flow rate of water will increase , but the flow rate of oil will decrease . to determine if the compounds of the invention cause oil wetting , the procedure of example 4 was repeated , except that kerosene was used instead of deionized water for the final fluid . the results are shown in table iii . the oompound of samples 11 and 12 ( example 5 ) was evaluated as in example 6 and the results are reported in table lil ( sample 15 ). table iii______________________________________ concen - quat tration time flow returnsample (%) (%) fluid ( min : sec ) ( ml / s ) (%) ______________________________________13 * saline 0 : 34 0 : 33 0 : 33no polymer kerosene 1 : 07 0 : 57 0 : 54 27 . 7 61 . 114 saline 0 : 33 0 : 32 0 : 33 45 . 5 83 0 . 25 treatment 0 : 29 kerosene 1 : 04 0 : 59 0 : 56 27 . 0 59 . 315 * saline 0 : 51 0 : 53 0 : 55 27 . 3 100 . sup . 1 0 . 25 treatment 0 : 52 kerosene 3 : 20 2 : 54 2 : 44 9 . 1 33 . 5______________________________________ * not an example of the invention . . sup . 1 100 % of the maleic imide groups , which comprise only 50 mole % of the polymer . the data in table iii show that compared to a control sample with no treatment ( sample 13 ), the compound of the invention ( sample 14 ) does not cause oil wetting , as shown by a rate of return almost identical to that of the control . however , the copolymer treatment ( sample 15 ) does cause oil wetting , as evidenced by its very low rate of return for kerosene . in an oil well , sample 15 would cause low production rates even if the clay had been stabilized . because many oil wells are sufficiently deep that they are constantly at elevated temperature ( e . g ., 250 ° f . [ 121 ° c .] or higher ), it is important that the treatment compound be stable at such temperatures . to evaluate such stability , the compound of samples 9 and 10 was heated to 250 ° f ( 121 ° c .) for 18 hours and then evaluated as in example 4 . the results are shown in table iv ( sample 16 ). a mixture of 38 . 4 g ( 0 . 39 mole ) of maleic anhydride in 38 . 4 g of methyl carbitol was heated to 50 ° c . until the maleic anhydride dissolved . 39 . 96 g ( 0 . 39 mole ) of n , n - dimethyl - 1 , 3 - diaminopropane was then added dropwise over two hours with the temperature of the solution maintained at 90 ° c . or less . the temperature was then raised to 120 °- 130 ° c . for one hour . 111 . 5 of the solution ( with water of reaction still present ) was mixed with 57 g of additional water and the mixture treated with chloromethane to quaternize the imide . 1 g of solid byproduct was removed by filtration and the final product was identified as the 90 % quaternary salt of the imide of poly ( n = 2 to 3 ) maleic anhydride . this material was heated and evaluated as in example 8 . the results appear in table iv ( sample 17 ). a one liter flask was charged with 200 g of a low molecular weight polyacrylamide aqueous solution ( 37 . 6 % active , 480 cps brookfield viscosity ) and 85 . 9 g of 37 % formaldehyde . to this solution was added dropwise 112 . 5 g of 40 % dimethylamine . there was an exotherm to 40 ° c . and the mixture was stirred for one hour after the amine addition was complete . 327 g of this product was charged to the reactor for quaternization . methyl chloride ( 43 . 9 g total ) was charged to the reactor in portions and the solution was heated to 35 °- 40 ° c . for six hours . the mixture was cooled to room temperature . the ph of the solution was 7 . 0 the total nitrogen was 6 . 67 %, and the basic nitrogen was 0 . 23 %. this product was identified as the 93 % quaternized polymer of the general structure : ## str9 ## a 137 . 7 g sample of the above polymer was stabilized by the dropwise addition of 22 . 4 g of h 2 so 3 ( final ph = 4 ). this was designated sample 18 and was evaluated as in example 9 . a 66 . 7 g sample of the above polymer was stabilized by the addition of 7 . 9 g of acetic acid ( final ph = 5 . 5 ). this was designated sample 19 and was evaluated as in example 9 . table iv______________________________________ concen - quat tration time flow returnsample (%) (%) fluid ( min : sec ) ( ml / s ) (%) ______________________________________ 16 saline 0 : 37 0 : 36 0 : 36 41 . 2 89 0 . 15 treatment 1 : 16 water 1 : 29 1 : 19 1 : 01 24 . 3 59 0 : 46 0 : 42 0 : 41 36 . 3 88 17 saline 0 : 34 0 : 33 0 : 34 43 90 0 . 15 treatment 1 : 53 water 1 : 26 1 : 07 0 : 51 29 . 1 66 0 : 40 0 : 39 0 : 38 38 . 7 8818 * saline 1 : 14 1 : 24 1 : 26 0 . 15 treatment ∞ water 019 * saline 0 : 42 0 : 45 0 : 47 55 . 4 0 . 15 treatment 0 : 58 water ∞ 0______________________________________ * not an example of the invention . the data in table iv show that the polymers of the invention provide good return rates after sustained high temperature exposure , but the polyacrylamide material provides no clay stability after the same heating protocol ( although that compound does provide clay stability if not heated ).

a clayish formation , such as encountered in rock surrounding an oil well bore , is stabilized with a quaternary ammonium salt of an imide of polymaleic anhydride . the invention is particularly relevant to hydraulic fracturing fluids used for enhanced oil recovery .

referring now to fig1 of the drawings , the stent illustrated therein is for occluding the ductus arteriosus and is formed of a wire of shape memory - effect material , preferably the near equi - atomic nickel and titanium alloy which is known per se . in an expanded , occluding state , the stent comprises an occluding anchor portion 10 formed by a series of turns of the wire so that a conical helix form is defined . the stent further comprises another anchor portion 12 formed by a scroll or spirally wound part of the wire . the anchor parts 10 and 12 are interconnected by a straight linking part 14 extending axially of the cone defined by the occluding anchor part 10 and perpendicularly with respect to the plane of the spiral anchor part 12 . as can be seen from fig1 , a single length of wire forms the whole device . when the shape memory effect alloy is in a martensitic condition , the stent is malleable and can be deformed into a straight wire w ( see fig2 ). typically , the wire has a diameter of 0 . 3 mm and is arranged to convert from martensite to austenite at or slightly above 37 degrees c . such conversion causes the substantially straight length of wire w as illustrated in fig2 to convert to the shape illustrated in fig1 after release by the delivery system at the desired placement site , as will be described hereinafter . referring now to fig2 to 4 , the delivery system illustrated therein comprises a catheter 20 having a distal end 22 and a proximal end 24 . at its distal end 22 , the catheter 20 is closed by a compliant elastomer guide / seal member 26 having a spherically rounded end with a central bore 28 therethrough receiving a distal end of the wire w . a proximal end of the wire w is a friction fit within a stainless steel connector bush ( see particularly fig4 ) within the catheter 20 . the connector bush 30 also receives a stainless steel pusher wire 32 extending out of the proximal end 24 of the catheter 20 . the catheter 20 is provided with cooling liquid inlet and outlet ports 34 and 36 , respectively . in use , with the wire w of the stent straightened and contained in the catheter 20 , the distal end 22 of the catheter is introduced into the vascular system via a suitable point , such as the femoral artery , and the stent is positioned within the ductus 40 ( see fig5 ) which interconnects the pulmonary artery 42 and the aorta 44 and which is required to be occluded . until being delivered to the ductus 40 , the wire w is maintained in its martensitic form by circulating coolant through the catheter 20 via the ports 34 and 36 . ejection of the stent from the catheter 20 is effected by holding the catheter 20 steady whilst pushing on the wire to cause the wire w to be ejected through the member 26 at the distal end 22 . as the stent is ejected , it is warmed by blood at 37 ° c ., causing the stent to expand so as adopt the structure illustrated in fig1 and 5 . disengagement of the wire 32 from the stent is effected simply by pulling on the wire 32 so that the bush 30 slides off the wire w which is now firmly anchored in the ductus 40 , the strength of the friction fit between the wire wand the bush 30 being sufficient to permit this to take place . the strength of the friction fit is such that it can exert a force on the stent which is greater than that required to withdraw a partially deployed stent but less than that required to withdraw a fully deployed stent . in this way , the stent can be controlled and repositioned as well as being finally ejected . referring now to fig6 and 7 , an alternative arrangement of bush 30 is formed of shape memory alloy material instead of stainless steel . in this case , the arrangement is such that , upon heating , that portion of the bush 30 which engages the wire w expands into its memorised condition , thereby releasing the wire w . the bush 32 is deformed in its low temperature condition by radially compressing or crimping it around the wire w so that it is held firmly . by careful design of these parts , the stent can still recovered even when 95 % of it has been ejected . the portion of the bush 30 which is engaged with the wire 32 does not have a memory of increased diameter and therefore remains securely attached to the latter . the wire 32 can be made from a number of metals that have kink resistance and suitable spring qualities . in a further embodiment ( not shown ), the stent is held in the end of a long plastics tube by an interference fit . a wire which is a sliding fit within the plastics tube is used to stiffen the tube and to eject the stent from the end of the plastics tube . in a further modification ( also not shown ), at least the tip of the catheter at the distal end thereof has a second lumen which allows it to be slipped over and to follow a previously - introduced guide wire . such a technique is per se known in the art . referring now to fig8 and 9 of the drawings , the stent illustrated therein consists of a wire formed of two spirally wound anchor parts 10 and 12 interconnected by link part 14 formed of a loop of the length of wire forming the anchor parts 10 and 12 . as can be seen from fig9 , the spiral windings of the anchor parts 10 and 12 are wound in the opposite sense and have their central axes slightly laterally displaced . in this way , there is an enhanced occluding effect . the wire is a thin shape - memory alloy wire where the resilience properties of the spiral coils forming the anchor parts 10 and 12 made from thinner wires means that they will conform to the shape of the vessel in which they are implanted and project as little as possible beyond the vessel . as can be seen from fig8 and 9 , the anchor parts 10 and 12 are planar and the link part 14 is a part turn or loop . alternately , it may be a whole turn or several turns of wire which join the centres of the spiral anchor parts 10 and 12 . the length of the link part 14 between the anchor parts 10 and 12 will generally be between 0 . 1 and 5 mm . instead of being spiral , one or more of the anchor parts 10 and 12 may be cycloidal ( fig1 ) or spiral - cycloidal ( fig1 ). when implanted , the planar anchor portions 10 and 12 will be distorted by the walls of the vessels in which they are implanted , yielding an implant which has either two conical anchor portions , two flat anchor portions , or one flat and one conical anchor portion . in all cases , the implant will have been stretched longitudinally and its elastic recoil will ensure that the implant has adopted the minimum length possible within the anatomy and that it therefore projects as little as possible into the vessels on either side of the implant . the above typical dimensions may be varied by at least ± 50 % depending upon the extent of biological variation of patients to be fitted with the stent implant . in some cases , it may be desirable for the minimum diameter of one or both of the spiral anchor parts 10 and 12 to be less than 2 mm , although this figure is limited by the diameter of the wire employed . generally , nickel - titanium shape memory alloy wire cannot be completely straightened when it has been formed into a coil of a diameter less than 10 times the diameter of the constituent wire . this limitation may be overcome by constructing the stent implant from thin wire chosen to be approximately one tenth the diameter of the minimum diameter of the spiral anchor part 10 or 12 . this results in a simple implant of reduced mechanical strength . alternatively , a multi - stranded wire may be employed made from a number of finer wires twisted or braided together to form the stent implant . this results in a more complex implant of greater mechanical strength . the manufacture of wire spirals is very common using mandrel - based winding techniques or centreless , roller - based forming processes . however , the manufacture of paired spirals interconnected at their centres and nominally flat or asymmetric forms is more complex . a three - stage procedure for achieving these latter forms when manufactured from shape memory alloy will now be described with reference to fig1 a and 12 b and 13 a and 13 b . this procedure involves winding the shape - memory alloy wire onto a double frusto - conical mandrel 50 ( fig1 a ) or a conical - cylindrical mandrel 52 ( fig1 b ). in each case , the wire is wound into a deep groove thread 54 of the appropriate shape cut into the periphery of the mandrel 50 or 52 . normally , this shape would be impossible to remove from the mandrel . however , although the wire shape may be destroyed when removing it from the mandrel , the form can be recovered when the material is warmed above its trigger temperature . the shape of the mandrel 50 or 52 defines the number of wire turns in the stent and the diameters of those turns . once wound onto the mandrel 50 or 52 , the wire is fixed at its ends by appropriate clamps or attachment means ( not shown ). then , the entire assembly of wire and mandrel is heat - treated so that the wire will adopt the shape imparted by the mandrel when its memory is recovered . this temperature is usually in the region of 350 ° c . to 550 ° c . after cooling , the wire is removed from the mandrel 50 or 52 and heated gently to make it re - adopt the shape of the mandrel , typically a long spiral whose diameter varies along its length . this is then inserted into a flattening clamp assembly 60 ( see fig1 a and 13 b ). the flattening clamp 60 includes a fixed clamp member 62 from which guide rods 64 extend . a movable clamp member 66 and a divider 68 are slidably mounted on the rods 64 and slidable on the rods 64 from an unclamped position as illustrated in fig1 a to a clamped position as illustrated in fig1 b . the clamp member 62 carries a series of hooks or pegs 69 which are used to trap and retain one or more turns of the spiral in a position which is laterally offset from the axis of the spiral . when six or seven hooks or pegs 69 are used to trap individual coils of a parallel - sided cylindrical spiral , the cycloidal pattern illustrated in fig1 can be produced . similarly , a conically sided spiral used with the same number of hooks or pegs 69 can produce the less - symmetrical spiral - cycloidal pattern illustrated in fig1 . if only one hook or peg 69 is used , the entire axis of the trapped spiral can be offset from the untrapped part , resulting in the pattern illustrated in fig9 . such hooks or pegs 69 may be provided on the clamp member 62 or on the divider 68 . pockets 70 are provided in both clamp members 62 and 66 . these define the overall length of the sections of the spiral contained within them . alternatively or additionally , one or more of the pockets 70 may be provided in the appropriate surface or surfaces of the divider 68 . in a further embodiment , the divider 68 may be omitted completely , or more than one divider 68 may be provided . when no dividers 68 are used , a flat spiral of zero longitudinal pitch is produced . the divider or dividers can be introduced to define the longitudinal pitch of particular turns of the spiral . when the appropriate divider ( s ) 68 and hook ( s ) or peg ( s ) 69 have been fitted to impose the required secondary structure to the spiral , the various parts are compressed together as illustrated in fig1 b and locked in place , followed by further heat treatment . such further heat treatment is carried out in two steps , namely annealing at high temperature to remove all “ memory ” of the shape retained from the mandrel , and treatment at a lower temperature to “ memorise ” the shape in which the wire is held in the flattening clamp . the final shape of the stent is produced when it has been released from the flattening clamp . referring now to fig1 and 15 , the catheter illustrated therein comprises outer and inner walls 80 and 82 which are maintained in spaced apart relationship by a pair of internal ribs 84 which divide the area between the walls 80 and 82 longitudinally into feed and return passages 86 and 88 for cooling liquid . these ribs are removed at the distal end 22 of the catheter 20 so as to allow the liquid from the feed passage 86 to return via the passage 88 .

a stent for occluding the human ductus arteriosus comprises a length of wire of shape memory effect or superelastic material which is expandable from a relatively straightened state for introduction into the patient to an occluding state wherein the wire defines an occluding anchor part and a spiral anchor part and a straight linking part connecting the two wherein the wire has a series of turns extending over the cross - sectional area of the occluding anchor part .

embodiment 1 will hereinafter be described with reference to the drawings . [ 0036 ] fig1 shows the whole of a wafer processing apparatus 50 . the wafer processing apparatus 50 is comprised chiefly a load port portion 51 and a minienvironment 52 . in the minienvironment 52 of the wafer processing apparatus 50 , in order to exhaust dust and keep a high degree of cleanness , a constant air flow is produced from the upper portion toward the lower portion of the minienvironment 52 by a fan ( not shown ) provided in the upper portion of the minienvironment 52 . thus , the dust is always exhausted downwardly . the load port portion 51 and the minienvironment 52 are comparted by a partition 55 and a cover 58 . a stand 53 for placing a pod 2 thereon is installed on the load port portion 51 , and can be moved on the load port portion 51 toward or away from the minienvironment 52 . the pod 2 is provided with a main body 2 a which is a box having a space for containing a wafer 1 therein and provided with an opening , and a lid 4 for detachably closing the opening . in the main body 2 a , there is disposed a rack having shelves arranged in a predetermined direction . in the present embodiment , this predetermined direction is a vertical direction . a wafer can be placed on each of the shelves . the interior of the minienvironment 52 is kept at a high degree of cleanness to treat the wafer 1 . an access opening 10 somewhat larger than the lid 4 of the pod 2 is formed in the minienvironment 52 on the load port portion 51 side . an opener 3 for opening and closing the lid 4 of the pod 2 is provided on a side of the access opening 10 which is the interior of the minienvironment 52 . also , the robot arm 54 of a transport robot is provided in the interior of the minienvironment 52 . after the lid 4 of the pod 2 is opened , the robot arm 54 puts in and out the wafer 1 contained in the pod 2 through an opening in the pod 2 and the access opening 10 to thereby effect predetermined treatment . the opener 3 will be described here with reference to fig2 a and 2b . fig2 a is a magnified view of the load port portion 51 , the pod 2 , the opener 3 and the lid 4 in fig1 and fig2 b is a view of the portions shown in fig2 a as they are seen from the inside of the minienvironment 52 . the opener 3 is provided with a door 6 and a mapping frame 5 . the door 6 is a plate - shaped member of a size which can cover the access opening 10 , and the surface thereof is provided with holding portions 11 a and 11 b which are vacuum intake holes . a surface located on the pod 2 side when the door 6 covers the access opening 10 is such a flat surface as can closely contact with the lid 4 . a fixing member 46 having a hole is attached to the door 6 . it is fixed by a pivot shaft 45 which is provided on the upper end of a door arm 42 pivotally extending through this hole . a hole is formed in the lower end of the door arm 42 , and the door arm 42 is coupled and rotatably supported by a pivot shaft 40 extending through that hole and a hole in the tip end of a rod 37 which is a portion of an air - driven type door opening and closing cylinder 31 which is a driving device for opening and closing the door . a mapping frame 5 is a structure comprising a frame member disposed along the access opening 10 and so as to surround the periphery of the door 6 . the mapping frame 5 is mounted on the upper ends of a mapping frame arm 12 a and a mapping frame arm 12 b extending long in the frame member under it . holes are formed in the lower ends of the mapping frame arm 12 a and the mapping frame arm 12 b , and a pivot shaft 44 extends through those holes and a hole in the tip end of a rod 38 which is a portion of an air - driven type mapping frame driving cylinder 35 which is a mapping frame driving device , whereby the two mapping frame arms are coupled together and rotatably supported . the mapping frame arm 12 a and the mapping frame arm 12 b extend symmetrically and in parallel to each other along the center axis of the mapping frame 5 and in a vertical direction to equally support a load . a rod 47 perpendicular to each of the mapping frame arm 12 a and the mapping frame arm 12 b is mounted between the upper ends and lower ends of the mapping frame arm 12 a and the mapping frame arm 12 b . a fixing member 39 which is a fulcrum supporting portion of a shape extending perpendicularly from a support member 60 is disposed on the support member 60 . the fixing member 39 has a through - hole parallel to the support member 60 . a bearing ( not shown ) is disposed in the through - hole in the fixing member 39 , and the outer ring of the bearing is fitted to the inner wall of the through - hole , and the inner ring of the bearing pivotally supports the rod 47 . thereby , the rod 47 constitutes a fulcrum 41 in a state in which it is contained in the through - hole in the fixing member 39 . this fulcrum 41 is constituted as a coaxial fulcrum serving as the fulcrum of the mapping frames 12 a and 12 b and the fulcrum of the door arm in common . that is a discrete through - hole is formed between the upper end and lower end of the door arm 42 . the rod 47 extends through this through - hole and constitutes the fulcrum 41 . the door arm 42 is pivotally movable about the fulcrum 41 by the expansion and contraction of the rod 37 by the driving of the cylinder 31 . the fulcrum 41 of the door arm 42 is fixed to the support member 60 provided on an upwardly and downwardly movable portion 56 . the door 6 has holding ports 11 a and 11 b , and can hold the lid 4 of the pod 2 by vacuum absorption . the door arm 42 is disposed so as to be substantially vertical when the door 6 is urged against the access opening 10 ( hereinafter referred to as waiting state ), and the door arm 42 is rotated , whereby the door 6 is moved away from the wall surface of the minienvironment 52 . by the expansion and contraction of the rod 38 by the driving of the mapping frame driving cylinder 35 , the mapping frame arm 12 is pivotally movable about the fulcrum 41 . that is , the mapping frame arm 12 is also fixed to the support member 60 provided on the upwardly and downwardly movable portion 56 . the mapping frame 5 is disposed so as to be inclined with separating from the wall surface of the minienvironment 52 when the door 6 is in its waiting state . that is , in this state , the mapping frame arm 12 a and the mapping frame arm 12 b are supported in a state in which they are inclined so as to have a certain angle with respect to the door arm 42 , and the upper portion of the mapping frame 5 is spaced apart by a predetermined distance from the wall surface of the minienvironment 52 . on the other hand , when from this waiting state , the mapping frame 5 rotates the mapping frame arm 12 a and the mapping frame arm 12 b in a direction to abut against the wall surface of the minienvironment 52 , the mapping frame 5 substantially abuts against the wall surface of the minienvironment 52 . a sensor supporting bar 13 a and a sensor supporting bar 13 b are fixed to a frame member disposed in the upper portion of the mapping frame 5 so as to protrude toward the wall surface of the minienvironment 52 . the emitter 9 a and detector 9 b of transmitting type sensor 9 which is a first transmitting type sensor are attached to the tip ends of the sensor supporting bar 13 a and the sensor supporting bar 13 b , respectively , in opposed relationship with each other and so as to form a slot therebetween . the wafer processing apparatus 50 is provided with a movable portion 56 for moving up and down the opener 3 . fig3 a is a view of the movable portion 56 of the opener 3 as it is seen from the load port portion 51 side , and fig3 b is a view taken along the arrow x of fig3 a . the movable portion 56 is provided with an air - driven type rodless cylinder 33 for effecting vertical movement and a support member 60 , and is disposed below the underside of the pod 2 so as to be downstream of the pod 2 with respect to an air flow . the fixing member 39 , the air - driven type cylinder 31 and the cylinder 35 are mounted on the support member 60 . the movable portion 56 is provided on the load port portion 51 side , and supports the opener 3 on the minienvironment 52 side from a slot 57 formed in a partition 55 by the door arm 42 , the mapping frame arm 12 a and the mapping frame arm 12 b . the slot 57 is formed with the direction of movement of the movable portion 56 , i . e ., in the case of the present embodiment , the vertical direction , as the lengthwise direction . the load port portion 51 and the minienvironment 52 are partitioned by a cover 58 so that the degree of cleanness in the minienvironment 52 may not be lowered by the slot 57 . further , a limiter 59 for preventing the overrun of the opener 3 when the opener 3 is moved down is provided below a partition 55 . the partition 55 is provided with the rodless cylinder 33 , a guide 61 a and a guide 61 b along the slot 57 . the movable portion 56 effects upward and downward movement along the guide 61 a and the guide 61 b by the rodless cylinder 33 . a timing plate 7 is provided sideways of the movable portion 56 along the rodless cylinder 33 . the timing plate 7 is a plate - shaped member extending in a direction along the rodless cylinder 33 , and has in the lengthwise direction thereof index means disposed at predetermined intervals . in the present embodiment , the timing plate has notches as the index means having a certain width and disposed at predetermined intervals to form an uneven portion 12 . the member of the uneven portions corresponds to the number of the shelves of the wafer arranging shelf in the pod , and the uneven portions are disposed so that when the movable portion comes to any shelf , a notch corresponds thereto without fail . in the movable portion 56 on the timing plate 7 side , a transmitting type sensor 8 which is a second transmitting type sensor is fixed onto the lateral partition 55 . the emitter and detector of the transmitting type sensor 8 are disposed in opposed relationship with each other and slots are formed therebetween . the emitter and detector of the transmitting type sensor 8 are disposed so that the uneven portions 12 provided with notches at predetermined intervals provided on the timing plate 7 may be interposed among the slots of the transmitting type sensor 8 , and the uneven portions 12 of the timing plate 7 can be detected in conformity with the movement of the movable portion 56 . a transmitting type sensor 62 is provided on the support member 60 of the movable portion 56 , and a limiter 64 is provided on the partition 55 near the lower side of the slot 57 . design is made such that when a protruding portion 62 intercepts light from the limiter 64 , a stop signal is outputted to the movable portion and the movement of the whole of the opener 3 is stopped . reference is now had to fig2 a and 2b and fig4 to 6 to describe how the detection of the wafer 1 for the mapping of the wafer 1 is effected on the basis of these constructions . fig2 a and 2b show a waiting state , fig4 shows a state in which the lid 4 is opened and closed and the mapping frame 5 is operated , fig5 shows a state in which the detection of the wafer 1 has been completed , and fig6 shows a state in which the mapping frame 5 has been returned to the waiting state after the completion of the detection of the wafer 1 . wafers 1 which have satisfied the treatment standard of pre - treatment are contained in the shelf in the pod 2 which has terminated the preceding treating process , while on the other hand , wafers 1 which have not satisfied the standard are eliminated from the process at the stage of the pre - treatment . in the shelf for the wafers 1 , there are mixedly present shelves on which the wafers 1 are present and shelves on which the wafers 1 are not present . the pod 2 in this state , as shown in fig2 a and 2b , is placed on the stand 53 on the minienvironment 52 and is moved so as to approach the access opening 10 . in this state , the opener 3 is in the waiting state . that is , the rod 37 of the cylinder 31 for opening and closing the door is in its most expanded state and the door arm 42 is in a state in which it urges the door 6 against the access opening 10 about the fulcrum 41 to thereby cover the access opening . in the present embodiment , in this state , the arm 42 is in its vertically erect state . on the other hand , the rod 38 of the mapping frame driving cylinder 35 is in its most contracted state and the mapping frame arms 12 a and 12 b are in a state in which they act to pull the mapping frame 5 apart from the wall surface of the minienvironment 52 about the fulcrum 41 . that is , in the present embodiment , the mapping frame arms 12 a and 12 b are in an oblique state at a certain angle with respect to the door arm 42 . [ 0051 ] fig4 shows a state in which the pod 2 becomes proximate to the access opening 10 and the door 6 holds the lid 4 . when the pod 2 becomes proximate to the access opening 10 , the lid 4 of the pod 2 comes into close contact with the door 6 , and the door 6 effects the holding of the lid 4 of the pod 2 from holding portions 11 a and 11 b by vacuum suction . when the door 6 holds the lid 4 , the cylinder 31 for opening and closing the door works to contract the rod 37 . thereupon the door arm 42 pulls a pivot shaft 40 provided on the end portion of the door arm 42 toward a support base 60 side , and is pivotally moved by the fulcrum 41 so as to pull the door 6 apart from the access opening 10 in accordance with the principle of the lever , and opens the lid 4 from the pod 2 . assuming that the mapping frame arms 12 are pivotally moved after the lid 4 has been opened , the movable portion 56 is slightly moved down to a position on which the upper end of the mapping frame 5 enters the position of the access opening 10 . after the termination of this downward movement , the mapping frame arms 12 actually start their pivotal movement . that is , the mapping frame arms 12 are pivotally moved until the rod 38 of the mapping frame driving cylinder 35 is expanded and the mapping frame 5 substantially abuts against the periphery of the access opening 10 . thereupon the transmitting type sensor 9 attached to the upper side of the mapping frame 5 comes out of the access opening 10 and is inserted into the pod 2 . at this point of time , the emitter 9 a and the detector 9 b , like the conventional transmitting type sensor 9 as shown in fig8 constitute a slot which is a detection space with the wafer 1 lying on a straight line linking the emitter 9 a and the detector 9 b together . when in this state , the movable portion 56 is vertically moved , mapping is executed . that is , the opener 3 is moved down to a position shown in fig5 by the rodless cylinder 33 . the emitter 9 a and the detector 9 b are moved down in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the wafer 1 with the movable portion 56 and the opener 3 and therefore , when the wafer 1 is present on a shelf of the shelves , light emitted from the emitter 9 a is intercepted , and when the wafer 1 is absent on the shelf , the light of the emitter 9 a is not intercepted . if design is made such that the detector 9 b generates a non - transmission signal when it is interrupted by the wafer 1 , and the detector 9 b generates a transmission signal when it is not interrupted by the wafer 1 , it can be judged that when the non - transmission signal is detected , the wafer 1 is present , and it can be judged that when the transmission signal is detected , the wafer 1 is absent . further , as will hereinafter be described , general judgment is effected with a signal indicative of the position of the wafer 1 added thereto . the emitter and detector of the transmitting type sensor 8 are disposed so as to have interposed therebetween the uneven portions 12 which are cutaways at predetermined intervals which are index means provided on the timing plate 7 and therefore , when the movable portion 56 is moved down , the transmitting type sensor 8 is also moved down therewith and detects the uneven portions 12 of the timing plate 7 . design is made such that when at this time , the transmitting type sensor 8 passes a notched portion , the light from the emitter of the transmitting type sensor 8 is not intercepted , but is sensed by the detector to thereby generate a transmission signal , and when the transmitting type sensor 8 passes an un - notched portion , the light from the emitter of the transmitting type sensor 8 is intercepted and is not detected by the detector to thereby generate a non - transmission signal . accordingly , if the uneven portions 12 of the timing plate 7 are preset so that the point of time at which the emitter and detector of the transmitting type sensor 9 pass each shelf of the shelves in the pod 2 and point of time at which the emitter and detector of the transmitting type sensor 8 pass the notched portion may correspond to each other , the transmission or non - transmission signal detected by the transmitting type sensor 8 is indicative of the signal of a shelf of the shelves which the transmitting type sensor 9 actually passes . if this is compared with the result of the detection of the transmission or non - transmission signal detected as a result of the transmitting type sensor 9 having its light intercepted by the wafer 1 and when the transmitting type sensor 8 detects a signal corresponding to a shelf of the shelves , the transmitting type sensor 9 has its light intercepted , it can be judged that the wafer 1 is present on that shelf , and if at that time , the transmitting type sensor 9 has its light not intercepted , it can be judged that the wafer 1 is absent on that shelf . this detecting operation is executed for all wafers 1 , and when the detection terminating position of the opener 3 shown in fig5 is reached , the detecting operation is completed . of course , an un - notched portion can also be index means having a certain width and disposed at predetermined intervals . thereafter , the rod 38 of the cylinder 35 for opening and closing the mapping frame is again contracted , whereupon the mapping frame arms 12 are pivotally moved and the mapping frame 5 is moved away from the access opening 10 . when the rod 38 is most contracted the movement of the mapping frame 5 is completed . the movable portion 56 is then moved to the lowest point , thus opening the lid 4 and completely a series of detecting operations for the mapping of the wafer 1 . this state is the state shown in fig5 . as described above , the emitter and detector of the transmitting type sensor 9 are fixed to the mapping frame , and provision is made of the mapping frame arms 12 and the mapping frame driving cylinder which are means for pivotally moving the mapping frame 5 , and further these devices are provided on the movable portion 56 sufficiently spaced apart from the access opening 10 , whereby it has become unnecessary to provide a device for performing the evolving operation of the transmitting type sensor near the wafer 1 . also , by utilizing the timing plate 7 and the transmitting type sensor 8 , a synchronizing signal corresponding to a shelf of the shelves in the pod 2 can be easily generated and therefore , even if a drive motor is not used as a driving device , the accurate mapping of the wafer 1 becomes possible . if the timing plate 7 is thus utilized , an air - driven type cylinder which cannot generate a signal can be utilized for the mapping of the wafer 1 . while in the present embodiment , the shelves are disposed so as to be arranged vertically and the movable portion 56 is vertically moved up and down and the mapping frame 5 is a structure comprising a frame member disposed along the access opening 10 and so as to surround the door 6 , the same effect is achieved as long as the direction in which the shelves are arranged and the direction in which the movable portion 56 is moved are substantially the same and the mapping frame 5 has a member on which a pair of transmitting type sensors 9 can be disposed so that a line linking the pair of transmitting type sensors 9 together on the starting point side of the movement of the movable portion 56 may cross the semiconductor wafer placed on a shelf of the shelves . that is , the mapping frame can achieve a similar effect if as in the present embodiment , the shelves are disposed so as to be arranged vertically and a pair of transmitting type sensors 9 can be disposed above the door so that when the movable portion 56 is vertically moved up and down , a line linking the pair of transmitting type sensors 9 together may cross the semiconductor wafer placed on a shelf of the shelves . also , while in the present embodiment , the fulcrum of the door arm 42 and the fulcrum of the mapping frame 5 are made common to each other by the fulcrum 41 , a similar effect will be achieved even if the two fulcrums are made discrete from each other . that is , an effect similar to that of the present invention will be achieved even if different fulcrums are provided as a first fulcrum to be provided on the door arm 42 and a second fulcrum to be provided on the mapping frame . while in the present embodiment , the movable portion 56 , the fulcrum 41 , the cylinder 31 for opening and closing the door and the mapping frame driving cylinder 35 are made integral with one another , they need not always be made integral with one another in obtaining the effect of the present invention . a similar effect will be achieved as long as these mechanisms are disposed downstream of the pod 2 with respect to the air flow . furthermore , in theory , the emitter 9 a and the detector 9 b can be arranged so that the light beam ( a center of the light beam ) from the emitter 9 a to the detector 9 b is parallel to the surface of the wafer placed on each shelf . in practice , however , as shown in fig1 , the emitter 9 a and the detector 9 b should be arranged with an angle to the surface of the wafer placed on each shelf . this is because the light beam from the emitter 9 a diffusely reflects by the surface of the wafer on a shelf . that is , in order to avoid the diffuse reflection , the emitter 9 a and the detector 9 b may be arranged so that the light beam from the emitter 9 a to the detector 9 b is inclined with an angle to the surface of the wafer placed on each shelf . preferably , the angle should be substantially 1 degree . an actual solid angle of the light beam from the emitter 9 a is about 2 degree . if the emitter 9 a and the detector 9 b are arranged so that the light beam from the emitter 9 a to the detector 9 b is parallel to the surface of the wafer placed on each shelf , the light beam diffusely reflects on the surface of the wafer and reach the detector 9 b even though the direct light beam from the emitter 9 a is blocked by the wafer . in this case , ever though the wafer should be detected , the detector 9 b cannot detect the wafer since the detector receives the diffuse reflection from the wafer . therefore , if the emitter 9 a and the detector 9 b are arranged with an angle of about 1 degree to the surface of the wafer placed on each shelf , it can avoid causing the diffuse reflection from the wafer . in embodiment 1 , a magnetic fluid seal is disposed in such a state in which the rod 47 extends through the opposite end portions of the through - hole in the fixing member 39 , whereby dust produced from the pivotally movable portion can be prevented from being outputted to the outside to thereby further prevent the contamination by the dust . embodiment 2 will hereinafter be described . magnetic fluid seals 48 a and 48 b attached to the opposite end portions of the through - hole in the fixing member 39 in such a state that the rod 47 extends therethrough . each of the magnetic fluid seal 48 a and the magnetic fluid seal 48 b is of structure in which a magnetic member ( e . g ., a ferrite magnet ) is sandwiched between two annular thin plates . further , when a magnetic fluid is interposed between these plates , this magnetic fluid is held between these plates by the magnetic force of the ferrite magnet , and the held magnetic fluid is held in the gap with respect to an object to be sealed by surface tension . as a result , film of the magnetic fluid is forcibly forced on the magnetic fluid seals to thereby achieve sealing . in the present apparatus , film of oil including a magnetic material is disposed so as to be formed between the peripheral surface of the rod 47 and the magnetic fluid seals 48 a and 48 b . thereby , dust produced from the rod 47 which is a rotary shaft constituting the fulcrum 41 can be prevented . of course , embodiment 2 can be applied to embodiment 1 , and can be applied not only to the fulcrum 41 for opening and closing the mapping frame 5 and the door 6 , but also to the whole of the pivotally movable portion . accordingly , the magnetic fluid seal can be applied to the whole of the pivotally movable portion in spite of the fact that in the wafer processing apparatus , there is an air flow flowing from the upper portion toward the lower portion of the apparatus and that the first fulcrum and the second fulcrum are located below the underside of the pod . while the invention has particularly been shown and described with respect 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 .

a wafer processing apparatus on which a pod having an opening is detachably mounted is provided with a door unit and a mapping unit provided with a transmitting type sensor having an emitter and a detector forming a slot therebetween . the emitter and the detector are moved toward the opening in the pod and are plunged into the interior of the pod after a door is opened by the door unit , and the slot between the emitter and the detector crosses an end portion of a wafer to thereby detect the presence or absence of the wafer . thereby , a mechanism portion liable to produce dust which may adhere to the wafer and cause the contamination thereof can be disposed separately from the pod .

in the accompanying drawing which forms a part of the specification and is to be read in conjunction therewith and in which like reference numerals are used to indicate like parts in the various views : fig1 is an elevational view illustrating the wire stretching device of the present invention employed to stretch fence wire between posts ; fig2 is a cross sectional view on an enlarged scale taken generally along line 2 -- 2 of fig1 in the direction of the arrows , with the device in position to tightly clamp the fence wire ; fig3 is a cross sectional view similar to fig2 but with the device in position to release the fence wire ; and fig4 is a cross sectional view taken generally along line 4 -- 4 of fig3 in the direction of the arrows . referring now to the drawing in detail and initially to fig1 the fence wire stretching device of the present invention is generally designated by reference numeral 10 . the device serves to tightly stretch a length of fence wire 11 between fence posts 12 to which the wire is to be attached . the device 10 is constructed in two separate parts , a base plate 13 and a camming bar 14 . the base 13 is a flat , rectangular plate which has a plurality of generally l - shaped lugs or fingers 16 projecting from its flat upper surface . the fingers 16 are spaced equidistantly from one another along the length of plate 13 . with additional reference to fig2 and 3 , each finger 16 is a curved member which includes a shank 16a that is welded to the upper surface of plate 13 to project therefrom at a right angle . an intermediate portion 16b of the finger gradually curves through 90 ° from shank 16a and joins an outer end portion 16c which is spaced outwardly from and parallel to the upper surface of plate 13 . fingers 16 are each circular in cross section , as best shown in fig4 and portions 16c are thus cylindrical . a guide bar 18 serves to prevent the device from twisting or otherwise becoming misaligned with respect to the fence wire . bar 18 is parallel with the side edge of plate 13 and is spaced outwardly therefrom . the bar has a pair of integral end legs 18a ( fig1 ) which extend from its opposite ends along the underside of plate 13 . the legs 18a are each welded to the surface of plate 13 in order to attach the guide bar 18 thereto . intermediate brace rods 19 which are parallel to legs 18a are welded to bar 18 and to the underside of plate 13 in order to strengthen the connection between the bar and plate . since the legs 18a and the braces 19 extend along a flat surface of plate 13 which is opposite the surface from which fingers 16 project , there is a large surface area of the plate to which the legs and braces are securely welded , while interference with the function of the fingers is avoided . the camming bar 14 is an elongate cylindrical bar section in which a plurality of eccentric grooves 20 are formed . as best illustrated in fig2 and 3 , each groove 20 extends only partially around the circumference of the bar . preferably , the grooves extend through an arc no greater than about 270 °. as previously suggested , each groove 20 is eccentric with respect to the longitudinal axis of bar 14 . the grooves 20 are spaced uniformly apart from one another along the length of the bar to correspond with spacing between fingers 16 , and the grooves are sized to closely receive the respective fingers . as best shown in fig4 the bottom area and the lower side portions of the grooves are smoothly rounded in order to correspond with the curved shape of the finger end portions 16c . the width of each groove 20 , or its dimension in the direction of the axis of bar 14 , is substantially equal to the diameter of the finger end portion 16c . accordingly , the fingers are able to closely fit in the grooves , and bar 14 is unable to slide axially along base 13 due to the engagement between fingers 16 and the side walls of grooves 20 . as shown in fig2 and 3 , the distance between base 13 and the finger end portions 16c is somewhat less than the normal diameter of bar 14 and somewhat greater than the bar diameter within grooves 20 . there are preferably seven fingers and seven grooves ( see fig1 ) in order to provide firm clamping of the fence wire 11 along the entire length of bar 14 . a pair of hooks 22 are welded to project outwardly from bar 14 at locations spaced on opposite sides of its center . triangular gussets 23 reinforce the connection of hooks 22 to the bar . the hooks 22 are curved and are able to receive a towing chain 24 which is in a v - shape and which may be attached to a towing vehicle such as a tractor ( not shown ). in use , the device 10 assists in tightly stretching the fence wire 11 between posts 12 . with bar 14 separated from base 13 , the fence wire is received on the flat surface of the base plate as shown in fig3 . the bar 14 is then inserted on top of the fence wire with the long eccentrics of grooves 20 oriented toward finger portions 16c so that the grooves are able to register loosely with the fingers . to clamp the fence wire 11 tightly between base 13 and bar 14 , the bar is rotated about its axis in a clockwise direction as viewed in fig3 . the hooks 22 provide handles which facilitate turning of the bar . as bar 14 rotates to turn the eccentric grooves 20 relative to fingers 16 , the round outer surface of the bar rolls against plate 13 ( and wire 11 ), while the portions of the bar within grooves 20 cam against the finger end portions 16c due to the eccentricity of the grooves . as a result , when the bar has been rotated approximately 90 ° to the clamping position shown in fig2 it is tightly wedged between plate 13 and the finger end portions 16c , thereby firmly clamping the fence wire between bar 14 and plate 13 . with the device oriented vertically as shown in fig1 the towing chain 24 is attached to hooks 22 and to the towing vehicle , and the vehicle is then driven forwardly to string the fence wire 11 between the fence posts 12 . the towing force exerted on hooks 22 urges the hooks clockwise as viewed in fig2 in order to more firmly retain bar 14 in its clamping position during stretching of the wire . the guide bar 18 engages the fence wire to prevent twisting or other misalignment of the device . the device may be quickly and easily released from wire 11 for movement to a different location thereon by rotating bar 14 counterclockwise from the clamping position of fig2 to the release position of fig3 . the long eccentrics of grooves 20 are rotated toward finger portions 16c , and bar 14 is thus moved out of engagement with portions 16c . in the release position , the bar may be easily separated from plate 13 , and the device may be moved to a new position on the fence wire . it is again noted that the close fit of fingers 16 in grooves 20 absolutely prevents bar 14 from sliding axially relative to plate 13 . in the clamping position ( fig2 ) the long eccentrics of grooves 20 are offset only 90 ° from the release position ( fig3 ), and portions 16c of the fingers therefore remain in relatively deep areas of the grooves such that they are firmly retained therein . consequently , when strong forces are applied to the device as when it is being pulled by the towing vehicle ( not shown ), the camming bar and base plate cannot inadvertently shift in position to possibly work loose and slip on the wire . since standard round bar stock may be used to construct bar 14 , the fabrication cost of the bar is reduced in comparison to existing devices . the relatively small grooves 20 are easily formed as compared to making the bar eccentric along its entire length or a substantial portion thereof , as is typically done in the prior art . also , the grooves extend only partially around bar 14 and they are thus formed more easily and with less waste of material than would be the case if they were to extend completely around the bar . the narrow width of the grooves is also significant in regard to ease of formation and conservation of material . from the foregoing , it will be seen that this invention is one well adapted to attain all the ends and objects hereinabove set forth together with other advantages which are obvious and which are inherent to the structure . it will be understood that certain features and subcombinations are of utility and may be employed without reference to other features and subcombinations . this is contemplated by and is within the scope of the claims . since many possible embodiments may be made of the invention without departing from the scope thereof , it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawing is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense .

a device for stretching fence wire tightly between fence posts . a flat base plate has outwardly projecting l - shaped fingers which present end portions that are spaced from and parallel to the plate surface . a round camming bar is provided with partial circumferential grooves which are eccentric with respect to the bar axis . the fence wire is placed on the base plate , and the bar is placed on the wire with the grooves registering with the fingers . turning of the bar causes camming action between the fingers and eccentric grooves in order to press the bar tightly against the base plate with the fence wire clamped tightly therebetween .

referring to the drawing , there is illustrated a tool for installing elevator hoist machines in an elevator hoistway . the tool or system has been found to be particularly useful to lift , lower , and position a hoist machine in a hoistway that does not have a conventional machine room . the illustrated embodiment consists of a structural frame 10 adapted to be assembled around an elevator guide rail 12 designed to extend vertically within an elevator hoistway . the elevator guidance system may be of the type manufactured and sold by schindler elevator corporation and designated as a tri - rail elevator guidance system . in such a system , the structural frame 10 is assembled around the three rails of a tri - rail elevator guidance system . the main frame 10 includes vertical upright members 14 and guide shoes 16 . the guide shoes 16 typically interface with the guiding surfaces of the rails 12 to provide for relative vertical movement of the upright members 14 on the guide rails 12 . the main frame 10 also functions as a guide means for the carriage 22 and includes spaced apart guide members 18 connected to the vertical upright members 14 and containing guide shoes 20 coupled thereto for relative horizontal movement thereon . a hoist machine carriage 22 is connected to the guide shoes 20 . the carriage 22 includes horizontal base members 24 coupled to the guide shoes 20 , upstanding vertical members 26 , and an upper frame 28 integral with the upper ends of the vertical members 26 . the carriage 22 is provided to support a hoist machine 30 . the hoist machine 30 includes a base 32 to be permanently affixed to a machine support 34 mounted on the upper terminal ends of the guide rails 12 . in order to impart vertical movement to the main frame 10 and the associated hoist machine carriage 22 , there is provided an attachment means in the form of a beam 36 which extends below and is affixed to the spaced apart guide members 18 . it will be appreciated that initially the main frame 10 and the hoist machine carriage 22 are positioned at a lower level in the associated elevator hoistway to receive the hoist machine 30 . the hoist machine 30 is typically positioned on the carriage 22 so that only minimal movement thereof will be required to effect proper alignment of the base 32 and the support 34 . once the hoist machine 30 is suitably positioned on the carriage 22 , hoist ropes , not shown , are connected to the cross beam 36 and the entire main frame 10 , the carriage support 22 , and the hoist machine 30 are lifted to the uppermost position illustrated in fig1 . when the assemblage reaches this position , machine carriage 22 is caused to be slid horizontally over the horizontal guide members 18 to a position where the base 32 of the hoist machine 30 is superposed over the support 34 and the attachment holes are aligned . finally , the main frame 10 is lowered slightly allowing the entire load of the hoist machine 30 to be carried by the support 34 , and the machine carriage 22 is caused to be slid horizontally away from guide rails 12 and lowered to a lower position . the aforedescribed system may be effectively utilized to lift , lower , and position an elevator hoist machine into operative position on the upper terminals of guide rails in an elevator hoistway which does not have a conventional machine room . guidance for the system is typically achieved by the rails of a previously installed elevator guide rail system . also , the system permits the location or placement of an elevator hoisting machine in the open elevator shaft area between the guide rails and provides a means to shift the position of the machine laterally over the machine supporting structure at the top of the guide rails . further , the system may be satisfactorily used in low overhead shaft conditions where conventional hoisting means would require building alterations and could not be employed . in accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes , the present invention has been described in what is considered to represent its preferred embodiment . however , it should be noted that the invention can be practiced otherwise than as specifically illustrated and described without departing from its spirit or scope .

an apparatus or tool for installing an elevator hoist machine to a support at the top of the vertically extending guide rails . the apparatus includes means for imparting vertical movement to the hoist machine and horizontal movement thereto at the upper ends of the guide rails to enable hoist machines to be installed in areas with limited ceiling height .

with reference to the figures , the reference numerals 1 and 2 designate the heads of the two bones that form the articulation whose ligaments are to be reconstructed . for the sake of illustration , it is assumed for example that the heads 1 and 2 are respectively the heads of the tibia and of the femur and that the ligament to be reconstructed is the anterior cruciate ligament . according to known methods which are not included within the scope of the present invention and therefore are not described , a cylindrical tunnel 3 is provided through the heads 1 and 2 of the tibia and of the femur , and an elongated tensile flexible element is guided through the tunnel as a replacement for the torn ligament . such elongated element is constituted by a natural or synthetic tendon 4 whose anchoring inside the tunnel 3 is performed by the device according to the present invention . such device is generally designated by the reference numeral 5 in fig9 and 10 and comprises a female element 6 and a male element 7 . the female element 6 ( fig2 - 4 ) is constituted by a sort of cylindrical cage formed by means of a filament which is coiled so as to define a cylindrical helix composed of turns 8 which have a constant pitch . the turns 8 form an internal thread which is adapted to accommodate the male element 7 by screwing . conveniently , the turns 8 have an external flat region 9 which facilitates the insertion of the element 6 in the tunnel 3 . in order to prevent the element 6 from rotating inside the tunnel 3 , the turn located at the end designed to remain proximate to the inlet of the tunnel 3 is extended by a tangential part 10 ending with a portion 11 which is folded axially and by means of which a rotation - preventing anchoring is achieved on the cortex of the bone . the male element 7 ( fig6 and 7 ) is constituted by a screw which has an axis a and is composed of a core or shank 12 provided with a hemispherical head 13 . the shank 12 has a convex shape and a thread 14 runs around it with a pitch which is equal to the pitch of the female element 6 and has a semicircular cross - section narrower than the distance that separates the turns 8 of the female element 6 . the turns of the thread 14 are separated by a tunnel 15 having a semicircular cross - section which is narrower than the diameter of the filament of which the female element 6 is made . the disclosed device is completed by a washer 16 constituted by a disk which is convex like a spherical dome and has a cavity 17 whose dimensions are such that it can accommodate the head 13 of the male element 7 . in the bottom of the cavity 17 an opening 18 is provided through which the shank 12 of the male element is guided . the opening 18 extends diametrically in order to give the male element 7 a certain freedom of movement with respect to the washer 16 . the cavity 17 has a spherical shape complementary to the shape of the head 13 of the male element 7 . in this manner , the washer 16 can be orientated with respect to the axis a in order to adapt perfectly to the cortex of the bone . a chamfer 19 of the washer 16 facilitates its inclination without interfering with the female element 6 . the device is applied by first inserting the female element 6 in the tunnel 3 . this can be achieved by means of a tool 20 which is shown in fig5 and is composed of a shank 21 having , at one end , a handle 22 and , at the opposite end , a threaded portion 23 suitable to be screwed into the female element 6 until it abuts against a collar 24 . after positioning the female element 6 in the tunnel 3 so that the portion 11 anchors in the cortex of the bone 1 , the new tendon t is guided therethrough so that its end portions protrude from the tunnel 3 . finally , the male element is inserted by screwing and , thanks to its convex shape , forces the tendon t to engage between the turns 8 of the female element , while the washer 16 , by abutting against the cortex , blocks its end portions . the device according to the invention allows to obtain a double substantial advantage . first of all , a firm anchoring of the tendon is provided thanks to the fact that such tendon , by being arranged between the turns 8 of the female element and the thread 14 of the male element 7 , follows a winding path which offers considerable resistance to traction stresses , which is added to the resistance provided by the clamping between the thread 14 and the turns 8 . secondly , the anchoring of the tendon occurs inside the bone , so that the length of the tendon is reduced significantly , with particular advantages during the step of inclusion of the tendon in the bone , since the slack of the tendon in the tunnel 3 is reduced . in the practical execution of the device according to the invention , the shapes and the dimensions of the components may vary according to requirements . the device can be made of metal ( titanium or steel ) or of composite , absorbable or shape - memory materials . the disclosures in italian patent application no . bo2001a000263 from which this application claims priority are incorporated herein by reference .

a device for anchoring an end of an elongated tensile flexible element guided along a tunnel provided through the bones of a joint for reconstruction of a ligament , comprising a female element , which defines an internal thread and can be inserted in the tunnel , and a male element , which defines an external thread and is suitable to be screwed with play into the female element so as to secure the elongated element between the internal and external threads .

an embodiment of the present invention will now be described hereinbelow with reference to the drawings attached hereto . referring to fig4 there is shown a block diagram of a paging receiver according to the invention , in which a first rf section 41 amplifies the received radio frequency and converts the frequency by being driven when a first battery saving - on signal bson1 is generated . a second rf section 42 filters the output of the first rf section 41 into a prescribed frequency band and demodulates it and loads the demodulated signal on a given first voltage v1 to output by being driven when a second battery saving - on signal bson2 is generated . a waveform shaper 43 quickly charges the reference voltage to a second voltage v2 when the bson2 signal is generated and converts the output of the second rf section 42 into a digital signal and keeps the reference voltage over the first voltage v1 by cutting - off the discharging path of the reference voltage when the second battery - saving - off ( bsoff2 ) signal is generated . then , a data processor 44 generates the bson1 signal and bson2 signal which have an same cycle at regular intervals and keeps the bson1 signal and bson2 signal being generated when the signal converted into a digital signal is received , thereby processing the received data . a first switching circuit 45 supplies with power of the battery 47 to the first rf section 41 by being turned &# 34 ; on &# 34 ; when the bson1 signal is generated . a second switching circuit 46 supplies with power of the battery 47 to the second rf section 42 and to the waveform shaper 43 by being turned &# 34 ; on &# 34 ; when the bson2 signal is generated . now referring to fig5 and 6 , there is shown an embodiment of the waveform shaper 43 in which the discharge path is cut off to speedily charge the reference voltage to the second voltage v2 when the bson1 signal is generated and to keep the reference voltage over the first voltage v1 when the bsoff2 signal is generated . in fig5 a filter 51 filters high frequency noises of the demodulated signals inputted , the high frequency noises being loaded on the first voltage v1 . a switching circuit 52 forms the output path to the filter 51 by being turned &# 34 ; on &# 34 ; when the bson2 signal is generated and cuts off the discharge path of the reference voltage by being turned &# 34 ; off &# 34 ; when bsoff2 signal is generated . thereafter , an integral circuit including a resistance 55 and a capacitor 56 , when the switching circuit 52 is turned &# 34 ; on &# 34 ;, generates the reference voltage which is equal to the second voltage v2 quickly charged to the output of the filter 51 and , when the switching circuit 52 is turned &# 34 ; off &# 34 ;, keeps the reference voltage higher than the first voltage v1 as the discharging path is cut off by the switching circuit 52 , and a comparator 53 converts the output of the filter 51 into a digital signal by taking into account the output of said integral circuit as a reference voltage . fig6 shows an embodiment which is carried out through a filter 51 which forms the function of switching circuit 52 by means of active elements . a filter 51 is composed of capacitors 61 , 63 , 65 , resistors 62 , 64 and an operational amplifier 66 to remove high frequency noise contained in the demodulated signal . the high frequency noises is loaded on the first voltage v1 to have high impedance when the bsoff2 signal is generated . the integral circuit , composed of a resistor 55 and a capacitor 56 generates the reference voltage which is equal to the second voltage v2 quickly charged to the output of the filter 51 when the switching circuit 52 is turned &# 34 ; on &# 34 ; and keeps the reference voltage higher than the first voltage v1 , as the discharge path is cut off by the high impedance of the filter 51 when the switching circuit 52 is turned &# 34 ; off &# 34 ;, and a comparator 53 converts output of the filter 51 into a digital signal by making a comparison therebetween with the output of said integral means as a reference voltage . referring to fig7 it illustrates a waveform shaping process in which the reference voltage is quickly charged to the second voltage v2 when battery saving signals bson1 , bson2 ( logic high ) are generated ; and waveforms are shaped without loss of data by keeping the reference voltage higher than the first voltage v1 when the battery saving signals bsoff1 , bsoff2 ( logic low ) are generated . referring to fig8 it is a flowchart showing the generation of battery saving signals in accordance with the present invention . the flowchart is divided into several steps of : generating a first and second battery saving signals at the same time and making preparations for received data ; counting the bits of &# 34 ; low &# 34 ; data before a predetermined bit to generate the battery saving signals bsoff1 , bsoff2 ; changing the first and second battery saving signals bson1 , bson2 to a logic &# 34 ; low &# 34 ; state simultaneously when the bit numbers counted at the above counting step are smaller than that of a predetermined value , which is regarded as the reference voltage is higher than the first voltage v1 ; recognizing the reference voltage as less than the first voltage v1 and generating the bsoff1 signal when the counted &# 34 ; low &# 34 ; data bit is greater than the specified value and , after delaying the second battery saving - on signal bson2 to the extent of required period , generating the bsoff2 signal . according to the embodiment on the basis of the structure as described hereinabove , the radio frequency which gets through the antenna 40 is demodulated through a decoder after amplified and converted to high frequency in the first rf section 41 and then filtered and amplified to a predetermined frequency channel in the second rf section 42 . in this case , the radio frequency is about 900 mhz ; and the first rf section 41 amplifies and converts this signal . as the frequency is high , a double super heterodyne receiver is usually used for the frequency conversion . the filter used in the second rf section 42 is a channel filter of the radio paging receiver and the amplifier is a main amplifier of the receiver , having a high gain . it is also used as a fm limiter . the waveform shaper 43 which receives the demodulated signal of said second rf section 42 converts it into a digital signal so as to be sensed by the data processor 44 and gives an alarm to the data processor 44 by analyzing the received data and processes such a condition for display . such a radio paging receiver uses a designated battery and so it employs a battery saving method . the data processor 44 generates bson1 and bson2 signals at regular intervals to ascertain if data is received . the bson1 signal supplies a power source 47 to the first rf section 41 by turning the first switching circuit 45 on and the bson2 signal supplies a power source 47 to the second rf section 42 and to the waveform shaper 43 by turning the second switching circuit 46 on . as data is lost by the time constant of charging and discharging when the bson2 signal generates reference voltage in the waveform shaper 43 , the present invention forms the waveform shaper 43 as illustrated in fig5 . when the bson1 signal is generated , reference voltage is quickly charged to the second voltage v2 by lowering the capacitor &# 39 ; s 56 time constant of charging and discharging and , when the bsoff2 is generated , reference voltage is kept , until the next period , over the first voltage v1 by raising the time constant of charging and discharging to a considerable degree . if operations are conducted in such a manner , data will not be lost even when the period of bson1 and bson2 signals is made identical . giving an explanation of the above operations with reference to fig6 the data processor 44 generates a first and second battery saving signals bs1 and bs2 like 6b and 6c at regular intervals and those signals operate the first and second rf sections 41 , 42 and the waveform shaper 43 . as the switching circuit 52 turns on when the bson2 signal is generated , the demodulated signal which is outputted from the second rf section 42 is cleared of high frequency noises through the filter 51 and applied to the comparator 53 . the time constant of charging the reference voltage of comparator 53 at this time is determined by the output resistance of filter 51 , resistance 55 and capacitor 56 and the reference voltage of comparator 53 . thus , the reference voltage of comparator 53 is quickly charged to the capacitor 56 by the second voltage v2 which is the medium value of demodulated signal outputted from the filter 51 like 6g . as the input resistance of comparator 53 is very high , it produces little or no effect on the charge and discharge . therefore , the comparator 53 generates a digital signal like 6h without a loss of data by comparing the filtered demodulated signal like 6f which is applied to the non - inversing terminal through resistance 54 and the reference voltage in the state of second voltage v2 like 6g which is generated through resistance 55 and capacitor 56 . if the bsoff2 signal is generated thereafter , the switching circuit 46 also turns off and , as the discharge path of capacitor 56 is thereby cut off , reference voltage discharges slowly to the first voltage v1 condition like 6g and maintains higher than the first voltage v1 condition until the next bson2 signal is generated . it is due to a leakage current that the reference voltage discharges little by little from the second voltage v2 . as the reference voltage is maintained above the first voltage v1 when the next bson signals are generated , it rises to the second voltage v2 in a short time and so the comparator 53 converts the demodulated signal which is outputted from the filter 51 without a loss of data . hence , function of the switching circuit 52 can be easily realized if an active filter is used . fig6 is an embodiment in which the switching circuit 52 fulfills its function by means of an active filter 60 . when a demodulated signal is generated in the second rf section 42 , the filter 60 operates and , after removal of high frequency noises contained in the demodulated signals , applies it to the non - inversing and inversing terminals of comparator 53 . at this time , the resistance 55 and the capacitor 56 are identical with the function of the like in fig5 . when the bson2 signal is generated , the voltage to capacitor 56 is quickly charged up to the second voltage v2 by the demodulated signal which passed through the active filter 51 and the comparator 53 converts into a digital signal the demodulated signal which is inputted with this charge as a reference signal . if the bsoff2 signal is generated at that time , the operational amplifier 66 of active filter 50 attains to high impedance and cuts off the discharging path of the reference voltage charged into the capacitor 56 . so , the reference voltage keeps higher than the first voltage v1 until the next bson2 signal is generated . on the other hand , in case &# 34 ; low &# 34 ; data is sent out continuously like 101 of 6a from the sending station , the demodulated signal which is outputted from the filter 51 attains to low level like 6f . as the output of said filter 51 generates the output of first voltage v1 at this time , the reference voltage charged to the capacitor 56 drops to the first voltage v1 like 103 by the output like 102 from the second voltage condition . if the bsoff2 signal is generated thereafter , the discharging path of the capacitor 56 is cut off , but the reference voltage begins to discharge slowly by a leakage current and drops below the first voltage v1 as it is in the state of the first voltage v1 . to prevent such a drop , method presented as in fig8 is used . first of all , the data processor 44 attains to operating condition as the power source 47 is supplied to the first and second rf sections 41 , 42 and to the waveform shaper 43 when bson1 and bson2 signals are generated at regular intervals in stage s1 . accordingly , when a demodulated signal is generated in the second rf section 42 , the waveform shaper 43 converts it into a digital signal and applies it to the data processor 44 . at this time , the data processor 44 counts in stage s2 &# 34 ; low &# 34 ; bit data numbers from a required bit ( n - bits ) before bsoff2 is generated . in stage s3 where the bsoff2 signal is generated , it is checked if the number of counted &# 34 ; low &# 34 ; bit data is greater than a predetermined value . when it is less than the predetermined value , the system proceeds to stage s4 as the charging voltage of the capacitor 56 is in the state of keeping the second voltage v2 , and the data processor 44 generates bsoff1 and bsoff2 and then returns . if , however , the number of &# 34 ; low &# 34 ; bit data is greater than the predetermined value , it proceeds to stage s5 and generates the bsoff1 signal . the bsoff2 signal is generated after the lapse of time td like 6c . then , the first rf section 41 does not operated and noise signals are caused in the input of the second rf section 42 . as those noise signals contain various frequency components , the second rf section 42 extracts from those noise signals a noise signal within the channel which is detected in the channel filter and amplifies it through an amplifier and the amplified signal operates as unmodulated quasi carrier signals ( carrier ) in the demodulator . accordingly , a noise signal is detected in the output of the second rf section 42 and this signal appears like 105 of 6f through the filter 51 . thus , the resistance 55 and the capacitor 56 are quickly charged to the second voltage condition like 106 and do not drop below the first voltage v1 like 107 until the next bson2 signal is generated . in case the data code format is a post office committee standard association group ( pocsag ) code of 512 bps , if the preamble is 576 bits , the battery saving signal bs in the preamble search mode is &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; for a period of 64 bits and is &# 34 ; low &# 34 ; for a period of 512 bits . when a preamble is detected in the above , the bs signal is generated for a period of double frames before or after its own frame in the address search mode for detecting its own specific frame . as one frame comprises 64 bits , the bs signal is generated for a period of 128 bits . if the capacitor 56 is 3 . 3 μf , discharge resistance rd is 12 mω and resistance 55 is 150 kω , n - bit which is to count &# 34 ; low &# 34 ; data before bsoff1 signal is generated in the stage s2 attains to 32 bits and , if the stipulated number of bits a in the 32 bits counted &# 34 ; low &# 34 ; data more than 28 bits in the stage s3 , bs2 signal is outputted in the stage s5 by delaying it to the extent of 78 ms ( about 40 bits : td period ). the above value is flexible depending on the code format , transmission speed , and the time constant of capacitor 56 and the resistance 55 . however , it is very seldom that &# 34 ; low &# 34 ; bit data is received continuously and that bs2 signal is extended as stated above . as the preamble signal is a reverse data 101010 . . . in the preamble search mode , continuous &# 34 ; low &# 34 ; bit data is not generated . in the case of pocsag code , transmission probability of continuous &# 34 ; low &# 34 ; bit data is very small . however , as the first rf section 41 has very weak radio frequency signal at 900 mhz , the radio paging receiver must amplify the received signal by means of a low noise amplifier and then convert its frequency . so it consumes a large amount of electric power . however , as the second rf section 42 and the waveform shaper 43 consume a small amount of electric power , its overall power consumption is very small even if bs2 signal is extended by the period td . as heretofore described , the present invention is advantageous in that it is not necessary to supply a separate power source for preventing a loss of data by generating the bson1 and bson2 signals simultaneously with a same interval , while preventing a loss of data , in a radio paging receiver which employs such a battery saving method as described hereinbefore . while the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to a preferred embodiment , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that modifications in detail may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention .

a circuit for saving battery power in a radio paging receiver having a process for supplying first and second power saving signals indicative of first and second on and off power signals . a first radio - frequency section converts the received radio - frequency signals upon reception of the first on power signal ; a second radio - frequency section then filters and demodulates the output signals from the first radio - frequency section to provide demodulated signals having a first voltage upon reception of the second on power . a waveform shaper shapes the waveform of the demodulated signals to provide digital signals to the processor upon reception of the second on power signal ; and a switch enables and disables transmission of the first and second on and off power signals from a power source to the first and second radio - frequency sections and the waveform shaper upon reception of the first and second power saving signals .

referring now to the figures , and particularly fig1 a preferred embodiment of the combination saw is illustrated comprising , in general , a circular power driven saw 2 fixedly mounted on a carriage assembly 3 , a track assembly 4 mounted for horizontal movement to a frame structure 5 , and an extendable table top 6 attached to frame structure 5 and having a channel 7 through which saw 2 protrudes . in this embodiment , frame structure 5 is constructed with an upper box shaped structure having parallel side walls 8 and parallel end walls 9 welded or bolted together to form a rigid frame on top of which table top 6 can be attached . end walls 9 are cut away to form a passageway 10 for track assembly 4 and saw 2 to pass during ripping operations described below . if the combination saw is not a table model , then legs 11 are bolted or welded to the frame walls 8 and 9 as shown to raise the table top to the desired work level . for additional support , cross - members 12 are fixedly attached to legs 11 as shown . in fig2 - 6 , carriage assembly 3 and track assembly 4 are illustrated . carriage assembly 3 comprises a saw mounting frame having a material support guide 14 fixedly mounted by screws 15 to the front end of frame 13 as shown , which material support guide 14 is shaped and positioned to slidingly fit in table top channel 7 ( fig1 ). frame 13 is further provided with four roller assemblies 16 , which are attached at the four corners of frame 13 . each assembly 16 has a mounting plate 17 fixedly attached to the underside of frame 13 by screws 18 as shown . each plate 17 has a roller axle 19 extending below and outward from plate 17 on which rollers 20 are rotatably mounted and held in position by screws 21 . frame 13 is also provided with tabs 22 , which protrude downward and have threaded opening 23 through which threaded axle 24 rotatably positions upper track rollers 25 . each roller 20 and 24 is properly positioned to rest on the underside of track side bars 26 of track assembly 4 ( see fig4 ), so that carriage assembly 3 can be horizontally moved back and forth on track side bars 26 . frame 13 is provided with a lower shoulder piece 27 having an opening 28 through which pin 29 can extend into track side bar opening 30 to lock frame 13 in fixed position relative to track side bar 26 . spring 31 is mounted on pin 29 and exerts a force against both lower shoulder piece 27 and pin plate 32 so that when pin tip 33 is aligned with track side bar opening 30 , pin tip 33 will enter opening 30 , thus locking carriage assembly 3 in place relative to track assembly 4 . to slidingly mount track assembly 4 on frame structure 5 , frame end walls 9 are provided with l - shaped opposing pieces 34 and 35 , to which are mounted , by screws 36 , six track roller assemblies 37 , three on each piece . preferably , one track piece 34 is mounted on each end and one in the middle , as shown in fig2 . pieces 34 and 35 have slotted holes so roller assemblies 37 can be moved to assist in aligning the carriage assembly 3 and track assembly 7 on frame 13 to allow the material rest shoe 14 to easily pass through channel 7 . each assembly 37 comprises a roller mounting bracket 38 having an upper axle 39 and a lower axle 40 to which is rotatably mounted upper roller 41 and lower roller 42 , which are held in position thereon by screws 43 . rollers 41 and 42 are positioned to contact track side bar 26 , as shown more clearly in fig4 . in this manner , rollers 20 , 25 , 41 and 42 form a fixed path in which track side bar 26 can horizontally move . as shown in fig2 and 6 , front bar 44 is constructed of tubular members 45 and 46 , which telescope into one another . members 45 and 46 are provided with multiple threaded openings 47 ( fig6 ), which can be aligned with one another to allow adjustment of the width of front bar 44 . this insures that track side bars 26 will properly fit in the path formed by rollers 20 , 25 , 41 and 42 . once the proper width is obtained , screws 48 are positioned in openings 47 to fix the position of members 45 and 46 relative to one another . as shown in fig2 , 5 and 6 , track assembly 4 is provided with front and rear carriage assembly stops 49 and 50 to prevent track assembly 4 from being pushed or pulled out of the frame structure 5 . track assembly 4 is provided with an automatic repositioning assembly 51 , which comprises a spring - loaded spool 52 of line 53 mounted by brackets 54 which are fixed by screws 55 to l - shaped piece 35 . line 53 extends from spool 52 through opening 56 of piece 35 and attaches to bearing 57 which attaches to the bottom of rail 58 that is attached to track side bar 26 , as shown in fig2 and 5 . spring 59 is attached at one end to axle 60 and at its other end to spool 52 , so that as line 53 is unwound , spring 59 is twisted and will uncoil , turning spool 52 when track side bar 26 is released . finally , as seen in fig2 frame end wall 9 is provided with table top mountings 61 to which table top 6 can be bolted as described hereinbelow . turning now to fig7 and 8 , structure for mounting circular saw 2 to saw mounting frame 13 is shown . saw 2 is attached to mounting bracket 62 , which , in turn is pinned to hinge 63 , by bracket pin 64 , wherein hinge 63 is fixedly attached to brackets 13 by bolts 65 . bracket 62 comprises arcuate section 66 , which is perpendicular to table top 6 and having a parallel vertical height saw adjusting member 67 , with arcuate slot 68 through which saw height positioning pin 69 passes . blade tilt indicator bracket 70 is attached to frame 13 by bolts 71 and is provided with arcuate slot 72 through which angle indicator threaded pin 73 perpendicularly protruding from plate 74 of bracket 62 passes . saw 2 is then held in the desired tilting position by tightening wing nut 75 on pin 73 . saw motor 76 is provided with electrical cord 77 , which plugs into a power source and a switch 79 attached to the rear of the carriage . as shown in fig7 and 11 , blade guard assembly 81 is provided having a vertical mounted trigger assembly 82 , comprising mounting plate 83 with trigger guard plates 84 to which trigger 85 is pivotally mounted by screw 86 . trigger 85 is attached to guard plates 84 by means of extension rod assembly 87 and in turn to connecting bracket 94 which is attached to mount 80 , pivotally connecting members 88 - 93 , pulley assembly 95 and springs 96 and 97 as shown in fig7 . when trigger 85 is squeezed , the blade guard is lifted to expose blade 78 to the piece of lumber being cut . blade 78 is attached to saw 2 in conventional fashion by threaded bolt 98 and washer 99 . as shown seen in fig1 , an upper blade guard assembly 101 has sheaves 102 - 105 cantilevered about pin 106 attached to guard brace member 107 rigidly attached by bolts 108 and 109 to mounting plate 83 . each sheave is provided with a stop member 110 that strikes the protruding lip 111 of the sheave above it and causes the next sheave to rise . starting with sheave 102 , each one in succeeding order will be raised as the piece of lumber 112 strikes the lower portion of the sheave . fig1 and 9 illustrate table top 6 which comprises base plates 113 and 114 , which is attached to frame end wall foot plates 115 - 118 ( see fig1 and 9 ) by bolts 119 . side extension plates 120 and 121 can be attached to plates 113 and 114 , respectively , as as well as back extension plate 122 . both plates 113 and 114 are provided with locking guide holes 123 for positioning the miter - rip assembly 124 . turning now to fig1 , miter - rip fence assembly 124 is shown , which comprises fence 125 with extension member 126 adjustably attached by tightening wing nuts 127 on threaded studs 128 projecting through slots 129 , angle adjustment assembly 130 and locking foot assembly 131 . angle adjustment assembly 130 is attached to base plate 132 , which rests flat on table top 6 and is provided with locking foot opening 133 , through which locking foot 152 can pass . plate 132 is also provided with side piece 135 with threaded pin 136 for miter gauge wing nut 137 to screw into for holding miter gauge adjustment part 167 steady . fitting on top of plate 132 is angle indicator plate 138 so that it pivots about pin 139 , which passes through hollow stud 140 and opening 141 of table plate 132 . angle indicator plate 138 is provided with channel guide means 142 and 143 , through which guide rods 144 and 145 , respectively , extend . rod 145 is provided with gear teeth 146 which are only on one side of rod 145 and which are operatively mating with gear 147 of conventional gear assembly 148 . locking foot assembly 131 , as seen in fig1 and 13 , comprises locking foot 134 , which pivots about pin 149 that extends through opening 150 of box 151 , which is welded atop plate 132 , as shown . opening 150 is positioned so that foot member 152 protrudes below plate 132 and into locking guide holes 123 of either plate 113 , 114 , 120 , or 121 . spring 153 is positioned on box stud 154 and protrudes to contact and exert pressure against curved handle 155 of locking foot 134 . locking arm 156 pivots about pin 157 and has cam head 158 , which contacts handle 155 , forcing it against spring 153 when locking arm 156 is rotated downward . because both cam head 158 and locking foot head 159 are positioned off - center about pins 149 and 157 , respectively , locking foot 134 is fixed in position when locking arm 156 has been rotated downward . as shown in fig1 , locking ; guide hole 123 is provided with indented area 160 to matingly accommodate the toe 161 of foot member 152 when locking arm 156 has been rotated downward . in this manner , miter - rip fence assembly 124 is held firmly in position on table top 6 . by providing numerous holes 123 , fence assembly 124 can be firmly positioned in almost any desired position . box cover 162 , having locking arm opening 163 , is attached to box 151 by bolts 164 to allow easy access to the locking foot and locking arm for repairs and maintenance . as shown in fig1 , fence 125 is provided with a raised section 165 having an opening 166 that is positioned over table top channel 7 when fence 125 is being used for cross - cutting . this position is illustrated at &# 34 ; a &# 34 ; in fig9 . in this embodiment , opening 166 is high enough to allow saw blade 78 to pass underneath during the cutting operation . the same is true when fence 125 is in position &# 34 ; b &# 34 ;. fig1 illustrates a material rest extension 168 having end 169 fitting over material rest tongue 170 . tongue 170 is provided with slot 171 ( see fig8 ) that fits about mating bottom tongue 172 to form a rigid structure having a flat surface formed by the top surfaces 173 and 174 of material rest extension 168 and material rest shoe 14 , respectively . to further hold material rest extension 168 in rigid position , extension arm 175 extends downward and is provided with cupped section 176 that abutts against back bar 44 of track assembly 4 . this material rest extension 168 is used when saw 2 is to be fixed in position and the lumber moved across the blade such as in a ripping operation . thus , as is clear from the above descriptions of the invention , fence assembly 124 can be used as a rip fence , as a stop fence or as a miter gauge , resulting in a multiple purpose saw that can operate on many different sizes of lumber . there are , of course , alternate embodiments not specifically described but which are intended to be within the scope of this invention as defined by the following claims .

an improved saw and saw table combination is provided having a unique movable saw carriage and tracking assembly and a unique table top miter - rip fence assembly , all of which allow cross - cutting , mitering or ripping of both small and large pieces or sheets of wood .

referring now to the drawings , wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views , fig1 - 16 illustrate a process for forming raised metallic contacts , or bumps , on electrical circuits . as may be appreciated by one skilled in the art , although fig1 - 16 depict a process for forming raised metallic contacts on a two layer electrical circuit , any number of circuit layers may be formed utilizing the teachings of the present invention . as best illustrated by fig1 a base substrate 10 is provided which is defined by a laminate comprised of a conductive layer 12 ( such as copper , for example ), a dielectric layer 14 , and a conductive layer 16 ( such as copper , for example ). the dielectric layer 14 must not comprise a material which is resistant to etching by a laser or plasma process , such as a glass reinforced dielectric layer or a dielectric layer reinforced with ceramic particles . suitable dielectric materials include , but are not limited to polyimides and polyimide laminates , epoxy resins , organic materials , or dielectric materials comprised at least in part of polytetrafluoroethylene . a preferred dielectric material may be obtained from w . l . gore & amp ; associates , inc . under the tradename speedboard ™ dielectric materials . the thickness of the dielectric layer 14 is important . this thickness will define the height of the resulting raised metallic contacts which are formed by the teachings herein . additional detail on the significance of dielectric layer 14 will be described below . photoresist 18 is applied to copper layers 12 and 16 , respectively , and is processed in a conventional manner to form openings on copper layer 12 where the raised metallic contacts are to be formed . the copper in an exposed area 20 is etched away by any suitable conventional copper etchant , such as a cupric chloride based etchant solution . fig2 illustrates the base substrate 10 after the copper within the exposed area 20 has been etched away . an exposed portion 22 of dielectric layer 14 is shown . the photoresist 18 may then be removed from the substrate . the exposed dielectric portion 22 is ablated away with a laser to define a &# 34 ; well &# 34 ; 24 into which a metallic contact will be formed , as shown in fig3 . as should be understood , the copper layer 12 functions as a mask to permit ablation of the exposed dielectric portion 22 . the copper layer 16 acts as a stop and will define the bottom of the well 24 . the ablation of the exposed dielectric portion 22 may be accomplished by any laser suitable for selective ablation of organic dielectrics , without removing a copper layer . lasers which operate in ultra violet wavelengths are particularly well suited , such as excimer lasers , and frequency tripled or quadrupled yag lasers . however , other types of lasers are also suitable . the laser may be operated either in a scanning mode , in which the surface of the substrate is swept with a large laser spot , or in a focused beam . in addition to laser ablation of the exposed dielectric portion 22 , other processes may be employed to selectively remove the exposed dielectric portion 22 , such as but not limited to plasma etching , reactive ion etching , or chemical etching . however , a laser ablation process is particularly well suited , as it permits more control over the shape of the well 24 . simple diffraction will provide a tapered conical shape in the case of scanning mode laser ablation process . after the well 24 has been defined , the base substrate 10 is processed in any suitable manner which deposits a surface conductive layer 26 , such as copper , on the side walls of the well 24 . suitable processes include , but are not limited to a conventional electroless copper plating operation , sputtering , evaporation , or deposition of a conductive coating which allows direct electrodeposition , or any other suitable process . additional electrolytically deposited copper may be added to thicken this deposit , thereby providing a more robust surface for additional process steps . fig4 illustrates the base substrate 10 after this conductive deposition step . the base substrate 10 is then coated with photoresist 28 on both sides of the base substrate , and the photoresist is processed to define patterns on conductive layer 12 , into which additional metal is deposited to simultaneously form at least one metal &# 34 ; bump &# 34 ; contacts and traces for an electric circuit . in one embodiment of the present invention , a sacrificial layer of nickel 30 is first deposited to act as a diffusion barrier during subsequent lamination operations . a layer of gold 31 , which will ultimately form the top layer of the bump contact is then deposited . thereafter , and a second layer of nickel 34 is deposited to form a diffusion barrier . a layer of copper 36 , which will comprise the bulk of the metal , is then deposited . fig5 illustrates a substrate with the metals deposited as described . after deposition is complete , the photoresist 28 is removed from the base substrate 10 . the base substrate 10 may then be treated in a conventional oxide process , such as is common in the production of printed circuits . the rough oxide formed on the surface of the exposed copper of the base substrate will serve to provide adequate adhesion of the metal to a dielectric material in subsequent lamination processes . as best seen by reference to fig6 in one embodiment of the present invention a layer of a dielectric prepreg material 33 , and a &# 34 ; cap &# 34 ; layer of copper 32 may be laminated onto the base substrate 10 . the temperature , pressure , and time required for the lamination process should be as specified by the manufacturer of the particular dielectric prepreg used . this copper layer 32 will form the base for a second metal layer of the electric circuit . the dielectric prepreg material may be similar to that used to form the dielectric layer 14 . during this lamination process , resin from the dielectric prepreg material 33 will flow into and fill the void space remaining in the well 24 . fig7 illustrates a via 40 which is formed to interconnect the top conductive layer 32 to the conductive layer 12 . via 40 is formed using the same process as described for the formation of the well 24 , except that the deposition of the contact and diffusion barrier metals are not necessary . as best illustrated in fig8 the top metal layer of the base substrate is then coated with photoresist 42 . conductive layer 16 is then etched away using a suitable etchant . fig8 illustrates base substrate 10 after the bottom conductive layer 16 has been etched . the photoresist 42 is then removed from conductive layer 16 . after the conductive layer 16 has been etched away , the now exposed dielectric material 14 is removed by any suitable process which will selectively remove dielectric from a conductor such as copper . suitable processes include but are not limited to plasma etching , laser ablation , reactive ion etching , or chemical etching . care must be taken that all of the dielectric material 14 is removed from the conductive layer 12 , as any remaining dielectric material 14 will prevent the conductive layer 12 from being etched away in subsequent process steps . fig9 depicts the base substrate 10 after the dielectric material 14 has been removed . the top layer of the base substrate 10 is then coated with photoresist to protect it from the etchant which is used to remove the exposed conductive layer 12 and surface conductive layer 26 . any suitable etchant may be employed . it may be desirable to employ an etchant that will not only remove the conductive layers 12 and 26 , but also the sacrificial nickel layer 30 , such as cupric chloride , for example . however , the cupric chloride etchant will not etch the gold beneath the nickel , thus , and in this embodiment of the present invention , a copper / nickel / gold metallurgy remains to form the metallurgy for a bump 50 , as well as the metallurgy of the interconnecting traces . the photoresist may then be removed from the circuit . fig1 illustrates a finished circuit made in accordance with the teachings of one embodiment of the present invention . as best seen with reference to fig1 - 10 , the height of the bump 50 is determined by the thickness of the dielectric layer 14 , minus the sum of the thickness of the copper layer 12 , the surface conductive copper layer 24 , and the diffusion barrier of nickel 30 . as the various conductive layers 12 , 24 , and 30 may be made quite thin , the bump height is largely determined by the thickness of the dielectric layer 14 . to maintain consistent height of the bumps across a large panel , one need only control the thickness of the dielectric layer 14 . it is common that dielectrics available today offer thickness control of ± 10 % or better , thus the planarity of the bumps created will approach ± 10 %. the ability to control the bump height by controlling the thickness of the dielectric layer 14 , and the degree of planarity achievable by this method is a significant improvement over the method of etching depressions in a mandrel , as described in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 197 , 184 . as best seen with reference to fig1 - 16 , in an alternative embodiment of the present invention , process steps are described which permit a base substrate 10 , with raised metallic contacts 50 , to be laminated and electrically connected to a multilayer circuit board . turning to fig1 , the base substrate 10 is shown as made by the process steps which are described referencing fig1 - 5 . the base substrate 10 is laminated to a multilayer circuit board 80 with a dielectric prepreg material , as best seen by reference to fig1 . the temperature , pressure , and time required for the lamination process should be as specified by the manufacturer of the particular dielectric prepreg used . the multilayer circuit board may have any number of configurations . however , the side which is to be laminated to the base substrate 10 must have a series of pads 60 arranged such that vias 40 may later connect these pads to the base substrate 10 , as best seen by sequentially viewing fig1 - 16 . the opposite side of the multilayer circuit board may be finished prior to lamination , or may have only an unfinished copper layer , in which case this layer will be finished at the same time as the side with the raised contacts . the top metal layer of the multi - layer circuit board 80 is then coated with photoresist to protect it from an etchant which is used to etch the conductive layer 16 from the base substrate 10 . any suitable etchant may be used . the photoresist is then removed from the multi - layer circuit board 80 . after the conductive layer 16 has been etched away , the now exposed dielectric material 14 is removed by any suitable process for removing a dielectric material from a conductor , such as copper , to thereby expose the raised metallic contacts 50 , as best seen in fig1 . such a suitable process may include , but is not limited to a plasma etching process , laser ablation , reactive ion etching , or chemical etching , for example . care must be taken to remove all of the dielectric material from the conductive surface , as any remaining dielectric material will prevent the conductive material from being etched in subsequent process steps . the top layer of the multi - layer circuit board 80 is then coated with photoresist to protect it from the etchant which is used to remove the exposed conductive layer 12 . any suitable etchant may be employed . it may be desirable to employ an etchant that will not only remove the conductive layer 12 , but also the sacrificial nickel layer 30 , such as cupric chloride , for example . however , the cupric chloride etchant will not etch the gold beneath the nickel , thus , and in this embodiment of the present invention , a copper / nickel / gold metallurgy remains to form the metallurgy for a bump 50 , as well as the metallurgy of the interconnecting traces . the photoresist may then be removed from the circuit . fig1 illustrates a finished circuit made in accordance with the teachings of the present invention . vias 40 are then drilled in the base substrate 10 for circuit interconnection . these vias may be either blind or through vias . the base substrate 10 is then processed in a conventional electroless copper plating operation such as is common in printed and flexible circuit manufacturing operations . the electroless copper deposits a layer of copper on the base substrate 10 and on the surface of the side walls of the vias . additional electrolytically deposited copper may be added to thicken the deposit , and provide a more robust surface for additional process steps . fig1 illustrates the base substrate 10 after such copper deposition . as may be appreciated by one skilled in the art , any suitable process which deposits a conductor may be used in place of the electroless copper process , such as but not limited to sputtering , evaporation , or deposition of a conductive coating which allows direct electrodeposition . the base substrate is then coated with photoresist 28 on both sides , and the photoresist is processed to define patterns into which additional metal is deposited to form via and pad connections . additional copper would likely be deposited . also , a final etch resistant metal such as nickel , gold or solder may then be deposited . fig1 illustrates a base substrate with the metals deposited as described hereinabove . after deposition is complete , the photoresist 28 is removed from the base substrate . the base substrate 10 is then etched in a suitable copper etchant to remove the copper from the areas which were previously covered with photoresist . the circuit may then be routed from a panel . a completed substrate is shown in fig1 . although a few exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above , those skilled in the art readily appreciate that many modifications are possible without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages which are described herein . accordingly , all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present invention , as defined by the following claims .

a method is provided for forming at least one raised metallic contact on an electrical circuit . generally , this method includes the following steps : providing a composite base substrate which is defined by at least a first conductive layer , a dielectric material and a second conductive layer ; removing a portion of the first conductive layer to expose the dielectric material ; removing the exposed portion of the dielectric material to the second conductive layer , thereby forming a depression ; depositing at least one layer of conductive material on at least side wall portions of the depression ; removing the second conductive layer ; and completely removing the dielectric material to said first conductive layer thereby forming a raised metallic contact which extends perpendicularly away from the first conductive layer .

the present invention provides a composite based on printed films of transparent thermoplastic polyurethane and a substrate of thermoplastic material , in which the printed layer is arranged between the substrate and the polyurethane film . particularly preferably the laminates have a layer thickness of 0 . 2 mm to 20 mm , which leads to a substantial freedom as regards the forming and shaping of the substrates . preferably the printed layer comprises a high - temperature - resistant colored ink , for example the ink known from offenlegungsschrift de 198 32 570 a1 . the printed layer particularly preferably has a layer thickness of 3 to 50 μm . particularly preferably a colored layer whose softening point is from 160 ° c . to 200 ° c . is used as printed layer . the high - temperature - resistant , flexible printing ink used for printing plastics materials consists in particular of pigment , binder and optionally conventional printing ink auxiliary substances , wherein the binder content accounts for at least 20 wt . %, referred to the total weight of the printing ink , and this binder for its part consists of 40 to 90 wt . % of a first binder component and 60 to 10 wt . % of a second binder component , in each case referred to the total weight of the binder , the first binder component being selected from a homopolycarbonate based on 4 , 4 ′- dihydroxydiphenyl - 3 , 3 , 5 - trimethyl - cyclohexane that substantially corresponds to the formula [ c 22 h 24 o 3 ] n and that has a mean molecular weight of 20 , 000 to 40 , 000 and / or from a copolycarbonate based on 4 , 4 ′- dihydroxydiphenyl - isopropane and 4 , 4 ′- dihydroxydiphenyl - 3 , 3 , 5 - trimethylcyclohexane that substantially corresponds to the formula [ c 22 h 24 o 3 ] n —[ c 16 h 14 o 3 ] m and that has a mean molecular weight of 30 , 000 to 50 , 000 , wherein n denotes more than 50 mole % and less than 95 mole %, and m denotes more than 5 mole % and less than 50 mole % of the copolycarbonate , characterized in that the second binder component is a thermoplastic , linear , non - ionic , aliphatic or cycloaliphatic polyester polyurethane that can be obtained by reacting aliphatic or cycloaliphatic diisocyanates with an aliphatic polyester polyol having a mean molecular weight of 1 , 000 to 5 , 000 , optionally in the presence of a chain extension agent , while maintaining an nco / oh equivalent ratio of 0 . 9 : 1 . 0 to 1 . 0 : 1 . 1 , and optionally in the presence of a catalyst , in an organic solvent that does not contain active hydrogen . the thermoplastic material for the substrate of the laminate is in particular selected from the following : polyamide , polyester , polyolefin , styrene copolymer , polyphenylene oxide , polycarbonate , polyphenylene sulfide , polyvinyl chloride , polyurethane , pso or peek , or mixtures of these polymers . the substrate may also in particular comprise a thermoplastic material layer having a thickness of 0 . 1 mm to 19 mm , which for its part has a multilayer structure and / or is transparent . the films of thermoplastic polyurethane ( tpu ) for the laminate are preferably those having a softening point ( according to kofler ) of 140 ° c . to 180 ° c ., preferably 155 ° c . to 170 ° c . the preferred tpu have a suitable melt viscosity in the temperature resistance range of the printing ink and may be back - sprayed without washing out the printing ink . in particular the film has a hardness of 50 shore a to 95 shore a , preferably 65 shore a to 90 shore a . in this way the desired attractive appearance is imparted to the laminate . the thickness of the tpu films is preferably at least 0 . 025 mm , more preferably 0 . 05 to 0 . 5 mm , and particularly preferably 0 . 08 to 0 . 3 mm . the preferred thickness provides for the necessary rapid dissipation of heat after the spraying on of the substrate . the particularly preferred thickness also enables higher melting point thermoplastics materials to be used . in a preferred modification of the laminate a further intermediate layer of thermoplastic material is provided between the substrate and the printed layer , which is different from the material of the substrate and is in particular a thermoplastic polyurethane , preferably a transparent thermoplastic polyurethane , that acts as an insulating layer with respect to thermoplastic materials whose melting point is above the stability temperature of the printing ink . in a special modification of the invention the thermoplastic material of the substrate is a transparent plastic material . in certain applications it is particularly advantageous if the laminate is used in such a way that the substrate forms the cover layer with respect to the surroundings . the transparent substrate is particularly suitable for all externally visible applications ( for example in the shoe industry ). thermoplastic polyurethane elastomers ( tpu ) are technically important since they have excellent mechanical properties and can be thermoplastically processed inexpensively . their mechanical properties can be varied over a large range by using different chemical starting components . comprehensive details of tpu , their properties and uses are given in kunststoff 68 ( 1978 ), pp . 819 - 825 and in kautschuk , gummi , kunststoffe 35 ( 1982 ), pp . 568 - 584 . tpu are built up from linear polyols , generally polyester or polyether polyols , organic diisocyanates and short - chain diols ( chain extenders ). in order to accelerate the formation reaction catalysts may in addition be added . the molar ratios of the starting components may be varied over a wide range , and in this way the properties of the product can be adjusted . molar ratios of polyols to chain extenders of 1 : 1 to 1 : 12 have proved suitable . in this way products are produced having hardness in the range from 70 shore a to 75 shore d . the synthesis of the thermoplastically processible polyurethane elastomers may be effected either stepwise ( prepolymer process ) or by the simultaneous reaction of all components in one stage ( one - shot process ). in the prepolymer process an isocyanate - containing prepolymer is formed from the polyol and the diisocyanate , which is then reacted in a second step with the chain extender . the tpu may be produced continuously or batchwise . the best known industrial production processes are the strip process and the extruder process . thermoplastically processible polyurethanes that may be used according to the invention can be obtained by reacting the following polyurethane - forming components a ) organic diisocyanate , b ) linear hydroxyl - terminated polyol with a molecular weight of 500 to 5000 , c ) diol or diamine chain extenders with a molecular weight of 60 to 500 , the molar ratio of the nco groups in a ) to the groups in b ) and c ) that are reactive to isocyanate being 0 . 9 to 1 . 2 . as organic diisocyanates a ) aliphatic , cycloaliphatic , araliphatic , heterocyclic and aromatic diisocyanates may be used for example , such as are described in justus liebigs annalen der chemie , 562 , pp . 75 - 136 . in particular the following diisocyanates may be mentioned by way of example : aliphatic diisocyanates such as hexamethylene diisocyanate , cycloaliphatic diisocyanates such as isophorone diisocyanate , 1 , 4 - cyclohexane diisocyanate , 1 - methyl - 2 , 4 - cyclohexane diisocyanate and 1 - methyl - 2 , 6 - cyclohexane diisocyanate as well as the corresponding isomer mixtures , 4 , 4 ′- dicyclohexylmethane diisocyanate , 2 , 4 ′- dicyclohexylmethane diisocyanate , and 2 , 2 ′- dicyclohexylmethane diisocyanate as well as the corresponding isomer mixtures , aromatic diisocyanates such as 2 , 4 - toluylene diisocyanate , mixtures of 2 , 4 - toluylene diisocyanate and 2 , 6 - toluylene diisocyanate , 4 , 4 ′- diphenylmethane diisocyanate , 2 , 4 ′- diphenylmethane diisocyanate and 2 , 2 ′- diphenylmethane diisocyanate , mixtures of 2 , 4 ′- diphenylmethane diisocyanate and 4 , 4 ′- diphenylmethane diisocyanate , urethane - modified liquid 4 , 4 ′- diphenylmethane diisocyanates and 2 , 4 ′- diphenylmethane diisocyanates , 4 , 4 ′- diisocyanatodiphenylethane -( 1 , 2 ) and 1 , 5 - naphthylene diisocyanate . there are preferably used 1 , 6 - hexamethylene diisocyanate , isophorone diisocyanate , dicyclohexylmethane diisocyanate , diphenylmethane diisocyanate isomer mixtures with a 4 , 4 ′- diphenylmethane diisocyanate content of & gt ; 96 wt . %, and in particular 4 , 4 ′- diphenylmethane diisocyanate and 1 , 5 - naphthylene diisocyanate . the aforementioned diisocyanates may be used individually or in the form of mixtures with one another . they may also be used with up to 15 wt . % ( calculated on the total amount of diisocyanate ) of a polyisocyanate , for example triphenylmethane - 4 , 4 ′, 4 ″- triisocyanate or polyphenylpolymethylene polyisocyanates . as component b ) linear hydroxyl - terminated polyols with a molecular weight of 500 to 5000 are used . depending on the production conditions , these often contain small amounts of non - linear compounds . for this reason one frequently speaks of “ substantially linear polyols ”. preferred are polyester , polyether or polycarbonate diols or mixtures thereof . suitable polyether diols may be produced by reacting one or more alkylene oxides with 2 to 4 carbon atoms in the alkylene radical with a starter molecule containing two active hydrogen atoms in bound form . the following may be mentioned as examples of alkylene oxides : ethylene oxide , 1 , 2 - propylene oxide , epichlorohydrin and 1 , 2 - butylene oxide and 2 , 3 - butylene oxide . preferably ethylene oxide , propylene oxide and mixtures of 1 , 2 - propylene oxide and ethylene oxide are used . the alkylene oxides may be used individually , alternating with one another , or as mixtures . examples of suitable starter molecules include : water , aminoalcohols such as n - alkyldiethanolamines , for example n - methyl - diethanolamine , and diols such as ethylene glycol , 1 , 3 - propylene glycol , 1 , 4 - butanediol and 1 , 6 - hexanediol . optionally there may also be used mixtures of starter molecules . suitable polyether diols are moreover the hydroxyl group - containing polymerisation products of tetrahydrofuran . trifunctional polyethers may also be used in amounts of 0 to 30 wt . %, referred to the bifunctional polyethers , though at most in such an amount that a thermoplastically processible product is formed . the substantially linear polyether diols have molecular weights of 500 to 5000 . they may be used individually as well as in the form of mixtures with one another . suitable polyester diols may be produced for example from dicarboxylic acids with 2 to 12 carbon atoms , preferably 4 to 6 carbon atoms and polyhydric alcohols . examples of suitable dicarboxylic acids are : aliphatic dicarboxylic acids such as succinic acid , glutaric acid , adipic acid , suberic acid , azelaic acid and sebacic acid , and aromatic dicarboxylic acids such as phthalic acid , isophthalic acid and terephthalic acid . the dicarboxylic acids may be used individually or as mixtures , for example in the form of a mixture of succinic , glutaric and adipic acids . for the production of the polyester diols it may possibly be advantageous to use , instead of the dicarboxylic acids , the corresponding dicarboxylic acid derivatives such as carboxylic acid diesters with 1 to 4 carbon atoms in the alcohol radical , carboxylic acid anhydrides or carboxylic acid chlorides . examples of polyhydric alcohols are glycols with 2 to 10 , preferably 2 to 6 carbon atoms , such as ethylene glycol , diethylene glycol , 1 , 4 - butanediol , 1 , 5 - pentanediol , 1 , 6 - hexanediol , 1 , 10 - decanediol , 2 , 2 - dimethyl - 1 , 3 - propanediol , 1 , 3 - propanediol and dipropylene glycol . depending on the desired properties the polyhydric alcohols may be used alone or optionally in the form of a mixture with one another . also suitable are esters of carbonic acid with the aforementioned diols , in particular those with 4 to 6 carbon atoms , such as 1 , 4 - butanediol or 1 , 6 - hexanediol , or condensation products of hydroxycarboxylic acids , for example hydroxycaproic acid and polymerisation products of lactones , for example optionally substituted caprolactones . as polyester diols there are preferably used ethanediol polyadipate , 1 , 4 - butanediol polyadipate , ethanediol - 1 , 4 - butanediol polyadipate , 1 , 6 - hexanediol neopentyl glycol polyadipate , 1 , 6 - hexanediol - 1 , 4 - butanediol polyadipate and polycaprolactones . the polyester diols have molecular weights of 500 to 5000 and may be used individually or in the form of mixtures with one another . as chain extenders c ) there are used diols or diamines with a molecular weight of 60 to 500 , preferably aliphatic diols with 2 to 14 carbon atoms , such as for example ethanediol , 1 , 6 - hexanediol , diethylene glycol , dipropylene glycol and in particular 1 , 4 - butanediol . also suitable however are diesters of terephthalic acid with glycols having 2 to 4 carbon atoms , such as for example terephthalic acid bis - ethylene glycol or terephthalic acid bis - 1 , 4 - butanediol , hydroxyalkylene ethers of hydroquinone , such as for example 1 , 4 - di ( hydroxyethyl ) hydroquinone , ethoxylated bisphenols , ( cyclo ) aliphatic diamines such as for example isophorone diamine , ethylenediamine , 1 , 2 - propylenediamine , 1 , 3 - propylenediamine , n - methylpropylene - 1 , 3 - diamine , n , n ′- dimethylethylenediamine , and aromatic diamines such as for example 2 , 4 - toluylenediamine and 2 , 6 - toluylenediamine , 3 , 5 - diethyl - 2 , 4 - toluylene - diamine and 3 , 5 - diethyl - 2 , 6 - toluylenediamine , and primary mono -, di -, tri - or tetraalkyl - substituted 4 , 4 ′- diaminodiphenylmethanes . mixtures of the aforementioned chain extenders may also be used . in addition relatively small amounts of triols may also be added . furthermore small amounts of conventional monofunctional compounds may also be employed , for example as chain extenders or mold release agents . examples that may be mentioned include alcohols such as octanol and stearyl alcohol , or amines such as butylamine and stearylamine . for the production of the tpu the starting components may be reacted with one another , optionally in the presence of catalysts , auxiliary substances and additives , in such amounts that the equivalence ratio of nco groups to the sum of the nco - reactive groups , in particular the oh groups of the low molecular weight diols / triols and polyols , amounts to 0 . 9 : 1 . 0 to 1 . 2 : 1 . 0 , preferably 0 . 95 : 1 . 0 to 1 . 10 : 1 . 0 . suitable catalysts according to the invention are the known and conventionally used tertiary amines according to the prior art , such as for example triethylamine , dimethylcyclohexylamine , n - methylmorpholine , n , n ′- dimethylpiperazine , 2 -( dimethylaminoethoxy ) ethanol , diazabicyclo -( 2 , 2 , 2 )- octane and similar compounds as well as , in particular , organometallic compounds such as titanic acid esters , iron compounds , tin compounds , for example tin diacetate , tin dioctoate , tin dilaurate or the tin dialkyl salts of aliphatic carboxylic acids such as dibutyltin diacetate , dibutyltin dilaurate or the like . preferred catalysts are organometallic compounds , in particular titanic acid esters , iron compounds or tin compounds . in addition to the tpu components and the catalysts , there may also be added other auxiliary agents and additives . by way of example there may be mentioned lubricants such as fatty acid esters , their metal soaps , fatty acid amides and silicone compounds , anti - blocking agents , inhibitors , stabilisers against hydrolysis , light , heat and discolouration , flame - proofing agents , colourants , pigments , inorganic or organic fillers and reinforcing agents . reinforcing agents are in particular fibre - like reinforcing substances such as inorganic fibres that are produced according to the prior art and may also be mixed with a sizing material . further details of the aforementioned auxiliary substances and additives may be obtained from the specialist literature , for example j . h . saunders , k . c . frisch : “ high polymers ”, vol . xvi , polyurethanes , parts 1 and 2 , interscience publishers 1962 / 1964 , r . gächter , h . müller ( eds . ): taschenbuch der kunststoff - additive , 3 rd edition , hanser verlag , munich 1989 , or de - a 29 01 774 . further additives that may be incorporated into the tpu include thermoplastics , for example polycarbonates and acrylonitrile - butadiene - styrene terpolymers , in particular abs . other elastomers such as rubber , ethylene - vinyl acetate copolymers , styrene - butadiene copolymers as well as other tpu may also be used . commercially available plasticizers such as phosphates , phthalates , adipates , sebacates and alkylsulfonic acid esters are also suitable for incorporation . the tpu that may be used according to the invention may be produced continuously in a so - called extruder process , for example in a multi - shaft extruder . the metering of the tpu components a ), b ) and c ) may take place simultaneously , i . e . in a one - shot process , or successively , i . e . according to a prepolymer process . in this connection the prepolymer may be added batchwise , or may also be produced continuously in one part of the extruder or in a separate upstream prepolymer unit . the films that may be used according to the invention may be produced for example according to the processes known from the publications de 25 17 033 a1 and de 25 31 240 a1 . the laminate may be used in a very wide range of industrial applications in which importance is placed at the same time on protecting a printed decoration and on the special feel ( specialist term : haptics ) of the cover layer . the present invention also provides for the use of the laminate according to the invention for the production of shoes , in particular sports shoes , wristwatch straps , housings for electrical goods , in particular mobile phones , domestic appliances , audio and video equipment , toys , tools and screens , in particular heating and ventilation screens in vehicles , as well as animal identification markers . a high - temperature resistant printing ink was applied by a screen - printing process to a transparent film of thermoplastic polyurethane 0 . 15 mm thick having a hardness of 80 shore a and a softening temperature ( according to kofler ) of 170 ° c . the film was laid in the injection mold by means of a vacuum in such a way that the printing ink faced the nozzle . the injection mold is thermostatically controlled at a temperature of 25 - 35 ° c . the thermostatic control device must have a line to enable the thermal energy of the injected melt of thermoplastic polyurethane to be dissipated so as to achieve a temperature drop of at least 170 k / min . the thermoplastic polyurethane was injected at a bulk temperature of 226 ° c . the injection rate is 30 mm / sec . for this experiment a sprue system is used in which the diameter at the start of the sprue channel is 2 mm . the diameter at the end of the conical sprue channel is 4 mm . the test bodies are produced in a cycle time of 60 secs . laminates according to the invention are obtained . example 1 is repeated , except that instead of a polyurethane an acrylonitrile - butadiene - styrene copolymer / polycarbonate blend with a bulk temperature of 260 ° c . is used for the back - spraying . washing - out is encountered in the region of the sprue (= largest temperature difference ). example 1 is repeated , except that instead of a polyurethane a polycarbonate with a bulk temperature of 290 ° c . is used for the back - spraying . the printed film is deeply washed out . example 2 is repeated . for this experiment a sprue system is used in which the diameter of 2 mm at the start of the sprue channel is increased to 3 . 5 mm . the diameter at the end of the conical sprue channel is increased from 4 mm to 5 . 5 mm . by reducing the friction - induced temperature rise of the melt from 29 ° c . to a temperature difference of 12 ° c . and reducing the maximum shear load from 11 , 000 l / sec . to ca . 6 , 100 l / sec ., laminates according to the invention can also be obtained with a thermoplastic material whose processing (= melt ) temperature lies above the stability temperature of the printing ink . example 3 is repeated . the sprue system used in example 4 is employed . at the same time a special polycarbonate is chosen ( e . g . makrolon 2405 from bayer ag ) whose processing temperature of 270 ° c . is substantially lower than the processing temperature of other polycarbonates . this combination of features enables laminates according to the invention to be produced . although the invention has been described in detail in the foregoing for the purpose of illustration , it is to be understood that such detail is solely for that purpose and that variations can be made therein by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention except as it may be limited by the claims .

a laminate comprising a printed layer , a transparent thermoplastic polyurethane layer and a layer forming a substrate of a thermoplastic material is disclosed . the laminate that is characterized in that the printed layer is interposed between the layer forming a substrate and the polyurethane layer is suitable for the preparation of a variety of articles .

referring now to the drawings for a more detailed description of the present invention , fig1 diagrammatically shows a self propelled implement , designated by reference numeral 10 , having a forwardly extending header 11 suspended from a frame in a conventional manner . the header includes a forwardly positioned transverse cutterbar 12 disposed in close proximity to the ground to sever standing plant material , a reel 13 for engaging the severed plant material and conveying it rearwardly over a floor 14 , and a transverse auger 15 that consolidates the rearwardly conveyed plant material and discharges it through an opening ( not shown ) in a wall 16 extending upwardly from floor 14 . the structure and function of header 11 is well known in the art , an example of which is shown and described in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 327 , 709 , issued jul . 12 , 1994 in the name of bryant webb , hereby incorporated by reference . the prior art elements of header 11 are depicted in a cut - away fashion to facilitate understanding . in the embodiment depicted in fig1 and shown in further detail in fig2 crushing rolls 17 , 18 are rotatably mounted on header 11 behind wall 16 in general transverse alignment with auger 15 . the rotational direction of crushing rolls 17 , 18 is illustrated by directional arrows a and b in fig2 . crushing rolls 17 , 18 are journalled in bearing assemblies mounted on sides walls 20 , 21 of header 11 and driven by conventional means , such as chains , belts , gears , hydraulics , or a combination thereof . to accomodate varying thicknesses of plant material being crushed , rolls 17 , 18 can be spaced and / or spring loaded toward each other in a conventional manner . the outer surfaces of crushing rolls 17 , 18 are aggressive to improve feeding characteristics . as depicted in fig1 side wall 21 is shown in phantom to illustrate its position and thereby provide an unobstructed view of the elements of harvester 10 , some of which elements are cut - away , as noted above . cross beam member 22 , which provides structural support and strength to header 11 , extends between sidewalls 20 , 21 . rear wall 16 , mounted to cross beam member 22 , extends from side to side between auger 15 and crushing rolls 17 , 18 , and is provided with the discharge opening mentioned above for appropriate unimpeded ingress of material to crushing rolls 17 , 18 . impact rotor 23 , also mounted on header 11 , is similarly journalled in opposing bearing assemblies mounted on side walls 20 , 21 adjacent crushing rolls 17 , 18 . conventional drive means rotate impact rotor 23 in the direction of arrow c , i . e ., in a clockwise direction when viewed from the right side of the apparatus shown in fig1 and 2 , about transverse axis 24 . the position of axis 24 is adjustable vertically and horizontally to modify the spacing and vertical relationship between crushing rolls 17 , 18 , and impact rotor 23 . more specifically , impact rotor 23 comprises a plurality of outwardly extending rigid fins 25 ( see fig2 a and 2b ) equidistantly spaced along the outer surface of a cylindrical core 26 . each fin 25 includes a radially extending transverse strut 27 welded to core 26 . an impact element 28 is affixed to each strut 27 , which elements also extend in a generally radial direction and have a rounded leading edge . referring to fig2 a and 2b , in the preferred embodiment impact elements 28 are bolted to struts 27 , which are affixed to core 26 in a staggered and segmented manner . among others things , this segmented array enables replacement of separate segments due to wear or damage and greatly reduces time , effort and expense during routine servicing or field repair . further , by staggering the segments from row to row , the adjacent staggered segments engage the crop in a sequential manner which reduces lateral load characteristics . a deflector hood assembly 30 , mounted between side walls 20 , 21 , comprises an inwardly facing arcuate surface 31 , 31 &# 39 ; to which a plurality of guide elements 32 , 33 , 34 are secured . more specifically , guide element 32 is triangularly shaped in cross section with a flat impact surface 35 in the downstream path of plant material that has been crushed by rolls 17 , 18 , impacted by rotor 23 , and then impelled in a general upward direction . surface 35 extends from side to side with its rear portion terminating in the vicinity of the cylindrical path of the tips of impact elements 28 . guide elements 33 , 34 , similar in configuration to each other , are angularly shaped and selectively attached along surface 31 , 31 &# 39 ;. rearmost element 34 is radially adjustable relative to the cylindrical path of the tips of impact elements 28 by virtue of moveable segment 36 of inwardly facing wall 31 , the innermost position of which is shown in phantom outline . an auxiliary hood 37 comprises a flat inwardly facing deflection element 38 pivotally mounted to deflector hood assembly 30 at pivot assembly 40 for adjustment between an inner position 41 shown in phantom outline , and an outer position shown in solid lines . deflection element 38 , secured to pivot assembly 40 by two or more vertically disposed flanges 42 , is continuous from side to side with its forward edge contiguous with the rearward edge of inwardly facing surface 31 &# 39 ;. the purpose of the auxiliary hood is to vary the discharge path of processed material onto a conveyor 43 , generally shown in fig1 and partly shown in fig2 operatively mounted downstream from impact rotor 23 for conveying processed crop rearwardly . intermediate frame assembly 44 is disposed between sidewalls 20 , 21 to provide structural integrity via intermediate brackets 45 ( one shown ) affixed between deflector hood 30 and assembly 43 by bolts 46 , or other suitable holding means . attached to frame assembly 43 is scrapper 47 with an edge in operative relationship with the surface of crushing roll 17 for functioning in a well known manner . in fig3 an alternative embodiment is illustrated wherein similar crushing rolls are used in conjunction with impact rotor 23 and a deflector hood assembly 48 , pivotally adjustable about transverse axis 50 . arcuate guide surfaces 51 , 52 are affixed to the inner surface 53 of hood assembly 48 via intermediate retaining elements 54 , 55 . plant material is engaged by surfaces 51 , 52 in a manner similar to guide elements 32 , 33 of the fig2 embodiment , i . e ., as it is being conveyed along a generally circumferential path after initial impaction . guide surface 51 redirects the material back against impact elements 28 of impact rotor 23 whereupon reimpaction takes place that in turn redirects the material away from impact rotor 23 and into guide surface 52 , which again redirects the material back toward impact elements 28 for another reimpaction to further macerate the plant material prior to being discharged from hood assembly 48 onto a rearwardly transporting conveyor 43 of the type depicted in fig1 and 2 . in this embodiment the discharge path of the macerated material can be varied by pivoting hood assembly 48 about transverse axis 50 . in fig4 another alternative embodiment is illustrated wherein similar crushing rolls are used in conjunction with impact rotor 23 and a deflector hood assembly 56 , pivotally adjustable about transverse axis 57 . in a manner similar to the fig2 embodiment , guide elements 58 , 60 are affixed to the inner surface of deflector hood 56 to engage plant material as it is being conveyed along its generally circumferential path . guide element 58 is angularly shaped with a transverse flange 61 for receiving a plurality of bolts 62 ( one shown ) for securing it to the inner surface 63 of hood 56 . in a like manner guide element 60 is angularly shaped and includes inwardly turned flanges 64 , 65 for securement to the hood . leading surface 66 of element 58 redirects material back against impact elements 28 whereupon reimpaction takes place that in turn redirects the material away from impact rotor 23 and into transverse leading surface 67 of element 60 , which in turn again redirects the material against impact elements 28 of rotor 23 for additional reimpaction to further macerate the plant material prior to being discharged from the hood onto a rearwardly transporting conveyor . in this embodiment , as in the fig3 embodiment , the rearward discharge path of the macerated plant material can be varied by pivoting hood assembly 56 about transverse axis 57 . in fig5 key elements are diagrammatically shown of still another embodiment of structure in which the present invention may be carried out . in this regard reference is made to the abovementioned &# 39 ; 127 patent , previously incorporated by reference , wherein apparatus having similar elements is shown and discussed . more specifically , the apparatus of fig5 includes first and second counter rotating crushing rolls , 67 , 68 , mounted on frame 70 forwardly of an impact rotor 71 having outwardly extending projections 72 . as in the &# 39 ; 127 patent plant material passes between the crushing rolls after which it is directed against projections 72 of impact rotor 71 . in close proximity to the periphery of the impact rotor are a plurality of arcuate diverter blades 73 , 74 , 75 , 76 pivotally mounted for individual adjustment about pivots 77 , 78 , 80 , 81 relative to the path of the plant material . each blade is selectively adjustable from an outer position , where it is aligned with and substantially parallel to the circular path of the tips of projections 72 of rotor 71 , to an inner position where the inner tip of the blade is adjacent the path of the tips of projections 72 . for example , the inner positions of diverter blades 73 , 74 , 75 , 76 , are illustrated by reference numerals 73 &# 39 ;, 74 &# 39 ;, 75 &# 39 ;, 76 &# 39 ;, respectively . thus , by selectively pivoting one or more of the diverter blades to its inner position , the material that has been crushed and impacted can be immediately redirected into the impact rotor for a selected number of additional impactions , each of which will progressively increase the degree of processing . in operation , each of the above discussed configurations provides for crushing , impaction and reimpaction of plant material being processed . in the embodiment shown in fig5 the impact rotor engages the crushed material as it rotates downwardly , whereas in the other arrangements the impact rotor impacts the crushed material as it rotates upwardly , but regardless of direction of rotation all configurations accomplish the unique function of reimpaction of plant material , e . g ., forage crop material , that has been crushed and impacted . the invention fig5 embodiment contemplates in general a method carried out by an impact rotor mounted downstream from a crushing assembly and adjacent a hood . material crushed by the crushing assembly is thrust against the fins of the impact rotor , which is rotating at a relatively high rate of speed . for example , with the crushing rolls rotating at 800 rpm , a typical speed for the impact rotor would be in a range of 1000 rpm to 3000 rpm , depending on the type and maturity of the crop being processed . the crushed material is macerated by the impact of the fins and deflected one or more times back to an area adjacent the rotor where it engages a deflector which guides it along a generally circumferential path to a conveyor assembly , conveyed rearwardly , and subsequently deposited on the surface of the field as depicted in fig1 . a pressing assembly ( not shown ) can also be employed rearwardly of the deflector hood , in which case the material is pressed into a mat prior to being deposited on the field . of the many implicit and explicit advantages of the present invention one of the most important is the provision of a method that allows the extent of maceration of plant material to be selected within a wide range . this extends the application of the inventive method from moderate conditioning for accelerated field drying to very severe maceration where it is desired to express juice from the herbage as a source of value added products . examples of potentially significant valuable value added products are livestock and / or food - grade protein concentrates , pigmenting agents for the poultry industry , and industrially valuable enzymes . while preferred structure in which the principles of the present invention are carried out , is shown and described in the embodiments above , it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to such preferred structure , but that , in fact , widely different means of varying scope and configuration may be employed in the practice of the invention . further , while the unique method of the present invention is discussed above , in some instances , as being adaptable to handle forage crop material , it is not intended that it be limited to that type of herbage .

method for processing plant material in which a first rotatable crushing roller with an outer generally cylindrical surface cooperates with a second adjacent rotatable crushing roller also having an outer generally cylindrical surface . the rollers , mounted with their surfaces positioned in close proximity to each other , rotate in opposite directions to receive and crush plant material . a rotatable impact rotor having a plurality of outwardly extending projections is mounted rearwardly of the crushing rollers for impacting plant material that has passed between the rollers to macerate the plant material that has been previously crushed by the rollers . the crushed and macerated plant material is diverted and again impacted one or more times by the outwardly extending projections of the impact rotor .

fig1 through 3 , discussed below , and the various embodiments used to describe the principles of the present disclosure in this patent document are by way of illustration only and should not be construed in any way to limit the scope of the disclosure . those skilled in the art will understand that the principles of the present disclosure may be implemented in any suitably arranged computing devices . exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described herein below with reference to the accompanying drawings . in the following description , well - known functions or constructions are not described in detail since they would obscure the invention in unnecessary detail . also , the terms used herein are defined according to the functions of the present invention . thus , the terms may vary depending on user &# 39 ; s or operator &# 39 ; s intention and usage . that is , the terms used herein must be understood based on the descriptions made herein . one purpose of the present invention may be to provide a system and method in which a client terminal is made to participate in cloud computing when it is operated by a battery that is being recharged , or there is no additional communication fee assessed for the cloud computing service . fig1 illustrates an example cloud computing structure according to an embodiment of the present invention . for example , if cloud computing is utilized , an executable task relating to a corresponding project can be shared among multiple client terminals for processing by coupling various personal computers ( pcs ), mobile phones , and the like via a network . the pcs and mobile phones made to participate in cloud computing may become client terminals in communication with a corresponding server . in particular , a user can access a homepage built in the corresponding server and participate in a corresponding project voluntarily through cloud computing . the user can designate a time for executing cloud computing with his client terminal . for instance , he can set up his terminal to execute cloud computing during his bedtime . also , he can set up his terminal to execute a cloud computing task during a sleep mode of his terminal . in one embodiment , the client user can set his terminal to not execute a cloud computing task if his client terminal is not recharging . contrary to pcs , mobile phones often operate with a rechargeable battery . if a battery for operating a terminal is discharged or mostly discharged , cloud computing may be forcibly terminated such that a corresponding task executed on the computing cloud cannot be processed effectively . in another embodiment , the user can set up his terminal to execute a cloud computing task when he can communicate without fee . for example , only when his mobile phone is within a wifi ( wireless fidelity ) zone and he can communicate without fee , his terminal accesses the server that provides cloud computing . in some cases , the internet can be used at no cost when certain mobile phones are located within wifi hotspots . however , if cloud computing is executed at locations where free interne access is not allowed , it &# 39 ; s use for cloud computing may burden the user with additional fee . the server may distribute an executable interface program to members that helps to set up various parameters related to the operation of the cloud computing environment . the user may access the server with his terminal and agree to execute cloud computing for a corresponding project that is provided with the interface program . then , the client user can set up other parameters for executing cloud computing environment under the conditions that the interface program may provide . for instance , the user can set up his client terminal to access the server for downloading data only one a . m . to five a . m . and to transfer the result to the server after the data is analyzed . also , the user can set up his client terminal to not access the corresponding server if the client terminal is not recharging nor in a wifi zone . fig2 illustrates an example structure of a client terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention . referring to fig2 , a client terminal according to the present invention comprises memory 21 to store the indicated object date , a display 22 to display information associated with stored data , an input device 23 for receiving input from a user , a communication interface 24 for communicating and a controller 25 to control the overall operation of the terminal . the input device 23 receives input from the user when the system receives conditions associated with execution of the cloud computing environment with his client terminal . the memory 21 stores the user interface program that sets up the conditions for executing cloud computing with the terminal according to an example of the present invention and the resulting information . the controller 25 executes cloud computing according to an embodiment of the present invention , as described in detail below . fig3 illustrates an example process for executing cloud computing with a client terminal according to the present invention . referring to fig3 , the controller 25 checks 303 whether it is possible to access to the internet for free ( e . g ., wifi ) or not , if a predetermined time is reached 301 . if it is possible to utilize the internet for free , the controller 25 checks whether the terminal is recharging or not 305 . if recharging , the controller 25 accesses a corresponding server through the internet , receives data to analyze , and then transfer the result to the server 307 . if it is possible neither to utilize the internet for free nor the terminal being in a recharging state , the controller 25 executes step 303 and the following steps until a critical time is reached 309 . in certain embodiments , a user may access the server for executing a task with his client terminal according to an example of the present invention for the executing a cloud computing project when three conditions are met , namely during a predetermined time period , access to the internet for free , and the terminal is recharging . in other embodiments , the present invention is not limited to the above mentioned conditions , such as when only one or two conditions among the three conditions is met . and also , according to the example described above , the conditions are assessed according to conditions specified by the client terminal . in other embodiments , the server can request cloud computing to be performed on the client terminal at predetermined time periods in which the client terminal requested for cloud computing informs the server if it is possible to free access to the internet , or if the client terminal is recharging . in this particular embodiment , the server judges the object of the cloud computing of the client terminal on the basis of information provided by the client terminal . for example , the time periods during which the server requests cloud computing be executed on the client terminal can be set up on the user interface that is provided in a homepage or website provided by the server . in conclusion , according to the system and method of the present invention , a client terminal that executes cloud computing efficiently can be selected for executing a task of a cloud computing environment that may result in improved work efficiency in certain embodiments . while the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims .

according to one embodiment system and method provides executing at least a portion of a cloud computing task on a client terminal . the system and method further includes checking whether the client terminal is recharging or not and accessing a server for executing the cloud computing task if the terminal is recharging .

a fuel cell system may be utilized with an engine to operate a vehicle . the power created from the engine and the fuel cell can propel a vehicle , as well as providing electricity and heat for the auxiliary systems . the created electricity can be provided to an air conditioning system for climate control in the vehicle . the air conditioning system , in turn , creates water as a byproduct , which can be recovered for use in the reformer of the fuel cell system . generally , a fuel cell system may comprise at least one fuel cell ( preferably , sofc or pem ), an engine , one or more heat exchangers , and optionally , one or more compressors , an exhaust turbine , a catalytic converter , preheating device , plasmatron , electrical source ( e . g ., battery , capacitor , motor / generator , turbine , and the like , as well as combinations comprising at least one of the foregoing electrical sources ), and conventional connections , wiring , control valves , and a multiplicity of electrical loads , including , but not limited to , lights , resistive heaters , blowers , air conditioning compressors , starter motors , traction motors , computer systems , radio / stereo systems , and a multiplicity of sensors and actuators , and the like , as well as conventional components . the recovery of water for a fuel cell system described herein utilizes a sofc system , although any fuel cell system , including sofc systems and pem fuel cell systems , can be used . referring now to fig1 a fuel cell system 10 is schematically depicted . the fuel cell system 10 comprises a fuel cell stack 24 , preferably contained within an enclosure 20 for thermal management ( also referred to as a “ hot box ”). the fuel cell stack 24 , which may also comprise a plurality of modular fuel cell stacks , is generally coupled to a fuel ( or reformate ) inlet 34 , an exterior air ( or oxidant ) supply inlet 32 , and a heated air ( or oxidant ) supply inlet 33 . to facilitate the reaction in the fuel cell , a direct supply of fuel , such as hydrogen , carbon monoxide , or methane , is preferred . however , concentrated supplies of these fuels are generally expensive and difficult to supply . therefore , the specific fuel can be supplied by processing a more complex source of the fuel . the fuel utilized in the system is typically chosen based upon the application , expense , availability , and environmental issues relating to the fuel . possible sources of fuel include conventional fuels such as hydrocarbon fuels , including , but not limited to , conventional liquid fuels , such as gasoline , diesel , ethanol , methanol , kerosene , and others ; conventional gaseous fuels , such as natural gas , propane , butane , and others ; and alternative fuels , such as hydrogen , biofuels , dimethyl ether , and others ; and combinations comprising at least one of the foregoing fuels . the preferred fuel is typically based upon the power density of the engine , with lighter fuels , i . e . those which can be more readily vaporized and / or conventional fuels which are readily available to consumers , generally preferred . located within the fuel cell system enclosure 20 , is the reformer system 22 that comprises a main reformer , and optionally , a micro - reformer . the reformer 22 is provided with a fuel through a fuel inlet 30 , an exterior air ( or oxidant ) inlet 32 , and a water supply inlet 35 . the reformer system 22 can be thermally isolated from the fuel cell stack 24 ( i . e ., a segmented enclosure , isolated enclosure , or the like ). the processing or reforming of hydrocarbon fuels , such as gasoline , is completed to provide an immediate fuel source for rapid start up of the fuel cell as well as protecting the fuel cell by removing impurities . fuel reforming can be used to convert a hydrocarbon ( such as gasoline ) or an oxygenated fuel ( such as methanol ) into hydrogen ( h 2 ) and byproducts ( e . g ., carbon monoxide ( co ), carbon dioxide ( co 2 ), and water ). common approaches include steam reforming , partial oxidation , and dry reforming . steam reforming systems involve the use of a fuel and steam ( h 2 o ) that is reacted in heated tubes filled with catalysts to convert the hydrocarbons into principally hydrogen and carbon monoxide . an example of the steam reforming reaction is as follows : partial oxidation reformers are based on substoichiometric combustion to achieve the temperatures necessary to reform the hydrocarbon fuel . decomposition of the fuel to primarily hydrogen and carbon monoxide occurs through thermal reactions at high temperatures of about 700 ° c . to about 1 , 000 ° c . the heat required to drive the reaction is typically supplied by burning a portion of the fuel . catalysts have been used with partial oxidation systems ( catalytic partial oxidation ) to promote conversion of various sulfur - free fuels , such as ethanol , into synthesis gas . the use of a catalyst can result in acceleration of the reforming reactions and can provide this effect at lower reaction temperatures than those that would otherwise be required in the absence of a catalyst . an example of the partial oxidation reforming reaction is as follows : dry reforming involves the creation of hydrogen and carbon monoxide in the absence of water , for example using carbon dioxide . an example of the dry reforming reaction is depicted in the following reaction : the reformer system 22 , preferably utilizing a steam reformer , creates a reformate 34 for use by the fuel cell system 24 . the fuel cell system 24 uses this reformate 34 to create electrical energy 44 for harnessing and waste byproducts ; thermal energy , spent / unreacted fuel 36 , and spent air 42 . thermal energy from the flow of spent / unreacted fuel 36 can optionally be recovered in a waste energy recovery system 26 , which can recycle the flow of fuel 38 and waste heat combined with oxidant from an exterior air ( or oxidant ) inlet 32 , to the fuel reformer 22 and can also discharge a flow of reaction products ( e . g ., water and carbon dioxide ) 40 from the system . alternatively , some or all of the spent / unreacted fuel 36 may be introduced to an engine ( not shown ) or a turbine ( not shown ) for energy recovery . additionally , unreacted oxygen and other air constituents 42 are discharged from the fuel cell stack 24 . ultimately , electrical energy 44 is harnessed from the fuel cell for use by a motor vehicle ( not shown ) or other appropriate energy sink . as indicated above , the preferred reformer system includes the use of a steam reformer . a steam reformer is more efficient since it produces a greater amount of fuel per unit of pre - reformed fuel than the partial oxidation reformer . however , a steam reformer requires a source of water ( i . e ., steam ) to produce the necessary reactions in creating a reformate . conventional systems require that canisters of water be stored near the reformer . this requires much space and maintenance to ensure the proper amount of water is available to the system . to avoid the requirements of space and maintenance , a possible source of water that can be harnessed for use by the reformer is from the air conditioning system . as part of the process of removing thermal energy from the air , the air conditioning system condenses water vapor from the air , collects it , and discharges the water from the air conditioning system . as illustrated in fig2 a flow of condensate 52 from the air conditioning system 50 can be directed to the reformer system 22 . this condensate can constitute all , or at least a portion of the reformer &# 39 ; s water supply . preferably , condensate 52 from the air conditioning system 50 is directed to a storage vessel or reservoir 54 for storage until the flow of condensate 56 is needed by the reformer system 22 . the reservoir 54 can include a device for purifying the condensate to at least partially , or completely , remove unnecessary components to improve its quality and purity . such purification devices can include filters , deionizers , and distillers and combinations comprising at least one of the foregoing devices . in the alternative , the flow of condensate 52 can be directly connected to the reformer system 22 , as illustrated in fig3 . the air conditioning system circulates a flow of warm moist air from outside the system with a blower . moisture from the air is condensed on an evaporator in the air conditioning system creating water as a byproduct . this water can be directed to the fuel cell system reformer ( see fig2 and 3 ). although traditionally the primary function of the air conditioning system is to provide cabin comfort , there may be an opportunity to enhance the production of condensate from the air conditioning system for use by the reformer . in order to provide an ample water supply for the reformer , the mass flow rate of warm moist air from outside flowing through the evaporator can be biased ( either higher or lower ) thereby accommodating both the cabin comfort and reformer condensate requirements . this can be accomplished by adjusting the speed of the blower in the air conditioning system and / or varying the air distribution and temperature control valves . additionally , in order to optimize the production of condensate from the air conditioning system , sensors and electronic controls could be utilized that would determine a reservoir water level ( indicative of the desired condensate level ), an ambient air temperature and humidity level ( indicative of the potential for condensate generation ), and a cabin temperature and humidity level ( indicative of the level of cabin comfort ) that when interpreted , could allow for the air control biases described above . this would , in turn , produce more or less condensate as the cabin comfort system allows , the reformer system needs , and the ambient air allows . in other words , the amount of condensate produced can be controlled to enable the maintenance of a sufficient water reservoir for use in the reformer . in a case where a sufficient supply of water is not provided by the air conditioning system and / or during system start - up , the reformer system can be operated utilizing a partial oxidation reaction process . employment of the partial oxidation process eliminates the need for water in the production of reformate , while producing heat capable of bringing the fuel cell up to the desired temperature . alternatively , some or all of the water produced in the fuel cell can be directed for use in the reformer . thereby , supplying the reformer with water until the flow of water from the air conditioning system is restored . during operation , the air conditioning system produces a condensate that is captured and directed to the reformer . the reformer uses this supply of water in reforming various types of fuel to produce a reformate , i . e ., fuel for a fuel cell . the reformate is then utilized by the fuel cell stack in its production of electricity . in an alternative process , the reformer can be by - passed , with at least a portion of all of the condensate from the air conditioning system utilized in a pem fuel cell system , e . g ., as the water management . water is utilized by a pem fuel cell for hydrating the anode and cathode input gases during the operation of the pem fuel cell . the use of water from the air conditioning system provides a more efficient source of water without requiring the owner to constantly maintain the levels of water required for the fuel cell system . likewise , by supplying water from the air conditioning system system , the requirement of storage space for water canisters is relieved . 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 illustration only , and such illustrations and embodiments as have been disclosed herein are not to be construed as limiting to the claims .

a fuel cell system is disclosed . a fuel cell stack is in fluid communication with a reformer . an air conditioning system is in fluid communication with the reformer . methods of making and using a fuel cell system are also disclosed .

this invention provides for an improved expression vector comprising a dna sequence which comprises the p l promoter and o l operator derived from a bacteriophage , a hybrid ribosome binding site , the nucleotide sequence of which is different or altered from the natural sequence as found in λ bacteriophage , and a eucaryotic gene which codes for interferon , preferably human immune interferon . this invention further comprises organisms , such as e . coli bacteria , transformed by this vector . this invention further includes a method for producing interferon which comprises : ( a ) transforming a host organism with an expression vector comprising a p l promoter and o l operator derived from a λ bacteriophage , a hybrid ribosome binding site , and a eucaryotic gene which codes for interferon ; ( b ) providing the host organism with a mutant ci repressor gene , derived from λ bacteriophage , which mutant gene codes for a temperature sensitive repressor protein ; ( c ) cloning the transformed organism in a culture whereby it produces the interferon coded for by the expression vector of step a ; after the cloning ( incubation ) of step c the cells are collected by a known method and , after suspending in a buffer solution , are lysed . as used herein , the term lysing is meant to indicate a procedure for opening cellular walls of the host and which is preferably performed enzymatically , although it may also be performed ultrasonically , mechanically or by any other means known and used by those skilled in the art . it is contemplated the interferon may be recovered from the lysate by protein purification procedures known to those skilled in the art , such as by electrophoresis or chromatography ( i . e ., antibody affinity chromatography ). the eucaryotic gene preferred in this invention codes for human immune interferon and more preferably , this interferon in its mature form . it is also an aspect of this invention that the human immune interferon is produce in its mature form and is , therefore , biologically active and without any presequence attached thereto . the immune interferon of this invention ( hereinafter sometimes referred to as &# 34 ; ifi &# 34 ;) is produced by immunocompetent cells under those conditions which may induce blast - formation of lymphocytes or production of lymphokines . in order to more effectively and greater detail set forth this claimed invention , the following abbreviations will be utilized : in order to more fully appreciate the claimed invention , certain important terms will be utilized throughout this specification . the term &# 34 ; nucleotide &# 34 ; as used herein is defined as a monomeric unit of dna or rna consisting of a sugar moiety ( pentose ), a phosphate , and a nitrogenous heterocyclic base . the base is linked to the sugar moiety via the glycosidic carbon ( 1 &# 39 ; carbon of the pentose ) and that combination of base and sugar is called a nucleoside . the base characterizes the nucleotide . the four dna bases are adenine (&# 34 ; a &# 34 ;), guanine (&# 34 ; g &# 34 ;), cytosine (&# 34 ; c &# 34 ;), and thymine (&# 34 ; t &# 34 ;). the four rna bases are a , g , c and uracil (&# 34 ; u &# 34 ;). the term &# 34 ; dna sequence &# 34 ; is defined as a linear array of nucleotides connected one to the other by phosphodiester bonds between the 3 &# 39 ; and 5 &# 39 ; carbons of adjacent pentoses . the term &# 34 ; codon &# 34 ; as used herein represents a dna sequence of three nucleotides ( a triplet ) which encodes ( or &# 34 ; codes for &# 34 ;), through its template or messenger rna (&# 34 ; nrna &# 34 ;), an amino acid , a translation start signal or a translation termination signal . for example , the nucleotide triplets tta , ttg , ctt , ctc , cta and ctg encode for the amino acid leucine (&# 34 ; leu &# 34 ;), tag , taa and tga are translation stop signals and atg is a translation start signal . the human immune interferon of this invention is coded for by eucaryotic gene with the following nucleotide dna sequence : ## str1 ## wherein x is taa , tga or tag . the above dna ( i ) may have at the 5 &# 39 ;- end thereof ## str2 ## when the dna ( i ) has the dna of formula ( iii ) at the 5 &# 39 ;- end , it codes not only for immune interferon polypeptide but also for the polypeptide having met lys tyr thr ser tyr ile leu ala phe gln leu cys ile val leu gly ser leu gly added to the n - terminus or a polypeptide equivalent thereto in activities , and when the dna ( i ) has the dna of formula ( iv ) at the 5 &# 39 ;- end , it codes not only for immune interferon polypeptide but also for the polypeptide having met added to the n - terminus . this immune interferon gene is preferably connected downstream on an expression vector dna sequence from an adequate promoter and sd ( shine - dalgarno ) sequence , for introduction into an adequate host . the above nucleotide sequence codes for the protein human immune interferon . the term protein ( or polypeptide ) as used herein , represents a linear array of amino acids connected one to the other by peptide bonds between the α - amino and carboxy groups of adjacent amino acids . the aforementioned nucleotide sequence may also be said to comprise a &# 34 ; gene &# 34 ; or a dna sequence which codes through its mrna for a sequence of amino acids characteristic of a specific polypeptide , herein the polypeptide human immune interferon . the human immune interferon protein encoded for by the aforementioned gene and start signal ( atg ) has the following sequence of amino acids : ## str3 ## it is also foreseeable that in the practice of this invention the first amino acid , met , which is coded for by the atg start signal , will be cleaved off by the microorganism after expression . in a preferred embodiment of this invention , the gene which encodes for the above - mentioned protein is inserted into the dna of a plasmid or cloning vector thereby forming a recombinant dna sequence ( a molecule consisting of segments of dna from different genomes -- the entire dna of a cell or virus -- which have been joined end - to - end outside of living cells ). as utilized herein , a plasmid is nonchromosomal , double - stranded dna sequence which is replicable when in a host cell . when the plasmid is placed within a unicellular host organism , the characteristics of that organism may be changed or &# 34 ; transformed &# 34 ; as a result of the genes present on the plasmid . for example , a plasmid carrying the gene for tetracycline resistance ( tet r ) transforms a cell previously sensitive to tetracycline into one which is resistant to it . a host cell transformed by a plasmid or vector is called a &# 34 ; transformant &# 34 ;. in accordance with the present invention , a transformed host cell is cloned , preferably in vitro . cloning is defined as the process of obtaining a population of organisms or dna sequences which are derived from one such organism or sequence typically by incubating in an in vitro or in vivo culture with the cells replicating by asexual reproduction . a plasmid , phage dna or other dna sequence which is able to replicate in a host cell and transform it may also be known as an expression vehicle , expression vector , or vector for the purposes of this invention . these vectors are characterized by one or a small number of endonuclease recognition or restriction sites at which such dna sequences may be cut in a determinable fashion without attendant loss of an essential biological function of the dna , e . g ., replication , production of coat proteins or loss of promoter or binding sites , and which contain a marker suitable for use in the identification of transformed cells , e . g ., tetracycline resistance or ampicillin resistance . the improved expression vectors of this invention further comprise hybrid ribosome binding sites . ribosome binding sites ( rbs ), from which the hybrid rbs are derived , comprise rna sequences encoded by the dna . rbs &# 39 ; s are necessary for the initiation of translation in a host cell . rbs &# 39 ; s essentially consist of ( 1 ) an atg translation initiation codon for the amino acid methionine ( all known e . coli gene products begin with the amino acid , methionine , which may or may not be subsequently cleaved off ), ( 2 ) a sequence of 3 to 9 bases which are complementary to bases at the 3 &# 39 ;- end of 16 s ribosomal rna known as the shine - delgarno ( sd ) sequence [ shine , j . and delgarno , l . nature 254 , 34 ( 1975 ) incorporated by reference herein ] and ( 3 ) a sequence of bases between the two known as the linker region . for example , the sequence at the beginning of the e . coli lac z gene is acaggaa acagct [ atg ]-- lac z . the underlined sequence is the sd sequence which is separated from the atg by 7 bases . the length of the linker region between the sd sequence and atg can vary for other genes from about 5 to 16 bases with a correlation between this distance and levels of protein expression . in addition , the sequence of the linker region can also significantly affect expression levels . furthermore , nucleotides sequences in the sd sequence itself and flanking it and the atg start codon have also been found to be important for efficient translation of an mrna . a preferred embodiment of this invention consists of a set of expression vectors which can be conveniently used to express authentic eucaryotic genes in e . coli . these vectors further comprise the feature that a number of different hybrid rbs &# 39 ; s , can easily be constructed and tested for the purpose of achieving maximum levels of eucaryotic protein expression . in these hybrid ribosome binding sites the sd sequence linker region and or nucleotides upstream or flanking of the sd sequence are altered in number or composition ( base sequence ). in a preferred embodiment of this invention , the microorganisms employed as the recipient in the transformation procedures and unless otherwise noted , is the microorganism escherichia coli k - 12 strain 294 as described in british patent publication no . 2055382a and which is incorporated by reference herein . this microorganism has been deposited with the american type culture collection , atcc accession no . 31446 , deposited oct . 28 , 1978 . furthermore , all recombinant dna work herein was performed in compliance with applicable guidelines of the national institutes of health . the invention , in its most preferred embodiments , is described with reference to e . coli , including not only e . coli k - 12 strain 294 , defined above , but also other known e . coli strains such as e . coli ma210 or rr1 , or other microbial strains many of which are deposited and available from recognized microorganism depository institutions , such as the american type culture collection ( atcc )- cf . the atcc catalog listing . the expression vectors of this invention are derivatives of pbr322 ( see fig2 , 6 and 7 ) containing the p l promoter isolated from bacteriophage λ dna and inserted between the tet r and the amp r genes oriented in both directions ( i . e ., transcription proceeding toward the amp r gene or toward the tet r ). p l was the promoter of choice since it is a very strong promoter that can be efficiently and conveniently controlled by the λ ci repressor . the gene encoding the repressor carries a mutation , cits2 or cits857 , which renders the repressor temperature - sensitive . at 30 ° c . the repressor functions normally , and from about 37 ° c . to about 42 ° c . it is inactivated . thus the p l promoter is repressed ( turned - off ) at 30 ° c . and derepressed ( turned - on ) at 42 ° c . this feature is desirable herein in that the gene product of interest may be toxic to the cell or that if present in large quantity it would be detrimental to cell growth . the ability to control the p l promoter allows one to grow the culture at about 30 ° c . to about 36 ° c . without expressing the gene product and at an optimum time , shift the temperature from about 37 ° c . to about 42 ° c . to produce the desired gene product . in addition to the p l promoter , the expression vectors of the disclosed invention comprise rbs &# 39 ; s which contain one of at least three alterations in the : all of the vectors of the disclosed invention also contain an ecor1 restriction site distal ( downstream in 3 &# 39 ; direction ) the sd sequence by 0 , 1 , and 4 bases , providing a means of constructing different hybrid rbs &# 39 ; s . once the hybrid rbs is contructed using the ecor1 site to join the p l sd sequence to the atg coding sequence of the interferon coding gene , it can be further modified by restricting with ecor1 , filling - in the terimini with klenow polymerase i and joining the two resulting ends by blunt - end ligation with t 4 dna ligase . the following examples serve to further illustrate the invention . in order to isolate a 350 base pair ( bp ) fragment containing the λ p l promoter , 250 μg of λ ci857 sam7 dna ( miles laboratories ) was digested with restriction endonucleases bamh1 and bg1 ii , and the products were separated on agarose gel by electrophoresis . a 1200 bp fragment containing the p l promoter was isolated from the gel ( see fig1 ). this 1200 bp fragment was then digested completely with hpai and partially digested with hinf i and a 350 bp fragment was isolated from a 5 % polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis . digestion with hpai eliminated 2 hinfi partial fragments of about 350 bp that would have otherwise contaminated the desired fragment . this 350 bp fragment contains the p l promoter and the o l operates sites ( o l1 , o l2 , o l3 ) to which the λ ci repressor binds . the hinfi site , which occurs between the shine - delgerno ( sd ) sequence of the λ n gene and the initiating codon for the n gene ( see fig1 and 2 ), allows for the construction of hybrid ribosome - binding sites for the purpose of expressing foreign genes in e . coli . this hinfi site may also be converted to an ecor1 site . the 350 bp bg1 ii - hinfi fragment was cloned into plasmid prc1 which had been digested with ecor1 and bg1 ii . prc1 is a derivative of pbr322 that contains a bg1 ii site adjacent to the ecor1 site ( see fig2 ). fig2 shows the sequences of the joining termini and indicates how the ecor1 terminus of the vector can join to the hinfi terminus of the fragment , thus reconstituting the ecor1 site . ( the circled a in fig2 was repaired by cellular mechanisms in vivo .) the resulting recombinant plasmid was designated prc14 . a number of other expression vectors using the p l promoter were also constructed ( fig4 , 6 and 7 ). prc15 contains , in addition to the 350 bp bg1 ii - hinfi fragment described above , a 55 base pair fragment ( hinf [- mboi ]) that contains the sd sequence of the λ int gene ( see fig4 and 5 ). prc21 and prc22 are analogous to prc14 and prc15 , respectively . the principle difference between these plasmids is the orientation of the inserted p l - containing fragment , and thus the direction of transcription ( see fig5 ). prc23 was constructed by ligating synthetic oligonucleotides containing a &# 34 ; consensus &# 34 ; rbs [ scherer , et al ., nucleic acids research , 8 , 3895 ( 1980 )] to a 250 bp bg1 ii - hae iii fragment containing the p l promoter , and inserting the ligation product into prc2 as shown in fig7 . to test the utility of the p l promoter in prc14 the leukocyte interferon - a ( hereinafter sometimes referred to as leif - a or lifa ) gene was inserted into a host organism and expressed according to the following procedure . a psti - ecor1 fragment from ple1f a25 [ goeddel , et al , nature 287 , 411 ( 1980 ) the source of the le1f gene ] was isolated and ligated to the large ecor1 - psti fragment isolated from prc14 . the sequence of the junction is shown in fig3 . the sd sequence is 5 bases away from the atg initiation codon . to increase this distance to 9 - prc14 / l1fa was digested with ecor1 , the cohesive termini were filled - in with the klenow fragment off po1 i (+ dttp , datp ), and the blunt - ends religated . the sequence of the resulting junction is shown in fig3 ( prc1410 / l1fa ). the sequence of the novel hybrid ribosome binding sites utilized in this example are aggagaattcatg for prc14 / lifa and aggagaattaattcatg for prc1410 / lifa ( both shown in fig3 ). the aforementioned p l expression plasmids were transformed into a strain of e . coli ( strain ma210 ) that carries a defective prophage on its chromosome . the ci repressor gene of the prophage contains a mutation , cits857 , that renders it temperature - sensitive . that is , the repressor is functional from about 30 ° c . to about 36 ° c . and inactivated at about 37 ° c . to about 42 ° c . this feature provides a convenient mechanism for controlling the p l promoter . in this case the cells are grown in m9 - glucose media at 30 ° c . to 2 - 3 × 10 8 cells / ml , then shifted to 42 ° c . for two hours . the cells in the culture are then lysed in 7m guanidine - hcl and the lysate assayed . when this procedure is followed with prc1410 / lifa , yields of 10 7 to 10 8 units / l of interferon activity are detected in the bacterial extracts or lysate . ( see table 1 ). the levels of expression in prc14 / lifa are approximately 10 percent of that obtained in prc1410 / l1fa . prc15 / l1fa yields levels l1fa expression comparable to prc1410 / l1fa ( table 1 ). table 1______________________________________ lelf - ae . coli sd - aug activity (# ofstrain distance , bp units / ml . sup . d exps . ) ______________________________________ma210 ( prc14 / lifa ). sup . a 6 320 - 1 , 280 ( 3 ) ma210 ( prc1410 / lifa ). sup . a 10 7 , 680 - 5 , 360 ( 3 ) ma210 ( prc15 / lifa ). sup . a 9 15 , 360 ( 1 ) 294 ( prc1410 / lifa , 10 10 , 240 ( 1 ) prk248cits ). sup . b294 ( prc143 / lifa ). sup . c 6 480 ( 1 ) 294 ( prc144 / lifa ). sup . c 6 480 ( 1 ) ______________________________________ . sup . a the - ci repressor gene in strain ma210 is present as a defective prophage on the host chromosome and contains the temperaturesensitive mutation - ci857 . . sup . b the - ci repressor gene is present as a 2400bp bgl ii insert in prk248 - cits2 , a lowcopy plasmid which is compatible with derivatives of pbr322 . . sup . c the - ci repressor gene is present as a 2400bp insert at the bgl ii site of prc14 / lifa in either of the two possible orientations . . sup . d the values shown are data obtained from assays on 1 : 50 dilutions o the bacterial extracts . thus , 10 , 000 units / ml converts to 5 × 10 . sup . 5 units / ml of extract or approximately 5 × 10 . sup . 4 units / ml ( 5 × 10 . sup . 7 units / l ) of culture at 5 × 10 . sup . 8 cells / ml . to test the utility of the p l promoter the human fibroblast interferon gene ( fif ) was inserted into vectors prc21 and prc22 as follows ( fig8 ). in separate reactions , prc21 and prc22 were digested with ecor1 , the termini were filled - in with klenow polymerase i , digested with bam hi and the large fragment isolated ( 4 . 3 kb ). pfif trp 69 [ goeddel , et al . nucleic acids res ., 8 , 4057 ( 1980 ), the source of the fif gene ] was digested with xbai , the termini converted to blunt - ends by filling - in with klenow pol i , digested with bam hi , and the smaller fragment ( 850 bp ) containing the fif gene was isolated . the fif 850 bp fragment was ligated to the 4 . 3 kb p l - containing fragment and the resulting contructions were confirmed by restriction analysis . to test the ability of the p l - fif plasmids to produce fif gene product , e . coli cells transformed with prc21 / fif and prc22 / fif were grown at 30 ° c . in m9 - glucose media to a cell density of 2 - 3 × 10 8 cells / ml and induced at 42 °, 1 ml samples were taken , cells collected by centrifugation , and resuspended in 7m guanidine - hcl at 5 × 10 9 cells / ml to lyse the cells . cell debris was removed by centrifugation , and the supernatant was diluted 50 - fold prior to being assayed for anti - viral activity . the results are shown in table 2 . table 2______________________________________ fif ativitye . coli incubation / tem - units / ml ofstrain perature ° c .- time extract______________________________________rrl ( prk248 - cits , prc21 / fif ) control 30 ° 00 . 5 hr . 42 ° 10241 hr . 42 ° 20482 hr . 42 ° 40963 hr . 42 ° 256rrl ( prk248cits , prc22 / fif ) control 30 ° 1280 . 5 hr . 42 ° 4841 hr . 42 ° 2562 hr . 42 ° 20483 hr . 42 ° 512______________________________________ to determine the effect of novel hybrid ribosome binding sites on fif expression , derivatives of prc21 / fif and prc22 / fif were constructed . the combination of the two restriction sites in the linker region of prc21 / fif and prc22 / fif ( see fig8 ) provided a means of introducing several modifications in the hybrid rbs . ecor 1 or xba i were used to cut within the linker region , klenow pol i used to fill - in the resulting termini and the blunt - ends were re - ligated , thereby generating the various sequences shown in table 3 . these constructions were tested for fif expression in a transformed e . coli strain rr1 ( prk248cits ). to test the ability of these p l - fif plasmids to produce fif gene product , the following procedure was followed for each culture of cells transformed with a single plasmid variety selected from prc21 / fif , prc22 / fif , prc211 / fif , prc221 / fif , prc212 / fif and prc222 / fif . the cells were grown at 30 ° in m9 - glucose media to a cell density of 2 - 3 × 10 8 cells / ml and induced at 42 ° for about 120 minutes , 1 ml samples were taken , cells collected by centrifugation , and resuspended in 7m guanidine - hcl at 5 × 10 9 cells / ml to lyse the cells . cell debris was removed by centrifugation , and the supernatant was diluted 50 - fold prior to being assayed for anti - viral activity . the results are shown in table 3 . table 3__________________________________________________________________________ * sd - atg fif activityplasmid sequence of novel hybrid rbs distance units / ml__________________________________________________________________________ prc21 / fif ## str4 ## 8 10 , 240 prc22 / fif ## str5 ## 12 2 , 560 prc211 / fif ## str6 ## 12 5 . 120 prc221 / fif ## str7 ## 16 320 prc212 / fif ## str8 ## 12 160 prc222 / fif ## str9 ## 16 320__________________________________________________________________________ * sd sequence consists of the first 4 - 5 bases indicated with an overline ; atg is also indicated with an overline at the end of the sequences . p l - expression vectors were also constructed containing the immune interferon ( ifi ) gene . the source of the ifi gene was phit3709 , a derivative of pbr322 with a 1100 bp c dna copy of ifi mrna inserted at the pst i site . the coding sequence for ifi present on this insert is : ## str10 ## wherein x is taa , tga or tag . the plasmid phit 3709 containing the ifi gene was constructed according to the following procedure . lymphocytes prepared from the human peripheral blood were incubated in rpmi - 1640 medium ( containing 10 % foetal bovine serum ) containing 15 ng / ml of 12 - o - tetradecanoylphorbol - 13 - acetate ( tpa ) and 40 μg / ml of concanavalin a at 37 ° c . for ifi induction . after 24 hours of incubation , the thus - induced human lymphoytes ( 1 × 10 10 cells ) were destructed and denatured in a thioguanidine solution ( 5m guanidine thiocyanate , 5 % mercaptoethanol , 50 mm tris hcl ( ph 7 . 6 ), 10 mm edta ) in a teflon homogenizer . then sodium n - lauroyl sarcosinate was added in the concentration of 4 % and the mixture after homogenization was layered on 6 ml of 5 . 7m cesium chloride solution ( 5 . 7m cesium chloride , 0 . 1m edta ) and centrifuged at 15 ° c . and 24 , 000 rpm for 30 hours using a beckman sw27 rotor to give an rna precipitate . this rna precipitate was dissolved in 0 . 25 % n - lauroyl sarcosinate and then precipitated with ethanol to give 8 . 3 mg of rna . this rna was allowed to be adsorbed , in a high concentration salt solution ( 0 . 5m nacl , 10 mm tris hcl ( ph 7 . 6 ), 1 mm edta , 0 . 3 % sds ), on an oligo ( dt ) cellulose column and the poly ( a )- containing mrna was eluted with a low concentration salt solution ( 10 mm tris hcl ( ph 7 . 6 ), 1 mm edta , 0 . 3 % sds ). there was collected 700 μg of mrna . this mrna was again precipitated with ethanol , then dissolved in 0 . 2 ml of a solution ( 10 mm tris hcl ( ph 7 . 6 ), 2 mm edta , 0 . 3 % sds ), treated at 65 ° c . for 2 minutes and fractionated to 22 portions by 10 - 35 % sucrose density gradient centrifugation at 20 ° c . and 25 , 000 rpm for 21 hours using a beckman sw 27 rotor . aliquots of each fraction were injected into xenopas laevis oocytes and the proteins synthesized were assayed for interferon activity [ antiviral activity as assayed by the inhibition test of the cytophathic effect of the vesicular stomatitis virus against human amnion - derived wish cells ( w . e . stewart , the interferon system , springer , berlin , 1979 )]. in this manner , it was revealed that fraction 12 ( the sedimentation coefficient being 12 - 14s ) had an activity of 195 units ( international if units ) per microgram of rna . the mrna in the thus - obtained fraction 12 weighed about 20 μg . using the above mrna and a reverse transcriptase , 100 μl of a reaction mixture ( 5 μg of mrna , 50 μg of oligo ( dt ), 100 units of reverse transcriptase , 1 mm each of datp , dctp , dgtp and dttp , 8 mm mgcl 2 , 50 mm kcl , 10 mm dithiothreitol , 50 mm tris - hcl ( ph 8 . 3 ) was incubated at 42 ° c . for an hour , then deproteinized with phenol , and treated with 0 . 1n naoh at 70 ° c . for 20 minutes for degradation of rna . the thus - synthesized single - stranded complementary dna was subjected to reaction in 50 μl of a reaction mixture ( the same mixture as above - mentioned except that the mrna and oligo ( dt ) were absent ) at 42 ° c . for 2 hours for synthesizing the double - stranded dna . the above double - stranded dna was treated with nuclease s - 1 in 50 μl of a reaction mixture ( double stranded dna , 0 . 1m sodium acetate ( ph 4 . 5 ), 0 . 25m nacl , 1 . 5 mm znso 4 , 60 units s1 nuclease ) at room temperature for 30 minutes . the reaction mixture was deproteinized with phenol , the dna was precipitated with ethanol and subjected to terminal transferase reaction in a mixture ( double - stranded dna , 0 . 14m potassium cacodylate , 0 . 3m tris ( base ) ( ph 7 . 6 ), 2 mm dithiothreitol , 1 mm cocl 2 , 0 . 15 mm dctp , 30 units terminal transferase ) at 37 ° c . for 3 minutes for addition of the double - stranded dna by about 20 deoxycytidine chains at each 3 &# 39 ;- end of the dna . this series of reactions gave about 300 ng of a double - stranded deoxycytidine - chain - containing dna . separately , 10 μg of escherichia coli plasmid pbr322 dna was treated with restriction enzyme psti in 50 μl of a reaction mixture [ 10 μg dna , 50 mm nacl , 6 mm tris hcl ( ph 7 . 4 ), 6 mm mgcl 2 , 6 mm 2 - mercaptoethanol , 100 μg / ml bovine serum albumin , 20 units psti ] at 37 ° c . for 3 hours for cleavage at the one psti recognition site present in the pbr322 dna , the reaction mixture was then deproteinized with phenol and the dna was further treated with terminal transferase in 50 μl of a reaction mixture [ 10 μg dna , 0 . 14m potassium cacodylate , 0 . 3m tris ( base ) ph 7 . 6 , 2 mm dithiothreitol , 1 mm cocl 2 , 0 . 15 mm dgtp , 30 units terminal transferase ] at 37 ° c . for 3 minutes for addition of about 8 deoxyguanidine residues at each 3 &# 39 ;- end of the above plasmid pbr322 dna . the annealing was effected by heating 0 . 1 μg of the thus - obtained dc - tailed synthetic double - stranded dna and 0 . 5 μg of the above dg - tailed plasmid pbr322 in a solution containing 0 . 1m nacl , 50 mm tris hcl ( ph 7 . 6 ) and 1 mm edta at 65 ° c . for 2 minutes and then at 45 ° c . for 2 hours , followed by gradual cooling . the transformation of escherichia coli χ1776 was performed by the method enea et al . [ j . mol . biol ., 96 , 495 ( 1975 )]. about 8 , 500 tetracycline - resistant colonies were thus isolated , and the dna of each colony was fixed to a nitrocellulose filter [ m . grunstein and d . s . hogness , proc . natl . acad . sci . usa , 72 , 3961 ( 1975 )]. separately , based on the amino acid sequence of ifi as reported by d . v . goeddel et al . [ nature , 295 , 503 ( 1982 )], two based sequences ## str11 ## presumably corresponding to amino acids nos . 1 - 5 ( cys . tyr . cys . gln . asp ) and amino acids nos . 77 - 82 ( lys . gln asp . met . asn . val ) of said ifi sequence , respectively , were chemically synthesized by the triester method [ r . crea et al ., proc . natl . acad . sci . usa , 75 , 5765 ( 1978 )]. these oligonucleotides were treated with t4 polynucleotide kinase in 50 μl of a reaction mixture ( 0 . 2 μg oligonucleotide , 50 mm tris hcl ( ph 8 . 0 ), 10 mm mgcl 2 , 10 mm mercaptoethanol , 50 μci γ - 32 p - atp , 3 units t4 polynucleotide kinase ) at 37 ° c . for an hour . these oligonucleotides thus labeled with 32 p at the 5 &# 39 ;- end were used as probes and annealed with the dna on the above - mentioned nitrocellulose filter by the method of lawn et al . [ nucleic acids res ., 9 , 6103 ( 1981 )]. autoradiography could isolate 4 colonies reactive to the above two oligonucleotide probes . plasmid dnas were isolated from the bacterial cells of each of these colonies by the method of birnboim and doly [ h . c . birnboim and j . doly , nucleic acids res ., 1 , 1513 ( 1979 )]. the inserts in the plasmid dnas were excised with the psti restriction enzyme . from among the isolated plasmids , the one containing the longest cdna insert was chosen and named &# 34 ; phit3709 &# 34 ;. the restriction enzyme map of this plasmid is shown in fig9 . the primary structure ( base sequence ) of the mrna sequence inserted in the phit3709 plasmid was then determined by the dideoxynucleotide synthetic chain termination method and by the maxam - gilbert method . said primary structure was as shown in fig1 . this primary structure is in agreement with that of ifi cdna as reported by gray et al . [ nature , 295 , 503 - 508 ( 1982 )] except that the former differs from the latter in one codon ; namely , the formers codon for the no . 140 amino acid is cga , while the latter &# 39 ; s is caa for gln . the protein determined by this base sequence presumably consists of 166 amino acids whose synthesis is initiated from the no . 30 nucleotide , namely the atg codon , which is the signal for the start of protein synthesis . the first 20 amino acids probably constitute a signal peptide . the amino acid sequence , too , is different from the ifi reported by gray et al . with regard to the no . 140 amino acid ( arg in place of gln ). from the above - mentioned primary structure , it is clear that this plasmid has the entire coding region for the ifi protein . this fact indicates the possibility of making hosts such as escherichia coli produce immune interferon by transfering the dna sequence inserted in this plasmid to another expression plasmid . a 900 bp bstn1 fragment was isolated from ph1t 3709 which contains 430 bp of coding sequence for ifi and 470 bp of the 3 &# 39 ;- noncoding region . not present on this fragment are the sequences for the &# 34 ; signal &# 34 ; portion of ifi and the codons for the first 3 amino acids of the presumed mature protein . to restore the three missing codons and to provide an initiating met codon , synthetic oligonucleotides were prepared and ligated to the 900 bp fragment ( see fig1 ). the synthetic segment converted both of the bstn1 termini to ecor1 termini . the resulting fragment was cloned into vector prc22 which had been restricted with ecor1 . orientation of the insert was determined by restriction analysis with bg1 i which cuts within the 3 &# 39 ;- noncoding region . the prc22 vector containing the ifi gene ( denoted prc22 / ifi - 900 ) was sequenced across the promoter - gene junction to assure that all ligation steps occurred as expected . ( see fig1 ) to test for expression of the ifi gene , strain rri ( prk248cits , prc22 / ifi - 900 ) was grown in m9 - glucose media at 30 ° c . to 3 - 4 × 10 8 cells / ml , then induced at 42 ° c . for one hour . prior to induction , additional glucose and casamino acids were added to 1 . 0 and 0 . 5 percent , respectively . a 10 ml sample was taken , the cells were collected by centrifugation and resuspended in 0 . 1 ml of 50 mm tris ( ph7 . 4 ), 10 percent sucrose , and the suspension was quick - frozen in a dry ice / ethanol bath . the cells were thawed at 20 ° c ., then transferred to an ice bath . nacl was added to 100 mm , edta to 10 mm , spermidine to 20 mm , and lysozyme to 200 μg / ml . the mixture was kept on ice for 45 minutes , then incubated at 37 ° c . for 2 minutes . cell debris was removed by centrifugation and the supernatant was assayed for ifi anti - viral activity on wish cells . this initial experiment resulted in a yield of 1280 units of ifi activity per ml of cell extract . in order to determine the kinetics of induction , the aboe procedure was repeated . one sample was kept at 30 ° c . as a control , and other samples were taken after induction at 42 ° c . for 30 , 60 , 90 , 120 , and 180 minutes . the samples were processed as described above . the results , shown in table 4 , indicate that at 30 ° c . no activity is produced and that following induction at 42 ° c . the amount of activity detected reaches a maximum at around 90 minutes then gradually declines . table 4______________________________________ induction condi - ifi tions tempera - activity , strain ture (° c . )- time units / ml______________________________________rr1 ( prk248cits - prc22 / ifi - 900 ) 30 ° 030 &# 39 ;* 42 ° 12060 &# 39 ; 42 ° 12090 &# 39 ; 42 ° 320120 &# 39 ; 42 ° 160180 &# 39 ; 42 ° 40______________________________________ *&# 39 ; = minutes prc22 / ifi - 900 dna was further restricted with ecor1 and the 900 bp fragment containing the ifi was isolated and inserted into prc23 which had been restricted with ecor1 ( see fig1 ). the resulting construction , prc23 / ifi - 900 , contained a rbs significantly different from that in prc22 / ifi ( compare fig1 and 12 ). to test for expression of the ifi gene , strain rri ( prk248cits , prc23 / ifi - 900 ) was grown in m9 - glucose media at 30 ° c . to 3 - 4 × 10 8 cells / ml , then induced at 42 ° c . for one hour . prior to induction , additional glucose and casamino acids were added to 1 . 0 and 0 . 5 percent , respectively . a 10 ml sample was taken , the cells were collected by centrifugation and resuspended in 0 . 1 ml of 50 mm tris ( ph7 . 4 ), 10 percent sucrose , and the suspension was quick - frozen in a dry ice / ethanol bath . the cells were thawed at 20 ° c ., then transferred to an ice bath . nacl was added to 100 mm , edta to 10 mm , spermidine to 20 mm , and lysozyme to 200 μg / ml . the mixture was kept on ice for 45 minutes , then incubated at 37 ° c . for 2 minutes . cell debris was removed by centrifugation and the supernatant was assayed for ifi anti - viral activity on wish cells . prc23 / ifi when used to transform e . coli strain rr1 , produced about four times more ifi activity than prc22 / ifi , as shown in table 5 . table 5______________________________________ ifi induction activity , units / strain conditions ml______________________________________rrl ( prk248cits , prc22 / ifi - 900 ) 90 &# 39 ;* 42 ° 320rrl ( prk248cits , prc23 / ifi - 900 ) 90 &# 39 ; 42 ° 1280rrl ( prk248cits , prc231 / ifi - 900 ) 90 &# 39 ; 42 ° 640______________________________________ *&# 39 ; = minutes prc23 / ifi was further restricted with ecor1 under conditions that resulted in only one of the two sites being cut . the resulting molecules were then treated with pol i &# 34 ; klenow &# 34 ; to fill - in the ecor1 termini . the blunt - ends were ligated together with t 4 dna ligase and the dna was used to transform rri ( prk248cits ). transformants were screened for the loss of the ecor1 site at the beginning of the ifi gene and two positives were obtained . one of these , denoted pr231 / ifi - 900 , was used to transform e . coli strain rr1 to express ifi . to test for expression of the ifi gene , this strain rri ( prk248cits , prc231 / ifi - 900 ) was grown in m9 - glucose media at 30 ° c . to 3 - 4 × 10 8 cells / ml , then induced at 42 ° c . for one hour . prior to induction , additional glucose and casamino acids were added to 1 . 0 and 0 . 5 percent , respectively . a 10 ml sample was taken , the cells were collected by centrifugation and resuspended in 0 . 1 ml of 50 mm tris ( ph7 . 4 ), 10 percent sucrose , and the suspension was quick - frozen in a dry ice / ethanol bath . the cells were thawed at 20 ° c ., then transferred to an ice bath . nacl was added to 100 mm , edta to 10 mm , spermidine to 20 mm , and lysozyme to 200 μg / ml . the mixture was kept on ice for 45 minutes , then incubated at 37 ° c . for 2 minutes . cell debris was removed by centrifugation and the supernatant was assayed for ifi anti - viral activity on wish cells . the results are shown in table 5 . the modification of prc23 / ifi described was designed to extend the linker region from 6 to 10 bp . the same modification for the lelf - a expression vector resulted in a 10 - 20 fold increase in expression . in the case of ifi , a distance of 6 bp appears to be better than 10 bp for expression of ifi .

improved vectors and methods for regulating the expression in bacteria of a eucaryotic anti - viral protein , such as mature human immune interferon , the gene for which has been cloned onto a bacterial plasmid , is disclosed . the improved vectors incorporate and method utilizes transcriptional regulatory elements derived from bacteriophage lambda and ribosome binding sites either derived from bacteriophage lambda and / or synthesized chemically .

although specific terms are used in the following description for clarity purpose , these terms are intended to refer only to the particular structure of the development selected for illustration in the drawings and not to define or limit the scope of the disclosure . furthermore , the same numerical numbers are used to identify same structure unless specified otherwise ; it should also be noted that the relative dimensions of the structure are intentionally not drawn according to their relative proportion for the ease of discussion . this detailed disclosure relates to a negatively charged flexible electrophotographic imaging member . the flexible electrophotographic imaging member includes a substrate support , a multilayered photoimaging layer , and an optionally , optically transparent anti - curl back coating . the term optically transparent is defined herein as the capability of the anti - curl back coating to transmit at least about 98 percent of an incident light energy through the coating . the anti - curl back coating includes a film forming thermoplastic polymer and has a glass transition temperature ( tg ) value of at least about 75 ° c ., a thermal contraction coefficient value of at least about 1 . 5 times greater than the thermal contraction coefficient value of the substrate support , a young &# 39 ; s modulus of at least about 2 × 105 pounds per square inch ( p . s . i . ), and adheres well over the supporting substrate to give a 180 ° peel strength value of at least about 15 grams / centimeter ( g / cm ). the multilayered photoimaging layer includes a photogenerating layer , and a charge transport layer . the multilayered photoimaging layer may also include the following optional layers : a conductive layer , a hole blocking layer , an adhesive layer , an overcoat layer , and / or a ground strip layer . this disclosure also relates to a process for making a flexible electrostatographic imaging member . this process involves providing a substrate support having a first major surface and a second major surface . a multilayered photoimaging layer is then applied to the substrate support &# 39 ; s first major surface and an optional , optically transparent anti - curl back coating is applied to the substrate support &# 39 ; s second major surface . for the sake of convenience , the disclosure will be described only for electrophotographic imaging members in flexible belt form even though this development includes electrostatographic imaging members of different material configurations . an exemplary embodiment of the multilayered electrophotographic imaging member of flexible belt configuration of the present disclosure is illustrated in fig1 . in this figure , the thickness of the substrate support 32 depends on numerous factors , including mechanical strength , flexibility , and economical considerations ; and thereby , this layer for a flexible belt may , for example , have a thickness of at least about 50 micrometers , or of a maximum thickness not greater than about 150 micrometers , provided there are no adverse effects on the final electrophotographic imaging device . the substrate support 32 is not soluble in any of the solvents used in each coating layer solution , is optically transparent , and is thermally stable up to a high temperature of about 150 ° c . a typical substrate support 32 used for imaging member fabrication has a thermal contraction coefficient ranging from about 1 × 10 − 5 /° c . to about 3 × 10 − 5 /° c . and a young &# 39 ; s modulus of between about 5 × 10 − 5 psi and about 7 × 10 5 psi . the conductive layer 30 may vary in thickness over substantially wide ranges depending on the optical transparency and flexibility desired for the electrophotographic imaging member . accordingly , when a flexible electrophotographic imaging belt is desired , the thickness of the conductive layer may be between about 20 angstrom units and about 750 angstrom units , and more specifically between about 50 angstrom units and about 200 angstrom units for an optimum combination of electrical conductivity , flexibility and light transmission . the conductive layer 30 may be an electrically conductive metal layer which may be formed , for example , on the substrate by any suitable coating technique , such as a vacuum depositing or sputtering technique . typical metals suitable for use as conductive layer 30 include aluminum , zirconium , niobium , tantalum , vanadium , hafnium , titanium , nickel , stainless steel , chromium , tungsten , molybdenum , and the like . where the entire substrate is an electrically conductive metal , the outer surface thereof can perform the function of an electrically conductive layer and a separate electrical conductive layer may be omitted . after formation of an electrically conductive surface , a hole blocking layer 34 may be applied thereto . any suitable hole blocking layer capable of forming an effective barrier to holes injection from the adjacent conductive layer into the photoconductive or photogenerating layer may be utilized . examples of hole blocking layer may includes materials such as gamma amino propyl triethoxyl silane , zinc oxide , titanium oxide , silica , polyvinyl butyral , phenolic resins , and the like . the hole blocking layer of nitrogen containing siloxanes or nitrogen containing titanium compounds are as disclosed , for example , in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 291 , 110 , u . s . pat . no . 4 , 338 , 387 , u . s . pat . no . 4 , 286 , 033 and u . s . pat . no . 4 , 291 , 110 , the disclosures of these patents being incorporated herein in their entirety . the blocking layer may be applied by any suitable conventional technique such as spraying , dip coating , draw bar coating , gravure coating , silk screening , air knife coating , reverse roll coating , vacuum deposition , chemical treatment and the like . the blocking layer should be continuous and more specifically have a thickness of between about 0 . 2 and about 2 micrometers . an optional adhesive layer 36 may be applied to the hole blocking layer . any suitable adhesive layer may be utilized . one well known adhesive layer includes a linear saturated copolyester reaction product of four diacids and ethylene glycol . this linear saturated copolyester consists of alternating monomer units of ethylene glycol and four randomly sequenced diacids in the above indicated ratio and has a weight average molecular weight of about 70 , 000 . if desired , the adhesive layer may include a copolyester resin . the adhesive layer including the polyester resin is applied to the blocking layer . any adhesive layer employed should be continuous and , more specifically , have a dry thickness between about 200 micrometers and about 900 micrometers and , even more specifically , between about 400 micrometers and about 700 micrometers . any suitable solvent or solvent mixtures may be employed to form a coating solution of the polyester . typical solvents include tetrahydrofuran , toluene , methylene chloride , cyclohexanone , and the like , and mixtures thereof . any other suitable and conventional technique may be used to mix and thereafter apply the adhesive layer coating mixture to the hole blocking layer . typical application techniques include spraying , dip coating , roll coating , wire wound rod coating , and the like . drying of the deposited coating may be effected by any suitable conventional technique such as oven drying , infra red radiation drying , air drying , and the like . any suitable photogenerating layer 38 may be applied to the blocking layer 34 or adhesive layer 36 , if one is employed , which can thereafter be overcoated with a contiguous hole transport layer . examples of photogenerating layer materials include , for example , inorganic photoconductive materials such as amorphous selenium , trigonal selenium , and selenium alloys selected from the group consisting of selenium - tellurium , selenium - tellurium - arsenic , selenium arsenide and mixtures thereof , and organic photoconductive materials including various phthalocyanine pigment such as the x - form of metal free phthalocyanine , metal phthalocyanines such as vanadyl phthalocyanine and copper phthalocyanine , quinacridones , dibromo anthanthrone pigments , benzimidazole perylene , substituted 2 , 4 - diamino - triazines , polynuclear aromatic quinones , and the like dispersed in a film forming polymeric binder . selenium , selenium alloy , benzimidazole perylene , and the like and mixtures thereof may be formed as a continuous , homogeneous photogenerating layer . benzimidazole perylene compositions are well known and described , for example , in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 587 , 189 , the entire disclosure thereof being incorporated herein by reference . multi - photogenerating layer compositions may be utilized where a photoconductive layer enhances or reduces the properties of the photogenerating layer . other suitable photogenerating materials known in the art may also be utilized , if desired . any suitable charge generating binder layer including photoconductive particles dispersed in a film forming binder may be utilized . for the charge generating binder layer , photoconductive particles such as vanadyl phthalocyanine , metal free phthalocyanine , benzimidazole perylene , amorphous selenium , trigonal selenium , selenium alloys such as selenium - tellurium , selenium - tellurium - arsenic , selenium arsenide , and the like and mixtures thereof are appropriate because of their sensitivity to white light . vanadyl phthalocyanine , metal free phthalocyanine and tellurium alloys are also useful because these materials provide the additional benefit of being sensitive to infrared light . the photogenerating materials selected should be sensitive to activating radiation having a wavelength between about 600 and about 700 nm during the imagewise radiation exposure step in a electrophotographic imaging process to form an electrostatic latent image . any suitable inactive resin materials may be employed in the photogenerating layer 38 including those described , for example , in u . s . pat . no . 3 , 121 , 006 , the entire disclosure thereof being incorporated herein by reference . typical organic resinous binders include thermoplastic and thermosetting resins such as polycarbonates , polyesters , polyamides , polyurethanes , polystyrenes , polyarylethers , polyarylsulfones , polybutadienes , polysulfones , polyethersulfones , polyethylenes , polypropylenes , polyimides , polymethylpentenes , polyphenylene sulfides , polyvinyl butyral , polyvinyl acetate , polysiloxanes , polyacrylates , polyvinyl acetals , polyamides , polyimides , amino resins , phenylene oxide resins , terephthalic acid resins , epoxy resins , phenolic resins , polystyrene and acrylonitrile copolymers , polyvinylchloride , vinylchloride and vinyl acetate copolymers , acrylate copolymers , alkyd resins , cellulosic film formers , poly ( amideimide ), styrene - butadiene copolymers , vinylidenechloride - vinylchloride copolymers , vinylacetate - vinylidene - chloride copolymers , styrene - alkyd resins , and the like . the photogenerating composition or pigment can be present in the resinous binder composition in various amounts . generally , from about 5 percent by volume to about 90 percent by volume of the photogenerating pigment is dispersed in about 10 percent by volume to about 95 percent by volume of the resinous binder , and more specifically from about 20 percent by volume to about 30 percent by volume of the photogenerating pigment is dispersed in about 70 percent by volume to about 80 percent by volume of the resinous binder composition . the photogenerating layer containing photoconductive compositions and / or pigments and the resinous binder material generally ranges in thickness of from about 0 . 1 micrometer to about 5 micrometers , and more specifically has a thickness of from about 0 . 3 micrometer to about 3 micrometers . the photogenerating layer thickness is related to binder content . higher binder content compositions generally require thicker layers for photogeneration . thicknesses outside these ranges can be selected providing the objectives of the present development are achieved . the charge transport layer 40 , applied over the charge generating layer 38 , may include any suitable transparent organic polymer or non - polymeric material capable of supporting the injection of photogenerated holes from the charge generating layer 38 and capable of allowing the transport of these holes through the charge transport layer to selectively discharge the surface charge on the imaging member surface . the charge transport layer 40 not only serves to transport holes , but also protects the charge generating layer 38 from abrasion or chemical attack and therefore extends the service life of the imaging member . the charge transport layer 40 should exhibit negligible , if any , discharge when exposed to a wavelength of light useful in xerography , e . g ., about 4000 angstroms to about 9000 angstroms . therefore , the charge transport layer is substantially transparent to radiation in a region in which the photoconductor is to be used . furthermore , the charge transport layer 40 is a substantially non - photoconductive material , but supports the injection of photogenerated holes from the charge generation layer 38 . the charge transport layer 40 is required to be transparent when exposure is effected through this active layer to ensure that most of the incident radiation is utilized by the underlying charge carrier generator layer 38 below to produce efficient photogeneration outcome . the charge transport layer 40 in conjunction with the generation layer 38 in the instant development is a material which is an insulator to the extent that an electrostatic charge placed on the transport layer is not conducted in the absence of illumination . the charge transport layer 40 may include any suitable activating compound useful as an additive molecularly dispersed in an electrically inactive polymeric material to form a solid solution and thereby making this material electrically active . the activating compound may be added to a film forming polymeric material which is otherwise incapable of supporting the injection of photogenerated holes from the generation material and incapable of allowing the transport of these holes therethrough . this will convert the electrically inactive polymeric material to a material capable of supporting the injection of photogenerated holes from the generation material and capable of allowing the transport of these holes through the active transport layer 40 in order to discharge the surface charge on this active transport layer . the charge transport layer 40 of this disclosure is comprised of more than one region or layer formed of a binary solid solution comprised of a film forming polymer binder and a hole mobility organic charge transporting compound . examples of such charge transporting compounds include triphenylmethane , bis ( 4 - diethylamine - 2 - methylphenyl ) phenylmethane , stilbene , and hydrazone ; otherwise , an aromatic amine comprising tritolylamine ; arylamine ; enamine phenanthrene diamine ; n , n ′- bis -( 3 , 4 - dimethylphenyl )- 4 - biphenyl amine ; n , n ′- bis ( 4 - methylphenyl )- n , n ′- bis ( 4 - ethylphenyl ) 1 , 1 ′-( 3 , 3 ′- dimethylbiphenyl )- 4 , 4 ′- diamine ; 4 - 4 ′- bis ( diethylamino )- 2 , 2 ′- dimethyltriphenylmethane ; n , n ′- diphenyl - n , n ′- bis ( 3 - methylphenyl )-[ 1 , 1 ′- biphenyl ]- 4 , 4 ′- diamine ; n , n ′- diphenyl - n , n ′- bis ( 4 - methylphenyl )- 1 , 1 ′- biphenyl - 4 , 4 ′- diamine ; n , n ′- diphenyl - n , n ′- bis ( alkylphenyl )- 1 , 1 ′- biphenyl - 4 , 4 ′- diamine ; and n , n ′- diphenyl - n , n ′- bis ( chlorophenyl )- 1 , 1 ′- biphenyl - 4 , 4 ′- diamine . since the last two aromatic diamines are commonly used hole transporting compound for typical electrophotographic imaging member fabrication , they are selected for present disclosure embodiment preparation and are thereby represented by the molecular formula i below : wherein x is selected from the group consisting of alkyl , hydroxy , and halogen . alternatively , electrophotographic imaging member may comprise a novel terphenyl diamine charge transporting compound , having enhanced hole transporting capacity ( about 50 % hole mobility improvement ) than those aromatic diamines described above . such a compound is suitable for this development application because the enhanced hole transport capability will allow its usage in the top charge transport layer formulation be reduced to effect mechanical property improvement without causing deleterious photoelectrical impact to the fabricated imaging member . the high hole mobility transporting terphenyl diamine is represented by the molecular formula ii below : wherein r1 is an alkyl which optionally contains from 1 to about 10 carbon atoms and r2 is an alkyl which optionally contains from 1 to about 10 carbon atoms . formula ( ii ) includes , among others , n , n ′- bis ( 4 - methylphenyl )- n , n ′- bis [ 4 -( 1 - butyl )- phenyl ]-[ p - terphenyl ]- 4 , 4 ″- diamine , n , n ′- bis ( 3 - methylphenyl )- n , n ′- bis [ 4 -( 1 - butyl )- phenyl ]-[ p - terphenyl ]- 4 , 4 ″- diamine , n , n ′- bis ( 4 - t - butylphenyl )- n , n ′- bis [ 4 -( 1 - butyl )- phenyl ]-[ p - terphenyl ]- 4 , 4 ″- diamine , n , n ′, n ″, n ′″- tetra [ 4 -( 1 - butyl )- phenyl ]- p - terphenyl ]- 4 , 4 ″- diamine , and n , n ′, n ″, n ′″- tetra [ 4 - t - butyl - phenyl ]-[ p - terphenyl ]- 4 , 4 ″- diamine . the charge transport layer 40 may also include any suitable activating compound useful as an additive dispersed in electrically inactive polymeric materials making these materials electrically active . any suitable inactive resin binder soluble in methylene chloride , chlorobenzene or other suitable solvent may be employed in the process of this disclosure . typical inactive resin binders include polycarbonate resin , polyvinylcarbazole , polyester , polyarylate , polyacrylate , polyether , polysulfone , and the like . molecular weights can vary , for example , from about 20 , 000 to about 1 , 500 , 000 . other layers such as conventional ground strip layer 41 including , for example , conductive particles dispersed in a film forming binder may be applied to one edge of the imaging member to promote electrical continuity with the conductive layer 30 through the hole blocking layer 34 , and adhesive layer 36 . ground strip layer 41 may include any suitable film forming polymer binder and electrically conductive particles . typical ground strip materials include those enumerated in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 664 , 995 , the entire disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein . the ground strip layer 41 may have a thickness from about 7 micrometers to about 42 micrometers , and more specifically from about 14 micrometers to about 23 micrometers . optionally , an overcoat layer 42 , if desired , may also be utilized to provide imaging member surface protection as well as improve resistance to abrasion . further aspects of the exemplary embodiments as illustrated herein relate to an imaging member comprising , a charge transport layer 40 which comprises multiple concentration regions of a binary solid solution comprising a film forming polymer binder and an aromatic amine hole transporting compound of formula i or any one of the aromatic diamines given above . the charge transport layer 40 contains a region of highest concentration , from about 50 to about 90 weight , hole or charge transport compound near the bottom surface and has a continuum of decreasing concentration of hole or charge transport compound towards the top surface of the layer . this results the production of a region having the lowest aromatic diamine concentration , from about 5 and 10 weight percent , near the top surface of the charge transport layer 40 . in another embodiment illustrated herein , the hole transport compound used in the charge transport layer 40 of the imaging member in fig1 is a terphenyl diamine of formula ii , wherein the region of the highest hole transport compound concentration , from about 40 to about 80 weight , is near the bottom surface . the concentration of the hole transport compound is then continuously decreased to produce a region having the lowest terphenyl diamine content of from about 2 and 8 weight percent near the top surface of the multiple charge transport layer 40 . therefore , the reduction , near the top , and coupled with the increase , near the bottom , of the amount of hole transport compound presence in the charge transport layer 40 produces the mechanical property enhancement that suppresses the early onset of charge transport layer cracking problem and effects functional life longevity outcome without negatively impacting the electrophotographic performance of the imaging member . a further embodiment illustrated herein relates to the inclusion in the charge transport layer of variable amounts of an antioxidant such as a hindered phenol comprises of octadecyl - 3 , 5 - di - tert - butyl - 4 - hydroxyhydrociannamate , available as irganox i - 1010 from ciba specialty chemicals , in the charge transport layer 40 ( of about 10 weight percent with respect to the hole transport compound content ). the presence of irganox i - 1010 is tailored to produce a continuum of ascending concentration of the antioxidant in reversal to that of the hole transport compound for maximizing the effect that yields electrical stability and minimize lcm impact . additional aspects relate to an imaging member , comprising a supporting flexible substrate having a conductive surface or layer and all its required coating layers , and a charge transport layer 40 consisting of various regions or layers , wherein the upper region or layer of the multiple charge transport layer is filled with nano particles dispersion , such as silica , metal oxides , acumist ( waxy polyethylene particles ), ptfe , and the like . this is for the purpose of enhancing the lubricity and wear resistance of charge transport layer 40 . the particle dispersion concentrated in the top vicinity of the upper region of charge transport layer 40 should not exceed 10 weight percent of the weight of the top region or one tenth thickness of resulting single charge transport layer 40 to render optimum wear resistance benefit without causing deleterious electrical impact of the fabricated imaging member . the charge transport layer 40 of the present disclosure should be an insulator to the extent that the electrostatic charge placed on the charge transport layer is not conducted in the absence of illumination at a rate sufficient to prevent formation and retention of an electrostatic latent image thereon . in general , the ratio of the thickness of the charge transport layer to the charge generator layer is more specifically maintained from about 2 : 1 to about 200 : 1 and in some instances as great as about 400 : 1 . therefore , it is generally that the thickness of the charge transport layer is between about 5 micrometers and about 100 micrometers , but thickness outside this range can also be used provided that there are no adverse effects . the charge transport layer 40 is , generally , a solid solution including an activating organic compound molecularly dissolved in a polycarbonate binder of either a poly ( 4 , 4 ′- isopropylidene diphenyl carbonate ) or a poly ( 4 , 4 ′- diphenyl - 1 , 1 ′- cyclohexane carbonate ). typically , it has a young &# 39 ; s modulus in the range of from about 2 . 5 × 10 5 psi to about 4 . 5 × 10 5 psi and with a thermal contraction coefficient of between about 6 × 10 − 5 /° c . and about 8 × 10 − 5 /° c . since the charge transport layer 40 has a great thermal contraction mismatch compared to that of the substrate support 32 , the prepared flexible electrophotographic imaging member is , at this point , seen to exhibit spontaneous upward curling due to the result of larger dimensional contraction in the charge transport layer 40 than the substrate support 32 , as the imaging member cools down to room ambient temperature after the heating / drying processes of the applied wet charge transport layer coating . an anti - curl back coating 33 can be applied to the back side of the substrate support 32 ( which is the side opposite the side bearing the electrically active coating layers ) in order to render flatness . the anti - curl back coating 33 may include any suitable organic or inorganic film forming polymers that are electrically insulating or slightly semi - conductive . the anti - curl back coating 33 used has a thermal contraction coefficient value substantially greater than that of the substrate support 32 used in the imaging member within a temperature range between about 20 ° c . and about 130 ° c . employed during imaging member fabrication layer coating and drying processes . to yield the designed imaging member flatness outcome , the applied anti - curl back coating has a thermal contraction coefficient of at least about 1½ times greater than that of the substrate support to be considered satisfactory ; that is a value of at least approximately + 1 × 10 − 5 /° c . larger than the substrate support which typically has a substrate support thermal contraction coefficient of about 2 × 10 − 5 /° c . however , an anti - curl back coating with a thermal contraction coefficient at least about 2 times greater , equivalent to about + 2 × 10 − 5 /° c ., than that of the substrate support is appropriate to yield an effective anti - curling result . the applied anti - curl back coating is a film forming thermoplastic polymer , being optically transparent , with a young &# 39 ; s modulus of at least about 2 × 10 5 psi , bonded to the substrate support to give at least about 15 gms / cm of 180 ° peel strength . the anti - curl back coating is typically between about 7 and about 20 weight percent based on the total weight of the imaging member which corresponds to from about 7 to about 20 micrometers in coating thickness . the selected anti - curl back coating polymer is to be conveniently dissolved in any common organic solvent for the ease of coating solution preparation and is to be inexpensive , so as to provide effectual imaging member production cost cutting . the selection of a thermoplastic film forming thermoplastic polymer for anti - curl back coating application should satisfy the physical , mechanical , optical , and thermal requirements , as detailed herein . suitable polymer materials for use in the anti - curl back coating include : polycarbonates , polystyrenes , polyesters , polyamides , polyurethanes , polyarylethers , polyarylsulfones , polyarylate , polybutadienes , polysulfones , polyethersulfones , polyethylenes , polypropylenes , polyimides , polymethylpentenes , polyphenylene sulfides , polyvinyl acetate , polysiloxanes , polyacrylates , polyvinyl acetals , polyamides , polyimides , amino resins , phenylene oxide resins , terephthalic acid resins , phenoxy resins , epoxy resins , phenolic resins , polystyrene and acrylonitrile copolymers , polyvinylchloride , vinylchloride and vinyl acetate copolymers , acrylate copolymers , alkyd resins , cellulosic film formers , poly ( amideimide ), styrene - butadiene copolymers , vinylidenechloridevinylchloride copolymers , vinylacetate - vinylidenechloride copolymers , styrene - alkyd resins , and the like . these polymers may be block , random or alternating copolymers . in addition , other polymers may also include polycarbonate resin , polyvinylcarbazole , polyester , polyarylate , polyacrylate , polyether , polysulfone , polystyrene , polyamide , and the like . molecular weights can vary from about 20 , 000 to about 150 , 000 . polycarbonates may be a bisphenol a polycarbonate material such as poly ( 4 , 4 ′- isopropylidene - diphenylene carbonate ) having a molecular weight of from about 35 , 000 to about 40 , 000 , available as lexan 145 from general electric company and poly ( 4 , 4 ′- isopropylidene - diphenylene carbonate ) having a molecular weight of from about 40 , 000 to about 45 , 000 , available as lexan 141 also from the general electric company . a bisphenol a polycarbonate resin having a molecular weight of from about 50 , 000 to about 120 , 000 , is available as makrolon from farbenfabricken bayer a . g . a lower molecular weight bisphenol a polycarbonate resin having a molecular weight of from about 20 , 000 to about 50 , 000 is available as merlon from mobay chemical company . another type of polycarbonate of interest is poly ( 4 , 4 - diphenyl - 1 , 1 ′- cyclohexane carbonate ), which is a film forming thermoplastic polymer structurally modified from bisphenol a polycarbonate ; it is commercially available from mitsubishi chemicals . all of these polycarbonates have a tg of between about 145 ° c . and about 165 ° c . and with a thermal contraction coefficient ranging from about 6 . 0 × 10 − 5 /° c . to about 7 . 0 × 10 − 5 /° c . furthermore , suitable film forming thermoplastic polymers for the anti - curl back coating 33 , if desired , may include the same binder polymers used in the charge transport layer 40 . the anti - curl back coating formulation may include the addition of a small quantity of a saturated copolyester adhesion promoter to enhance its adhesion bond strength to the substrate support . in further embodiments , the flexible electrophotographic imaging members may alternatively comprise a charge transport layer having multiple layers according to the illustration presented in fig2 . in these embodiments , the charge transport layer comprises discrete , but contiguous layers . a charge transport layer consisting of a first or bottom charge transport layer 40 f and a plurality of additional charge transport layers 40 p , all of which are solid solutions comprising the same film forming polymer binder and very same aromatic amine hole transporting compound of formula i or any one of the aromatic diamines given above , wherein the first charge transport layer 40 f comprises from about 50 to about 90 weight percent hole transport compound with respect to the total weight of the first layer 40 f to give satisfactory hole transporting result , nonetheless , a content comprising about 60 to about 70 weight percent is preferred for achieving optimum function . by comparison , the first or base layer of the plurality of additional charge transport layers 40 p is comprised of from about 40 to about 60 weight percent and then in stepwise reduction fashion of aromatic diamines concentration in each subsequent layer of the additional charge transport layers 40 p to reach a lowest concentration of between about 10 and about 30 weight percent at the very top layer of the additional charge transport layers 40 p with respect to the total weight of each respective layer . therefore , the top charge transport layer of the plurality of additional charge transport layers 40 p contains more polymer binder in the coating layer matrix to effect its mechanical property enhancement for suppression of early onset of charge transport layer cracking problem as well as improvement of wear resistance for its service life extension . an anti - curl back coating may also be required to counteract the imaging member upward curling and maintain flatness for a complete imaging member design . in one embodiment , the first charge transport layer contains from about 50 to about 90 weight percent of a charge transport component based on the weight of the first charge transport layer . in another embodiment , the first charge transport layer contains from about 60 to about 70 weight percent of a charge transport component . in another embodiment , the uppermost layer of the additional charge transport layers contains from about 10 to about 30 weight percent of charge transport components based on the weight of the uppermost layer . in another embodiment , the substrate has a thickness of from about 50 micrometers to about 300 micrometers . in another embodiment , the substrate has a thickness of from about 80 micrometers to about 120 micrometers . in another embodiment , the charge generating layer comprises metal free phthalocyanines , metal phthalocyanines , vandyl phthalocyanines , perylenes , titanyl phthalocyanines , hydroxy gallium phthalocyanines , selenium , selenium alloys , or mixtures thereof . in a specific embodiment embodiments where the plurality of additional charge transport layers is from about 2 to about 3 layers , the uppermost layer of the additional charge transport layers contains from about 5 to about 25 weight percent of charge transport component based on the weight of the uppermost layer . in another embodiment where the plurality of additional charge transport layers is from about 2 to about 3 layers , the base layer of the additional charge transport layers contains from about 40 to about 60 weight percent of charge transport components . in another embodiment where the plurality of additional charge transport layers is from about 2 to about 3 layers , the base layer of the additional charge transport layers contains from about 30 to about 50 weight percent of charge transport components . in another embodiment where the plurality of additional charge transport layers is from about 2 to about 3 layers , the second layer of the additional charge transport layers contains from about 25 to about 45 weight percent of charge transport components . in another embodiment where the plurality of additional charge transport layers is from about 2 to about 3 layers , the second layer of the additional charge transport layers contains from about 20 to about 40 weight percent of charge transport components . in an embodiment having four additional charge transport layers , the fourth charge transport layer contains from about 15 to about 35 weight percent of charge transport components . in another embodiment , the plurality of additional charge transport layers is 3 layers and wherein the base layer of the additional charge transport layer contains from about 40 to about 60 weight percent of said charge transport components , the second layer of the additional charge transport layers contains from about 30 to about 50 weight percent of said charge transport components , and the third layer of the additional charge transport layers contains from about 10 to about 30 weight percent by weight of said charge transport components and the first charge transport layer contains from about 50 to about 90 weight percent of said charge transport components . in another embodiment , the plurality of additional charge transport layers is 3 layers , the base layer of the additional charge transport layers contains from about 30 to about 50 weight percent of said charge transport components , the second layer of the additional charge transport layers contains from about 10 to about 35 weight percent of said charge transport components , the third layer of the additional charge transport layers contains from about 5 to about 25 weight percent by weight of said charge transport components , and the first charge transport layer contains from about 40 to about 80 weight percent of said charge transport components . another aspect of charge transport layer for effectual mechanical function improvement illustrated herein relate to an imaging member comprising : an optional supporting flexible substrate having a conductive surface or layer , a charge transport layer consisting of a first or bottom charge transport layer 40 f and a plurality of additional charge transport layers 40 p , all of which are solid solutions comprising the same film forming polymer binder , wherein the first charge transport layer 40 f comprises aromatic amine hole transporting compound of formula i or any of which aromatic diamines named above and the same concentration according to the description in the preceding embodiment , whereas the plurality of additional charge transport layers 40 p comprise the high hole transporting terphenyl diamine of formula ii in such a way that the base layer of plurality of layers 40 p comprises about 30 to 50 weight percent terphenyl diamine , and in stepwise reduction fashion of its concentration in each subsequent layer of layers 40 p to reach a lowest concentration of between about 5 and about 25 weight percent at the very top layer of layers 40 p . the prepared imaging member may also require an anti - curl back coating to maintain flatness . still another aspect of charge transport layer mechanical function improvement illustrated herein relate to an imaging member comprising : a charge transport layer consisting of a first or bottom layer 40 f and a plurality of additional charge transport layers 40 p , all of which are binary solid solutions comprising the same film forming polymer binder and same high hole transporting terphenyl diamine of formula ii , wherein the first charge transport layer 40 f comprises an amount of terphenyl diamine from about 40 to about 80 weight percent , while the plurality of additional charge transport layers 40 p consists of the same high hole transporting terphenyl diamine in same polymer binder in such a way that the first or base layer of the plurality of layers 40 p comprises about 30 to 50 weight percent terphenyl diamine and in stepwise reduction fashion of its concentration in each subsequent layers to reach a lowest concentration of between about 5 and about 25 weight percent at the very top layer of the plurality of layers 40 p , which is similar to the concentration gradient profile as that of the plurality charge transport layers 40 p described in the above embodiment . the prepared imaging member may again require an anti - curl back coating to maintain flatness . to achieve the desired outcome , it is necessary that each of the charge transport layers of the imaging member in fig2 be solution coated , and then completely and fully dried at elevated temperature to remove the coating solvent prior to the application of the next coating layer . subsequently thereafter , the very same coating procedure is repeated again for every one of all the subsequent layers to produce the multiple charge transport layers of this disclosure . any suitable or innovative technique may be utilized to mix and thereafter apply the multiple charge transport layer coating mixture onto the charge generating layer 38 . typical application techniques for each charge transport layer include extrusion die coating , spraying , roil coating , wire wound rod coating , and the like . drying of each deposited wet coating may be effected by any suitable conventional technique such as oven drying , infra red radiation drying , air drying and the like . referring back to fig2 , the plurality of charge transport layers 40 p , having the stepwise descending concentration gradient of hole transport compound of from having the highest in the base layer to the lowest in the top layer as described in the embodiments above , is comprised of about 2 to about 15 discreet layers ; but preferably to be between 2 and 7 layers , with optimum result from 2 to 3 layers . the thickness of the first or bottom charge transport layer 40 f is between about 5 and about 10 micrometers . although the thickness of the first charge transport layer 40 f may be the same to the collective thickness of the plurality of charge transport layers 40 p , it is however preferably to be different ; while the thickness among each of the plurality of additional charge transport layers 40 p may be different , nonetheless it is preferred to be identical of being between about 0 . 5 and 7 micrometers . to achieve optimum functional outcome , the total thickness of the first charge transport layer 40 f and the plurality of additional charge transport layers 40 p should be in the range of between about 10 and about 110 micrometers . in one embodiment , the first charge transport layer and each of the additional charge transport layers are of a thickness of from about 5 to about 10 micrometers . in one embodiment , the first charge transport layer and each of the additional charge transport layers are of the same thickness . still yet another aspect of the multiple charge transport layer having mechanical function improvement illustrated herein relate to an imaging member , comprising a supporting flexible substrate having a conductive surface or layer and with all the respective coating layers described in the preceding embodiments above may furthermore include an antioxidant , such as irganox i - 1010 , to each of the plurality of additional charge transport layers in a stepwise ascending concentration gradient in reversal fashion to that of the charge transport compound , but its content is of only about 10 weight percent with respect to the hole transport compound content to maintain electrical stability and maximize lcm suppression effect . another further aspect of the charge transport layer having mechanical function improvement illustrated herein relate to an imaging member , comprising a supporting flexible substrate having a conductive surface or layer and with all its respective coating layers described in the preceding embodiments above may again include incorporation of nano particles dispersion , such as silica , metal oxides , acumist ( waxy polyethylene particles ), ptfe , and the like of not to exceed 10 weight percent in the top layer of the plurality of additional charge transport layers 40 p , based on the total weight of the top layer , so as to render wear resistance enhancement result of the top charge transport layer . referring to fig3 is a pictorial representation that illustrates the development process and tools employed to create an imaging member web stock of fig1 , having a single charge transport layer 40 which contains a continuum of descending hole transport compound concentration gradient profile from the bottom to the top of the layer in one single coating pass . as shown in the figure , the extrusion coating dies 1 , 2 , and 3 ( although it may comprise of multiple dies of from about 2 to about 10 in tandem arrangement ) are arranged in a subsequent fashion so that die 1 carries a solution of highest concentration of hole transport compound is extruded directly over the dried charge generation layer 38 , while dies 2 and 3 , each carrying a solution of descending hole transport compound concentration , dispenses each subsequent wet coating layer on top the respective prior wet coating layer as the imaging member web stock is moving in the arrow d pointing direction . the dies are positioned in close by vicinity to each other and arranged to have their predetermined descending concentrations , to produce the three applied charge transport layers in tandem , while they are not yet in fully dried state ( defined as containing solvent of not less than 5 weight percent ). this arrangement and process promotes the interfacial hole transport compound diffusion and leads to final convergence of these layers into a merging , charge transport layer 40 , containing a descending hole transport compound concentration gradient profile ( of from highest content near the bottom and lowest near the top ) in the resulting dried charge transport layer 40 shown in the electrophotographic imaging member of fig1 . alternatively , the charge transport layer coating application can be accomplished through utilizing a single coating die designed to consist of multiple slots that yields the intended development single charge transport layer coating result . to create the desired ascending antioxidant , irganox i - 1010 , concentration gradient continuum profile in the charge transport layer 40 in the imaging member of fig1 by the innovative process shown in fig3 , die 1 should dispense a coating solution containing the least amount of irganox , while additional amounts are dispersed from die 2 and higher amounts dispensed from die 3 . for accomplishing wear property improvement outcome , particle dispersion is incorporated only into the coating solution in die 3 so that the resulting charge transport layer formed will have a particle dispersion concentrated only near the top surface of the single charge transport layer 40 to give maximized wear resistance enhancement function . the multilayered , flexible electrophotographic imaging member web stocks having the charge transport layer designs fabricated , in accordance to the embodiments described in the preceding , to give enhanced physical and mechanical function , may be cut into rectangular sheets and each cut sheet is then brought together by overlapping and may be joined by any suitable means including ultrasonic welding , gluing , taping , stapling , and pressure and heat fusing to form a continuous imaging member seamed belt , sleeve , or cylinder , nevertheless , from the viewpoint of considerations such as ease of belt fabrication , short operation cycle time , and mechanical strength of the fabricated joint , the ultrasonic welding process is more specifically used to join the overlapping edges into a flexible imaging member seamed belt . the prepared flexible imaging belt may therefore be employed in any suitable and conventional electrophotographic imaging process which utilizes uniform charging prior to imagewise exposure to activating electromagnetic radiation . when the imaging surface of an electrophotographic member is uniformly charged with an electrostatic charge and imagewise exposed to activating electromagnetic radiation , conventional positive or reversal development techniques may be employed to form a marking material image on the imaging surface of the electrophotographic imaging member of this disclosure . thus , by applying a suitable electrical bias and selecting toner having the appropriate polarity of electrical charge , one may form a toner image in the charged areas or discharged areas on the imaging surface of the electrophotographic member of the present disclosure . for example , for positive development , charged toner particles are attracted to the oppositely charged electrostatic areas of the imaging surface and for reversal development , charged toner particles are attracted to the discharged areas of the imaging surface . the development will further be illustrated in the following non - limiting examples , it being understood that these examples are intended to be illustrative only and that the disclosure is not intended to be limited to the materials , conditions , process parameters and the like recited herein . all proportions are by weight unless otherwise indicated . an electrophotographic imaging member web stock was prepared by providing a 0 . 02 micrometers thick titanium layer coated on a biaxially oriented polyethylene naphthalate substrate ( kaladex , available from dupont , inc .) having a thickness of 3 . 5 micrometers ( 89 micrometers ). applied thereto , using a gravure coating technique , was a hole blocking layer generated from and a solution containing 10 grams of gamma aminopropyltriethoxy silane , 10 . 1 grams of distilled water , 3 grams of acetic acid , 684 . 8 grams of 200 proof denatured alcohol and 200 grams heptane . this layer was then allowed to dry for 5 minutes at 135 degrees celsius ( centigrade ) in a forced air oven . the resulting hole blocking layer had an average dry thickness of 0 . 05 micrometers measured with an ellipsometer . an adhesive interface layer was then prepared by extrusion application to the hole blocking layer , a wet coating containing 5 percent by weight based on the total weight of the solution of polyester adhesive ( mor - ester 49 , 000 , available from morton international , inc .) in a 70 : 30 volume ratio mixture of tetrahydrofuranicyclohexanone . the adhesive interface layer was allowed to dry for 5 minutes at 135 degrees celsius in the forced air oven . the resulting adhesive interface layer had a dry thickness of 0 . 065 micrometers . the adhesive interface layer was thereafter coated with a photogenerating layer . the photogenerating layer dispersion was prepared by introducing 0 . 45 grams of iupilon 200 poly ( 4 , 4 ′- diphenyl )- 1 , 1 ′- cyclohexane carbonate , available from mitsubishi gas chemical corp and 50 milliliters of tetrahydrofuran into a 4 ounce glass bottle . to this solution were added 2 . 4 grams of hydroxygallium phthalocyanine and 300 grams of ⅛ inch ( 3 . 2 millimeters ) diameter stainless steel shot . this mixture is then placed on a ball mill for 20 to 24 hours . subsequently , 2 . 25 grams of poly ( 4 , 4 ′- diphenyl )- 1 , 1 ′- cyclohexane carbonate was dissolved in 46 . 1 grams of tetrahydrofuran , then added to this hydrogallium phthalocyanine slurry . this slurry was then placed on a shaker for 10 minutes . the resulting slurry was , thereafter , coated onto the adhesive interface by extrusion application process to form a layer having a wet thickness of 0 . 25 milliliters . however , a strip about 10 millimeters wide along one edge of the substrate web bearing the blocking layer and the adhesive layer was deliberately left uncoated by any of the photogenerating ( or charge generating ) layer material to facilitate adequate electrical contact by the ground strip layer that was applied later . this photogenerating layer was dried at 135 degrees celsius for 5 minutes in a forced air oven to form a dry thickness photogenerating layer having a thickness of 0 . 4 micrometer layer . this coated imaging member , at this point , was simultaneously coated onto with a charge transport layer and a ground strip layer using extrusion co - coating process . the charge transport layer was prepared by introducing into an amber glass bottle a weight ratio of 1 : 1 organic hole transport compound n , n ′- diphenyl - n , n ′- bis ( 3 - methylphenyl )- 1 , 1 ′- biphenyl - 4 , 4 ′- diamine and makrolon 5705 , a polycarbonate resin having a weight average molecular weight of about 120 , 000 commercially available from bayer a . g . the resulting mixture was dissolved to give a 15 percent by weight solid in 85 percent by weight methylene chloride . this solution was applied onto the photogenerator layer to form a coating which upon drying gave a 30 micrometer thick binary solid solution charge transport layer and comprised of 50 : 50 weight percent hole transport compound to polymer binder ratio . the approximately 10 millimeter wide strip of the adhesive layer left uncoated by the photogenerator layer was coated over with a ground strip layer during the co - coating process . this ground strip layer , after drying along with the co - coated hole transport layer at 135 degrees celsius in the forced air oven for about 5 minutes , had a dried thickness of about 19 micrometers . this ground strip was electrically grounded by conventional means , such as , by a carbon brush contact during conventional xerographic imaging process . the imaging member , if unrestrained , at this point , did exhibit spontaneous upward curling into a 1½ inch roll . an anticurl coating was prepared by combining 8 . 82 grams of polycarbonate resin ( makrolon 5705 , available from bayer ag ), 0 . 72 gram of polyester resin ( vitel pe - 200 , available from goodyear tire and rubber company ) and 90 . 1 grams of methylene chloride in a glass container to form a coating solution containing 8 . 9 percent solids . the container was covered tightly and placed on a roll mill for about 24 hours until the polycarbonate and polyester were dissolved in the methylene chloride to form the anticurl coating solution . the anticurl coating solution was then applied to the rear surface ( side opposite the photogenerator layer and hole transport layer ) of the imaging member web stock , again by extrusion coating process , and dried at 135 degrees celsius for about 5 minutes in the forced air oven to produce a dried film thickness of about 17 micrometers and render flatness . the resulting electrophotographic imaging member was used to serve as an imaging member control . six charge transport layer solutions were prepared by following the same descriptive procedures and using the same materials as that of control example i , but with the exception that the solutions contain varying amounts of charge transport compound and were each applied over a teflon ® release surface by hand coating process to produce 30 micrometer thick free standing coatings , after drying , of 50 , 40 , 30 , 20 , 10 , and 0 respective weight percent hole transport compound variance in each dried charge transport layer coating matrix . the prepared charge transport layer coatings were cut to give 1 inch × 6 inch test samples and each of which was then subjected to low speed sample elongation testing , using an instron mechanical tester . the exact extent of stretching at which the charge transport layer coating rupture occurred was recorded as break elongation of the coating for comparison . the break elongation obtained for these coatings showed that the charge transport layer comprising the 50 weight percent control charge transport compound , at only 3 . 5 percent break elongation , was virtually a brittle coating layer ; whereas reduction in hole transport compound did monotonously improve the coating &# 39 ; s rupture resistance and became a highly stretchable coating with a 100 percent break elongation to resist tensile cracking when no hole transport compound was incorporated into the coating . these results indicated that simple removal of transport compound could effect the mechanical robustness of the charge transport . five electrophotographic imaging members were prepared according to the procedures and using the same materials as that described in control example i , except that their charge transport layers contained descending content of 40 , 30 , 20 , 10 , and 0 weight percent hole transport compound in each respective layer . these prepared imaging members and the imaging member of control example i were cut to give 1 inch × 6 inches samples , each of these samples was then subjected to low speed sample tensile elongation , using an instron mechanical tester . the exact extent of stretching at which onset of charge transport layer cracking in each of the six imaging member samples became evident when determined by examining the sample under 100 × magnification using a stereo optical microscope in reflection mode . the charge transport layer cracking strains observed was about 3 . 25 , 6 . 25 , 10 . 5 , 15 . 5 , 63 . 5 , 95 . 5 elongation percents , respectively , for the control and each of the samples containing the descending amount of 50 , 40 , 30 , 20 , 10 , and 0 weight percent hole transport compound . these results were a further evidence to support the conclusion that improvement of an imaging member charge transport layer mechanical strength to resist tensile cracking could conveniently be achieved by reducing the content of the hole transport compound content in the layer . additional experimental testing results obtained also showed that reduction of charge transport compound could give another added benefit to the charge transport layer resistive to wear . to evaluate the charge transport layer cracking resistance to solvent vapor exposure , the five prepared imaging members and the imaging member of control example i were cut to give 2 inches × 3 inches test samples . each of these test samples was rolled - up into a 19 mm tube , with the charge transport layer facing outwardly to induce bending strain , and then subjected to methylene chloride vapor exposure until the time that charge transport layer cracking became visually evident under 100 × magnification with a stereo optical microscope . the results obtained , see fig4 , were evidence to indicate the fact that imaging member solvent vapor exposure charge transport layer cracking could effectively be suppressed by its charge transport compound reduction and absolute cracking elimination was achieved when the concentration of the charge transport compound was reduced to a low level of less than 20 weight percent . all the above mechanical and solvent vapor exposure testing results did give strong evidence to conclude that physical and mechanical property improvements to provide effectual service life extension were conveniently achieved through hole transport compound reduction to suppress charge transport layer cracking and wear problems . unfortunately , reduction of hole transport compound content to produce charge transport layer mechanical enhancement was found to cause electrical property degradation in the fabricated imaging member when loading level was dropped to and below 30 weight percent . to overcome this electrical shortfall , innovative concept was formulated to give disclosure imaging member designs as described in example iv below . a disclosure electrophotographic imaging member was prepared according to the procedures and using the same materials as that described in control example i , except that the charge transport layer was replaced by multiple charge transport layer . in the multiple charge transport layer comprised several layers with a charge transport gradient of from having the highest concentration in the first or bottom charge transport layer to a stepwise reduction that gave a lowest content in the top or surface charge transport layer . in essence , the first charge transport layer solution applied directly over the photogenerating layer , after fully drying , gave a 10 micrometer thick first charge transport layer containing a 70 weight percent hole transport compound ; a subsequent second charge transport layer was then applied onto the first layer in identical fashion to give a 60 weight percent concentration dried layer of 10 micrometers in thickness ; and lastly , a 10 micrometer dried top charge transport layer containing 20 weight percent was formed over the second charge transport layer , again in same manners , to create a 3 charge transport layers imaging member as a representation for this development . the disclosure electrophotographic imaging member of example iv and the imaging member of control example i were assessed for dynamic fatigue charge transport layer cracking failure . each of these electrophotographic imaging members was cut to give a test sample size of 1 inch ( 2 . 54 cm .) by 12 inches ( 30 . 48 cm .) and each dynamically tested to the point that occurrence of fatigue charge transport layer cracking became evidence . testing was effected by means of a dynamic mechanical cycling device in which free rotating ( idle ) rollers were employed to repeatedly bend and flex each imaging member test sample to induce fatigue strain in the charge transport layer as to simulate an imaging member belt cyclic function under a machine service condition . more specifically , one end of the test sample was clamped to a stationary post and the sample was then looped upwardly over three equally spaced horizontal idling rollers and then downwardly through a generally inverted “ u ” shaped path with the free end of the sample secured to a weight which provided one pound per inch width tension on the sample . the outer surface of the imaging member bearing the charge transport layer faced outwardly so that it would periodically be brought into dynamic bending / flexing contact as the idling rollers were repeatedly passing underneath the test sample to cause mechanical fatigue charge transport layer strain . the idling rollers had a diameter of one inch . each idling roller was secured at each end to an adjacent vertical surface of a pair of disks that were rotatable about a shaft connecting the centers of the disks . the rollers were parallel to and equidistant from each other and equidistant from the shaft connecting the centers of the disks . although the disks were rotated about the shaft , each roller was secured to the disk but rotating freely around each individual roller axis . thus , as the disk rotated about the shaft , two rollers were maintained at all times in rotating contact with the back surface of the test sample . the axis of each roller was positioned about 4 cm from the shaft . the direction of movement of the rollers along the charge transport layer surface was away from the weighted end of the sample toward the end clamped to the stationary post to maintain a constant one pound per inch wide sample tension . since there were three idling rollers in the test device , each complete rotation cycle of the disk would produce three fatigue bending flexes strain in the charge transport layer since the segment of the imaging member sample was making a mechanical contact with only one single roller at a time during each testing cycle . the rotation of the spinning disk was adjusted to provide the equivalent of 11 . 3 inches ( 28 . 7 cm .) per second tangential speed . the onset of charge transport layer cracking was notable for the control sample after 105 , 000 bending flexes whereas the sample of the disclosure went beyond one million fatigue flexing free of charge transport layer failure . imaging members solvent vapor exposure testing was again carried out for the control and the imaging members of this disclosure by following the solvent vapor exposure test procedures described in example iii . it was found that the charge transport layer cracking resistance of the disclosed imaging member sample , comprising the multiple charge transport layers and with a top layer containing 20 weight percent hole transport compound , had out performed against the control imaging member sample counterpart having a standard 50 weight percent loaded charge transport layer . electrical property of these electrophotographic imaging members was also determined . it is important to mention that no deleterious photo - electrical property impacts on charge acceptance , dark decay , residual / background voltages , photosensitivity , and long term cycling stability for the development imaging member was evident as compared to those results obtained for the control imaging member counterpart . while particular embodiments have been described , alternatives , modifications , variations , improvements , and substantial equivalents that are or may be presently unforeseen may arise to applicants or others skilled in the art . accordingly , the appended claims as filed and as they may be amended are intended to embrace all such alternatives , modifications variations , improvements , and substantial equivalents .

an electrophotographic imaging member having a charge generating layer and a charge transport layer overlayed thereon is provided . the charge transport layer has a lower surface and an upper surface , wherein the lower surface is in contiguous contact with the charge generating layer . the charge transport layer comprises a film forming polymer binder and a charge transport compound molecularly dispersed or dissolved therein to form a solid solution . the concentration of the charge transport compound in the charge transport layer decreases from the lower surface to the upper surface . in such a construction , the resulting charge transport layer exhibits enhanced cracking suppression , improved wear resistance , excellent imaging member electrical performance , and improved copy print out quality .

in fig1 an euv - illumination system comprising an inventive imaging system 1 comprising an object plane 3 , a first mirror 5 , a second mirror 7 and an image plane 9 is shown . in the object plane 3 the field stop of the system is located . furthermore the field in the object plane 3 is already arc - shaped . the imaging system 1 images the arc - shaped field from the object plane 3 into the image plane 9 . in the image plane 9 the reticle or mask of the euv - illumination system is located . also shown is the exit pupil 10 of the imaging system 1 , which is identical with the exit pupil of the total euv - illumination system . the exit pupil 10 falls together with the entrance pupil of the projection optical system . furthermore the euv - illumination system shown in fig1 comprises a light source 12 , a collector 14 , means 16 for enhancing the étendue of the light source 12 and field forming mirrors 18 , 20 for forming the arc - shaped field in the object plane 3 of the imaging system 1 . also shown are a first plane 40 conjugate to the exit pupil 10 and a second plane 42 conjugate to the exit pupil 10 . furthermore the distance ep 0 between first field forming mirror 18 and the first plane 40 conjugated to the exit pupil 10 , the distance e 01 between the first 18 and the second 20 field forming mirror , the distance se 1 ′ between the second field forming mirror 20 and the second plane 42 conjugate to the exit pupil 10 , the distance sr 1 ′ between the second field forming mirror 20 and the object plane 3 and the distance se 2 between the second plane 42 conjugate to the exit pupil 10 and the first imaging mirror 5 is depicted . throughout the system examples shown hereinafter some parameters remain constant the design principles as shown below however , can also be applied to other sets of parameters . in all embodiments shown in this application the incidence angle at the image plane 9 of the imaging system is 6 ° and the numerical aperture at the image plane 9 is na = 0 . 05 . it corresponds for example to a na = 0 . 0625 of the projection lens and a σ = 0 . 8 . the projection lens arranged in the light path after the euv - illumination system has typically a 4 ×- magnification and thus na = 0 . 25 at the light sensitive object e . g . the wafer of the euv - projection exposure unit . fig2 shows the euv - illumination system depicted schematic in fig1 in greater detail . same components as in fig1 are designated with the same reference numbers . the system according to fig2 comprises a light source 12 and a collector - mirror 14 . regarding the possible euv - light sources reference is made to de 199 038 07 a1 and wo 99 / 57732 , the content of said documents is incorporated herein by reference . the collector mirror 14 of the system according to fig2 is of elliptical shape . the means 16 for enhancing the étendue comprises two mirrors with raster elements 30 , 32 so called fly - eyes integrators . the first mirror with raster elements 30 comprises an array of 4 × 64 field facets ; each field facet being of plane or elliptical , toroidal or spherical shape ( r ≈− 850 mm ). the second mirror with raster elements 32 comprises an array of 16 × 16 pupil facets or a spherical or hexagonal grid with pupil facets , each pupil facet being of hyperbolic , toroidal or spherical shape ( r ≈− 960 mm ). the second mirror 32 is located in a plane conjugate to the exit pupil 10 of the illumination system . an illumination system with a first and a second mirror comprising raster elements as described before is known from de 199 038 07 a1 and wo 99 / 57732 ; the content of said applications is incorporated herein by reference . for forming the arc shaped field in the object plane of the imaging system comprises two field forming mirrors 18 , 20 . the second field forming mirror 20 is a grazing incidence mirror . in principle one mirror , here the mirror 20 , would be sufficient for field forming . but mirror 18 is required to control the length of the system and the size of the pupil facets . in order to achieve a large field radius of ≈ 100 mm mirror 20 must have low optical power . the size of the field and the pupil facets are related to the étendue of the system . the product of the size of the field facets and the size of the pupil plane is determined by the étendue . the pupil plane is a first plane 40 conjugate to the exit pupil 10 of the illumination system . in said plane the second mirror with raster elements 32 is located . due to the aforementioned relation restrictions to the size of the field facets and the pupil facets are given . if the magnification for the pupil facets is very large , i . e . the pupil facet is very small , field facets become very large . to avoid large magnification of the imaging of the pupil facets into a second plane 42 conjugate to the exit pupil 10 of the system either the distance between mirror 20 and the second mirror with raster elements 32 increases or an additional mirror 18 has to be introduced . the first field forming mirror 18 has almost all power of the imaging system consisting of a first field forming mirror 18 and a second mirror 20 for imaging the pupil facets of the second field forming mirror with raster elements 32 into the second plane 42 conjugate to the exit pupil 10 of the system . the data for the first field mirror 18 and the second field mirror 20 are given in table 1 : the magnification between the first plane 40 conjugate to the exit pupil 10 and the second plane 42 conjugate to exit pupil 10 is β 40 → 42 ≈− 0 . 4 . the field radius of the arc - shaped field in the object plane 3 is controlled by the second field mirror 20 . if the magnification β image =− 1 of the imaging system and r field = 100 mm the field radius to be formed by the second field forming mirror 20 is r obj =− 100 mm . there are three means to control the radius r obj : the optical power , see table 1 , f ≈ 605 mm , the chief ray distance between the second field forming mirror 20 and the object plane 3 : in the second plane 42 conjugate to the exit pupil 10 an accessible aperture stop for the illumination system could be located . also shown in fig2 is the inventive multi - mirror - system comprising an imaging system 1 with a first 5 and a second 7 imaging mirror for imaging the arc - shaped field from the object plane 3 , which is conjugate to the field plane , into the image plane 9 , which corresponds to the field plane of the illumination system and in which the reticle or mask of the illumination system is located . the conjugate field plane 3 could be used as a plane for reticle masking . said plane is located near to the second field forming mirror 20 at the limit for construction , e . g . sr ′≈ 250 mm chief ray distance for ≈ 15 ° grazing incidence reflection on the mirror . the field in the conjugate field plane which is the object plane 3 is arc - shaped by field forming mirror 20 , thus rema blades need to be almost rectangular . small distortions of a following rema system can be compensated for . since all mirrors of the illumination system have positive optical power , the field orientation in the conjugate field plane 3 after positive mirror 20 is mirrored by negative magnification of the inventive imaging system 1 . the field orientation in the field plane 9 is then correct . since the second field forming mirror 20 is off - axis in order to compensate the distortion due to this off - axis arrangement , the pupil facets have to be arranged on the second mirror with raster elements 32 on a distorted grid . with pupil facets arranged on a pre - distorted grid optimized pupils with respect to telecentricity and ellipticity can be achieved . the derivation of a multi - mirror - system comprising an imaging system for imaging a rema - blade situated in the object - plane or rema - plane 3 of the inventive multi - mirror - system into the image plane or field plane 9 , wherein the reticle is situated will be described in detail hereinbelow . fig3 shows in a schematic refractive view the elements of the inventive imaging system and abbreviations used in table 1 . furthermore components with reference numbers used in fig1 and 2 are designated with the same reference numbers . furthermore in fig3 is shown the virtual image 3 ′ of the field plane and the virtual image 10 ′ of the exit pupil . the imaging system according to fig3 and table 2 is a hyperbolic - ellipsoid combination as a first order starting system . the data of the first order system are given in table 2 . in the next step designing an imaging system according to the invention the first order system shown in table 2 is optimized and coma corrected . the first mirror 5 of the imaging system is a hyperbolic mirror , optimized for field imaging , which means imaging of the field in the rema plane 3 into the field plane 9 . the second mirror 7 of the imaging systems is an elliptical mirror optimized for pupil imaging , which means imaging of the second plane 42 conjugate to the exit pupil into the exit pupil 10 . the overall system comprising the first 5 and the second 7 imaging mirror with abbreviations used in table 3 for the coma corrected system is shown in fig3 to 5 . identical components as in fig1 , fig2 and fig3 are designated with the same reference numbers . apart from the elements already shown in fig1 and 2 in fig3 ; fig4 shows : the axis of rotation 50 of the first imaging mirror 5 the axis of rotation 52 of the second imaging mirror 7 the centre 54 of the first imaging mirror the vertex of the first imaging mirror 56 the virtual image 3 ′ of the field plane 3 the centre 58 of the second imaging mirror the vertex of the second imaging mirror 60 the virtual image 10 ′ of the exit pupil 10 of the illumination system the chief ray 62 as is apparent from fig4 the axis 50 of the hyperbolic mirror 5 and the axis of the elliptic mirror 7 subtend an angle γ . fig5 shows in detail the first imaging mirror 5 , which is in this embodiment a hyperboloid , of the inventive imaging system according to fig4 and fig6 the second imaging mirror 7 of the imaging system according to fig4 , which in this embodiment is a ellipse . the same elements as in fig4 are designated in fig5 and fig6 with the same reference numbers . in fig5 depicting the first hyperbolic mirror 5 the abbreviation used for the following equations calculating the parameters of the hyperbola are known : then the angle between incident chief ray and hyperbola axis is : z 2 a 2 - d 2 b 2 = 1 ; a = e 2 - b 2 ( 9 ) b 4 +( z 2 + d 2 − e 2 ) b 2 − d 2 = 0 ( 10 ) ⇒ b 2 = - ( z 2 + d 2 - e 2 ) + ( z 2 + d 2 - e 2 ) 2 - 4 ⁢ d 2 ⁢ e 2 2 ( 11 ) e = ( - sr2 · cos ⁢ ⁢ ( ω 2 ) - sr2 ′ · cos ⁢ ⁢ ( δ 2 ) ) 2 ( 12 ⁢ b ) in fig6 depicting the second elliptic mirror 7 the abbreviations used for the following equations calculating the parameters of the ellipse are shown : the angle between incident chief ray and the hyperbola axis is defined by equation ( 14 ). z 2 a 2 + d 2 b 2 = 1 ; a = e 2 + b 2 ( 17 ) ⇒ b 2 = - ( e 2 - z 2 - d 2 ) + ( e 2 - z 2 - d 2 ) 2 - 4 ⁢ d 2 ⁢ e 2 2 ( 19 ) e = ( se3 · cos ⁢ ⁢ ( ω 3 ) + se3 ′ · cos ⁡ ( δ 3 ) ) 2 ( 20 ⁢ b ) p = b 2 a ⁢ ⁢ curvature ⁢ ⁢ at ⁢ ⁢ node ⁢ ⁢ r = - p ( 21 ) ɛ = e a ⁢ ⁢ eccentricity ( 22 ) k =− ε 2 conic constant ( 23 ) by coma - correcting the first order system according to table 2 with an analytical calculation angle γ is determined . the coma - correction uses for calculating γ the magnification of the imaging for the chief ray 62 and the coma - rays not shown in fig4 . the differences in magnifications can be reduced by minimization of the angle of incidence α 3 ( 7 °) and corresponding selection of α 2 . in this example the equations are minimized by the gradient method , which means choose a start system e . g . according to table 2 , calculate the magnifications , change the angle α 2 and calculate a new magnifications . from the difference in magnifications the next α 2 can be calculated . repeat this algorithm until difference in magnification for the chief ray and the upper and lower coma - ray is less than e . g . 0 . 5 %. the coma - correction will be described hereinbelow in detail with reference to fig7 . identical elements as in fig1 to 6 are designated with the same reference numbers . furthermore in fig7 is shown the lower coma ray 70 . the calculation of the magnifications along the chief ray 62 is clear from the first order derivation . the calculation for the coma or rim rays is shown with regard to the lower coma ray 70 . the coma rays 70 for the imaging 3 → 3 ′ at the hyperbola is straight forward . the coma or rim rays in the object plane 3 can be defined by the angles between rays and hyperbola axis : ω 2 ⁢ c = ω 2 ∓ arscin ⁢ ⁢ (  na reticle · β rema , field  ) ( 24 ) the distances between the image points 3 and 3 ′ and the intersection point i 2c of the mirror with the coma or rim rays are given by hyperbola formulas in polar co - coordinates : s c = ri 2 ⁢ c _ = p 1 + ɛ ⁢ ⁢ cos ⁡ ( ω 2 ⁢ c ) ( 25 ) s ′ c = i 2c r ′ = s c + 2 a ( 26 ) to calculate the lengths at the ellipse is more complicated , because the coma or rim rays will not intersect in the plane 9 any more . however the magnification can be calculated approximately after calculating the intersection point i 3c . with for given γ , ω 3c and thus the intersection point i 3c can be calculated . with the magnification of the rema - imaging system for the rim or coma rays follows as shown in fig7 this derivation is not exact , because the rim rays will not intersect in the image plane 9 exactly . however , magnification can be calculated with reasonable accuracy , sufficient for a minimisation of the coma error . an optimisation with the gradient method described before leads to the solution given in table 3 . for a coma - corrected system according to table 3 the magnification difference due to coma is approx . 0 . 1 % and is identical for the upper and the lower coma - ray . the data for the magnification β of the inventive two mirror imaging system for the chief ray , the upper and lower coma - ray after coma correction is shown in table 4 . in fig8 . 1 the arc - shaped field in the field or reticle plane with carthesian coordinates x and y is shown . reference number 100 designates a field point in the centre of the arc - shaped field and 102 , a field point at the edge of the arc - shaped field . the y - axis denotes the scanning direction and the x - axis the direction perpendicular to the scanning direction . in fig8 . 2 the spot diagram for a field point 100 and in fig8 . 3 the spot diagram for a field point 102 of a coma - corrected multi - mirror - system according to fig4 to 8 is depicted . the spot diagram is the diagram resulting from a multiplicity of rays travelling through the system with the aperture na object and impinging the field or reticle plane in a predetermined field point , e . g . the centre of the field 100 . the aperture is na object = 0 . 05 in the system described in fig4 to 8 . as is apparent from the spot - diagrams 8 . 2 and 8 . 3 the edge sharpness eds in scanning direction , corresponding to the y - axis of the arc shaped field , in coma corrected system is smaller than 2 mm . the edge sharpness eds of a system in scanning direction is defined as the difference of the points with the greatest value and the smallest value in y - direction for an edge field point , e . g . edge field point 102 as shown in fig8 . 3 . for further optimizing the inventive imaging system astigmatism and spherical aberration has to be considered . nevertheless a balanced system can be found with only hyperbolic and elliptical mirrors . fig9 and table 5 shows a system which is corrected for spot aberrations & lt ; 1 mm in scanning direction . because the rema blades are essentially required to avoid the overscan in scanning direction , it is sufficient to achieve the required performance in scanning direction ; here in y - direction . in fig9 the same elements as in fig1 to 8 are designated with the same reference numbers . in fig9 . 1 and 9 . 2 the spot - diagrams for a point in the centre of the field 100 and for an edge point 102 is depicted . the optical data of the system according to fig9 are shown in table 5 . the embodiment according to fig9 is again a 1 : 1 imaging system and is derived from the embodiment according to fig8 . the image plane 9 comprising the reticle is tilted with respect to the chief ray by 6 °- angle of incidence . for a minimized spot aberration also the object plane 3 has to be tilted . in the example the optimized tilt angle of the object plane 3 , where the field stop or rema has to be placed , is approximately 0 . 9768 °. also shown in fig8 and 9 are the complete first hyperbolic imaging 5 and the complete second elliptic imaging mirror 7 of the imaging system with the first axis of rotation 50 and the second axis of rotation 52 . as is apparent from fig9 the rays impinging the mirrors of the imaging system off - axis ; this means that the used area of the two mirrors are situated off - axis with regard to the axis of rotation of the two mirrors . also clearly shown the angle γ between the two axis of rotation . in fig1 an even better performing imaging system than the system according to fig8 is shown . the same reference numbers as for the system according to fig9 are used . the system according to fig1 is derived from a more balanced optimization . this time the magnification is β ≈− 0 . 85 . the limiting aberrations in the imaging system according to the invention is coma and astigmatism . for field imaging a mirror 5 near to conjugate pupil plane 42 is used . this mirror 5 is aimed not to affect pupil imaging . if one looks at the aberrations in a plane which contains the focus , for field points different from the focus there are field aberrations . that is the case of the hyperbola , which is actually limited by astigmatism . for a given field of view size the smaller the tilt angle of the hyperbola , the smaller the angle of the field objects and , therefore , the smaller the astigmatism . an elliptical mirror 7 is chosen for pupil imaging . the ellipse case is more complicated because the parameters are found to give stigmatic imaging at the centre of the exit pupil , not in the field plane 7 . when used off axis for other conjugates different than the two geometrical foci , the ellipse introduces coma , and this is what can be seen in the field plane 7 . once more , the way of reducing this coma is minimising the tilt and balancing coma between the first mirror 5 and the second mirror 7 of the imaging system . the spot diagrams for the centre field point 100 and an edge field point 102 for a system according to fig1 are depicted in fig1 . 1 and 10 . 2 . as is apparent from fig1 . 2 the edge sharpness eds for an edge field point is better than 1 mm in the scanning direction as well as in the direction perpendicular to the scanning direction . said embodiment is a preferred embodiment since the required imaging performance of the imaging system is also achieved in the direction perpendicular to the scanning direction ; here in the x - direction . the data of the system according to fig1 are given in code - v - format in table 6 . in fig1 a euv - illumination system with a ripple - plate 200 as field - forming component and an multi - mirror - system comprising an imaging system 1 according to the invention is shown . the system comprising a light source 12 , a collector unit 14 , a ripple - plate 200 as a field - forming component for the arc - shaped field and a field mirror ( 202 ) is known from henry n . chapman et al . aa . o ; the content of said article is incorporated herein by reference . the imaging system shown in fig1 is identical to the imaging systems according to fig1 to 10 . the same elements as in fig1 to 10 are designated with the same reference numbers . other setups then those of fig1 are possible , in which the light is not collimated before the ripple plate 200 , but converging to a focal point . in this case the grooves of the ripple plate are not parallel , but conically , i . e . the prolongation of the grooves meet in one point corresponding to the focal point of the incident wave . the shape of the ripple plate 200 can be derived theoretically , but has to be optimized . the pupil formation with the ripple design leads to an elliptical illumination of the exit pupil after the illumination system corresponding to the entrance pupil of the lens system . therefore an aperture stop is required in a conjugate pupil plane . this aperture stop will also lead to light less . the ellipticity of the pupil increases with the lateral coordinate , along the arc field perpendicular to scanning direction . the light loss has to be compensated for by shaping the ripple plate aspherically . next , two examples of hyperbola - ellipsoid - combinations for the imaging mirrors 5 , 7 are shown with β =− 1 . 5 . the first order system is analytically derived , as described before . the second system is optimized for a better performance in scanning direction . the parameters are given in tables 7 to 9 : if one corrects the coma of the system of table 7 according to analytic solution of ellipsoid and hyperboloid , as shown before , a system as shown in table 8 and fig1 results . the spot aberrations are shown in fig1 . 1 and fig1 . 2 for a centre field point 100 and an edge field point 102 . in the following section an illumination system with an arbitrary field , e . g . a rectangular field in the object plane 3 is discussed . the schematic set - up for such systems are shown in fig1 and 15 . in both examples the imaging system images a rectangular field 300 into an arc - shaped field 302 . consequently arc - shaped rema blades or field stop 304 have to be applied to compensate for the deformation induced by the imaging with grazing incidence field mirror 306 as shown in fig1 . furthermore in fig1 the clipping 308 in the image or rema - plane 9 is shown . the system according to fig1 and 15 comprises : an object plane 3 at least , a first imaging normal incidence mirror 5 and at least one grazing incidence mirror 306 for forming the arc - shaped field in the image plane 9 . a realisation of a system with one grazing incidence mirror 306 is given in fig1 . to achieve the desired orientation for the ring field , a field lens with negative optical power is required . the radius of the arc - shaped field is approximately 138 mm , however , by the angle of incidence and the optical power of the first imaging mirror 5 almost any desired field radius is achievable . table 10 gives the data for such a system , where for the magnification β image =− 1 . 2 was chosen . the arcuate field is demonstrated in fig1 . 1 . a rectangular aperture was ray - traced through the system until the reticle plane . here the arc - shaped field arises due to the grazing incidence reflection at the grazing incidence mirror 306 . however , the spot diameter is in this un - optimized example about 10 mm . due to the imaging with one normal incidence and one grazing incidence mirror , a large amount of coma is introduced , which can not be reduced effectively . a reduction of coma is possible by insertion of a second normal incidence mirror 7 . an example is shown in fig1 , the corresponding data are given in table 11 ( with β image =− 1 . 272 ). the illumination at reticle field is shown in fig1 . 1 . the system has capability to be optimized further to similar performance as system examples given before by similar straight forward optimization , which means proper selection of reflection and folding angles .

there is provided a multi - mirror - system for an illumination system , especially for lithography with wavelengths ≦ 193 nm . the system includes light rays traveling along a light oath from an object plane to an image plane , and an arc - shaped field in the image plane , whereby a radial direction in the middle of the arc - shaped field defines a scanning direction . the first mirror and the second mirror are arranged in the light path in such a position and having such a shape , that the edge sharpness of the arc - shaped field in the image plane is smaller than 5 mm in the scanning direction . furthermore , the light rays are impinging on the first mirror and the second mirror with incidence angles ≦ 30 ° or ≧ 60 ° relative to a surface normal of the first and second mirror .

a method of manufacturing rust - proof , leak - proof and air - impervious tire rims in accordance with this invention will be described hereinafter , but reference is first made to fig1 and 2 of the drawings in which is illustrated a metallic tire rim 10 . the tire rim 10 is formed of two generally identical rim bodies 11 , 12 having respective beads 13 , 14 and circular openings 15 , 16 , respectively . the rim bodies 11 , 12 are generally of an annular configuration and include respective annular walls 17 , 18 in abutting relationship to each other . a tubular sleeve 20 is received in the openings 15 , 16 and serves as a support for an associated drive shaft ( not shown ). the rim body 12 also includes a circular opening 21 for an air valve / air valve body v , which will be described more fully hereinafter relative to fig5 of the drawings . three exterior circumferential welds 22 through 24 retain the three elements of the rim 10 in rigid relationship to each other . the weld 22 is an exterior circumferential weld generally at the radially outermost inner face ( unnumbered ) of the annular walls 17 , 18 , while the welds 23 , 24 are also complete circumferential welds uniting radially innermost portions ( unnumbered ) of the annular walls 17 , 18 to the tube or tubular sleeve 20 . the metallic rim 10 in the preferred embodiment of the invention is specifically designed for utilization with a relatively small riding - type garden tractor , but in accordance with the present invention the rim 10 could as well be a larger passenger - type automotive metallic rim , a tractor - trailer rim or still larger rims of the type utilized in large earth - moving equipment . furthermore , while the preferred embodiment of the invention is particularly adapted to rendering a multi - piece rim rust - proof , leak - proof and air - impervious , including the walls thereof , the invention is equally applicable to a one - piece rim , be it sheet metal or cast metal . thus , irrespective of the specifics of the preferred embodiment of the rim 10 heretofore set forth , the method to be described hereinafter seeks to prevent air leakage between any tire and an associated rim and through any rim , one - piece or multi - piece including leakage past a seal created in accordance with the method between the rim bead and the associated tire bead and a valve rim opening and an associated valve body . furthermore , the invention is equally applicable to new and / or used rims , although the latter presents additional problems , as , for example , excessive dirt , wear , rust , nicks , dents , etc . which tend to create a rim more susceptible to leakage than a new relatively unabused rim . reference is now made to fig6 of the drawings which illustrates a novel apparatus 50 in keeping with which the preferred method of the present invention is performed . the apparatus 50 includes conveyor means in the form of a generally horizontally disposed roller conveyor 51 formed of a plurality of rollers 52 upon which is supported a relatively shallow wire basket 55 . several of the rims 10 of fig1 and 2 are shown supported upon the basket 55 upon the peripheral beads 13 , 14 thereof . if for some reason it is desired not to coat the interior of the tubes 20 , the latter are preferably closed at each axially end by conventional plugs p ( fig2 ) which can be removed at the completion of the cleaning / coating method . obviously , many rims , such as automotive and tractor - trailer rims , need not be plugged . furthermore , the size of the basket 55 and the number of rims 10 which can be accommodated thereupon can vary , and in the case of tractor - trailer - type rims , the basket is preferably sized to accommodate a total of six rims standing on edge , although with the smaller garden riding tractor rims 10 , the basket 55 could accommodate upwards of two to three dozen rims dependent upon , of course , the through - put of the overall apparatus 50 . the apparatus 50 further includes a relatively large rectangular dip tank 60 containing a liquid bath b of a cleaning / derusting solution to be described more specifically hereinafter . an upper level l of the bath b is slightly below an upper edge 61 of the tank 60 . a platform 62 can be elevated and lowered by conventional hydraulic cylinders 63 between an uppermost position at which the platform 62 is essentially horizontally aligned with the rollers 52 and a lower position at which the basket 55 and the rims 10 therein are totally immersed in the bath b . preferably the platform 62 also has a plurality of horizontal or ball rollers ( not shown ) so that the basket 55 can eventually be readily removed therefrom by a rolling action toward another ball or roller conveyor 70 after the cleaned , degreased , and derusted rims have been rinsed by a spray s of cold water from a conventional hand - held nozzle n connected to a suitable hose h . as will be seen hereinafter , the cleaning solution of the bath b is heated ( approximately 200 °- 210 ° f .) and attendant vaporization is balanced by the cold water from the spray s returning into the bath b in the tank 60 during the rinsing operation . the rims 10 are essentially maintained totally immersed in the cleaning solution of the bath b for approximately 10 - 30 minutes , elevated therefrom , rinsed by the cold water spray s , transferred along the conveyor 70 and subsequently positioned along with the basket 55 atop another platform 82 of a coating tank 80 containing a bath b1 of a coating solution having an upper level l1 . the platform 82 can be lowered and elevated through a conventional set of hydraulic cylinders 83 , and when totally immersed , the rims 10 are entirely coated with the coating solution of the bath b1 . after a predetermined time period of immersion in the bath 80 , for example 160 seconds , the platform 82 is elevated until it is generally horizontal to the conveyor 70 and a take - away conveyor 90 , and the basket 55 is simply rolled to the right along ball or roller conveyors of the platform 82 . while upon the roller conveyor 90 , the coating c ( fig3 ) upon each of the rims 10 can dry under ambient condition or through conventional heat lamps 95 . excess coating solution which drips from the rims 10 , the basket 55 and the conveyor 90 can be caught in a catch tank ( not shown ) and simply returned to the tank 80 . thereafter the coated rims 10 are removed from the basket 55 and any areas thereof which may not have been coated while in the tank 80 , such as minor areas of the lower peripheral beads 13 , 14 which rested upon wires of the basket 55 , are then hand - coated with the coating solution of the bath b1 by a manual operation through utilization of a paint brush pb whose bristles , obviously , have been immersed in the coating solution of the tank 80 and applied to any uncoated areas of the rims 10 . reference is now made to fig3 which illustrates the manner in which the coating c is totally applied to the entire exterior of the rim 10 , thus assuring that when a tire t ( fig4 ) is placed thereupon in bead - to - bead contact and inflated , none of the air can escape . more specifically , the coating c forms a resilient air - impervious , rust - proof and leak - proof coating of the entire rim 10 , but particularly portions c13 , c14 at the beads 13 , 14 , a portion c22 at the weld 22 , portions c23 and c24 at the welds 23 , 24 , respectively , and a portion c21 at the valve opening 21 . in this fashion the coating portions c13 , c14 form resilient air - impervious seals between the beads 13 , 14 of the rim 10 and the beads bt of the associated tire t ( fig4 ). likewise , the resilient polymeric coating portion c21 also forms a resilient air - impervious leak - proof seal between the body v of an associated conventional valve and its sealing / securing flanges f1 , f2 ( fig5 ). finally , any imperfections , breaks , irregularities , discontinuities and / or the porosity of the welds 22 - 24 is effectively sealed by the peripheral impervious polymeric coating c22 - c24 , respectively . in this fashion , the eventual entirely coated rim 10 of fig3 is most assuredly capable of preventing leakage of air in any fashion from the interior of the tire t , and is also assured of being totally protected against exterior and interior environmental attack , the latter being created simply by the moisture in the internal air which normally would cause the rim to rust interiorly in a conventional metallic rim which is , of course , precluded by the total coating c . furthermore , any defects , such as nicks , scratches , dents or the like which are often found in the beads 13 , 14 of used rims , particularly in association with retread tires , are totally covered by the coating c , particularly by the coated portions c13 and c14 , thus , basically creating smooth , continuous sealing surfaces from otherwise discontinuous surfaces . in accordance with the apparatus 50 just described and the method associated therewith , the following represents the preferred formulations for the cleaning / derusting solution b of the tank 60 and the coating solution b1 of the coating tank 80 . the cleaning / derusting solution b is a heated bath of water , caustic alkalies , sequestrants , and surfactants maintained at a temperature range of generally between 200 °- 210 ° f ., during which the rims 10 are immersed for between 10 - 30 minutes , although 15 minutes is normally sufficient for virtually any size or shape rim , including the preferred embodiment rim 10 . one such cleaning solution is manufactured and sold by magnus , a division of economics laboratory , inc ., osborn building , st . paul , minn . 55102 under the name &# 34 ; magnus 61 - drx &# 34 ;. the latter is a powdered blend of caustic alkalies , sequestrants , and surfactants in a white granular powder which is added at the rate of 1 to 11 / 2 pounds ( 12 - 18 %) per gallon of cool water while stirring or agitating the solution until complete dissolving is accomplished . the ph 1 % solution is 13 typical and preferably the heating is accomplished through the use of stainless steel heating coils . the use of mechanical agitation will decrease the amount of time required to clean , derust , and , if painted , strip any paint thereon . ( after draining and rinsing , a suitable rust preventitive could be utilized , particularly for in - plant storage , such as magnus 26n or 1073 , available from the latter corporation .) the formulation for the coating solution bath b1 is formed of the following components and proportions : ______________________________________a . 119 lb . 76 resin 1018 82 . 35 % 12 oz . colloids 681f . 52 % b . 11 oz . aqua ammonia . 48 % 16 oz . water . 69 % c . 13 oz . anti - rust mixture . 56 % 5 . 9 oz . surfynol 104 surfactant . 25 % 112 oz . ethylene glycol butyl ether 4 . 84 % d . 105 . 6 oz . methyl alcohol 4 . 57 % 132 . 8 oz . water 5 . 74 % ______________________________________ component a is first thoroughly mixed with high sheer agitation and components b , c and d are all individually thoroughly premixed . after premixing , component b is added to component a with high sheer agitation followed by the addition of premix c , again with high sheer agitation , followed by the addition of component d , again with high sheer agitation . when the rims are dip - coated in the bath b1 , as described earlier , a coating of approximately 1 - 3 mm is obtained , and preferably a coating of a total thickness of 2 mm is preferable . the latter is effected during immersion of approximately 160 seconds . the 76 resin 1018 is a trademark of union chemicals division , union oil company of california , 1900 east gulf road , schaumburg , ill . 60195 . this resin is a styrene - acrylate copolymer which is a milky fluid , dilutable in water , and having a boiling point of approximately 212 ° f . ( 100 ° c .). additives include trace amounts of formaldehyde , surfactant , ammonia and the residule acrylamide , acrylate and styrene . colloid 681f is the tradename of a liquid anti - foam available from colloids , inc . 394 frelinghuysen avenue , newark , n . j . 07114 . typical properties include : ______________________________________appearance : off - white , opaque liquidph ( 5 % dispersion ) @ 25 ° c . : 5 . 5specific gravity @ 25 ° c . : 0 . 88viscosity @ 25 ° c . ; cps : 300pour point , ° c . : - 17 ° c . flash point ( pmcc ); ° c . : 179______________________________________ brookfield lvf , # 2 spindle @ 60 rpm . aqua ammonia ( ammonia hydroxide -- nh 4 ch ) is available from occidental chemical corporation , occidental chemical center , 360 rainbow boulevard , south , box 728 , niagara falls , n . y ., 14302 . typical physical data and ingredients are as follows : ______________________________________boiling point ( at latm - 29 . 4 % specific gravity ( 25 % solution ) solution ) 27 ° c . 0 . 91 ( 7 . 6 lbs / gal ) melting point ph - 98 . 3 ° f . 14solubility in water vapor pressure ( mm hg 20 ° c .) soluble at all concentrations 390appearance and color vapor density ( air = 1 ) clear , colorless liquid with a 0 . 6pungent odor______________________________________ ______________________________________percent threshold limit values______________________________________nh . sub . 3 24 . 5 - 25 . 5 the tlv ® limits established by acgih ( 1984 - 85 ) are : twa stel 25 ppm 35 ppm 18 mg / m . sup . 3 27 mg / m . sup . 3water 74 . 5 - 75 . 5 not applicable______________________________________ the anti - rust mixture is formed from a 128 oz . water , 36 gram sodium nitrate and 11 . 5 oz . sodium benzioate . surfynol is a registered trademark of air products and chemicals , inc ., box 538 , allentown , pa 18105 , and it is a proprietary mixture of the latter containing 2 , 4 , 7 , 9 , tetramethyl - 5 - decyne - 4 , 7 - diol ( tmdd ) and 2 - butoxyethanol ( butyl cellosolve ) ( tmdd - c 14 h 26 o 2 ; 2 - butoxyethanol - c 6 h 14 o 2 ) typical physical data includes : ______________________________________apearance clear , pale yellow liquidodor mild , methol - likeboiling point 11 ° c . at 100 mm hgspecific gravity ( h . sub . 2 o = 1 ) 0 . 903 @ 25 ° c . solubility in water & lt ; 1 % vapor pressure 11 mm hg @ 25 ° c . ______________________________________ ethylene glycol butyl ether is available from dow chemical u . s . a ., midland , mich . 48674 under the registered trademark &# 34 ; dowanol &# 34 ; having the following physical data : ______________________________________boiling point : 340 f . vap press : 0 . 88 mm hg @ 25 c . vap density : 4 . 10sol . in water : infinitelysp . gravity : . 897 @ 25 / 25 c . appearance : water white liquidodor : ether - like odor______________________________________ methyl alcohol ( methanol ) is readily available commercially ( e . i . du pont de nemours & amp ; co ., wilmington , del . 19898 . when the latter - described solution has been applied to and dried upon the rims 10 , the appearance is virtually perfectly clear and transparent and at a thickness ranging from 1 - 3 mm , is quite resilient and , thus , acceptable for intimate contact and air - impervious sealing with the associated tire t , the beads tb , and the valve v . in situations in which it is also desired to &# 34 ; paint &# 34 ; the rim 10 , a pigmented formulation of the cleaning solution b is obtained from the following formulation : ______________________________________a . 2224 . 00 oz . 76 resin 1018 75 . 23 % 5 : 72 oz . colloids 681f . 19 % b . 305 . 40 oz . water 10 . 33 % 11 . 60 oz . aqua ammonia . 39 % c . 10 . 75 oz . potassium tri poly phosphate . 36 % d . 7 . 00 oz surfynol 104bc surfactant . 24 % 119 . 00 oz . ethylene clycol butyl ether 4 . 02 % 21 . 00 oz . anti rust mixture . 71 % e . 8 . 00 oz . dowicil 75 bactacide . 27 % 16 . 00 oz . water . 54 % f . 95 . 00 oz . methyl alcohol 3 . 21 % 132 . 80 oz water 4 . 49 % ______________________________________ component a is again mixed with high sheer agitation and premixed component b is then added to component a with high sheer agitation . component c is also added to the latter admixture under high sheer agitation . thereafter 12 to 50 pounds of dry titanium dioxide is added with high sheer agitation until a minimum of ° 7 on the hageman gauge is attained . color pigment is added ( 10 oz . to 50 oz . ), as required to obtain the pigmentation desired . premixed components d , e and f are then successively added one at a time to the latter admixture in succession , all with high sheer agitation . in this case the characteristics remain the same as the first - described solution b , except , of course , the same is pigmented rather than being clear , but all remaining characteristics are the same . although in a preferred embodiment of the invention as has been specifically illustrated and described herein , it is to be understood that minor variations may be made in the apparatus without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention , as defined in the appended claims .

a method of manufacturing a rust - proof , leak - proof and air - impervious welded tire rim by providing a pair of rim bodies each of which includes a peripheral bead and at least one of which includes a valve seat defined by an opening and with the rim bodies being welded to each other along an exterior circumferential weld ; liquid - cleaning the welded rim ; and applying to the entirety of all exposed surfaces of the rim an air - impervious coating of resilient copolymeric material whereby any porosity of the circumferential weld is sealed against air migration and the rim beads and valve seat are all totally coated with a resilient air - impervious coating for effectively sealing against air migration in association with a tire bead and an air valve body , respectively .

although the following detailed description contains specific details for illustrative purposes , the skilled artisan will appreciate that many examples , variations and alterations to the following details are within the scope and spirit of the invention . accordingly , the exemplary embodiments of the invention described herein and provided in the appended figures are set forth without any loss of generality , and without undue limitations , on the claimed invention . the referenced elements , components or steps may be present utilized or combined with other elements , components or steps not expressly referenced . as used herein , the term “ decationize ” and its conjugated forms such as “ decationization ” refers to the process of removing an electrostatically coordinated or adventitiously associated cation from a material . while in no way limiting the context of the present invention to any particular methodology or physicochemical process , decationization may be performed using chemical and / or thermal treatment , including but not limited to solvent washing or solvation as well as heating a composition under conditions capable of thermally evolving a cation such as calcination . as used herein , the term “ operable ” and its conjugated forms should be interpreted to mean fit for its proper functioning and able to be used for its intended use . the term “ maintain ” and its conjugated forms should be interpreted to mean conditions capable of causing or enabling a condition or situation to continue . as used herein , the term “ detect ” and its conjugated forms should be interpreted to mean the identification of the presence or existence of a characteristic or property . the term “ determine ” and its conjugated forms should be interpreted to mean the ascertainment or establishment through analysis or calculation of a characteristic or property . where the specification or claims provide a range of values , it is understood that the interval encompasses each intervening value between the upper limit and the lower limit as well as the upper limit and the lower limit . the invention encompasses and bounds smaller ranges of the interval subject to any specific exclusion provided . where a method comprising two or more defined steps is referenced herein , the defined steps can be carried out in any order or simultaneously except where the context expressly excludes that possibility . the present invention relates to a method for using the controlled structural collapse of a crystalline aluminosilicate zeolite to form a highly selective , ultra - small pore size amorphous adsorbent . in one embodiment , the aluminosilicate zeolite is a linde type a zeolite , and commercially - available , small - pore size ( pore diameter = 4 å ) sodium linde type a zeolites ( alternatively referenced herein as “ naa ”) may be used as the precursor for forming the amorphous adsorbent . naa is known to have a high gas adsorption capacity but a low selectivity for heterogeneous gas fractions including those of 1 ) methane and co 2 ; and 2 ) methane and n 2 . the method for forming the amorphous adsorbent includes ion - exchange , calcination and liquid h 2 o treatment ( under ambient or heated conditions ) of the precursor to irreversibly transform the crystalline aluminosilicate zeolite with a small pore size into the highly selective , ultra - small pore size amorphous adsorbent . in alternative embodiments , the liquid h 2 o treatment of the precursor may be replaced with steam treatment , including superheated steam . the resulting composition can adsorb natural gas components under moderate temperature and elevated pressure conditions such that a greater - than - expected selectivity for co 2 over methane occurs . under similar conditions , a higher selectivity for n 2 over methane would likewise occur . in a preferred embodiment , the starting material for the formation of the highly selective , ultra - small pore amorphous adsorbent composition of the present invention is naa . the zeolite is typically synthesized using hydrothermal crystallization techniques from a synthesis gel composition comprising stoichiometric ratios of ( 3 - 4 ) na 2 o : al 2 o 3 :( 1 . 8 - 3 . 0 ) sio 2 :( 50 - 200 ) h 2 o , where the parenthetical values represent stoichiometric ranges for each of the chemical components . the crystallization of the zeolite from the gel occurs over a time period of about 3 - 24 hours in a temperature range of about 353 k to about 373 k , resulting in generally cubic crystals exhibiting an average crystal diameter size of 1 - 3 micrometers ( μm ), an x - ray defection ( xrd ) pattern of strong reflections at d = 4 . 107 , 3 . 714 , 3 . 293 and 2 . 987 å , and si / al and na / al stoichiometric ratios of about 1 . 00 . the highly selective , ultra - small pore amorphous adsorbent composition of the present invention may be formed by initially reacting an ion - exchange material having an exchangeable cation with an aluminosilicate zeolite having a cation , for instance naa such that the cationic exchange results in an ion - exchanged zeolite . a higher degree of ( thermodynamically driven ) cation exchange correlates to a greater degree of structural collapse to produce the amorphous form of the crystalline zeolite during the subsequent calcination step . the degree of cation exchange is dependent on both the temperature and the cation concentration in the ion - exchange material . the “ cation / al ratio ” is the stoichiometric ratio of the exchangeable zeolite cation to aluminum in the zeolite , for instance , a sodium aluminosilicate zeolite such as naa is expressed as a “ na / al ratio ”. as the cation exchange progresses the ratio will be reduced as the ( zeolite ) cation is exchanged for the ( ion - exchange material ) cation . generally , higher concentrations of the cation of the ion - exchange material result in higher cation exchange with the crystalline zeolite . however , based upon the type of ion - exchange material used and the cation exchange conditions , the resulting exchanged cation / al ratio may be lower than expected due to factors including hut not limited to transport phenomenon effects inside the crystalline zeolite . in some embodiments , the exchangeable cation of the ion - exchange material is an ammonium ( nh 4 + ) ion . in reacting an nh 4 + containing ion - exchange material with a sodium aluminosilicate zeolite such as naa , the na / al ratio will decrease with an increased degree of nh 4 + substitution for the na + cation of the crystalline zeolite . in one embodiment , the amorphous adsorbent has a na / al ratio in a range of from about 0 . 60 to about 1 . 00 . in further embodiments , the amorphous adsorbent has a na / al ratio in a range of from about 0 . 60 to about 0 . 77 . the method of forming the highly selective , ultra - small pore amorphous adsorbent composition of the present invention includes calcinating the ion - exchanged zeolite at a calcination temperature such that the ion - exchanged zeolite partially collapses and forms a decationized adsorbent . the steps of cation exchange and subsequent calcination such that at least some of the positive ion is removed from the ion - exchanged zeolite are collectively referred to as the “ decationization ” of the zeolite . decationization is characterized by the partial collapse of the crystalline zeolite into an amorphous , unstructured material . the structural portions of the amorphous adsorbent composition where the cation exchange occurs are irreversibly degraded . in some instances , the cation - exchanged zeolite may begin collapsing at temperatures greater than about 373 k . in some embodiments , the calcination temperature is in a range of from about 473 k to about 773 k , for instance about 673 k . alternatively , thermally collapsing a sodium aluminosilicate zeolite such as naa in the absence of cation exchange requires high calcination temperatures , for example temperatures greater than about 973 k . however , the resulting collapsed zeolite structure is non - porous and therefore unsuitable for performing molecular separations . in some embodiments , the cation used in the ion - exchange material is an ammonium ion ( nh 4 + ). while not limited the present invention to any particular theory , it is believed that calcination of the ion - exchanged zeolite causes the nh 4 + ion to thermally degrade into ammonia ( nh 3 ) and a hydrogen ion ( h + ). the resulting ammonia evolves from the collapsing zeolite , while the hydrogen ion is integrated into the partially - collapsed zeolite structure . the degree of structural collapse during decationization correlates to the degree of cation exchange that occurs . in some embodiments , a method for forming a highly selective , ultra - small pore amorphous adsorbent composition of the present invention includes introducing water to the decationized adsorbent such that the decationized adsorbent collapses to form the composition . treatment of the decationized adsorbent with water ( h 2 o ) having no significant mineral , salt or free ion content was found to enhance the structural collapse of the decationized adsorbent by degradation of the silicon / aluminum based structure , while the cation exchange and the calcination steps remove residual ( non - ammonium ) cations with large atomic radii in the crystalline zeolite material . the introduction of water following calcination results in the hydrolysis of destabilized si — o — al bonds that are present in the decationized adsorbent . the hydrolysis of susceptible si — o — al bonds may lead to additional pore size narrowing for enhancing the selectivity properties of the amorphous adsorbent composition without adversely impacting the adsorption capacity of the material . as used herein , the term “ si / al ratio ” refers to the molecular ratio of silicon to aluminum in compositions such as zeolites and compositions of the present invention . for instance , the si / al ratio in the original zeolite is about 1 . 00 . in certain embodiments , the si / al ratio of the amorphous adsorbent composition of the present , invention is in a range of from about 1 . 00 to about 1 . 03 . following the decationization and post - calcination water treatment of the precursor material , the original crystalline zeolite framework collapses and forms an amorphous adsorbent composition in accordance with the present invention . the degree of structural collapse can be controlled at each step by the degree of cation exchange in the crystalline zeolite , the extent of decationization during calcination , and the hydrolysis of susceptible silicon - aluminum bonds . the methods described herein transform cation - bearing aluminosilicate zeolites such as sodium aluminosilicate zeolites with small pores apertures ( less than 4 å ), into aluminosilicate based materials characterized by enhanced density and increased amorphous domains . the resulting dense , amorphous structure advantageously restricts diffusion to molecules with small diameters , including but not limited to h 2 ( 2 . 89 å ), h 2 o ( 2 . 7 å ), co 2 ( 3 . 3 å ), o 2 ( 3 . 46 å ), n 2 ( 3 . 64 å ), ar ( 3 . 3 å ) and ch 4 ( 3 . 8 å ). the pore aperture size of the claimed composition allows the adsorption of contaminant gases while restricting the adsorption of methane . in some embodiments , a highly selective , ultra - small pore amorphous adsorbent composition in accordance with the present invention has a pore aperture size in a range of from about 0 . 33 nm to about 0 . 38 nm . in further embodiments , the composition has carbon dioxide / methane equilibrium selectivity factor in a range of from about 3 . 8 to about 40 at a temperature of about 323 k and a pressure of about 8 bars . in preferred embodiments , the amorphous adsorbent cannot revert back to a linde type a structure . for instance , the structural configuration of titanium - based zeolites like ets - 1 and cts - 1 can rearrange with temperature and / or pressure variations and alter the adsorption properties of these zeolites drastically and unpredictably . in contrast , the amorphous adsorbent compositions of the present invention advantageously retain their adsorptive properties under the variable and wide ranging temperatures and pressures that often characterize chemical separation processes , including conditions associated with gas adsorption / desorption systems . in certain embodiments , the present invention relates to methods for improving the quality of a natural gas fraction or stream comprising introducing the natural gas fraction or stream into a vessel comprising a highly selective , ultra - small pore amorphous adsorbent composition such as those described herein . the method includes maintaining the natural gas fraction or stream in the vessel for a sufficient amount of time such that the natural gas contacts the amorphous adsorbent to produce a purified natural gas . the natural gas fraction or stream may or may not be previously refined or purified . in some embodiments , the natural gas fraction or stream is a non - upgraded natural gas comprising a first mole percent of carbon dioxide that , in certain embodiments , are converted in an upgraded natural gas traction or stream with a second mole percent of carbon dioxide using the methods described herein . in some embodiments , the first mole percent of carbon dioxide is greater than the second mole percent of carbon dioxide . in further embodiments , the methods for improving the quality of a natural gas fraction or stream are characterized by a residence time in a range of about two minutes to about 30 minutes . the following examples are included to demonstrate preferred embodiments of the invention . it should be appreciated by those of skill in the art that the techniques disclosed in the examples which follow represent techniques discovered by the inventors to function well in the practice of the invention , and thus can be considered to constitute preferred modes for its practice . however , those of skill in the art should , in light of the present disclosure , appreciate that many changes can be made in the specific embodiments which are disclosed and still obtain a like or similar result without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . samples 1 through 5 are decationized materials that have been treated using ion - exchange and calcination procedures , while samples 6 through 10 are five ultra - small pore amorphous adsorbents that have been treated with water following calcination . the reference sample ( described as “ reference ” in fig1 a through 4b ) is the zeolite precursor material used to synthesize samples 1 through 10 . the samples were synthesized using the same procedure for each of samples 1 through 10 except for variations in the concentrations of ammonium nitrate ( nh 4 no 3 ). each sample was synthesized by initially suspending 1 gram of the sodium linde type a ( naa ) zeolite in 20 ml of nh 4 no 3 solution at the various molar concentrations given in table 1 . the resulting suspension was stirred for six hours at room temperature to form ion - exchanged zeolite precursors , where the ammonium ( nh 4 + ) ion substitutes for the sodium ( na + ) ion to varying degrees based upon the ammonium nitrate concentration . the precursors are collected by filtration , washed with deionized water followed by acetone , and dried at 333 k for 24 hours . the dried , ion - exchanged zeolite precursors am then calcined in a plug - flow reactor under flowing dry air ( 25 ml / minute ) at 673 k ( temperature ramp : 1 k / minute ) for 2 hours to produce samples 1 through 5 . an additional fraction of 1 gram calcined precursors were stirred in 300 ml room temperature water ( h 2 o ) for 6 hours , collected by filtration , washed with deionized water and dried at 373 k for 24 hours to produce samples 6 through 10 . elemental analyses were performed on the reference sample and samples 1 through 10 using inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy ( icp - aes ). the compositional results for samples 1 - 5 were , within standard error , the same as those of samples 6 - 10 . for instance , the si / al ratio of the ( 10 ) samples were all very close to 1 . 00 , which is the si / al ratio of starting zeolite material . the ratio of si / al and na / al did not change significantly during the calcination and the post - calcination water treatment procedures . the na / al ratio gradually decreases as the degree of nh 4 + ion - exchange increases because of the removal of na + cation during the decationization procedure . in addition , powder x - ray diffraction ( xrd ) patterns were recorded for the reference sample and samples 1 through 10 using a d2 - phaser ( bruker ) equipped with cu radiation ( 30 kv , 10 ma ) and a lynxeye detector . the resulting diffraction patterns for samples 1 - 5 are shown in fig1 a , while the patterns for samples 6 - 10 are given in fig1 b . each trace has been off - set by a fixed intensity value for the purposes of clarity of the drawing and has the same original value at 2θ = 5 . the xrd patterns for samples 1 - 5 revealed that the spectral intensities of the characteristic naa peaks were mostly intact even after significant decationization . however , the xrd analysis for samples 6 - 10 revealed that the intensities of the characteristic naa zeolite peaks significantly decreased and became broader as the degree of decationization increased , indicating that linde type a ( lta ) zeolites gradually loses their crystallinity ( i . e ., their long - range structural ordering ) during decationization and subsequent water treatment procedures and their structural framework appears to resemble that of amorphitized aluminosilicate . fig2 a shows co 2 and ch 4 equilibrium gas adsorption capacity isotherms for the reference sample (“ reference ”) and samples 1 - 5 at a temperature of 323 k and a pressure of 8 bars . the observed co 2 and the ch 4 gas adsorption capacities did not significantly change despite extensive decationization . this result indicates that , while nh 4 + exchange followed by calcination can lead to the decationization of the zeolite precursors , the resulting pore structure collapse and pore size narrowing are not significant . fig2 b shows both the co 2 / ch 4 equilibrium selectivity factors for the reference sample (“ reference ”) and samples 1 - 5 at a temperature of 323 k and a pressure of 8 bars and the percentage of remaining co 2 capacity for the reference sample (“ reference ”) and samples 1 - 5 at t = 323 k and p = 8 bars . the values used to calculate the selectivity factor values for co 2 to ch 4 at p = 8 bars were determined using the gas adsorption capacity values for co 2 and ch 4 in fig2 a . the results indicate that samples 1 - 5 exhibit very low selectivity enhancement , and that the decationization of the zeolite precursor does not show significant narrowing with respect to pore size . the gas adsorption capacity of samples 1 through 10 was tested using a volumetric adsorption unit ( micromeritics asap2050 ) at a temperature of 323 k and a pressure range from 0 to 8 bars . the resulting co 2 and ch 4 gas adsorption isotherms for the reference sample (“ reference ”) and those of samples 6 - 10 are presented in fig3 . an absorptive equilibrium was assumed to have been reached when a pressure change of less than 0 . 01 % over a 30 second interval was observed . the reference sample demonstrated the highest adsorption volume for co 2 , but it similarly exhibited the highest adsorption for ch 4 . samples 6 - 10 demonstrated decreasing amounts of gas adsorption ( both co 2 and ch 4 ) which correlates to decreases in each sample &# 39 ; s na / al ratio while inversely correlating to the nh 4 no 3 concentration used to manufacture samples 6 - 10 ( table 1 ). the observed gas adsorption decreases may be attributable to the structural transformation of the crystalline zeolite precursor into the amorphous adsorbent composition during the decationization and water treatment procedures . in this regard , the decationized adsorbent did not exhibit a significant decrease in co 2 and ch 4 gas adsorption capacity for samples where the na / al ratio is in a range of from about 0 . 60 to about 1 . 00 , and the co 2 / ch 4 equilibrium selectivity factor of the decationized adsorbent was not significantly enhanced at t = 323 k and p = 8 bars . fig4 a shows a graph of both the co 2 and ch 4 equilibrium gas adsorption capacities for the reference sample (“ reference ”) and samples 1 through 10 at a temperature of 323 k and a pressure of 8 bars . the gas adsorption capacity for carbon dioxide and methane at a pressure of 8 bars was determined using the values provided in fig3 . the results herein demonstrate that co 2 and the ch 4 adsorption capacities decrease as the zeolite structural collapse becomes more extensive with the corresponding increase in ammonium nitrate ( nh 4 no 3 ) concentration in the ion - exchange material . for instance . sample 10 was synthesized using the highest concentration of nh 4 no 3 ( 0 . 42 m ) and did not demonstrate any significant methane adsorption . a comparison of the separation between the co 2 and ch 4 equilibrium gas adsorption in fig4 a suggests that ch 4 adsorption capacity decreases more rapidly than that observed for co 2 . these results suggest that in view of the kinetic diameter of ch 4 being greater than that of co 2 , ch 4 will be excluded more readily upon a narrowing of the pore size daring the controlled collapse of the zeolite based precursor . fig4 b shows co 2 / ch 4 equilibrium selectivity factors for the reference sample (“ reference ”) and samples 6 through 10 as well as the percentage of remaining co 2 capacity for the reference sample (“ reference ”) and samples 6 through 10 at a temperature of 323 k and a pressure of 8 bars . the values used to calculate the selectivity factors for co 2 and ch 4 at the disclosed pressure were determined using the gas adsorption capacity values for both carbon dioxide and methane in fig4 a . as described above , sample 10 does not demonstrate any significant methane adsorption , and consequently demonstrated an undefined ( infinite ) co 2 / ch 4 equilibrium selectivity factor . as shown in fig4 b , the reference sample — a linde type a zeolite — demonstrates an equilibrium selectivity factor of only about three times greater selectivity for co 2 than for ch 4 at t = 323 k and p = 8 bars , while samples 6 - 9 exhibit co 2 / ch 4 equilibrium selectivity factors greater than 3 . 0 . sample 6 produced a co 2 / ch 4 equilibrium selectivity factor in a range of about 3 . 8 to about 10 with a co 2 gas adsorption capacity . in addition , sample 6 exhibited about 90 % to about 95 % of the adsorption value produced by the reference sample . samples 7 and 8 demonstrated equilibrium selectivity factors in a range of about 10 to about 20 . sample 8 exhibited significant co 2 gas adsorption capacity ( equilibrium selectivity factor of about 50 to about 60 ) in comparison with the reference sample . in addition , sample 9 produced a co 2 / ch 4 equilibrium selectivity factor of about 35 to about 40 and a co 2 gas adsorption capacity in a range of from about 15 % to about 20 % of the reference sample &# 39 ; s capacity . in some embodiments , the amorphous adsorbent advantageously is characterized by an equilibrium selectivity factor of co 2 / ch 4 in a range of from about 3 . 8 to about 40 , preferably in a range of from about 10 to about 40 . in further embodiments , the amorphous adsorbent exhibits a co 2 gas adsorption capacity in a range of from about 15 % to about 95 % of the capacity of the aluminosilicate zeolite used to form the amorphous adsorbent , preferably in a range of about 15 % to about 45 %. although the present invention has been described in detail , it should be understood that various changes , substitutions , and alterations can be made hereupon without departing from the principle and scope of the invention . accordingly , the scope of the present invention should be determined by the following claims and then appropriate legal equivalents . the singular forms “ a ”, “ an ” and “ the ” include plural references , unless the context clearly dictates otherwise . “ optional ” or “ optionally ” means that the subsequently described component may or may not be present or the event or circumstances may or may not occur . the description includes instances where the component is present and instances where it is not present , and instances where the event or circumstance occurs and instances where it does not occur . ranges may be expressed herein as from about one particular value , and / or to about another particular value . when such a range is expressed , it is to be understood that another embodiment is from the one particular value and / or to the other particular value , along with all combinations within said range . throughout this application , where patents or publications are referenced , the disclosures of these references in their entireties are intended to be incorporated by reference into this application , in order to more fully describe the state of the art to which the invention pertains , except when these references contradict the statements made herein .

the present invention relates to an amorphous adsorbent composition capable of purifying a gaseous hydrocarbon fraction and methods for synthesizing the composition . the composition is advantageously capable of filtering non - combustible contaminants for increasing the quality and heating value of a gaseous hydrocarbon such as methane . the composition comprises a zeolite based framework that is at least partially collapsed and capable of selectively adsorbing and desorbing gaseous components such as methane and carbon dioxide for purifying the gaseous hydrocarbon fraction .

the described embodiments describe a fluid filter that allows fluid in the filter housing to be drained from the filter housing , from the exterior of the housing and without first removing the filter element or the housing cover . in the described examples , a simple hand - operated knob is used to open the fluid drain port , with no special tool requirements . the lower portion of knob applies axial pressure on the filter element which keeps the filter element at a first position to close the drain port during normal operation . actuation of the knob permits the filter element to displace to a second position to open the drain port and allow the fluid to drain . the knob is sealed by means of a face seal at the knob / cover interface and the drain port is sealed by a radial seal between a lower endplate of the filter element and the filter housing . the concepts described herein could be used in a number of applications including , but not limited to , oil , fuel , or other engine fluids , or other liquid applications where drainage of a housing prior to service ( for example , replacement of the filter element ) is desired . one particular exemplary application illustrated in the drawings is for an oil filter and draining oil from the filter housing back to the oil pan . however , unless the particular fluid or application is specifically identified , it is contemplated that the concepts described herein could apply to fluids and applications other than oil . the filter element is an integral link between the knob and the drain port . in the described examples , an extension to the standpipe post interfaces with the knob and is used for alignment and structural support , and which also prevents an incorrect filter element ( i . e . an element without the central hole on the top endplate which interfaces with the knob ) from being misapplied to the filter housing . alternatively , an extension projecting downward from the knob could interface with the top of the standpipe or center tube . in the example illustrated in fig1 - 6 , the knob is turned counterclockwise which allows the spring to displace the filter element upward to open the drain port . in the example illustrated in fig7 - 13 , a retention feature is incorporated on the lower component of the knob assembly that engages the filter element top endplate , pulling the filter element up without spring assistance . in the example illustrated in fig1 , a protrusion on the filter element upper endplate engages with the cover . the filter element is forced downward against spring pressure during normal operation . to drain , the operator removes a simple threaded ( or ¼ - turn ) cap which vents the system and allows the protrusion and the filter element to displace upward , opening the lower drain port . after replacing the filter element , the cap could be reinstalled either before or after reinstalling the cover . the pocket created in the cap could also be used to hold a slow - release fluid additive . each of the examples in fig1 - 14 can utilize an “ extension ” to the standpipe ( or center tube ) which engages with the inner diameter of the knob assembly projecting through the filter element endplate to provide an alignment feature for the filter element , and to provide structural support for resisting radial vibration forces . in the example illustrated in fig7 - 13 , the filter element would be extracted with the cover when the cover is removed after draining the filter element could then be disengaged from the retention feature on the cover via radial force on the bottom of filter element relative to the cover . optionally , the filter element could be disengaged from the cover by the user further rotating ( for example counterclockwise ) the knob , causing the inner element to “ stop out ” against the cover , after which any additional rotation of the knob would cause detachment of the snap feature , freeing the filter element from the cover , and assisting with the clean - service experience ( i . e . no touch of the filter element ). with reference to fig1 - 6 , a cartridge top load filter 10 is illustrated . the filter 10 includes a cartridge top load filter housing 12 composed of a housing base 14 and a cover 16 removably attached to the housing base , for example using threads 18 . during normal use , a filter element 20 is installed within the housing . with reference to fig1 - 3 , the housing base 14 includes a standpipe 22 , a fluid inlet 24 through which fluid enters the housing 12 to be filtered , a clean fluid outlet 26 through which filtered fluid exits the filter 10 , and a drain port 28 adjacent to a bottom of the housing base 14 . a coil spring 30 is disposed around the standpipe 22 which in use applies an upward biasing force on the filter element 20 to bias the filter element in a direction toward the second or open position shown in fig2 . with reference to fig3 and 4 , the filter element 20 includes a ring of filtration media 40 having a first end 42 and a second end 44 and circumscribing a central cavity 46 having a longitudinal axis a - a . a first endplate 48 is sealingly attached to the first end of the filtration media , and a second endplate 50 is sealingly attached to the second end of the filtration media . the second endplate 50 includes a standpipe opening 52 through which the standpipe 22 can extend and a gasket 54 disposed in the standpipe opening 52 for sealing engagement with the standpipe extending through the standpipe opening . the endplate 50 also includes a perimeter edge 56 , and a sleeve 58 extending from the second endplate in a direction away from the first endplate parallel to the longitudinal axis a - a . the sleeve 58 has a diameter greater than the diameter of the standpipe opening 52 so that the sleeve 58 surrounds the standpipe opening . the sleeve has a first end end 60 connected to the second endplate at a location between the standpipe opening and the perimeter edge and an opposite or second end 62 spaced from the first end 60 . a radial outward facing seal 64 , for example an o - ring seal , is disposed adjacent to the second end 62 of the sleeve . the radial outward facing seal 64 is disposed at a radial position between the longitudinal axis a - a and the perimeter edge 56 . the first endplate 48 includes an opening 66 therethrough defined by a sleeve 68 that extends from the first endplate into the central cavity 46 in a direction toward the second endplate . the opening 66 in the first endplate is aligned with the standpipe opening 52 in the second endplate . the filter element 20 further includes a perforated center tube 70 that extends between and is fixed at each end thereof to the endplates 48 , 50 . with reference to fig2 , 3 and 5 , the cover 16 includes a knob 80 that is fixed to a valve shaft 82 that extends through the cover . the knob 80 includes a flange 84 that , in the closed position , seals with a knob seal 86 located in a recessed flange receiving area 88 in the cover 16 . the outer diameter of the valve shaft 82 includes threads 90 that engage with threads 92 formed on the cover passageway through which the valve shaft extends . as the valve shaft 82 is rotated by turning the knob 80 in one direction ( for example counterclockwise ), the valve shaft 82 is caused to displace in a direction upward out of the cover . conversely , as the valve shaft is rotated by turning the knob in the other direction ( for example , clockwise ), the valve shaft 82 is caused to displace in a direction inward into the cover . preferably , the knob 80 and valve shaft 82 assembly are fixed together to form a single structure , and they cannot be readily removed from the cover 16 . the valve shaft 82 also includes a radial valve shaft seal 94 that engages and seals with a radial sealing surface 96 on the sleeve 68 of the endplate 48 as shown in fig2 . the seal 94 prevents fluid flow between the filter element 20 and the valve shaft 82 . the valve shaft 82 also includes a vent feature as discussed further below with respect to fig7 - 13 . with reference to fig2 - 3 and 6 , the standpipe 22 is generally hollow and includes one or more fluid openings 100 therein through which fluid that has been filtered by the filter element 20 flows to reach the clean fluid outlet 26 . the upper end of the standpipe is provided with an alignment feature 102 that is configured to interface / mate with the lower end of the valve shaft 82 to provide lateral support to the filter element 20 , to help center the filter element , and provide strength to withstand radial vibration forces . in the illustrated example , the alignment feature 102 comprises a fluted post that extends upwardly from the top end of the standpipe 22 . the fluted post has a primary outer diameter section 105 along the majority of its length , and then tapers in diameter near its tip end 104 . the tapered tip end 104 helps guide the filter element into correct position during installation into the filter housing . with reference to fig1 , when the filter element is at its first position , the tip end 104 fits into a correspondingly shaped hole 106 formed in the valve shaft 82 while a portion of the primary outer diameter section 105 of the fluted post fits within a lower section 107 of the valve shaft 82 . with reference to fig2 , when the filter element displaces to its second position , the fluted post is still disposed within the lower section 107 of the valve shaft to help stabilize the filter element during draining the operation of the filter 10 is as follows . during use , the filter 10 is arranged as illustrated in fig1 . in this configuration , which can be termed the closed configuration of the filter , the filter element 20 is in its first or closed position at which the seal 64 on the sleeve 58 seals with a sealing surface 108 on the housing base 14 . this prevents fluid from reaching the drain port 28 . instead , all fluid to be filtered that enters the filter housing flows radially inward through the filter media 40 into the central cavity 46 , into the opening ( s ) 100 in the standpipe , and then out through the clean fluid outlet 26 as shown by the arrows in fig1 . when the filter 10 is to be serviced , for example replacement of the filter element 20 , the fluid within the filter housing is first drained prior to opening the filter housing by removing the cover 16 . draining is achieved by rotating the knob 80 in the appropriate direction , for example counterclockwise . this causes the valve shaft 82 to axially displace upward in the direction of the longitudinal axis . as this occurs , the spring 30 biases the filter element 20 axially upward to axially displace the filter element to its second or open position shown in fig2 . at this position , the seal 64 no longer seals with the sealing surface 108 . this allows fluid within the housing to flow past the endplate 50 , as shown by the arrows , and out the drain port 28 which can be fluidly connected to a sump or other fluid collection location . once the fluid has been drained , the cover 16 can be removed from the housing base 14 , and the old filter element replaced with a new filter element . the cover 16 is then reattached to the housing base . the knob 80 can be rotated clockwise to return it and the valve shaft 82 to their original position shown in fig1 before reattaching the cover 16 or after the cover has been reattached to the housing base . with reference to fig7 - 13 , a second embodiment of a cartridge top load filter 200 is illustrated . the filter 200 has many similarities to the filter 10 , but eliminates the biasing spring 30 used in the filter 10 and instead employs a snap fit connection design between the valve shaft and the upper endplate of the filter element which causes the filter element to displace axially with the valve shaft when the knob is rotated . the construction and operation of the filter 200 is otherwise identical to the filter 10 . in fig7 - 13 , elements identical to elements in the filter 10 will be referenced using the same reference numerals . however , only those features that are different will be described in detail . with reference to fig7 - 9 and 13 , the filter element 202 of the filter 200 includes a first endplate 204 that includes an opening 206 therethrough defined by a sleeve 208 that extends from the first endplate into the central cavity in a direction toward the second endplate 50 . the opening 206 in the first endplate is aligned with the standpipe opening 52 in the second endplate . the end of the sleeve 208 includes a plurality of circumferentially spaced , inwardly angled snap fingers 210 each of which has an angled ramp surface 212 . with reference to fig7 - 8 , 10 and 12 , the knob 80 is fixed to a valve shaft 214 . the valve shaft 214 includes threads 216 that engage with the threads 92 on the cover passageway through which the valve shaft extends . the threads 216 are interrupted to form at least one channel 218 which allows venting of air during draining which aids in draining a similar vent feature is used in fig1 - 6 described above and in fig1 described below . in addition , the end of the shaft 214 is formed with an enlarged diameter end 220 having a first ramp surface 222 and a second ramp surface 224 . in use , the valve shaft 214 snap fit engages with the endplate 204 . to attach , the end of the valve shaft 214 is inserted into the opening 206 . as this occurs , the first ramp surface 222 engages the snap fingers 210 which forces the fingers outwardly to allow the enlarged diameter end 220 to pass the fingers 210 . once past the fingers , the fingers 210 snap fit behind the end 220 on the second ramp surface 224 . the operation of the filter 200 is generally similar to the filter 10 . during use , the filter 200 would be arranged similarly to that illustrated in fig1 with the filter element 202 located at its first or closed position ( not shown ) with the seal 64 sealed with the sealing surface 108 . this prevents fluid from reaching the drain port 28 . instead , all fluid to be filtered that enters the filter housing flows radially inward through the filter media 40 into the central cavity 46 , into the opening ( s ) 100 in the standpipe , and then out through the clean fluid outlet 26 . when the filter 200 is to be serviced , for example replacement of the filter element 202 , the fluid within the filter housing is first drained prior to opening the filter housing by removing the cover 16 . draining is achieved by rotating the knob 80 in the appropriate direction , for example counterclockwise . this causes the valve shaft 214 to axially displace upward in the direction of the longitudinal axis . since the valve shaft 214 is snap fit connected to the filter element , the filter element 202 displaces axially upward with the valve shaft to its second or open position shown in fig7 . at this position , the seal 64 no longer seals with the sealing surface 108 . this allows fluid within the housing to flow past the endplate 50 , as shown by the arrows in fig7 , and out the drain port 28 which can be fluidly connected to a sump or other fluid collection location . at the second or open position , the endplate 204 is close to or is in contact with the cover 16 . continued rotation of the knob 80 in the counterclockwise direction continues to force the filter element upward against the cover . as this occurs the angled ramp surfaces 212 ride along the second ramp surface 224 to deflect the snap fingers 210 radially outward to release the snap connection to disconnect the filter element from the valve shaft . this disconnection of the filter element from the valve shaft can occur with the cover 16 attached to the housing base 14 . alternatively , the cover can be removed from the housing base together with the knob assembly and the filter element . the knob can then be rotated as described above to detach the filter element from the valve shaft . this allows the servicing to be performed clean without the service technician touching the wet filter element . a new filter element can then be installed . the new filter element can be attached to the valve shaft prior to re - attaching the cover , or the new filter element can first be installed in the housing base and then the cover re - attached , with the valve shaft being attached to the filter element during re - attachment of the cover . with reference to fig1 , another embodiment of a cartridge top load filter 300 is illustrated . the filter 300 has many similarities to the filter 10 , but eliminates the knob and valve shaft used in the filter 10 . instead , the filter 300 employs a protrusion 302 on the filter element 304 upper endplate 306 that engages with a cap ( or knob ) 308 rotatably attached to the cover 310 . the construction and operation of the filter 300 is otherwise identical to the filter 10 . in fig1 , elements identical to elements in the filter 10 will be referenced using the same reference numerals . however , only those features that are different will be described in detail . the protrusion 302 extends upwardly in a direction away from the endplate 50 parallel to the longitudinal axis a - a and into a neck region 312 formed on the cover 310 . the endplate 306 is solid and does not permit fluid flow therethrough . the outer perimeter of the neck region 312 is formed with exterior threads 314 which engage with interior threads 316 formed on the cap 308 . the cap 308 includes a protrusion 322 that extends downwardly from a central portion thereof and into engagement with the top end of the protrusion 302 as shown in fig1 . as illustrated in fig1 , the cap 308 is fully threaded onto the cover 310 , which forces the filter element 304 downward against the pressure of the spring ( not shown ) during normal operation where the seal 64 seals with the sealing surface 108 to prevent draining of fluid . to drain , the servicing technician unscrews the cap 308 , which permits the filter element to displace axially upward due to the biasing force of the spring to unseat the seal 64 from the sealing surface 108 . fluid can then flow past the endplate 50 and to the drain port ( not illustrated ). the cap 308 can be a ¼ turn cap that remains attached to the neck region 312 of the cover and requiring only roughly a ¼ or ½ turn to provide enough displacement of the filter element to allow draining alternatively , the cap 308 can be completely removable from the neck region . in either case , a tether 320 can be used to tether the cap 308 to the cover 310 . after replacing the filter element 304 , the cap 308 could be reinstalled either before or after reinstalling the cover 310 . the pocket created in the cap could also be used to hold a slow - release fluid additive container . the invention may be embodied in other forms without departing from the spirit or novel characteristics thereof . the embodiments disclosed in this application are to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not limitative . the scope of the invention is indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description ; and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are intended to be embraced therein .

a cartridge top load filter design and filter element useable with the filter are described that allows fluid to be drained from the filter housing , from the exterior of the housing and without first removing the filter element or the housing cover . the draining feature can be manually activated by a knob that is accessible from the exterior of the filter housing adjacent to the removable cover . the draining feature does not require any tools to activate , and provides a “ clean service ” option of draining fluid before opening the filter housing .

reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the present invention , examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings , wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout . the inventors &# 39 ; proposals address the problem of the base station trying to schedule the terminal during measurement occasions by providing information to the base station about the measurement occasions . when in cell_fach state and when the variable c_rnti is non - empty the ue in fdd mode shall perform measurements as specified in subclauses 8 . 4 . 1 . 6 and 8 . 4 . 1 . 9 during the frame ( s ) with the cell system frame number ( sfn ) value fulfilling the following equation : sfn div n = c — rnti mod m _rep + n * m _rep n is the transmission time interval ( tti ), in number of 10 ms frames , of the fach having the largest tti on the s - ccpch selected by the ue according to the procedure in subclause 8 . 5 . 19 . fachs that only carry multimedia broadcast multicast service ( mbms ) logical channels ( mbms traffic channel ( mtch ), mbms point to multipoint scheduling channel ( msch ), or mbms point to multipoint control channel ( mcch )) are excluded from measurement occasion calculations . c_rnti is the c - rnti value of the ue stored in the variable c_rnti m_rep is the measurement occasion cycle length . according to the equation above , a fach measurement occasion of n frames will be repeated every n * m_rep frame , and m_rep = 2 k . the value of the fach measurement occasion cycle length coefficient is read in system information in “ system information block type 11 ” or “ system information block type 12 ” in the information element ( 1e ) “ fach measurement occasion info ”. n = 0 , 1 , 2 . . . as long as the sfn is below its maximum value the ue is allowed to measure on other occasions in case the ue moves “ out of service ” area , or in case it can simultaneously perform the ordered measurements . this means that the ue measurement behaviour depends on the tti length of the used s - ccpch to carry the fach and is multiplied by 2 ̂ k which describes the measurement occasion cycle length . which of these 2 ̂ k ttis the ue performs its measurements in , depends on the modulo c - rnti operation . by these functions it is ensured that in case of a sufficient number of ues within cell - fach , the times when ues perform their measurements are nearly evenly distributed and there are always sufficient ues to listen to the s - ccpch . however , knowledge of the c - rnti and the measurement occasions itself is present in the rnc and in the ue . up to now , the nodeb has no knowledge of the measurement occasions as it schedules the ue as indicated by the rnc and so no knowledge is needed . fig1 illustrates a comparison of fach scheduling via s - ccpch against fach scheduling via hs - dsch , including hs - scch indication . a first signalling block 1 is sent on the hs - scch , then moves to the hs - pdsch and is repeated 2 several times . considering the offset between hs - scch and hs - dsch it is clear that a 5 times quick repeat would not even work within a 10 ms s - ccpch tti 3 , which is the most commonly used tti for s - ccpch , even if a schedule “ now ” command for hsdpa were used . the ue may miss either the scheduling information , or the last transmissions , as the nodeb is not aware of the periods the ue is listening , nor would any scheduling method introducing more diversity than consecutive scheduling work . to overcome the above mentioned problems it is important that the nodeb has awareness of the measurement behaviour of the ue . as a consequence , corresponding signalling from the rnc to the nodeb needs to be introduced as the nodeb has no ue context and in cell - fach there is no such context at all . however , by providing the c - rnti and the calculation rule for the measuring occasions , the nodeb is able to calculate the times when the ue is listening and when the ue is measuring autonomously . in addition , if the fach content is mapped to the hs - pdsch only , then there needs to be clarification of which s - ccpch tti length drives the measurement occasion length used in the fach calculation . although , an s - ccpch exists carrying fach data for non - hsdpa ues , the nodeb is not aware of this and there may also be multiple s - ccpchs with different tti length . for example , mtch is also mapped to the s - ccpch having a very large tti . as a consequence an additional rule can be introduced as the reference for the fach measurement occasions for ues of which data are mapped into the hs - dsch in general . for example , if the fach is mapped onto hs - dsch , the s - ccpch with the smallest tti length provided by the network is used as a reference for calculating the length of the measurement occasion ; or the s - ccpch using the most left or right code of the ovsf code tree . such additional definition for the measurement occasions is required as the s - ccpch carrying the fach as used in the definition may be meaningless for some of the ues . furthermore , the c - rnti of a ue which receives the fach via hs - pdsch needs to be known in the nodeb , or the measurement occasion group , to which it belongs . the corresponding signalling needs to be introduced in the rnc to nodeb signalling and is made use of by the nodeb to mac - hs . this ensures that during a measurement occasion a ue need not be scheduled or notified because the nodeb takes the measurement occasions into account . furthermore , consideration is required of the fact that the quick repeat scheduling via hs - dsch may be interrupted by a measurement occasion , as the measurement occasions generally have priority over data reception . this applies particularly if , for the introduction of additional diversity , non contiguous quick repeat / interleaved fach mapped on hs - pdsch scheduling patterns , were defined . thus , if a quick repeat transmission is interrupted by a measurement occasion it shall be resumed directly after terminating the measurement occasion with the same settings applied to the hs - pdsch prior the measurement occasion , without any additional hs - scch signalling . if the ue evaluates that the reception was already successful , based on that portion of the quick - repeat transmission received prior the measurement occasion , then the ue is not required to receive the remaining part after the measurement occasion and can extend it accordingly until a new hs - scch indication arrives . fig2 illustrates a typical system in which the proposed method is applied . terminals , or ues t 1 , t 2 communicate with a network via a base station , or node b 4 and a base station controller , or radio network controller rnc 5 . the rnc sends configuration information and measurement information to the node b . as shown in the example of fig3 , the rnc 5 sends hs - dsch configuration 6 , fach configuration 7 , reference tti and n for measurements 8 and ue specific measurement information 9 , such as c - rnti . the proposals allow for hsdpa to be used in cell_fach state without clashing with measurement occasions , which would otherwise not be possible . a system comprising a basestation , a basestation controller and terminals with two operating states , in one of the operating states the times at which the terminal retunes its receiver are unknown to the basestation , which is controlling the allocation of radio resources , and thus the basestation controller informs the basestation of these occasions . a rule can be applied in the event of a collision of a retransmission and a measurement as to the occurrence of the next retransmission . the measurement occasion may be calculated from the identity of the terminal . the invention has been described in detail with particular reference to preferred embodiments thereof and examples , but it will be understood that variations and modifications can be effected within the spirit and scope of the invention covered by the claims which may include the phrase “ at least one of a , b and c ” as an alternative expression that means one or more of a , b and c may be used , contrary to the holding in superguide v . directv , 69 uspq2d 1865 ( fed . cir . 2004 ).

in a method of downlink operation in a communication system having a network controller , a base station and a terminal , one communication channel is scheduled by the base station ; and one communication channel is scheduled by the network controller . the terminal listens to the channel scheduled by the base station at predetermined times known to the terminal and the network controller . information is signalled from the network controller to the base station , relating to the predetermined times .

the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are described and illustrated below to encompass axle tubes and methods of managing fluid levels within an axle tube . of course , it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that the exemplary embodiments discussed below are merely examples and may be reconfigured without departing from the scope and spirit of the present disclosure . however , for clarity and precision , the exemplary embodiments as discussed below may include optional steps , methods , and features that one of ordinary skill should recognize as not being a requisite to fall within the scope of the present invention . referencing fig1 - 3 , a first exemplary axle tube 100 ( shown without external fluid hoses ) includes a dry center section 102 and corresponding right and left wet sections 104 , 106 mounted to opposing ends of the dry center section . in this exemplary embodiment , each right and left wet section 104 , 106 includes two subsections 108 , 110 . the first subsection 108 is a motor subsection that houses the majority of an electric motor 112 . the second subsection 110 is a transmission subsection and includes transmission components 114 operatively coupled to the electric motor 112 . both the right and left wet sections 104 , 106 are sealed in order to retain oil concurrently lubricating and cooling the transmission components 114 and cooling the electric motor 112 . both of the wet sections 104 , 106 include seals that are operative to retard the inflow of water and other contaminants . referring to fig1 - 6 , the dry center section 102 comprises an enclosure formed by six rectangular walls 230 , 232 , 234 , 236 , 238 , 240 that are mounted to one another . each of the six walls 230 , 232 , 234 , 236 , 238 , 240 corresponds to another of the remaining five walls so that corresponding pairs of walls are generally uniformly spaced apart and oriented in parallel . this orientation provides a box - shaped enclosure that defines a dry interior cavity 246 . the first corresponding pair of walls 230 , 234 ( right and left ) each include a circular through hole 250 large enough to receive a dry portion 252 of an electric motor 112 . as will be discussed in more detail hereafter , the vast majority of the electric motor 112 is housed within the motor subsection 108 . respective elastomeric ring seals 260 interposes an outer housing 262 of each electric motor 112 and an outside surface 264 of each wall 230 , 234 . in particular , the elastomeric ring seal 260 has a diameter that is greater than the diameter of the through hole 250 so that the ring seal circumscribes the through hole , but is mounted to the outside surface 264 of each wall 230 , 234 . in particular , the outside surface 264 includes a circular recess 266 that bounds the through hole 250 and provides a seat for a portion of the ring seal 260 . it should be noted that the housing 262 of each electric motor 112 is concurrently mounted to the seal ring 260 , but is not rigidly fastened to the dry center section 102 . rather , the electric motor 112 floats with respect to the dry center section 102 because of the flexibility of the seal rings 260 interposing the walls 230 , 234 and the housing 262 of each electric motor 112 . the second corresponding pair of walls 232 , 236 ( front and back ) are coupled to the right and left walls 230 , 234 and to the third corresponding pair of walls 238 , 240 ( top and bottom ). each front and back wall 232 , 236 includes a plurality of orifices 270 adapted to provide a mounting location for attaching the axle tube to a vehicle frame ( not shown ), thereby providing support to the center of the axle tube . the top and bottom walls 238 , 240 each include a rounded , rectangular through hole 272 . in this exemplary embodiment , the rounded , rectangular through hole 272 of the bottom wall 238 is closed off by a rounded rectangular pan 276 mounted to an exterior surface 278 thereof . in particular , the rounded rectangular pan 276 includes a plurality of orifices ( not shown ) adapted to receive threaded fasteners 280 that extend through the orifices and into holes of the bottom wall 240 in order to allow the pan to be coupled and uncoupled from the bottom wall . in contrast , the rounded , rectangular through hole 272 of the top wall 238 is not entirely closed off . instead , a rounded rectangular pan 284 having a pair of elongated rectangular openings 286 is mounted to an outer surface of the top wall 238 . as with the bottom pan 276 , the top pan 284 includes a plurality of orifices ( not shown ) adapted to receive threaded fasteners 290 that extend through the orifices and into holes of the top wall 238 to couple and uncouple the top pan from the top wall . extending from the top pan 284 and circumscribing the elongated rectangular openings 286 are adapter boxes 294 . each adapter box 294 receives a high voltage subassembly ( not shown ) that is pre - connected and fluidicly sealed in order to establish electrical communication from outside the dry center section 102 and into communication with the electric motors 112 partially located within the dry center section . the adapter boxes 294 also provide connection locations for the air , oil and low voltage lines ( not shown ) that connect to the electric motors 112 . the top pan 284 also includes a plurality of secondary orifices 296 that interpose the adadapter boxes 294 . the dry portion 252 of each electric motor 112 includes numerous connections that provide electrical and fluid communication to the internal components of the electric motor and the transmission components 114 . several electrical connections 300 are provided in order to supply electric current to the internal components . those skilled in the art are familiar with the structure of electric motors and a corresponding detailed discussion of the internal components of each electric motor has been omitted only to further brevity . in addition to the electrical connections 300 , the dry portion 252 also includes an oil supply fitting 302 near the bottom of the dry portion for introducing oil into the interior of the electric motor 112 . and an air supply fitting 304 is also provided as part of the dry portion 252 near the top of the dry portion in order to introduce air into the interior of the electric motor 112 . referring to fig1 and 7 , the remainder of the electric motor 112 is housed within a tube 310 of the motor subsection 108 . the tube 310 comprises a dual ply 312 , 314 cylinder having a series of fluid connections 316 that allow for fluid communication between the interior of the tube and an exterior of the tube . as will be discussed in more detail hereafter , the fluid connections 316 are coupled to hoses ( see fig1 and 13 ). in between the interior ply 314 of the tube 310 and the exterior of the electric motor housing 262 is a reserve cavity 318 that is used to store excess oil when the axle tube 100 is in operation . both tube 310 plies 312 , 314 are welded at one longitudinal end to the outside surface 264 of respective walls 230 , 234 . referencing fig7 and 8 , the opposite longitudinal end of each tube 310 is welded to a circular flange 320 having a plurality of through holes . a first circumferentially outermost set of holes 322 receive fasteners in order to mount the flange 320 to a corresponding flange 360 of the transmission subsection 110 . a second inner circumferential set of holes ( not shown ) receive fasteners 324 in order to mount the flange 320 to an end plate 330 of the electric motor 112 . a gasket 332 interposes the flange 320 and the end plate 330 to ensure a fluid tight seal therebetween . the end plate 330 includes several holes having varying functionality . a first set of holes receive the fasteners 324 in order to mount the electric motor 112 to the flange 320 . a second set of through holes 336 provide communication across the end plate 330 . as will be discussed in more detail hereafter , these holes 336 provide a pathway for fluid ( e . g ., coolant / lubricant , such as oil ) to flow between the interior of the transmission subsection 110 and the reserve cavity 318 . in order to manipulate the flow of fluid between the interior of the transmission subsection 110 and the reserve cavity 318 , the end plate 330 also includes a through hole 338 elevated above an output shaft 340 from the electric motor 112 and above the second set of through holes 336 . the through hole 338 is adapted to provide a pathway for fluid ( e . g ., air ) to flow between the interior of the transmission subsection 110 and the electric motor housing 262 . in this manner , as air pressurizes the interior of the transmission subsection 110 and the interior of the electric motor housing 262 , coolant / lubricant is forced into the reserve cavity 318 . referring to fig9 - 11 , a schematic diagram shows the transmission subsection 110 and the motor subsection 108 coupled to one another and fluidicly sealed . in this manner , lubricant / coolant ( e . g ., oil ) 400 is able to flow between the subsections 108 , 110 , but the subsections generally maintain the same aggregate volume ( subsection 108 plus subsection 110 ) of lubricant / coolant . and the amount of lubricant / coolant 400 located within either subsection 108 , 110 changes depending upon whether the axle tube 100 is operable or not . referencing figs . ( 7 - 9 ), initially , as the axle tube 100 becomes operable ( upon receiving electric current to drive the electric motors 112 and an air supply , and upon being on level ground ), the level of lubricant / coolant 400 within the subsections 108 , 110 is generally the same . this universal level is the result of lubricant / coolant 400 freely flowing between the subsections through the second set of through holes 336 of the end plate 330 ( see fig7 and 8 ). more specifically , the level of lubricant / coolant 400 is the same in the transmission subsection 110 , the reserve cavity 318 , and in the internal cavity 350 of the electric motor 112 . but this universal level does not stay the same during operation of the axle tube 100 . referring to fig6 - 8 and 10 , after the axle tube 100 becomes operable ( upon receiving electric current to drive the electric motors 112 and an air supply ( e . g ., air source 572 in fig1 ), and upon being on level ground ), air is fed into the internal cavity 350 of the electric motor 112 by way of the air supply fitting 304 within the dry portion 252 . the air within the internal cavity 350 of the electric motor 112 builds in pressure based upon the air supply providing air above atmospheric pressure . in exemplary form , the air supply provides air at approximately forty pounds per square inch gauge ( psig ), which is reduced before it reaches the air supply fitting 304 . the air pressure within the electric motor 112 may be , for example , between 0 . 4 - 1 . 0 psig to overcome the head pressure within the reserve cavity 318 and force oil out of the interior of the electric motor through a drain 352 at the base of the electric motor housing 262 . eventually , as the air drives out all or almost all of the lubricant 400 within the interior 350 of the electric motor 112 , air begins to escape through the drain 352 and into the reserve cavity 318 , where it is vented via a vent 580 . in this manner , the air pressure within the interior 350 of the electric motor 112 may be self - regulated . in addition , as the air pressure builds within the internal cavity 250 , the air escapes through the through hole 338 of the end plate 330 that is elevated above the output shaft 340 . thus , the air pressure across the through hole 338 is relatively the same . this means that the air pressure within the internal cavity 350 of the electric motor 112 is the same as the air pressure within the transmission subsection 110 . because of this equalization of pressure , the level of lubricant / coolant 400 across the through holes 336 is generally the same in the transmission subsection 110 and in the internal cavity 350 of the electric motor 112 . but it should also be noted that the transmission subsection 110 includes a retainer wall 354 operative to retain a predetermined level of lubricant 400 within a portion of the transmission subsection that is above the level of lubricant across the through holes 336 . and the level of lubricant within the reserve cavity 318 is also higher than the level of lubricant across the through holes 336 . referencing fig1 , as the air pressure builds within the transmission subsection 110 and the internal cavity 350 of the electric motor 112 , the higher pressure air begins to displace the lubricant / coolant 400 within these areas . as air displaces the lubricant / coolant 400 , the corresponding level of lubricant / coolant 400 within the transmission subsection 110 and the internal cavity 350 drops and the lubricant / coolant is forced into the reserve cavity 318 , thus causing the level of lubricant / coolant to drastically increase — well above the level within the transmission subsection and the internal cavity 350 of the electric motor 112 . eventually , the level of lubricant / coolant 400 within the transmission subsection 110 and the internal cavity 350 reaches an operating level as an equilibrium is established between the air pressure pushing on the lubricant / coolant and the pressure of the lubricant / coolant pushing back on the air . this operating level of lubricant / coolant 400 is determined , in large part , based upon the operating pressure of the air supply . however , those skilled in the art will realize that the operating level of lubricant / coolant 400 may change and , thus , the air pressure supplied by the air supply may also change to accommodate for these changes in the operating level of the lubricant / coolant . when the axle tube 100 no longer is operable ( not electric current to drive the electric motors 112 and no air supply , and upon being on level ground ), the level of lubricant / coolant 400 within the subsections 108 , 110 returns to being uniform ( see fig9 ). specifically , without the air pressure forcing the lubricant / coolant 400 into the reserve cavity 318 , the pressure of the lubricant / coolant within the reserve cavity operates to displace the air and become evenly distributed among the subsections 108 , 110 . referencing fig1 - 14 , the lubricant / coolant 400 flows through a closed loop 500 that includes the interior of the subsections 108 , 110 and a series of interconnected conduits . each tube 310 includes an exit orifice defined by an exit orifice fitting 502 that is positioned near the lowest arcuate location on the tube . the exit orifice fitting 502 is mounted to a rigid outlet conduit 504 that is mounted to a flexible outlet conduit 506 . in this way , the fitting 502 and conduits 504 , 506 cooperate provide sealed flow for lubricant / coolant 400 exiting the reserve cavity 318 and flowing to the end of the outlet conduit 506 . each end of both flexible outlet conduits 506 is coupled to a t - fitting 508 operative to consolidate the dual flows into a single flexible line 514 . this flexible line 514 is operatively coupled to a pump 516 that forces the lubricant / coolant 400 into a discharge flexible conduit 520 that carries the lubricant / coolant to be cooled and cleaned . lubricant / coolant 400 is carried by the flexible conduit 520 and directed into a radiator 526 , which has a second fluid flowing therethrough to lower the temperature of the lubricant / coolant . after the lubricant / coolant 400 has been cooled , a radiator outlet conduit 528 conveys the lubricant / coolant to a filter 530 . the filter 530 is operative to remove contaminants from the lubricant / coolant 400 and discharge clean lubricant / coolant into a feed conduit 534 . the feed conduit 534 is coupled to a manifold 536 that operates to distribute the lubricant / coolant 400 among several input conduits 540 , 542 . the first pair of input conduits 540 are each coupled to a rigid conduit 548 that is coupled to an entrance orifice fitting 550 that defines an entrance orifice . the entrance orifice fitting 550 is mounted to the flange 360 of the transmission subsection 110 and provides an egress point for lubricant / coolant 400 to flow into the interior of the transmission subsection . the second pair of input conduits 542 extends through the secondary orifices 296 ( see fig5 ) of the top pan 284 and into communication with the oil supply fitting 302 of the electric motor 112 ( see fig6 ), thereby providing an egress point for lubricant / coolant 400 to flow into the interior of the electric motor . direct fluid communication between the motor subsections 108 is made possible by a communication line 560 that is coupled to respective outlet fittings 562 mounted to the tube 310 at locations elevated with respect to the exit orifice fittings 502 . in this manner , lubricant / coolant 400 is freely able to flow between one reserve cavity 318 ( see fig7 ) to the other reserve cavity . the communication line 560 comprises two mirror image sections of rigid line ( that generally retains its shape ) that are coupled to a box fitting 563 . the box fitting 563 is coupled to a by - pass conduit 564 that is also coupled to the manifold 536 . in this manner , if the input conduits 540 , 542 become damaged or blocked , the manifold recognizes the resulting pressure difference ( greater or lesser ) and diverts the lubricant / coolant 400 from the manifold 536 into the by - pass conduit 564 , where the lubricant / coolant is directed into the respective reserve cavities 318 using the communication line 560 . otherwise , the by - pass conduit 564 contains stagnant lubricant / coolant 400 . and , as shown in part in fig1 and 11 , an air supply conduit 570 provides air from an air source 572 to the air supply fitting 304 of the electric motor 112 . exemplary air sources include , without limitation , turbochargers and air compressors . in this exemplary embodiment , it is envisioned that the axle tube 100 is included as part of a larger machine having an internal combustion engine with a turbocharger , where at least a portion of the discharged , compressed air from the turbocharger is routed through the air supply conduit 570 . it should also be noted that the tube 310 includes a vent 580 that may be operatively coupled to a vent line ( not shown ) in order to vent air within the reserve cavity 318 as the amount of lubricant / coolant 400 increases , and at the same time allow air into the reserve cavity as the amount of lubricant / coolant decreases . referring to fig1 and 16 , an additional set of schematic diagrams depict alternate closed loop flow paths 600 , 700 for the lubricant / coolant 400 . in this first alternate closed loop 600 , the conduits and components are the same as the first closed loop 500 with the exception of providing an air source 572 or an air supply conduit 570 . in such a circumstance , the lubricant / coolant 400 within the subsections 108 , 110 is not actively managed to direct more lubricant / coolant to the reserve cavities 318 when the electric motor 112 and transmission components are operational . the second alternate closed loop 700 includes the conduits and components of the first closed loop 500 with the exception of omitting the dry center section 102 and the communication line 560 . in this manner , lubricant / coolant 400 is fed directly into the motor subsection 108 and pulled directly from the motor subsection . likewise , the air supply conduit is split and coupled directly to each motor subsection 108 . in this alternate embodiment , because the dry center section 102 is absent , the lubricant / coolant 400 conduits , electrical lines to the electric motors , and air supply line needs to able to withstand partial or total submerging in the lubricant / coolant . it should be noted that while the foregoing embodiment have discussed using compressed air to increase the level of lubricant / coolant 400 within the reserve cavity 318 , it is also within the scope of the disclosure to apply suction to the top of the reserve cavity to pull additional lubricant / coolant within the reserve cavity . in such a circumstance , the vent 580 may be couple to a suction line ( not shown ) that operates to create a low pressure area within the reserve cavity 318 to raise the level of lubricant / coolant 400 . following from the above description and invention summaries , it should be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that , while the methods and apparatuses herein described constitute exemplary embodiments of the present invention , the invention contained herein is not limited to this precise embodiment and that changes may be made to such embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the claims . additionally , it is to be understood that the invention is defined by the claims and it is not intended that any limitations or elements describing the exemplary embodiments set forth herein are to be incorporated into the interpretation of any claim element unless such limitation or element is explicitly stated . likewise , it is to be understood that it is not necessary to meet any or all of the identified advantages or objects of the invention disclosed herein in order to fall within the scope of any claims , since the invention is defined by the claims and since inherent and / or unforeseen advantages of the present invention may exist even though they may not have been explicitly discussed herein .

a method and associated apparatus for controlling fluid levels within an axle tube , the method comprising : establishing a first predetermined level of a liquid lubricant within a transmission and an electric motor operatively coupled to the electric motor , the axle tube housing the electric motor and the transmission , where a cavity interposing a wall of the axle tube and the electric motor is occupied by the liquid lubricant reservoir at a second predetermined level ; and , lowering the first predetermined level of a liquid lubricant within the electric motor and the transmission by changing a gas pressure exerted upon the liquid lubricant , where changing the gas pressure exerted upon the liquid lubricant within the axle tube raises the second predetermined level of liquid lubricant within the cavity .

a cross - sectional view of a tire having geodesic cords is shown in fig1 . as shown , the tire 300 may be representative of a passenger tire and comprises a pair of opposed bead areas 310 , each containing one or more column beads 320 embedded therein . as compared to a tire of the same size , the tire of the present invention has a greatly reduced bead due to the carcass configuration , as described in more detail , below . the tire 300 may further comprises sidewall portions 316 which extend substantially outward from each of the bead area 310 in the radial direction of the tire . a tread portion 330 extends between the radially outer ends of the sidewall portions 316 . furthermore , the tire 300 is reinforced with a carcass 340 toroidally extending from one of the bead areas 310 to the other bead area 310 . a belt package 350 is arranged between the carcass 340 and the tread . fig1 - 3 illustrate the tire carcass 340 of the present invention wherein the cords are arranged in geodesic lines . as shown in fig2 , the crown portion 341 of an exemplary passenger tire of size 225 60r16 has spaced apart plies with the angle of about 48 degrees ( which varies depending upon the overall tire size ). as shown in fig3 , the bead area 342 of the tire has closely spaced cords with the cords tangent to the bead . thus the ply angle continuously changes from the bead core to the crown . a geodesic path on any surface is the shortest distance between two points or the least curvature . on a curved surface such as a torus , a geodesic path is a straight line . a true geodesic ply pattern follows the mathematical equation exactly : wherein ρ is the radial distance from the axis of rotation of the core to the cord at a given location ; α is the angle of the ply cord at a given location with respect to the mid - circumferential plane ; ρ 0 is the radial distance from the axis of rotation of the core to the crown at the circumferential plane , and α 0 is the angle of the ply cord with respect to the tread centerline or midcircumferential plane . fig5 illustrates several different ply path curves of a tire having geodesic cords . one well known embodiment of a geodesic tire is the radial tire and is shown as curve 4 , wherein the cords have an angle a of 90 degrees with respect to the circumferential plane . curves 1 , 2 and 3 of fig5 also illustrate other geodesic cord configurations . curve 1 is a special case of a geodesic cord pattern wherein the cord is tangent to the bead circle , and is referred to herein as an orbital ply . fig4 a - 4b illustrate a carcass 340 having an orbital ply configuration and in various stages of completion . for curve 1 of fig5 , the following equation applies : at ρ = ρbead , the angle α is zero because the cords are tangent to the bead . fig6 - 9 illustrate a first embodiment of a green tire carcass of the present invention . the tire is illustrated as a passenger tire , but is not limited to same . the cords of the carcass are arranged in a geodesic orbital pattern wherein the cords are tangent to the bead radius of the tire . the close proximity of the cords results in a very large buildup of cord material in the bead area . in order to overcome this inherent disadvantage , the inventors modified the ply layup as described in more detail , below . in a first embodiment of the invention , the tire 300 having a carcass with geodesic ply is formed on a core 52 . the core may be in the shape of a cylinder such as a tire building drum , but is preferable in the shape of the final tire . the core has a first end , a second end and a outer core surface located between the first end and the second end . the outer core surface is preferably shaped to closely match the inner shape of the tire . the core may be rotatably mounted about its axis of rotation and is shown in fig1 and 11 . the core may be collapsible or formed in sections for ease of removal from the tire . the core may also contain internal heaters to partially vulcanize the inner liner on the core . the core may be optionally disposable . next , an inner liner 305 is applied to the core . the inner liner may be applied by a gear pump extruder using strips of rubber or in sheet form or by conventional methods known to those skilled in the art . an optional bead , preferably a column bead 320 of 4 or more wires may be applied in the bead area over the inner liner . next , a strip of rubber having one or more rubber coated cords 2 is applied directly onto the core over the inner liner as the core is rotated . with reference to fig1 - 11 , a perspective view of an apparatus 100 in accordance with the present invention is illustrated . as shown the apparatus 100 has a guide means which has a robotic computer controlled system 110 for placing the cord 2 onto the toroidal surface of core 52 . the robotic computer controlled system 110 has a computer 120 and preprogrammed software which dictates the ply path to be used for a particular tire size . each movement of the system 110 can be articulated with very precise movements . the robot 150 which is mounted on a pedestal 151 has a robotic arm 152 which can be moved in preferably six axes . the manipulating arm 152 has a ply mechanism 70 attached as shown . the robotic arm 152 feeds the ply cord 2 in predetermined paths 10 . the computer control system coordinates the rotation of the toroidal core 52 and the movement of the ply mechanism 70 . the movement of the ply mechanism 70 permits convex curvatures to be coupled to concave curvatures near the bead areas thus mimicking the as molded shape of the tire . with reference to fig1 , a cross - sectional view of the toroidal core 52 is shown . as illustrated , the radially inner portions 54 on each side 56 of the toroidal mandrel 52 have a concave curvature that extends radially outward toward the crown area 55 of the toroidal mandrel 52 . as the concave cross section extends radially outward toward the upper sidewall portion 57 , the curvature transitions to a convex curvature in what is otherwise known as the crown area 55 of the toroidal mandrel 52 . this cross section very closely duplicates the molded cross section of a tire . to advance the cords 2 on a specified geodesic path 10 , the mechanism 70 may contain one or more rollers . two pairs of rollers 40 , 42 are shown with the second pair 42 placed 90 ° relative to the first pair 40 and in a physical space of about one inch above the first pair 40 and forms a center opening 30 between the two pairs of rollers which enables the cord path 10 to be maintained in this center . as illustrated , the cords 2 are held in place by a combination of embedding the cord into the elastomeric compound previously placed onto the toroidal surface and the surface tackiness of the uncured compound . once the cords 2 are properly applied around the entire circumference of the toroidal surface , a subsequent lamination of elastomeric topcoat compound ( not shown ) can be used to complete the construction of the ply 20 . the standard tire components such as chafer , sidewall , and tread may be applied to the carcass and the tire cured in a conventional mold . the tire may further include an optional bead having a significantly reduced area and weight . one example of a bead suitable for use with the tire of the invention comprises a column bead 320 having ⅔ reduction in weight as the standard tire . a second embodiment of an apparatus suitable for applying ply in a geodesic pattern onto a core is shown in fig1 . the apparatus includes a ply applier head 200 which is rotatably mounted about a y axis . the ply applier head 200 can rotate about the y axis +/− 100 degrees . the rotation of the ply applier head 200 is necessary to apply the cord in the shoulder and bead area . the ply applier head 200 can thus rotate about rotatable core 52 on each side in order to place the ply in the sidewall and bead area . the ply applier head 200 is mounted to a support frame assembly which can translate in the x , y and z axis . the ply applier head has an outlet 202 for applying one or more cords 2 . the cords may be in a strip form and comprise one or more rubber coated cords . located adjacent the ply applier head 200 is a roller 210 which is pivotally mounted about an x axis so that the roller can freely swivel to follow the cord trajectory . the ply applier head and stitcher mechanism are precisely controlled by a computer controller to ensure accuracy on placement of the ply . the tire core is rotated as the cord is applied . the tire core is rotated discontinuously in order to time the motion of the head with the core . the ply applier head and stitcher apparatus is specially adapted to apply cord to the sidewalls of the tire core and down to and including the bead area . the strip of rubber coated cords are applied to the core in a pattern following the mathematical equation ρ cos α = constant . fig5 illustrates ply curves 1 , 2 , and 3 having geodesic ply paths . curves 2 and 3 illustrate an angle β , which is the angle the ply makes with itself at any point . for the invention , the angle β is selected to be in the range strictly greater than 90 degrees to about 180 degrees . preferably , the geodesic path ( or orbital path ) of the invention is ply curve 2 with β about equal to 180 degrees . for ply curve 2 , if a point on the curve is selected such as point a , the angle of ply approaching point a will be equal to about 180 degrees . likewise , the angle of the ply going away from point a will also be about 180 degrees . thus for any point on curve 2 , the angle of ply approaching the point and leaving the point will be about 180 degrees , preferably substantially 180 degrees . as shown in fig5 , the angle α 0 is selected so that the cord is tangent to the bead . starting at a point a , the cord is tangent to the bead . curve 1 of fig5 illustrates the cord path from point a to the center crown point b , which is an inflection point . the cord continues to the other side of the tire wherein the cord is tangent at point c . the process is repeated until there is sufficient coverage of the core . depending on the cord size and type selection , the cords are wound for 300 to 450 revolutions to form the carcass . since the cords are tangent to the bead at multiple locations , the build up of the cords in the bead area form a bead . as described above , the ply cords are applied to the core in a pattern following the mathematical equation ρ cos α = constant . using a three dimensional grid of data points of the core , a calculation of all of the discrete cord data points satisfying the mathematical equation ρ cos α = constant may be determined . the three dimensional data set of the core is preferably x , y , ψ coordinates , as shown in fig5 . a starting point for the calculation is then selected . the starting point is preferably point a of fig5 , which is the point of tangency of the cord at the bead location . an ending point is then selected , and is preferably point c of fig5 . point c represents the point of tangency on the opposite side of the tire compared to point a . next the change in ψ is calculated from point a to point c . the desired cord path from the starting point a to ending point c is then determined from the three dimensional data set using a method to determine the minimum distance from point a to point c . preferably , dynamic programming control methodology is used wherein the three dimensional minimum distance is calculated from point a to point c . a computer algorithm may be used which calculates each distance for all possible paths of the three dimensional data set from point a to point c , and then selects the path of minimal distance . the path of minimum distance from point a to point c represents the geodesic path . the discrete data points are stored into an array and used by the computer control system to define the cord path . the process is them repeated from point c to the next point of tangency and repeated until sufficient coverage of the carcass occurs . in a variation of the invention , all of the above is the same except for the following . the strip is applied starting at a first location in a first continuous strip conforming exactly to ρ cos α = constant for n revolutions . n is an integer between 5 and 20 , preferably 8 and 12 , and more preferable about 9 . after n revolutions , the starting point of the strip for the second continuous strip is moved to a second location which is located adjacent to the first location . the strip is not cut and remains continuous , although the strip could be cut and indexed to the starting location . the above steps are repeated until there is sufficient ply coverage , which is typically 300 or more revolutions . the inventors have found that this small adjustment helps the ply spacing to be more uniform . in yet another variation of the invention , all of the above is the same except for the following . in order to reduce the buildup at the bead area , the radius ρ is varied in the radial direction by +/− delta in the bead area of the tire on intervals of q revolutions . delta may range from about 2 mm to about 20 mm , more preferably from about 3 to about 10 mm , and most preferably about 4 to about 6 mm . the radius is preferably varied in a randomized fashion . thus for example , if q is 100 , then for every 100 revolutions , the radius may be lengthened about 5 mm , and in the second 100 revolutions , the radius may be shortened about 5 mm . another way of varying the radius is at every qth revolution , the radius is adjusted so that the point of tangency is incrementally shortened by gamma in the radial direction , wherein gamma varies from about 3 mm to about 10 mm . q may range from about 80 to about 150 , and more preferably from about 90 to about 120 revolutions . thus for example , q may be about 100 revolutions , and gamma may be about 5 mm . thus for every 100 revolutions , the radius may be shortened by 5 mm in the radial direction . the variation of the radius may be preferably combined with the indexing as described above . in yet another variation , all of the above is the same as described in any of the above embodiments , except for the following . in order to account for the buildup at the bead area , the cord axial dimension is increased in the bead area . thus there is a deviation in the geodesic equation at the bead area . in the vicinity of the bead area , wherein ρ is & lt ; some value , a new x value is calculated to account for the buildup of material in the bead area . a new x value is calculated based upon the cord thickness . the new x value may be determined using a quadratic equation . the ρ and α values remain unchanged . in yet another variation , all of the above is the same as described in any of the above embodiments , except for the following . in order to reduce the buildup at the bead area , a dwell angle ψ is utilized . thus instead of there being one point of tangency at the bead , the angle ψ is dwelled a small amount on the order of 5 about degrees or less while the other variables remain unchanged . the dwell variation is useful to fill in gaps of the cord in the bead area . the cord may comprise one or more rubber coated cords which may be polyester , nylon , rayon , steel , flexten or aramid . test tires of size p225 / r60 - 16 were built having a geoply construction with both aramid and polyester cord . the geoply test tires were built with indexing every 9th iteration and having the cord tangent to the bead at certain locations . the angle β was selected to be 180 degrees . the test tire built using polyester cord had 400 total revolutions of cord , and with the starting location of the cord at every 9th revolution being indexed an amount 0 . 0012 m . the aramid construction tire had about 350 revolutions and an indexing factor of 0 . 0015 m . each test tire included typical tire components and a single column 6 wire bead . test tires were also built having no bead . the test tires were compared with a production tire having a size p225r60 - 16 and sold under the brand name goodyear eagle rsa . as shown in fig1 and 15 , the geoply tire for both aramid cord and polyester cord showed a significantly higher normalized spring rate for the longitudinal , lateral and vertical direction . for the longitudinal spring rate , the geoply tire ( both aramid and polyester construction ) had a 50 % greater spring rate than the production tire . the aramid cords that were utilized in the tire construction trials had a modulus of elasticity range of 18 , 000 - 50 , 000 mpa and tpi ( twist per inch ) in the range 9 × 9 - 16 × 16 . it is preferred to have a tpi closer to the lower end of the stated range . the cord construction of the aramid cord had a dtex of 1100 / 2 & amp ; denier 1000 / 2 . the polyester cords that were utilized in the tire construction had a modulus of elasticity of about 8000 mpa , tpi 8 . 5 × 8 . 5 , dtex , 1670 / 2 and denier 1500 / 2 . as shown in fig1 , the aramid geoply tire had a 12 . 3 % improvement in rolling resistance as compared to the production control tire . as shown in fig1 , the polyester geoply tire showed a 5 . 4 % improvement in rolling resistance compared to the production control . the better results for the aramid tire are believed to be due to the fact that the aramid tire has the highest vertical spring rate . due to lower deflection , the tire consumes less energy . the improvement in rolling resistance was surprising and unexpected . fig1 illustrates a cross - sectional view of a standard radial tire as compared to a tire having an orbital ply of the present invention . for the same outside diameter , the load carrying characteristics of the orbital ply construction allow for a smaller size tire . thus in one example , the wheel may be larger as shown with a narrower tire width . the orbital ply tire would result in a lighter weight , more aerodynamic tire with lower rolling resistance . variations in the present invention are possible in light of the description of it provided herein . while certain representative embodiments and details have been shown for the purpose of illustrating the subject invention , it will be apparent to those skilled in this art that various changes and modifications can be made therein without departing from the scope of the subject invention . it is , therefore , to be understood that changes can be made in the particular embodiments described which will be within the full intended scope of the invention as defined by the following appended claims .

a method of making a tire comprising the steps of providing a core ; forming a first layer of ply by winding a strip of one or more rubber coated cords onto the core in a geodesic pattern extending from a first shoulder to a second shoulder opposite said first shoulder and being tangent to the bead at a location between said first shoulder and said second shoulder .

in the formulae ( i ) and ( ii ), r 1 to r 9 independently of one another each preferably represent hydrogen , fluorine , chlorine , bromine , methoxy , ethoxy , methyl , ethyl , n - propyl , i - propyl , n - butyl or t - butyl . furthermore , up to 4 of the radicals r 1 to r 9 preferably represent one of the abovementioned substituents and the remaining radicals preferably represent hydrogen . particularly preferably , up to 2 of the radicals r 1 to r 9 represent one of the abovementioned substituents , and the remaining radicals particularly preferably represent hydrogen . very particularly preferably , unsubstituted anthracene is used . the process according to the invention can be carried out , for example , at 50 to 150 ° c ., preferably at 80 to 120 ° c . the process can be carried out at atmospheric pressure , elevated pressure or reduced pressure . it is preferably carried out at atmospheric pressure . for example 1 to 5 mol , preferably 1 to 2 . 5 mol of phosphoryl chloride and 1 to 5 mol , preferably 1 to 2 . 5 mol of dimethylformamide are employed per mole of the anthracene derivative of the formula ( i ). for example 0 . 2 to 1 . 5 mol , preferably 0 . 5 to 1 mol of dimethylformamide are employed per mole of phosphoryl chloride . the process according to the invention can be carried out , for example , by initially charging the anthracene derivative of the formula ( i ) and the phosphoryl chloride and metering in dimethylformamide at the desired reaction temperature , for example over a period of 0 . 5 to 48 hours . preference is given to metering in times of 2 to 18 hours . the reaction partners may also be added in a different order . it is advantageous to continue stirring the reaction mixture for some time in the temperature range from 50 to 150 ° c . after the addition of the last reactant has ended . the reaction mixture may be stirred , for example , for another 1 to 30 hours . in the most simple case , the hydrolysis is carried out by introducing the reaction mixture into water . hydrogen chloride evolves , and a dark red - brown solution is formed . the 9 - anthracenecarbaldehyde that is formed is finally precpitated by adding a base . suitable for this purpose are for example sodium hydroxide or aqueous sodium hydroxide solution . it is favorable to adjust the temperature of the water which is used for carrying out the hydrolysis initially to , for example , 30 to 70 ° c ., and to keep it at 35 to 90 ° c . during the hydrolysis . the addition of a base can be carried out for example in such a way that a ph of 0 . 5 to 7 , preferably of 1 to 5 . 5 , results . during the addition of the base , it is advantageous to keep the temperature in the range from 10 to 30 ° c ., and to increase the temperature subsequently to 20 to 90 ° c ., in particular to 30 to 80 ° c ., and to stir the reaction mixture for some more time , for example for 0 . 5 to 5 hours , in this temperature range . the 9 - anthracenecarbaldehyde of the formula ( i ) that has been prepared is then present as a precipitate and can be isolated by mechanical separation , for example by filtration . if the resulting 9 - anthracenecarbaldehyde is to be purified further , it can , for example , be stirred with water , and the suspension that has formed is , for example , stirred for 0 . 5 to 5 hours at 20 to 80 ° c ., filtered again and washed with water . in this manner , 9 - anthracenecarbaldehydes can be obtained in yields of , for example , more than 97 % and purities of more than 98 %. in comparison with the prior art , the process according to the invention affords 9 - anthracenecarbladehydes of the formula ( i ) in a more simple and more economic way and in better yields and purities . the amounts of byproducts , wastewaters contaminated with organic materials , and salts ( sodium chloride , phosphates , dimethylammonium salts ) are reduced to a minimum , and tedious work - up steps , for example steam distillation , recrystallization , recycling of reactants and recovering solvents , are not required . 520 g of phosphoryl chloride were initially charged in a vessel fitted with stirrer and reflux condenser , 300 g of anthracene were added , and 165 g of dimethylformamide were added dropwise with stirring at 85 to 90 ° c . over a period of 7 hours . the reaction mixture was subsequently stirred for another 19 hours at 85 to 90 ° c . after this time , the conversion was 99 . 8 %. the resulting hot dark - red to black reaction mixture was introduced into a recipient vessel containing 2 l of water which had been heated to 50 ° c . and was stirred , and the temperature was kept at 50 to 60 ° c . during this operation . violent evolution of hydrogen chloride gas occurred , and the gas was discharged via a reflux condenser . the resulting reaction mixture was cooled to room temperature . the ph was adjusted to 3 . 5 by adding solid sodium hydroxide ( about 240 g ) a little at a time , during which the temperature was kept at 30 ° c ., and the mixture was then stirred at 60 ° c . for 1 . 5 hours . the 9 - anthracenecarbaldehyde , together with a little unreacted anthracene , precipitated quantitatively . the precipitate was filtered off and freed from most of the mother liquor . the filter cake that remained was once again suspended in 2 l of water , stirred at 60 ° c . for 1 . 5 hours and filtered off , and the filter cake that was obtained was washed with 500 ml of water . the solid was dried at 60 ° c ., affording 340 g of 9 - anthracenecarbaldehyde corresponding to a yield of 98 %. the melting point of the product was 104 ° c ., the 9 - anthracenecarbaldehyde content was 99 . 7 % ( determined by gc ) and the anthracene content was 0 . 3 % ( determined by gc ). by elemental analysis , the following values were additionally determined :

9 - anthracenecarbaldehydes are obtained in a particularly advantageous manner by reacting the corresponding anthracene derivatives with dimethylformamide in the presence of phosphoryl chloride , hydrolyzing the resulting reaction mixture and precipitating the 9 - anthracenecarbaldehyde that is formed by admixing a base .

the drawings disclose the preferred embodiment of the present invention . while the configurations according to the illustrated embodiment are preferred , it is envisioned that alternate configurations of the present invention may be adopted without deviating from the invention as portrayed . the preferred embodiment is discussed hereafter . with reference first to fig1 , the preferred embodiment of a machine cell 10 is illustrated in a perspective view . the machine cell 10 includes an upper gate 20 and a lower nest 30 for precisely locating a sheet material a . the first sheet material a may be precision positioned by means of an array of crowders 34 . the machine cell 10 holds sheet material a so that a forming process may be undertaken without the sheet material being caused to shift or otherwise move out of position . as illustrated , first sheet material a has a generally square configuration . in some instances , two sheet materials may be included for purposes of forming and joining the two sheets , in a combination resulting from seaming , to form an integrated component . accordingly , and as illustrated , an optional second sheet material b may be placed on top of the first sheet material a and aligned with the upper gate 20 . thus , it is to be understood that the shape and number of sheet material being formed may vary without departing for scope of the present invention . it should also be understood that the configuration of the machine cell 10 as illustrated is preferred , but is not to be interpreted as limiting as other configurations conceivable to those skilled in the art may also be suitable . however , a presently preferred nest and gate configuration is disclosed in pct / us04 / 34238 , which is expressly incorporated by reference herein . a positional pressure forming steel ( ppfs ) assembly 50 is operatively associated with a robotic arm 42 . the ppfs assembly 50 rigidly mounts to a robotic arm faceplate 44 that is rotatably connected to the robotic arm 42 . the robotic arm 42 is itself operatively associated with a computer 46 which executes a run - time program for moving the ppfs assembly 50 along a pre - defined tool path . the ppfs assembly 50 may be selectably rotated to perform a desired operation with a given forming steel . the ppfs assembly 50 includes forming steels 70 , 70 ′, 70 ″ as dictated by the particular forming and joining operation to be performed . cross - sectional views of the ppfs assembly 50 are shown in fig2 and 3 . with respect to these figures , the ppfs assembly 50 includes a reciprocating hub 52 having a piston end 54 mounted in a cylinder 56 . the cylinder 56 is fitted rigid to the faceplate 44 ( shown in fig1 ) of the robotic arm 42 as is known in the art . the piston end 54 is captured within the cylinder 56 such that the hub 52 slides or reciprocates along an axis relative to the cylinder 56 . hub 52 has extensions 68 , 68 ′ extending outwardly therefrom on the end opposite piston end 54 . forming steels 70 , 70 ′, 70 ″ are secured to the extensions 68 , 68 ′. the number and configuration of the extensions 68 , 68 ′ and the forming steels 70 , 70 ′, 70 ″ will be dictated by the particular forming and joining operation as mentioned above . for example , and as presently illustrated , the hub 52 includes a first extension 68 extending to the left ( as seen in fig2 and 3 ) which has a first forming steel 70 disposed on the lower surface 72 thereof . the hub 52 also has a second extension 68 ′ extending to the right ( also as seen in fig2 and 3 ). the lower surface 72 ′ of the second extension 68 ′ is stepped or tiered such that a second forming steel 70 ′ is disposed at an outer portion of extension 68 ′ and a third forming steel 70 ″ is disposed at an inner portion of extension 68 ′. although generally shown to have a tapered or wedged face shape , each forming steels 70 , 70 ′, 70 ″ is adapted with a shape formed into its face that closely resembles the preformed shape of the short flange to be formed . thus , one skilled in the art will recognize that the details of the face shape for each of the forming steel 70 , 70 ′, 70 ″ will depend on the geometry of the short flange f to be formed and that the present invention affords the ability to perform multiple short flange forming operations with a single ppfs assembly . a biasing element or spring 58 is interposed between the cylinder 56 and the piston end 54 to bias the hub 52 away from the cylinder 56 . as an alternative to the use of the illustrated spring biasing element 58 , a gas - charged cylinder may be placed in the position of the spring 58 to provide the needed biasing . in this manner , the ppfs assembly 50 provides a positional pressure forming tool whereby the position of the robot arm faceplate 44 relative to the lower nest 30 dictates the applied pressure at the interface between the short flange f and the forming steel 70 , 70 ′, 70 ″. the characteristics of the biasing element are such that the pressure applied at the forming steel 70 , 70 ′, 70 ″ is linearly proportional to the position of the piston end 54 relative to the cylinder 56 and the faceplate 44 . each unit of linear distance the piston end 54 moves into cylinder 56 will increase the bias of element 58 in a linear proportion . in the event that a gas - filled cylinder is used in lieu of the spring 58 , a charge is built up therein and the piston end 54 moves into cylinder 56 . this linear relationship is the basis for the positional pressure variance programming that the robotic arm plays . a roller 62 is rotatably supported from the hub 52 by an axle 60 fixedly mounted in the hub 52 in a direction generally perpendicular to the extensions 68 , 68 ′. the roller 62 operates in conjunction with the robotic arm 42 and a set of guide surfaces 32 formed on the lower nest 30 to provide positional pressure variance of the forming steel 70 . when no pressure is applied to the roller 62 , the biasing element 58 urges the piston end 54 in its outwardly extended position . conversely , when pressure is selectively applied to the roller 62 by means of the robotic arm 42 positioning the roller 62 into engagement with the guide surface 32 , the piston end 54 is urged into the cylinder 56 causing the biasing element 58 to resist the inward movement of the piston end 54 and generate a counteracting force . in this manner the force applied at the face shape on the forming steel 70 can be precisely controlled when requiring force feedback from the end of the robotic arm 42 . the robotic arm 42 can be manipulated to rotate the ppfs assembly 50 through 1800 such that extension 68 ′ is directed toward the short flange f , thereby enabling formation with forming steels 70 ′, 70 ″. with reference now to fig6 , an alternate embodiment of a positional pressure forming steel ( ppfs ) assembly 150 is illustrated in which the placement of the hub 152 and the cylinder 156 are reversed relative to the robotic arm face plate 144 . specifically , hub 152 extends from faceplate 144 . cylinder 156 is slidably supported on the hub 152 by a bearing sleeve 154 interposed therebetween . a spring 158 is operably coupled between the hub 152 and the cylinder 156 to bias the hub 152 away from the cylinder 156 . an axle 160 extends through a lower portion of the cylinder 156 . a roller 162 is rotatably supported on the axle 160 . a pair of support flanges 164 , 164 ′ extend from the sidewall of cylinder 156 . the support flanges 164 , 164 ′ are adapted to retain forming steels 168 , 168 ′ in a manner similar to that described with reference to fig2 - 5 . the configuration of the embodiment illustrated in fig6 yields a more compact design than that illustrated in fig2 - 5 , thereby enabling the use of ppfs assembly 150 in forming operations performed in more confined spaces . rod 166 extends through hub 152 and slots 172 , 172 ′ formed in cylinder 156 . the rod 166 cooperates with slots 172 , 172 ′ to provide a stop or limit on the range of motions of the cylinder 156 relative to the hub 152 . it is to be understood that other aspects of the alternate embodiment of ppfs assembly 150 including its utilization in the forming operation are substantially similar to that of ppfs assembly 50 . with continued reference to the figures , the operation of forming a short flange f on the sheet assembly a in the machine cell 10 will now be generally described . the sheet material a is approximated onto the lower nest 30 and precision positioned by means of the crowders 34 . the first sheet material a and the second sheet material b are then securely held in place either by known means or by a vacuum system and upper gate such as disclosed in pct / us04 / 34238 . with the sheet material so fixed , a short flange forming operation is initiated to form a portion of the first sheet material a by means of a positional pressure forming steel ( ppfs ) assembly 50 . initially , the robotic arm 42 orients the forming steel 70 to a pounce position which is normal to and within a close proximity of its associated flange f of interest . in other words , the forming steel 70 is adjacent to ( but not in contact with ) the upright flange f ( as seen in fig2 ) on sheet a . when a pounce position is initiated , the main roller 62 may contact the guide surface 32 . as previously mentioned , the guide surface 32 or landing strip is a flat platform extending from the lower nest 30 that follows the approach path of the forming steel 70 . the guide surface 32 is positioned a distance below the forming steel 70 equal to the distance d between the forming steel 70 and the bottom of the roller 62 . the robotic arm 42 also preloads the biasing element 58 of the ppfs assembly 50 at this time to remove backlash from its system with enough static energy to prevent deflection of the forming steel 70 when it makes contact with the short flange f . next , the robotic arm 42 rapidly manipulates the ppfs assembly 50 along a tool path which is substantially normal to the axis of the axle 60 . at this point the roller 62 rolls along the guide surface 32 and the forming steel 70 engages and crash forms the short flange f on sheet a . at this point , the flange f may be fully formed such that the ppfs assembly 50 can be moved to another location on the sheet a . however , the flange f may only be preformed ( i . e . partially bent over ) in which case , the roller 62 can be manipulated onto the flange f to finish the forming operation in an expedient manner such as disclosed in pct application no . pct / us2004 / 038993 entitled “ roller tool and positional pressure method of use for the forming and joining of sheet material ” filed on nov . 19 , 2004 by the applicant of the present invention , the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference . alternatively , the additional forming steels 70 ′, 70 ″ may be used to perform the final forming operation . in this case the ppfs assembly 50 is rotated 180 ° to orient the forming steels 70 ′, 70 ″ to a pounce position which is normal to and within close proximity of the preformed flange . the robotic arm 42 rapidly manipulates the ppfs assembly 50 along a tool path to execute the final forming operation in a manner similar to the preforming operation . the robotic arm 42 manipulates the ppfs assembly away from the machine cell 10 . the upper gate 20 is moved away from the sheet materials a and b and the formed sheet material may be unloaded from the lower nest 30 . those skilled in the art can now appreciate from the foregoing description that the broad teachings of the present invention can be implemented in a variety of forms . therefore , while this invention has been described in connection with the particular examples thereof , the true scope of the invention should not be so limited since other modifications will become apparent to the skilled practitioner upon a study of the drawings , specification and following claims .

an apparatus and method is described to form and join a short flange on a periphery of a sheet material supported in a nest . the apparatus includes a positional pressure forming steel assembly located on the end of a robotic arm . the ppfs assembly includes a hub slidably supported in a cylinder . at least one tool steel is located on an extension from the hub . a biasing element interposed between the cylinder and the hub enables precise control of the forming pressure by defining a tool path control program which maintains a relative relationship between the ppfs assembly and the nest .

referring now to fig1 , there is shown in plan view a conventional semiconductor wafer 10 upon which a plurality of semiconductor fuel cells 12 have been fabricated . a plurality of cells may be electrically interconnected on a wafer and provided with gases to form a power chip 15 . for simplicity , fuel cells 12 and chips 15 are not shown to scale in as much as it is contemplated that at least 80 million cells may be formed on a 4 ″ wafer . one such cell is shown in fragmented cross - section in fig2 . in its simplest form , each cell 12 consists of a substrate 14 , contacts 16 a and b , and a conductive polymer base 18 formed on both sides of a first layer 20 ( a ) of non - conductive layered polymer support structure 20 and in intimate contact with the metal electrical contacts . a conductive polymer 22 with embedded catalyst particles 28 on both sides of the central structure 20 forms a pem barrier separating the hydrogen gas on the left side from the oxygen gas on the right side . etched channels 50 b and 50 a respectively for admittance of the o 2 and h 2 gas and a heatsink lid 40 over the cell 12 is also shown in fig2 . fig3 a - 3 h are a series of schematic sectional views showing the relevant fabrication details of the pem barrier 30 in several steps . fig3 a shows the bottom of a power cell channel which has been etched into the semiconductor substrate 14 . it also shows the metal contacts 16 which are responsible for conveying the electrons out of the power cell 12 to the rest of the circuitry . these metal contact are deposited by well - known photolithographic processes in the metalization phase of the semiconductor fabrication process . fig3 b shows the conductive polymer base 18 as it has been applied to the structure . base 18 is in physical / electrical contact with the metal contacts 16 and has been adapted to attract the conductive polymer 22 of the step shown in fig3 a - 3 h . fig3 c shows the nonconductive polymer base 20 ( a ) as it has been applied to the structure . it is positioned between the two conductive polymer base sites 18 and is adapted to attract the nonconductive polymer 20 . fig3 d shows a polymer resist 21 as applied to the structure . resist 21 is responsible for repelling the polymers and preventing their growth in unwanted areas . fig3 e shows the first layer 20 b of nonconductive polymer as it has been grown on its base 20 a . this is the center material of the pem barrier . it helps support the thinner outer sides 22 when they are constructed . fig3 f shows the subsequent layers of nonconductive polymer 20 which are laid down , in a layer by layer fashion to form a vertical barrier . this vertical orientation allows for area amplification . fig3 g shows the first layer 22 a of conductive polymer grown on its base 18 . this is the outside wall material with catalyst of the pem barrier . fig3 h shows the subsequent layers of conductive polymer 22 laid down , in a layer by layer fashion on to the structure . fig2 shows the completed structure after removal of the polymer resist layer 21 and the addition of lid 40 and the pre - existing sidewalls 52 left out of fig3 a - 3 h for simplicity . this resist removal may not be necessary if layer 21 was originally the passivation layer of the final step in the semiconductor fabrication process . referring now to fig2 again further details of the elements forming the fuel cell 12 will be explained . the protein exchange membrane shown generally at 30 forms a barrier between the fuel h 2 and the oxidant o 2 . the pem barrier 30 is made up of three parts of two materials . there is the first outside wall 22 b , then the center 20 , and finally the second outside wall 22 c . it is constructed with a center piece 20 of the first material in contact with the two outside walls which are both made of the second material . the material 20 forming the center piece , is preferably an ionic polymer capable of passing the hydrogen ions ( protons ) through from the hydrogen side to the oxygen side . it is electrically nonconductive so that it does not , effectively , short out the power cell across the two contacts 16 a and 16 b . it may be made of nafion ® or of a material of similar characteristics . an external load 5 as shown in dotted lines may be coupled across the contacts to extract power . the second material 22 , forming the two outside walls , is also a similar ionic polymer capable of passing the hydrogen ions . in addition , it is doped with nano catalyst particles 28 ( shown by the dots ), such as , platinum / alloy catalyst and is also electrically conductive . by embedding the catalyst particles 28 into the polymer 22 , maximum intimate contact is achieved with the pem 30 . this intimate contact provides a readily available path which allows the ions to migrate freely towards the cathode electrode 16 b . catalysis is a surface effect . by suspending the catalytic particles 28 in the polymer 22 , effective use of the entire surface area is obtained . this will dramatically increase the system efficiency . by making the second material 22 electrically conductive , an electrode is produced . the proximity of the electrode to the catalytic reaction affects how well it collects electrons . this method allows the catalytic reaction to occur effectively within the electrode itself . this intimate contact provides a readily available path which allows the electrons to migrate freely towards the anode 16 a . this will allow for the successful collection of most of the free electrons . again , this will dramatically increase the system efficiency . in addition to the electrical and chemical / functional characteristics of the pem 30 described above , there are some important physical ones , that are described below : this self assembly process allows for the construction of a more optimum pem barrier . by design it will be more efficient . first , there is the matter of forming the separate hydrogen and oxygen path ways . this requires that the pem structure to be grown / formed so that it dissects the etched channel 50 fully into two separate channels 50 a , 50 b . this means that it may be patterned to grow in the center of the channel and firmly up against the walls of the ends of the power cell . it may also be grown to the height of the channel to allow it to come into contact with an adhesive 42 on the bottom of lid 40 . second , there is the matter of forming a gas tight seal . this requires that the pem structure 30 be bonded thoroughly to the base structures 18 and 20 a , the substrate 14 and the end walls ( not shown ) of the power cell and to an adhesive 42 which coats the lid 40 . by proper choice of the polymers , a chemical bond is formed between the materials they contact in the channel . in addition to this chemical bond , there is the physical sealing effect by applying the lid 40 down on top of the pem barrier . if the height of the pem 30 is controlled correctly , the pressure of the applied lid forms a mechanical “ 0 ring ” type of self seal . growing the pem 30 on the substrate 14 eliminates any fine registration issues when combining it with the lid 40 . there are no fine details on the lid that require targeting . turning now to fig4 , there is shown in simplified perspective an alternate embodiment of a pem barrier involving a casting / injecting process and structure . using mems machining methods three channels 60 a , 60 b and 60 c are etched into a semiconductor substrate 140 . the outside two channels 60 a and 60 c are separated from the middle channel 60 b by thin walls 70 a , 70 b . these walls have a plurality of thin slits s 1 - - - s n etched into them . the resultant tines t 1 - t n + 1 have a catalyst 280 deposited on them in the area of the slits . at the bottom of these thin walls 70 a , 70 b , on the side which makes up a wall of an outside channel 60 a , 60 c , a metal electrode 160 a , 160 b is deposited . a catalyst 280 is deposited on the tines after the electrodes 160 are in place . this allows the catalyst to be deposited so as to come into electrical contact and to cover to some degree , the respective electrodes 160 at their base . in addition , metal conductors 90 are deposited to connect to each electrode 160 , which then run up and out of the outside channels . a lid 400 is provided with an adhesive layer 420 which is used to bond the lid to the substrate 140 . in this way , three separate channels are formed in the substrate ; a hydrogen channel 60 a , a reaction channel 60 b , and an oxygen channel 60 c . in addition , the lid 400 has various strategically placed electrolyte injection ports or holes 500 . these holes 500 provide feed pathways that lead to an electrolyte membrane of polymer material ( not shown ) in the reaction channel 60 b only . first , the semiconductor fabrication process is formed including substrate machining and deposition of all electrical circuits . next , the lid 400 is machined and prepared with adhesive 420 . the lid 400 is bonded to the substrate 140 . then , the electrolyte ( not shown ) is injected into the structure . the thin walls 70 a , 70 b of the reaction channel 60 b serve to retain the electrolyte during its casting . the slits s 1 - - - s n allow the hydrogen and oxygen in the respective channels 60 a , 60 b access to the catalyst 280 and pem 300 . coating the tines t 1 - t 1 + n with a catalyst 280 in the area of the slits provides a point of reaction when the h 2 gas enters the slits . when the electrolyte is poured / injected into the reaction channel 60 b , it fills it up completely . the surface tension of the liquid electrolyte keeps it from pushing through the slits and into the gas channels , which would otherwise fill up as well . because there is some amount of pressure behind the application of the electrolyte , there will be a ballooning effect of the electrolyte &# 39 ; s surface as the pressure pushes it into the slits . this will cause the electrolyte to be in contact with the catalyst 280 which coats the sides of the slits s 1 - - - s n . once this contact is formed and the membrane ( electrolyte ) is hydrated , it will expand even further , ensuring good contact with the catalyst . the h 2 / o 2 gases are capable of diffusing into the ( very thin , i . e . 5 microns ) membrane , in the area of the catalyst . because it can be so thin it will produce a more efficient i . e . less resistance ( i2r ) losses are low . this then puts the three components of the reaction in contact with each other . the electrodes 160 a and 160 b in electrical contact with the catalyst 280 is the fourth component and provides a path for the free electrons , through an external load ( not shown ), while the hydrogen ions pass through the electrolyte membrane to complete the reaction on the other side . referring now to the cross - sectional views of fig5 - 7 , various alternative configurations of the pem structure 30 of the invention will be described in detail . in fig5 , the central pem structure 20 is formed as a continuous nonconductive vertical element , and the electrode / catalyst 16 / 28 is a non - continuous element to which lead wires 90 are attached . fig6 is a view of an alternative pem structure in which the catalyst 28 is embedded in the non - conductive core 20 and the electrodes 16 are formed laterally adjacent the catalyst . lastly , in fig7 , the pem structure is similar to fig5 but the center core 201 is discontinuous . fig8 is a schematic block diagram showing some of the possible circuits that may be integrated along with a microcontroller onto the semiconductor wafer 10 to monitor and control multiple cells performance . several sensor circuits 80 , 82 , 84 and 86 are provided to perform certain functions . temperature circuit 80 provides the input to allow the micro processor 88 to define a thermal profile of the fuel cell 12 . voltage circuit 82 monitors the voltage at various levels of the configuration hierarchy or group of cells . this provides information regarding changes in the load . with this information , the processor 88 can adjust the system configuration to achieve / maintain the required performance . current circuit 84 performs a function similar to the voltage monitoring circuit 82 noted above . pressure circuit 86 monitors the pressure in the internal gas passages 50 a , 50 b . since the system &# 39 ; s performance is affected by this pressure , the microprocessor 88 can make adjustments to keep the system running at optimum performance based on these readings . an undefined circuit 81 is made available to provide a few spare inputs for the microprocessor 88 in anticipation of future functions . in addition , configuration circuit 94 can be used to control at least the v * i switches to be described in connection with fig9 . the output voltage and current capability is defined by the configuration of these switches . local circuitry 92 is provided as necessary to be dynamically programmed , such as the parameters of the monitoring circuits . these outputs can be used to effect that change . local subsystems 94 are used by the microprocessor 98 to control gas flow rate , defect isolation , and product removal . a local power circuit 96 is used to tap off some part of the electricity generated by the fuel cell 12 to power the onboard electronics . this power supply circuit 96 will have its own regulation and conditioning circuits . a two - wire communications i / f device 98 may be integrated onto the chip to provide the electrical interface between communicating devices and a power bus ( not shown ) that connects them . the microcontroller 8 is the heart of the integrated electronics subsystem . it is responsible for monitoring and controlling all designated system functions . in addition , it handles the communications protocol of any external communications . it is capable of “ in circuit programming ” so that its executive control program can be updated as required . it is capable of data storage and processing and is also capable of self / system diagnostics and security features . referring now to fig9 , further details of the invention are shown . in this embodiment , the individual power cells 12 1 , 12 2 - - - 12 n are formed on a wafer and wired in parallel across power buses 99 a and 99 b using transistor switches 97 which can be controlled from the microprocessor 88 of fig8 . switches 97 b and 97 a are negative and positive bus switches , respectively , whereas switch 97 c is a series switch and switches 97 d and 97 e are respective positive and negative parallel switches , respectively . this allows the individual cells or groups of cells ( power chip 15 ) to be wired in various configurations , i . e ., parallel or series . various voltages are created by wiring the cells in series . the current capacity can also be increased by wiring the cells in parallel . in general , the power profile of the power chip can be dynamically controlled to achieve or maintain a “ programmed ” specification . conversely , the chip can be configured at the time of fabrication to some static profile and , thus , eliminate the need for the power switches . by turning the switches on and off and by changing the polarity of wiring , one can produce both ac and dc power output . to implement a power management subsystem , feedback from the power generation process is required . circuitry can be formed directly on the chip to constantly measure the efficiencies of the processes . this feedback can be used to modify the control of the system in a closed loop fashion . this permits a maximum level of system efficiency to be dynamically maintained . some of these circuits are discussed next . the quality of the power generation process will vary as the demands on the system change over time . a knowledge of the realtime status of several operational parameters can help make decisions which will enable the system to self - adjust , in order to sustain optimum performance . the boundaries of these parameters are defined by the program . for example , it is possible to measure both the voltage and the current of an individual power cell or group of power cells . the power output can be monitored and , if a cell or group is not performing , it can be removed if necessary . this can be accomplished by the power switches 97 previously described . an average power level can also be maintained while moving the active “ loaded ” area around on the chip . this should give a better overall performance level due to no one area being on 100 % of the time . this duty cycle approach is especially applicable to surge demands . the concept here is to split the power into pieces for better cell utilization characteristics . it is expected that the thermal characteristics of the power chip will vary due to electrical loading and that this heat might have an adverse effect on power generation at the power cell level . adequate temperature sensing and an appropriate response to power cell utilization will minimize the damaging effects of a thermal build up . the lid 40 is the second piece of a two - piece “ power chip ” assembly . it is preferably made of metal to provide a mechanically rigid backing for the fragile semiconductor substrate 14 . this allows for easy handling and provides a stable foundation upon which to build “ power stacks ”, i . e ., a plurality of power chips 15 that are literally stacked on top of each other . the purpose being to build a physical unit with more power . fig1 illustrates how the fuel and oxidant / product channels 50 a ( and 50 b not shown ) may be etched into the surface of the substrate 14 . these troughs are three sided and may be closed and sealed on the top side . the lid 40 and adhesive 42 provides this function of forming a hermetic seal when bonded to the substrate 14 and completes the channels . a matrix of fuel supply and oxidant and product water removal channels is thereby formed at the surface of the substrate . the lid 40 provides a mechanically stable interface on which the input / output ports can be made . these are the gas supply and water removal ports . the design may encompass the size transition from the large outside world to the micrometer sized features on the substrate . this is accomplished by running the micrometer sized channels to a relatively much larger hole h . this larger hole will allow for less registration requirements between the lid and substrate . the large holes in the lid line up with the large holes in the substrate which have micrometer sized channels also machined into the substrate leading from the larger hole to the power cells . each wafer may have its own manifolds . this would require external connections for the fuel supply , oxidant and product removal . the external plumbing may require an automated docking system . fig1 and 12 illustrates one of many ways in which several cells 12 ( in this example three cells side - by - side can be formed on a wafer 14 to form a power chip 15 . power disks can be stacked vertically upon each other to form a vertical column with inlet ports , 50 hi , 50 oi coupled to sources of hydrogen and oxygen , respectively . the vertical column of wafers with power chips formed therein comprise a power stack ( 93 ). fig1 illustrates how stacking of a number of power discs 15 may be used to form power stacks ( 93 ) with appreciable power . the use of the word “ stacking ” is reasonable for it suggests the close proximity of the wafers , allowing for short electrical interconnects and minimal plumbing . in reality , the stacking actually refers to combining the electrical power of the wafers to form a more powerful unit . they need only to be electrically stacked to effect this combination . however , it is desirable to produce the most amount of power in the smallest space and with the highest efficiencies . when considering the shortest electrical interconnect ( power bussing ) alternatives , one should also consider the possibility of using two of the main manifolds as electrical power busses . this can be done by electrically isolating these manifold / electrical power buss segments and using them to convey the power from each wafer to the next . this reduces the big power wiring requirements and permits this function to be done in an automated fashion with the concomitant increased accuracy and reliability . a desirable manifold design would allow for power disc stacking . in this design the actual manifold 95 would be constructed in segments , each segment being an integral part of the lid 40 . as the discs are stacked a manifold ( tube ) is formed . this type of design would greatly reduce the external plumbing requirements . special end caps would complete the manifold at the ends of the power stack . in summary , one of the primary objects of this invention is to be able to mass produce a power chip 15 comprised of a wafer 10 containing multiple power cells 12 on each chip 15 utilizing quasi standard semiconductor processing methods . this process inherently supports very small features . these features ( power cells ), in turn , are expected to create very small amounts of power per cell . each cell will be designed to have the maximum power the material can support . to achieve any real substantially power , many millions will be fabricated on a single power chip 15 and many power chips fabricated on a “ power disc ” ( semiconductor wafer 10 ). this is why reasonable power output can be obtained from a single wafer . a 10 um × 10 um power cell would enable one million power cells per square centimeter . the final power cell topology will be determined by the physical properties of the constituent materials and their characteristics . the basic electrochemical reaction of the solid polymer hydrogen fuel cell is most efficient at an operating temperature somewhere between 80 to 100 ° c . this is within the operating range of a common semiconductor substrate like silicon . however , if the wafers are stacked additional heatsinking may be required . since a cover is needed anyway , making the lid 40 into a heatsink for added margin makes sense . the fuel and oxidant / product channels are etched into the surface of the semiconductor substrate . these troughs are three - sided and may be closed and sealed on the top side . the lid 40 provides this function . it is coated with an adhesive to form a hermetic seal when bonded to the semiconductor substrate and completes the channels . this forms a matrix of fuel supply and oxidant and product water removal channels at the surface of the semiconductor substrate . the power cells two primary channels are themselves separated by the pem which is bonded to this same adhesive . thus , removing any fine grain critical alignment requirements . while this invention has been particularly shown and described with references to preferred embodiments thereof , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention encompassed by the appended claims . for example , while silicon because of its well - defined electrical and mechanical properties is the material of choice for the substrate 14 , other semiconductor materials may be substituted , therefore , such as gd , ge , or ill - v compounds such as gaas . alternatively , the substrate for the cell may be formed of an amorphous material such as glass or plastic , or phenolic ; in which case , the controls for the cells can be formed on a separate semiconductor die and electrically coupled to the cells to form a hybrid structure . the interface between the pem &# 39 ; s structure is preferably an assembled monolayer ( sam ) interface formed of gold , however , other metals such as silver or platinum , may be used in place thereof . likewise , although the pem is formed of many molecular chains , it preferably has a base with an affinity for gold so that it will bond to the gold sam feature . again , other pure metals such as platinum and silver may be substituted therefore .

a fuel cell is disclosed which is formed on a semiconductor wafer by etching channel in the wafer and forming electronics on the substrate electronically coupled to the fuel cell that controls generation of power by the fuel cell through electrical communication with the fuel cell . a hydrogen fuel is admitted into one of the divided channels and an oxidant into the other . the hydrogen reacts with a catalyst formed on an anode electrode at the hydrogen side of the channel to release hydrogen ions which are absorbed into the pem . the protons migrate through the pem and recombine with return hydrogen electrons on a cathode electrode on the oxygen side of the pem and the oxygen to form water .

the organic compound consisting a luminescent layer in the electroluminescent device according to the present invention is a compound represented by the formula ( i ): ## str18 ## wherein b represents ## str19 ## ( in which x 1 is h , cl , ch 3 , och 3 , c 2 h 5 or cn , and l is 1 , 2 or 3 ) ## str20 ## ( in which x 2 is h or och 3 , and x 3 is h , ch 3 , ## str21 ## ( in which x 4 is h or ## str22 ## ( in which d is o , s , or n , x 5 is h or cooh , x 6 is h , ch 3 , c 2 h 5 or ## str23 ## and κ is 0 or 1 ) ## str24 ## ( in which x 7 is h or o ) ## str25 ## ( in which x 8 is o or c ( cn ) 2 ) ## str26 ## ( in which x 9 is h or ch 3 ) ## str27 ## ( in which x 10 is o or c ( cn ) 2 ) ## str28 ## ( in which d is o , s or n , i is 0 or 1 ) ## str29 ## ( in which e is o or s ) ## str30 ## ( in which e is o or s ) ## str31 ## ( in which g is s or nh ) ## str32 ## ( in which z represents : ( 1 ) substituted or unsubstituted ( c 4 - c 6 ) cycloalkenes containing at least one double bond in the ring , ( 2 ) ( c 4 - c 6 ) cycloalkenes having an aromatic ring and containing one double bond in the ring , ( 3 ) 5 - or 9 - membered heterocycles containing a double bond and at least one oxygen in the ring , ( 4 ) b 5 - membered heterocycles having an aromatic ring , and containing one oxygen and at least one double bond in the ring , ( 5 ) 6 - or 7 - membered heterocycles having c 4 or c 6 cycloalkene with at least one double , bond and containing two oxygen atoms in the ring , ( 6 ) c 5 , c 6 or c 11 heterocycles containing 1 or 2 sulfur atoms in the ring , ( 7 ) 5 - or 6 - membered heterocycles containing 2 to 4 nitrogen atoms and at least one double bond in the ring , ( 8 ) 5 -, 6 - or 8 - membered heterocycles having an aromatic ring , and containing at least one double bond and 1 or 2 nitrogen atoms in the ring , ( 9 ) 5 - or 6 - membered heterocycles containing 1 or 2 nitrogen atoms and , optionally , oxygen atom in the ring ; ar represents ## str33 ## m represents an integer of 1 to 6 ; and n represents an integer of 1 to 6 . as the specific compounds represented by the general formula ( i ), there can be exemplified compounds nos . 1 - 174 . the compound belonging to group 1 includes nos . 8 - 11 and 14 - 20 . the compound belonging to group 2 includes nos . 13 and 25 - 37 , the compound belonging to group 8 includes nos . 68 and 69 , the compound belonging to group 10 includes nos . 22 , 70 - 75 , 96 - 99 and 111 - 118 , the compound belonging to group 11 includes nos . 85 , 86 , 91 and 92 , the compound belonging to group 13 includes nos . 23 , 24 and 126 - 136 , the compound belonging to group 16 includes nos . 150 - 156 and 158 , the compound belonging to group 23 includes nos . 76 , 80 , 100 and 125 , the compound belonging to group 25 includes nos . 83 and 102 , the compound belonging to group 26 includes nos . 104 and 142 , the compound belonging to group 27 includes nos . 106 and 108 - 110 , in the substituent b of the formula ( i ), compounds belonging to groups 1 to 9 , 13 to 19 , 21 , 23 , 24 , 29 - 1 and 29 - 2 , more preferably groups 1 to 9 , 23 , 24 , 29 - 1 and 29 - 2 , most preferably groups 1 and 6 , are preferred . __________________________________________________________________________compound no . structural formula__________________________________________________________________________ ## str34 ## 2 ## str35 ## 3 ## str36 ## 4 ## str37 ## 5 ## str38 ## 6 ## str39 ## 7 ## str40 ## 8 ## str41 ## 9 ## str42 ## 10 ## str43 ## 11 ## str44 ## 12 ## str45 ## 13 ## str46 ## 14 ## str47 ## 15 ## str48 ## 16 ## str49 ## 17 ## str50 ## 18 ## str51 ## 19 ## str52 ## 20 ## str53 ## 21 ## str54 ## 22 ## str55 ## 23 ## str56 ## 24 ## str57 ## 25 ## str58 ## 26 ## str59 ## 27 ## str60 ## 28 ## str61 ## 29 ## str62 ## 30 ## str63 ## 31 ## str64 ## 32 ## str65 ## 33 ## str66 ## 34 ## str67 ## 35 ## str68 ## 36 ## str69 ## 37 ## str70 ## 38 ## str71 ## 39 ## str72 ## 40 ## str73 ## 41 ## str74 ## 42 ## str75 ## 43 ## str76 ## 44 ## str77 ## 45 ## str78 ## 46 ## str79 ## __________________________________________________________________________47 ## str80 ## 48 ## str81 ## 49 ## str82 ## 50 ## str83 ## 51 ## str84 ## 52 ## str85 ## 53 ## str86 ## 54 ## str87 ## 55 ## str88 ## 56 ## str89 ## 57 ## str90 ## 58 ## str91 ## 59 ## str92 ## 60 ## str93 ## 61 ## str94 ## 62 ## str95 ## 63 ## str96 ## 64 ## str97 ## 65 ## str98 ## 66 ## str99 ## 67 ## str100 ## 68 ## str101 ## 69 ## str102 ## 70 ## str103 ## 71 ## str104 ## 72 ## str105 ## 73 ## str106 ## 74 ## str107 ## 75 ## str108 ## 76 ## str109 ## 77 ## str110 ## 78 ## str111 ## 79 ## str112 ## 80 ## str113 ## 81 ## str114 ## 82 ## str115 ## 83 ## str116 ## 84 ## str117 ## 85 ## str118 ## 86 ## str119 ## 87 ## str120 ## 88 ## str121 ## 89 ## str122 ## 90 ## str123 ## 91 ## str124 ## 92 ## str125 ## 93 ## str126 ## 94 ## str127 ## 95 ## str128 ## 96 ## str129 ## 97 ## str130 ## 98 ## str131 ## 99 ## str132 ## 100 ## str133 ## 101 ## str134 ## 102 ## str135 ## 103 ## str136 ## 104 ## str137 ## 105 ## str138 ## 106 ## str139 ## 107 ## str140 ## 108 ## str141 ## 109 ## str142 ## 110 ## str143 ## __________________________________________________________________________111 ## str144 ## 112 ## str145 ## 113 ## str146 ## 114 ## str147 ## 115 ## str148 ## 116 ## str149 ## 117 ## str150 ## 118 ## str151 ## 119 ## str152 ## 120 ## str153 ## 121 ## str154 ## 122 ## str155 ## 123 ## str156 ## 124 ## str157 ## 125 ## str158 ## 126 ## str159 ## 127 ## str160 ## 128 ## str161 ## 129 ## str162 ## 130 ## str163 ## 131 ## str164 ## 132 ## str165 ## 133 ## str166 ## 134 ## str167 ## 135 ## str168 ## 136 ## str169 ## 137 ## str170 ## 138 ## str171 ## 139 ## str172 ## 140 ## str173 ## 141 ## str174 ## 142 ## str175 ## 143 ## str176 ## 144 ## str177 ## 145 ## str178 ## 146 ## str179 ## 147 ## str180 ## 148 ## str181 ## 149 ## str182 ## 150 ## str183 ## 151 ## str184 ## 152 ## str185 ## 153 ## str186 ## 154 ## str187 ## 155 ## str188 ## 156 ## str189 ## 157 ## str190 ## 158 ## str191 ## 159 ## str192 ## 160 ## str193 ## 161 ## str194 ## 162 ## str195 ## 163 ## str196 ## 164 ## str197 ## 165 ## str198 ## 166 ## str199 ## 167 ## str200 ## 168 ## str201 ## 169 ## str202 ## 170 ## str203 ## 171 ## str204 ## 172 ## str205 ## 173 ## str206 ## 174 ## str207 ## __________________________________________________________________________ the layer constituting the luminescence ( light emission ) of the electroluminescent device according to the present invention comprises at least one of the ingredients represented by the formula ( i ) and , if necessary , may also contain at least one known luminescent material for the stabilization of film crystallization . the layer constituting the luminescence of the electroluminescent device according to the present invention means a luminescent layer , or light - emitting electron transporting layer and hole transporting layer . the thickness of the layer constituting the luminescence of the present invention is not more than 2 μm , preferably , from 0 . 05 to 0 . 5 μm . for improving the charge injection efficiency from the electrode , a conventional charge injecting and transporting layer can be independently disposed between an anode and a cathode . as the charge injecting and transporting layer , there cen be exemplified a hole transporting layer for properly transporting holes to the cathode when the holes are injected and an electron transporting layer for properly transporting electrons to the anode . as the electroluminescent device according to the present invention , for example , the electroluminescent device having at least one conventional hole transporting layer , at least one conventional electron transporting layer , or at least one conventional hole transporting layer and at least one conventional electron transporting layer other than the luminescent layer of the present invention may be exemplified . as the electron transporting substance constituting the conventional electron transporting layer in the present invention , those compounds as disclosed in u . s . pat . nos . 4720432 and 4539507 can be used . as preferred conventional electron transporting substance , there can be mentioned aluminum trisoxine , perylene tetracarboxylic acid derivatives . the thickness of the electron transporting layer of the present invention is not more than 2000 å . as the hole transporting substance constituting the conventional hole transporting layer in the present invention , those compounds as disclosed in u . s . pat . nos . 4539507 and 4 , 720 , 432 can be used . as preferred conventional hole transporting compounds , there can be mentioned those having a hole mobility coefficient of at least 10 - 5 cm 2 / v - sec between electrodes applied with an electric field of 10 4 - 10 6 v / cm , for example , aromatic amine compound : n , n &# 39 ;- diphenyl - n , n &# 39 ;- bis ( 3 - methylphenyl )- 1 , 1 &# 39 ;- biphenyl 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- diamine . the thickness of the hole transporting layer in the present invention is not more than 2000 å . the anode , in the present invention comprises metal of great work function , alloys or compounds thereof , electroconductive polymers of great work function , etc . as specific examples , there can be mentioned nickel , gold , platinum and palladium and alloys thereof , tin oxide ( sno 2 ), indium - tin oxide ( ito ), copper iodide , poly ( 3 - methylthiophene ), polypyrrole , etc . the thickness of the anode of the present invention is from 100 to 5000 å , preferably , 200 to 2000 å . for the cathode in the present invention , metals of small work function may be used . for example , silver , tin , lead , magnesium , manganese and aluminum or alloys thereof may be used . the thickness of the cathode of the present invention is not less than 500 å . it is preferable that at least one of substances used for the anode and the cathode has a sufficient transparency in the region of a luminous wavelength ( light emitting wavelength ) of the device . specifically , it is preferable that the substance has a light transmittance of not lower than 80 %. the electroluminescent device according to the present invention is manufactured by successively laminating the respective layers described above on a transparent substrate such as glass in accordance with a customary method . for instance , the luminescent layer ( organic compound layer ) in the present invention is prepared by forming the foregoing compounds into thin films by means of vacuum vapor deposition , solution coating , etc . for the improvement of the stability , particularly , for the protection against moisture in air of the device , there may be mentioned a method of laminating a protecting layer , or a method of placing the entire device into a cell and sealing silicon oil , etc . therein . in a case where the compound used has hole transporting property , electron transporting property and luminescent property by itself , or compounds having respective property are used in admixture , a constitution as shown in fig1 ( 1 : luminescent layer , 2 : cathode , 3 : anode and 4 : substrate ) can be taken . fig2 ( 1 : luminescent layer , 2 : cathode , 3 : anode , 4 : substrate , 5 : electron transporting compound layer and 6 : hole transporting compound layer ) shows a constitution in which a luminescent layer 1 is formed by the combination of a hole transporting compound layer 6 and an electron transporting compound layer 5 . preferred properties of organic compounds are combined in this constitution , intended for the development of a device of excellent luminescence property in which holes or electrons can be transported smoothly from the electrode by the combination of layers of excellent hole transporting compound and / or electron transporting compound . either one of the compound layers emits light depending on the combination of the compound layers . fig3 ( 1 : luminescent layer , 1 &# 39 ;: luminescent compound layer , 2 : cathode , 3 : anode , 4 : substrate , 5 : electron transporting compound layer and 6 : hole transporting compound layer ) shows a structure in which a luminescent layer 1 is formed by the combination of a hole transporting compound layer 6 , a luminescent compound layer 1 &# 39 ; and an electron transporting compound layer 5 , which is based on an improvement for the concept of the function separation described above . by the function separation the selection for the compounds facilitates while taking notice of the hole transporting , electron transporting and luminescent properties , and as a result a wide range of compounds can be used and the versatility of the wavelength of luminescence is increased . any of the organic compounds according to the present invention is excellent in luminescent property and can be constituted , as occasion demand , as shown in fig1 and 3 . further , the compound represented by the formula ( i ) according to the present invention is excellent in the hole transporting property or the electron transporting property depending on b , ar in the formula ( i ). accordingly , two or more kinds of compounds according to the present invention may be used in the constitution as shown in fig2 and 3 . the electroluminescent device according to the present invention emits light under the application of an electric bias to the luminescent layer , but even slight pinholes , if any , will cause short circuit making the device to function no more . accordingly , it is desired to use a compound of excellent film - forming property for constituting the luminescent layer and , if necessary , the luminescent layer may be formed in combination with a compound of good film - forming property , for example , a polymer binder . as the polymer binder usable herein , there can be exemplified polystyrene , polyvinyl toluene , poly - n - vinyl carbazole , polymethyl methacrylate , polymethyl acrylate , polyester , polycarbonate and polyimide . in the electroluminescent device according to the present invention , since the compound represented by the formula ( i ) is used as the material for constituting the luminescent layer , light - emission at high luminance can be obtained for a long period even with a low driving voltage . the electroluminescent devices according to the present invention emits light of various tones by using the compounds according to the present invention . further , since in the present invention the devices can easily be prepared by means of vacuum vapor deposition , etc . there is provided a merit that inexpensive devices of large area can be produced efficiently . the present invention will be more precisely explained while referring to examples as follows . however , the present invention is not restricted to examples under mentioned . from the foregoing description , one skilled in the art can easily asserting the essential characteristics of the present invention , and without departing from the spirit and scope thereof , can make various changes and modifications of the invention to adapt it to various usages and conditions . a device was manufactured by forming an anode sized 3 mm × 3 mm , 500 å in thickness comprising indium tin oxide ( ito ) on a glass substrate , and forming , thereover , a hole transporting layer of 500 å in thickness comprising a benzidine derivative represented by the following formula ( a ), a luminescent layer of 1000 å in thickness comprising the compound no . 8 described above and an anode of 1500 å in thickness comprising silver - magnesium alloy ( silver : 7 . 7 atm %, and purity : 99 . 9 %) respectively by means of vacuum vapor deposition . the vacuum degree was about 1 × 10 - 6 torr and the substrate temperature was at a room temperature upon vapor deposition . a dc power source was connected by way of lead wires to the anode and the cathode of the thus manufactured device and , when 30 v of voltage was applied , a current density of 70 ma / cm 2 flowed to the device and clear blue luminescence was confirmed for a long period . ## str208 ## in this example , the compound ( no . 8 ) according to the present invention functioned as electron transporting and luminescent material . devices were manufactured in the same manner as in example 1 except for using the compounds shown below instead of the compound no . 8 used in example 1 . the results thereof are set forth below . ______________________________________example no . compound no . tone of emitted light______________________________________2 no . 162 blue3 no . 77 blue4 no . 63 yellow5 no . 62 yellow______________________________________ a device was manufactured in the same manner as in example 1 except for using the compound no . 9 as the ingredient for forming the luminescent layer and the perylene derivative represented by the following formula ( b ) as the ingredient for forming the electron transporting layer . the film thickness of the electron transporting layer was 500 å . when the device was driven in the same manner as in example 1 , a current of 30 ma / cm 2 flowed to the device under a voltage of 20 v , and clear blue luminescence was observed for long period . ## str209 ## in this example , the compound ( no . 9 ) according to the present invention functioned as hole transporting and luminescent material . devices were manufactured in the same manner as in example 6 except for using the compounds shown below instead of the compound no . 9 used in example 6 . the results thereof are set forth below . ______________________________________example no . compound no . tone of emitted light______________________________________7 no . 10 blue8 no . 11 blue9 no . 44 orange10 no . 65 blue______________________________________ using the substrate having an anode as in example 1 , a luminescent layer of 1000 å in thickness comprising the compound no . 9 and a silver - magnesium alloy layer of 1500 å in thickness as the cathode were respectively formed on the anode under the same conditions as described above by means of vacuum vapor deposition . when the device was driven in the same manner as in example 1 , a current of 20 ma / cm 2 flowed to the device at a voltage of 20 v , and clear blue luminescence was observed for long period . in this example , the compound ( no . 8 ) according to the present invention functioned as a luminescent layer . a device was manufactured in the same manner as in example 11 except for using the compound no . 119 instead of the compound no . 9 used in example 11 . the result thereof is set forth below . a device was manufactured by using the substrate having an anode as in example 1 and then vapor - depositing under vacuum , on the anode , a hole transporting layer of 600 å in thickness comprising a triphenylamine derivative represented by the following formula ( c ), a luminescent layer of 600 å in thickness comprising the compound no . 120 , an electron transporting layer of 600 å in thickness comprising perylene derivative represented by the formula ( b ) and a silver - magnesium alloy as the cathode were successively formed under the same conditions as those in example 1 . when the device was driven in the same manner as in example 1 , a current of 20 ma / cm 2 flowed to the device at a voltage of 30 v and blue luminescence was observed for a long period . ## str210 ## devices were manufactured in the same manner as in example 13 except for using the compounds shown below instead of the compound no . 120 used in example 13 . the results thereof are set forth below . ______________________________________example no . compound no . tone of emitted light______________________________________14 no . 159 blue15 no . 57 blue______________________________________

disclosed herein an electroluminescent device for converting an energy of an electric field applied directly to a light energy and capable of producing surface luminescent for a large area different from conventional incandescent lamps , fluorescent lamps or light emitting diodes .

the dynamic power management device implements a dynamic power management strategy having several different elements in order to achieve significant power savings . dynamic power management is applied not only to solid state memories but also to the dynamic power management device itself . the basic element of the power conservation strategy is to essentially turn off all functions not required at any particular time . the dynamic power management device may be used in conjunction with non - volatile semiconductor memories , for example , in which case power to the memories may be substantially or completely turned off except during access . the dynamic power management device may be used to greatest advantage in conjunction with drams , however , because of the requirement of drams for a continuous supply of power . when used in conjunction with drams , the dynamic power management device supplies power to the memory sufficient to maintain memory information during periods of no data access activity and sufficient to exchange memory information with the memory during periods of data access activity . hence , during periods of no data access activity , a minimal voltage is supplied to memory . during periods of data access activity , a greater operational voltage is supplied to memory . during transitional periods from non - activity to activity , the voltage is ramped up and then ramped back down . for drams , data access activity includes both memory refresh and memory access . furthermore , inputs to memory chips are &# 34 ; driven softly &# 34 ; to conserve power . for capacitive loads , the power consumed is proportional to the time rate of change of voltage , dv / dt . the time rate of change of voltage is also referred to as the slew rate . the dynamic power management device uses slew rate controllers , driver circuits designed to have voltage rise and fall times prolonged in comparison to those of usual driver circuits , in order to reduce the slew rate and hence power consumption . furthermore , address inputs are encoded using gray code such that only one address input changes at a time . finally , in order to minimize the power consumed by multiple chips , data is stored into and read out of the chips serially with tens or even hundreds of consecutive bytes being stored on a single chip , such that only one chip needs to be active at any given time , thus reducing power consumption . referring now to fig1 the dynamic power management device 10 may be interposed between a host device provided with an intelligent interface , such as an at / ide , esdi or scsi interface , and the solid state memory 13 . intelligent interfaces such as the ide , esdi and scsi interfaces are typically attached between a host computer and a rotating memory device . the host merely requests blocks of data information in 512 - byte increments . the data is then intelligently managed between the rotating memory device and the host system . an error recovery system causes operations resulting in errors to be retried . in this manner , the intelligent interface provides a data path from the mass storage device to the host system without apparent data failure . the power management device may be used in a solid state disk that in comparison to conventional hard disks offers greatly improved performance but looks to the computer exactly like a conventional hard disk . as seen in fig1 the dynamic power management device 10 provides all of the data , address and control inputs for the solid state memory 13 . the dynamic power management device also provides an operating voltage vcc to the solid state memory 13 . the voltage vcc is dynamically varied , or &# 34 ; cycled &# 34 ; according to different modes of operation of the solid state memory 13 . the data output of the solid state memory 13 is received by the dynamic power management device 10 . preferably , the power management device 10 is realized predominantly as a single integrated circuit . in fig1 blocks to the left of the dashed vertical line are preferably realized on a single chip . the slew rates of all of the digital inputs to the solid state memory 13 are minimized using slew rate controllers 15 , 17 and 19 to conserve power . as previously mentioned , the slew rate controllers may be input drivers designed to have prolonged rise times and fall times in comparison to conventional input drivers . further power conservation is achieved by gray coding address inputs to the solid state memory 13 . a binary address generator 21 generates binary addresses in response to a request from the host or in response to a refresh timer block 23 . the refresh timer block 23 implements two different refresh timers , one for regular refresh and one for extended refresh , to take advantage of the extended refresh capabilities of some solid state memories . extended refresh is much slower , typically ten times slower , than conventional refresh and therefore consumes less power . binary addresses generated by the address generator 21 are gray coded by an encoder 25 before being input to the slew rate controller 17 and to the solid state memory 13 . power to the solid state memory is controlled using pulse width modulation ( pwm ) by a pwm rate controller 27 . power is supplied by either a main battery bat1 or a backup battery bat2 selected between by a power director 29 . voltages from the main and backup batteries , a select signal from the power director 29 and a pulse width modulation signal from the pwm rate controller 27 are all input to an external low pass filter 31 . in an exemplary embodiment , the low pass filter 31 may be a conventional rlc filter and may additionally include a selection circuit and a fet power driver . the selection circuit selects either the main battery , the backup battery , or possibly some other power source to supply power to the fet power driver . the pulse width modulation signal from the pwm rate controller 27 is filtered in the low pass filter and input to the fet power driver , which produces the voltage vcc . the voltage vcc is used to power the solid state memory 13 and is also input to the power director 29 . closed - loop power monitoring is performed by the power director 29 , an a / d converter 33 and a power feedback block 35 under the control of a timing sequencer and arbitor 37 . the power director 29 receives voltages from each of the power sources in addition to the controlled voltage vcc . preferably the power director 29 also produces an internal reference voltage for calibration purposes . the foregoing voltages are input to an analog multiplexer or other analog switch and are selected in turn by the timing sequencer and arbitor 37 to be sampled using the a / d converter 33 . the digital representation of the selected voltage is input to the power feedback block 35 , which compares the voltage value with a voltage value required by the solid state memory 13 in a particular mode of operation . the power feedback block 35 notifies the timing sequencer and arbitor 37 whether or not the selected voltage is sufficient for the desired operation . if not , the pulse width duty cycle may be increased or another source may be selected . closed - loop monitoring ensures that an adequate voltage is applied to the solid state memory 13 . the timing sequencer and arbitor generates all the necessary control signals for the solid state memory 13 including ras , cas and we signals . when power is insufficient , the control signals that initiate an operation are delayed until adequate power has been confirmed . the timing sequencer and arbitor 37 also arbitrates between memory access by the host and memory refresh . data is input to and output from the solid state memory 13 across a data path including an error correction block 39 and a serializer / deserializer 41 . error detection and correction is performed using a well - known polynomial cyclic redundancy code ( crc ). incoming data is therefore error correction coded , serialized in the serializer / deserializer 41 and input to the solid state memory 13 through the slew rate controller 17 . data output from the solid state memory 13 are deserialized in the serializer / deserializer 41 and input to the error correction block 39 for error detection and correction . error - free data is then transferred to the host on a parallel data bus 43 . data path control is provided by a dma controller 45 in cooperation with a data sequencer 47 connected to the timing sequencer and arbitor 37 . the dma controller 45 performs data transfer handshaking with the host . the dma controller 45 is also provided with byte count registers to keep track of the number of data bytes remaining to be transferred . the data sequencer 47 signals the dma controller 45 when a data byte is ready to be transferred , whereupon the dma controller 45 issues a dma request ( drq ) to the host . upon acknowledgement of the request from the host by means of a dma acknowledge signal ( dack ), the byte is transferred on the parallel data bus 43 . when all bytes have been transferred , the dma controller 45 raises a transfer done signal , signaling the host that the requested number of data bytes , for example 512 , have been transferred . the data sequencer 47 controls all timing internal to the dynamic power management device 10 . the data sequencer 47 therefore controls conversion of data between serial and parallel . the data sequencer also controls operation of the error correction block , 39 supervises direct memory access , and times out the memory control signals ras , cas and we . the dynamic power management device is also provided with a daisy chain controller 49 allowing multiple dynamic power management devices each associated with one or more solid state memories to be connected together to realize a single high - capacity solid - state memory . the daisy chain controller 49 is provided with a serial input si and a serial output signal so for communication with a daisy chain controller in another dynamic power management device . when data is required to be read from or written to a solid state memory associated with a dynamic power management device ( slave ) other than the dynamic power management device in communication with the host ( master ), the data sequencer 47 causes a command to be daisy chained to the appropriate dynamic power management device . data provided from another power management device is transferred in serial form from the daisy chain controller 49 to the serializer / deserializer 41 where it is converted to parallel form for transfer to the host . data from the host to be provided to another dynamic power management device is serialized in the serializer / deserializer 41 and transferred to the daisy chain controller 49 to be passed down the chain to the appropriate dynamic power management device . operation of the dynamic power management device 10 to cycle power to the solid state memory 13 in accordance with different modes of operation of the solid state memory may be appreciated from fig2 a - 2d . during a standby period of operation shown in fig2 b , the operational voltage supplied to the solid state memory 13 , shown in fig2 a , cycles between approximately 1 . 5 volts and 2 volts . during this period , the pulse width modulation signal is set to a minimum duty cycle sufficient to maintain data in the solid state memory 13 . with each pulse , the voltage rises to approximately 2 volts ; between pulses , the low pass filter 31 causes the voltage to be sustained at about 1 . 5 volts . in preparation for a refresh cycle during a prepare refresh period shown in fig2 b , the duty cycle of the pulse width modulation signal is increased , causing the voltage to ramp up from about 1 . 5 volts to about 3 volts . when the voltage has reached about 3 volts , sufficient to perform a refresh operation , the power feedback block 35 of fig1 signals the timing sequence and arbiter 37 that it may proceed with a ras cycle , initiating refresh . during a refresh period shown in fig2 b , the ras signal generated by the timing sequencer and arbiter 37 drops low from a nominal value of about 2 . 7 volts . current flow increases correspondingly from a quiescent current of about 100 microamps to about 1000 microamps . when refresh has been completed , the ras signal is again raised , causing the current to drop to the quiescent level . the voltage supplied to the solid state memory is thereafter ramped down during a prepare standby period , after which the dynamic power management device 10 resumes standby operation . referring now to fig3 expansion of the solid state memory from a single solid state memory device to any number of solid state memory devices may be achieved in two different ways . using the daisy chain capability described in relation to fig1 multiple dynamic power modules may be daisy chained together , each constituting a memory node . in addition , the dynamic power module may be modified to provide multiple ports , and a string of multiple memory devices may be connected to each port . in fig3 four ports are provided and four memory devices are connected to each port such that a total of 16 memory devices are controlled by each dynamic power module . connection of the memory devices to the dynamic power modules has been illustrated in simplified form . each of the illustrated busses in practice includes data , address and control signals as well as an analog power bus . the voltage across one of the strings of four memory devices during operation of the dynamic power modules is shown in fig4 . during refresh , the voltage rises to about 3 . 3 volts . in between refresh intervals , the voltage pulsates between about 1 . 5 and 2 . 5 volts . the corresponding plot of power consumption is shown in fig5 . in between refresh intervals , power consumption remains well below 2 milliwatts . slight power &# 34 ; bumps &# 34 ; occur at approximately 1 microsecond intervals , corresponding to the pulse width modulation rate . during refresh , power consumption spikes up sharply to about 13 milliwatts for a period of time on the order of 100 nanoseconds . power consumption then subsides and resumes the previous pattern . a corresponding plot of total battery power consumed over time is shown in fig6 . the amount of power consumed increases at a rate of about 3 milliwatts per microsecond up until refresh , at which time a step increase in power consumption of about 20 milliwatts occurs , followed again by power consumption at the 3 milliwatt per microsecond rate . fig7 shows the expected life of a 15 milliamp - hour hot standby battery powering 8 drams as a function of time as power is cycled to the drams . during standby , expected battery life varies from a maximum of just less than 60 days to a minimum of slightly more than 20 days . during access , expected battery life drops precipitously to just several days . on the average , using dynamic power management , the battery may be expected to last more than 30 days , ample time under any normal circumstance . when coupled with the dynamic power management device of the present invention , drams therefore provide a high - performance , high - reliability and cost - competitive alternative to small form factor hard disk assemblies . the dynamic power management device , besides dynamically managing power consumption of the solid state memory , may also be designed to dynamically manage its own power consumption . typically , the solid - state memory is accessed only about 10 % of the time and operates in refresh and standby modes 90 % of the time . the dynamic power management device may therefore sleep 90 % of the time during refresh and standby modes . during refresh mode , only a simple counter is required to remain running to preserve refresh activity . the dynamic power management device wakes up upon access by the host . the dynamic power management device sleeps by : turning off all unnecessary logic ; stopping all unnecessary clocking ; reducing the clock frequency by a factor of 10 ; shutting off all unnecessary driver transistors to the outside world ; waking up when accessed by an external interface request ; and automatically readjusting clocks and active circuits . by managing its own power consumption in addition to the power consumption of memory , the dynamic power management device minimizes overall power consumption . the foregoing has described the principles , preferred embodiments and modes of operation of the present invention . however , the invention should not be construed as limited to the particular embodiments discussed . instead , the above - described embodiments should be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive , and it should be appreciated that variations may be made in those embodiments by workers skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention as defined by the following claims .

a dynamic power management device for supplying power to a solid state memory integrated circuit includes power control circuitry for supplying a variable voltage to the memory integrated circuit and logic control circuitry responsive to data access activity for generating address and control signals for the memory integrated circuit and for controlling the power control circuitry to supply power to the memory integrated circuit sufficient to maintain memory information in the memory integrated circuit during periods of no data access activity and sufficient to exchange memory information with the memory integrated circuit during periods of data access activity . power consumption of the memory integrated circuit is thereby curtailed .

referring now to fig1 a trap case 1 is located at an appropriate position in an exhaust flow conduit 2 , in which exhaust gas of a diesel engine flows in the direction shown by the arrows . the trap case 1 may be , however , located at the downstream area of or near to a collecting portion of an exhaust manifold ( not shown ). the trap case 1 may also be formed integrally with the exhaust manifold by a means such as molding . in the trap case 1 , a trap material or filter element 3 and an electric heater 5 are provided . any suitable ceramic foam known in the art or other similar ceramic materials can be used as the filter material 3 . in other words , the filter material 3 is a three - dimensional mesh structure through which exhaust gas can be freely passed , and the exhaust particles contained in the exhaust gas can be trapped or caught in the mesh structure . at the upstream side of the filter material 3 , the electric heater 5 is supported by a spacer supporting means 10 so that it is spaced from the front or upstream face of the filter material 3 by a small gap g , as can be seen in detail in fig3 . in order to reduce the consumption of electricity , it is advantageous to arrange the heater 5 so that the gap g is as small as possible , provided that the heater 5 does not come into contact with the filter material 3 when the engine vibrates . as is shown in fig2 the electric heater 5 comprises a plurality of , e . g ., six heater elements or wires 8a to 8f which are arranged along coaxial circles . this arrangement of heater elements is only an example , and various other shapes and arrangements are possible . in fig2 the heater 5 or heater elements 8a to 8f are supported by a circular - shaped supporting insulator or ceramic member 11 mounted by its peripheral portion on a flange 1a of the trap case 1 by means of a plurality of bolts 18 . the supporting insulator 11 has six arms 13 extending radially from the center thereof and arranged at equidistant angles . each heater element 8a to 8f is supported between a radial arm 13 of the insulator member 11 and a gap spacer member 17 . various embodiments of spacer supporting means for rigidly securing the heater 5 to keep the gap g spaced from the front or upstream end face of the filter material 3 will now be described in detail with reference to fig4 through 11 , each showing portions of the radial arm 13 and the gap spacer member 17 . in the embodiment shown in fig4 and 5 , the arm 13 has a plurality of transverse grooves 19 , the number of which corresponds to the number of heater wires passing therethrough . after the heater wires are placed in the respective grooves 19 of the arm 13 , the ceramic spacer cap insulator 17 also having a plurality of grooves 21 corresponding to the arm grooves 19 is fixedly attached to the arm 13 by means of an adhesive , such as a heatproof inorganic adhesive or other commercially available adhesives so that the heater wires are secured in the holes defined between the respective grooves 19 and 21 . as can be seen in fig5 the thickness t of the spacer cap member 17 at the grooves 21 provides a gap g between the filter member 3 and the heater 5 . fig6 and 7 illustrate a second embodiment of supporting means , in which the supporting insulator or arm 23 also has a plurality of transverse grooves 25 which are , however , deeper than the grooves 19 of the arm 13 of the first embodiment shown in fig4 and 5 . the arm 23 also has a longitudinal recess 27 formed over all of the transverse grooves and perpendicular thereto . after the heater wires are placed in the respective grooves 25 of the arm 23 , a supporting rod 29 is fixedly attached to the arm along the longitudinal recess 27 by means of a suitable adhesive , such as the one mentioned above . the supporting rod 29 may advantageously consist of a heatproof stainless steel rod 29a and a ceramic or insulator tube 29b into which the rod 29a is inserted . it should be noted that such a supporting rod 29 is more advantageous than a rod consisting of ceramic material only in regard to strength or durability in the case of shock or vibration . it is sufficient if the ceramic tube 29b exists only in the wire - bearing area of the supporting arm 23 . in this embodiment , the diameter d of the supporting rod 29 provides the small gap g , as is illustrated in fig7 . fig8 illustrates a third embodiment of supporting means , in which the supporting insulator or arm 31 has a plurality of dovetail grooves 33 into which insert members 35 , made of suitable material , such as alumina ceramic or heatproof stainless steel , and having corresponding dovetail shapes , are fitted . each insert member 35 is formed with a groove 39 for the heater wire 8a . in this embodiment , each insert member 35 can be fixedly inserted into each groove 33 by the dovetail engagement , and , therefore , any other fixing means such as an adhesive can be omitted . however , in order to reliably secure the insert member 35 to the groove 33 , it is advantageous to use any suitable adhesive , such as a nonorganic adhesive , or to form any suitable claws or stoppers ( not shown ) to prevent the insert member 35 from coming out of the dovetail groove 33 . in this embodiment , the thickness t &# 39 ; of the insert member 35 at the groove 39 provides the gap g shown in the figure . fig9 and 10 illustrates a fourth embodiment of supporting means , in which the supporting insulator or arm 41 consists of two insulator arm halves 41a and 41b each having a plurality of corresponding grooves 43 and 45 . each pair of corresponding grooves 43 and 45 are inclined differently as is shown in fig9 and 10 , the groove 43 being inclined in the longitudinal direction of the arm half 41a and the groove 45 being inclined perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the arm half 41b . after the heater wire 8a is inserted into the grooves 43 and 45 , the corresponding arm halves 41a and 41b are united as is shown in fig1 so that the common open passage of the grooves 43 and 45 is blocked and the heater wire 8a can no longer be moved rightward in fig1 but is restrained in a predetermined position . in this embodiment , the depth d &# 39 ; of the grooves 43 and 44 provides the small gap g as is shown in fig1 . fig1 illustrates a fifth embodiment of supporting means , in which the supporting insulator or arm 51 has a plurality of substantially l - shaped grooves 52 each consisting of a groove portion 53 extending perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the arm 51 and a groove or notch portion 54 extending in parallel thereto from the bottom of the perpendicular groove portion 52 to form a hook . the heater wire 8a is inserted into the notch portion 54 after under being stressed or tensioned in the direction indicated by the arrow p so that the heater wire 8a is prevented from being removed from the notch portion 54 of the groove 52 . the arm 51 and the heater wires are advantageously arranged so that the direction of expansion of the heater wires corresponds to the direction p when heater wires are subjected to heat expansion . in connection with this , if the heater wires are arranged as is shown in fig2 the insulator arm should be so placed that the notch portion 54 is located radially outward of the groove 53 . in this embodiment , the thickness t &# 34 ; of the insulator arm 51 at the hook formed by the notch portion 54 provides the small gap g .

an exhaust particle cleaning device for a diesel engine includes a trap case provided in a flow conduit for the exhaust gas . a filter is disposed in the trap case so that carbon particles or other exhaust particles contained in the exhaust gas can be caught in the filter material when the exhaust gas is passed through the filter . a plurality of electric heating wires are spread over the upstream end face of the filter so that the exhaust gas passes through the areas defined between the plurality of heating wires . these heating wires are supported by insulator arms so as to maintain a predetermined small gap between the heating wires and the upstream end face of the filter .

referring to fig1 - 2 , there is shown a vacuum cleaner of the present invention indicated generally at 10 . cleaner 10 has three joined but detachable portions , a main upper casing 12 , a lower pan member 14 , and a motor cap 16 . pan member 14 preferably is molded of a transparent plastic and has a generally inverted frusta - conical or generally cylindrical configuration , with a side wall 17 and an integral base 19 ( fig2 ), which together form a hollow interior or chamber 23 , having an open top 27 . pan member 14 is removably supported in a dolly 28 having a plurality of casters 29 for rolling the cleaner along a surface being cleaned . pan member 14 also includes a socket 30 slidably mounted within an annular boss 31 formed integrally on side wall 17 , which forms a cleaning air inlet 32 , adapted to accept a coupling portion of a usual flexible cleaning hose ( not shown ). the remote end of the hose may be connected to any number of known types of nozzle attachments . socket 30 may be held to the pan member 14 by any convenient means , with screws 33 being depicted in the preferred embodiment ( fig1 ). the incoming cleaning air depicted by arrows a in fig2 is directed downwardly by a throat member 34 , the angle of which may be of any convenient angle , with ninety degrees represented in the preferred embodiment . in any event , the angle embodied in throat member 34 preferably remains smooth so as to assure that the velocity of the cleaning air passing through member 34 is not significantly reduced . extending around the lower inside peripheral of pan member 14 is an annular block portion 35 which terminates at one location above air inlet 32 ( fig2 ) at an arcuate shoulder 36 . shoulder 36 acts as a stop against which an arcuate mounting tang 37 of a baffle assembly 38 is abutted and clamped in position by a lower edge of a second upper annular block 39 which is formed integral with and extends downward along the inside surface of a frusta - conical shaped wall 41 of casing 12 . baffle assembly 38 includes a lower primary or main baffle 40 ( fig2 - 4 ) which is a curved member having a concave surface 41 facing downward shrouding cleaning air inlet aperture 32 and open end 42 of throat member 34 . moreover , at least end portions 43 of primary baffle 40 extend below a fluid bath 44 carried within pan member 14 . baffle assembly 38 has a secondary baffle 45 which is smaller than primary baffle 40 , and which extends outwardly above the primary baffle . baffle 45 has a shape similar to that of primary baffle 40 with a concave surface 46 thereof facing downward toward fluid bath 44 . both baffles 40 and 45 are integrally molded and join in a baffle base 47 out of which extends mounting tang 37 . the extended end of baffle assembly 38 , opposite of mounting tang 37 , is retained by any convenient retaining means within hollow interior 23 of pan member 14 , with a pair of frictional clips 48 being depicted in the preferred embodiment . clips 48 are attached to pan member 14 by mounting blocks 50 via screws 51 , thereby precluding movement of baffle assembly 38 in a vertical direction within pan member 14 . horizontal movement of baffle assembly 38 is precluded by the sliding fit of the baffle assembly with the interior surface of pan wall 17 as shown in fig4 . top casing 12 preferably is molded of a high strength plastic material as is pan member 14 , and includes generally frusta - conical shaped side wall 41 which terminates in a bottom periphery locking flange 52 which extends outwardly from a lower edge of casing 12 . the upper end of casing side wall 41 terminates in an inwardly extending flange 53 , formed with a circular central opening 54 . protruding upwardly from an upper surface of flange 53 are three annular bosses 55 , formed with an interior threaded cavity . extending from an inner surface of flange 53 are three annular bosses 56 , only one of which is shown in fig2 whose inner cavity also is threaded . each boss 56 has an annular cross section with the cavity therein being adapted to accept one end of a mounting rod 58 having a lower threaded end for accepting a wing nut 59 . an annular filter 60 is clamped against the inner surface of top flange 53 by a holdup plate 61 ( fig2 ) by a plurality of threaded rods 58 . the upper inner circumference of filter 60 abuts bosses 56 firmly securing it in position in top casing 12 . the composition of filter 60 may be varied depending on the size of the particulate that must be removed from the cleaning air which passes through the filter . for extremely fine particles , a hepa filter may be employed . in any event , the type of filter does not affect the spirit of the present invention . as shown in fig2 holdup plate 61 does not contact the inner surface of annular block 39 of main casing wall 41 , and forms a circumferential space 62 between wall 41 and holdup plate 61 . extending through a center hole formed in holdup plate 61 , is a broad head bolt 63 onto which a wing nut 64 is threaded for mounting a fluid collecting ring assembly indicated generally at 65 within casing 12 . in accordance with another of the main features of the invention ( fig2 - 4 ), fluid collecting ring assembly 65 consists of an annular conical upper fluid collecting ring 66 , a second or intermediate conical fluid collecting ring 67 , and a third or lower conical collecting ring 68 . bolt 63 extends through a central aperture 69 formed in fluid collecting ring 66 but does not directly support ring 66 from bolt 63 , as aperture 69 is significantly wider than bolt 63 so that air may travel freely therethrough . a concave bottom surface of fluid collecting ring 66 is oriented upwards away from fluid bath 44 , with a peripheral portion abutting shoulder 71 of block 39 , with the remainder of the periphery being accepted into an arcuate slot 72 formed in block 39 . in this manner , a generally fluid tight seal is created between the edge of fluid collection ring 66 and block portion 39 . block portion 39 is formed with a second arcuate slot 73 which accepts an edge of lower fluid collector ring 68 . inasmuch as slot 73 extends around only a portion of the circumference of the block 39 , the edge of ring 68 will achieve a sliding fit with the interior surface of main casing wall 41 at all points circumferentially where slot 73 is not present . collecting ring 67 has a smaller diameter than fluid collecting ring 66 and is disposed beneath fluid collecting ring 66 and has a concave surface oriented toward fluid bath 44 . bolt 63 passes through an aperture 75 ( fig2 - 3 ) formed in ring 67 through which bolt 63 passes . collecting ring 68 also is provided with a concave surface oriented upwards away from fluid bath 44 . collecting ring assembly 65 is support on holdup plate 61 via the interaction of bolt 63 with second middle ring 67 . a plurality of clip spacers 77 and 78 are then employed to hold upper and lower rings 66 and 68 to middle collecting ring 67 and to upper ring 66 , respectively . the spacers are all accepted into mounting apertures 79 formed in the fluid collecting rings . as wing nut 64 is threaded on bolt 63 , the edge of fluid collector ring 66 will be forced into slot 72 , and will abut shoulder 71 thereby providing a seal around the periphery of the ring 66 . the threadable engagement of the wing nut 64 and bolt 63 will also cause a portion of the periphery of fluid collecting ring 68 to enter second slot 73 along a portion of its periphery . in that portion of the circumference where no such slot is provided , the edge of fluid collection ring 68 will contact the main casing 12 in a sliding fit . if desired , spacers 77 and 78 may be molded integrally with one of the rings and snap fitted into a socket molded into the other ring . referring to fig4 there is shown baffle assembly 38 and collecting ring assembly 65 mounted within pan member 14 and upper casing 12 . it has been found in practice that such a combination of fluid collection ring assembly 65 , baffle assembly 38 and filter 60 prevents nearly all the moisture and particulates contained in the cleaning air from entering the atmosphere after passing through exhaust ports 85 of a motor 81 . motor 81 according to the present invention , is a two stage bypass motor . such a motor allows the air that cools the motor , which is shown by arrows b in fig1 to remain separate from the cleaning air which is employed in the cleaning process . one type of motor found suitable is distributed by lamb electric division of ametek of kent , ohio identified as model 116758 - 13 . referring then to fig1 , 6 and 7 , after the cooling air ( arrows b ) has been used to extract heat from the motor after entering cooling air inlets 83 formed in motor cap 16 , it is expelled outward through cooling air outlets from beneath motor cap 16 . the cleaning air after passing through air filter 60 enters motor 81 through a bottom opening 84 and is discharged through cleaning air outlets 85 into the surrounding atmosphere . motor 81 is secured to the upper casing 12 via a plurality of tie down brackets 87 which are connected to the casing 12 by bolts 88 . the cleaning air intake or bottom portion of motor 81 fits concentrically within the inner diameter of filter 60 such that as the air exits the filter , it passes through motor 81 and out of discharge outlets 85 . motor cap 16 is secured to upper casing 12 via a plurality of bolts 89 threaded into bosses 55 and protects the motor from damage and debris . cap 16 has a plurality of internal reinforcing ribs 91 molded integrally thereon to strengthen the cap . referring to fig1 and 7 , a plurality of cord retaining tabs 92 are molded integrally on cap 16 and extend outwardly therefrom . an electric power cord ( not shown ), may be wrapped around tabs 92 and into space 93 formed between the bottom of cap 16 and the top of casing 12 when the cleaner 10 is in storage . a handle 95 ( fig1 ) is molded integrally on cap 16 and is located directly above socket 30 of cleaning air inlet 32 . the location of the handle prevents spillage of cleaning fluid from fluid bath . specifically , when the flexible hose is disconnected , and the user lifts the cleaner 10 by handle 95 , the cleaner 10 will be rotated upwards such that the socket 30 will be facing upward preventing the spillage of cleaning fluid from fluid bath 44 . an electrical switch box 97 ( fig7 ) is mounted on motor cap 16 and on / off switch 98 , a power input receptacle 99 for power operated nozzle cleaning accessories , and a strain relief 100 for the power supply cord for motor 81 . the operation of vacuum cleaner 10 is best illustrated by referring to fig2 . the cleaning air will enter the cleaning unit via a flexible hose attached to socket 30 in the side of pan member 14 , and will travel through throat member 34 and exit beneath the surface of fluid bath 44 which usually will be water that may contain a cleaning agent , deodorizer , air freshener or the like . thereafter , the turbulence induced in the water by the introduction of the cleaning air , will cause the air molecules to be thoroughly scrubbed thereby removing the particulates suspended therein . the air , after leaving the fluid bath , will exit along the path defined by arrow c , with much of the air travelling along path d being blocked by the primary baffle 40 . in accordance with the present invention , the moisture in the air will contact the under surface of baffle 40 , causing water to collect on the surface thereof . since the surface is inclined , the fluid will flow by gravity and be redirected into fluid bath 44 . the air that travels around main baffle 40 along the path indicated by arrow e , will rise upward and a portion of this air , again due to turbulence , will contact secondary baffle 45 allowing the liquid suspended within the air to be redirected back into fluid bath 44 in much the same manner . the remaining air , still carrying with it a certain percentage of moisture , will then travel upward into the upper casing 12 . upon entering casing 12 , the only avenue through which the air may travel is through the central aperture in fluid collection ring 68 . this path is shown as arrow g in fig2 . inasmuch as the air travelling along path c and g will strike the bottom of ring 68 or the bottom of ring 67 , other portions of water which remain suspended in the cleaning air will further collect on these rings . as the surfaces of rings 67 and 68 slope downward , the fluid will travel to the central aperture of fluid collection ring 68 and be directed back into fluid bath 44 . the cleaning air after striking fluid collection ring 67 , will travel around the periphery of the ring and will continue along path h through central aperture 69 of fluid collection ring 66 . thus , the fluid still entrained in the cleaning air travelling along path h will be further collected upon the bottom surface of ring 66 and upon the top surface of fluid collection ring 67 . again , inasmuch as these rings all provide surfaces which direct the fluid downward , the remaining entrained fluid will ultimately be directed into fluid bath 44 thereby significantly reducing the amount of fluid remaining in the air as it enters the surrounding environment . upon leaving fluid collection ring assembly 65 , the air then passes through filter 60 . holdup ring 61 prohibits any air from entering the motor unless it first travels through filter 60 . as the air travels through filter 60 nearly all remaining fluid and particulates are removed , before it enters the cleaning air intake 84 of motor 81 and be directed into the environment through outlets 85 . as such , the cleaning air ultimately exhausted from vacuum cleaner unit 10 , has entrained in it very few particulates , as well as very little humidity . moreover , according to the present invention , the implementation of a detachable filter , and a three stage fluid collection ring assembly , in combination with a two stage bypass motor , increases the efficiency of this unit over the prior art . accordingly , the vacuum cleaner of the present invention is simplified , provides an effective , safe , inexpensive , and efficient device which achieves all the enumerated objectives , provides for eliminating difficulties encountered with prior devices , and solves problems and obtains new results in the art . in the foregoing description , certain terms have been used for brevity , clearness and understanding ; but no unnecessary limitations are to be implied therefrom beyond the requirement of the prior art , because such terms are used for descriptive purposes and are intended to be broadly construed . moreover , the description and illustration of the invention is by way of example , and the scope of the invention is not limited to the exact details shown or described . having now described the features and principles of the invention , the manner in which the improved vacuum cleaner is constructed and used , the characteristics of the construction , and the advantages , new and useful results obtained ; and new and useful structures , devices , elements , arrangements , parts and combinations , are set forth in the appended claims .

a vacuum cleaner treats cleaning air by forcing the air through a liquid bath so as to remove suspended particulates within the air . the cleaner comprises a pan member adapted to contain the fluid bath , a cleaning air inlet , an upper casing supported from and secured to the pan member , and a motor mounted on the upper casing having a cooling air inlet and cooling air exhaust separate from that of the cleaning air . a main baffle shrouds the cleaning air inlet for the containment of the over splash created by induced fluid turbulence created in the liquid bath by the incoming cleaning air . at least two fluid collector rings are mounted between the cleaning air inlet and cleaning air outlet to provide a circuitous path for the cleaning air after it has traveled through the fluid bath to collect liquid particles and moisture in the cleaning air and redirect it back into the liquid bath . a replaceable air filter is located above the fluid collector ring , through which the cleaning air must pass before exiting through the cleaning air outlet and into the environment to remove additional particulate matter .

this invention is useful in a multiprocessor integrated circuit such as illustrated in fig1 . example multiprocessor integrated circuit 100 includes : six central processing units 111 , 112 , 113 , 114 , 115 and 116 ; a shared memory controller 120 including six local shared memory controllers 121 , 122 , 123 , 124 , 125 and 126 connected to corresponding central processing units and central shared memory controller 129 ; and shared memory 130 including separately energizable memory banks 131 , 132 , 133 and 134 . multiprocessor integrated circuit 100 includes plural central processing units sharing a common memory . note number of central processing units and memory bank shown in fig1 is exemplary only . this architecture creates problems solved by this invention . each of the central processing units 111 to 116 is a stand - alone programmable data processor . in the preferred embodiment these have the same instruction set architecture ( isa ). this is known as homogenous multiprocessing . however , this invention is also applicable to heterogeneous multiprocessing in which the central processing unit employ two or more isas . each central processor preferably includes a processing core for data processing operations , a data register file for temporary storage of operand data and results data and instruction and data cache . each central processing unit operates under its own program . each central processing unit uses shared memory controller 120 to access programs and data in shared memory 130 . shared memory controller ( smc ) 120 interfaces central processing units 111 , 112 , 113 , 114 , 115 and 116 to shared memory 130 . in the preferred embodiment shared memory 130 is at the same level in the memory hierarchy as second level ( l2 ) cache in central processing units 111 , 112 , 113 , 114 , 115 and 116 . smc 120 includes : local smc ( lsmc ) and central smc ( csmc ). this partition is done to keep the gem specific logic in the lsmc and the memory bank specific logic in the csmc . fig2 illustrates an exemplary local shared memory controller 121 . lsmc 121 includes : request manager 201 ; read controller 202 ; prefetch access generation logic ( pagl ) 203 ; request pending table 204 ; prefetch buffers 205 ; lsmc buffer 206 ; write controller 207 ; power down controller 208 ; and read datapath 209 . request manager 201 interfaces with the corresponding cpu interface . request manager 201 decodes the requests from cpu 111 and controls the different blocks with in lsmc 121 . request manager 201 handles the lookup of the prefetch buffers and figures out if a cpu 111 access hits or misses the prefetch buffers . request manager 201 generates a system cready signal taking individual components of cready from read controller 202 and write controller 209 . request manager 210 controls read datapath 209 to cpu 111 . request manager 121 submits the read requests and prefetch requests to csmc 129 . read controller 202 manages all the read requests that go to memory banks 131 , 132 , 133 and 134 . read controller 202 contains per bank state machines that submit read requests to csmc 129 . read controller 202 contains logic to stall cpu 111 using the cready signal . prefetch access generation logic 203 generates the prefetch requests to csmc 129 to fill prefetch buffers 205 . pagl 203 calculates the addresses to be prefetched based on the type of access by cpu 111 . request manager 201 controls pagl 203 when killing or aborting a prefetch request . request pending table 204 maintains the status of access requests and prefetch requests . request pending table 204 splits incoming acknowledge signals from csmc 129 for requests sent from lsmc 121 into real access and prefetch acknowledgments . real access acknowledgments are routed to cpu 111 and read controller 202 . prefetch acknowledgments are routed to prefetch buffers 205 . request pending table 204 includes a number of entries direct mapping the number of logical memory banks 131 , 132 , 133 and 134 . prefetch buffers 205 include data buffers with each logical memory bank 131 , 132 , 133 and 134 . thus the preferred embodiment includes four data buffers . prefetch buffers 205 store prefetched data and address tags . whenever a stored address tag matches the address of an access on the cpu interface and the prefetch data is valid , this data is directly forwarded from prefetch buffers 205 to cpu 111 without fetching from memory . lsmc buffer 206 is a per - cpu command register which buffers the address and control signals on every access from the cpu . in the case of a write access , lsmc buffer 206 also buffers the write data . write controller 207 handles write requests from cpu 111 . writes use a token - based protocol . csmc 129 has 4 per - bank write buffers . writes from all cpus arbitrate for a write token to write into the per - bank write buffers . write controller 207 handles the token request interface with csmc 129 . power down controller 208 with its counterpart in csmc 129 . whenever the csmc 129 power down controller requests a sleep or wakeup , power down controller 208 ensures that lsmc 121 is in a clean state before allowing the csmc 129 power down controller to proceed . read datapath 209 receives control signals from request manager 201 corresponding to the type of access . read datapath 209 multiplexes data from either prefetch buffer 205 or the memory data from csmc 129 which is registered and forwarded to cpu 111 . central shared memory controller ( csmc ) 129 includes : request manager 301 ; arbiter 302 ; write buffer manager 303 ; datapath 304 ; register interface 305 ; and power down controller 306 . request manager 301 receives requests from all cpus 111 to 116 . request manager 301 submits these requests to a corresponding per - bank arbiter . request manager 310 generates the memory control signals based on the signals from the cpu which won the arbitration . request manager 301 contains the atomic access monitors which manage atomic operations initiated by a cpu . arbiter 302 is a least recently used ( lru ) based arbiter . arbiter 302 arbitrates among requests from all six cpus for each memory bank 131 , 132 , 133 and 134 . arbitration uses the following priority . write requests have the highest priority . only one write request will be pending to any particular bank at a time . real read requests have the next lower priority . a real read request is selected only if there are no pending write requests from any cpu . prefetch requests have the lowest priority . prefetch requests are selected only if there are no write requests or real read requests from any cpu . among cpus requesting access at the same priority level , arbiter 302 implements a standard lru scheme . arbiter 302 has a 6 bit queue with one entry per cpu in each queue . the head of the queue is always the lru . if the requester is the lru , then it automatically wins the arbitration . if the requester is not the lru , then the next in the queue is checked and so on . the winner of a current arbitration is pushed to the end of the queue becoming the most recently used . all other queue entries are pushed up accordingly . write buffer manager 303 contains per - bank write buffers . write buffer manager 303 interfaces with the token requests from a write controller 207 of one of the lsmcs 121 to 126 . token arbitration uses a lru scheme . each per - bank write buffer of write buffer manager includes six finite state machines , one for each cpu . these finite state machines control generation of token requests to arbiter 302 . write buffer manager 303 registers and forwards the token grant from arbiter 302 to the corresponding cpu . upon receiving the token grant the cpu has control of the per - bank write buffer and proceeds with the write . datapath 304 multiplexes between data from different memory pages and forwards data to the lsmc of the cpu which won the arbitration . register interface 305 supports a vbusp interface through which software can program several registers . these registers control the operation of shared memory controller 120 . signals are exported from the register interface to different blocks in lsmcs 121 , 122 , 123 , 124 , 125 and 126 and csmc 129 . power down controller 306 interfaces with the programmable registers through which software can request a sleep mode or wakeup of memory banks 131 , 132 , 133 and 134 . power down controller 306 interfaces with the power down controller 208 of each lsmc 121 , 122 , 123 , 124 , 125 and 126 , and memory wrappers to put the memory banks 131 , 132 , 1332 and 134 into sleep mode and wakeup . fig4 illustrates in block diagram form the circuits of an implementation of this invention . in fig4 circuits to the left of the dashed line are in a corresponding lsmc . circuits to the right of the dashed line are in csmc 129 . pending prefetch address register 401 stores the access address of a pending prefetch . comparator 402 compares this pending prefetch address with the address of a cpu read access request . comparator 402 generates a match signal if the addresses are identical . upgrade prefetch to read request block 403 recognizes a match signal and signals csmc 129 for the corresponding memory bank to upgrade the prefetch request to a read request . as noted above read requests have higher priority in arbitration than prefetch requests . this upgrade thus typically decreases the time to win arbitration and be granted access . this is advantageous over the two techniques of the prior art . ignoring real request results in delay because the prefetch has a lower priority than the read request . terminating the prefetch request and issuing a new real request to the per - memory bank logic does not take advantage of any progress already made by the prefetch request . upgrading the prefetch request as in this invention reduces the delay for arbitration grant and takes advantage of any progress of the prefetch .

a prefetch controller implements an upgrade when a real read access request hits the same memory bank and memory address as a previous prefetch request . in response per - memory bank logic promotes the priority of the prefetch request to that of a read request . if the prefetch request is still waiting to win arbitration , this upgrade in priority increases the likelihood of gaining access generally reducing the latency . if the prefetch request had already gained access through arbitration , the upgrade has no effect . this thus generally reduces the latency in completion of a high priority real request when a low priority speculative prefetch was made to the same address .

reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the present invention , examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings . while the invention will be described in conjunction with the preferred embodiments , it will be understood that they are not intended to limit the invention to these embodiments . on the contrary , the invention is intended to cover alternatives , modifications and equivalents , which may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims . furthermore , in the following detailed description of embodiments of the present invention , numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention . however , it will be recognized by one of ordinary skill in the art that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details . in other instances , well - known methods , procedures , components , and circuits have not been described in detail as not to unnecessarily obscure aspects of the embodiments of the present invention . some portions of the detailed descriptions , which follow , are presented in terms of procedures , steps , logic blocks , processing , and other symbolic representations of operations on data bits within a computer memory . these descriptions and representations are the means used by those skilled in the data processing arts to most effectively convey the substance of their work to others skilled in the art . a procedure , computer executed step , logic block , process , etc ., is here , and generally , conceived to be a self - consistent sequence of steps or instructions leading to a desired result . the steps are those requiring physical manipulations of physical quantities . usually , though not necessarily , these quantities take the form of electrical or magnetic signals capable of being stored , transferred , combined , compared , and otherwise manipulated in a computer system . it has proven convenient at times , principally for reasons of common usage , to refer to these signals as bits , values , elements , symbols , characters , terms , numbers , or the like . it should be borne in mind , however , that all of these and similar terms are to be associated with the appropriate physical quantities and are merely convenient labels applied to these quantities . unless specifically stated otherwise as apparent from the following discussions , it is appreciated that throughout the present invention , discussions utilizing terms such as “ processing ” or “ accessing ” or “ executing ” or “ storing ” or “ rendering ” or the like , refer to the action and processes of an integrated circuit ( e . g ., computing system 100 of fig1 ), or similar electronic computing device , that manipulates and transforms data represented as physical ( electronic ) quantities within the computer system &# 39 ; s registers and memories into other data similarly represented as physical quantities within the computer system memories or registers or other such information storage , transmission or display devices . fig1 shows a computer system 100 in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention . computer system 100 depicts the components in accordance with embodiments of the present invention providing the execution platform for certain hardware - based and software - based functionality . in general , computer system 100 comprises at least one central processing unit ( cpu ) 101 , a system memory 115 , and at least one graphics processor unit ( gpu ) 110 . the cpu 101 can be coupled to the system memory 115 via a bridge component / memory controller ( not shown ) or can be directly coupled to the system memory 115 via a memory controller ( not shown ) internal to the cpu 101 . the gpu subsystem 120 may be coupled to a display 112 . one or more additional gpus can optionally be coupled to system 100 to further increase its computational power . the gpu ( s ) 110 is coupled to the cpu 101 and the system memory 115 via a communication bus 125 . the gpu 120 can be implemented as a discrete component , a discrete graphics card designed to couple to the computer system 100 via a connector ( e . g ., agp slot , pci - express slot , etc . ), a discrete integrated circuit die ( e . g ., mounted directly on a motherboard ), or as an integrated gpu included within the integrated circuit die of a computer system chipset component ( not shown ). additionally , a local graphics memory 114 is coupled with the gpu 110 for high bandwidth graphics data storage , e . g ., the frame buffer . the cpu 101 and the gpu 110 can also be integrated into a single integrated circuit die and the cpu and gpu may share various resources , such as instruction logic , buffers , functional units and so on , or separate resources may be provided for graphics and general - purpose operations . the gpu may further be integrated into a core logic component . accordingly , any or all the circuits and / or functionality described herein as being associated with the gpu 110 can also be implemented in , and performed by , a suitably equipped cpu 101 . additionally , while embodiments herein may make reference to a gpu , it should be noted that the described circuits and / or functionality can also be implemented and other types of processors ( e . g ., general purpose or other special - purpose coprocessors ) or within a cpu . system 100 can be implemented as , for example , a desktop computer system or server computer system having a powerful general - purpose cpu 101 coupled to a dedicated graphics rendering gpu 110 . in such an embodiment , components can be included that add peripheral buses , specialized audio / video components , io devices , and the like . similarly , system 100 can be implemented as a portable device ( e . g ., cellphone , pda , etc . ), direct broadcast satellite ( dbs )/ terrestrial set - top box or a set - top video game console device such as , for example , the xbox ®, available from microsoft corporation of redmond , wash ., or the playstation3 ®, available from sony computer entertainment corporation of tokyo , japan . system 100 can also be implemented as a “ system on a chip ”, where the electronics ( e . g ., the components 101 , 115 , 110 , 114 , and the like ) of a computing device are wholly contained within a single integrated circuit die . examples include a hand - held instrument with a display , a car navigation system , a portable entertainment system , and the like . embodiments of the present invention facilitate increased system performance by adding graphics memory to the general system memory pool of a computing system . in one embodiment , graphics memory provides a much quicker alternative for data storage over virtual memory which requires disk accesses . embodiments increase the value of a gpu card by increasing system memory and therefore make the increasingly advanced graphics card more desirable even during periods of non - intensive graphics . embodiments further increase energy efficiency ( e . g ., of a mobile gpu ) by making use of graphics memory that would otherwise not be used . fig2 illustrates example components used by various embodiments of the present invention . although specific components are disclosed in system 200 , it should be appreciated that such components are examples . that is , embodiments of the present invention are well suited to having various other components or variations of the components recited in system 200 . it is appreciated that the components in system 200 may operate with other components than those presented , and that not all of the components of system 200 may be required to achieve the goals of system 200 . fig2 shows a block diagram of an exemplary system in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention for implementing graphics memory sharing . system 200 includes performance mode monitor 202 , memory available module 204 , interpretation module 206 , and resource signaling module 208 . system 200 may be implemented in software . it is appreciated that system 200 may be part of , included in , or executed by a graphics processing unit ( gpu ) subsystem . system 200 facilitates temporary access to graphics memory ( e . g ., gddr ( graphics double data rate memory )) of a gpu by a computer system when that memory is not otherwise being used by the gpu . in one embodiment , system 200 is operable to facilitate access to graphics memory of multiple gpus , e . g ., in an sli ( scalable link interface ) or crossfire configuration . system 200 may further be operable to facilitate access to graphics memory of multi - core gpus . system 200 is operable to communicate with graphics subsystem 210 and operating system ( os ) 220 . os 200 may thus access a memory pool including system memory 222 and a portion of graphics memory 214 . performance mode monitor 202 determines a performance mode of the graphics processing unit ( gpu ) 212 to determine graphics memory usage . in one embodiment , performance mode monitor 202 receives a signal including the performance mode of gpu 212 . the gpu subsystem 210 includes graphics memory 214 ( e . g ., frame buffer ) operable to be used in performing graphics processing ( e . g ., rendering ). in one embodiment , gpu 212 has a low or first performance mode corresponding to a low intensity graphics application execution , which utilizes a small portion of graphics memory ( e . g ., less than 100 mb or less than 64 mb ) and a high or second performance mode corresponding to high intensity graphics application execution ( e . g ., video games , graphical simulations , and the like ), which utilizes a relatively large portion of graphics memory ( e . g ., 256 mb , 512 mb , or 1 gb , etc .). performance mode monitor 202 may thus monitor and report whether gpu 212 is high performance mode or a low performance mode or any performance mode there between . memory available module 204 determines an amount of graphics memory available for use outside the graphics processor . more specifically , memory available module 204 determines the graphics memory space that is available during each performance mode of a gpu . for example , when gpu 212 is in a low performance mode , memory available module 204 determines the graphics memory space which is not being used for graphics processing and therefore may be available for general system use . in one embodiment , the amount of graphics memory that can be made available may be a configurable option ( e . g ., user configurable ). for example , a graphics driver or other application may allow a user to select a portion of graphics memory 214 to be dedicated for use by a computing system for general application use . interpretation module 206 interprets memory access requests . more specifically , interpretation module 206 interprets memory access requests ( e . g ., reads and writes ) from a computer system and interprets them for accessing graphics memory 214 . for example , interpretation module 206 may carry out an algorithm for receiving a memory access request ( e . g ., from os 220 ) in a system ddr format and convert the request to a gddr format for carrying out with the allocated graphics memory . by using allocated graphics memory , rather than virtual memory , for general system applications , the overall efficiency of the computer increases as fewer disk accesses are required . in one embodiment , graphics memory 214 of the gpu subsystem 210 is used to store data that was stored in virtual memory ( e . g ., on a hard disk drive ) and interpretation module 206 may reroute virtual memory calls to graphics memory for processing . in one embodiment , the memory access requests may be received via a pci express bus which facilitates efficient use of graphics memory 214 . the memory access requests allow graphics memory 214 to store application data . the storage of application data in graphics memory 214 effectively increasing overall memory available to a computer system . resource signaling module 208 signals that a portion of graphics memory 214 is available ( e . g ., when a gpu is in a low performance mode ). in one embodiment , resource signaling module 208 signals a chipset ( e . g ., memory controller or northbridge ) that graphics memory is available and therefore , the overall level of system memory has increased . resource signaling module 208 may also signal os 220 that the graphics memory is available for storing application data . resource signaling module 208 may further signal that graphics memory is no longer available ( e . g ., signal os 220 ). for example , when a graphics intensive application is started , the gpu may attempt to use a significant portion of graphics memory for graphics processing operations . in theses instances , the gpu ( or some other device ) passes the application data stored in the graphics memory ( e . g ., frame buffer ) back to the motherboard though the pci express bus where the data is redirected to virtual memory ( e . g ., hard disk drive ) of the computer system . fig3 shows a block diagram of an exemplary graphics processing unit ( gpu ) subsystem connected to a motherboard in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention . a graphics processing unit ( gpu ) subsystem 302 includes graphics processor 306 , frame buffer 308 , signaling module 312 , and frame buffer access module 310 . gpu subsystem 302 further includes output connectors 304 and interface 318 . gpu subsystem 302 may further include optional performance mode monitor 320 and optional memory available module 322 . output connections 304 allows gpu subsystem 302 to output graphics display signal ( e . g ., via digital visual interface ( dvi ), high - definition multimedia interface ( hdmi ), displayport , and the like ) for rending on a display screen . frame buffer 308 comprises memory for storing data used for execution of the graphics instructions . frame buffer 308 may include one or more memory modules ( e . g ., one or more memory chips ). frame buffer 308 may further be a variety of types of memory including , but not limited to , gddr2 , gddr3 , gddr4 or gddr5 . in one embodiment , frame buffer 308 is accessible via a pci express bus ( e . g ., interface 318 ). graphics processor 310 executes graphics instructions ( e . g ., for graphics rendering ). graphics processor 310 may further coordinate with signaling module 312 and frame buffer access module 310 to allow chipset 316 to access portions of frame buffer 308 thereby utilizing frame buffer 308 as part of system memory . it is appreciated that graphics processor 310 and chipset 316 may be designed to facilitate portions of frame buffer 308 being available for chipset 316 to utilize as system memory . embodiments thus allow chipset 316 to access system ddr ( double data rate ) memory and gddr memory as a memory pool . in one embodiment , graphics processor 310 transfers application data stored in frame buffer 308 to virtual memory before entering a high performance graphics mode in which all graphics memory would be needed for the gpu . frame buffer access module 310 facilitates a computer system to access frame buffer 308 for general system use . frame buffer access module 310 converts or interprets memory access requests received from chipset 316 or motherboard 314 to a format compatible to the memory of frame buffer 308 . in one embodiment , frame buffer access module 310 is operable to handle requests for data that were previously stored in virtual memory . signaling module 312 signals that a portion of frame buffer 308 is available for use by a computer system ( e . g ., via chipset 316 ). in one embodiment , signaling module 312 is operable to signal a memory controller of chipset 316 that a portion of frame buffer 308 is available ( e . g ., for use as part of a system memory pool ). in another embodiment , a operating system may be signaled . interface 318 facilitates communication with motherboard 314 , chipset 316 , and other portions of a computer system . in one embodiment , interface 318 is a pci express interface or bus . it is appreciated that interface 318 may be any high speed interface operable to couple gpu subsystem 302 to a computer system . by using the high speed bus of interface 318 , motherboard 314 may access the large amounts of frame buffer memory available in frame buffer 308 on gpu subsystem 302 for general system use when the gpu subsystem 302 is in an idle or low performance graphics mode . performance mode monitor 320 may be implemented in hardware and operate in a substantially similar manner to performance mode monitor 202 . memory available module 322 may be implemented in hardware and operate in a substantially similar manner to memory available module 204 . with reference to fig4 , flowchart 400 illustrates example functions used by various embodiments of the present invention . although specific function blocks (“ blocks ”) are disclosed in flowchart 400 , such steps are examples . that is , embodiments are well suited to performing various other blocks or variations of the blocks recited in flowchart 400 . it is appreciated that the blocks in flowchart 400 may be performed in an order different than presented , and that not all of the blocks in flowchart 400 may be performed . fig4 shows a flowchart of a computer controlled process for enabling access to graphics memory for general system applications in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention . the process of flowchart 400 may be used in conjunction with gpus , mobile gpus , chipsets , and operating systems . the process of flowchart 400 increases the power efficiency for a variety of devices including , but not limited to , portable devices ( e . g ., laptops , notebooks , cell phones ) and computing system ( e . g ., desktop computers , servers , and the like ) by making use of graphics memory that would otherwise remain powered but be unused during periods of low graphics processing . in block 402 , an idle state of a graphics processing unit ( gpu ) is detected . as described , the idle state may be a low performance graphics mode where substantial portions of graphics memory are unused . in block 404 , an amount of available graphics memory of the gpu is determined in real - time . in one embodiment , the amount of available graphics memory may be configurable or predetermined via a graphical user interface ( gui ). for example , a computer system may be configured such that a certain amount of graphics memory is dedicated to the computer system even if the computer system is running a graphics intensive application . it is appreciated that the gpu and operating system can toggle the amount of memory used . in block 406 , a chipset is signaled . more specifically , the chipset may be signaled with the amount of available graphics memory that can be allocated for general system use . in one embodiment , the chipset includes a memory controller and reports to the operating system the amount of available memory ( e . g ., the combined memory pool of graphics memory and system memory ). in block 408 , an operating system is signaled to indicate that graphics memory is available for application data and also the size of the graphics memory available for application data is included . in one embodiment , the operating system is signaled via a gpu driver . in another embodiment , the operating system is signaled via a chipset driver . any of a number of well known methods can be used . in block 410 , a memory data transfer is received . the memory data transfer may be from a virtual memory storage ( e . g ., hard disk drive ) or system memory to the graphics memory . it is appreciated that the memory data transfer may be modified for storage in graphics memory . in block 412 , memory accesses for the data stored in the memory of the gpu are translated to graphics memory . as described herein , the memory accesses are translated from os memory calls or chipset memory accesses to a format suitable for accessing graphics memory . where the graphics memory is being used for to store date previously stored on virtual memory , cache calls to a hard drive may be rerouted to graphics memory . in block 414 , the memory accesses are executed . the application data stored in graphics memory is accessed ( e . g ., read / write / erase ) and results are returned ( e . g ., via an pci express bus ). in block 416 , a change to a high end graphics mode is detected . as described herein , the launch of a graphics intensive application may cause a gpu to switch to a high end or high performance graphics mode and therefore need to use substantial portions of graphics memory , which may be temporarily used for general purpose use . in block 418 , data stored in the graphics memory of the gpu is transferred . as described herein , the portions of the data stored in the memory of the gpu may be transferred to a virtual memory storage ( e . g ., hard disk drive ) or to system memory thereby making the memory of the graphics card again available for use in graphics instruction execution . in block 420 , graphics memory is utilized for graphics instruction execution . the foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments of the present invention have been presented for purposes of illustration and description . they are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed , and many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching . the embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical application , to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated . it is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the claims appended hereto and their equivalents .

a system and method for facilitating access to graphics memory wherein the graphics memory can be shared between a graphics processor and general system application . the method includes detecting an idle state of a graphics processing unit . the gpu uses graphics memory operable for storing graphics data . the method further includes determining an amount of available memory of the graphics memory of the gpu and signaling an operating system regarding the available memory . memory data transfers are then received to store data into the available memory of the graphics memory wherein the data is related to general system application . memory accesses to the available memory of the gpu are translated into a suitable format and executed so that the graphics memory is shared between the gpu and the operating system .

referring now to the figures , fig1 a illustrates a generic airbag module , having a plurality of flat cantilever vent valves 10 mounted on a housing 12 . other module components shown in this view include an airbag 14 and a partially cut away cover 16 . fig1 b is a partial cross section view of the module in fig1 a , and is taken through the centerline of a single vent valve 10 ( the airbag 14 and the cover 16 are omitted from this view ). the flat cantilever spring 18 of the vent valve 10 is secured to a mounting block 20 by screws 22 and a backing plate 24 . the cantilever spring / mounting block assembly is attached to the airbag housing 12 with machine screws 26 . a conventional airbag inflator 28 is shown installed in the housing 12 for reference purposes . the vent valve 10 is positioned such that , when the vent valve is closed , the cantilever spring 18 of the vent valve completely covers and seals a vent port 30 . the preferred material for the cantilever spring 18 is 17 - 7 precipitation hardening stainless steel , heat - treated to a tensile strength of approximately 300 , 000 pounds per square inch . although other materials can be used for the cantilever spring 18 , 17 - 7 was chosen for its high strength , excellent spring properties ( its flexibility and resilience or its ability to undergo flexure when subjected to a force and recover its original shape when released from the force ), and corrosion resistance . the specific material used to make the mounting block 20 is not critical . however , in the interest of maintaining a reasonably low weight for the overall valve assembly , an aluminum alloy is preferred . if the mounting block 20 is made from aluminum , the surfaces of the aluminum must be anodized , or otherwise treated , to prevent galvanic corrosion between the mounting block 20 and the cantilever spring 18 . in principle , the airbag system could use one of several types of relief valves , for example , a spring loaded poppet valve . however , an important advantage of the present invention is the fast response time of the vent valve 10 due to the cantilever spring &# 39 ; s relatively low mass , flexibility and resilience . the total airbag ride - down time during a crash is typically less than 100 milliseconds . a spring - loaded poppet valve or similar valve , in combination with the relatively low pressures involved , would take far too long to respond to pressure changes because of its mass and the associated acceleration time to open or close . mathematical approximation and test verification with the cantilever spring 18 of the vent valve 10 has indicated that the response time of the vent valve 10 , with a differential of one pound per square inch , is less than 5 milliseconds . as manufactured , cantilever spring 18 of the vent valve 10 is a flat part having a width greater than the width of the vent port 30 and a length which enables the cantilever spring 18 to be secured to and extend from the mounting block 20 to a location is beyond the vent port 30 . the surface 32 surrounding the outer end of the vent port 30 , with which the underside of the free end portion 34 of the cantilever spring 18 forms a seal when the vent valve 10 is closed , is flat or planar to conform the underside of the cantilever spring 18 . the spring mounting surface 36 of the mounting block 20 is angled with respect to the flat or planar surface 32 adjacent the vent port 30 at an acute angle “ a ” to orient the underside of the cantilever spring 18 , where the cantilever spring 18 extends beyond the mounting surface 36 , at the desired acute angle “ a ” to the flat or planar surface 32 surrounding the vent port 30 . the spring mounting surface 36 of the mounting block 20 is of a proper height and spacing from the vent port 30 to cause , with the angle “ a ” of orientation of the underside of the cantilever spring 18 , the desired deflection of the cantilever spring 18 at the vent port 30 to set the venting pressure of the vent valve 10 at a desired preset pressure level or value . in other words , the desired deflection of the cantilever spring 18 at the vent port 30 is a function of the required preset venting pressure for a given airbag system . although there are many permutations of the possible variables ( e . g ., spring length , spring thickness , vent port diameter , preset venting pressure , etc .) a simplified example follows for illustration purposes . in establishing a venting pressure setting for the vent valve 10 and the other vent valve embodiments of the present invention , it is first necessary to define the circumstances for which the setting is to be used . in general , effective body mass and airbag configuration are the two main factors to be considered . for an occupant wearing a seat belt , it is common practice to assume that the effective weight ( upper torso weight ), to be decelerated by the airbag 14 , is approximately 30 % of the total occupant weight . it is also common practice to assume an effective airbag area to be approximately 200 square inches . a 16 - inch diameter airbag is approximately this size . typically , conventional airbags have an overall diameter larger than 16 inches , and are internally tethered to form a somewhat flattened pillow . however , studies have shown that the average effective area of the occupant contacting the bag is also approximately 200 square inches . if a diameter smaller than 16 inches were to be used for the airbag , the area would have to be calculated for that diameter . otherwise , an effective area of 200 square inches is used . also , numerous studies have been conducted to determine injury criteria due to acceleration ( or deceleration ) on the human body . even though the apparent limits of such studies may vary due to variable circumstances , it is commonly known that deceleration in the 10 g to 15 g range , in an airbag system , are well within the limits of human tolerance . therefore , assuming a nominal weight of 60 pounds ( the effective weight of an upper torso for a 180 pound adult wearing a seat belt ), and a desired deceleration of 15 g provided by the airbag , it follows that the airbag must provide 900 pounds of resistance during ride - down . further assuming that the effective area of the occupant displacing the airbag is 200 square inches , the internal airbag pressure must be 4 . 5 pounds per square inch ( psi ) to create the 900 pounds of ride - down resistance . therefore , the desired preset venting pressure for the vent valve 10 and other embodiments of the vent valve of the present invention , for a seat belted adult weighing about 180 pounds , is approximately 4 . 5 psi . to determine the load and deflection characteristics of the cantilever spring 18 , it is necessary to consider the area of the cantilever spring 18 that is exposed to the desired preset venting pressure . again referring to fig1 b , if the vent port 30 is assumed to have a diameter of 1¼ inches , its equivalent area is 1 . 227 square inches . a desired preset venting pressure of 4 . 5 psi , acting on an area of 1 . 227 square inches , creates a load of approximately 5½ pounds . preferably , the cantilever spring 18 is of a constant width and thickness , and acts as a simple cantilever beam . the cantilever spring mounting surface 36 of the mounting block 20 is then established at a height and angle “ a ” such that , with a 5½ pound load , the surface surrounding the vent port 30 ( the vent port surface ) becomes tangent to the natural curvature of the underside of the cantilever spring 18 slightly short of the edge of the vent port 30 nearest the mounting block 20 . the remaining free portion 34 of the cantilever spring 18 ( from the tangent point to its free end ) lies flat on the vent port surface 32 and extends beyond the lateral edges and the far edge of the vent port 30 to seal the vent port 30 until the preset venting pressure is reached . once the pressure within the airbag 14 reaches or exceeds the preset venting pressure , the free end portion 34 of the cantilever spring 18 lifts off of the vent port surface 32 ( the vent valve 10 opens ) and allows the inflation gases to escape through the vent port 30 from the airbag 14 until the pressure within the airbag 14 again drops below the preset venting pressure whereupon the free end portion 34 of the cantilever spring 18 returns to rest on the vent port surface 32 to again seal the vent port 30 . for the parameters just described , a 17 - 7 stainless steel flat cantilever spring 18 having a width of 1½ inches , an operating length ( from the edge of the mounting block mounting surface 36 to the center of the vent port 30 ) of 2½ inches , and a thickness of 0 . 025 inches , can serve the intended purpose . even though there are many detail configurations possible , the engineering calculations required are straightforward in accordance with common practice , and can be performed by anyone of ordinary skill in the art . in actual practice , the total vent area required for any particular airbag system is a function of the airbag size , inflator output , and the resulting worst - case mass flow required of the system . that total area is achieved by using a plurality of vent valves 10 . in the case of a round airbag housing ( a housing having a circular transverse cross section such as the housing 12 of fig1 ) the vent valves 10 are typically spaced equally around the periphery of the housing if the physical limitations of the installation permit . in the case of a multi - sided airbag housing having four or more sides ( a housing having a transverse cross section such as but not limited to a square , rectangular or hexagonal cross section ), the vent valves 10 would be placed on one or more of the housing &# 39 ; s flat side surfaces . during a crash event , a crash sensor triggers the airbag inflation process . the vent valves 10 remain closed , retaining the inflation gases , until the airbag 14 fully inflates . as the occupant starts to compress the airbag 14 ( due to forward acceleration ), the vent valves 10 open when the pressure within the airbag reaches or exceeds the preset venting pressure . if the occupant &# 39 ; s forward rate of displacement is great enough to cause a significant pressure increase , the vent valves 10 will open wider venting the gases from within the airbag 14 faster , and still maintain a relatively constant pressure . conversely , as the occupant decelerates , the rate of forward displacement diminishes , the pressure within the airbag 14 drops and the vent valve 10 will become less open and the gases from within the airbag 14 will vent less quickly . as the pressure within the airbag 14 once again drops below the vent valves &# 39 ; preset venting pressure , the vent valves 10 close and continue to maintain a relatively constant pressure within the airbag 14 . in the case of an oops , the pressure within an airbag 14 will rise rapidly when the occupant blocks the deployment of the airbag . the vent valves 10 will immediately open to release the excess inflation gases from the airbag 14 and drop the internal pressure of the airbag 14 , thus minimizing potential injury to the occupant . fig2 shows an embodiment 40 of the vent valve of the present invention which is an independent , adjustable subassembly . as shown , a flat cantilever spring 42 of the vent valve 40 is a formed stamping having a flat free end portion 44 ( like the free end portion 34 of cantilever spring 18 ) for overlaying , completely covering , and sealing a vent port 46 in a valve base 48 of the subassembly and a pair of lateral arms 50 depending from either side of the flat cantilever spring 42 for mounting the cantilever spring 42 on the valve base 48 . as with the cantilever spring 18 , the free end portion 44 of the cantilever spring 42 extends from where the vent port surface 51 surrounding the vent port 46 in the valve base 48 becomes tangent to the underside of the cantilever spring 42 to the free end of the cantilever spring . the lateral arms 50 extend parallel or generally parallel to a longitudinal centerline 52 of the cantilever spring 42 from an opposite end or adjacent an opposite end 54 of the cantilever spring 42 toward the free end portion 44 of the cantilever spring 42 . aligned holes 56 in the free ends of the arms 50 and the lugs 58 of the valve base 48 accept a pivot pin 60 for mounting the cantilever spring 42 on the valve base 48 so that the cantilever spring 42 pivots about an axis : a ) oriented perpendicular to the longitudinal centerline 52 of the cantilever spring 42 and parallel to planes containing the major upper and lower surfaces of the cantilever spring , and b ) located intermediate the free end portion 44 and the opposite end 54 of the cantilever spring 42 . the pivot pin 60 is held in place by flattening the ends of the pin after assembly , or by any other acceptable retention means . as with the flat - form cantilever spring 18 of fig1 b , the preferred material for the formed spring 42 is 17 - 7 precipitation hardening stainless steel , heat - treated to a tensile strength of approximately 300 . 000 psi . the material of the valve base 48 is not critical , but in the interest of minimal weight and reasonable strength , machine - grade aluminum such as 6061 - t6 is preferred . the pivot pin 60 should be a high strength stainless or alloy steel . whatever the materials , appropriate surface treatments must be applied to prevent galvanic corrosion . the valve base 48 is shown with countersunk holes 62 for assembly to an airbag housing with flat head screws . when mounted on an airbag housing , the vent port 46 in valve base 48 is centered over the vent port in the airbag housing , such as the vent port 30 in the airbag housing 12 , and becomes outer or external end of airbag housing vent port . various attachment methods , other than screws , could be used equally as well to attach the valve base to an airbag housing , such as but not limited to riveting , clamping , welding , etc . during inflation , the tip of the valve spring 42 will start to rise slightly , allowing some leakage before the vent valve 40 actually opens at its preset venting pressure . in use , where the airbag is filled with a high volumetric rate of flow produced by the inflator , a perfect seal is not essential for proper system performance . however , minimizing leakage in the pre - loaded position will minimize inflator performance requirements and thereby contribute to reductions in size and weight . fig3 shows a method of preventing this initial leakage , thus improving the efficiency of the basic vent valve 40 of fig2 . the vent valve subassembly 40 shown in fig3 is much the same as that illustrated in fig2 except , an intermediate valve seal 64 has been added between the cantilever spring 42 and the vent port 46 in the valve base 48 to serve as the primary valve closure . the intermediate valve seal 64 overlays , completely covers , and seals the vent port 46 when the vent valve is closed . the cantilever spring 42 of fig3 is the same as the cantilever spring 42 of fig2 except , with the intermediate valve seal 64 , a full radius end is no longer required and the cantilever spring need only be long enough to engage a dimple - like projection 66 on the valve seal 64 . a tubular section 68 is formed on one end of the valve seal 64 to provide an attachment to the pivot pin 60 . the dimple - like projection 66 of the valve seal 64 is centered with respect to the vent port 46 and projects toward the underside of the free end portion 44 of the cantilever spring 42 . the projection 66 provides a central , constant pressure point so that the valve seal 64 will always lie flat . now during airbag inflation , the valve seal 64 remains flat and keeps the vent port 46 closed until the load , due to the inflation pressure on the valve seal 64 , overcomes the preset venting pressure or load of the cantilever spring 42 . the valve seal 64 is also a stainless steel part , but need not have the high strength or spring characteristics of the cantilever spring 42 . therefore , a 300 series stainless steel will suffice . fig4 a - 4c show a mechanism 72 for preset venting pressure adjustment that can be applied to the vent valve 40 of fig2 and 3 , if the airbag housing is a round housing , such as the airbag housing 12 of fig1 . fig4 a shows the adjustment mechanism 72 in the lowest preset venting pressure setting , while fig4 b shows the adjustment mechanism 72 in the highest preset venting pressure setting . the adjustment mechanism 72 includes a cam ring 74 which is slip - fitted to the housing 12 and held in position by a plurality of guide pins 76 located in angled slots 78 . the guide pins 76 are permanently affixed to the cam ring 74 , but are free to move in the slots 78 . as shown by the arrow in fig4 c , a pulling action applied to a control cable 80 which is attached to a lug 82 of the cam ring 74 , rotates cam ring 74 in a counterclockwise direction and causes axial translation of the cam ring 74 toward the vent valves 40 mounted on the airbag housing 12 as the cam ring follows the slots 78 . as shown in fig4 a and 4b , a surface 84 of the cam ring 74 is engaged with and maintains contact with inclined edges 86 of the mounting arms 50 of the cantilever spring 42 of each vent valve 40 intermediate the axis of the pivot pin 60 and the end 54 of the cantilever spring . as the cam ring 74 is rotated counterclockwise and moves toward the vent valve 40 , the cam ring 74 , through its contact with the inclined edges 86 of the mounting arms 50 , forces the end 54 of the cantilever spring 42 of the vent valve upward and increases the deflection of the cantilever spring 42 from the deflection shown in fig4 a . this increases the pre - load force or preset force on the cantilever spring 42 of the vent valve 40 and raises the pressure required to open the vent valve 40 ( raises the preset venting pressure ). conversely , when the cam ring 74 is rotated clockwise and moves away from the vent valves 40 , the movement of the cam ring 74 away from the vent valves 40 permits the end 54 of the resilient cantilever spring 42 of each vent valve to move downward toward the position shown in fig4 a and decreases the deflection of the cantilever spring 42 . this decreases the pre - load force or preset force on the cantilever spring 42 and lowers the pressure required to open the vent valve 40 ( lowers the preset venting pressure ). although fig4 a - 4c illustrate a control cable 80 for the actuation means , many methods are possible depending upon the requirements of a specific installation . for example , in general aviation aircraft , a manual control can be mounted on the instrument panel and connected to the airbag module 12 by way of a rod , simple linkage or lever mechanism . a weight scale beside the control lever would indicate approximate occupant weight ranges . making the proper setting can be an item on the pilot &# 39 ; s pre - flight checklist . in the much less disciplined automotive operating environment , automatic adjustment would be almost mandatory . in that application , the adjustment mechanism would be servo - driven and controlled by a sensor device similar to those used in some current airbag systems . fig5 a and 5b show an alternate adjustment mechanism 90 that can be used on a square or rectangular airbag housing to adjust the preset venting pressures of the valves 40 of fig2 and 3 . the adjustment mechanism 90 performs the same function as the adjustment mechanism 72 shown in fig4 a - 4c , except , this adjustment mechanism 90 uses a plurality of cams 92 mounted on a camshaft 94 to adjust the preset venting pressure of each vent valve 40 . fig5 a illustrates the adjustment mechanism 90 at its the lowest venting pressure setting while fig5 b illustrates the adjustment mechanism 90 at its highest venting pressure setting . as shown in fig5 a and 5b , each cam 92 engages an underside of the cantilever spring 42 of a vent valve 40 intermediate the axis of the pivot pin 60 and the end 54 of the cantilever spring . as the cam 92 is rotated counterclockwise , the free end of the cam 92 moves upward and , through its contact with the underside of the cantilever spring 42 , forces the end 54 of the cantilever spring 42 upward thereby increasing the deflection of the cantilever spring 42 from the deflection shown in fig5 a . this increases the pre - load force or preset force on the cantilever spring 42 of each vent valve and raises the pressure required to open the vent valve 40 ( raises the preset venting pressure ). conversely , when the cam 92 is rotated clockwise and the free end of the cam moves downward , the downward movement of the cam 92 permits the end 54 of the resilient cantilever spring 42 of each vent valve 40 to move downward toward the position shown in fig5 a and decreases the deflection of the cantilever spring 42 . this decreases the pre - load force or preset force on the cantilever spring 42 and lowers the pressure required to open the vent valve 40 ( lowers the preset venting pressure ). typically , a plurality of vent valves 40 are placed on one or more flat surfaces of an airbag housing . individual cams 92 on a common camshaft 94 would operate all of the vent valves mounted on a common surface . control considerations discussed above in connection with the adjustment mechanism 72 of fig4 a - 4c also apply to adjustment mechanism 90 . fig5 c shows an adjustment mechanism 100 for adjusting the preset venting pressure of the vent valves of fig1 a , 1 b , 2 or 3 . while the adjustment mechanism 100 can be used with the vent valves 40 of fig2 and 3 , the adjustment mechanism is shown in use with the vent valve 10 of fig1 a and 1b . the adjustment mechanism 100 includes an adjustable fulcrum device 102 which acts as a cam to press down on the upper surface of the cantilever spring 18 intermediate the cantilever spring mounting surface 36 of the mounting block 20 and the free end portion 34 of the cantilever spring 18 . as the fulcrum device 102 is rotated to press downward on the upper surface of the cantilever spring 18 with more force , the preset venting pressure of the vent valve 10 is increased due to greater cantilever spring deflection . as the fulcrum device 102 is rotated to press downward on the upper surface of the cantilever spring 18 with less force , the preset venting pressure of the vent valve 10 is decreased due to lower cantilever spring deflection . the fulcrum device 102 can also be used on the vent valves 40 by locating the fulcrum device 102 to press down on the upper surface of the cantilever spring 42 intermediate the axis of the pivot pin 60 and the free end portion 44 of the cantilever spring 42 . as the fulcrum device 102 is rotated to press downward on the upper surface of the cantilever spring 42 with more force , the preset venting pressure of the vent valve 40 is increased due to greater cantilever spring deflection . as the fulcrum device 102 is rotated to press downward on the upper surface of the cantilever spring 42 with less force , the preset venting pressure of the vent valve 40 is decreased due to lower cantilever spring deflection . the fulcrum device 102 is mounted on a shaft 104 , which is in turn suspended in a bracket or pair of brackets 106 mounted on the module housing . the fulcrum device 102 itself can be of various shapes such as but not limited to triangular , as shown , an elliptical cam , or any other shape that will provide the desired deflection in the cantilever spring 18 or 42 . the above adjustment mechanisms are a few examples of the adjustment mechanisms that can be used to control the preset venting pressures of the vent valves of the present invention . the actual adjustment mechanisms used for a particular application is dependent on the requirements of the particular installation . the cantilever springs themselves can be of various shapes , and can be adjusted in various ways . there may also be circumstances where it is desirable to use the adjustable fulcrum in fig5 c in combination with the formed valve spring and adjustment systems in either fig4 a and 4b or 5 a and 5 b . once this specification has been read , other devices or combinations of devices might easily be created by anyone of ordinary skill in the art . of primary importance with regard to the preferred embodiments of the present invention is that the vent valve must be adjustable to provide the proper preset venting pressure for different size occupants . fig6 a shows another variation 108 of the vent valve of the present invention wherein the vent valve 108 can be pre - assembled , calibrated , and furnished as a kit for installation on various airbag modules . the cantilever spring 110 of the vent valve 108 and the mounting of the cantilver spring on the valve base 112 of the vent valve 108 is like the vent valve 40 of fig2 . the valve base 112 is like to the valve base 48 , shown in fig2 and 3 , of the vent valve 40 , except for an extension 114 which has an integral pair of lugs 116 for mounting an actuating cam 118 . this arrangement is further clarified by the exploded view in fig6 b , which shows the relationship and method of mounting the actuating cam 118 the valve base 112 . a cam shaft 120 passes through a tubular section 121 of the actuating cam 118 and aligned holes 122 in the mounting lugs 116 to pivotally secure the actuating cam 118 to the valve base 112 . the cam shaft 120 has a small flattened portion 124 which , when assembled , matches the location of a threaded hole 126 in the actuating cam 118 . at assembly , a set screw 128 is tightened firmly against the flat area 124 , so that input torque from the actuating mechanism or arm 130 will reliably rotate the cam 118 . the vent valves of the present invention , as previously described , can either be manufactured and assembled to airbag modules , or furnished as kits independent of airbag systems and module design and manufacture . depending on the airbag system manufacturer &# 39 ; s requirements , kit parts can be identified and furnished as a bag of loose parts or pre - assembled , as discussed above . numerous variables may be considered and incorporated into the kits depending on the user &# 39 ; s needs . for example , vent valves may be designed for bolting , riveting , crimping , clamping , or welding to the airbag module . actuating methods and mechanisms may vary also depending on specific intended installations . pre - set venting pressure ranges , and even vent port sizes , may also vary depending on specific system requirements . fig7 shows another mechanism 140 to increase the efficiency of the vent valve system of the present invention . when an airbag deploys , an initial pressure spike occurs . this is caused by a resisting force imposed by the module cover , by the inertia of the airbag fabric , and by any resistance to unfolding . some locking of the folds also occurs as parts of the airbag inflate ( gas fails to pass through the folds and pressure in the inflated section of the airbag pinches the folds tighter ). since the vent valves of the present invention have a very short response time , the vent valves will briefly open as this pressure pulse occurs . this brief opening and associated leakage is acceptable for most applications , but an optimum design would minimize or eliminate this opening . doing so will conserve gas , and minimize the required size and weight of the inflator . the mechanism 140 includes a sleeve 142 , a tubular part with a circular or generally circular transverse cross section , which is permanently attached to an airbag retainer 144 to form a sliding canister 146 . the sliding canister 146 holds a portion of the airbag fabric which is folded and packed within the sliding canister 146 . the remainder of the airbag ( not shown ) is packed in an extended portion of the housing 148 , and is held in place by the module cover ( not shown ). the sliding canister 146 is shown in its pre - inflated position with the sleeve 142 completely covering a vent port 150 . the airbag retainer 144 of the sliding canister is located a short distance from the inflator 152 to prevent intimate contact between the airbag fabric and the inflator 152 , and to provide some initial volume for the gases from the inflator . during the inflation cycle , initial pressure is confined to the initial volume surrounding the inflator 152 . this pressure acts upon the entire cross section area of the sliding canister 146 ( and the packed airbag ), and forces everything toward the exit of the airbag module ( toward the left as shown in fig7 ). as this motion proceeds , the airbag fabric will be compressed slightly , and the cover will be forced open . then , as the initial pressure spike subsides , further movement of the sliding canister 146 uncovers vent ports 150 , allowing the vent valves of the present invention , such as but not limited to the vent valve 40 shown in fig7 to control vent flow of inflation gases . when the vent ports 150 are fully open , the canister 146 stops against shoulder 154 , and the airbag continues to deploy . even though the vent ports 150 are initially closed , the vent valves 40 can still protect against a severe oops ( occupant very close to the airbag module ) because the canister motion required to open the vent valves is very short . also , if the airbag were to strike an occupant during the very early stage of deployment , the inflation gases only act on an effective area equal to the cross section of the housing bore . the resulting force is much less than if the airbag were partially inflated , thus minimizing potential injury to the occupant . even though this pressure blocking arrangement is described relative to a round airbag housing , the same principle may be applied to square or rectangular modules . all that is necessary is to provide a sliding canister , similar to the canister 146 , just inside the module housing that conforms to the interior transverse cross section of the module housing . fig8 a and 8b are schematic diagrams to illustrate possible system arrangements , the first with a manual control , the latter with a sensor / servo control . even though round airbag modules with cam rings are indicated , there are many other possible system arrangements and variations that could be designed by anyone of ordinary skill in the art once that person has read this specification . in describing the invention , certain embodiments have been used to illustrate the invention and the practices thereof . however , the invention is not limited to these specific embodiments as other embodiments and modifications within the spirit of the invention will readily occur to those skilled in the art on reading this specification . thus , the invention is not intended to be limited to the specific embodiments disclosed , but is to be limited only by the claims appended hereto .

an energy absorbing airbag system includes one or more vent valve assemblies for controlling the release of airbag inflation gases to maintain inflation gas pressure within an airbag at a substantially constant pressure during a ride - down of an energy absorbing event . each vent valve assembly includes a cantilever spring that is flat in an unstressed condition and that has a free end portion . the cantilever spring is secured to an exterior surface of the airbag housing and flexed to cause the second free end portion of the cantilever spring to be pressed , with a preset force , against a vent port or a closure covering the vent port to seal the vent port until inflation gas pressure within the airbag reaches a preselected value determined by the preset force whereupon the free end portion of the cantilever spring is lifted from the vent port by the inflation gases within the airbag to vent the inflation gases from within the airbag . the resilience of the cantilever spring maintains a substantially constant pressure within the airbag during a ride - down portion of an energy absorbing event by causing the cantilever spring to vent gases through the vent port whenever the pressure of the inflation gases reaches the preselected value and by causing the cantilever spring to close the vent port whenever the pressure of the inflation gases falls below the preselected value .

fig1 illustrates an exploded view of a small battery cell 10 including a plurality of component members which align in a casing member 12 . aligned centrally in the casing member 12 is spirally wound electrode assembly 14 having a negative electrode 16 , a first separator 18 , a positive electrode 20 and a second separator 22 arranged as a layer and continuously layered over and about itself in spiral fashion in ever increasing radius about a mandrel hole 24 . the electrodes are offset in height with respect to each other . a circular and substantially planar positive current collector 26 aligns in intimate contact to the upper surface 28 of the electrode assembly 14 to physically and electrically contact the positive electrode 20 at a plurality of contact areas , as illustrated in fig2 . a plurality of downwardly extending v - projections 30a - 30n contact the wound positive electrode 20 along and about the top edge of the upper surface 28 . a spring tab 32 extends upwardly at an angle and then extends horizontally parallel to the plane of the positive current collector 26 . the spring tab 32 mates and secures to the bottom side of a positive contact 34 as illustrated in fig2 . a spring 36 aligns over and about the spring tab 32 to effect intimate physical contact with the upper surface of the positive current collector 26 at the lower portion of the spring 36 . the upper portion of the spring 36 intimately contacts and aligns in and is captured in an annular groove 38 in a dome surface 40 of a frangible cover seal 42 . a representative battery seal is u . s . pat . no . 5 , 057 , 386 . spring 36 forces the positive current collector 26 into physical and electrical contact with the positive electrode 20 in the spirally wound electrode assembly 14 . with reference also to fig2 the frangible cover 42 is generally disk shaped including an edge 44 , an upper planar surface 46 , an integral but frangible donut - like center section 48 extending vertically from the upper planar surface 46 , a multi - radius cavity 50 extending through the frangible center section 48 , a lower domed surface 40 and the annular groove 38 in the dome surface 40 . other components secure into the lower portion of the case 12 to effect a negative contact portion of the battery including , a disk - like negative current collector 52 having a plurality of upwardly extending v - projections 54a - 54n for contact with the wound negative electrode 16 along and about the bottom edge of the electrode assembly lower surface 56 . the integral one piece electrically conducting case 12 houses the previously described components and includes a bottom 58 , a round side 60 , and an upper containment portion 62 formed over and about the edge 44 of the frangible disk 42 including an annular groove 64 and an upper annular surface 66 crimped into sealing engagement with the upper planar surface 46 of the frangible cover 42 . the battery cell can be nickel , cadmium , nickel , metal hydride , lithium ion , lithium polymer , or silver metal hydride with the appropriate electrolyte such as potassium hydroxide . representative uses for the cell can include a cellular telephone or a radio transceiver . fig2 illustrates a cross - sectional view of an assembled cell 10 along line 2 -- 2 of fig1 where all numerals correspond to those elements previously described . illustrated in particular is the overall connection between the pluralities of positive and negative electrodes 20 and 16 to the associated positive and negative members of the cell 10 . it is noted that the lengths of the positive and negative electrodes 20 and 16 are not of the same length as the interspersed first and second separators 18 and 22 , and that a space 68 of ever changing spiral radius is provided over and above the top portion of the negative electrode 16 . the positive electrode 20 extends upwardly beyond the height of the adjacent continued space 68 , and between the upper regions of the first and second separators 18 and 22 where mutual physical and electrical contact with the v - projections 30a - 30n of the positive current collector 26 is established . contact of the v - projections 30a - 30n of the positive current collector 26 with the negative electrode 16 is prevented in this region by the space 68 at the upper surface 28 of the electrode assembly 14 . spring tab 32 located on the positive current collector 26 extends upwardly and horizontally to align to and physically secure to and electrically connect to the underside of the positive contact member 34 . the spring 36 aligns over and about the tab 32 and in the annular groove 38 on the underside of the dome surface 40 and the upper surface of the positive current collector 26 to exert downward pressure upon the positive current collector 26 to ensure contact of the v - projections 30a - 30n with the positive electrode 20 . electrical current flow proceeds through the positive current collector 26 , the spring tab 32 , and the positive contact member 34 . connection to the negative electrode 16 is accomplished in the lower region of the cell 10 . a space 70 is provided over and below the bottom position of the positive electrode 20 much in the same position as for space 68 at the upper portion of the battery 10 . the negative electrode 16 extends downwardly beyond the uppermost region of the adjacent continual space 70 , and between the lower regions of the first and second separators 18 and 22 where mutual physical and electrical contact with the v - projections 54a - 54n of the negative current collector 52 is established . contact of the v - projections 54a - 54n with the positive current electrode 20 is prevented in this region by the continual space 70 at the lower surface 56 of the electrode assembly 14 . the negative current collector 52 is in intimate physical contact and electrical contact with the bottom 58 of the case 12 which is the negative contact member . frangibility of the frangible cover 42 is provided for by a thin annular frangible area 72 designated by heavy dashed black lines between the annular groove 38 and the upper planar surface 46 . should excessive internal pressures occur , the frangible cover 42 separates along the thin frangible annular area 72 to prevent excessive internal pressure build up thereby preventing all explosive or other such catastrophic events . fig3 illustrates the cell 10 of fig2 where the positive current collector 26 has disengaged from the positive electrode 20 where all numerals correspond to those elements previously described . internal gas pressures have caused the positive current collector 26 to move upwardly to physically and electrically disengage the positive electrode 20 from the positive current collector 26 , thus interrupting current flow through the battery to act as a circuit breaker or interrupter . subsequent to battery cool - down or other undesirable occurrences and after reduction of internal pressures , the spring 36 repositions the positive current collector 26 for re - engagement with the positive electrode 20 so that battery operation may once again continue operation . fig4 illustrates the cell 10 of fig2 where the center frangible section 48 has separated and where all numerals correspond to those elements previously described . high internal anomalies causing excessive pressures have caused the frangible thin area 72 to separate , thus allowing the frangible center section 48 to move generally in an upward direction allowing any built - up pressures to escape the case 12 interior . though the frangible area 72 is illustrated as a wide band above the annular groove 38 , breakage can occur anywhere in the frangible area 72 , as illustrated . the breakage can occur in either a small or large arcual path about the frangible area 72 to let internal pressures bleed off . it is appreciated that these internal pressures can cause simultaneous movement of the positive current collector 26 as previously described and of the frangible center section 48 in concert to act as dual safety functions . various modifications can be made to the present invention without departing from the apparent scope hereof .

a small battery cell including a pressure relief and spring disengagement device which vents various internal pressures to the atmosphere to prevent cell bulging or explosion , and also which internally interrupts current flow through the cell due to internal cell overheat , excessive current flow or the like . internal reconnection of cell members reoccurs subsequent to internal thermal or other abnormalities .

&# 34 ; a cell - electrophoretic method &# 34 ; is a method in which the free cells are washed and then added with an antibody , and after reacting them for a given period of time and further washing , the electrophoretic mobility of the cells is measured by an automatic cell - electrophoresis apparatus . in the case where the change of mobility of a reaction antibody ( primary antibody ) of the objective antigen is too small , by using a reaction antibody product ( secondary antibody ) of such primary antibody or a reaction antibody product ( tertiary antibody ) of the secondary antibody , a more definite change can be obtained . in such measurement of electrophoretic mobility , it is not intended to merely measure the average mobility . it is essential to measure the mobility of many cells in a short time while making automatic recording of a histogram pattern and to analyze such pattern . when making cell - electrophoretic measurement measurements using conventional techniques , it is difficult to make measurements of many cells in a short time when the cells make no change yet , and the accuracy of measurement is also low . the method of the present invention is to measure the electrophoretic mobility of the cells by an electrophoretic method with extremely high separability , and from the change of the measured electrophoretic mobility pattern , it is possible to obtain information unobtainable with the conventional methods . ( 1 ) a large number of cells can be analyzed in a short time . ( 2 ) the accuracy of measurement is high since the average electrophoretic mobility of the individual cells can be measured by inverting the electric field . ( 3 ). the minute suspended materials such as platelets , contaminants , etc ., and the agglomerated cells are not measured . ( 4 ) it is possible to use a medium of physiological conditions ( ionic strength i = 0 . 15 moles / l ) as the cell suspension for electrophoresis . regarding ( 4 ) in particular , the research reports show that the measurements have been conducted mostly under the conditions ( ionic strength i = 0 . 005 - 0 . 1 ) lower than the physiological conditions as a result of lowering the electrical conductivity of the cell suspension due to the problems over apparatus and determination techniques , but from the point of view of measuring the live cells , it is desirable to use a cell suspension which meets physiological conditions . the automatic electrophoresis apparatus ( parmoquant : made by veb carl zeiss jena , or kureha chemical industry co ., ltd .) used in the examples shown below is capable of correctly measuring the average electrophoretic mobility of each of a great many of cells by inversion of the electric field , and the measurements are processed into a histogram for mobility . in this case , for the reasons relating to the image treatment , it is desirable to adjust the cell concentration of the specimen in the range of 0 . 5 to 20 × 10 6 cells / ml and the ionic strength of the cell suspension in the range of 0 . 11 to 0 . 21 moles / l , preferably 0 . 13 to 0 . 17 moles / l . the measuring apparatus usable in the present invention , however , is not limited to the automatic electrophoresis apparatus and it is possible to employ other measuring devices that can satisfy the above - mentioned conditions , for instance the devices using laser doppler method , laser grating method or free flowing method . the antibodies usable in the present invention include all types of antibodies to the antigens existing on the cell membrane . it is possible to use not only polyclonal antibodies obtainable from the immunized animals such as rabbit , goat , mouse , horse , sheep , chicken , ape , etc ., but also monoclonal antibodies obtained from cell fusion . man &# 39 ; s antibodies can be also used . the method of the present invention can be applied to the measurement of red blood cells , white blood cells , myeloma cells , cancer cells and various affected cells , and is especially useful for the measurement of subsets of lymphocytes and macrophages where a number of antibodies are produced . it is thus possible to measure even the constructional ratio of particular cells by adding an antibody specific to such cells , measuring the patterns before and after the reaction by the method of the present invention and analyzing such patterns . it is further possible with the method of the present invention to detect the difference between normal cell and affected cell or to detect the change of a cell with the progress of the disease , especially the cell condition in the initial stage of the disease . as explained above , the method of the present invention is useful for the examination of various kinds of affected cells such as tumor cells and the cells affected by such diseases as bronchial asthma , multiple sclerosis , diseases of the nervous system , diseases of the thyroid gland , autoimmune diseases , etc . the present method can be also used for the differentiation of immunity . as apparent from the foregoing description , the method of the present invention is very simple , very effective and accurate measurement method of cells . the present invention will be described in further detail below by way of the embodiments thereof . the sheep red blood cells ( hereinafter abbreviated as srbc ) obtained from the preserved blood of sheep ( supplied from japan bio - material center co ., ltd .) were subjected twice to centrifugal washing with a hanks &# 39 ; balanced salt solution ( hereinafter abbreviated as hbss ). as the antibody , the supernatant of ascites obtained by transplanting the anti - srbc monoclonal antibody ( hereinafter abbreviated as anti - srbc · mc ab ) producing cells prepared in the usual way into the abdominal cavity of mouse was used . normal mouse serum was used as control . the washed srbc were combined with anti - srbc · mc ab or control serum and the mixture allowed to react at 4 ° c . for 30 minutes and , after additional washing , the reaction mixture was subjected to electrophoresis by an automatic electrophoresis apparatus ( parmoquant : made by kureha chemical industry co ., ltd .). the results are shown in fig1 and fig2 . in fig1 letters a , b , c and d represent the results obtained at antibody concentrations of 1 / 100 , 1 / 1000 , 1 / 10000 and 0 , respectively . as shown in fig1 the electrophoretic histogram pattern of srbc shifted to the lower mobility side with increase of antibody concentration . the average mobility also lowered proportionally to antibody concentration in the case of ( a ) where anti - srbc · mc ab was added , as shown in fig2 . on the contrary , control serum ( b ) showed almost no change of mobility by antibody concentration . srbc was obtained from the preserved blood of sheep ( supplied from japan bio - material center co ., ltd .) and mouse red blood cell ( hereinafter abbreviated as mrbc ) from the peripheral blood of icr mouse , and srbc and mrbc were respectively subjected twice to centrifugal washing with hbss , followed by the measurement of the number of the cells . both srbc and mrbc were adjusted to a cell concentration of 1 × 10 7 cells / ml , and the suspensions of srbc and mrbc were mixed in the ratio of 1 : 1 . to the mixed suspension was added anti - srbc · mc ab in a ratio of 100 μl to 1 ml of the suspension , and the mixture was reacted at 4 ° c . for 30 minutes . the reaction mixture was then washed twice with a culture medium ( eagle &# 39 ; s mem ) and then the electrophoretic mobility pattern was measured by an automatic electrophoresis apparatus ( parmoquant , made by kureha chemical industry co ., ltd .). the electrophoresis was conducted at a current of 12 . 5 ma and a temperature of 24 ° c . similar measurements were conducted on the specimens prepared by reacting 1 : 1 mixture of srbc and mrbc with anti - srbc · mc ab of various concentrations . the obtained results are shown in fig3 . as seen from fig3 single mrbc ( a ) and single srbc ( b ) showed the mobility patterns which resembled each other , but the mixture thereof ( c ) showed a pattern having a broad peak . when anti - srbc · mc ab was added to this mixed system , the peak of srbc shifted to the low mobility side as the antibody concentration increased ( d = 1 / 10000 , e = 1 / 1000 , f = 1 / 100 ), but the peak of mrbc remained substantially unchanged . suspensions of srbc and mrbc , each with a cell concentration of 1 × 10 7 cells / ml , were prepared according to the method of example 2 , and these suspensions were mixed in the srbc : mrbc ratios of 0 : 10 ( single mrbc ,( a )), 2 : 8 ( b ), 5 : 5 ( c ), 8 : 2 ( d ) and 10 : 0 ( single srbc , ( e )). the electrophoretic mobility patterns of srbc , mrbc and mixtures thereof have a broad peak as shown in fig4 and it is impossible to separate the peak of srbc and the peak of mrbc . to each of the cell suspensions was added anti - srbc · mc ab in a ratio of 1 / 100 for reacting the mixture at 4 ° c . for 30 minutes , and after washing , the electrophoretic mobility patterns were measured under the same conditions as in example 2 , obtaining the results shown in fig5 . as seen from fig5 ( in which a to e represent the same as in fig4 ), the peak of srbc , shifted to the vicinity of 0 . 7 μm / sec / v / cm , and the peak size changed in accordance with the cell mixing ratio . fig6 a shows the relation between mixing ratio of srbc and average mobility , while fig6 b shows the relation between mixing ratio of srbc and ratio of the cell group having a peak in the vicinity of 0 . 7 μm / sec / v / cm as determined from the electrophoretic mobility pattern . both patterns are substantially in accordance with each other , and this fact certifies that the cell mixing ratio can be measured by the method of the present invention . in fig6 a , a represents the case where no anti - srbc · mc ab was added , and b represents the case where it was added . histiocytic lymphoma cell line u 937 ( human macrophage - like cell line ) ( s . maruyama et al : recordings of the general meeting of japan immunological society , 11 , 443 ( 1981 )) derived from human macrophage ( hereinafter abbreviated as mφ ) and anti - human macrophage monoclonal antibody ( hereinafter abbreviated as anti - mφ · mc ab ) ( made by wako junyaku kogyo kk ) were used . 1 ml of 10 times diluted anti - mφ · mc ab was added to histiocytic lymphoma cell line u 937 which has been washed twice with hbss , and after 30 - minute reaction at 4 ° c ., the mixture was washed twice with hbss and then washed once with eagle &# 39 ; s mem . the electrophoretic patterns of this specimen and mφ were measured with an automatic electrophoresis apparatus ( parmoquant : made by kureha chemical industry co ., ltd .) under the same conditions as in example 2 . the results are shown in fig7 . in the case of ( b ) where anti - mφ · mc ab was added , the peak of the pattern shifted to the low mobility side as compared with the case of ( a ) where no anti - mφ · mc ab was added . 0 . 5 ml of peripheral blood was collected from a normal person and from a patient of autoimmune hemolytic anemia . 0 . 5 ml of heparin was added to each blood sample and the mixture was washed twice with mem , added with anti - human igg antibody ( made by miles - yeda ) in an amount of 280 μg to 5 × 10 7 cells / ml and incubated at 25 ° c . for 20 minutes . then the reaction mixture was washed once with mem and subjected to the measurement of electrophoretic mobility in the same way as example 2 . the similar measurement was also made on the specimens to which no anti - human igg antibody was added . the results are shown in fig8 in which 1 represents the specimens obtained from the normal person and 2 the specimens obtained from the patient of autoimmune hemolytic anemia , and also a represents the case where no antibody was added and b the case where the antibody was added . in the case of the normal person , as indicated by 1 in fig8 the average mobility remained substantially unchanged at about 0 . 98 μm / sec / v / cm whether the antibody was added or not , but in the case of the patient of hemolytic anemia , as indicated by 2 in fig8 the electrophoretic mobility lowered with the addition of the antibody , showing a 9 % decrease of average mobility from 1 . 00 μm / sec / v / cm to 0 . 91 μm / sec / v / cm . from this change of mobility pattern , it can be assumed that almost all of the red blood cells of the patient are deposited with the anti - human igg antibody . for , in case the normal red blood cells exist partly , there will be obtained a pattern which slopes down wider to the high mobility side near 1 . 0 μm / sec / v / cm .

disclosed herein is a method for examining cells , comprising subjecting the cells to an antigen - antibody reaction treatment , then measuring a pattern of the electrophoretic mobility of the cells and comparing the electrophoretic property of the cells under examination with the electrophoretic property of standard cells .

a disc replica containing geometrically coded audio / video information is first prepared in a manner described in the above mentioned clemens &# 39 ; patents . suitably the disc material is a vinyl such as polyvinyl chloride . next , a conductive layer is deposited onto the vinyl discs . suitably the conductive layer is a bilayer comprised of a first thin copper layer and a second thin layer of nickel / chromium / iron alloy wherein the iron content is less than 10 % by weight and the oxygen content is about 5 to about 20 atomic percent . atomic percent as employed in the specification and in the claims is defined as that measured by auger electron spectroscopy which is described in more detail in u . s . pat . no . 3 , 982 , 066 to nyman et al . the deposited copper layer is approximately 25 to 50 angstroms thick and the deposited nickel / chromium / iron alloy layer is about 100 to 400 angstroms thick . according to the present invention , a polymeric dielectric layer formed from acetylene and nitrogen in a glow discharge is than deposited on the conductive layer . suitably the deposited polymeric layer is about 50 to 500 angstroms thick . the deposited polymeric layer contains from about 1 . 5 to about 8 atomic percent of nitrogen and preferably from about 2 . 5 to about 5 atomic percent of nitrogen . the amount of acetylene and nitrogen in the deposited layer will depend on the relative amounts of acetylene and nitrogen in the glow discharge plasma . the manner of obtaining sufficient amounts of acetylene and nitrogen in the glow discharge will depend on whether a batch or continuous process is employed . for example , when a batch process is employed for deposition , the chamber containing the disc , such as a conventional vacuum bell jar , is first evacuated to about 10 - 6 torr . before the glow is initiated , nitrogen is introduced to produce a partial pressure of about 5 to 30 microns and acetylene monomer is introduced to produce a total pressure of about 10 to 80 microns , with the partial pressure ratio of nitrogen to acetylene at from about 0 . 2 : 1 to about 5 : 1 . when the glow is initiated it contains sufficient nitrogen to produce dielectric layers containing from about 1 . 5 to about 8 atomic percent of nitrogen . the equilibrium pressure during glow discharge is from about 6 to 60 microns . when a continuous apparatus is used for depositing the dielectric layer , such as is described in greater detail in the above mentioned copending application to g . kagonowicz and j . w . robinson , a glow discharge containing sufficient quantities of acetylene and nitrogen can be obtained by controlling the introduction rate of the acetylene and the nitrogen , and the pressure of the glow discharge . for example , when vinyl discs 30 . 5 cm in diameter are to be coated at the rate of 720 per hour , the acetylene is introduced at a rate of about 30 to 300 standard cubic centimeters per minute ( sccm ) and the nitrogen is introduced at a rate of about 50 to 300 sccm . the glow discharge is then activated and maintained at a pressure of about 5 to 15 microns . after the dielectric layer has been deposited , a lubricant layer can be deposited in accordance with the manner described in the above mentioned copending application to grubb et al . suitably utilizing methyl alkyl siloxane lubricants having the formula : ## str1 ## wherein r is an alkyl group of 4 - 20 carbon atoms and x is an integer . suitable lubricant layer thicknesses are from about 90 to 400 angstroms and preferably about 200 to 250 angstroms . since the metal layers , dielectric layer and lubricant layer may be deposited under vacuum conditions in a continuous manner , a single apparatus may be employed for depositing all the layers which allows for rapid processing of the video disc . alternatively , the methyl alkyl siloxane lubricant can be applied by spinning from solution . the figure is a cross - sectional top view which schematically illustrates a vacuum chamber 10 which is divided into three connecting evacuated chambers , a metal deposition chamber 11 , a dielectric deposition chamber 12 , and an oil lubricant deposition chamber 13 . vinyl disc replicas 14 containing geometrically coded audio / video information are transported into the vacuum chamber 10 , which is maintained at about 3 to 12 microns during operation via an inlet pressure lock 17 . the vinyl discs 14 are loaded singly in a vertical position onto a continuously moving conveyor belt 20 . the video discs are first conveyed into the metal deposition chamber 11 where metal layers are sputtered onto both sides of each vinyl disc 14 . the vinyl discs 14 are then conveyed through a tunnel 31 into the dielectric deposition chamber 12 . in accordance with the present invention a dielectric layer prepared from acetylene and nitrogen is deposited in a glow discharge . the acetylene is added through a valve 34 and a line 35 and the nitrogen is supplied through a valve 36 and a line 37 . both are added as gases . a glow discharge is created by supplying an electrical current to pairs of screen electrodes 39 located in the chamber 12 and positioned on both sides of the vinyl discs 14 . magnets 38 are used to confine the discharge . from 1 to 3 pairs of electrodes may be employed , depending upon the desired rate of deposition and layer thickness . the glow discharge activates the acetylene monomer which copolymerizes with the nitrogen at the surface of the discs 14 . current from about 0 . 5 to about 3 . 0 amperes and at a frequency of about 10 kilohertz is supplied to each of the pairs of electrodes 39 at a power of about 300 to about 1 , 500 watts . the current can be varied to regulate the thickness and the degree of cross - linking of the deposited film and to regulate the heat buildup of the disc , which should not exceed about 130 ° f . ( 54 ° c .). the density of the screen electrodes 39 ( open area / total area ) regulates the amount of energy available to the acetylene and nitrogen surrounding the vinyl disc and affects the deposition thickness of the dielectric layer . suitable screen densities are from about 0 % ( plates ) to about 30 %. after the vinyl discs 14 are coated with the dielectric layer they are conveyed into the oil lubricant deposition chamber 13 through a second tunnel 40 and coated with an oil lubricant . the discs 14 now coated with a metal layer , a dielectric layer , and a lubricant oil layer , are conveyed into a disc collection area 60 where they are removed from the vacuum chamber by way of an outlet pressure lock 63 . the following examples are presented to further describe the invention but it is not meant to limit the invention to the details described therein . in this example vinyl disc replicas , each approximately 30 . 5 cm in diameter and containing geometrically coded audio / video information in a spiral groove ( 5 , 555 grooves per inch ) were coated with conductive layers , dielectric layers , and lubricant layers utilizing a continuous deposition apparatus as described above . the vinyl discs were coated at a rate of 720 per hour . the deposited conductive layer was a bilayer consisting of a first copper layer about 50 angstroms thick and then an alloy layer of inconel - 600 ( 76 . 8 % nickel , 13 . 8 % chromium and 8 . 5 % iron ) about 200 angstroms thick . the deposited polymeric dielectric layer contained about 4 . 0 atomic percent of nitrogen and the layer was about 115 angstroms thick . in the dielectric chamber the nitrogen was introduced at 95 sccm and produced a partial pressure of 8 microns in the chamber . the glow was activated by supplying 600 watts of electrical power at a frequency of 10 kilohertz to each of three pairs of electrodes for a total power of 1800 watts . the acetylene monomer was then introduced at a rate of 96 sccm and produced a total pressure of 11 microns . in the lubricant chamber a lubricant was added to the vaporizer at the rate of 6 ml / hr . the lubricant was a silicon compound having a viscosity of about 49 . 0 centistokes at 25 ° c . and a specific gravity of 0 . 89 and having the formula ## str2 ## the vaporizer was maintained at a temperature of about 250 ° c ., and the lubricant chamber was maintained at about 5 microns pressure . the deposited lubricant layer was about 220 angstroms thick . about 50 coated vinyl discs were stored at 90 ° f . ( 32 ° c .) and 50 % relative humidity for 1 year and then repeatedly played back by contacting the rotating disc with the stylus as described in the clemens &# 39 ; patents . after 1000 playbacks all the video discs tested continued to function properly producing audio / visual information . video discs were prepared as described in example 1 of the above mentioned copending application to g . kaganowicz and j . w . robinson . these discs contained a dielectric layer prepared from styrene and nitrogen . the total power supplied to the electrodes in the dielectric chamber was 3250 watts , as compared to a total power 1800 watts utilized in the example of this invention . about 30 video discs were tested in a manner similar to the example of this invention and it was found that approximately 25 % of the control records were worn out after 1000 plays compared with none in the example of the present invention .

this invention relates to a video disc with a thin polymeric dielectric layer formed from acetylene and nitrogen in a glow discharge . the dielectric layer has improved age deterioration resistance and wear characteristics and can be prepared with low power levels .

the sam &# 39 ; s of the present invention are formed by reacting a metal oxide or silicon oxide substrate having a transition metal alkoxide surface layer with an organic compound capable of reacting with the transition metal alkoxide to form a covalent bond between a ligand of the organic compound and the transition metal . the transition metal is selected from group ivb , group vb or group vib of the periodic chart . the alkoxides of this layer are covalently bonded by the transition metal to the surface oxygens of the substrate . by reacting organic compounds with the transition metal alkoxide layer , organic transition metal ligands are formed as a sam on the substrate surface , covalently bonded at the transition metal to the surface oxygens of the substrate . the conditions under which the organic compounds are reacted with the transition metal alkoxide surface layer of the metal oxide or silicon oxide substrate are not critical , and may be performed at ambient temperature and pressure . for example , a substrate having a transition metal alkoxide coating may be immersed in a solution containing an excess quantity of an organic compound such as a solution of a carboxylic acid or a suitable pi - electron delocalized compound in a non - polar solvent such as iso - octane . a dilute solution concentration of the organic compound should be employed , typically between about 1 . 0 mm and about 100 mm . the substrate will then be removed from the solution , rinsed with the iso - octane solvent , or another non - reactive solvent , and then dried to provide a substrate having an organic sam . preferably , the organic compound is deposited on the transition metal alkoxide layer of the substrate using conventional vapor deposition techniques and equipment . the strength of the vacuum to be applied will depend upon the vapor pressure of the organic compound . compounds with low vapor pressures will require a high vacuum . otherwise , ambient temperatures are employed , and an excess of the organic compound should be used to ensure a complete reaction . preferably , the transition metal alkoxide layer of the substrate should not be exposed to ambient moisture prior to being reacted . the reaction proceeds by the transfer of a proton from the organic compound to the alkoxide of the transition metal , forming the corresponding alkanol and an organic ligand of the transition metal . once the reaction is complete , the vacuum is maintained in order to draw off any excess of the organic compound and the alkanol byproduct . suitable organic compounds include , but are not limited to carboxylic acids and pi - electron delocalized compounds capable of reacting with a transition metal alkoxide to covalently bond a ligand of the compound to the transition metal . essentially any organic carboxylic acid capable of forming a sam on a metal oxide or silicon oxide surface is suitable for use with the present invention . the carboxylic acid may be saturated or unsaturated , branched or unbranched , substituted or unsubstituted , and may be aromatic or non - aromatic . one example of a substituted carboxylic acid is a halogen - substituted carboxylic acid , with the preferred halogen being fluorine . the carboxylic acid may be a monocarboxylic acid , dicarboxylic acid , or an anhydride of a dicarboxylic acid . typical carboxylic acids will contain between 2 and 20 carbon atoms ( exclusive of the carbonyl carbon ), and preferably will contain between 3 and 18 carbon atoms . stearic acid is one of the preferred carboxylic acids . a preferred class of carboxylic acids are unsaturated carboxylic acids , which , after formation of the sam , may be polymerized to form a single self - assembled polymer monolayer . a preferred class of unsaturated carboxylic acids are the vinyl carboxylic acids such as acrylic acids , methacrylic acid , maleic acid , and the like . halogen - substituted acrylates are preferred , particularly chlorine and fluorine , so that the resulting sam can be fully polymerized to obtain a single self - assembled poly ( vinyl chloride ) or fluoropolymer monolayer coating . cinnamic acid could also be employed , so that the resulting sam could be fully polymerized to obtain a self - assembled polystyrene monolayer . essentially any pi - electron delocalized compound capable of reacting with a transition metal alkoxide to covalently bond a ligand of the ring compound to the transition metal is suitable for use with the present invention . particularly useful compounds are pi - electron delocalized aromatic ring compounds . a particularly preferred aromatic ring compound is a phenol , which has a relatively acidic hydrogen that is readily transferred to the transition metal alkoxide to initiate a reaction that results in the formation of a transition metal phenolate . five - membered heteroaromatic ring compounds having proton - donating ring substituents capable of reacting with the transition metal alkoxide are also desirable because of their high degree of pi - electron delocalization . examples of such rings include furan , thiophene and pyrrole . the metal oxide or silicon oxide substrate having a transition metal alkoxide surface layer that is reactive with the organic carboxylic acid to produce the sam of the present invention is obtained by reacting the substrate with a transition metal polyalkoxide . alkoxides of transition metals selected from group ivb , group vb and group vib of the periodic chart are suitable for use with the present invention , with group ivb transition metals being preferred . titanium ( ti ) and zirconium ( zr ) are the preferred group ivb transition metals , with zr being most preferred . depending upon the position of the transition metal on the periodic chart , the transition metal alkoxide will have from two to six alkoxide groups . preferred alkoxide groups have from 2 to 4 carbon atoms , such as ethoxide , propoxide , iso - propoxide , butoxide , iso - butoxide and tert - butoxides . transition metal tetra - alkoxides are preferred , with the most preferred transition metal tetra - alkoxide being zirconium tetra tert - butoxide . with group ivb transition metal tetra - alkoxides , at least one of the alkoxide groups reacts with surface oxygens of the metal oxide or silicon oxide substrate to form covalent bonds between the surface oxygens and the transition metal . the surface oxygens are in the form of hydroxyl groups , so that this reaction also proceeds by proton transfer from the oxide surface to an alkoxide group of a transition metal , again producing an equivalent quantity of the corresponding alkanol . at least one alkoxide group does not react and remains available for reaction with organic compounds to form an organic ligand sam covalently bonded to transition metals . group vb transition metals form penta - alkoxides and oxo - trialkoxides that are suitable for use with the present invention . both types of compounds also react by proton transfer to covalently bond the transition metal to substrate oxygens and produce an equivalent quantity of an alkanol byproduct . at least one alkoxide group does not react and is available for subsequent reaction with an organic compound to form a sam . while group vb transition metals also form dioxo - monoalkoxides , such compounds are not suitable for use with the present invention because , after being reacted with the substrate surface , the are no remaining alkoxide groups available for reaction to form a sam . group vib transition metals form hexa - alkoxides , oxo - tetra - alkoxides and dioxo - dialkoxides that are all suitable for use with the present invention . these compounds also react by proton transfer to covalently bond the transition metal to substrate oxygens , producing an equivalent quantity of an alkanol and leaving at least one unreacted alkoxide group for subsequent reaction to form an sam . advantageously , many of the transition metal alkoxides suitable for use with the present invention are commercially available . this includes the preferred zirconium tetra tert - butoxide , which may be obtained from aldrich chemical . however the transition metal alkoxides may also be prepared by conventional techniques by reacting a halide or oxo - halide of the selected transition metal , depending on the desired number of alkoxide groups , with the corresponding alkoxide of a metal selected from group i or group ii of the periodic chart . the substrate may be reacted with the transition metal alkoxide by immersion in a dilute ( 1 . 0 mm to 100 mm ) solution of the alkoxide in a non - reactive solvent , such as a lower alkane like iso - octane , a lower di - alkyl ether or tetrahydrofuran ( thf ). or , again , the reaction may also be performed by vapor deposition . in both instances , an excess of transition metal alkoxide is employed , and the reaction then performed at ambient temperature . with solvent immersion , when the reaction is complete , the transition metal alkoxide layer obtained is rinsed with a solvent such as a lower alkane like iso - octane , a lower dialkyl ether , thf , and the like , and then dried . with vapor deposition , upon completion of the reaction the vacuum should once again be maintained to remove excess transition metal alkoxide and alkanol byproduct . as noted above , the transition metal alkoxide layer formed on the substrate preferably should not be exposed to ambient moisture before being reacted with an organic compound to form a sam . therefore , a particularly preferred reaction is a two - stage vapor deposition process in which the transition metal alkoxide is first vapor deposited on the substrate . when the reaction is complete , vacuum is applied to remove excess transition metal alkoxide and alkanol by - product , which is then followed by vapor deposition of the organic compound , so that the transition metal alkoxide layer on the substrate is never exposed to ambient moisture . upon completion of the reaction with the organic compound , the vacuum is then applied to withdraw excess organic compound and alkanol byproduct . substrates suitable for use with the present invention include any metal or metalloid capable of forming a native oxide overlayer , and essentially any substrate capable of being provided with an oxide overlayer coating by conventional techniques . the substrate may thus be a metal , alloy or metalloid with an actual native oxide overlayer , or a metal alloy or metalloid having an oxide overlayer physically produced by well - known oxidative conditions such as exposure to air and / or moisture . a non - metal or non - metalloid substrate such as a composite material may also be employed having an oxide of a metal deposited thereon by sputtering or having a silicon oxide overlay produced by applying a sol - gel to the substrate . metal oxides may also be deposited on a metal or metal alloy substrate by sputtering . the metal substrates on which oxide overlayers may be physically produced may be single or mixed metal materials . the preferred single metal substrates include aluminum and iron . indium tin oxide ( ito ) is a non - native mixed metal oxide preferred for electronics end - use applications involving , for example , electrode processes . ito is preferably applied to substrates by conventional techniques , such as sputtering . the preferred metalloid is silicon . as noted above , the method of the present invention may be employed to prepare sam &# 39 ; s of polymerizable unsaturated carboxylic acids such as acrylic acid that may be subsequently polymerized to form a single self - assembled polymeric monolayer coating on the substrate . unexpectedly , when acrylic acid and methacrylic acid are employed , the polymerization proceeds spontaneously upon exposure to air . for less reactive coatings , the polymerization can be performed by exposing the coating to conventional polymerization reagents and conditions . the method of the present invention may also be employed to prepare passivating transition metal oxide coatings having improved substrate adhesion . such transition metal oxide coatings are obtained by reacting the organic ligand sam &# 39 ; s of the present invention with a basic solution capable of hydrolyzing the transition metal ligand , such as a 0 . 001 n to about a 1 . 0 n solution of a caustic material such as naoh , koh , nh 4 oh , and the like . lewis bases capable of hydrolyzing the organic ligands may also be used . the transition metal alkoxide coatings may also be directly converted to transition metal oxide coatings , without first forming an organic ligand sam , by thermolysis of the transition metal alkoxide coatings at temperatures above 300 ° k , preferably between about 400 ° k and about 500 ° k . the following non - limiting examples set forth hereinbelow illustrate certain aspects of the present invention . they are not to be considered limiting as to the scope and nature of the present invention . in the examples which follow , all parts are by weight . all reagents were obtained from aldrich chemical unless otherwise noted . propionic acid ( 99 + percent ), octanoic acid ( 99 . 5 + percent ) and stearic acid ( 99 . 5 + percent ) were used as received . tetra ( tert - butoxy ) zirconium ( tbz ) was distilled at 10 - 1 torr and 80 ° c . the distilled product was stored in a nitrogen dry box , in the dark , and at - 40 ° c . until needed . otherwise , solvents were used as purchased . quartz crystals were obtained from valpey fisher , inc . ( 5 . 5 mhz , 3 / 4 inch diameter , 3 micron fine polish ). aluminum wire used for the deposition of the aluminum substrates was obtained from alfa ( 1 mn diameter , 99 . 999 percent pure ). infrared experiments were performed in a nicolett 730 ft - ir spectrometer . the glancing angle attachment used , a variable angle specular reflectance model 500 , was obtained from spectra tech . the angle between the surface normal and the incident beam was approximately 87 °. the sample was purged with nitrogen for half an hour to reduce the amount of water on the surface . 1 , 000 scans were needed to obtain a reasonable signal to noise ratio . all spectra obtained were ratioed against a spectrum of a clean aluminum oxide surface . the contact angles were measured at room temperature and ambient conditions on a tantec contact angle meter cam - f1 . quartz crystals ( 5 . 5 mhz ) were cleaned before use by soaking first in concentrated , aqueous naoh , then concentrated h 2 so 4 , followed by copious rinsing with distilled water . the crystals were then oven - dried . electrodes were vapor - deposited onto the crystals using an edwards coating system e306a operating at & lt ; 10 - 6 torr . electrodes were prepared as 200 nm aluminum layers deposited directly onto the quartz crystals ; the geometrical electrode overlap area , on the basis of planar measurement was 0 . 27 cm 2 . air was admitted into the chamber after aluminum deposition , and the quartz crystal microbalance ( qcm ) electrodes were further hydroxylated by being exposed to water vapor at 80 ° c . for four hours . hydroxylated qcm electrodes were evacuated for approximately 15 hours and were stored in the dry box prior to use . profilimetry , scanning electron microscopy imaging , and an optical micrograph of the oxidized qcm electrodes all showed qualitatively rough surfaces . the quartz crystal microbalance ( qcm ) was driven by a home - built clapp oscillator and powered by a hewlett packard 6234a dual output power supply . the frequency of the crystal was measured using a hewlett packard 5334b universal counter and a record of the frequencies was tracked using a laboratory computer . a change in the observed frequency indicated a change in the mass of the crystal . to insure that all the frequency changes were attributable to the deposition of the reactants , the frequency of the crystal was monitored before and after exposure to reactants . the reproduction of the documented formation of self - assembled monolayers on aluminum oxide in an iso - octane solution , using stearic acid was accomplished successfully . a 1 mm solution of stearic acid was prepared for deposition on fresh aluminum films . the aluminum substrates were immersed in the solution for 24 hours , then washed with fresh iso - octane . the presence of a stearic acid film was confirmed by ir spectroscopy . the self - assembled monolayer alignments were confirmed by contact angle measurements . washing the substrates after they were immersed in the carboxylic acid solutions aided in the removal of molecules that were not bound to the aluminum , but were merely sitting on the surface . the films formed in solution were not very stable . the stearic acid film , which formed in 24 hours , was removed by anhydrous ethyl ether under mild conditions in the same amount of time . the monolayer - coated aluminum substrate was placed in the ether at room temperature without using any stirring device . removal of a significant portion of the film within 90 minutes was confirmed by ir spectroscopy . after removing the monolayer , it was possible to establish another monolayer on the aluminum surface by repeating the same technique . this could be done repeatedly , but there was a gradual erosion of the aluminum substrate . from the ir information , it was apparent that the interaction between the carboxylic acid and the metal oxide substrate surface was weak , as illustrated by the ability to produce and remove the monolayer under mild conditions . the nature of the interaction is apparently hydrogen bonding between the acid and the hydroxyls on the surface of the metal . apparently , covalent bonds are not formed because , if they were , much more vigorous conditions would be required to remove the carboxylic acid from the surface of the metal oxide . an evacuable reaction chamber equipped with two separate inlet ports was used . a qcm electrode ensemble was assembled within the chamber and connected via ports to a power supply and frequency recorder . distilled tbz ( ca . 300 mg ) was placed in a small vial attached to one port via a high - vacuum stopcock , and octanoic acid ( ca . 300 mg ) was placed in a second small vial attached to the other inlet port via a high - vacuum stopcock . both were degassed by three freeze - pump thaw cycles . the assembly was isolated from the two organic reagents and was evacuated for two hours at ca . 10 - 5 torr . with the vessel opened to the vacuum system , the qcm was exposed to tbz by opening the appropriate stopcock . after reaction with the electrode surface was complete as measured by the qcm , the tbz - containing vial stopcock was closed , and the qcm - containing vessel was evacuated at ca . 10 - 5 torr for approximately one hour . following reaction of the qcm surface with tbz , the octanoic acid - containing vial stopcock was opened and the treated qcm surface was exposed to octanoic acid vapor . after reaction with the electrode surface was complete as measured by the qcm , the qcm - containing vessel was evacuated for ca . three hours . pre - cleaned glass slides ( vwr scientific ) were deposited with aluminum electrodes as described above for qcm crystals . the slides were then reacted with tbz and octanoic acid as described above for qcm crystals . changes in qcm frequency confirmed the sequential deposition of tbz and octanoic acid on the qcm electrode surfaces . a frequency change corresponding to loss of coating weight did not occur when the coated qcm electrode was maintained in the evacuated chamber . ir spectroscopy confirmed the presence of a zirconium octanoate film on the surface of the aluminum oxide - coated slides . self - assembled monolayer alignments were confirmed by contact angle measurements . ir analysis of the zirconium octanoate films showed no significant changes after two months of exposure to ambient conditions . nor was any significant change noted in the ir spectrum of a film washed in anhydrous diethyl ether for 24 hours , as in comparative example 1 or in 10 - 3 m octanoic acid in diethyl ether for ten minutes . a procedure similar to that described in experimental example 1 was performed using a single exposure of a qcm electrode ensemble to octanoic acid , without first exposing the electrode to tbz . the qcm frequency was monitored throughout the sequence . when the vacuum was closed , and the qcm electrode exposed to octanoic acid vapors , the initial changes in frequency indicated that an octanoic acid film had formed on the aluminum oxide surface of the electrode . when the vacuum was re - opened , however , the frequency returned to its original value and negated any significant change . thus , if there was any type of film formed , it was adhered to the metal oxide surface by a weak force . the strength of the re - opened vacuum was able to overcome any interaction that the octanoic acid could establish with the metal oxide surface . the qcm experiments showed convincingly that the octanoic acid was not forming stable films on the aluminum oxide surface . the addition of the tbz to the aluminum oxide surface made a significant difference in the stability of the carboxylic acid films . the tbz was reactive with the aluminum oxide , as shown by the large net frequency change . the reactivity of the octanoic acid was enhanced by the presence of the zirconium interfacial complex . the net changes in frequency when a zirconium interfacial complex was present was much greater than when there was a clean oxide surface , for the same period of time . the use of a zirconium interfacial complex also made a more stable organic film than the films made by the octanoic acid alone . the octanoic acid films made on the tbz precursor were not removed by vacuum , like the films directly formed on clean aluminum substrates . the reaction of tbz with an oxidized aluminum - coated glass slide was performed as in experimental example 1 . the surface bound species was exposed to vapor of methacrylic acid at room temperature . ir analysis of the resulting material was taken in air . bands associated with the tert - butoxy group were absent , and new peaks , at 2929 , 2858 , 1541 and 1457 cm - 1 were recorded , indicative of an alkylcarboxylate overlayer . no olefinic peaks were observed . the overlayer was , therefore , polymerized methacrylate . the reaction of tbz with an oxidized aluminum - coated glass slide was performed as in experimental example 1 . the surface bound species was exposed to vapor of perfluorooctanoic acid at room temperature and 10 - 5 torr . ir analysis of the resulting material was taken in air . bands associated with the tert - butoxy group were absent , and new peaks , at 1640 , 1450 ( carboxylate ), 1245 and 1218 ( perfluoroalkyl ) cm - 1 were recorded , indicative of an alkanecarboxylate overlayer . preparation of zirconium oxide overlayer on aluminum oxide by hydrolysis of a zr alkane carboxylate or zr perfluoroalkane the zr alkane carboxylate and zr perfluoroalkane carboxylate films of examples 2 and 3 on oxidized aluminum were exposed to 0 . 01 n naoh in water . the resulting product was washed with water . scanning electron microscopy elemental analysis showed that zro 2 had formed on the surface . preparation of a zirconium oxide overlayer on aluminum oxide by thermolysis of surface ( tert - butoxy ) zirconium species the reaction of tbz with oxided aluminum was performed at room temperature and under reduced pressure . elemental analysis of the resulting material showed di ( tert - butoxy ) zirconium / oxided aluminum when the aluminum surface was previously heavily exposed to water . elemental analysis of the resulting material showed tri ( tert - butoxy ) zirconium / oxided aluminum when the aluminum surface was previously lightly exposed to water . both classes of surface tbz species underwent thermolysis above 300 ° k . ir analysis in each case showed complete loss of the tert - butoxy groups . elemental analysis showed zro 2 remained on the surface . indium tin oxide ( ito ) coatings were deposited on glass laboratory slides by conventional sputtering techniques . the reaction of tbz with the ito - coated glass slide was performed as in experimental example 1 . ir analysis showed the formation of di ( tert - butoxy ) zirconium / ito . the surface bound tbz of the tbz / ito coating of example 6 was exposed to vapor of octanoic acid as in experimental example 1 . ir analysis showed the formation of zirconium - di ( octanoate )/ ito . the results obtained in the foregoing examples indicate a general method for adsorption enhancement of organic sam &# 39 ; s onto any hydroxylated oxide film of a metal , alloy or metalloid capable of reaction with a transition metal alkoxide . the foregoing description of the preferred embodiments should be taken as illustrating , rather than as limiting , the present invention as defined by the claims . numerous variations and combinations of the features described above can be utilized without departing from the present invention .

self - assembled organic ligand monolayers on the surface of a metal oxide or silicon oxide substrate overlayer , wherein transition metal atoms selected from group iv , group v or group vi of the periodic chart are covalently bonded to the surface oxygens of the substrate , and each transition metal atom is further covalently bonded to one or more of the organic ligands of the monolayer , thereby covalently bonding the organic monolayer to the substrate overlayer . methods of forming the self - assembled organic ligand monolayers of the present invention are also disclosed .

in the disclosed embodiments of the present invention a dielectric substrate of a double sided circuit board is clad with two circuit layers , one on each side of the substrate , with at least one of the circuit layers having a three - dimensional connection feature that extends out of the plane of the circuit and into or through a hole in the dielectric to extend from one side of the substrate toward the other . the three - dimensional interconnection feature may be formed on one or more circuit layers by many different processes . however , at present it is preferred to form the three - dimensional connection feature as an integral part of a circuit layer , employing techniques described in the co - pending application of william r . crumly , christopher m . schreiber , and heim feigenbaum for three dimensional electroformed circuitry , ser . no . 580 , 758 , filed sep . 11 , 1990 . this co - pending application for three dimensional electroformed circuitry is assigned to the assignee of the present application , and the disclosure of the prior application is incorporated in the present application by this reference as though fully set forth herein . briefly , as described in full and complete detail in the earlier filed application , a printed circuit is formed with circuit traces lying in a single plane , generally but not necessarily planar , which circuitry is provided with three - dimensional features projecting from the surface in one or more directions . importantly , the projecting features and circuitry are all formed by additive processes , such as electrolytic plating , electroless plating , electrophoretic or electrostatic coating , or other forms of electroforming or electrodeposition of conductive metal . no etching is employed in the manufacture of the circuit , making it an environmentally safe process . the circuit is manufactured by using a mandrel having a working surface formed of a material that can have conductive circuitry electroformed thereon and which has a pattern of a material that is resistant to the electroforming process . the mandrel itself has three - dimensional features projecting from its working surface , which features may project in different directions . for purposes of the present invention , it may be noted that the projecting features include a post projecting outwardly of the working surface of the mandrel that enables production of an electrical circuit having an electroformed post or raised feature that projects from the surface of the circuitry . the projecting feature of the mandrel may also be formed as a depression in the mandrel which also enables production of a circuit layer with a raised feature . the mandrel and its projecting feature ( post or depression ) are electrically conductive so that the circuitry can be formed on the mandrel by electrolytic plating or other electroforming methods . fig1 illustrates a section of a portion of such a mandrel , having a mandrel body 10 and a raised mandrel feature 12 projecting from the surface 14 of the mandrel . conveniently the raised feature may be a pin fixed in a hole in the mandrel or otherwise firmly and physically connected to the mandrel . the use of a mandrel with a depression forming its projecting feature will be described below . the mandrel and its projecting feature are formed with an electrically conductive pattern on a surface thereof that defines configuration of the electrical circuit layer that is to be formed . the electroformed circuit is then deposited on the surface of the mandrel , as by electrolytic plating for example , to provide a first circuit layer 16 , having a first integral raised or connection feature 18 that is formed over the projecting mandrel feature 12 . having formed a first layer of the circuit with its projecting connection feature 18 , a dielectric substrate is then assembled to the first circuit layer , as illustrated in fig3 . the dielectric substrate may comprise many different types of dielectric , and in a presently preferred arrangement incorporates a polyamide , such as kapton 20 clad on both sides with a layer of acrylic adhesive 22 , 24 . the kapton may have a thickness of 2 to 3 mils , and each acrylic adhesive layer a thickness of about 1 mil for example . the substrate has a pre - drilled through hole 30 formed therein which receives the raised connecting feature 18 of the first circuit layer 16 when the latter is laminated to one side of the substrate . this procedure is performed preferably while the circuit layer is still on the mandrel 10 , as the very thin circuit layer is more readily handled while still on the mandrel . employing an identical mandrel and raised feature , such as a second mandrel 34 having a raised mandrel feature 36 ( see fig4 ), a second circuit layer 38 , having a second integral raised connection feature 40 is formed by the techniques described above . as previously described , the circuit layers are preferably formed by electrolytically plating the conductor material , such as copper , upon the electrically conductive mandrel and its raised feature . each of the raised connecting features 18 and 40 of the first and second circuit layers 16 and 38 projects from the plane of its circuitry a distance substantially equal to one half of the thickness of the dielectric substrate so that when the two circuit layers are laminated to the dielectric substrate , one being secured to each side thereof ( while the layers are still on the respective mandrels ), the two raised features will contact one another or almost contact one another at a point about midway between the opposite sides of the dielectric substrate . this step in the assembly is illustrated in fig4 . after laminating the two raised connecting features 18 and 40 the two mandrels are then removed from the circuit layers . next , the site is irradiated using a yag laser operated at about 135 watts for example with a single 0 . 5 millisecond pulse providing an output power of about 3 joules . the single pulse of the laser is sufficient to melt and vaporize adjoining end portions of the two raised interconnection features and to weld them to one another at their periphery , forming a continuous circumferential weld fillet indicated at 46 in fig5 . the welding of the two raised connection features of course physically and electrically interconnects the two features , thereby providing through the core electrical connection between circuit layers 16 and 38 , and also providing a mechanical interconnection of the two layers . the arrangement of fig5 may be termed a fused alternate plane interconnection . the described process is free of electroless plating and the many tanks of hazardous chemicals required in electroless processes . as the two circuit layers on opposite sides of the dielectric substrate may have a number of the described alternate plane interconnections , each layer is formed with a number of raised connection features formed in a pre - selected pattern , with the patterns of raised features of the circuit layers on either side being precisely congruent with one another so that they may be registered with each other , and registered with the identical pattern of through holes formed in the interposed dielectric substrate . the use of a laser to bond the two raised connection features together enables the use of smaller area interconnection features because the laser can be focused down to very minute areas . it will be seen that the fused alternate plane interconnection method of fig1 through 5 employs a raised feature on one circuit layer on one side of the dielectric substrate , with the feature extending into the through hole of the substrate . this raised feature is then connected to the circuit layer on the other side of the substrate by means of a raised feature on the layer that is secured to the second substrate side . an alternate arrangement that provides a laminated buried via is illustrated in fig6 through 8 . interconnection between a raised feature of one circuit layer that extends into the through hole and the circuit layer on the second side of the substrate is provided by an electrically conductive epoxy . thus , as illustrated in fig6 a first circuit layer 50 , having a raised interconnection feature 52 , is formed on a mandrel 54 , which has a raised mandrel feature 56 projecting therefrom . the formation of the circuit layer 50 and its raised feature 52 is just the same as the formation of each of the circuit layers and their raised features described above and illustrated in connection with fig1 through 5 . a significant difference between the two , however , is in the dimensions of the raised interconnection feature as compared to the thickness of the substrate . the feature 56 extends almost completely through the substrate . the layer 50 of the embodiment of fig6 is to be laminated to a dielectric substrate which is identical to the substrate of the arrangement of fig1 through 5 , and which comprises a layer of a dielectric material such as polyamide , or kapton 60 clad on both sides with an acrylic adhesive 62 and 64 . as can be seen in fig6 the raised feature 52 of circuit layer 50 extends substantially completely through the hole 66 that is formed in the substrate , whereas in the arrangement of fig1 through 5 each of the two raised interconnection features extends substantially only half way through the hole of the interposed substrate . after laminating the substrate to the layer 50 while the latter is still on its mandrel 54 , a small quantity or a drop 68 ( fig7 ) of a metal laden resin , such as for example a silver or gold epoxy , is placed on the end 70 of the raised feature 52 . the resin drop 68 may have a height of from 1 to 3 mils and preferably covers all or most of the upper end 70 of the raised feature 52 , which itself may have a diameter of between 5 and 50 mils . the resin is allowed to partially cure to a b - stage by conventional methods , such as heating to about 250 ° f . for about thirty minutes . the resin may be applied to the end 70 of raised feature 52 either before or after the dielectric 60 , 62 , 64 is laminated to the circuit layer 50 and either before or after the raised feature is inserted into the dielectric hole 66 . as previously described , there are a number of the raised features on the circuit 50 , arranged in a predetermined pattern , and the dielectric substrate has a similar number of through holes arranged in a congruent registering pattern . the drops 68 of electrically conductive resin may be applied by various methods , such as by automatic liquid dispensers , silk screening or spraying using a suitable mask . now the second conductive circuit layer 74 is laminated to the other side of the dielectric substrate , as illustrated in fig8 . the second circuit layer need not have no raised feature , but does include conductive portion or pad 76 extending over the substrate hole and over the end 70 of the raised connection feature 52 . the assembly of dielectric substrate , lower layer 50 and upper layer 74 is then laminated under heat and pressure so that the electrically conductive resin 68 flows over and around the raised connection feature 52 and into the spaces in the substrate between the raised feature and the walls of hole 66 . the resin is then allowed to completely cure , thereby providing a rigid electrically conductive interconnection between the circuit layers 50 and 74 on opposite sides of the interposed dielectric substrate . the conductive resin flows into small pores in the metallic surface layers and thus achieves a strong intimate bond which provides not only physical adhesion but good electrical contact of this laminated buried via . other circuit boards may be stacked with the board shown in fig8 without being disturbed or processed to provide the buried via . illustrated in fig9 and 10 are various steps in a third embodiment of the present invention , forming a fused alternate plane interconnection . a circuit layer 80 ( of copper or the like ) on one side of a dielectric substrate 82 is fused to a raised interconnection feature 84 integrally formed with the lower ( as viewed in fig9 ) circuit layer 86 ( also of copper or the like ). in the arrangement of fig9 and 10 the first conductive circuit layer 86 is formed with its raised interconnection feature on a mandrel in the manner described above . the first layer and its raised interconnection features is then laminated to a dielectric substrate , again comprising a layer of dielectric material such as polyamide or kapton 88 covered on both sides with an acrylic adhesive 90 , 92 . in this arrangement the raised feature 84 projects from the plane of its circuit layer 86 for a distance substantially equal to the full thickness of the dielectric substrate so that the outer surface of the top 98 of the raised feature 84 is closely adjacent to or in contact with the second conductive circuit layer 80 when the latter is laminated to and against the second side of the substrate 82 . in this arrangement , as in the other arrangements described herein , the circuit layers are adhesively bonded to the interposed dielectric substrate by means of the layers of acrylic adhesive on the polyamide core of the substrate . now with the top 98 of connection feature 84 closely adjacent the area 100 of conductive layer 80 that extends across the hole 102 in the substrate , a laser is employed as previously described in connection with fig1 through 5 to heat the adjoining portions 98 , 100 of the raised feature 84 and circuit layer 80 , thereby melting and vaporizing an intermediate portion of these materials and welding them together at a continuous circumferential weld fillet 106 , as illustrated in fig1 . although the drawings illustrate interconnection of conductive circuit layers on opposite sides of one interposed dielectric , it will be understood that such an assembly may provide only two or many more conductive circuit layers in a stack of many circuit layers and interposed dielectrics . in such a stack each conductive circuit layer may be connected to adjacent conductive circuit layers on both sides by the methods and arrangements described herein , so that more than two conductive circuit layers may all be electrically connected to one another . as mentioned above , the raised feature of the mandrel may either be a depression or a post . the mandrel arrangement with a raised feature formed by a post has been described above . illustrated in fig1 is an alternative mandrel arrangement in which the raised feature of a mandrel 120 is formed by a depression 122 that is etched , burned or otherwise formed in the surface of the mandrel . this mandrel , as before , is made of an electrically conductive material , such as stainless steel , so that , as previously described , a conductive circuit layer 124 , such as copper , may be selectively formed in a predetermined pattern over the mandrel surface by additive processes , such as , for example , electrolytic plating ( fig1 ). this forms a hollow raised feature 126 . one advantage of the use of a depression rather than a post for the raised mandrel feature is the fact that while still on the mandrel the raised hollow feature 126 of the circuit layer may be filled with a hard supporting material , such as an epoxy 128 ( fig1 ). the latter is applied to the hollow interior of the raised feature 126 while the latter is still on the mandrel and is then allowed to cure . now the substrate , generally indicated at 130 ( fig1 ), comprising , as previously described , a layer of kapton clad on both sides with an acrylic adhesive , is bonded to the circuit layer 124 and to the cured epoxy fill 128 , thus providing a stronger raised feature capable of withstanding greater stresses . as illustrated in fig1 , after the substrate 130 is laminated to the circuit layer 124 and its reinforced raised feature 126 , it is removed from the mandrel 120 and then a drop of a metal laden epoxy , such as silver epoxy 134 ( fig1 ), is applied to an upper portion 136 of the raised feature 126 of the circuit layer . as previously described in connection with fig6 and 8 , this epoxy is allowed to partially cure to a b - stage , and then , as illustrated in fig1 , it is assembled to a second dielectric substrate 140 , which may also comprise a layer of kapton clad on each side with an acrylic adhesive . substrate 140 has a hole 144 therethrough which accepts the reinforced raised feature 126 . an additional circuit layer 142 ( fig1 ) of a conductive material , such as copper , is then laminated to the dielectric layer 140 , covering the latter and the epoxy 134 . then , in the same manner as is described in connection with fig7 and 8 , the assembly of dielectric substrates 130 , 140 , lower circuit layer 124 , upper circuit layer 142 is laminated under heat and pressure so that the electrically conductive resin 134 flows over and around the raised connection feature 126 and into the spaces in the substrate between the raised feature and the walls of the hole 144 formed in the substrate 140 . the resin , as before , is then allowed to completely cure , thereby providing a rigid electrically conductive interconnection . thus , in this arrangement , a reinforced buried via interconnects the circuit layers 124 and 142 on opposite sides of the dielectric substrate . the mandrel 120 illustrated in fig1 through 15 , having its hollow raised feature defined by the depression 122 , may be employed in the place of the mandrel having a pin or post forming its raised features in the manufacture of any one of the embodiments described herein . thus all of the embodiments described herein may employ a mandrel of either type , namely that with a raised feature formed by a post or that with a raised feature formed by a depression . it is presently preferred to form the raised features by plating into a depression in the mandrel and then filling the hollow feature with epoxy , although the plating over a post or pin on the mandrel is a satisfactory alternative . the drawings illustrate some of the many methods for making a through hole connection using a raised feature that extends into or through a hole in the substrate . the described methods produce either fused alternate plane interconnections or laminated buried vias . other methods may be employed without departing from principles of this invention . for example , one such alternate method is illustrated in the above - identified co - pending patent application wherein a silver epoxy ground plane is painted on the second side of the substrate to contact a raised feature extending from the first substrate side . there have been described circuit boards and methods for their manufacture which provide through hole interconnection between circuitry on both sides of an interposed dielectric substrate without use of any electroless plating processes . the arrangements employ a raised connection feature integral with the circuit layer on one side of the substrate which extends at least partly into a hole of the substrate and is electrically connected to the circuit layer on the other side . the electrical connection to the circuit layer on the other side may be made by means of a second raised connection feature integral with the circuit layer on the second side of the substrate which is welded to the raised interconnection feature of the first layer at a point within the substrate hole . alternatively , the electrical connection between the raised feature and the circuit layer on the second side may be made by configuring the raised feature to extend completely through the hole to the circuit layer on the second side and welding the two at that point . in still another arrangement the electrical connection between a raised feature , which extends substantially entirely through the hole of the dielectric substrate , and the circuit layer on the other side is made by interposing electrically conductive resin which is caused to flow under heat and pressure to effectively fill all of the space between the raised interconnection feature and the second circuit layer and to flow down into the hole in the space between the raised interconnection feature and the substrate . the described arrangements are relatively simple , rapid and have been found to result in highly reliable interconnections .

a circuit board comprising a dielectric composite clad with electrical circuitry is provided with an improved electrical interconnection between alternate conductive circuitry planes of the substrate . connecting features integral with the conductive circuitry on each conductive plane of the substrate extend into a through hole of the substrate toward each other and are fused to one another by irradiation from a laser beam . in another embodiment a connecting feature from only one of the circuit layers extends into the through hole of the dielectric and is electrically connected and physically bonded to the circuitry layer on the other side of the substrate by means of fusion or a drop of electrically conductive resin interposed between the raised connector feature and the opposed circuit layer . the resin is applied and semi - cured to a &# 34 ; b &# 34 ;- stage , and then the conductive circuit layers and dielectric are laminated together under heat and pressure to form the substrate . the resin flows into the dielectric hole and over and around the connective feature and thereby providing contact with the circuitry layer of the opposing side . thereafter the resin is cured to form a strong mechanical and electrical contact .

referring to the drawings for clearer understanding of the invention , there can be seen in fig1 a wheelchair 11 and an upright mobile i . v . stand 12 . the i . v . stand 12 carries an i . v . pump or bag 13 and is supported by a plurality of wheels 14 . an upright tubular member 15 of variable diameter and dimensions carries the pump or bag 13 of i . v . stand 12 . the diameter or dimensions of the tubular member 15 varies with the size of the pump or bag 13 it supports as well as differing among manufactures of the i . v . stand 12 . the wheelchair 11 has as part of its frame tubular cross members 16 and 17 which cross at a junction 18 and have coaligned apertures 20 at this junction 18 . a fastener is normally inserted through the coaligned apertures 20 of cross members 16 and 17 to provide stability , support and folding nature of wheelchair 11 . a coupling device 19 connects the i . v . stand 12 to cross members 16 and 17 of wheelchair 11 at junction 18 . the coupling 19 includes a first tubular member 21 having affixed at an end thereof a tubular boss 24 of a first semicylindrical guide 23 . first semicylindrical guide 23 is adapted to mate with either tubular cross member 16 or 17 at the junction 16 . a fastener 26 is affixed to the first tubular member and in any number of ways . in the described embodiment a cross bolt 27 extends through first tubular member 21 and fastener 26 . the fastener 26 is inserted through aligned apertures 20 of cross members 16 and 17 as the first semicylindrical guide 23 is brought into engagement with cross member 16 . a nut 25 secures fastener 26 and semicylindrical guide 23 to cross member 16 of wheelchair 11 as shown in fig4 . the first tubular member 21 extends horizontally from the wheelchair 11 proximal said first semicylindrical guide 23 . a second set of apertures 33 and 36 are formed through a wall of the first tubular member 21 . a second tubular member 22 slidably engages an end of said first tubular member 21 distal said wheelchair 11 for movement between an inward and extended position . a pin 31 is resiliently mounted to an end of the second tubular member 22 proximal said first tubular member 21 . the pin 31 engages aperture 32 or 33 to secure the second tubular member 21 in an inward or outward position . in the alternative , the second tubular member 22 can be rotated such that pin 31 engages aperture 36 at secured outward position . second tubular member 22 supports at an end distal the first tubular member 21 clamping means designated generally by reference numeral 37 . in one embodiment the clamping means 37 includes a second semicylindrical guide 38 with a protruding tubular boss 39 . the boss 39 is affixed to the distal end of the second tubular member 22 . the second semicylindrical guide 38 is formed perpendicular to boss 39 as shown in fig . 3 . a concave face 40 of second semicylindrical guide 38 is adapted to engage the upright tubular member 15 of i . v . stand 12 . a resilient strip 41 is affixed at one end to a distal end of said second tubular member 22 adjacent the second semicylindrical guide 38 and extends partially around the upright tubular member 15 of i . v . stand 12 . this will also engage various other dimensions . resilient strip 41 has attached to an end thereof a latch hook 42 which engages a latch bar member 43 pivotally mounted to a latch lever 44 . the latch lever 44 is affixed to said second semicylindrical guide 38 and or second tubular portion 22 on a side opposite said strip 41 . latch hook 42 is engaged or disengaged from said latch bar member 43 by manual manipulation of latch lever 44 . thus the tubular member 15 of i . v . stand 12 is secured in mated abutment with face 40 of second semicylindrical guide 38 by latch lever 44 . in actual operation , the coupling device 19 is secured to wheelchair 11 as discussed hereinabove . the second tubular member 22 slides into the first tubular member 21 and is secured by pin 31 engaging aperture 32 . in the inward position the second tubular member 22 is in close proximity with the rear of wheelchair 11 and does not interfere with operation of the wheelchair 11 without an attached i . v . stand 12 . when transporting a patient who requires an i . v . stand 12 , the operator manually extends second tubular member relative to first tubular member 21 . the pin 31 engages aperture 33 and secures the second tubular member 22 in an outward position relative to first tubular member 21 . the face 40 of the second semicylindrical guide 38 must be oriented in a vertical position to engage upright tubular member 15 of the i . v . stand 12 . thus , the angle to which the first tubular member 21 is attached to cross members 16 or 17 will at times require that the second tubular member 22 be rotated and secured with the pin 31 engaging aperture 36 to insure that the second semicylindrical guide 38 is vertically oriented to conform with upright tubular member 15 of i . v . stand 12 . a clamping means 37 secures the tubular member 15 of i . v . stand 12 to the semicylindrical guide 38 . one method of clamping includes an elastic strip 41 which engages a portion of the tubular member 15 . the strip 41 has a latch hook 42 affixed to an end thereof which engages a pivotable latch bar member 43 of a latch lever 44 mounted to an opposite side of the second semicylindrical guide 38 or distal end of second tubular member 22 . other securing means , such as velcro ® strips or metallic bands , may also be used in the embodiment . when secured , the i . v . pump 13 and stand 12 trail to the rear of the wheelchair 11 between the operator and the wheelchair 11 . with the i . v . stand 12 in line with wheelchair 11 the unit is narrow and maneuverable about various obstacles . additionally , because the i . v . poles is held between the wheelchair wheels and immediately behind the patient it does not interfere with the operator pushing wheelchair 11 . the i . v . stand 12 raises and lowers with the rear of wheelchair 11 as the operator lifts or tilts the wheelchair 11 over obstructions . this gives the operator more control over the unit especially across uneven surfaces . the wheelchair 11 and secured i . v . stand 12 are moved through doorways , elevators and down ramps with as little lifting , tilting , or complex maneuvering as possible . although i have shown my invention in one form , it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited but susceptible of various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit thereof .

a coupling device for connecting a mobile medical apparatus such as a wheeled support stand for intravenous infusion devices to a wheelchair . the coupling device attaches to the framework at the rear of said wheelchair and is adjustable between an inward storage position and an outward operational position . a variable clamping means secures support stands , of various dimensions , to the rear of the wheelchair for tandem movement with said wheelchair .

fig1 - 9 show various aspects of a vertical deployment system ( vds ) 100 generally corresponding in structure to the device for inspecting the interior of steam generators disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 145 , 583 , issued on nov . 14 , 2000 , to gay et al ., which device is configured to visually inspect steam generator tubes , including upper portions of steam generator tubes , tops and bottoms of support plates , wrapper - to - support plate welds , and other steam generator internal structures . in general , the vds 100 is designed for a vertical lift of instruments , sensors , tools and / or payloads about 30 - 33 feet or more , depending on the structure of the particular type of steam generator to be inspected . in the accompanying figures , the steam generator represented is the framatome model 68 / 19 , but the vds may be utilized in other steam generators such as , but not limited to the westinghouse model f steam generator and other steam generators . the vds 100 is deployable on steam generator models having the flow distribution baffle ( fdb ) 275 ( see fig3 ) on center or below the hand hole access which have at a minimum a 4 ″ ( 102 mm ) diameter clear access into the steam generator . in an alternative configuration , a deployable support may be utilized in combination with the rail assembly 110 to provide a support to another steam generator component or surface . in yet another configuration , the rail assembly may be simply connected to the access port 205 such that the rail assembly is cantilevered within the steam generator . the steam generator support plates 225 must also contain flow holes in the approximate dimension of about 3 . 5 ″ ( 89 mm ) in diameter or equivalent in width for a rectangular cut out , or larger . the vds 100 comprises two main structural components , a rail assembly 110 ( e . g ., a “ first boom ”) and a telescoping boom assembly 120 ( e . g ., “ second boom ”). in at least some aspects of the present concepts , the telescoping boom assembly 120 comprises a hydraulically - actuated stacked cylinder set and , at a distal end , a delivery capsule 130 , described below . the rail assembly 110 of the vds 100 , as is shown in fig1 - 5 , for example , is disposed through an access port 205 of the steam generator 200 wall and is attached to an access port flange ( not shown ) by an access port mounting plate ( not shown ). when the rail assembly 110 is attached , at a proximal end , to the access port 110 , the rail assembly provides a stabilization leg that provides system stability for deployment of the telescoping boom assembly 120 , such as is shown in u . s . pat . nos . 5 , 265 , 129 , 5 , 504 , 788 , and 6 , 145 , 583 , each of which is incorporated by reference in its entirety herein . the rail assembly 110 attaches , at a distal end , to the telescoping boom assembly 120 at a pivot clamp 135 that can be manually actuated or actuated via a conventional actuating device , such as a rotary actuator or a linear actuator . in at least one configuration , a rack drive servo motor attaches to the access port mounting plate and a manual crank handle 140 drives a linkage ( e . g ., gear ( s ) or gear ( s ) and rod ( s )) attached at a distal end to the pivot clamp 135 , which is secured to the telescoping boom assembly 120 . once the vds 100 is inserted in thru the tube lane or “ no - tube lane ” as it is sometimes called , shown in fig3 - 5 , and secured , the telescoping boom assembly 120 can then be up - righted using the mechanical crank handle 140 . the tube lane is the narrow area created by the innermost inverted u - tubes . steam enters one side of the u - bend ( the hot pipe ) and travels around the u - bend of the pipe and is quenched by the cool water in the steam generator and proceeds around to the other side of the u - bend ( the cool pipe ). the manual crank handle 140 is operatable to both deploy the telescoping boom 120 and to retract the telescoping boom to the retracted position for extraction of the vds 100 . in lieu of the manual crank , one or more actuators ( e . g ., linear actuator ( s ), rotary actuator ( s ), or combination thereof , etc .) could alternatively be used . as is shown in fig3 , following securement of the vds 100 to the access port 205 of the steam generator 200 , the retracted or folded vds is extended horizontally into the steam generator through the flanged access port and through the steam generator wrapper 201 . in this configuration , the telescoping boom assembly 120 is aligned to be substantially parallel with the rail assembly 110 to facilitate insertion through the access port 205 . the vds 100 is disposed initially near the base of the steam generator 200 in the tube lane , the narrow area created by the innermost inverted u - tubes 210 , and more specifically through the “ no - tube lane ” thereof , as is shown in fig3 . in this installed configuration , the vds 100 system is about 90 ″ long , 4 ″ high , and 4 ″ wide . this length can be adjusted to a greater or lesser length during the installation process via insertable and removable section if the plant geometry and drawback requirements dictate . once the vds 100 is installed horizontally through the access portion , as shown in fig3 , the telescoping boom assembly 120 and delivery capsule 130 borne thereby is raised to a vertical position in the tube lane to a height of about 30 ″, and extended via actuation of the telescoping boom assembly 120 stacked cylinder set , through a flow slot 220 in the support plates 225 of the steam generator , as is shown in fig4 . fig5 shows continued extension of the telescoping boom assembly 120 and delivery capsule 130 borne to successively higher flow slots 220 in higher support plates 225 , as is further shown in fig6 . a camera 134 is provided at a top portion of the delivery capsule 130 and may comprise a fixed camera or , as is shown in fig2 b , a pan , tilt and / or zoom camera . the delivery capsule 130 itself may be fixed to a distal end of telescoping boom assembly 120 or may alternatively be rotatably attached thereto with an associated drive system ( e . g ., motor , rotary actuator , etc .) to rotate the delivery capsule 130 through a selected range . the camera 134 enhances the operator &# 39 ; s ability to navigate the delivery capsule 130 vertically through the flow slots 220 and , for the pan , tilt and / or zoom embodiment , provides additional visual inspection capability as well . fig7 shows the delivery capsule 130 extending through an inner flow slot 220 above a steam generator 200 support plate 225 . the rail assembly 110 is configured to be moved in or out of the steam generator 200 to align the telescoping boom assembly 120 with a desired one of the flow slots along the support plates 225 . the rail assembly 110 may be moved back and forth slightly or jogged to facilitate vertical movement of the telescoping boom assembly 120 so as to keep the delivery capsule 130 aligned with the flow slot 220 in each support plate 225 . the telescoping boom assembly 120 is able to extend telescopically to any desired vertical position in the steam generator 200 along the flow slots 220 . as noted above , the support plates 225 are disposed in a spaced relation vertically throughout the height of the steam generator at about three foot to six foot intervals , depending on the make and model of the steam generator . as is represented in fig3 - 5 , for example , the hydraulically - controlled telescoping boom assembly 120 is activated to extend vertically to a desired height within the steam generator 200 . the vertical movement of the telescoping boom assembly 120 and / or horizontal movement of the rail assembly 110 may be computer - controlled or , alternatively , manually controlled . when the telescoping boom assembly 120 is initially deployed into a vertical position at a desired horizontal position , the horizontal position is verified . this verification may be accomplished either visually ( e . g ., by reference to the tube columns or other visual landmarks ), via mechanical or electromechanical devices ( e . g ., mechanical distancing apparatuses , such as pulleys or gears , rotary encoders , etc . ), or via one or more positioning sensors . to facilitate horizontal or lateral movement of the telescoping boom assembly 120 , a registration apparatus is preferably provided , the registration apparatus ( not shown ) comprising sets of registration guides ( e . g ., finger - like projections ) that can be selectively pneumatically powered outwardly from a retracted position at rest or inwardly from an extended position . when each guide set is extended , one guide set contacts the hot leg of a u - tube and one guide set contacts the “ cold ” leg of the same u - tube . hydraulic control of the telescoping boom assembly 120 is provided by a conventional electrically driven hydraulic pump system . the presently preferred hydraulic pump for the telescoping boom assembly 120 comprises a centrifugal vane pump , pressure relief valve , two proportional control valves , a solenoid block valve , a fluid reservoir and pressure gauges . control power and signals are fed from the main control console over a single cable and main 110v ac power to operate the pump is obtained from a source local to the pump . the telescoping boom assembly 120 may alternatively comprise a pneumatically - driven design , as opposed to hydraulically - driven . operation of the vds 100 are controlled by a main operating station where data from the vds instrumentation and cameras ( and systems deployed by the vds ) are stored in or on a physical storage media and / or viewed . fig1 is a schematic of one potential control layout for the vds 100 . area monitor 300 , control interface computer 302 , optional auxiliary electronics 304 , and hydraulic pump 306 are preferably positioned outside of a bioshield 308 and have their cables 310 directed to control electronics 312 and power and air supplies 314 , which are set up adjacent the generator access opening 321 . a rack and pinion drive 316 is attached to rail assembly 110 which is attached to pivot clamp 135 . the control hardware for the present invention is optionally divided into primary control hardware and operator station hardware , wherein the primary control hardware is set up at the steam generator platform . in this configuration , the primary control hardware comprises two small suitcase - sized cases 312 , 314 , the first containing the main control console 312 and the second case 314 containing bulk power supplies . plant supplied ac power and compressed air are supplied to these cases for system operation . a switching - type power supply provides power to computer hardware from the main control console case . the main control console 312 provides the system manual control capability . power for motor loads , lighting , cameras and support circuitry is supplied by the bulk power supply case 314 via appropriate electrical connectors 317 . line 318 represents control cabling for the delivery capsule 130 and all associated systems including , but not limited to , electrical power cable , a / v cables , pneumatic supply line , etcetera , to operate all delivery capsule systems and subsystems . all system component connections terminate at the main control console 302 . the operator station for the device preferably contains a control computer 302 , running a graphical user interface ( e . g ., a microsoft windows ® platform ), associated control hardware 304 , video monitoring 300 and recording equipment and audio communication equipment . in one embodiment , audio communications link the steam generator platform and the operator station to assist in setup , installation , and / or operation . as described above , the vds 100 is used to access internal regions of steam generators , specifically the various support plate 225 elevations . following extension of a distal end of the telescoping boom assembly 120 to a desired support plate 225 , such as is shown in fig7 , a robot or “ rover ” 150 is deployed from the delivery capsule 130 , such as is shown in fig8 . the rover 150 is controlled via a tether / umbilical cable 155 housing all control , video and auxiliary conductors necessary for operation of and positive retention of the rover 150 and all associated systems . on - board equipment for the rover 150 may comprise , but is not limited to , one or more cameras or video recording devices , one or more led packages or other lighting systems , one or more examination probes , an eddy current sensor and deployment tool , and / or retrieval tooling . the rover 150 chassis comprises a main frame 152 to which all components are attached to or reside within . twin polymer tracks 154 are mounted on either side of the frame centerline and are independently driven by respective dc servo - gear motors for use with a closed loop control system or by dc stepper motors allowing use of an open loop control system . to facilitate operation and examination of steam generator internals , a plurality of on - board camera assemblies are advantageously provided to provide visual feedback not only of the steam generator internals , but also of the immediately surroundings of the rover , such as to facilitate navigation . in one aspect , a first camera assembly 155 , which may be a black and white camera or a color camera utilizing led lighting or an infrared camera utilizing infra red leds , is mounted on the front of the crawler . in another aspect , a second camera assembly ( not shown ) is mounted on another side of the rover 150 ( e . g ., a back side or a lateral side ). these camera systems for the rover 150 , where a plurality of cameras are provided , advantageously comprise a mix of color cameras , utilizing led lighting , and infrared cameras utilizing infra red led &# 39 ; s . examination of the no - tube lane , or other accessible portions of the steam generator , may be accomplished using one or more of the rover 150 cameras while the rover is securely retained within the delivery capsule 130 . in - bundle examination ( i . e ., examination between the steam generator u - tubes 203 ) can be accomplished by deploying , from a cavity or storage bay 158 of the rover 150 , a small , mechanized in - bundle rover 160 that itself comprises on - board video and lighting ( color video , ir , uv , ccd , etc .) and optionally , one or more additional sensors and / or tools ( e . g ., a retrieval tool ). the in - bundle rover comprises a drive system ( e . g ., motor - operated belt ( s ), track ( s ), wheels , etc .) that permit the in - bundle inspection rover to move laterally away from the rover 150 and into the tube bundle region . to facilitate movement of the in - bundle rover 160 between the steam generator u - tubes , the width of the in - bundle rover 160 must correspondingly be less than that of the spacing of adjacent u - tubes ( e . g ., less than 0 . 5 ,″ less than about 0 . 25 ,″ etc .) and in at least one aspect is about 0 . 25 ″ in width . the in - bundle rover 160 comprises a forward facing camera 164 , such as a q - see qmscc ultra - mini color camera , manufactured by digital peripheral systems , inc . of anaheim , calif ., which is 4 . 6 mm in diameter and approximately 17 mm in length . in another aspect , the on - board video and lighting of the in - bundle rover 160 comprises a video probe including a flexible stainless jacket , or a laminated flexible wand , containing structural reinforcement to provide structural support while allowing some flexibility and containing all associated camera and lighting conductors . optionally , a rear facing camera and / or a down facing camera ( front and / or rear ) are also provided , with attendant lighting ( e . g ., led , ir led , etc .). the in - bundle rover 160 may also optionally comprise sensors ( e . g ., non - destructive testing / examination , etc .) and / or retrieval ( e . g ., grappling ) tooling . the in - bundle rover 160 is attached to the rover 150 by cabling ( e . g ., electrical cable , a / v cable , etc .) 169 , which may be unified in an outer cable jacket , that is in turn connected to a rotating drum configured to let out and retract the cabling 169 as the in - bundle rover 160 moves outwardly and back , respectively , through the steam generator tube 203 columns . in - bundle positioning of the in - bundle rover 160 is accomplished , in at least some aspects , using electronic encoding ( e . g ., a rotary encoder used in combination with the rotating drum ) in combination with the on - board video capabilities to provide feedback on the deployed distance and tube position . once the vds 100 is inserted and the telescoping boom assembly 120 is locked in the upright position , a stabilization leg ( not shown ) is lowered to further stabilize the system . the telescoping boom assembly 120 is then deployed vertically via the stacked hydraulic cylinder to the desired support plate elevation with height positional feedback provided by sensors , such as string encoders . once the delivery capsule 130 is at the desired elevation , the rover 150 may be deployed from the delivery housing onto the support plate 225 , index the tube columns and begin examinations utilizing its on - board video system . retrieval of the system begins with recalling the in - bundle rover 160 into the storage bay 158 of the rover 150 , recalling the rover 150 into the storage bay 132 of the delivery capsule 130 . once the rover 150 is secured in position , the stack cylinder set slowly releases fluid pressure to lower the system to the collapsed state shown in fig4 and then into the insertion state shown in fig3 by rotation of the telescoping boom assembly 120 . the vds 100 may then be disengaged from the access port 205 and removed . the hydraulically - controlled telescoping boom assembly 120 is then activated allowing the device to extend vertically to the desired height which may cause the device to proceed through the flow slots of successive support plates 225 . computer - controlled or manually controlled machinery sensitively and accurately measures the height of the distal end of the telescoping boom assembly 120 to ensure precise vertical positioning and of the delivery capsule within the steam generator 200 . in conjunction with the vertical extension and monitoring of the vertical position of the telescoping boom assembly 120 , the horizontal position of the telescoping boom assembly 120 is also preferably verified visually ( e . g ., via the delivery capsule camera 134 and / or numerically ( e . g ., encoder , mechanical distancing apparatuses such as pulleys or gears , position sensors , pattern recognition sensors , etc .). horizontal movement of the telescoping boom assembly 120 may be accomplished , for example , using a pneumatically - powered registration apparatus to sequentially extend and retract sets of registration guides , finger - like movable members configured to extend from a first position to a second position , to provide a “ walking ” motion . when each registration guide set is extended , one guide will contact the hot tube and , on the opposing side , another guide will contact the cool tube of the same u - tube . thus , in accord with the above - described vds 100 and rovers 150 , 160 borne thereby , an operator may move the delivery capsule to a desired support plate 225 , deploy the rover 150 to a desired position along the center lane of the support plate , and further deploy the in - bundle rover 160 , which , as noted above , comprises its own drive system ( e . g ., belt ( s ), track ( s ), wheels , etc .) that permit the in - bundle inspection rover to move laterally away from the plate rover and into the tube bundle region . fig1 a - 11 b show a magnetic rover delivery system 500 configured to be inserted into an access port 205 ( e . g ., hand hole ) of a steam generator 200 or other vessel or enclosed area . the overall dimensions of the magnetic rover 500 are about 8 ″ in length , 3 . 2 ″ in height , and 3 . 5 ″ in width . the magnetic rover 500 system is deployable on steam generator models having the flow distribution baffle ( fdb ) on center or below the hand hole access which have at a minimum a 4 ″ ( 102 mm ) access port or hand hole , wrapper cutouts in the support plates in 3 . 75 ″ ( 95 . 25 mm ) wide and 3 . 6 ″ ( 91 . 4 mm ) in depth measured from the wrapper tangent to the back of the cut . if the fdb is above the hand hole access the fdb must also contain these cutouts . the operator of the magnetic rover 500 is located outside of the steam generator ( e . g ., remotely ) and uses a user interface ( e . g ., gui , joystick , etc .) to receive sensor feedback from the magnetic rover 500 ( e . g ., visual feedback , gps signal , etc .) to control the movement of the magnetic rover . the magnetic rover 500 comprises rare earth magnets ( e . g ., neodymium , etc .) or electromagnets in the tracks 554 or under tracks 554 ( or wheels , optionally provided with scrapers ). the total number of magnets in the tracks could vary . in some aspects , there are approximately twenty magnets distributed along each track . in various aspects , the total magnetic force required to maintain the magnetic rover firmly in place when vertically disposed on the wrapped would exceed 5 pounds of force and would still more preferably exceed about 10 pounds of force . by way of example , the tracks 554 may comprise a rubber lug type track or a custom rubber track with magnet lugs . in another example , a plurality of separate , independently actuatable electromagnets ( e . g ., front , mid , rear ) are provided . the magnetic tracks 554 ( or wheels ) permit the magnetic rover 500 to climb vertically along the inner diameter ( id ) of the steam generator wrapper 201 between the wrapper 201 and the tube 203 bundle and through openings 210 in the tube support plates 225 , such as the openings 210 in the framatome 68 / 19 steam generator , as shown in fig1 a . the magnetic tracks 554 ( or wheels ) are advantageously , but not necessarily , configured to permit the magnetic rover to also move while upside down . as shown in fig1 a - 11 b , a forward - facing camera 555 and associated lights 556 ( e . g ., leds , etc .) are provided for navigation . a storage bay 558 , described below , is also provided . fig1 b shows an in - bundle rover 160 , as described above , deployed from the storage bay 558 of the magnetic rover 500 , the in - bundle rover 160 being connected to the magnetic rover 500 by retractable cabling 169 , as previously described . a plurality of position and inspection cameras ( e . g ., hd ccd camera ) 557 and corresponding lights ( e . g ., white leds )( not shown ) for illumination are advantageously provided in locations about the magnetic rover 500 to provide extensive , potentially even redundant , image data for positional feedback and inspection . to access the in - bundle region , the magnetic rover 500 utilizes the in - bundle rover 160 to deliver inspection cameras in - bundle , allowing the inspection of many attainable columns of tubes . in one aspect , one camera / lighting assembly 555 is mounted on the front of the crawler and two camera / lighting assemblies are mounted on the lateral sides of the magnetic rover . it is advantageous , but not necessary , for the magnetic rover 550 to comprise a combination of different camera systems of differing cover , such as one or more color camera ( s ) utilizing led lighting and one or more infrared cameras utilizing infrared led &# 39 ; s . the magnetic rover 500 chassis comprises a main frame having dual polymer / magnet tracks 554 are mounted on opposing sides of the frame centerline . the polymer / magnet tracks 554 are independently driven by dc servo - gear motors for use with a closed loop control system or by dc stepper motors allowing use of an open loop control system . combined with the magnetic tracks 554 , the main frame also advantageously houses an electromagnet , or a plurality of electromagnets , utilizable during deployment of the magnetic rover 500 to the various support plate 225 elevations . mounted on the side of the magnetic rover 500 track carriage is an actuator member 550 , such as an electro - mechanical or pneumatic arm , configured to aids the magnetic rover &# 39 ; s 500 egression from the wrapper 201 onto the support plate 225 and vice versa by pushing the rover away from or lifting it up to the wrapper . fig1 b shows the magnetic rover 500 in an intermediate position transitioning between movement along the steam generator wrapper 201 to movement along the support plate 225 . the actuator member 550 , noted above , is configured to push against the wrapper 201 to counter the magnetic forces causing the magnetic rover 500 to adhere to the wrapper . the actuator member 550 pushes against the wrapper 201 and rotates generally synchronously with the forward motion of the magnetic rover 500 , thereby causing the magnetic rover to separate from the wrapper with an increasing angle for increased forward movement of the magnetic rover . at some point , the center of gravity of the magnetic rover 500 will shift sufficiently so that gravity will pull the front part of the magnetic rover down to the position shown in fig1 c . alternatively , other devices may be employed to achieve separation of the magnetic rover 500 from the wrapper 201 , such as but not limited to , a pneumatic nozzle blowing compressed air or an extendable linear actuator . where the magnetic rover comprises a plurality of electromagnets , the front , mid , and then rear electromagnets are sequentially deactivated to facilitate the separate of the magnetic rover 500 from the wrapper 201 in conjunction with the action of the actuator member . fig1 c shows the magnetic rover 500 positioned over the opening 210 ( not shown in fig1 c ), wherein it is able to then resume movement along the support plate 225 to any desired location , as is generally shown in fig1 g - 12 h ( or optionally to return and move downwardly back through the opening 210 ). fig1 d shows the magnetic rover 500 on a support plate 225 in the tube lane region between the hot legs and cold legs of the u - tubes 203 . accordingly , the magnetic rover 500 is configured to both perform inspections and to deploy an in - bundle rover 160 , described above , and does not require use of the vds 100 , described above , or other related systems developed by r . brooks associates of williamson , n . y ., shown by way of example in u . s . pat . nos . 6 , 145 , 583 and 5 , 265 , 129 , to get into position . fig1 e - 12 f show the magnetic rover 500 positioned midway into the opening 210 as it returns back into contact with the steam generator wrapper 201 , wherein it would then be able to resume movement upwardly or downwardly along the wrapper . in this operation , the actuator member 550 is deployed differently than that described above with respect to the movement of the magnetic rover 500 onto the support plate 225 . specifically , the actuator member 550 is shown to provide a resistive force against the support plate to retard downward motion of the magnetic rover 500 . as the magnetic rover 500 moves into greater and greater contact with the wrapper , the actuator member 550 is rotatable out of the way so as to permit increased forward movement of the magnetic rover . at some point , the magnetic force of the magnetic rover 500 magnets are sufficiently to securely adhere the magnetic rover to the wrapper . fig1 g - 12 h show the in - bundle rover 160 in a deployed position wherein the in - bundle inspection rover , under the control of its own drive system 162 ( e . g ., belt ( s ), track ( s ), wheels , etc .) moves laterally away from the magnetic rover 500 and into the tube 203 bundle region . the in - bundle rover 160 itself comprises , as noted above , a variety of cameras ( e . g ., front , rear , down ) and associated lights ( e . g ., white leds ) providing positional data useful for maneuvering and / or positioning the in - bundle rover , as well as for obtaining useful inspection data . the magnetic rover 500 is controlled via cabling 539 containing all associated control , video and auxiliary conductors for operation of the magnetic rover , in - bundle rover 160 and all associated systems ( e . g ., lighting , video , actuators , etc .). on - board equipment for the magnetic rover 500 and / or the in - bundle rover 160 may include , but is not limited to , camera / led units of various type ( e . g ., color , black and white , ir , etc .) allowing a wide range of viewing options , to stored examination probes / devices , sensors , and tools and retrieval tooling that may be deployed from the magnetic rover 500 storage bay 558 or another storage bay . for example , a robotic arm ( not shown ) may be used to attach and remove a variety of tools and sensors to corresponding ports of the in - bundle rover 160 . the magnetic rover 500 system advantageously utilizes a cable management system like that shown in u . s . patent application ser . no . 12 / 714 , 090 , titled “ inspection system and inspection process utilizing magnetic inspection vehicle ,” which is assigned to the assignee of the present application , and which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety , to feed in and feed out the appropriate amount of cabling . such cable management system feeds and controls the cables and tubes linking the magnetic rover 500 to external systems ( e . g ., computer used by operator , open loop control box , etc .) and comprises , for example , a mount flange to permit the cable management system to be mounted to the steam generator access port 205 and a roller housing that houses the rollers and motors that grip or “ pinch ” the cabling to positively drive it into or out of the steam generator responsive to or synchronously with control signals provided by the operator to the magnetic rover . electric drive motors , such as micromo 2842s012s + 30 / 1 246 : 1 motors , may be used in combination with rollers to pinch and push the cable in or out of the access port . the cable management system also advantageously comprises a tension adjuster comprising a shaft that can be pulled to facilitate cable installation and a spring to maintain tension on the cable ( s ). an electrical interface box comprises the electrical connection point or interface between the internal electric dc servo motors of the cable management system and the control module , the open loop control system ( olcs ). to set up the magnetic rover 500 for inspection , a cable management mounting plate is installed to the access port and the magnetic rover is inserted into the steam generator 200 and the cable ( reference number 539 in fig1 a ) is threaded through the cable entry of the cable guide , which is then installed on the access port . a motorized cable feeder is then mounted to the access port mount and the cable 539 inserted through a cable slot by pulling up on a spring loaded plate . when the cable 539 is properly positioned between the feed wheels , the spring plate is released and both the front and back cable 539 positioned and held in place . the cable container is positioned directly behind the cable management system and cable coiled inside so to minimize any tangling . the foregoing disclosure has been presented for purposes of illustration and description . the foregoing description is not intended to limit the present concepts to the forms , features , configurations , modules , or applications described herein by way of example . other non - enumerated configurations , combinations , and / or sub - combinations of such forms , features , configurations , modules , and / or applications are considered to lie within the scope of the disclosed concepts .

an inspection system for inspecting the interior of a steam generator includes , in one aspect , a first boom and a second , telescoping boom having a proximal end pivotally attached to the first boom and a distal end bearing a delivery capsule , the delivery capsule defining a storage bay . the inspection system includes a first robotic inspection vehicle dimensioned to fit in the delivery capsule storage bay and itself defines a storage bay . the first robotic inspection vehicle includes at least one inspection camera and at least one lighting system . the first robotic inspection vehicle further includes cabling connecting the first robotic inspection vehicle to the delivery capsule . the inspection system also includes a second robotic inspection vehicle dimensioned to fit in the first robotic inspection vehicle storage bay . the second robotic inspection vehicle includes at least one inspection camera and at least one lighting system and further includes cabling connecting the second robotic inspection vehicle to the first robotic inspection vehicle .

experiments were carried out to identify and to isolate cdna corresponding to mrna found exclusively in testis , and hence genes expressed only in testis cells . to do this , the methodology described by diatchenko et al , proc . natl . acad . sci usa 93 : 6025 - 6030 ( 1996 ), incorporated by reference , was used to generate cdna fragments specifically expressed in human testis cells , which had been obtained from biopsies of tumor free patients . specifically , two mg of mrna was taken from each of two , different testicular tissue specimens , and was used as a tester probe . driver cdna was obtained by synthesizing cdna from mrna taken from ten healthy tissue specimens ( colon , stomach , brain , resting and activated peripheral blood mononuclear cells , skeletal muscle , liver , kidney , lungs and skin ). diatchenko , et al , supra , was followed to carry out suppression subtractive hybridization pcr , after tester and driver cdna were permitted to hybridize . the resulting , isolated fragments were then used to isolate full length transcript . to do this , a cdna phagemid library was constructed , using the same cdna ( i . e ., the normal testis library ), using 5 mg of mrna . a library of 4 × 10 6 primary clones was produced and , following standard isolation procedures , the phagemid library was hybridized onto nitrocellulose membranes and then blotted with the fragments obtained previously . following blotting , the membranes were washed , and any phagemids which had bound to immobilized cdna were eluted . the eluted , full length molecules were used to prepare double stranded cdna , using known methods , and the cdna was then re - ligated into precut vectors , and then used for transfections and amplification . an expression library of 400 , 000 recombinants resulted . following the creation of the expression library described supra , immune screening experiments were carried out to determine if any iggs against the expression products of the library were present in serum from a tumor patient . to do this , a serum sample of a patient with renal cell cancer was diluted , 1 : 100 , and then screened against 200 , 000 of the recombinants , following türeci , et al , cancer res 56 : 4766 - 4772 ( 1996 ), u . s . pat . no . 5 , 698 , 396 , both of which are incorporated by reference . reactive clones were visualized by incubation with an anti - human , fc specific , alkaline phosphatase labelled antibody , which was then developed with the dye 5 - bromo - 4 - chloro - 3 - indolyl phosphate , and nitroblue tetrazolium , following known methods . of the 200 , 000 clones screened , five were positive . three of these were found to be identical to part of a previously identified protein , i . e ., scp1 , a protein whose expression has been linked , specifically to the meiotic prophase of spermatocytes , and which has been linked to the pairing of homologous chromosomes , which is essential to the generation of haploid cells in meioses i . the three positive clones were sequenced and found to correspond to nucleotides 726 - 2401 , 147 - 2728 , and 634 - 2462 of scp1 , but for changes at position 225 where cat was replaced by ttt leading to f instead of h , and at position 226 , glycine was replaced by glutamine ( ggg was replaced by gag ). other changes may also be present . the sequence of scp1 is set forth as seq id no : 1 and is found in meuwissen et al ., genomics 37 : 101 - 106 ( 1997 ) incorporated by reference . experiments were then carried out to determine whether or not the scp1 molecule was being expressed by normal tissues . this was determined via northern blotting , and via rt - pcr . northern blotting followed chomczynsky , et al . anal . biochem 72 : 248 - 254 ( 1976 ), incorporated by reference . to elaborate , mrna was removed from various tissue samples , checked for integrity via electrophoresis in formalin / mops gels , and then 10 mg from each sample were blotted onto nylon membranes , prehybridized , and then incubated with a 32 p labelled cdna probe which consisted of nucleotides 2715 - 3264 of scp1 ( seq id no : 1 ). specifically the probes were hybridized overnight at 42 ° c . in a solution of 50 % formamide 6 × ssc , 5 × denhardt &# 39 ; s , and 0 . 2 % sds . membranes were then washed at progressively higher stringencies , with the final wash at 1 × ssc , 0 . 2 % sds at 65 ° c . autoradiography was conducted at − 70 ° c ., for up to 7 days . to carry out rt - pcr , total rna was extracted , primed with an oligo - dt ( 18 ) nucleotide , and then reverse transcribed . primers used were : the rt - pcr protocol set forth supra was also used on tumor tissue samples . these results are set forth in the table which follows . northern blotting confirmed the work for renal , breast , and glioma tumor samples . the analysis discussed , supra , was carried forward with southern blotting , in accordance with maniatis , et al , molecular cloning : a laboratory manual ( cold spring harbor laboratory , 1982 ). in brief , the endonuclease hae iii was used on dna extracted from testis and peripheral blood lymphocytes . equal amounts of sample were checked by staining , visualized under uv light , and then were hybridized with full length cdna for scp1 at 6 × ssc , 4 × denhardt &# 39 ; s and 0 . 5 % sds , followed by washing and auto - radiography as described above . the banding patterns which resulted suggested a gene family , rather than a single gene . a final set of experiments was then carried out to test for presence of the scp1 protein . this was done by western blotting . scp1 specific rabbit antiserum , described by schmekel et al , chromosoma 102 : 682 - 692 ( 1993 ), incorporated by reference , was used . cell lysates ( 10 ug , per lane ), were mixed with 2 × sds sample buffer ( 0 . 1 m tris - hc ph 6 . 8 , 0 . 2m dithiothreitol , 4 % sds , 0 . 2 % bromophenol blue , 20 % glycerol ), electrophoresed on 12 % sds gels , via page , and were then blotted to nylon membranes . the membranes were blocked with 5 % non - fat milk in tbs for 1 hour , to address non - specific binding , and the membranes were then incubated with 1 : 100 diluted rabbit - anti scp1 antiserum . the blots were then incubated for 1 hour with alkaline phosphatase conjugated anti - lgg . membranes were washed extensively with tbs and 0 . 01 % tween , following each incubation . positive reactions were monitored in the same fashion as is described , supra . a 125 kda protein was detected in lysates of normal testis cells and tumor cells , but in no other samples , indicating that scp1 functions as a marker for tumor cells . the foregoing examples demonstrate several features of the invention . these include diagnostic methods for determining presence of transformed cells , such as cancer cells , in a sample . the examples show that there is a family of scp genes , such as scp - 1 . hence , the invention involves , inter alia , detecting an scp protein or mrna for an scp gene in a sample taken from a source other than testis , wherein presence of either or both of these is indicative of a pathology , such as cancer or some other type of transformed cells . exemplary of the type of diagnostic assays which can be carried out are amplification assays such as polymerase chain reaction , or immunoassays . it is especially preferred to assay for scp - 1 , as a determination of breast cancer , ovarian cancer , renal cell carcinoma , or glioma . the scp proteins , as indicated , have been associated , exclusively , with meiosis . as a rule , cells other than germ cells do not undergo meiosis . hence , the expression of scp proteins such as scp - 1 in a context other than germ cells undergoing meiosis is clearly an indication of an abornmality . it is believed that expression of scp proteins may contribute to the genetic instability of cancer cells , leading to abnormalities such as aneuploidy , manifesting the phenomenon in early neoplastic change . one aspect of the invention , then , is a method for determining presence of an abnormal condition by assaying for an scp protein , or a peptide derived from the protein , wherein the presence of the protein at all , or an abnormal level of the protein ( which may include its presence ), is indicative of an abnormality , such as cancer . there are many ways to carry out this type of assay . for example , as indicated herein , antibodies to the protein were found in patient samples . one can assay for these antibodies using , e . g ., the methodology described herein , or by using a purified scp protein or antigenic fragment thereof , and so forth . one can also assay for the protein itself , using antibodies , which may be isolated from samples , or generated using an scp protein and standard techniques . this antibodies can then be labelled , if desired , and used in standard immunoassays . similarly , any and all nucleic acid hybridization systems can be used , including amplification assays , such as pcr , basic probe hybridization assays , and so forth . the antibodies , such as polyclonal antibodies , monoclonal antibodies , the hybridomas which produce them , recombinantly produced antibodies , binding fragments of these , hybridization kits , dna probes , and so forth , are all additional features of the invention . any of these assays can also be used in progression / regression studies . since it is clear that a low or non - existent level of expression of scp protein is found in normal cells , one can monitor the course of abnormality involving expression of scp , simply by monitoring levels of the protein , its expression , and so forth using any or all of the methods set forth supra . it should be clear that these methodologies may also be used to track the efficacy of a therapeutic regime . essentially , one can take a baseline value for the scp protein or proteins being tested , using any of the assays discussed supra , administer a given therapeutic agent , and then monitor levels of the protein thereafter , observing changes in scp levels as indicia of the efficacy of the regime . the identification of scp proteins as being implicated in pathological conditions such as cancer also suggests a number of therapeutic approaches to such conditions . the experiments set forth supra establish that antibodies are produced in response to expression of the protein , suggesting its use as a vaccine . hence , a further embodiment of the invention is the treatment of conditions which are characterized by aberrant or abnormal levels of one or more scp proteins , via immunotherapeutic approaches . one of these approaches is the administration of an amount of an scp protein , or an immunogenic peptide derived from the protein in an amount sufficient to provoke or augment an immune response . the protein or peptide may be combined with one or more of the known immune adjuvants , such as saponins , gm - csf , interleukins , and so forth . if the peptides are too small to generate a sufficient antibody response , they can be coupled to the well known conjugates used to stimulate responses . similarly , the immunotherapeutic approaches include administering an amount of inhibiting antibodies sufficient to inhibit the scp protein . these antibodies may be , e . g ., antibodies produced via any of the standard approaches elaborated upon supra . t cell responses may also be elicited by using peptides derived from the scp proteins which then complex , non - covalently , with mhc molecules , thereby stimulating proliferation of cytolytic t cells against any such complexes in the subject . it is to be noted that the t cells may also be elicited in vitro using immune responsive cells such as dendritic cells , lymphocytes , or any other immune responsive cells , and then reperfused into the subject being treated . note that the generation of t cells and / or antibodies can also be accomplished by administering cells , preferably treated to be rendered non - proliferative , which present relevant t cell or b cell epitopes for response . the therapeutic approaches may also include gene therapies , wherein an antisense molecule , preferably from 10 to 100 nucleotides in length , is administered to the subject either “ neat ” or in a carrier , such as a liposome , to facilitate incorporation into a cell , followed by inhibition of expression of the protein . such antisense sequences may also be incorporated into appropriate vaccines , such as in viral vectors ( e . g ., vaccinia ), bacterial constructs , such as variants of the well known bcg vaccine , and so forth . an additional dna based therapeutic approach is the use of a vector which comprises one or more nucleotide sequences , preferably a plurality of these , each of which encodes an immunoreactive peptide derived from the expressed proteins . one can combine these peptide expressing sequences in all possible variations , such as one from each protein , several from one or more protein and one from each of the additional proteins , a plurality from some and none from others , and so forth . also a feature of the invention are the mutein forms of scp - 1 and the nucleic acid molecule encoding it , as described supra . these muteins can be used in the same way scp molecules can be used . the invention also involves a method for determining substances produced by a subject capable of eliciting an immune response , wherein one produces a cdna library of a normal cell taken from a subject , such as a testis cell , inserting the cdna molecules of the library into an expression vector , transfecting the vector into host cells to produce transfected host cells and then culturing the transfected host cell to express the substance of interest . following this , the cells are lysed to form a lysate , which is then contacted with a sample of a body fluid taken from a subject , which contains an immunologic binding partner for the immunoreactive substance . this step removes any inununologic binding partner from said sample which is specific for non - transfected host cells . the resulting sample is then contacted to a sample of lysed host cells transfected with the same vector which does not contain any library cdna which removes any immunologic binding partners specific for vector produced antigens . then , the sample is contacted to the lysate so that any binding partners specific substance bind thereto , after which one determines whether or not any binding partners have , in fact , bound to such substances , so as to determine said immunoreactive substance . this method is similar to that described in e . g ., ser . no . 08 / 580 , 980 , now u . s . pat . no . 5 , 698 , 396 , except that the source of the library is a normal cell , such as a testis cell . as the examples , supra , indicate , this type of library was used to identify the tumor antigen . the body fluid sample may be taken from the same subject from whom the testis cells are taken ( autologous serum ), or it may be from a different individual . as in the 08 / 580 , 980 application , the cdna so identified may be isolated , as can the binding partner . relevant host cells for transformation may be eukaryotic , or prokaryotic , such as e . coli , and the expression vectors may be any of the standard expression vectors , such as a viral vector , a phage vector , and so forth . the sample used may be any of the sample types used in biological analysis , such as serum , blood cerebrospinal fluid , urine , stool samples , tissue samples such as skin , and so forth . various types of antigens can be identified in this way , such as cancer associated antigens , autoimmune antigens , antigen associates with pathogens , such as viruses , and so forth . the methodology is conveniently carried out by , inter alia , immobilizing the lysate described supra to , e . g ., a membrane , such as a nylon or a cellulose membrane . other features of the invention will be clear to the skilled artisan , and need not be repeated here . the terms and expressions which have been employed are used as terms of description and not of limitation , and there is no intention in the use of such terms and expressions of excluding any equivalents of the features shown and described or portions thereof , it being recognized that various modifications are possible within the scope of the invention .

the invention involves the recognition of a previously identified protein , scp - 1 , as a marker for cell transformation . diagnostic and therapeutic uses of this protein and related molecules are taught . also disclosed is a method for identifying substances which are immunoreactive and indicative of pathological conditions , using normal cells as source material .

with reference to the drawings , a typical prior art satellite television antenna installation is shown in fig1 . an antenna , indicated generally by the numeral 10 , is mounted on a post 12 above the surface of ground 14 . a direct burial cable 16 extends from a convertor box 18 to a receiver , not shown , within a building 20 . an optional grounding wire 22 may be connected between the antenna 10 and a grounding rod 24 driven into the ground adjacent to the antenna 10 . an additional grounding wire 26 may be extended from the antenna 10 to a grounding rod 28 of the house ac meter 29 , electric panel 30 , or to another ac wiring ground at the point of entry of the building 20 . the present invention replaces the direct burial cable 16 and the ground wire 26 with a cable assembly described hereinafter . in the preferred embodiment , the cable assembly includes a flat style cable , indicated generally in fig2 by the numeral 40 . the cable 40 has an insulating , weatherproof enevlope 42 extending about and between a plurality of conductor assemblies 44 , 46 , 48 , and 50 . conductor assembly 44 includes at least one conductor 52 surrounded by an insulating sheath 54 , enclosed by a conductive shield 56 and a vapor barrier 58 . although three multi - stranded conductors 52 enclosed by a shield and a vapor barrier are shown in fig2 conductor assembly 44 may include any convenient number of single - stranded or multi - stranded conductors . conductor assemblies 46 and 48 each have a conductor 60 surround by an insulating sheath 62 , enclosed by a conductive shield 64 and a braided - wire shield 66 . alternatively , conductor assemblies 46 and 48 may be replaced by any convenient number of conductor assemblies . conductor assembly 50 includes a plurality of multi - stranded conductors 68 individually surrounded by insulating sheaths 70 , grouped with conductor subassembly 72 . conductor subassembly 72 has a multi - stranded conductor 74 , and a plurality of multi - stranded conductors 76 individually surrounded by insulating sheaths 78 , all enclosed by a conductive shield 80 and a vapor barrier 82 . alternatively , conductor assembly 50 may include any convenient number of multi - stranded conductors 68 and 76 . conductive shield 56 and vapor barrier 58 of assembly 44 , and conductive shield 80 and vapor barrier 82 of assembly 50 , may consist of a metallic foil strip with an insulating film of material such as teflon , mylar , or the like , deposited on one surface to form a combined shield and vapor barrier . alternatively , vapor barriers 58 and 82 may take some other form or may be omitted . conductive shield 64 of assembly 46 may be replaced by a similar integral shield and vapor barrier . the conductors 52 , 68 , 74 , and 76 may be single - stranded or multi - stranded copper wire , as appropriate . envelope 42 is of some flexible , substantially weatherproof material such as polyvinylchloride . polypropylene , neoprene , or the like . in the preferred embodiment , cable 40 is combined with other elements to form a cable assembly , indicated generally in fig3 a and 3b by the numeral 90 . cable assembly 90 is used underground between the antenna 10 and the building 20 in place of the combination of the direct burial cable 16 and the grounding wire 26 . cable assembly 90 is formed as follows : the cable 40 is helically - wound to form cable 92 with an approximately round cross - section and is surrounded by a vapor barrier 94 and a conductive shield 96 . a grounding wire 98 , outside the conductive shield 96 , extends along the length of the shield 96 and is in continuous electrical contact therewith . grounding wire 98 and shield 96 are enclosed by an insulating , weatherproof jacket 100 . fig3 b shows a perspective , cut - away view of cable assembly 90 . shield 96 and vapor barrier 94 may be an integral unit consisting of a metallic foil strip with an insulating film of material such as teflon , mylar , or the like , deposited on one surface to form a combined shield and vapor barrier . alternatively , shield 96 and vapor barrier 94 may take some other convenient form , such as a separate vapor barrier and a braided wire shield , or the vapor barrier 94 may be omitted . jacket 100 is of some flexible , substantially weatherproof material such as neoprene , polyvinylchloride , polypropylene , or the like . when cable assembly 90 is installed in place of the direct burial cable 16 and the grounding wire 26 of fig1 the cut ends of helically - wound cable 40 may be unwound to their original flat configuration for easy connection to standard bar - type connectors , while the assembly as a whole remains an approximately round , compact whole . one end of the grounding wire 98 is attached to the convertor box 18 or to a separate ground at the antenna 10 , and the other end is attached to the grounding rod 28 or electric panel 30 in the building 20 . the conductors of the cable assembly 90 are connected to corresponding terminals of the antenna 10 and a receiver within the building 20 . cable assembly 90 thus combines a grounding wire with a shielded cable suitable for connecting a satellite antenna to a remote receiver . this configuration is particularly convenient and compact and provides greater protection for the satellite antenna system -- and any apparatus connected to the system -- than wiring systems employing a separate grounding wire . fig4 and 5 illustrate the risk to a typical satellite television antenna system from voltage and current surges known as ground induced lightning . many trees , such as pine tree 110 , have roots 112 that grow generally downward , providing a natural grounding rod . when lightning strikes such trees , voltage and current is transmitted through the ground in all directions , as illustrated . such ground induced lightning easily enters the unprotected burial cable 16 and is quickly routed to electronic components at the antenna 10 and the receiver in the house 20 , causing severe damage . the addition of a separate grounding wire 26 as illustrated in fig1 provides only a limited protection against such ground induced lightning . the burial cable 16 is still unprotected from the voltage and current surges conducted through the ground , which may be at least 200 , 000 amperes and millions of volts . unlike the system of fig1 having a separate grounding wire 26 , the cable assembly 90 includes shield 96 that intercepts the ground induced lightning and keeps the voltage and current surges from the conductors assemblies 44 , 46 , 48 and 50 . the grounding wire 98 safely drains the high voltage current away from the conductor assemblies to the grounding rod 24 and the grounding rod 28 . because the grounding wire 98 is outside the shield 96 and is in continuous contact with the shield , there is little likelihood that the shield will be burned through , even by an extremely strong and nearby lightning strike . it will be understood that other materials and configurations of conductors than the preferred embodiment shown may be used without deviating from the spirit of the present invention . in particular , some other convenient flat style cable may be treated as described , to form cable assembly 90 . furthermore , any convenient form of cable may be surrounded by a vapor barrier and conductive shield , with a grounding wire outside the shield extending along the length of the shield , and an insulating , weatherproof jacket enclosing the whole , to form the cable assembly of the present invention . from the foregoing , it will be apparent that the present invention provides a novel cable assembly with protection from voltage and current surges resulting from lightning strikes that is particularly suitable for installing a remote satellite television antenna , or similar equipment . of course , it should be understood that various changes and modifications to the preferred embodiment described above will be apparent to those skilled in the art . additionally , various embodiments of the present invention may be adapted for specific system applications other than satellite television antenna systems . the present invention is not intended to be limited to use only in the form of the preferred embodiment or with only satellite television antenna systems . it is therefore intended that the foregoing detailed description be regarded as illustrative rather than limiting and that it be understood that it is the following claims , including all equivalents , that are intended to define the scope of this invention .

a cable assembly has a cable of conductor assemblies within an insulating envelope , a conducting shield disposed around the cable , a grounding wire outside the shield extending along the length of the shield and in continuous contact with the shield , and an insulating and weatherproof jacket enclosing the shield and the grounding wire . a method for using the cable assembly to connect a satellite television antenna to a receiver in a remote building , providing protection from ground induced lightning , is also disclosed .

the present invention is directed to a method of separating one or more polymeric components from a multi - component polymeric material . the method is particularly useful in separating one or more reclamation polymers from a mixed polymer waste stream . the method of the invention uses differences in temperature profiles between polymeric components to enable separation . for example , below the glass transition temperature , energy dissipation by the amorphous phase of a glassy or semi - crystalline polymer is greatly reduced and the material becomes much more brittle . in many mixed material streams , one material is far more brittle than others below specific temperatures . as another example , some adhesives embrittle or degrade at increased , or above - ambient , temperatures . when a material is in a brittle state it is more prone to be fractured to a reduced particle size if subjected to grinding . by grinding a stream of mixed polymeric materials at a temperature that allows one or more components within the stream to be fractured , separation of the polymeric materials becomes possible . similarly , by imparting a high level of mechanical energy to the material at higher or lower temperatures , the reduced adhesion due to the adjusted temperature is not sufficient to withstand delamination . the high level of mechanical energy may be induced by impact , shear , and / or ultrasonic forces , for example . this does not necessarily result in reduced sizes for the individually separate components but provides the needed separation nonetheless . in the method of the invention , the multi - component polymeric material , or mixed polymer waste stream , can be cooled using suitable liquid , gas , or solid agents . in one embodiment , for example , the material can be cooled by adding liquid nitrogen or other suitable coolant in the liquid or gaseous state to the material , thus cooling the material to a prescribed temperature range . in other embodiments , the multi - component polymeric material can be heated using suitable liquid , gas , solid , or radiation agents . for example , the material may be heated through radiation using either infrared or microwave radiation . the prescribed temperature range is a range at which decombination of the polymer mixture occurs . as defined herein , the term “ decombination ” refers to a separation of components of a mixture , which components are initially in intimate contact with each other due to chemical or physical forces , into a weakly agglomerated form . once separated into a weakly agglomerated form the components are no longer in intimate contact , but may still be weakly adhere to one another . in one embodiment , for example , the prescribed temperature range is the range below a glass transition temperature of a targeted reclamation polymer or polymers and above a glass transition temperature of other material ( s ) in the mixture , or is suitably low to facilitate separation due to a loss of adhesion . the prescribed temperature range varies depending on the polymers present in the mixture . while in the prescribed temperature range , the mixture is ground or otherwise exposed to high levels of mechanical energy . liquid nitrogen may be added to the mixture or another suitable cooling or heating technique may be used while the mixture is in a grinding device or similar device that provides sufficient mechanical energy to initiate separation to initially cool or heat the mixture . thus , the mixture may be exposed to mechanical forces prior to adjusting the temperature as well as while the temperature is changing . alternatively , the mixture may first be heated or cooled and then transferred to a grinding device or similar device that provides sufficient mechanical energy to initiate separation . in yet another embodiment , the mixture may be heated or cooled to reach the prescribed temperature range , then allowed to cool or heat to return to ambient temperature such that the mechanical energy may act upon the mixture at ambient temperature . the feasibility of such timing is specific to the polymers within the mixture . in some embodiments , depending upon the polymers within the mixture , the temperature may need to be raised or lowered only a moderate amount , such as ± 10 degrees celsius , to achieve a temperature within the prescribed temperature range . grinding or otherwise imparting mechanical energy to the mixture in the prescribed temperature range fractures the reclamation polymer to a smaller particle size and / or different geometry than the remaining polymers in the mixture or provides delamination , thus enabling separation of the reclamation polymer from the remainder of the mixture . more specifically , as a result of grinding , the reclamation polymer may be reduced to a powder while the remaining material having a lower glass transition temperature may remain fibrous . alternatively , the laminate material is delaminated to such an extent that each of the laminate layers or components is mutually separated . the reclamation polymer can be separated from the remaining particles by screening , using fluidized beds , or any other suitable method of separation based on particle size . the method of the invention is particularly suitable for separating mixed polymer waste streams , such as nonwoven - elastic composite materials , from such processes as stretch - bond laminating processes as disclosed , for example , in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 720 , 415 to vander wielen et al ., and vertical filament laminating processes as disclosed , for example , in pct publication wo 01 / 88245 to welch et al ., published nov . 22 , 2001 . the method of the invention is also well suited to separating mixed polymer waste streams resulting from the manufacture of a variety of materials such as nonwoven fabric made with multi - component polymeric strands . the method can be used to separate polypropylene , polyethylene , and / or linear low density polyethylene , for example , from such waste streams . one example of a nonwoven material made with multi - component polymeric strands is described in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 336 , 552 , issued aug . 9 , 1994 , to strack , et al . more particularly , this material is a nonwoven fabric made with multi - component polymeric strands including a blend of polyolefin and ethylene alkyl acrylate copolymer . using the method of the invention to separate the waste material resulting from making this material , a polypropylene portion can be reduced to a powder while leaving a polyethylene portion in a fibrous or fibrillar form since polypropylene has a higher glass transition temperature than polyethylene . although polyethylene would likely suffer some extent of size reduction , it should maintain a fibrous shape that would enable separation from the polypropylene portion through the use of screens or a fluidized bed . specific geometries of particles that lend feasibility to the separation process can be achieved by fracturing or grinding or delaminating the mixture at specific temperatures . since polypropylene has a higher glass transition temperature than polyethylene or linear low density polyethylene , polypropylene can be fractured to powder form while polyethylene or linear low density polyethylene remains fibrous , thus enabling reclamation of the polypropylene . alternatively , when applying the method of the invention to a mixture that includes polyethylene or linear low density polyethylene along with a polymer having an even lower glass transition temperature , the polyethylene and / or linear low density polyethylene can also be reduced to a powder form using liquid nitrogen and a grinder , thus enabling reclamation of the polyethylene or linear low density polyethylene . while in the foregoing specification this invention has been described in relation to certain preferred embodiments thereof , and many details have been set forth for purpose of illustration , it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention is susceptible to additional embodiments and that certain of the details described herein can be varied considerably without departing from the basic principles of the invention .

a method of separating at least one polymer from a mixture of polymers . the method includes adjusting the temperature of the mixture , either by heating or cooling , to bring the temperature to a temperature at which decombination of the polymer mixture occurs . mechanical energy is also imparted to the mixture , before , during or after temperature adjustment . the temperature adjustment and application of mechanical energy enable at least one polymer to be separated from the other polymers in the mixture .

hereinafter , example implementations of the disclosed teachings are described in detail with reference to accompanying drawings . [ 0034 ] fig2 is a block diagram that shows a non - limiting example of a configuration of a uwb transceiver apparatus . it includes a filter unit having a plurality of filters , each of which is capable of filtering a specific frequency band according to the disclosed teachings . referring to fig2 the uwb transceiver has a wideband lna 220 covering all frequency bands of a uwb system , a wideband power amplifier 270 , a filter unit 230 including a plurality of filters , a demodulator 240 , a modulator 280 , a baseband controller 250 , and a medium access control ( mac ) 260 . each of the components of the apparatus will now be described in detail . the lna is a typical small signal amplifier . an example of a small signal amplifier is an rf device that is needed for converting a signal . such a signal , while interpretable , has increased noise and weakened intensity as the signal passes through a number of paths in the air . the small signal amplifier is an amplifier that receives not only gain but also the noise component . in this example , a wideband lna covering all the frequency bands of the uwb system is used . each of the filters constituting the filter unit is a band stop filter for selectively filtering out only a specific frequency band used in existing rf systems . each of the band stop filters is required to filter out a specific frequency spectrum when a signal is input to the uwb receiver . because specific frequency bands are filtered out , the uwb system does not interfere with existing wireless communication systems . further , it is likely that new frequency bands that may overlap with the existing frequencies may appear due to the advent of new communication devices . the band stop filter is required to dynamically cope with interference due to such newly overlapped band . for example , the filters may be arranged according to ranges of the frequency band used in the existing wireless communication systems in such a manner that a first band stop filter is used in the global positioning system ( gps ) band and a second band stop filter is used in the 5 ghz wireless lan band , etc . a switch that can be turned on or off is attached in a parallel connection format to each filter . in this configuration , if the switch is in an on state , the signal input is transmitted only along the shorted switch without passing through the filter with predetermined impedance . thus , the band stop filter is in an off state . on the other hand , if the switch is in an off state , the input signal is transmitted through the filter with predetermined impedance . thus , the band stop filter is in an on state . the baseband controller 250 serves to control the overall operation of processing transmission and reception of uwb pulse signals through the transceiver . as shown in fig3 the baseband controller 250 comprises a power measurement unit 251 , an on - off control unit 252 and a power control unit 253 . the functions of the components will be later described in detail with reference to fig3 . the mac 260 is present in the upper layer of the physical layer and serves to manage data communication according to the uwb communication . the mac 260 receives binary signals through the baseband controller or transfers the binary signals to be transmitted to the baseband controller . further , the demodulator 240 serves to demodulate a data sequence of uwb pulse signals received through the antenna into original signals . the modulator 280 modulates binary data of the original signals into uwb pulse signals . the power amplifier 270 amplifies the intensity of the uwb pulse signals input from the modulator 280 via the filter so that they are suitable for uwb channel transmission . in the receiving side of the apparatus , the order between the filter and lna may be changed and all the filters may be located in front or to the rear of the lna . in case of a heterodyne system or direct conversion system where the carrier is used , the signals may be moved to the baseband of the original signals . these signals are then demodulated if the signals pass through the down converter . on the other hand , in case of a baseband system or uwb system where the carrier is not used , the signals may be directly demodulated without passing through the down converter . in the transmitting side of the apparatus , the order between the filter and power amplifier may be changed , and all the filters may be located in front of or to the rear of the power amplifier . in case of a heterodyne system or direct conversion system where a carrier is used , the modulated baseband signals are up - converted into the band around the carrier frequency . here , the up - converted rf signals have a band that is to be sent to a specific band space . in a system where a carrier is not used , the modulated signals are directly sent to the filter without performing the up - conversion process . [ 0043 ] fig3 is a schematic diagram showing an exemplary structure of the baseband controller 250 embodying some aspects of the disclosed teachings . the power measurement unit 251 of the baseband controller 250 measures the power intensity of the rf signal entering the band space as each of the filters is turned on or off , thereby turning on or off each of the corresponding lnas . as a result of the measurement , if there is power variation greater than a predetermined value , the power measurement unit 251 determines that another wireless communication system is using the band . the on - off control unit 252 serves to filter out signals in the band that are not to be used . this is done by controlling the turning on or off each of the filters . more specifically , the on - off control unit 252 can dynamically turn on or off the switch by turning on the band stop filter corresponding to a band , which is determined to be used by the other wireless communication system in the power measurement unit 251 , and turning off other band stop filters . further , the on - off control unit 252 serves to filter out signals in the band that are not to be used , by controlling the operation of turning on or off each of the lnas . more specifically , the on - off control unit 252 can dynamically turn on or off the switch by turning off the lna corresponding to a band that has been determined to be used by the other wireless communication systems in the power measurement unit 251 , and turning on the other lnas . further , the power control unit 253 controls the intensity of the transmission power of the uwb pulse signals according to the signal to noise ratio ( snr ) of the received signals . since the respective components of the baseband controller 250 so constructed operate independently from one another , additional components may be added thereto depending on the data transmission method or only some of the components shown in fig3 may be included therein . for example , the baseband controller 250 may be comprised of only the power measurement unit 251 and the on - off control unit 252 . if there is an additional need to control the intensity of the transmission power , the power control unit 253 may be further added to the baseband controller 250 . [ 0046 ] fig4 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary configuration of the uwb transceiver apparatus including the lna unit with a plurality of lnas and the power amplifier unit with a plurality of power amplifiers arranged according to the frequency bands . only the parts different from the uwb transceiver apparatus shown in fig2 are explained in detail herein . referring to fig4 the exemplary uwb transceiver apparatus comprises the lna unit 420 with a plurality of lnas , the power amplifier unit 470 with a plurality of power amplifiers , the wideband filter 430 covering all the bands of the uwb system , the demodulator 240 , the modulator 280 , the baseband controller 250 , and the mac 260 . the lna unit 420 includes a plurality of lnas and a lna combiner 421 for collecting the outputs from the plurality of lnas and then sending the outputs to a single port . the power amplifier unit 470 includes a plurality of power amplifiers and a power amplifier combiner 471 for collecting the outputs from the plurality of power amplifiers and then sending the outputs to a single port . further , the wideband filter 430 covers all the bands used in the uwb system . when the uwb receiver receives signals , it is designed such that the lna and power amplifier are not used for a specific frequency band spectrum . thus , since a band that will not be used upon transmission and reception due to its overlapping with other communication systems is not subjected to an amplification process through the relevant lna and power amplifier , the uwb system cannot interfere with the existing wireless communication systems and can dynamically cope with interference due to the existing overlapped bands as well as overlapped bands that are likely to appear due to the advent of new communication devices in the future . for example , the filters may be arranged according to the ranges of frequency bands used in the existing wireless communication systems in such a manner that a first lna and power amplifier are used in the global positioning system ( gps ) band and a second lna and power amplifier are used in the 5 ghz wireless lan band , for example . an exemplary implementation that combines the structures of fig2 and 4 are combined with each other can also be created . in such a combined structure , the transceiver system comprising the filter unit with a plurality of filters , the lna unit with a plurality of lnas , and the power amplifier unit with a plurality of power amplifiers are combined . here , if only interference occurring due to a band overlapping with existing wireless communication systems becomes a problem , the problem can be solved only through the embodiment shown in fig2 or fig4 respectively . the lna , the power amplifier , the filter and the like used in the uwb system is required to cover the wideband . therefore , good performance cannot be uniformly obtained throughout the entire frequency band even though a wideband lna , filter and power amplifier are used . further , another problem such as the distortion of signals may be produced in a certain frequency band . on the other hand , if the lna , filter and power amplifier are provided in each of the frequency bands as described in the exemplary implementations embodying the disclosed teachings , problems such as the distortion of signals will not occur . [ 0051 ] fig5 is a flowchart illustrating a technique for dynamically determining a frequency band that is not to be used in the uwb transceiver apparatus using a plurality of filters . the steps in the flowchart of fig5 are performed at a regular interval of time or when the uwb transceiver apparatus is turned on . first , all the filters shown in fig2 are turned off ( s 510 ). then , one of the filters is turned on and the remaining filters remain turned off . next , the next filter is turned on and the other filters remain turned off . this process is performed for all the filters ( s 520 ). through the above processes , it is possible to determine as to which bands the interferences occur . for example , where the second filter can cover the 5 ghz wireless lan band that is currently used by another apparatus , the first to n - th filters are sequentially turned on one by one at a regular interval of time or when the uwb transceiver apparatus is turned on . then , the total intensity of the rf signals coming into the band space will be significantly lowered when the second filter is turned on . therefore , the uwb system can perceive the presence of the 5 ghz wireless lan band through the above process . generally speaking , if the power of the rf signals entering the band space is significantly reduced when a specific band stop filter is turned on ( s 530 ), it is determined that the filter for use in the band is turned on ( s 540 ). otherwise , it is determined that the relevant filter is turned off ( s 550 ). subsequently , it is checked whether the relevant filter is the last n - th filter ( s 560 ). if so , the process goes to next step s 570 . otherwise , the process returns to step s 520 . according to the determined result , the uwb transceiver apparatus turns on only the relevant filters for use in a band from which interference is expected and turns off the other filters ( s 570 ). thus , the uwb board will not be damaged even though higher power is input through the interference band . further , information on the relevant band so determined is transmitted to a communicating uwb transceiver apparatus ( s 580 ). the two uwb transceiver apparatuses make a mutual agreement that they will not use the relevant band ( s 590 ). a method of making an agreement between the two uwb transceiver apparatuses that they will not use a specific band for mutual communication may include a method of producing a management frame in the mac and transceiving the frame between the apparatuses . alternately , this information can be included in a physical layer header and communicated to each other during the wireless data transmission / reception . in such a case , a new frame may be produced , or “ reserved bits ” of the existing frame may be used . [ 0055 ] fig6 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary technique for dynamically determining a frequency band that is not to be used in the uwb transceiver apparatus including a plurality of lnas and a plurality of power amplifiers . the steps in the flowchart of fig6 are performed at a regular interval of time or when the uwb transceiver apparatus is turned on . first , all the filters shown in fig4 are turned on ( s 610 ). then , one of the filters is turned off and the remaining filters remain turned on . next , the next filter is turned off and the other filters are turned on . this process is performed for all the filters ( s 620 ). through the above processes , it is possible to determine as to which bands the interferences occur . as such , if the power of the rf signals entering the band space is significantly reduced when a specific lna is turned off ( s 630 ), it is determined that the lna for use in the band is turned off ( s 640 ). otherwise , it is determined that the relevant filter and power amplifier are turned on ( s 650 ). subsequently , it is checked whether the relevant lna is the last n - th lna ( s 660 ). if so , the process goes to step s 670 . otherwise , the process returns to step s 620 . according to the determined result , the uwb transceiver apparatus turns off only the relevant lna for use in the interference band and turns on the other lnas ( s 670 ). further , information on the relevant band so determined is transmitted to a communicating uwb transceiver apparatus ( s 680 ), and then , the two uwb transceiver apparatuses make a mutual agreement that they will not use the relevant band ( s 690 ). [ 0057 ] fig7 is a flowchart illustrating a process of determining a frequency band not to be used and transceiving signals between the uwb systems where a plurality of filters , lnas and power amplifiers are all used . first , the filter unit , the lna unit and the power amplifier unit are set on the basis of the agreement process as described in the embodiment shown in fig5 or fig6 ( s 710 ). then , the modulator of the first uwb transceiver apparatus receives binary signals to be transmitted from the baseband controller ( s 720 ). next , the received binary signals are modulated into uwb pulse signals through the modulator ( s 730 ). where a carrier is used , the signals should first pass through a down converter and be then subject to the modulation process . otherwise , the signals are directly transmitted to the modulator . the modulated signals pass through the filter unit on the transmitting side of the uwb system , in which the signals in the band to be unused are filtered out or stopped ( s 740 ). thereafter , only the signals in the band to be used are amplified through the power amplifier unit ( s 750 ), and the uwb pulse signals are then transmitted through the antenna ( s 760 ). the transmitted signals are propagated through the uwb channel in the air and are received through the antenna of the second uwb transceiver apparatus ( s 770 ). then , the received signals are amplified by passing through the lna unit ( s 780 ), and the signals in the band not to be used are filtered out or stopped through the filter unit on the receiving side of the uwb system ( s 790 ). only the filtered pulse signals are demodulated into binary signals ( s 795 ). where a carrier is used , the pulse signals should pass through the filter unit and then be transmitted to the down converter . where a carrier is not used , the pulse signals are directly sent to the demodulator . the binary signals having passed through the demodulator are transmitted to the baseband controller ( s 799 ). although the disclosed teachings have been described in connection with the disclosed embodiments thereof , it is not limited to these embodiments thereof . therefore , it is apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made thereto without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention defined by the appended claims .

a uwb receiver having at least one communication module with a limited working band whose on / off state can be controlled . the uwb receiver is adapted to detect power intensity of a received radio signal in the limited working band based on an on / off state of said at least one communication module . the uwb receiver is adapted to control the on / off state of the at least one communication module based on a result of the detection .

to solve the aforementioned problems associated with existing commercial and prior art technology for the production of propylene oxide , the present invention provides an integrated process and a new dual - functional combined catalyst for the production of propylene oxide in a single reaction step , using hydrogen , oxygen , and propylene as the reactants , and producing propylene oxide and water as the major product and by - product , respectively . this process and combined catalyst allows propylene oxide to be produced more efficiently , at lower cost , and more safely than has been possible previously . a distinctive and advantageous feature of this invention is the use of a specially prepared dual - functional catalyst , consisting of very fine , nanometer - sized dispersed noble metal catalyst crystallites bound to a substrate of zeolitic catalyst particles . this dual - functional catalyst directly converts a mixture of hydrogen , oxygen , and propylene feeds to propylene oxide product . a further distinctive and advantageous feature of this invention is the method of preparing the dual functional catalyst particles containing the detailed structure and properties of the noble metal crystals deposited on the particles . the dual functionality of the catalyst is expressed by the hydrogen and oxygen feeds adsorbing and reacting on active sites of the noble metal crystals to form hydrogen peroxide concurrent with the epoxidation of an olefin feedstream by the produced hydrogen peroxide reacting in combination with the catalytic substrate . the hydrogen peroxide is referred to as in - situ hydrogen peroxide , or intermediate hydrogen peroxide . the hydrogen peroxide prepared in the vicinity of noble metal crystal surface of the dual catalyst is in a favorable location to oxidize olefins such as propylene in the vicinity of the titanium - zeolite catalytic substrate portion of the dual catalyst . for the purpose of this invention , the hydrogen peroxide intermediate serves only as the appropriate epoxidizing agent for the subsequent reaction with the olefin feed to form the olefin epoxide . it is not the purpose of this invention to create a net production of hydrogen peroxide ; in fact , production of excess hydrogen peroxide is undesirable as it would tend to react with propylene oxide , degrading the desired product , forming undesired by - products , and lowering the overall process selectivity . to achieve a very high selectivity for the generation of in - situ hydrogen peroxide , the dual functional catalyst of the invention must have a precisely controlled structure . the active noble metal constituent of the catalyst plays two important roles , ( 1 ) adsorbing oxygen and hydrogen atoms on its surface and ( 2 ) aiding electron transfer between the adsorbed oxygen and hydrogen atoms . by adsorbing the oxygen and hydrogen atoms onto the 110 / 220 crystals planes of the noble metal crystallites , the reactants are activated and brought into a proximity sufficient to promote intermolecular / atomic reactions . by enhancing electron transfer , the rate of intermolecular reactions is increased , leading to the desired catalytic effect . however , electron transfer can occur in a variety of fashions depending upon how many hydrogen and oxygen molecules are adsorbed , and the relative positions and proximity of these molecules to one another . it is for this reason that the crystalline structure of the noble metal particles is critical . fig1 illustrates several possible crystal phase or face expositions of a noble metal particle such as palladium . fig1 a depicts a 110 crystal face exposition on which hydrogen and oxygen molecules will be adsorbed in alignment with the linear structure of the top layer of noble metal atoms . as a consequence , each adsorbed oxygen atom can have only one hydrogen atom adsorbed closely enough for electron transfer , which situation favors hydrogen peroxide formation . fig1 b and 1 c show the configurations of the 100 and 111 faces of the noble metal crystals . in these face expositions , an adsorbed oxygen atom can have several nearest hydrogen atoms . by allowing electron transfer with multiple hydrogen atoms , these crystal faces favor the reaction of oxygen with two atoms of hydrogen , leading to the formation of one molecule of water instead of hydrogen peroxide as is desired . therefore , in order to provide a dual function catalyst that has a high selectivity for the formation of in situ hydrogen peroxide , its noble metal crystallite portion on the surface of the catalytic substrate should primarily expose the 110 family of crystal faces . ( 110 , 220 , etc .). it is one of - the critical aspects of this invention to provide a method for making the catalyst so as to achieve this requirement . this is done by depositing the noble metal particles from a colloid precursor solution , using an ionic polymer as a control agent . the controlling precursor solution is prepared to contain a dissolved noble metal salt and an ionic water - soluble or optionally methanol soluble control polymer in an acidic aqueous medium . the noble metal salt may be a salt of palladium , platinum , gold , iridium , osmium , rhodium , ruthenium , and the like , and combinations thereof , with palladium being preferred . the salt may be any suitable salt of the desired noble metal . in terms of suitability and commercial availability , the preferred choices are chloride and nitrate salts , or combinations thereof . in addition to the primary noble metal salt , such as palladium chloride , a minor amount of a second noble metal salt such as chloroplatinic acid is also included in the precursor solution . this second noble metal salt is useful as an alloying agent ; this reduces the solubility of the metal alloy in the precursor solution and prevents the active noble metal from being leached out of the support . this second noble metal salt is added such that the molar ratio of first noble metal to the second noble metal is in the range 20 : 1 to 100 : 1 . an ionic polymer is added to the precursor solution , and acts as a control agent . suitable ionic polymers are either negatively charged or have a lone pair of electrons that can attract the positively charged metal ions such as pd2 +. suitable polymers have molecular weights within the range of about 300 - 8000 , preferably 600 - 6000 . suitable polymers are water soluble . examples of suitable polymers include polyacrylates such as polyacrylic acid , polyvinylbenzoates , polyvinyl sulfate , polyvinyl sulfonates , polybiphenyl carbonates , polybenzimidozoles , polypyridines , and other polyacids and polymer agents having similar molecular structures and properties . sodium polyacrylate is an example of a suitable ionic control polymer . the ionic control polymer is added to the precursor solution such that the molar ratio of noble metal to polymer is in the range 1 : 0 . 1 to 1 : 10 , and preferably 1 : 0 . 5 to 1 : 5 . this ratio is particularly important , as it greatly affects the catalyst activity . the ratio can be adjusted within the specified range to produce a catalyst with optimal activity . the desired zeolitic catalyst substrate is mixed into the precursor solution . this zeolitic substrate may be any of a variety of catalytic zeolites that are known to be suitable for the selective epoxidation of olefins , such as the epoxidation of propylene to propylene oxide . these substrates include , but are not limited to , titanium - substituted silicalites such as ts - 1 , vanadium - substituted silicalites , and titanium - based zeolites containing other components such as tellurium , boron , germanium , and niobium . appropriate choices will be known and can be identified by those versed in the art . advantageously , the substrate zeolite should have a surface area of at least about 20 m2 / g and usually not exceeding about 1 , 500 m2 / g . the zeolite substrate may be used in a variety of physical forms , depending upon the desired form of the final dual - functional catalyst ; for example , it may be a powder of particle size in the range of 1 - 1000 microns , or it may consist of larger particles , extrudates , tablets , or the like , as would be used in fixed bed reactor applications . if a powdered substrate is used , the resulting catalyst powder will be suitable for use in slurry , fluidized bed , and other related types of reactors . the catalytic substrate may also be further processed by pressing , extrusion , or other appropriate means to generate a catalyst suitable for fixed bed reactors . by mixing the zeolitic substrate with the precursor solution consisting of noble metal salt and ionic control polymer , the substrate becomes impregnated with the precursor solution . the combination is then dried and reduced under hydrogen atmosphere at a temperature of 100 - 500 ° c . and preferably 250 - 350 ° c . the resulting dual catalyst has the desired finely dispersed noble metal crystals on the catalytic substrate with the 110 and / or 220 crystal faces preferentially exposed . the final catalyst will have a noble metal loading in the range 0 . 01 to 10 wt %, preferably 0 . 1 to 5 wt %. the noble metal crystals or particles on the substrate surface have individual particle or crystallite sizes of 0 . 1 to 1000 nanometers ( nm ), preferably 1 to 100 nm . without restricting the scope of this invention , the following provides an illustrative example of a suitable catalyst preparation method or procedure . palladium chloride is dissolved in a 0 . 4 wt % hydrochloric acid aqueous solution to form a first solution . a second solution , consisting of sodium polyacrylate in aqueous solution , is added to the first solution , providing a metal to ionic polymer molar ratio in the preferred range of 1 : 0 . 5 to 1 : 5 . a third solution of chloroplatinic acid is added to the combined first and second solution to provide a palladium to platinum molar ratio of 20 : 1 to 100 : 1 . the combined solution is then purged with nitrogen flow for 1 hr , and then reduced by hydrogen flow for 20 minutes . the resulting solution constitutes the precursor solution . the selected zeolitic substrate , such as ts - 1 in a powder form , is mixed into the precursor solution . after the substrate becomes impregnated with the solution , the substrate is removed from the solution , for example by filtration , and dried overnight . after drying , the impregnated substrate is reduced in hydrogen at 250 - 350 ° c . temperature for 10 - 20 hours . the dual - functional catalyst for producing propylene oxide is now ready for use . the dual - functional catalyst is advantageously used in an integrated process for the one - step synthesis of propylene oxide product from hydrogen oxygen , and propylene feeds . however , as will be apparent to those skilled in the art , the invention is not limited to the synthesis of propylene oxide . olefins in general and mixtures of olefins may be used for epoxidation by the process of the invent , including c2 - c20 olefins , substituted or unsubstituted with groups such as halogen , hydroxy , carboxy and the like . a schematic flowsheet of an integrated process of the invention for propylene oxide production is depicted in fig2 . hydrogen feed is provided at 10 , and will preferably consist of a purified form of hydrogen , although it may also consist of a gaseous mixture containing hydrogen , such as synthesis gas , refinery off - gas , or the like . oxygen feed is provided at 12 , which may comprise purified oxygen , air , or enriched air . the optimal choice of the oxygen - containing feed will depend on a balance between the costs of oxygen purification against the costs of handling and removing inert nitrogen within the process , as can be determined using established design engineering and optimization practice . fresh propylene feed is provided at 14 , and may be in a liquid or gaseous state , but will preferably be in the liquid state . these hydrogen , oxygen and propylene feeds are introduced into reactor 16 , along with a suitable solvent medium 18 for conducting the reaction . a variety of solvents may be used , including alcohols , ketones , aldehydes , ethers , esters , aromatic hydrocarbons , aliphatic hydrocarbons , and water , or mixtures thereof . the solvent will preferably be a mixture of alcohol and water , and more preferably a mixture of methanol and water . the propylene oxide reactor 16 consists of a suitable reactor design which contains the dual functional catalyst 17 , and contacts the catalyst with the reactants hydrogen , oxygen , and propylene . the raw product of the catalytic reaction is continuously withdrawn from the reactor 16 as stream 19 . the feeds to the reactor 16 include gaseous component ( hydrogen , oxygen , propylene ) which if combined inappropriately , would result in gaseous mixtures in the flammable or explosive regions . the lower flammability limits for hydrogen are 4 . 5 vol % in oxygen and 4 . 0 vol % in air . the lower explosive limits are 15 . 0 vol % in oxygen and 18 . 3 vol % in air . it is possible to operate reactor 16 with a gas composition that is within the flammable or explosive region , if suitable precautions are taken to eliminate ignition sources and provide for emergency shutdowns in the event of problems . however , it is preferred to maintain the gaseous composition within reactor 16 below the lower flammability limit , which provides for safe reactor operations . the flammability and explosion characteristics of the gas in reactor 16 must also be considered with respect to the behavior of mixtures of propylene and oxygen or air . the lower and upper explosive limits for propylene in air , are 2 and 11 vol %, respectively . as discussed below , reactor 16 is preferably operated at a sufficiently high pressure such that the propylene is substantially in the liquid phase . this pressure must also be sufficiently high such that the gas phase propylene content is below the 2 vol % lower explosive limit . this limiting pressure may be determined by those skilled in the art based on published data for the vapor - liquid equilibrium of propylene - containing systems . reactor 16 may be one of several known reactor types . it may be a fixed bed reactor , in which the dual - functional catalyst 17 is held in an immobile bed and the gaseous and liquid reactants are passed through the catalyst bed . liquid and gas flows may be passed through the bed in either upflow or downflow pattern , and may be fed in countercurrent or cocurrent flow configurations . reactor 16 may alternately be of slurry , fluidized bed , transport bed , or any of a variety of related reactor types in which the catalyst is mobile and agitated within the liquid / gas mixture , either by the action of a mechanical agitator , or by the fluid motion of the liquids and gases . the mechanical design and operating conditions of the reactor are selected to ensure efficient contacting between the gas and liquid , and the catalyst solid . operating conditions in reactor 16 determine the performance of the process in terms of factors such as selectivity , yield , and the like . the operating temperature will be in the range 0 - 150 ° c ., preferably 10 - 100 ° c . higher temperatures in these ranges will favor higher rates of reaction , while lower temperatures will favor higher selectivity . because the catalyst of this invention is dual functional , catalyzing two separate reactions in series , the choice of reactor temperature is especially critical . the reactor temperature must be optimally selected to balance the selectivity - activity requirements of two separate catalytic functions . in general , the best temperature for the performance of a separate noble metal catalyst in converting hydrogen and oxygen to in situ hydrogen peroxide is lower than the best temperature for the function of a separate zeolitic catalyst substrate for converting propylene and hydrogen peroxide to propylene oxide . the optimal reaction temperature for the dual functional catalyst of this invention represents a compromise between these competing requirements . the optimal pressure for reactor 16 also depends on competing factors , and will be in the range 100 - 3000 psig , preferably 500 - 2000 psig . generally , the pressure should be at least sufficiently high to maintain the propylene feed substantially in the liquid phase , thereby preventing explosive propylene - oxygen or propylene - air mixture from being present in the gas phase . this liquid phase also improves the contact between the catalyst and propylene feed , enhancing the rate and selectivity of the propylene oxide formation reaction . the reaction pressure must also be sufficiently high to force hydrogen to be dissolved in the liquid phase , as needed for the formation of in situ hydrogen peroxide at the noble metal active sites . but the reactor pressure should not be so high as to increase the capital and operating cost of the process equipment excessively . a balancing of these factors leads to the broad and preferred pressure ranges cited above . the major liquid components present in reactor 16 are solvent , water , and propylene . the solvent is preferably an alcohol and more preferably methanol . methanol and water are fully miscible , but propylene is only partially miscible in a methanol - water mixture . the solubility of propylene in methanol - water mixture will vary with the methanol - to - water ratio . therefore , the liquid phase in reactor 16 may be a single liquid phase , or may consist of two phases . in the case of two phases , water will be primarily present in the aqueous phase , propylene in the organic phase , and methanol will tend to be distributed between the phases . while the two - phase case may be selected , it is preferable to operate the reactor in a region with a single liquid phase . even with a gas - liquid - solid reaction system with a single liquid phase , efficient phase contacting in the three - phase system is a significant issue ; and adding a fourth phase complicates matters further . also , the dual functional catalyst must be in contact with all of the components to ensure that both catalyst function efficiently . the noble metal catalysts will operate most effectively in the methanol - water solution , and the in situ peroxide intermediate has a greater affinity for methanol - water than for propylene . the zeolitic epoxidation catalyst will function best if the propylene can easily reach the catalyst surface . therefore , the dual functional catalyst will operate most efficiently if all liquid components are present in a single phase . after exiting reactor 16 , the reactor effluent stream 19 is subjected to a series of operation steps to recover various components for re - use , purification , or disposal . the precise details of this separation scheme or steps may vary in ways known to those skilled in the art . for example , the sequence of distillations can in some cases be reversed or permuted , removing different materials in a different sequence . the process configuration in fig2 represents one suitable configuration . the reactor effluent stream 19 is first passed into separator 20 , where gaseous components are removed . the pressure of effluent stream 19 may be reduced before entering separator 20 , but it is preferable to maintain stream 19 at a pressure near that of reactor 16 . in this way , the recovered gas components require minimal recompression to be recycled back to reactor 16 . as needed , the recovered gas is recycled to reactor 16 via stream 21 , and any excess gas is purged from the process as stream 22 . the relative amounts of gas that are recycled or purged will depend on several factors , especially the choice of the oxygen - containing feed 12 . if air is used as the oxygen - containing feed , then most of the gases will be purged through stream 22 to prevent excessive build - up of nitrogen in the system . if purified oxygen is used as the feedstock , then most of the gases will be recycled via stream 21 to avoid wasting unreacted oxygen and hydrogen . another factor influencing the ratio of purge to recycle gas is the amount of other gaseous impurities entering with the feeds or formed in the reactor , which need to be purged through stream 22 to prevent their building up excessively . for example , use of an impure hydrogen feed such as synthesis gas or refinery off - gas will necessitate a higher ratio of gas purging at 22 compared to recycling . the net liquid and solid components of the reactor 16 effluent 19 exit separator 20 via stream 23 , and enter catalyst recovery unit 25 , which is only needed whenever a mobile catalyst 17 is used , such as for slurry or fluidized bed reactor . with a fixed bed reactor , the catalyst 17 remains immobilized in reactor 16 and does not need to be recovered from the reactor effluent 19 . if catalyst recovery unit 25 is needed , the catalyst is recovered and returned to reactor 16 via stream 26 . if the performance of catalyst 17 degrades over time , as is likely , spent catalyst may be removed from stream 26 , and replaced with fresh or regenerated catalyst . catalyst recovery unit 25 may be a filter , centrifuge , cyclone , settler , or other suitable means of removing dispersed solid particles from a liquid . depending on its type and design , the catalyst recovery unit 25 may be physically integral to separator 20 , or to reactor 16 . as this implies , catalyst recovery unit 25 may precede separator 20 , rather than following it as shown in fig2 . the liquid effluent , now substantially free of gas and solid , passes as stream 27 into propylene recovery tower 30 , which is a distillation system designed to remove unreacted propylene from the reactor effluent . unreacted propylene is returned to reactor 16 as recycle stream 31 . while propylene recovery tower 30 is depicted in fig2 as a single distillation tower , it may in fact consist of multiple towers arranged in series or parallel . for example , propylene recovery may be conducted in two towers in series , with the first tower removing a portion of the propylene at a relatively high pressure , and the second tower removing the remaining propylene at a lower pressure . a process scheme of this type can be advantageous , in that it avoids excessively high temperatures in the bottom sections of the distillation towers and excessively low temperatures in the top sections . high temperatures in the bottoms sections could cause excessive decomposition or destructive reaction of the desired propylene oxide product . low temperatures in the top sections could require expensive refrigeration for the tower condensers , and could cause pluggage due to freezing of water . the precise design details for such a distillation tower system 30 can be determined using well - established principles by those skilled in the art . recycle propylene stream 31 is returned to the reactor 16 . however , stream 31 may contain other components with similar boiling points to propylene , which if not removed could accumulate in the system . in this case , a portion of stream 31 may need to be purged from the system at 33 , or stream 31 may need to be subjected to some additional separation step or steps . for example , stream 31 is likely to contain propane , commonly present as an impurity in the feedstock propylene 14 . this propane can be removed from stream 31 by an additional optional distillation step , not shown in fig2 . the bottoms stream 32 from the propylene recovery tower 30 is next passed to propylene oxide tower 40 , which is a distillation step that removes the propylene oxide product as an overhead product at 41 . the remaining liquid exits via bottoms stream 42 , and contains solvent , water , and heavier by - products and impurities . the recovered propylene oxide stream 41 is a crude product , which will generally require further purification , normally by additional distillation steps , to reach commercial requirements for purity of propylene oxide . such additional distillation steps for stream 41 are not shown in fig2 but may be selected and designed based on known prior art . the bottoms stream 42 from the propylene oxide tower 40 is passed to the solvent recovery tower 50 . this distillation tower 50 separates the solvent from the water and other by - products and impurities formed in the process . the solvent is preferably a mixture of methanol and water , but may consist of other solvents or solvent mixtures as enumerated above . in any event , the solvent or solvent mixture preferably has a lower boiling point than water , such that the solvent can be recovered as an overhead stream from tower 50 . the recovered solvent is recycled to reactor 16 via stream 51 and 18 . make - up solvent is added at 54 as needed to compensate for any solvent that is lost in the process . the bottoms stream 52 from solvent recovery tower 50 contain the net water of reaction formed as a by - product of the propylene oxide synthesis , and also contain various organic by - products . these minor by - products include glycols such as propylene glycol , glycol ethers of methanol and propylene glycol , dipropylene glycol and other oligomerized propylene glycols , and other trace heavy by - products of the process . stream 52 may be disposed as is , or may be subjected to further processing . for example , one or more of the by - products in stream 52 may have sufficient value to justify recovery and purification for sale . environmental constraints and regulations may also require that certain processing of stream 52 must be used to qualify the materials for disposal . this processing could include waste water treatment , incineration , or other known methods . an especially salient achievement of the instant invention employing the described process and dual - functional catalyst is the capability of the process to produce high yields of olefin epoxides such as propylene oxide from propylene while operating the process below the flammability limit of hydrogen of 4 . 5 volume percent in oxygen . under these conditions , the process of the invention produces yields of olefin epoxide of at least 10 mole percent while the yields of hydrogen peroxide are at least 10 mole percent . these yields are defined as follows :

the invention discloses a dual - functional catalyst composition and an integrated process for production of olefin epoxides including propylene oxide by catalytic reaction of hydrogen peroxide from hydrogen and oxygen with olefin feeds such as propylene . the epoxides and hydrogen peroxide are preferably produced simultaneously in situ . the dual - functional catalyst comprises noble metal crystallites with dimensions on the nanometer scale , specially dispersed on titanium silicalite substrate particles . the dual functional catalyst catalyzes both the direct reaction of hydrogen and oxygen to generate hydrogen peroxide intermediate on the noble metal catalyst surface and the reaction of the hydrogen peroxide intermediate with the propylene feed to generate propylene oxide product . combining both these functions in a single catalyst provides a very efficient integrated process operable below the flammability limits of hydrogen and highly selective for the production of hydrogen peroxide to produce olefin oxides such as propylene oxide without formation of undesired co - products .

fig1 depicts a medical monitoring system 20 that includes a sensor system 22 having a sensor for monitoring any of a variety of physiological characteristics associated with a patient , for example , a heartbeat waveform , blood pressure , brain signals , blood chemistry , and the like . the sensor system 22 communicates with a remote monitoring unit ( rmu ) 24 that typically is either carried by the patient or is relatively physically close to the patient . the communication between the sensor system 22 and the remote monitoring unit 24 may be either wired or wireless , such as a short - range radio frequency link . the remote monitoring unit 24 includes a microprocessor 26 in communication with the sensor system 22 . the microprocessor 26 performs computations as may be necessary and oversees the operation of a portable - monitoring unit transceiver system 28 that is also a part of the remote monitoring unit 24 . the portable - monitoring - unit transceiver system 28 communicates with a central unit ( cu ) 30 having a central - unit transceiver system 32 that supports communications of the types found in the portable - monitoring - unit transceiver system 28 and which will be discussed subsequently . the central unit 30 also includes a central unit microprocessor 34 that coordinates the central - unit transceiver system 32 and performs other analytical and control functions . the general features of a preferred form of the medical monitoring system 20 , other than those to be discussed subsequently , are described in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 959 , 529 , whose disclosure is incorporated by reference . the portable - monitoring - unit transceiver system 28 includes a third - network transceiver 35 . the third - network transceiver 35 may be a two - way paging - network transceiver operable with the paging network . however , the third - network transceiver 35 may be of other types , such as a specialized emergency - network transceiver , a marine - network transceiver , and the like . alternatively , or in addition , the third - network transceiver 35 may be configured to establish a communication link by other available means , among others , such as wired or wireless networks that implement communications protocols and standards such ip ( internet protocol ), wifi ( ieee 802 . 11x ), wimax ( ieee 802 . 16x ), and / or gprs ( general packet radio service ). moreover , the third network transceiver may be configured to communicate over either circuit - switched networks ( e . g ., traditional telephone networks ) or over packet - switched data networks . the example implementation shown in fig1 includes the paging network transceiver 36 and its antenna 38 that selectively establish a third - network link ( in this case a paging network link ) with the central unit 30 . the paging network transceiver 36 operates using the existing paging network available throughout the united states and much of the rest of the world . communication with the paging network is available in virtually every part of the united states and in most parts of the rest of the world . it is available in the open , inside buildings , in aircraft , and onboard ships . the paging network originally operated unidirectionally with signals conveyed only from the satellite to the paging unit , but it is now available in a bidirectional form as suggested by the term “ transceiver ”, an art - recognized contraction of “ transmitter / receiver ”. that is , the bidirectional paging transceiver 36 may either receive information or send information , via the existing paging system , to the central unit transceiver 32 . the portable - monitoring - unit transceiver system 28 further includes a cellular telephone transceiver 40 and its antenna 42 , which may serve as a primary wireless network transceiver . the cellular transceiver 40 selectively establishes a cellular link with the central unit 30 . the cellular telephone transceiver 36 operates using the existing network of cell sites available through much of the united states and some of the rest of the world . cellular communications links are operable in the open , inside most automobiles within range of cell sites , and inside many buildings , but are often not available in some buildings , in aircraft , or onboard ships . the cellular telephone transceiver 40 may either receive information or send information through the cellular network to the central unit transceiver 32 . the portable - monitoring - unit transceiver system 28 further includes a land - line telephone transceiver 44 and its plug jack 46 . the land - line telephone transceiver 44 selectively establishes a land - line link with the central unit 30 . the land - line telephone transceiver 44 operates using the land - line system ( which may also include microwave links of the land - lines and / or may provide one or more of pots ( plain old telephone service ), dsl ( digital subscriber line ) or isdn ( integrated services digital network ) service ) available through much of the united states and much of the rest of the world . land - line telephone communications links are available through telephone central switching offices wherever there is a plug connection , but the need for physical access to a plug tends to limit the mobility of the patient . the land - line telephone transceiver 44 may either receive information or send information through the land - line system to the central unit transceiver 32 . fig2 depicts a sequence of events that may occur when communication is required between the remote monitoring unit 24 and the central unit 30 . a need for communications is first determined ( sub - process 60 ). this sub - process typically occurs when the remote monitoring unit 24 determines that it needs to communicate with the central unit 30 , but it may also occur when the central unit 30 determines that it needs to communicate with the remote monitoring unit 24 . the former case will be discussed in detail , but the discussion is equally applicable to the latter case . the land - line transceiver 44 is used if the land - line link is available ( sub - process 62 ). that is , the microprocessor 26 seeks to open a land - line communication link to the central unit 30 through the land - line transceiver 44 . if there is no plug in the plug jack 46 or if it is otherwise not possible or feasible to dial up the central unit 30 , then the microprocessor 26 seeks to open a cellular link to the central unit 30 through the cellular telephone transceiver 40 ( sub - process 64 ). the use of the land - line transceiver 44 typically is preferred to the use of the cellular telephone transceiver 40 , because the land - line communication link tends to be more reliable , more secure , and usually less costly , if available . if the communication link is established either through the land - line transceiver 44 or the cellular transceiver 40 , then the microprocessor 26 uses a first processing routine stored therein that transmits a full data set through either of these wide - bandwidth communications channels . this is the desired operating mode of the medical monitoring system 20 , because its full data capabilities may be employed . however , as noted above , in some instances neither the land - line link nor the cellular link is available due to reasons such as unavailability of the land line , unavailability of the cellular system , user overload of the cellular system , interference to wireless communications in the frequency band of the cellular system , or the like . in that case , the third - network transceiver 36 is used ( sub - process 66 ) to employ an alternative communications channel such as the paging network or an available wired or wireless packet - switched network , such as the internet . if the third - network provides a reduced communications bandwidth , e . g ., in comparison the cellular or land - lines networks , then the microprocessor 26 may use a second processing routine stored therein that determines and transmits a reduced data set over the paging - network link . in some cases where the sensor system 22 obtains a small amount of data such as a single blood chemistry number , the full data set may be transmitted over the paging network transceiver 36 . in other cases where the sensor system 22 obtains much larger amounts of data , such as a heartbeat waveform , then it may not be possible or feasible ( e . g ., due to network latency or other delays ) to transmit the full data set even if data compression techniques are used . the second processing routine is written to select some subset of the data ( e . g ., the most important ) that is gathered by the sensor system 22 , and / or to calculate or otherwise generate secondary data from the gathered data ( e . g ., data derived from , and representative of , the sensed data ), for transmission over the paging network transceiver 36 . in the case of the heartbeat , for example , the second processing routine may calculate a heart rate ( number of beats per minute ), amplitude , and waveform characteristics of selected portions of the full heartbeat signal for transmission within the bandwidth constraints of the third - network . the second processing routine would typically not select voice or other audio signals for transmission . this reduced data set , while not as complete as the full data set , is far better and more useful to the central unit 30 in diagnosing and aiding the patient than having no information and no contact at all . it is possible to perform multiple serial communications between the remote monitoring unit 24 and the central unit 30 to transmit more information , but even in that case it is unlikely that the full data set can be conveyed . the selection of the content of the reduced data set , and thus the content of the second processing routine , is left to the individual situation and type of data being monitored for the individual patient . more generally , the transceiver system 28 of the remote monitoring unit 24 may employ multiple ( i . e ., two , three , four or more ) different communications channels for communicating information from the remote monitoring unit 24 to the central unit 30 . the microprocessor 26 then can rely on predetermined criteria ( e . g ., such as described in a table , database or software instructions ) to select ( and / or otherwise specifying or generating ) a data set for transmission that is tailored to , or otherwise appropriate for , the particular communications channel being used . the predetermined criteria may be set or altered by a system designer or administrator , or even by a software process automatically , depending on several different factors including the types of physiological characteristics being monitored , the severity of the patient &# 39 ; s condition , the available bandwidth , quality , latency , cost and / or reliability of the communications channel to be used , and the like . the system described above may provide a communications hierarchy based upon a recognition that limited communications is better than no communications in many instances , and a recognition of the tradeoff between factors such as communications availability and bandwidth . some currently available communications links are summarized in the following table , with the land - line telephone being a wired connection and the other communications links being wireless . however , it is emphasized that the use of the systems and techniques described here is not limited to these types of communications links and includes other presently available and future communications links : thus , in the implementation described above the portable - monitoring - unit transceiver system of the medical monitoring system includes the land - line telephone transceiver and a digital cellular transceiver . however , when communication over these communications links is not available , one or more of the alternative , third - networks ( e . g ., the paging network ) may be used as a backup . even data communications over a low - bandwidth or moderate - bandwidth paging system is preferable to no communication in many situations . although a particular implementation been described in detail for purposes of illustration , various modifications and enhancements may be made , for example , by combining , rearranging or substituting different features or sub - processes for those disclosed above . accordingly , other embodiments are within the scope of the following claims .

a device includes a patient - portable remote monitoring unit to monitor one or more physiological characteristics of an individual and convey information characterizing the one or more physiological characteristics to a remote station . the monitoring unit includes a transmitter system capable to employ a selected one of three or more different communications channels to convey the information to the remote station , and a selection unit to select from among the three or more different communications channels for conveying the information to the remote station .

the present invention will be described in detail hereinafter with reference to embodiments illustrated in drawings . fig1 shows an electroacoustic transducer according to an embodiment of the present invention and fig2 shows a pole piece portion around which a coil is wound in fig1 . the pole piece portion 2 of the electroacoustic transducer is composed of a yoke 4 having a shape of disc and a pole 6 , and the pole 6 is attached to the central portion of the yoke 4 at a base end portion 8 thereof by way of a fixing means such as press fit etc ., the pole 6 being smaller in diameter at the base end portion 8 thereof . a coil 10 is wound around the pole 6 to be cylindrical coaxially with the pole 6 at the peripheral portion thereof . the coil 10 is made flat on the yoke 4 at the side of the base end portion 8 of the pole 6 and a side surface 14 which is different in shape from that of prior art is formed at the side of the tip end surface 12 of the pole 6 , the side surface 14 being composed of first and second side surfaces 14a and 14b which are different in shape from each other . that is , the first side surface 14a is funnel - shaped to expose a part of the tip end portion of the pole 6 , while the second side surface 14b is a flat plane conforming or adjacent to the tip end surface of the pole 6 . as a result , the coil 10 is increased in the number of effective turns ( increased portion is hatched ) by a height d ( fig2 ) in the axial direction of the pole 6 to increase a winding efficiency compared with a conventional coil 108 ( fig6 ), the upper surface of which is indicated by a broken line in fig2 . supposing that the coil 10 is the same in outer diameter and material as the conventional coil 108 , it is possible to reinforce the magnetic field by that generated by the height d . the electroacoustic transducer of this invention is the same in construction as a conventional electroacoustic transducer ( fig6 ) wherein an annular magnet 16 is provided about the pole 6 on the pole piece portion 2 and is fixed thereto . a diaphragm 18 is provided on the magnet 16 and a magnetic piece 20 is attached to the central portion of the diaphragm 18 as a means to increase the substantial vibrating mass thereof . according to this embodiment , a gap 22 is formed between the diaphragm 18 and the tip end surface 12 of the pole 6 as a means for forming a space to allow the vibration of the diaphragm 18 therein by setting the height of the magnet 16 higher than that of the pole 6 . the diaphragm 18 and the magnetic piece 20 are made of magnetic material and the magnet 16 holds the diaphragm 18 thereon by way of its magnetic function and applies a bias magnetic field to the diaphragm 18 as a means for generating a magnetic oscillation . similar to the conventional electroacoustic transducer , the pole piece portion 2 , the magnet 16 , the gap 22 , the diaphragm 18 and the magnetic piece 20 constitute a single closed magnetic path and the coil 10 , the yoke 4 and the pole 6 constitute a magnetic driving portion which converts an external electric signal into a magnetic field to be applied to the diaphragm 18 . the peripheral surface of the pole piece portion 2 and the upper surface side of the diaphragm 18 are covered by a housing 24 . the housing 24 is a molded body of non - magnetic material such as synthetic resin etc . and comprises a resonance chamber 26 formed at the upper surface side of the diaphragm 18 . a sound emitting cylinder 28 is formed in the housing 24 and a sound emitting hole 30 is formed in the sound emitting cylinder 28 for allowing the resonance chamber 26 to be open to the atmosphere and emitting a resonance sound thereto . although the sound emitting cylinder 28 and the sound emitting hole 30 are formed about the central axis of the diaphragm 18 according to this embodiment , they may be formed otherwise . when an external electric signal is applied to the terminals of the coil 10 in such an electroacoustic transducer , the coil 10 is energized in response to the level of the electric signal . as a result , the pole 6 generates an alternating magnetic field therearound which acts on the diaphragm 18 and the magnetic piece 20 . since a bias magnetic field is applied to the diaphragm 18 by the magnet 16 , the diaphragm 18 receives a vertically vibrating force in response to the frequency and level of the alternating magnetic field superposed on the bias magnetic field . as a result , the diaphragm 18 vibrates to vibrate air at the upper and lower sides of the diaphragm 18 so as to resonate the resonance chamber 26 . accordingly , the vibrating sound of the diaphragm 18 and the resonance sound of the resonance chamber 26 are emitted to the outside through the sound emitting hole 30 . since the frequency of the resonance sound is distributed in the audio range , the electroacoustic transducer is used as a sound generating means such as a buzzer , etc . in the case of the electroacoustic transducer of the present invention , the number of turns of the coil 10 is larger than the coil 108 of a conventional electroacoustic transducer by the height d and consequently generates a stronger magnetic field , which means that the magnetic force to vibrate the diaphragm 18 is stronger than that of prior art in response to the same input , so that the sound pressure of the electroacoustic transducer is reinforced . moreover , this characteristic brings on a change to the electroacoustic transducer itself or the input thereto in case of generating the same magnetic field as that of prior art . that is , electric power to be applied to the coil 10 can be reduced to generate a magnetic field equal to the conventional electroacoustic transducer ( fig6 ). furthermore , to generate a conventional magnetic field in response to a conventional input , the pole 6 can be reduced in height that much . the reduction in height corresponds to reduction in the number of turns of the coil 10 by the height d , so that it is possible to reduce the electroacoustic transducer in height and dimensions . still furthermore , the coil 10 in the height d effectively makes use of a space at the rear side of the diaphragm 18 and does not prevent the vibration of the diaphragm 18 at all . it is because the vibration of the diaphragm 18 is maximum at the central portion thereof and is reduced toward the peripheral portion thereof . consequently , the increase of the coil 10 by the height d increases the driving force thereof while generating the vibration of the diaphragm 18 similar to that of the conventional one . although in the electroacoustic transducer illustrated in fig1 and 2 , the second side surface 14b of the coil 10 conforms to the tip end surface 12 of the pole 6 , it may project from the tip end surface 12 of the pole 6 toward the diaphragm 18 or retract therefrom as far as it is adjacent to the tip end surface 12 . still furthermore , although the terminals are not shown in this embodiment , they may be formed of the ends of the coil 10 or may be formed as lead terminals at the rear side of the yoke 4 with an intervening insulator provided . fig3 a and 3b show a method of winding a coil in the electroacoustic transducer according to an embodiment of the present invention . it employs a holding member 31 for holding the pole piece portion 2 . the holding member 31 is a chuck for holding the pole piece portion 2 around which the coil 10 is to be wound . the holding member 31 comprises a recess 34 for holding the yoke 4 of the pole piece portion 2 at the front side thereof and an axial portion 36 at the rear side thereof . the axial portion 36 is connected to a rotating means such as a motor etc ., not shown , thereby to be rotated as indicated by an arrow n in accordance with the number of turns of the coil 10 . a shaping member 32 for shaping the side surface 14 is set on the tip end surface side of the pole 6 of the pole piece portion 2 to be confronted with the holding member 31 . the shaping member 32 comprises a recess 38 formed at a position corresponding to the tip end surface 12 of the pole 6 and a shaping surface 40 around the recess 38 as illustrated in fig3 b . in the case of this embodiment , the shaping surface 40 is composed of a first shaping surface 40a and a second shaping surface 40b . that is , the internal surface of the yoke 4 of the pole piece portion 2 which is held by the holding member 31 and the first and second shaping surfaces 40a and 40b define a space 43 in which the coil 10 is to be wound . the first shaping surface 40a is conical to form the first side surface 14a of the side surface 14 . the height of the first shaping surface 40a equals to the height d of the first side surface 14a . the second shaping surface 40b is formed flat to correspond to the second side surface 14b so as to form a surface perpendicular to the central axis of the coil 10 . in this embodiment , the second shaping surface 40b forms the side surface which is on a plane conforming or adjacent to the end surface of the pole 6 . an axial portion 42 is provided at the rear portion of the shaping member 32 . the axial portion 42 is supported to be rotatable by the rotation of the pole piece portion 2 . before the coil 10 is wound around the pole 6 , the pole 6 is attached to the yoke 4 to integrally form the pole piece portion 2 . the yoke 4 of the pole piece portion 2 is embedded in the recess 34 of the holding member 31 to be held thereby while the recess 38 of the shaping member 32 is fitted onto the tip end surface 12 side of the pole 6 . thereafter a wire 44 to form the coil 10 is introduced from a bobbin 46 to the pole 6 side and the holding member 31 is rotated by way of the axial portion 36 . as a result , the wire 44 is wound around the pole 6 to gradually form the coil 10 as the holding member 31 is rotated and the first and second side surfaces 14a and 14b are formed on the shaping surface 40 of the shaping member 32 at the tip end surface 12 side of the pole 6 . in this case , a shape fixing agent may be dropped to the coil 10 to fix the same in shape . in case the wire 44 is beforehand coated with the shape fixing agent to form the coil 10 having a stable shape , dropping such a shape fixing agent is not necessary . winding the coil 10 using such a shaping member 32 can increase the number of turns of the coil 10 without wasting a winding space for holding the pole 6 by the shaping member 32 and thereby increases the winding efficiency of the coil 10 on the pole 6 . moreover , assembling the pole piece portion 2 and winding the coil 10 may be continuously performed for automation . although the second shaping surface 40b of the shaping member 32 is on the same plane as the bottom surface of the recess 38 according to this embodiment , it is not a necessary condition , and in case the second side surface 14b of the coil 10 is not on the same plane as the tip end surface 12 of the pole 6 , they are arranged properly relative to each other as occasion demands . although this embodiment exemplifies a case wherein the ends of the coil 10 are used as terminals , notches or through holes may be formed in the holding member 31 for passing lead terminals in case the same are provided on the rear side of the yoke 4 and the existence of the lead terminals formed on the yoke 4 does not matter at all in holding the yoke 4 by the holding member 31 . the surfaces of the first and second shaping surfaces 40a and 40b may be subjected to teflon coating or mirror finish to be easily separated from the first and second side surfaces 14a and 14b of the coil 10 after the same has been wounded . fig4 a and 5b show the method of winding a coil in the electroacoustic transducer according to another embodiment of the present invention . as illustrated in fig4 a base plate 48 made of insulating material is provided at the rear side of the yoke 4 of the pole piece portion 2 . terminals 50 and 52 to be connected to the end portions of the coil 10 are provided upright at the rear side thereof . the pole 6 is provided upright at the upper surface side of the yoke 4 by piercing the central portions of the yoke 4 and the base plate 48 at the base end portion 8 thereof having a columnar shape . u - shaped notches 54 and 56 are formed in the yoke 4 of the pole piece portion 2 and the base plate 48 at the respective sides thereof between the terminals 50 and 52 . these notches 54 and 56 constitute a means for passing the wire 44 between the pole 6 and the terminals 50 and 52 . a chuck 320 is provided as the shaping member 32 which is the shaping means of the coil 10 as well as the holding means of the tip end portion of the pole 6 of the pole piece portion 2 . the tip end portion of the pole 6 of the pole piece portion 2 is held by a pawl portion 322 which is closably divided into multiple pieces , e . g ., three pieces . the pawl portion 322 of the chuck 320 comprises a holding projection 41 at the side of the end surface thereof , the end surface of the holding projection 41 being composed of a first shaping surface 40a forming a conical surface arranged at the central portion thereof and a second shaping surface 40b forming a flat surface arranged around the first shaping surface 40a . that is , the first and second shaping surfaces 40a and 40b and the internal surface of the yoke 4 define the space 43 in which the coil 10 is wound . moreover in this embodiment , the chuck 320 is provided with a pin 324 which is surrounded by the multiply divided pawl portion 322 . the pin 324 is freely slidable to determine the holding length of the pole 6 by the position of the tip end thereof . projecting the pin 324 facilitates the separation of the pole piece portion 2 from the chuck 320 after the coil 10 has been wound . when the coil 10 is wound around the pole 6 , as illustrated in fig5 a , the starting portion 44e of the wire 44 is retained by a retaining member 60 , then the tip of the wire 44 is wound around the terminal 52 and is introduced to the pole 6 side by way of the terminal 50 through the u - shaped notch 54 , thereafter the chuck 320 is rotated in the direction indicated by the arrow n to wind the wire 44 around the pole 6 in the space 43 to form the coil 10 in a predetermined shape . then the tip of the wire 44 is introduced to the terminal 50 side by way of the u - shaped notch 54 to be wound therearound so as to complete the winding process . in this case , fig5 b illustrates the introduction and drawing out of the wire 44 between the pole 6 side and the terminal 50 and 52 side by way of the u - shaped notch 54 of the pole piece portion 2 and the arrow indicates the direction thereof . the wire 44 can be wound around the pole 6 starting on the surface thereof along the first and second shaping surfaces 40a and 40b by rotating the chuck 320 in the direction of the arrow n so that the coil 10 as high as the pole 6 is formed with the peripheral surface of the tip end surface 12 side of the pole 6 exposed as illustrated in fig2 . as described above , employing the chuck 320 to hold the pole 6 of the pole piece portion 2 for winding the coil 10 therearound as illustrated in fig2 obviates the holding member 31 . it simplifies not only the whole device but also the winding process since the process for the holding member 31 is eliminated . moreover , in case the pole 6 of the pole piece portion 2 is held by the chuck 320 as in this embodiment , the yoke 4 side of the pole piece portion 2 can be a free end , which has an advantage that even if bar terminals are provided thereon , there is no need to pass the same through the holding member 31 side of the pole piece portion 2 . also in this method , however , the coil 10 may be wound around the pole piece portion 2 while the yoke 4 side thereof is held by the holding member 31 . holding the pole 6 of the pole piece portion 2 at both ends thereof in this way will be able to restrain vibration due to the rotation thereof and further increase the winding accuracy . moreover , also in this embodiment , the first and second shaping surfaces 40a and 40b of the pawl portion 322 may be subjected to teflon coating or mirror finish to facilitate the separation thereof from the first and second side surfaces 14a and 14b of the coil 10 after the same has been wound . since the pawl portion 322 of the chuck 320 is divided into multiple portions such as three , the tip end portion of the pole 6 of the pole piece portion 2 can be held or released by closing or opening the divided portions . upon completion of winding the coil 10 , the pawl portion 322 may be opened to let the pole piece portion 2 drop by gravity , but in case it won &# 39 ; t drop , a means such as air blast may be used to help it to drop . as described above , the electroacoustic transducer according to the present invention can increase the winding efficiency of a coil on the pole of the pole piece portion by effectively making use of a given limited space without securing a particular space for winding the coil therein , so that it is possible to obtain a high sound pressure , miniaturize and flatten the electroacoustic transducer and automate the winding process of the coil . moreover , the method of winding a coil in the electroacoustic transducer according to the present invention can increase the winding efficiency of the coil and speed up the winding process so as to increase mass productivity . although the features of the present invention have been described with reference to preferred embodiments , it is to be understood that many variations and changes are possible in the invention without departing from the scope thereof .

the present invention provides an electroacoustic transducer which can increase the winding efficiency of a coil on a pole and allows the automation of a coil winding process . the present invention relates to an electroacoustic transducer for vibrating a diaphragm by a magnetic field generated in response to an inputted electric signal to convert the electric signal into sound . the coil is wound around the pole along its entire length . however , at the pole tip , the coil is formed to have an outwardly diverging , frusto - conical recess that exposes the pole tip .

fig1 shows an automated peritoneal dialysis system 10 that embodies the features of the invention . the system 10 includes three principal components . these are a liquid supply and delivery set 12 ; a cycler 14 that interacts with the delivery set 12 to pump liquid through it ; and a controller 16 that governs the interaction to perform a selected apd procedure . in the illustrated and preferred embodiment , the cycler and controller are located within a common housing 82 . the cycler 14 is intended to be a durable item capable of long term , maintenance free use . as fig2 shows , the cycler 14 also presents a compact footprint , suited for operation upon a table top or other relatively small surface normally found in the home . the cycler 14 is also lightweight and portable . the set 12 is intended to be a single use , disposable item . the user loads the set 12 on the cycler 14 before beginning each apd therapy session . the user removes the set 12 from the cycler 14 upon the completing the therapy session and discards it . in use ( as fig1 shows ), the user connects the set 12 to his / her indwelling peritoneal catheter 18 . the user also connects the set 12 to individual bags 20 containing sterile peritoneal dialysis solution for infusion . the set 12 also connects to a bag 22 in which the dialysis solution is heated to a desired temperature ( typically to about 37 degrees c .) before infusion . the controller 16 paces the cycler 14 through a prescribed series of fill , dwell , and drain cycles typical of an apd procedure . during the fill phase , the cycler 14 infuses the heated dialysate through the set 12 and into the patient &# 39 ; s peritoneal cavity . following the dwell phase , the cycler 14 institutes a drain phase , during which the cycler 14 discharges spent dialysis solution from the patient &# 39 ; s peritoneal cavity through the set into a nearby drain ( not shown ). as fig1 shows , the cycler 14 does not require hangers for suspending the source solution bags 20 at a prescribed head height above it . this is because the cycler 14 is not a gravity flow system . instead , using quiet , reliable pneumatic pumping action , the cycler 14 emulates gravity flow , even when the source solution bags 20 lie right alongside it , or in any other mutual orientation . the cycler 14 can emulate a fixed head height during a given procedure . alternatively , the cycler 14 can change the head height to either increase or decrease the rate of flow during a procedure . the cycler 14 can emulate one or more selected head height differentials regardless of the actual head height differential existing between the patient &# 39 ; s peritoneal cavity and the external liquid sources or destinations . because the cycler 14 establishes essentially an artificial head height , it has the flexibility to interact with and adapt quickly to the particular physiology and relative elevation of the patient . the compact nature and silent , reliable operating characteristics of the cycler 14 make it ideally suited for bedside use at home while the patient is asleep . the principal system components will now be individually discussed in greater detail . as fig3 best shows , the set 12 includes a cassette 24 to which lengths of flexible plastic tubes 26 / 28 / 30 / 32 / 34 are attached . fig3 shows the disposable liquid supply and delivery set 12 before it is readied for use in association with the cycler 14 . fig1 shows the disposable set 12 when readied for use in association with the cycler 14 . in use ( as fig1 shows ), the distal ends of the tubes 26 to 34 connect outside the cycler 14 to the bags 20 of fresh peritoneal dialysis solution , to the liquid heater bag 22 , to the patient &# 39 ; s indwelling catheter 18 , and to a drain ( not shown ). for this reason , the tube 34 carries a conventional connector 36 for attachment to the patient &# 39 ; s indwelling catheter 18 . other tubes 26 / 30 / 32 carry conventional connectors 38 for attachment to bag ports . tube 32 contains a y - connector 31 , creating tubing branches 32a and 32b , each of which may connect to a bag 20 . the set 12 may contain multiple branches to accommodate attachment to multiple bags 20 of dialysis solution . the tube 28 has a drain connector 39 . it serves to discharge liquid into the external drain ( not shown ). the tubing attached to the set carries an inline , manual clamp 40 , except the drain tube 28 . as fig1 and 3 show , the set 12 also preferably includes a branch connector 54 on the drain tube 28 . the branch connector 54 creates a tubing branch 28a that carries a connector 55 . the connector 55 attaches to a mating connector on an effluent inspection bag ( not shown ). once attached , the patient can divert a volume ( about 25 ml ) of spent dialysate through branch 28a into the inspection bag during the first drain cycle . the bag allows the patient to inspect for cloudy effluent , which is an indication of peritonitis . as fig6 and 7 show , in use , the cassette 24 mounts inside a holder 100 in the cycler 14 ( see fig1 too ). the details of the holder 100 will be discussed in greater detail later . the holder 100 orients the cassette 24 for use vertically , as fig7 shows . as fig3 to 5 show , the set 12 preferably includes an organizer 42 that holds the distal tube ends in a neat , compact array . this simplifies handling and shortens the set up time . the organizer 42 includes a body with a series of slotted holders 44 . the slotted holders 44 receive the distal tube ends with a friction fit . the organizer 42 includes slot 46 that mates with a tab 48 carried on outside of the cassette holder 100 . a pin 50 on the outside of the cassette holder 100 also mates with an opening 52 on the organizer 42 . these attach the organizer 42 and attached tube ends to the outside of the cassette holder 100 ( as fig1 and 5 show ). once attached , the organizer 42 frees the user &# 39 ; s hands for making the required connections with the other elements of the cycler 14 . having made the required connections , the user can remove and discard the organizer 42 . the cassette 24 serves in association with the cycler 14 and the controller 16 to direct liquid flow among the multiple liquid sources and destinations that a typical apd procedure requires . as will be described in greater detail later , the cassette 24 provides centralized valving and pumping functions in carrying out the selected apd therapy . fig8 / 8a / 8b show the details of the cassette 24 . as fig8 shows , the cassette 24 includes an injection molded body having front and back sides 58 and 60 . for the purposes of description , the front side 58 is the side of the cassette 24 that , when the cassette 24 is mounted in the holder 100 , faces away from the user . a flexible diaphragm 59 and 61 overlies the front side and back sides 58 and 60 of the cassette 24 , respectively . the cassette 24 is preferably made of a rigid medical grade plastic material . the diaphragms 59 / 61 are preferably made of flexible sheets of medical grade plastic . the diaphragms 59 / 61 are sealed about their peripheries to the peripheral edges of the front and back sides 58 / 60 of the cassette 24 . the cassette 24 forms an array of interior cavities in the shapes of wells and channels . the interior cavities create multiple pump chambers p1 and p2 ( visible from the front side 58 of the cassette 24 , as fig8 b shows ). the interior cavities also create multiple paths f1 to f9 to convey liquid ( visible from the back side 60 of the cassette 24 , as fig8 and 8a shows ). the interior cavities also create multiple valve stations v1 to v10 ( visible from the front side 58 of the cassette 24 , as fig8 b shows ). the valve stations v1 to v10 interconnect the multiple liquid paths f1 to f9 with the pump chambers p1 and p2 and with each other . the number and arrangement of the pump chambers , liquid paths , and valve stations can vary . a typical apd therapy session usually requires five liquid sources / destinations . the cassette 24 that embodies the features of the invention provides these connections with five exterior liquid lines ( i . e ., the flexible tubes 26 to 32 ), two pump chambers p1 and p2 , nine interior liquid paths f1 to f9 , and ten valve stations v1 to v10 . the two pump chambers p1 and p2 are formed as wells that open on the front side 58 of the cassette 24 . upstanding edges 62 peripherally surround the open wells of the pump chambers p1 and p2 on the front side 58 of the cassette 24 ( see fig8 b ). the wells forming the pump chambers p1 and p2 are closed on the back side 60 of the cassette 24 ( see fig8 ), except that each pump chamber p1 and p2 includes a vertically spaced pair of through holes or ports 64 / 66 that extend through to the back side 60 of the cassette 24 . as fig8 / 8a / 8b show , vertically spaced ports 64 ( 1 ) and 66 ( 1 ) are associated with pump chamber p1 . port 64 ( 1 ) communicates with liquid path f6 , while port 66 ( 1 ) communicates with liquid path f8 . as fig8 / 8a / 8b also show , vertically spaced ports 64 ( 2 ) and 66 ( 2 ) are associated with pump chamber p2 . port 64 ( 2 ) communicates with liquid path f7 , while port 66 ( 2 ) communicates with liquid path f9 . as will become apparent , either port 64 ( 1 )/( 2 ) or 66 ( 1 )/( 2 ) can serve its associated chamber p1 / p2 as an inlet or an outlet . alternatively , liquid can be brought into and discharged out of the chamber p1 / p2 through the same port associated 64 ( 1 )/( 2 ) or 66 ( 1 )/( 2 ). in the illustrated and preferred embodiment , the ports 64 / 66 are spaced so that , when the cassette 24 is oriented vertically for use , one port 64 ( 1 )/( 2 ) is located higher than the other port 66 ( 1 )/( 2 ) associated with that pump chamber p1 / p2 . as will be described in greater detail later , this orientation provides an important air removal function . the ten valve stations v1 to v10 are likewise formed as wells open on the front side 58 of the cassette 24 . fig8 c shows a typical valve station v n . as fig8 c best shows , upstanding edges 62 peripherally surround the open wells of the valve stations v1 to v10 on the front side 58 of the cassette 24 . as fig8 c best shows , the valve stations v1 to v10 are closed on the back side 60 of the cassette 24 , except that each valve station v n includes a pair of through holes or ports 68 and 68 &# 39 ;. one port 68 communicates with a selected liquid path f n on the back side 60 of the cassette 24 . the other port 68 &# 39 ; communicates with another selected liquid path f n , on the back side 60 of the cassette 24 . in each valve station v n , a raised valve seat 72 surrounds one of the ports 68 . as fig8 c best shows , the valve seat 72 terminates lower than the surrounding peripheral edges 62 . the other port 68 &# 39 ; is flush with the front side 58 of the cassette . as fig8 c continues to show best , the flexible diaphragm 59 overlying the front side 58 of the cassette 24 rests against the upstanding peripheral edges 62 surrounding the pump chambers and valve stations . with the application of positive force uniformly against this side 58 of the cassette 24 ( as shown by the f - arrows in fig8 c ), the flexible diaphragm 59 seats against the upstanding edges 62 . the positive force forms peripheral seals about the pump chambers p1 and p2 and valve stations v1 to v10 . this , in turn , isolates the pump chambers p1 and p2 and valve stations v1 to v10 from each other and the rest of the system . the cycler 14 applies positive force to the front cassette side 58 for this very purpose . further localized application of positive and negative fluid pressures upon the regions of the diaphragm 59 overlying these peripherally sealed areas serve to flex the diaphragm regions within these peripherally sealed areas . these localized applications of positive and negative fluid pressures on the diaphragm regions overlying the pump chambers p1 and p2 serve to move liquid out of and into the chambers p1 and p2 . likewise , these localized applications of positive and negative fluid pressure on the diaphragm regions overlying the valve stations v1 to v10 will serve to seat and unseat these diaphragm regions against the valve seats 72 , thereby closing and opening the associated valve port 68 . fig8 c shows in solid and phantom lines the flexing of the diaphragm 59 relative to a valve seat 72 . in operation , the cycler 14 applies localized positive and negative fluid pressures to the diaphragm 59 for opening and closing the valve ports . the liquid paths f1 to f9 are formed as elongated channels that are open on the back side 60 of the cassette 24 . upstanding edges 62 peripherally surround the open channels on the back side 60 of the cassette 24 . the liquid paths f1 to f9 are closed on the front side 58 of the cassette 24 , except where the channels cross over valve station ports 68 / 68 &# 39 ; or pump chamber ports 64 ( 1 )/( 2 ) and 66 ( 1 )/( 2 ). the flexible diaphragm 61 overlying the back side 60 of the cassette 24 rests against the upstanding peripheral edges 62 surrounding the liquid paths f1 to f9 . with the application of positive force uniformly against this side 60 of the cassette 24 , the flexible diaphragm 61 seats against the upstanding edges 62 . this forms peripheral seals along the liquid paths f1 to f9 . in operation , the cycler 14 also applies positive force to the diaphragm 61 for this very purpose . as fig8 / 8a / 8b show , five premolded tube connectors 27 / 29 / 31 / 33 / 35 extend out along one side edge of the cassette 24 . when the cassette 24 is vertically oriented for use , the tube connectors 27 to 35 are vertically stacked one above the other . the first tube connector 27 is the uppermost connector , and the fifth tube connector 35 is the lowermost connector . this ordered orientation of the tube connectors 27 to 35 provides a centralized , compact unit . it also makes it possible to cluster the valve stations within the cassette 24 near the tube connectors 27 to 35 . the first through fifth tube connectors 27 to 35 communicate with interior liquid paths f1 to f5 , respectively . these liquid paths f1 to f5 constitute the primary liquid paths of the cassette 24 , through which liquid enters or exits the cassette 24 . the remaining interior liquid paths f6 to f9 of the cassette 24 constitute branch paths that link the primary liquid paths f1 to f5 to the pump chambers p1 and p2 through the valve stations v1 to v10 . because the pump chambers p1 and p2 are vertically oriented during use , air entering the pump chambers p1 / p2 during liquid pumping operations will accumulate near the upper port 64 in each pump chamber p1 / p2 . the liquid paths f1 to f9 and the valve stations v1 to v10 are purposefully arranged to isolate the patient &# 39 ; s peritoneal cavity from the air that the pump chambers p1 / p2 collect . they are also purposefully arranged so that this collected air can be transferred out of the pump chambers p1 / p2 during use . more particularly , the cassette 24 isolates selected interior liquid paths from the upper ports 64 of the pump chambers p1 and p2 the cassette 24 thereby isolates these selected liquid paths from the air that accumulates in the pump chambers p1 / p2 . these air - isolated liquid paths can be used to convey liquid directly into and from the patient &# 39 ; s peritoneal cavity . the cassette 24 also connects other selected liquid paths only to the upper ports 64 ( i )/( 2 ) of the pump chambers p1 and p2 . these liquid paths can be used to transfer air out of the respective pump chamber p1 / p2 . these liquid paths can also be used to convey liquid away from the patient to other connected elements in the system 10 , like the heater bag 22 or the drain . in this way , the cassette 24 serves to discharge entrapped air through established noncritical liquid paths , while isolating the critical liquid paths from the air . the cassette 24 thereby keeps air from entering the patient &# 39 ; s peritoneal cavity . more particularly , valve stations v1 to v4 serve only the upper ports 64 ( 1 )/( 2 ) of both pump chambers p1 and p2 . these valve stations v1 to v4 , in turn , serve only the primary liquid paths f1 and f2 . branch liquid path f6 links primary paths f1 and f2 with the upper port 64 ( 1 ) of pump chamber p1 through valve stations v1 and v2 . branch liquid path f7 links primary paths f1 and f2 with the upper port 64 ( 2 ) of pump chamber p2 through valve stations v3 and v4 . these primary paths f1 and f2 can thereby serve as noncritical liquid paths , but not as critical liquid paths , since they are not isolated from air entrapped within the pumping chambers p1 / p2 . by the same token , the primary paths f1 and f2 can serve to convey entrapped air from the pump chambers p1 and p2 . tubes that , in use , do not directly convey liquid to the patient can be connected to the noncritical liquid paths f1 and f2 through the upper two connectors 27 and 29 . one tube 26 conveys liquid to and from the heater bag 22 . the other tube 28 conveys spent peritoneal solution to the drain . when conveying liquid to the heater bag 22 or to the drain , these tubes 26 / 28 can also carry air that accumulates in the upper region of the pump chambers p1 / p2 . in this arrangement , the heater bag 22 , like the drain , serves as an air sink for the system 10 . valve stations v5 to v10 serve only the lower ports 66 ( 1 )/( 2 ) of both pump chambers p1 and p2 . these valve stations v5 to v10 , in turn , serve only the primary liquid paths f3 ; f4 ; and f5 . branch liquid path f8 links primary paths f3 to f5 with the lower port 66 ( 1 ) of pump chamber p1 through valve stations v8 ; v9 ; and v10 . branch liquid path f9 links primary paths f3 to f5 with the lower port 66 ( 2 ) of pump chamber p2 through valve stations v5 ; v6 ; and v7 . because the primary paths f3 to f5 are isolated from communication with the upper ports 64 of both pump chambers p1 and p2 , they can serve as critical liquid paths . thus , the tube 34 that conveys liquid directly to the patient &# 39 ; s indwelling catheter can be connected to one of the lower three connectors 31 / 33 / 35 ( i . e ., to the primary liquid paths f3 to f5 ). the same tube 34 also carries spent dialysate from the patient &# 39 ; s peritoneal cavity . likewise , the tubes 30 / 32 that carry sterile source liquid into the pump chambers enter through the lower pump chamber ports 66 ( 1 )/( 2 ). this arrangement makes it unnecessary to incorporate bubble traps and air vents in the tubing serving the cassette . the cassette is its own self contained air trap . as fig9 and 10 best show , the cycler 14 carries the operating elements essential for an apd procedure within a portable housing 82 that occupies a relatively small footprint area ( as fig1 and 2 also show ). the housing 82 also encloses a bag heater module 74 ( see fig9 ). it further encloses a pneumatic actuator module 76 . the pneumatic actuator module 76 also incorporates the cassette holder 100 already described , as well as a failsafe liquid shutoff assembly 80 , which will be described later . the housing 82 also encloses a source 84 of pneumatic pressure and an associated pneumatic pressure distribution module 88 , which links the pressure source 84 with the actuator module 76 . the housing 82 also encloses an ac power supply module 90 and a back - up dc battery power supply module 92 for the cycler 14 . further structural and functional details of these operating modules of the cycler 14 will be described next . the bag heating module 74 includes an exterior support plate 94 on the top of the cycler housing 82 for carrying the heater bag 22 ( as fig1 shows ). the support plate 94 is made of a heat conducting material , like aluminum . as fig9 shows , the module 74 includes a conventional electrical resistance heating strip 96 that underlies and heats the support plate 94 . four thermocouples t1 / t2 / t3 / t4 monitor the temperatures at spaced locations on the left , right , rear , and center of the heating strip 96 . fifth and sixth thermocouples t5 / t6 ( see fig2 and 10 ) independently monitor the temperature of the heater bag 22 itself . a circuit board 98 ( see fig9 ) receives the output of the thermocouples t1 to t6 . the board 98 conditions the output before transmitting it to the controller 16 for processing . in the preferred embodiment , the controller 16 includes a heater control algorithm that elevates the temperature of liquid in the heater bag 22 to about 33 degrees c . before the first fill cycle . a range of other safe temperature settings could be used , which could be selected by the user . the heating continues as the first fill cycle proceeds until the heater bag temperature reaches 36 degrees c . the heater control algorithm then maintains the bag temperature at about 36 degrees c . the algorithm functions to toggle the heating strip 96 on and off at a sensed plate temperature of 44 degrees c . to assure that plate temperature never exceeds 60 degrees c . the cassette holder 100 , which forms a part of the pneumatic actuator module 76 , includes a front plate 105 joined to a back plate 108 ( see fig1 a ). the plates 105 / 108 collectively form an interior recess 110 . a door 106 is hinged to the front plate 155 ( see fig6 and 7 ). the door 106 moves between an opened position ( shown in fig6 and 7 ) and a closed position ( shown in fig1 ; 2 ; and 11 ). a door latch 115 operated by a latch handle 111 contacts a latch pin 114 when the door 106 is closed . moving the latch handle 111 downward when the door 106 is closed engages the latch 115 to the pin 114 to lock the door 106 ( as fig4 and 5 show ). moving the latch handle 111 upward when the door 106 is closed releases the latch 115 from the pin 114 . this allows the door 106 to be opened ( as fig6 shows ) to gain access to the holder interior . with the door 106 opened , the user can insert the cassette 24 into the recess 110 with its front side 58 facing the interior of the cycler 14 ( as fig6 and 7 show ). the inside of the door 106 carries an upraised elastomeric gasket 112 positioned in opposition to the recess 110 . closing the door 106 brings the gasket 112 into facing contact with the diaphragm 61 on the back side 60 of the cassette 24 . the pneumatic actuator module 76 contains a pneumatic piston head assembly 78 located behind the back plate 108 ( see fig1 a ). the piston head assembly 78 includes a piston element 102 . as fig1 a ; 13 and 14 show , the piston element 102 comprises a molded or machined plastic or metal body . the body contains two pump actuators pa1 and pa2 and ten valve actuators va1 to va10 . the pump actuators pa1 / pa2 and the valve actuators va1 to va10 are mutually oriented to form a mirror image of the pump stations p1 / p2 and valve stations v1 to v10 on the front side 58 of the cassette 24 . each actuator pa1 / pa2 / va1 to va10 includes a port 120 . the ports 120 convey positive or negative pneumatic pressures from the pneumatic pressure distribution module 88 ( as will be described in greater detail later ). as fig1 best shows , interior grooves 122 formed in the piston element 102 surround the pump and valve actuators pa1 / pa2 / va1 to va10 . a preformed gasket 118 ( see fig1 a ) fits into these grooves 122 . the gasket 118 seals the peripheries of the actuators pa1 / pa2 / va1 to va10 against pneumatic pressure leaks . the configuration of the preformed gasket 118 follows the pattern of upstanding edges that peripherally surround and separate the pump chambers p1 and p2 and valve stations v1 to v10 on the front side 58 of the cassette 24 . the piston element 102 is attached to a pressure plate 104 within the module 76 ( see fig1 b ). the pressure plate 104 is , in turn , supported on a frame 126 for movement within the module 76 . the side of the plate 104 that carries the piston element 102 abuts against a resilient spring element 132 in the module 76 . in the illustrated and preferred embodiment , the spring element 132 is made of an open pore foam material . the frame 126 also supports an inflatable main bladder 128 . the inflatable bladder 128 contacts the other side of the plate 104 . the piston element 102 extends through a window 134 in the spring element 132 ( see fig1 a ). the window 134 registers with the cassette receiving recess 110 . with a cassette 24 fitted into the recess 110 and the holder door 106 closed , the piston element 102 in the window 134 is mutually aligned with the diaphragm 59 of the cassette 24 in the holder recess 110 . as fig1 a shows , when the main bladder 128 is relaxed ( i . e ., not inflated ), the spring element 132 contacts the plate 104 to hold the piston element 102 away from pressure contact with a cassette 24 within the holder recess 110 . as will be described in greater detail later , the pneumatic pressure distribution module 88 can supply positive pneumatic pressure to the main bladder 128 . this inflates the bladder 128 . as fig1 b shows , when the main bladder 128 inflates , it presses the plate 104 against the spring element 132 . the open cell structure of the spring element 132 resiliently deforms under the pressure . the piston element 102 moves within the window 134 into pressure contact against the cassette diaphragm 59 . the bladder pressure presses the piston element gasket 118 tightly against the cassette diaphragm 59 . the bladder pressure also presses the back side diaphragm 61 tightly against the interior of the door gasket 112 . as a result , the diaphragms 59 and 61 seat against the upstanding peripheral edges 62 that surround the cassette pump chambers p1 / p2 and valve stations v1 to v10 . the pressure applied to the plate 104 by the bladder 128 seals the peripheries of these regions of the cassette 24 . the piston element 102 remains in this operating position as long as the main bladder 128 retains positive pressure and the door 106 remains closed . in this position , the two pump actuators pa1 and pa2 in the piston element 102 register with the two pump chambers p1 and p2 in the cassette 24 . the ten valve actuators va1 to va10 in the piston element 102 likewise register with the ten valve stations v1 to v10 in the cassette 24 . as will be described in greater detail later , the pneumatic pressure distribution module 88 conveys positive and negative pneumatic fluid pressure to the actuators pa1 / pa2 / va1 to va10 in a sequence governed by the controller 16 . these positive and negative pressure pulses flex the diaphragm 59 to operate the pump chambers p1 / p2 and valve stations v1 to v10 in the cassette 24 . this , in turn , moves liquid through the cassette 24 . venting the positive pressure in the bladder 128 relieves the pressure the plate 104 applies to the cassette 24 . the resilient spring element 132 urges the plate 104 and attached piston element 102 away from pressure contact with the cassette diaphragm 59 . in this position , the door 106 can be opened to unload the cassette 24 after use . as fig1 a shows , the gasket 118 preferably includes an integral elastomeric membrane 124 stretched across it . this membrane 124 is exposed in the window 134 . it serves as the interface between the piston element 102 and the diaphragm 59 of the cassette 24 , when fitted into the holder recess 110 . the membrane 124 includes one or more small through holes 125 in each region overlying the pump and valve actuators pa1 / pa2 / va1 to va10 . the holes 125 are sized to convey pneumatic fluid pressure from the piston element actuators to the cassette diaphragm 59 . nevertheless , the holes 125 are small enough to retard the passage of liquid . this forms a flexible splash guard across the exposed face of the gasket 118 . the splash guard membrane 124 keeps liquid out of the pump and valve actuators pa1 / pa2 / va1 to va10 , should the cassette diaphragm 59 leak . the splash guard membrane 124 also serves as a filter to keep particulate matter out of the pump and valve actuators of the piston element 102 . the splash guard membrane 124 can be periodically wiped clean when cassettes are exchanged . as fig1 a shows , inserts 117 preferably occupy the pump actuators pa1 and pa2 behind the membrane 124 . in the illustrated and preferred embodiment , the inserts 117 are made of an open cell foam material . the inserts 117 help dampen and direct the pneumatic pressure upon the membrane 124 . the presence of inserts 117 stabilizes air pressure more quickly within the pump actuators pa1 and pa2 , helping to negate transient thermal effects that arise during the conveyance of pneumatic pressure . the liquid shutoff assembly 80 , which forms a part of the pneumatic actuator module 76 , serves to block all liquid flow through the cassette 24 in the event of a power failure or another designated error condition . as fig1 b shows , the liquid shutoff assembly 80 includes a movable occluder body 138 located behind the pressure plate frame 126 . the occluder body 138 has a side hook element 140 that fits into a slot 142 in the pressure plate frame 126 ( see fig1 a / b ). this hook - in - slot fit establishes a contact point about which the occluder body 138 pivots on the pressure plate frame 126 . the occluder body 138 includes an elongated occluder blade 144 ( see fig1 a ; 15 ; and 16 ). the occluder blade 144 extends through a slot 146 in the front and back plates 105 / 108 of the holder 100 . when the holder door 106 is closed , the blade 144 faces an elongated occluder bar 148 carried on the holder door 106 ( see fig1 and 16 ). when the cassette 24 occupies the holder recess 110 ( see fig7 ) and the holder door 106 is closed , all tubing 26 to 34 attached to the cassette 24 passes between the occluder blade 144 and the occluder bar 148 ( a fig1 and 16 show ). in the illustrated and preferred embodiment , a region 145 of the flexible tubing 26 to 34 is held in a mutually close relationship near the cassette 24 ( see fig3 ). this bundled tubing region 145 further simplifies the handling of the cassette 24 . this bundled region 145 also arranges the cassette tubing 26 to 34 in a close , side by side relationship in the region between the occluder blade 144 and bar 148 ( see fig7 ). in the illustrated and preferred embodiment , the sidewalls of the flexible tubing 26 to 34 are rf surface welded together to form the bundled region 145 . pivotal movement of the occluder body 138 moves the occluder blade 144 toward or away from the occluder bar 148 . when spaced apart ( as fig1 a shows ), the occluder blade and bar 144 / 148 allow clear passage of the cassette tubing 26 to 34 . when brought together ( as fig1 b shows ), the occluder blade and bar 144 / 148 crimp the cassette tubing 26 to 34 closed . occluder springs 150 carried within sleeves 151 normally bias the occluder blade and bar 144 / 148 together . an occluder bladder 152 occupies the space between the occluder body 138 and the frame 126 ( see fig1 b ). as fig1 b shows , when the occluder bladder 152 is relaxed ( i . e ., not inflated ), it makes no contact against the occluder body 138 . the occluder springs 150 urge the occluder blade and bar 144 / 148 together , simultaneously crimping all cassette tubing 26 to 34 closed . this prevents all liquid flow to and from the cassette 24 . as will be described in greater detail later , the pneumatic pressure distribution module 88 can supply positive pneumatic pressure to the occluder bladder 152 . this inflates the bladder 128 . as fig1 a shows , when the occluder bladder 152 inflates , it presses against the occluder body 138 to pivot it upward . this moves the occluder blade 144 away from the occluder bar 158 . this permits liquid to flow through all tubing to and from the cassette 24 . the occluder blade and bar 144 / 148 remain spaced apart as long as the occluder bladder 152 retains positive pressure . venting of positive pressure relaxes the occluder bladder 152 . the occluder springs 150 immediately urge the occluder blade and bar 144 / 148 back together to crimp the tubing closed . as will be described in greater detail later , an electrically actuated valve c6 communicates with the occluder bladder 152 . when receiving electrical power , the valve c6 is normally closed . in the event of a power loss , the valve c6 opens to vent the occluder bladder 152 , crimping the cassette tubing 26 to 34 closed . the assembly 80 provides a pneumatically actuated fail - safe liquid shut off for the pneumatic pumping system . the pneumatic pressure source 84 comprises a linear vacuum pump and air compressor capable of generating both negative and positive air pressure . in the illustrated and preferred embodiment , the pump 84 is a conventional air compressor / vacuum pump commercially available from medo corporation . as fig2 shows , the pump 84 includes an inlet 154 for drawing air into the pump 84 . the pump inlet 154 supplies the negative pressure required to operate the cycler 14 . as fig2 also shows , the pump 14 also includes an outlet 156 for discharging air from the pump 84 . the pump outlet 156 supplies positive pressure required to operate the cycler 14 . fig9 and 10 also show the inlet 154 and outlet 156 . the pump inlet 154 and the pump outlet 156 communicate with ambient air via a common vent 158 ( shown schematically in fig2 ). the vent 158 includes a filter 160 that removes particulates from the air drawn into the pump 84 . fig1 to 22 show the details of the pneumatic pressure distribution module 88 . the module 88 encloses a manifold assembly 162 . the manifold assembly 162 controls the distribution of positive and negative pressures from the pump 84 to the piston element 102 , the main bladder 128 , and the occluder bladder 152 . the controller 16 provides the command signals that govern the operation of the manifold assembly 162 . as fig1 shows , a foam material 164 preferably lines the interior of the module 88 enclosing the manifold assembly 162 . the foam material 164 provides a barrier to dampen sound to assures quiet operation . as fig1 and 19 show , the manifold assembly 162 includes a top plate 166 and a bottom plate 168 . a sealing gasket 170 is sandwiched between the plates 166 / 168 . the bottom plate 168 ( see fig2 and 21 ) includes an array of paired air ports 172 . fig2 shows the inside surface of the bottom plate 168 that faces the gasket 170 ( which is designated in in fig1 and 20 ). fig2 shows the outside surface of the bottom plate 168 ( which is designated out in fig1 and 21 ). the inside surface ( in ) of the bottom plate 168 also contains an array of interior grooves that form air conduction channels 174 ( see fig2 ). the array of paired air ports 172 communicates with the channels 174 at spaced intervals . a block 176 fastened to the outside surface ( out ) of the bottom plate 168 contains an additional air conduction channels 174 that communicate with the channels 174 on the inside plate surface ( in ) ( see fig1 and 22 ). transducers 178 mounted on the exterior of the module 88 sense through associated sensing tubes 180 ( see fig1 ) pneumatic pressure conditions present at various points along the air conduction channels 174 . the transducers 178 are conventional semi - conductor piezo - resistance pressure sensors . the top of the module 88 includes stand - off pins 182 that carry a board 184 to which the pressure transducers 178 are attached . the outside surface ( out ) of the bottom plate 168 ( see fig1 and 22 ) carries a solenoid actuated pneumatic valves 190 connected in communication with each pair of air ports 172 . in the illustrated embodiment , there are two rows of valves 190 arranged along opposite sides of the outside surface ( out ) of the plate 168 . twelve valves 190 form one row , and thirteen valves 190 form the other row . as fig2 shows , each pneumatic valve 190 is attached in communication with a pair of air ports 172 by screws fastened to the outside surface ( out ) of the bottom plate 168 . as fig1 and 22 also show , each valve 190 is electrically connected by ribbon cables 192 to the cycler controller 16 by contacts on a junction board 194 . there are two junction boards 194 , one for each row of valves 190 . each pneumatic valve 190 operates to control air flow through its associated pair of ports 172 to link the ports 172 to the various air channels 174 the bottom plate 168 carries . as will be described in greater detail later , some of the valves 190 are conventional three way valves . others are conventional normally closed two way valves . the air channels 174 within the manifold assembly 162 are coupled by flexible tubing 196 ( see fig1 ) to the system components that operate using pneumatic pressure . slots 198 in the side of the module 88 accommodate the passage of the tubing 196 connected to the manifold assembly 162 . fig9 and 10 also show the flexible tubing 196 that links the manifold assembly 162 to the pneumatically actuated and controlled system components . fig1 further shows the tubing 196 from the manifold assembly 162 entering the pneumatic actuator module 76 , where they connect to the main bladder 128 , the occluder bladder 152 , and the piston element 102 . fig1 a further shows the t - fittings that connect the tubing 196 to the ports of the valve actuators va1 to va10 and the ports of the pump actuators pa1 / pa2 of the piston element 102 . these connections are made on the back side of the piston element 102 . the air conduction passages 174 and the flexible tubing 196 associated with the manifold assembly 162 define a fluid pressure regulation system 200 that operates in response to command signals from the cycler controller 16 . fig2 and 24 show the details of the air regulation system 200 in schematic form . in response to the command signals of the controller 16 , the pressure regulation system 200 directs the flow of positive and negative pneumatic pressures to operate the cycler 14 . when power is applied , the system 200 maintains the occluder assembly 80 in an open , flow - permitting condition ; it seals the cassette 24 within the holder 100 for operation ; and it conveys pneumatic pressure to the piston element 102 to move liquid through the cassette 24 to conduct an apd procedure . the pressure regulation system 200 also provides information that the controller 16 processes to measure the volume of liquid conveyed by the cassette 24 . as fig2 shows , the regulation system 200 includes a pressure supply network 202 having a positive pressure side 204 and a negative pressure side 206 . the positive and negative pressure sides 204 and 206 can each be selectively operated in either a low - relative pressure mode or high - relative pressure mode . the controller 16 calls for a low - relative pressure mode when the cycler 14 circulates liquid directly through the patient &# 39 ; s indwelling catheter 18 ( i . e ., during patient infusion and drain phases ). the controller 16 calls for a high - relative pressure mode when the cycler 14 circulates liquid outside the patient &# 39 ; s indwelling catheter 18 ( i . e . during transfers of liquid from supply bags 20 to the heater bag 22 ). in other words , the controller 16 activates the low - relative pressure mode when considerations of patient comfort and safety predominate . the controller 16 activates the high - relative pressure mode when considerations of processing speed predominate . in either mode , the pump 84 draws air under negative pressure from the vent 158 through an inlet line 208 . the pump 84 expels air under positive pressure through an outlet line 210 to the vent 158 . the negative pressure supply side 206 communicates with the pump inlet line 208 through a negative pressure branch line 212 . the three way pneumatic valve d0 carried on the manifold assembly 162 controls this communication . the branch line 212 supplies negative pressure to a reservoir 214 carried within the cycler housing 82 ( this can be seen in fig9 and 10 ). the reservoir 214 preferably has a capacity greater than about 325 cc and a collapse pressure of greater than about - 10 psig . the transducer xneg carried on the manifold assembly 162 senses the amount of negative pressure stored within the negative pressure reservoir 214 . when in the high - relative negative pressure mode , the transducer xneg transmits a control signal when the predefined high - relative negative pressure of - 5 . 0 psig is sensed . when in the low - relative negative pressure mode , the transducer xneg transmits a control signal when the predefined low - relative negative pressure of - 1 . 2 psig is sensed . the pressure reservoir 214 serves as both a low - relative and a high - relative pressure reservoir , depending upon the operating mode of the cycler 14 . the positive pressure supply side 204 communicates with the pump outlet line 210 through a main positive pressure branch line 216 . the three way pneumatic valve c5 controls this communication . the main branch line 216 supplies positive pressure to the main bladder 128 , which seats the piston head 116 against the cassette 24 within the holder 100 . the main bladder 128 also serves the system 202 as a positive high pressure reservoir . the main bladder 128 preferably has a capacity of greater than about 600 cc and a fixtured burst pressure over about 15 psig . transducer xhpos carried on the manifold assembly 162 senses the amount of positive pressure within the main bladder 128 . transducer xhpos transmits a control signal when the predetermined high - relative pressure of 7 . 5 psig is sensed . a first auxiliary branch line 218 leads from the main branch line 216 to a second positive pressure reservoir 220 carried within the housing 82 ( which can also be seen in fig9 and 10 ). the two way , normally closed pneumatic valve a6 carried by the manifold assembly 168 controls the passage of positive pressure to the second reservoir 220 . the second reservoir 220 serves the system 202 as a reservoir for low - relative positive pressure . the second reservoir 220 preferably has a capacity of greater than about 325 cc and a fixtured burst pressure greater than about 10 psig . transducer xlpos carried on the manifold assembly 162 senses the amount of positive pressure within the second pressure reservoir 220 . transducer xlpos is set to transmit a control signal when the predetermined low - relative pressure of 2 . 0 psig is sensed . the valve a6 divides the positive pressure supply side 204 into a high - relative positive pressure region 222 ( between valve station c5 and valve station a6 ) and a low - relative positive pressure region 224 ( between valve station a6 and the second reservoir 220 ). a second auxiliary positive pressure branch line 226 leads from the main branch line 216 to the occluder bladder 152 through three way pneumatic valve c6 . the occluder bladder 152 also serves the system 202 as a positive high pressure reservoir . a bypass branch line 228 leads from the main branch 216 to the vent 158 through the two way , normally closed valve a5 . the valve c6 also communicates with the bypass branch line 228 . the pressure supply network 202 has three modes of operation . in the first mode , the network 202 supplies the negative pressure side 206 . in the second mode , the network 202 supplies the positive pressure side 204 . in the third mode , the network 202 supplies neither negative or positive pressure side 204 / 206 , but serves to circulate air in a continuous manner through the vent 158 . with the three modes of operation , the pump 84 can be continuously operated , if desired . this avoids any time delays and noise occasioned by cycling the pump 84 on and off . in the first mode , valve station d0 opens communication between the negative branch line 212 and the pump inlet line 208 . valve c5 opens communication between the pump outline line 210 and the vent 158 , while blocking communication with the main positive branch line 216 . the pump 84 operates to circulate air from the vent 158 through its inlet and outlet lines 208 / 210 to the vent 158 . this circulation also draws air to generating negative pressure in the negative branch line 212 . the reservoir 214 stores this negative pressure . when the transducer xneg senses its predetermined high - relative or low - relative negative pressure , it supplies a command signal to operate valve d0 , closing communication between the pump inlet line 208 and the negative branch line 212 . in the second mode , valve d0 closes communication between the negative branch line 212 and the pump inlet line 208 . valve c5 closes communication with the vent 158 , while opening communication with the main positive branch line 216 . the pump 84 operates to convey air under positive pressure into the main positive branch line 216 . this positive pressure accumulates in the main bladder 128 for conveyance to the pump and valve actuators on the piston element 102 . by operating three way valve c6 , the positive pressure can also be directed to fill the occluder bladder 152 . when the valve c6 is in this position , the positive pressure in the occluder bladder 152 also can be conveyed to the pump and valve actuators on the piston element 102 otherwise , valve c6 directs the positive pressure through the bypass line 228 to the vent 158 . in the absence of an electrical signal ( for example , if there is a power failure ), valve c6 opens the occluder bladder 152 to the bypass line 228 to the vent 158 . valve a6 is either opened to convey air in the main branch line 216 to the low pressure reservoir 214 or closed to block this conveyance . the transducer xlpos opens the valve a6 upon sensing a pressure below the low - relative cut - off . the transducer xlpos closes the valve station a6 upon sensing pressure above the low - relative cut - off . the transducer xhipos operates valve c5 to close communication between the pump outlet line 210 and the main positive branch line 216 upon sensing a pressure above the high - relative cut - off of 7 . 5 psig . in the third mode , valve d0 closes communication between the negative branch line 212 and the pump inlet line 208 . valve c5 opens communication between the pump outlet line 210 and the vent 158 , while blocking communication with the main positive branch line 216 . the pump 84 operates to circulate air in a loop from the vent 158 through its inlet and outlet lines 208 / 210 back to the vent 158 . as fig2 shows , the regulation system also includes first and second pressure actuating networks 230 and 232 . the first pressure actuating network 230 distributes negative and positive pressures to the first pump actuator pa1 and the valve actuators that serve it ( namely , va1 ; va2 ; va8 ; va9 ; and va10 ). these actuators , in turn , operate cassette pump station p1 and valve stations v1 ; v2 ; v8 ; v9 ; and v10 , respectively , which serve pump station p1 . the second pressure actuating network 232 distributes negative and positive pressures to the second pump actuator pa2 and the valve actuators that serve it ( namely , va3 ; va4 ; va5 ; va6 ; and va7 ). these actuators , in turn , operate cassette pump station p2 and cassette valve stations v3 ; v4 ; v5 ; v6 ; and v7 , which serve pump station p2 . the controller 16 can operate the first and second actuating networks 230 and 232 in tandem to alternately fill and empty the pump chambers p1 and p2 . this provides virtually continuous pumping action through the cassette 24 from the same source to the same destination . alternatively , the controller 16 can operate the first and second actuating networks 230 and 232 independently . in this way , the controller 16 can provide virtually simultaneous pumping action through the cassette 24 between different sources and different destinations . this simultaneous pumping action can be conducted with either synchronous or non - synchronous pressure delivery by the two networks 230 and 232 . the networks 230 and 232 can also be operated to provide pressure delivery that drifts into an out of synchronousness . the first actuating network 230 provides high - relative positive pressure and negative pressures to the valve actuators va1 ; va2 ; va8 ; va9 ; and va10 the first actuating network 230 also selectively provides either high - relative positive and negative pressure or low - relative positive and negative pressure to the first pumping actuator pa1 . referring first to the valve actuators , three way valves c0 ; c1 ; c2 ; c3 ; and c4 in the manifold assembly 162 control the flow of high - relative positive pressure and negative pressures to the valve actuators va1 ; va2 ; va8 ; va9 ; and va10 . the high - relative positive pressure region of the main branch line 216 communicates with the valves c0 ; c1 : c2 ; c3 ; and c4 through a bridge line 234 , a feeder line 236 , and individual connecting lines 238 . the negative pressure branch 212 communicates with the valves c0 ; c1 ; c2 ; c3 ; and c4 through individual connecting lines 340 . the controller 16 sets this branch 212 to a high - relative negative pressure condition by setting the transducer xneg to sense a high - relative pressure cut - off . by applying negative pressure to one or more given valve actuators , the associated cassette valve station is opened to accommodate liquid flow . by applying positive pressure to one or more given valve actuators , the associated cassette value station is closed to block liquid flow . in this way , the desired liquid path leading to and from the pump chamber p1 can be selected . referring now to the pump actuator pa1 , two way valve a4 in the manifold assembly 162 communicates with the high - relative pressure feeder line 236 through connecting line 342 . two way valve a3 in the manifold assembly 162 communicates with the low - relative positive pressure reservoir through connecting line 344 . by selectively operating either valve a4 or a3 , either high - relative or low - relative positive pressure can be supplied to the pump actuator pa1 . two way valve a0 communicates with the negative pressure branch 212 through connecting line 346 . by setting the transducer xneg to sense either a low - relative pressure cut - off or a high - relative pressure cut - off , either low - relative or high - relative pressure can be supplied to the pump actuator va1 by operation of valve a0 . by applying negative pressure ( through valve a0 ) to the pump actuator pa1 , the cassette diaphragm 59 flexes out to draw liquid into the pump chamber p1 . by applying positive pressure ( through either valve a3 or a4 ) to the pump actuator pa1 , the cassette diaphragm 59 flexes in to pump liquid from the pump chamber p1 ( provided , of course , that the associated inlet and outlet valves are opened ). by modulating the time period during which pressure is applied , the pumping force can be modulated between full strokes and partial strokes with respect to the pump chamber p1 . the second actuating network 232 operates like the fist actuating network 230 , except it serves the second pump actuator pa2 and its associated valve actuators va3 ; va4 ; va5 ; va6 ; and va7 . like the first actuating network 230 , the second actuating network 232 provides high - relative positive pressure and high - relative negative pressures to the valve actuators va3 ; va4 ; va5 ; va6 ; and va7 . three way valves d1 ; d2 : d3 ; d4 ; and d5 in the manifold assembly 162 control the flow of high - relative positive pressure and high - relative negative pressures to the valve actuators va3 ; va4 ; va5 ; va6 ; and va7 . the high - relative positive pressure region 222 of the main branch line communicates with the valves d1 ; d2 ; d3 ; d4 ; and d5 through the bridge line 234 , the feeder line 236 , and connecting lines 238 . the negative pressure branch 212 communicates with the valves d1 : d2 ; d3 ; d4 ; and d5 through connecting lines 340 . this branch 212 can be set to a high - relative negative pressure condition by setting the transducer xneg to sense a high - relative pressure cut - off . like the first actuating network 230 , the second actuating network 232 selectively provides either high - relative positive and negative pressure or low - relative positive and negative pressure to the second pumping actuator pa2 . two way valve b0 in the manifold assembly 162 communicates with the high - relative pressure feeder line through connecting line 348 . two way valve station b1 in the manifold assembly 162 communicates with the low - relative positive pressure reservoir through connecting line 349 . by selectively operating either valve b0 or b1 , either high - relative or low - relative positive pressure can be supplied to the pump actuator pa2 . two way valve b4 communicates with the negative pressure branch through connecting line 350 . by setting the transducer xneg to sense either a low - relative pressure cut - off or a high - relative pressure cut - off , either low - relative or high - relative pressure can be supplied to the pump actuator pa2 by operation of valve b4 . like the first actuating network 230 , by applying negative pressure to one or more given valve actuators , the associated cassette value station is opened to accommodate liquid flow . by applying positive pressure to one or more given valve actuators , the associated cassette value station is closed to block liquid flow . in this way , the desired liquid path leading to and from the pump chamber p2 can be selected . by applying a negative pressure ( through valve b4 ) to the pump actuator pa2 , the cassette diaphragm flexes out to draw liquid into the pump chamber p2 . by applying a positive pressure ( through either valve bb0 or b1 ) to the pump actuator pa2 , the cassette diaphragm flexes in to move liquid from the pump chamber p2 ( provided , of course , that the associated inlet and outlet valves are opened ). by modulating the time period during which pressure is applied , the pumping force can be modulated between full strokes and partial strokes with respect to the pump chamber p2 . the first and second actuating networks 230 / 232 can operate in succession , one drawing liquid into pump chamber p1 while the other pump chamber p2 pushes liquid out of pump chamber p2 , or vice versa , to move liquid virtually continuously from the same source to the same destination . the first and second actuating networks 230 / 232 can also operate to simultaneously move one liquid through pump chamber p1 while moving another liquid through pump chamber p2 . the pump chambers p1 and p2 and serve the same or different destinations . furthermore , with additional reservoirs , the first and second actuation networks 232 / 232 can operate on the same or different relative pressure conditions . the pump chamber p1 can be operated with low - relative positive and negative pressure , while the other pump chamber p2 is operated with high - relative positive and negative pressure . as fig2 shows , the pressure regulating system 200 also includes a network 350 that works in conjunction with the controller 16 for measuring the liquid volumes pumped through the cassette . the liquid volume measurement network 350 includes a reference chamber of known air volume ( v s ) associated with each actuating network . reference chamber vs1 is associated with the first actuating network . reference chamber vs2 is associated with the second actuating network . the reference chambers vs1 and vs2 may be incorporated at part of the manifold assembly 162 , as fig2 shows . in a preferred arrangement ( as fig1 b shows ), the reference chambers vs1 and vs2 are carried by the piston element 102 &# 39 ; itself , or at another located close to the pump actuators pa1 and pa2 within the cassette holder 100 . in this way , the reference chambers vs1 and vs2 , like the pump actuators pa1 and pa2 , exposed to generally the same temperature conditions as the cassette itself . also in the illustrated and preferred embodiment , inserts 117 occupy the reference chambers vs1 and vs2 . like the inserts 117 carried within the pump actuators pa1 and pa2 , the reference chamber inserts 117 are made of an open cell foam material . by dampening and directing the application of pneumatic pressure , the reference chamber inserts 117 make measurement of air volumes faster and less complicated . preferably , the insert 117 also includes a heat conducting coating or material to help conduct heat into the reference chamber vs1 and vs2 . in the illustrated embodiment , a thermal paste is applied to the foam insert . this preferred arrangement minimizes the effects of temperature differentials upon liquid volume measurements . reference chamber vs1 communicates with the outlets of valves a0 ; a3 : and a4 through a normally closed two way valve a2 in the manifold assembly 162 . reference chamber vs1 also communicates with a vent 352 through a normally closed two way valve a1 in the manifold assembly 162 . transducer xvs1 in the manifold assembly 162 senses the amount of air pressure present within the reference chamber vs1 . transducer xp1 senses the amount of air pressure present in the first pump actuator pa1 . likewise , reference chamber vs2 communicates with the outlets of valve b0 ; b1 ; and b4 through a normally closed two way valve b2 in the manifold assembly 162 . reference chamber vs2 also communicates with a filtered vent 356 through a normally closed two way valve b3 in the manifold assembly 162 . transducer xvs2 in the manifold assembly 162 senses the amount of air pressure present within the reference chamber vs2 . transducer xp2 senses the amount of air pressure present in the second pump actuator pa2 . the controller 16 operates the network 350 to perform an air volume calculation twice , once during each draw ( negative pressure ) cycle and once again during each pump ( positive pressure ) cycle of each pump actuator pa1 and pa2 . the controller 16 operates the network 350 to perform the first air volume calculation after the operating pump chamber is filled with the liquid to be pumped ( i . e ., after its draw cycle ). this provides an initial air volume ( v i ). the controller 16 operates the network 350 to perform the second air volume calculation after moving fluid out of the pump chamber ( i . e ., after the pump cycle ). this provides a final air volume ( v f ). the controller 16 calculates the difference between the initial air volume v i and the final air volume v f to derive a delivered liquid volume ( v d ), where : the controller 16 accumulates v d for each pump chamber to derive total liquid volume pumped during a given procedure . the controller 16 also applies the incremental liquid volume pumped over time to derive flow rates . the controller 16 derives v i in this way ( pump chamber p1 is used as an example ): ( 1 ) the controller 16 actuates the valves c0 to c4 to close the inlet and outlet passages leading to the pump chamber p1 ( which is filled with liquid ). valves a2 and a1 are normally closed , and they are kept that way . ( 2 ) the controller 16 opens valve a1 to vent reference chamber vs1 to atmosphere . the controller 16 then conveys positive pressure to the pump actuator pa1 , by opening either valve a3 ( low - reference ) or a4 ( high - reference ), depending upon the pressure mode selected for the pump stroke . ( 3 ) the controller 16 closes the vent valve a1 and the positive pressure valve a3 or a4 , to isolate the pump chamber pa1 and the reference chamber vs1 . ( 4 ) the controller 16 measures the air pressure in the pump actuator pa1 ( using transducer xp1 ) ( ip d1 ) and the air pressure in the reference chamber vs1 ( using transducer xvs1 ) ( ip s1 ). ( 5 ) the controller 16 opens valve a2 to allow the reference chamber vs1 to equilibrate with the pump chamber pa1 . ( 6 ) the controller 16 measures the new air pressure in the pump actuator pa1 ( using transducer xp1 ) ( ip d2 ) and the new air pressure in the reference chamber ( using transducer xvs1 ) ( ip s2 ). ( 7 ) the controller 16 closes the positive pressure valve a3 or a4 . ( 8 ) the controller 16 calculates initial air volume v i as follows : ## equ1 ## after the pump chamber p1 is emptied of liquid , the same sequence of measurements and calculations are made to derive v f , as follows : ( 9 ) keeping valve stations a2 and a1 closed , the controller 16 actuates the valves c0 to c4 to close the inlet and outlet passages leading to the pump chamber p1 ( which is now emptied of liquid ). ( 10 ) the controller 16 opens valve a1 to vent reference chamber vs1 to atmosphere , and then conveys positive pressure to the pump actuator pa1 , by opening either valve a3 ( low - reference ) or a4 ( high - reference ), depending upon the pressure mode selected for the pump stroke . ( 11 ) the controller 16 closes the vent valve a1 and the positive pressure valve a3 or a4 , to isolate the pump actuator pa1 and the reference chamber vs1 . ( 12 ) the controller 16 measures the air pressure in the pump actuator pa1 ( using transducer xp1 ) ( fp d1 ) and the air pressure in the reference chamber vs1 ( using transducer xvs1 ) ( fp s1 ). ( 13 ) the controller 16 opens valve a2 , allowing the reference chamber vs1 to equilibrate with the pump actuator . ( 14 ) the controller 16 measures the new air pressure in the pump actuator pa1 ( using transducer xp1 ) ( fp d2 ) and the new air pressure in the reference chamber ( using transducer xvs1 ) ( fp s2 ). ( 15 ) the controller 16 closes the positive pressure valve a3 or a4 . ( 16 ) the controller 16 calculates final air volume v f as follows : ## equ2 ## the liquid volume delivered ( v d ) during the preceding pump stroke is : preferably , before beginning another pump stroke , the operative pump actuator is vented to atmosphere ( by actuating valves a2 and a1 for pump actuator pa1 , and by actuating valves b2 and b3 for pump actuator pa2 ). the controller 16 also monitors the variation of v d over time to detect the presence of air in the cassette pump chamber p1 / p2 . air occupying the pump chamber p1 / p2 reduces the capacity of the chamber to move liquid . if v d decrease over time , or if v d falls below a set expected value , the controller 16 attributes this condition to the buildup of air in the cassette chamber . when this condition occurs , the controller 16 conducts an air removal cycle , in which liquid flow through the affected chamber is channeled through the top portion of the chamber to the drain or to the heater bag for a period of time . the air removal cycle rids the chamber of excess air and restores v d to expected values . in another embodiment , the controller 16 periodically conducts an air detection cycle . in this cycle , the controller 16 delivers fluid into a given one of the pump chambers p1 and p2 . the controller 16 then closes all valve stations leading into and out of the given pump chamber , to thereby trap the liquid within the pump chamber . the controller 16 then applies air pressure to the actuator associated with the pump chamber and derives a series of air volume v i measurements over a period of time in the manner previously disclosed . since the liquid trapped within the pump chamber is relatively incompressible , there should be virtually no variation in the measured v i during the time period , unless there is air present in the pump chamber . if v i does vary over a prescribed amount during the time period , the controller 16 contributes this to the presence of air in the pump chamber . when this condition occurs , the controller 16 conducts an air removal cycle in the manner previously described . the controller 16 performs the liquid volume calculations assuming that the temperature of the reference chamber vs1 / vs2 does not differ significantly from the temperature of the pump chamber p1 / p2 . one way to minimize any temperature difference is to mount the reference chamber as close to the pump chamber as possible . fig1 b shows this preferred alternative , where the reference chamber is physically mounted on the piston head 116 . temperature differences can also be accounted for by applying a temperature correction factor ( f t ) to the known air volume of the reference chamber v s to derive a temperature - corrected reference air volume v st , as follows : c t is the absolute temperature of the cassette ( expressed in degrees rankine or kelvin ), and r t is the temperature of the reference chamber ( expressed in the same units as c t ). in this embodiment , the network substitutes v st for v s in the above volume derivation calculations . the value of f t can be computed based upon actual , real time temperature calculations using temperature sensors associated with the cassette and the reference chamber . because liquid volume measurements are derived after each pumping stroke , the same accuracy is obtained for each cassette loaded into the cycler , regardless of variations in tolerances that may exist among the cassettes used . fig9 ; 10 ; 17 ; and 18 show the cycler controller 16 . the controller 16 carries out process control and monitoring functions for the cycler 14 . the controller 16 includes a user interface 367 with a display screen 370 and keypad 368 . the user interface 367 receives characters from the keypad 368 , displays text to a display screen 370 , and sounds the speaker 372 ( shown in fig9 and 10 ). the interface 367 presents status information to the user during a therapy session . the interface 367 also allows the user to enter and edit therapy parameters , and to issue therapy commands . in the illustrated embodiment , the controller 16 comprises a central microprocessing unit ( cpu ) 358 . the cpu is etched on the board 184 carried on stand off pins 182 atop the second module 88 . power harnesses 360 link the cpu 358 to the power supply 90 and to the operative elements of the manifold assembly 162 . the cpu 358 employs conventional real - time multi - tasking to allocate cpu cycles to application tasks . a periodic timer interrupt ( for example , every 10 milliseconds ) preempts the executing task and schedules another that is in a ready state for execution . if a reschedule is requested , the highest priority task in the ready state is scheduled . otherwise , the next task on the list in the ready state is scheduled . the following provides an overview of the operation of the cycler 14 under the direction of the controller cpu 358 . when power is turned on , the controller 16 runs through an initialization routine . during the initialization routine , the controller 16 verifies that its cpu 358 and associated hardware are working . if these power - up tests fail , the controller 16 enters a shutdown mode . if the power - up tests succeed , the controller 16 loads the therapy and cycle settings saved in non - volatile ram during the last power - down . the controller 16 runs a comparison to determine whether these settings , as loaded , are corrupt . if the therapy and cycle settings loaded from ram are not corrupt , the controller 16 prompts the user to press the go key to begin a therapy session . when the user presses the go key , the controller 16 displays the main menu . the main menu allows the user to choose to ( a ) select the therapy and adjust the associated cycle settings ; ( b ) review the ultrafiltrate figures from the last therapy session , and ( c ) start the therapy session based upon the current settings . with choice ( a ) of the main menu selected , the controller 16 displays the therapy selection menu . this menu allows the user to specify the apd modality desired , selecting from ccpd , ipd , and tpd ( with an without full drain phases ). the user can also select an adjust cycle submenu . this submenu allows the user to select and change the therapy parameters . for ccpd and ipd modalities , the therapy parameters include the therapy volume , which is the total dialysate volume to be infused during the therapy session ( in ml ); the therapy time , which is the total time allotted for the therapy ( in hours and minutes ); the fill volume , which is the volume to be infused during each fill phase ( in ml ), based upon the size of the patient &# 39 ; s peritoneal cavity ; the last fill volume , which is the final volume to be left in the patient at the end of the session ( in ml ); and same dextrose ( y or n ), which allows the user to specify a different dextrose concentration for the last fill volume . for the tpd modality , the therapy parameters include therapy volume , therapy time , last fill volume , and same dextrose ( y or n ), as above described . in tpd , the fill volume parameter is the initial tidal fill volume ( in ml ). tpd includes also includes as additional parameters tidal volume percentage , which is the fill volume to be infused and drained periodically , expressed as a percentage of the total therapy volume ; tidal full drains , which is the number of full drains in the therapy session ; and total uf , which is the total ultrafiltrate expected from the patient during the session ( in ml ), based upon prior patient monitoring . the controller 16 includes a therapy limit table . this table sets predetermined maximum and minimum limits and permitted increments for the therapy parameters in the adjust cycle submenu . the controller 16 also includes a therapy value verification routine . this routine checks the parameters selected to verify that a reasonable therapy session has been programmed . the therapy value verification routine checks to assure that the selected therapy parameters include a dwell time of at least one minute ; at least one cycle ; and for tpd the expected filtrate is not unreasonably large ( i . e ., it is less than 25 % of the selected therapy volume ). if any of these parameters is unreasonable , the therapy value verification routine places the user back in the adjust cycle submenu and identifies the therapy parameter that is most likely to be wrong . the user is required to program a reasonable therapy before leaving the adjust cycle submenu and begin a therapy session . once the modality is selected and verified , the controller 16 returns to user to the main menu . with choice ( b ) of the main menu selected , the controller 16 displays the review ultrafiltration menu ( see fig2 ). this menu displays last uf , which is the total volume of ultrafiltrate generated by the pervious therapy session . for ccpd and ipd modalities , the user can also select to ultrafiltration report . this report provides a cycle by cycle breakdown of the ultrafiltrate obtained from the previous therapy session . with choice ( c ) of the main menu selected , the controller 16 first displays set - up prompts to the user ( as shown in fig2 ). the set - up prompts first instruct the user to load set . the user is required to open the door ; load a cassette ; close the door ; and press go to continue with the set - up dialogue . when the user presses go , the controller 16 pressurizes the main bladder and occluder bladder and tests the door seal . if the door seal fails , the controller 16 prompts the user to try again . if the door continues to fail a predetermined period of times , the controller 16 raises a system error and shuts down . if the door seal is made , the set - up prompts next instruct the user to connect bags . the user is required to connect the bags required for the therapy session ; to unclamp the liquid tubing lines being use and assure that the liquid lines that are not remained clamped ( for example , the selected therapy may not require final fill bags , so liquid lines to these bags should remain clamped ). once the user accomplishes these tasks , he / she presses go to continue with the set - up dialogue . when go is pressed , the controller 16 checks which lines are clamped and uses the programmed therapy parameters to determine which lines should be primed . the controller 16 primes the appropriate lines . priming removes air from the set lines by delivering air and liquid from each bag used to the drain . next , the controller 16 performs a predetermined series of integrity tests to assure that no valves in the cassette leak ; that there are no leaks between pump chambers ; and that the occluder assembly stops all liquid flow . the integrity tests first convey the predetermined high - relative negative air pressure (- 5 . 0 psig ) to the valve actuators va1 to va10 . the transducer xneg monitors the change in high - relative negative air pressure for a predetermined period . if the pressure change over the period exceeds a predetermined maximum , the controller 16 raises a system error and shuts down . otherwise , the integrity tests convey the predetermined high - relative positive pressure ( 7 . 0 psig ) to the valve actuators va1 to va10 . the transducer xhpos monitors the change in high - relative positive air pressure for a predetermined period . if the pressure change over the period exceeds a predetermined maximum , the controller 16 raises a system error and shuts down . otherwise , the integrity tests proceed . the valve actuators va1 to va10 convey positive pressure to close the cassette valve stations v1 to v10 . the tests first convey the predetermined maximum high - relative negative pressure to pump actuator pa1 , while conveying the predetermined maximum high - relative positive pressure to pump actuator pa2 . the transducers xp1 and xp2 monitor the pressures in the respective pump actuators pa1 and pa2 for a predetermined period . if pressure changes over the period exceed a predetermined maximum , the controller 16 raises a system error and shuts down . otherwise , the tests next convey the predetermined maximum high - relative positive pressure to pump actuator pa1 , while conveying the predetermined maximum high - relative negative pressure to pump actuator pa2 . the transducers xp1 and xp2 monitor the pressures in the respective pump actuators pa1 and pa2 for a predetermined period . if pressure changes over the period exceed a predetermined maximum , the controller 16 raises a system error and shuts down . otherwise , power to valve c6 is interrupted . this vents the occluder bladder 152 and urges the occluder blade and plate 144 / 148 together , crimping cassette tubing 26 to 34 closed . the pump chambers p1 and p2 are operated at the predetermined maximum pressure conditions and liquid volume measurements taken in the manner previously described . if either pump chamber p1 / p2 moves liquid pass the closed occluder blade and plate 144 / 148 , the controller 16 raises a system error and shuts down . if all integrity tests succeed , the set - up prompts next instruct the user to connect patient . the user is required to connect the patient according to the operator manual and press go to begin the dialysis therapy session selected . the controller 16 begins the session and displays the run time menu . the run time menu is the active therapy interface . the run time menu provides an updated real - time status report of the current progress of the therapy session . the run time menu includes the cycle status , which identifies the total number of fill / dwell / drain phases to be conducted and the present number of the phase underway ( e . g ., fill 3 of 10 ); the phase status , which displays the present fill volume , counting up from 0 ml ; the ultrafiltration status , which displays total ultrafiltrate accumulated since the start of the therapy session ; the time , which is the present time ; and finish time , which is the time that the therapy session is expected to end . preferably , the user can also select in the run time menu an ultrafiltration status review submenu , which displays a cycle by cycle breakdown of ultrafiltration accumulated . from the run time menu , the user can also select to stop . the controller 16 interrupts the therapy session and displays the stop submenu . the stop submenu allows the user to review the programmed therapy parameters and make change to the parameters ; to end the therapy session ; to continue the therapy session ; to bypass the present phase ; to conduct a manual drain ; or adjust the intensity of the display and loudness of alarms . review restricts the type of changes that the user can make to the programmed parameters . for example , in review , the user cannot adjust parameters above or below a maximum specified amounts . continue returns the user to the run time menu and continue the therapy session where i left off . the controller 16 preferably also includes specified time - outs for the stop submenu . for example , if the user does not take any action in the stop submenu for 30 minutes , the controller 16 automatically executes continue to return to the run time menu and continue the therapy session . if the user does not take any action for 2 minutes after selecting review , the controller 16 also automatically executes continue . the controller 16 includes a background monitoring routine that verifies system integrity at a predetermined intervals during the therapy session ( e . g ., every 10 seconds ) ( as fig2 shows ). bag over temp , which verifies that the heater bag is not too hot ( e . g ., not over 44 degrees c . ); delivery under temp , which verifies that the liquid delivered to the patient is not too cold ( e . g , less than 33 degrees c . ); delivery over temp , which verifies that the liquid delivered to the patient is not too hot ( e . g , over 38 degrees c . ); monitor tanks , which verifies that the air tanks are at their operating pressures ( e . g ., positive tank pressure at 7 . 5 psi +/- 0 . 7 psi ; patient tank at 5 . 0 psi +/- 0 . 7 psi , except for heater to patient line , which is 1 . 5 psi +/- 0 . 2 psi ; negative tank pressure at - 5 . 0 psi +/- 0 . 7 psi , except for patient to drain line , which is at - 0 . 8 psi +/- 0 . 2 psi ); check voltages , which verify that power supplies are within their noise and tolerance specs ; when the background monitoring routine senses an error , the controller 16 raises a system error . loss of power also raises a system error . when system error occurs , the controller 16 sounds an audible alarm and displays a message informing the user about the problem sensed . when system error occurs , the controller 16 also shuts down the cycler 14 . during shut down , the controller 16 ensures that all liquid delivery is stopped , activates the occluder assembly , closes all liquid and air valves , turns the heater plate elements off . if system error occurs due to power failure , the controller 16 also vents the emergency bladder , releasing the door . according to the invention , the controller 16 monitors and controls pneumatic pressure within the internal pressure distribution system 86 . based upon pneumatic pressure measurements , the controller 16 calculates the amount and flow rate of liquid moved . the controller does not require an additional external sensing devices to perform any of its control or measurement functions . as a result , the system 10 requires no external pressure , weight , or flow sensors for the tubing 26 to 34 or the bags 20 / 22 to monitor and diagnose liquid flow conditions . the same air pressure that moves liquid through the system 10 also serves to sense and diagnose all relevant external conditions affecting liquid flow , like an empty bag condition , a full bag condition , and an occluded line condition . moreover , strictly by monitoring the pneumatic pressure , the controller 16 is able to distinguish a flow problem emanating from a liquid source from a flow problem emanating from a liquid destination . based upon the liquid volume measurements derived by the measurement network 350 , the controller 16 also derives liquid flow rate . based upon values and changes in derived liquid flow rate , the controller 16 can detect an occluded liquid flow condition . furthermore , based upon derived liquid flow rates , the controller can diagnose and determine the cause of the occluded liquid flow condition . the definition of an &# 34 ; occluded flow &# 34 ; condition can vary depending upon the apd phase being performed . for example , in a fill phase , an occluded flow condition can represent a flow rate of less than 20 ml / min . in a drain phase , the occluded flow condition can represent a flow rate of less than 10 ml / min . in a bag to bag liquid transfer operation , an occluded flow condition can represent a flow rate of less than 25 ml / min . occluded flow conditions for pediatric apd sessions can be placed at lower set points . when the controller 16 detects an occluded flow condition , it implements the following heuristic to determine whether the occlusion is attributable to a given liquid source or a given liquid destination . when the controller 16 determines that the cassette cannot draw liquid from a given liquid source above the occluded flow rate , the controller 16 determines whether the cassette can move liquid toward the source above the occluded flow rate ( i . e ., it determines whether the liquid source can serve as a liquid destination ). if it can , the controller 16 diagnoses the condition as an empty liquid source condition . when the controller 16 determines that the cassette cannot push liquid toward a given destination above the occluded flow rate , it determines whether the cassette can draw liquid from the destination above the occluded flow rate ( i . e ., it determines whether the liquid destination can serve as a liquid source ). if it can , the controller diagnoses the condition as being a full liquid destination condition . when the controller 16 determines that the cassette can neither draw or push liquid to or from a given source or destination above the occluded flow rate , the controller 16 interprets the condition as an occluded line between the cassette and the particular source or destination . in this way , the system 10 operates by controlling pneumatic fluid pressure , but not by reacting to external fluid or liquid pressure or flow sensing . with no system errors , the therapy session automatically continues unless the controller 16 raises an alarm1 or alarm2 . fig3 shows the alarm1 and alarm2 routines . the controller 16 raises alarm1 in situations that require user intervention to correct . the controller 16 raises alarm1 when the controller 16 senses no supply liquid ; or when the cycler 14 is not level . when alarm1 occurs , the controller 16 suspends the therapy session and sounds an audible alarm . the controller 16 also displays an alarm menu that informs the user about the condition that should be corrected . the alarm menu gives the user the choice to correct the condition and continue ; to end the therapy ; or to bypass ( i . e ., ignore ) the condition and resume the therapy session . the controller 16 raises alarm2 in situations that are anomalies but will typically correct themselves with minimum or no user intervention . for example , the controller 16 raises alarm2 when the controller 16 initially senses a low flow or an occluded lines . in this situation , the patient might have rolled over onto the catheter and may need only to move to rectify the matter . when alarm2 occurs , the controller 16 generates a first audible signal ( e . g ., 3 beeps ). the controller 16 then mutes the audible signal for 30 seconds . if the condition still exists after 30 second , the controller 16 generates a second audible signal ( e . g ., 8 beeps ) the controller 16 again mutes the audible signal . if the condition still exists 30 seconds later , the controller 16 raises an alarm1 , as described above . the user is then required to intervene using the alarm menu . the controller 16 terminates the session when ( a ) the prescribed therapy session is successfully completed ; ( b ) the user selects end in the stop submenu or the alarm menu ; or ( c ) a system error condition occurs ( see fig3 ). when any of these events occur , the controller 16 displays post therapy prompts to the user . the post therapy prompts inform the user therapy finished , to close clamps , and to disconnect patient . the user presses go to advance the prompts . once the user disconnects the patient and presses go , the controller 16 displays please wait and depressurizes the door . then the controller 16 then directs the user to remove set . once the user removes the set and presses go , the controller 16 returns to user to the main menu . in the fill phase of a typical three phase apd cycle , the cycler 14 transfers warmed dialysate from the heater bag 22 to the patient . the heater bag 22 is attached to the first ( uppermost ) cassette port 27 . the patient line 34 is attached to the fifth ( bottommost ) cassette port 35 . as fig3 shows , the fill phase involves drawing warmed dialysate into cassette pump chamber p1 through primary liquid path f1 via branch liquid path f6 . then , pump chamber p1 expels the heated dialysate through primary liquid path f5 via branch liquid path f8 . to expedite pumping operations , the controller 16 preferably works pump chamber p2 in tandem with pump chamber p1 . the controller 16 draws heated dialysate into pump chamber p2 through primary liquid path f1 via branch liquid path f7 . then , pump chamber p2 expels the heated dialysate through primary liquid path f5 through branch liquid path f9 . the controller 16 works pump chamber p1 in a draw stroke , while working pump chamber p2 in a pump stroke , and vice versa . in this sequence , heated dialysate is always introduced into the top portions of pump chambers p1 and p2 . the heated dialysate is always discharged through the bottom portions of pump chambers p1 and p2 to the patient free of air . furthermore , during liquid transfer directly with the patient , the controller 16 can supply only low - relative positive and negative pressures to the pump actuators pa1 and pa2 . in carrying out this task , the controller 16 alternates the following sequences 1 and 2 : 1 . perform pump chamber p1 draw stroke ( drawing a volume of heated dialysate into pump chamber p1 from the heater bag ), while performing pump chamber p2 pump stroke ( expelling a volume of heated dialysate from pump chamber p2 to the patient ). ( i ) open inlet path f1 to pump chamber p1 , while closing inlet path f1 to pump chamber p2 . actuate valve c0 to supply high - relative negative pressure to valve actuator va1 , opening cassette valve station v1 . actuate valves c1 ; d1 ; and d2 to supply high - relative positive pressure to valve actuators va2 ; va3 : and va4 , closing cassette valve station v2 ; v3 ; and v4 . ( ii ) close outlet path f5 to pump chamber p1 , while opening outlet path f5 to pump chamber p2 . actuate valves c2 to c4 and d3 to d5 to supply high - relative positive pressure to valve actuators va8 to v10 and va5 to va7 , closing cassette valve stations v8 to v10 and v5 to v7 . actuate valve d5 to supply high - relative negative pressure to valve actuator va7 , opening cassette valve station v7 . ( iii ) flex the diaphragm underlying actuator pa1 out . actuate valve a0 to supply low - relative negative pressure to pump actuator pa1 . ( iv ) flex the diaphragm underlying actuator pa2 in . actuate valve b1 to supply low - relative positive pressure to pump actuator pa2 . 2 . perform pump chamber p2 draw stroke ( drawing a volume of heated dialysate into pump chamber p2 from the heater bag ), while performing pump chamber p1 pump stroke ( expelling a volume of heated dialysate from pump chamber p1 to the patient ). ( i ) open inlet path f1 to pump chamber p2 , while closing inlet path f1 to pump chamber p1 . actuate valves c0 ; c1 ; and d2 to supply high - relative positive pressure to valve actuators va1 ; va2 ; and va4 , closing cassette valve stations v1 ; v2 ; and v4 . actuate valve d1 to supply high - relative negative pressure to valve actuator va3 , opening cassette valve station v3 . ( ii ) close outlet path f5 to pump chamber p2 , while opening outlet path f5 to pump chamber p1 . actuate valve c2 to supply high - relative negative pressure to valve actuator va8 , opening cassette valve station v8 . actuate valves d3 to d5 ; c2 ; and c4 to supply high - relative positive pressure to valve actuators va5 to va7 ; v9 ; and v10 , closing cassette valve stations v5 to v7 ; v9 ; and v10 . ( iii ) flex the diaphragm underlying actuator pa1 in . actuate valve a3 to supply low - relative positive pressure to pump actuator pa1 . ( iv ) flex the diaphragm underlying actuator pa2 out . actuate valve b4 to supply low - relative negative pressure to pump actuator pa2 . once the programmed fill volume has been transferred to the patient , the cycler 14 enters the second or dwell phase . in this phase , the cycler 14 replenishes the heater bag by supplying fresh dialysate from a source bag . the heater bag is attached to the first ( uppermost ) cassette port . the source bag line is attached to the fourth cassette port , immediately above the patient line . as fig3 shows , the replenish heater bag phase involves drawing fresh dialysate into cassette pump chamber p1 through primary liquid path f4 via branch liquid path f8 . then , pump chamber p1 expels the dialysate through primary liquid path f1 via branch liquid path f6 . to expedite pumping operations , the controller 16 preferably works pump chamber p2 in tandem with pump chamber p1 . the controller 16 draws fresh dialysate into cassette pump chamber p2 through primary liquid path f4 via branch liquid path f9 . then , pump chamber p2 expels the dialysate through primary liquid path f1 via branch liquid path f7 . the controller 16 works pump chamber p1 in a draw stroke , while working pump chamber p2 in a pump stroke , and vice versa . in this sequence , fresh dialysate is always introduced into the bottom portions of pump chambers p1 and p2 . the fresh dialysate is always discharged through the top portions of pump chambers p1 and p2 to the heater bag . this allows entrapped air to be removed from the pump chambers p1 and p2 . furthermore , since liquid transfer does not occur directly with the patient , the controller 16 supplies high - relative positive and negative pressures to the pump actuators pa1 and pa2 . in carrying out this task , the controller 16 alternates the following sequences : 1 . perform pump chamber p1 draw stroke ( drawing a volume of fresh dialysate into pump chamber p1 from a source bag ), while performing pump chamber p2 pump stroke ( expelling a volume of fresh dialysate from pump chamber p2 to the heater bag ). ( i ) open inlet path f4 to pump chamber p1 , while closing inlet path f4 to pump chamber p2 . actuate valve c3 to supply high - relative negative pressure to valve actuator va9 , opening cassette valve station v9 . actuate valves d3 to d5 ; c2 ; and c4 to supply high - relative positive pressure to valve actuators va5 to va8 ; and va10 , closing cassette valve stations v5 to v8 and v10 . ( ii ) close outlet path f1 to pump chamber p1 , while opening outlet path f1 to pump chamber p2 . actuate valves c0 ; c1 ; and d2 to supply high - relative positive pressure to valve actuators va1 ; va2 and va4 , closing cassette valve stations v1 ; v2 ; and v4 . actuate valve d1 to supply high - relative negative pressure to valve actuator va3 , opening cassette valve station v3 . ( iii ) flex the diaphragm underlying actuator pa1 out . actuate valve a0 to supply high - relative negative pressure to pump actuator pa1 . ( iv ) flex the diaphragm underlying actuator pa2 in . actuate valve b0 to supply high - relative positive pressure to pump actuator pa2 . 2 . perform pump chamber p2 draw stroke ( drawing a volume of fresh dialysate into pump chamber p2 from a source bag ), while performing pump chamber p1 pump stroke ( expelling a volume of fresh dialysate from pump chamber p1 to heater bag ). ( i ) close inlet path f4 to pump chamber p1 , while opening inlet path f4 to pump chamber p2 . actuate valve d5 to supply high - relative negative pressure to valve actuator va6 , opening cassette valve station v6 . actuate valves c3 to c4 ; d3 ; and d5 to supply high - relative positive pressure to valve actuators va5 and va7 to va10 , closing cassette valve stations v5 and v7 to v10 . ( ii ) open outlet path f1 to pump chamber p1 , while closing outlet path f1 to pump chamber p2 . actuate valve c0 to supply high - relative negative pressure to valve actuator va1 , opening cassette valve station v1 . actuate valves c1 ; d1 ; and d2 to supply high - relative positive pressure to valve actuators va2 to va4 , closing cassette valve station v2 to v4 . ( iii ) flex the diaphragm underlying actuator pa1 in . actuate valve a4 to supply high - relative positive pressure to pump actuator pa1 . ( iv ) flex the diaphragm underlying actuator pa2 out . actuate valve b4 to supply high - relative negative pressure to pump actuator pa2 . when the programmed drain phase ends , the cycler 14 enters the third or drain phase . in this phase , the cycler 14 transfers spent dialysate from the patient to a drain . the drain line is attached to the second cassette port . the patient line is attached to the fifth , bottommost cassette port . as fig3 shows , the drain phase involves drawing spent dialysate into cassette pump chamber p1 through primary liquid path f5 via branch liquid path f8 . then , pump chamber p1 expels the dialysate through primary liquid path f2 via branch liquid path f6 . to expedite pumping operations , the controller 16 works pump chamber p2 in tandem with pump chamber p1 . the controller 16 draws spend dialysate into cassette pump chamber p2 through primary liquid path f5 via branch liquid path f9 . then , pump chamber p2 expels the dialysate through primary liquid path f2 via branch liquid path f7 . the controller 16 works pump chamber p1 in a draw stroke , while working pump chamber p2 in a pump stroke , and vice versa . in this sequence , spent dialysate is always introduced into the bottom portions of pump chambers p1 and p2 . the spent dialysate is always discharged through the top portions of pump chambers p1 and p2 to the heater bag . this allows air to be removed from the pump chambers p1 and p2 . furthermore , since liquid transfer does occur directly with the patient , the controller 16 supplies low - relative positive and negative pressures to the pump actuators pa1 and pa2 . in carrying out this task , the controller 16 alternates the following sequences : 1 . perform pump chamber p1 draw stroke ( drawing a volume of spent dialysate into pump chamber p1 from the patient ), while performing pump chamber p2 pump stroke ( expelling a volume of spent dialysate from pump chamber p2 to the drain ). ( i ) open inlet path f5 to pump chamber p1 , while closing inlet path f5 to pump chamber p2 . actuate valve c2 to supply high - relative negative pressure to valve actuator va8 , opening cassette valve station v8 . actuate valves d3 to d5 , c3 , and c4 to supply high - relative positive pressure to valve actuators va5 to va7 , va9 and va10 , closing cassette valve stations v5 to v7 , v9 , and v10 . ( ii ) close outlet path f2 to pump chamber p1 , while opening outlet path f2 to pump chamber p2 . actuate valves c0 ; c1 ; and d1 to supply high - relative positive pressure to valve actuators va1 ; va2 and va3 , closing cassette valve stations v1 ; v2 ; and v3 . actuate valve d2 to supply high - relative negative pressure to valve actuator va4 , opening cassette valve station v4 . ( iii ) flex the diaphragm underlying actuator pa1 out . actuate valve a0 to supply low - relative negative pressure to pump actuator pa1 . ( iv ) flex the diaphragm underlying actuator pa2 in . actuate valve b1 to supply low - relative positive pressure to pump actuator pa2 . 2 . perform pump chamber p2 draw stroke ( drawing a volume of spent dialysate into pump chamber p2 from the patient ), while performing pump chamber p1 pump stroke ( expelling a volume of spent dialysate from pump chamber p1 to the drain ). ( i ) close inlet path f5 to pump chamber p1 , while opening inlet path f5 to pump chamber p2 . actuate valve d5 to supply high - relative negative pressure to valve actuator va7 , opening cassette valve station v7 . actuate valves d3 ; d4 and c2 to c4 to supply high - relative positive pressure to valve actuators va5 ; va6 ; and va8 to va10 , closing cassette valve stations v5 , v6 , and v8 to v10 . ( ii ) open outlet path f2 to pump chamber p1 , while closing outlet path f2 to pump chamber p2 . actuate valve c1 to supply high - relative negative pressure to valve actuator va2 , opening cassette valve station v2 . actuate valves c0 ; d1 ; and d2 to supply high - relative positive pressure to valve actuators va1 ; va3 ; and va4 , closing cassette valve station v1 ; v3 ; and v4 . ( iii ) flex the diaphragm underlying actuator pa1 in . actuate valve a3 to supply low - relative positive pressure to pump actuator pa1 . ( iv ) flex the diaphragm underlying actuator pa2 out . actuate valve b4 to supply low - relative negative pressure to pump actuator pa2 . the controller 16 senses pressure using transducers xp1 and xp2 to determine when the patient &# 39 ; s peritoneal cavity is empty . the drain phase is followed by another fill phase and dwell phase , as previously described . in some apd procedures , like ccpd , after the last prescribed fill / dwell / drain cycle , the cycler 14 infuses a final fill volume . the final fill volume dwells in the patient through the day . it is drained at the outset of the next ccpd session in the evening . the final fill volume can contain a different concentration of dextrose than the fill volume of the successive ccpd fill / dwell / drain fill cycles the cycler 14 provides . the chosen dextrose concentration sustains ultrafiltration during the day - long dwell cycle . in this phase , the cycler 14 infuses fresh dialysate to the patient from a &# 34 ; last fill &# 34 ; bag . the &# 34 ; last fill &# 34 ; bag is attached to the third cassette port . during the last swell phase , the heater bag is emptied , and solution from last bag volume is transferred to the heater bag . from there , the last fill solution is transferred to the patient to complete the last fill phase . the last dwell phase involves drawing liquid from the heater bag into pump chamber p1 through primary liquid path f1 via branch path f6 . the , the pump chamber p1 expels the liquid to the drain through primary liquid path f2 via branch liquid path f6 . to expedite drainage of the heater bag , the controller 16 works pump chamber p2 in tandem with pump chamber p1 . the controller 16 draws liquid from the heater bag into pump chamber p2 through primary liquid path f1 via branch liquid path f7 . then , pump chamber p2 expels liquid to the drain through primary liquid path f2 via branch liquid path f7 . the controller 16 works pump chamber p1 in a draw stroke , while working pump chamber p2 in a pump stroke , and vice versa . once the heater bag is drained , the controller 16 draws fresh dialysate from the &# 34 ; last fill &# 34 ; bag into cassette pump chamber p1 through primary liquid path f3 via branch liquid path f8 . then , pump chamber p1 expels the dialysate to the heater bag through primary liquid path f1 via the branch liquid path f6 . as before , to expedite pumping operations , the controller 16 preferably works pump chamber p2 in tandem with pump chamber p1 . the controller 16 draws fresh dialysate from the &# 34 ; last fill &# 34 ; bag into cassette pump chamber p2 through primary liquid path f3 via branch liquid path f9 . then , pump chamber p2 expels the dialysate through primary liquid path f1 via the branch liquid path f7 . the controller 16 works pump chamber p1 in a draw stroke , while working pump chamber p2 in a pump stroke , and vice versa . in this sequence , fresh dialysate from the &# 34 ; last fill &# 34 ; bag is always introduced into the bottom portions of pump chambers p1 and p2 . the fresh dialysate is always discharged through the top portions of pump chambers p1 and p2 to the heater bag . this allows air to be removed from the pump chambers p1 and p2 . furthermore , since liquid transfer does not occur directly with the patient , the controller 16 can supply high - relative positive and negative pressures to the pump actuators pa1 and pa2 . in carrying out this task , the controller 16 alternates the following sequences ( see fig3 ): 1 . perform pump chamber p1 draw stroke ( drawing a volume of fresh dialysate into pump chamber p1 from the &# 34 ; last fill &# 34 ; bag ), while performing pump chamber p2 pump stroke ( expelling a volume of fresh dialysate from pump chamber p2 to the heater bag ). ( i ) open inlet path f3 to pump chamber p1 , while closing inlet path f3 to pump chamber p2 . actuate valve c4 to supply high - relative negative pressure to valve actuator va10 , opening cassette valve station v10 . actuate valves d3 to d5 ; c2 ; and c3 to supply high - relative positive pressure to valve actuators va5 to va9 , closing cassette valve stations v5 to v9 . ( ii ) close outlet path f1 to pump chamber p1 , while opening outlet path f1 to pump chamber p2 . actuate valves c0 ; c1 ; and d2 to supply high - relative positive pressure to valve actuators va1 ; va2 and va4 , closing cassette valve stations v1 ; v2 ; and v4 . actuate valve d1 to supply high - relative negative pressure to valve actuator va3 , opening cassette valve station v3 . ( iii ) flex the diaphragm underlying actuator pa1 out . actuate valve a0 to supply high - relative negative pressure to pump actuator pa1 . ( iv ) flex the diaphragm underlying actuator pa2 in . actuate valve b0 to supply high - relative positive pressure to pump actuator pa2 . 2 . perform pump chamber p2 draw stroke ( drawing a volume of fresh dialysate into pump chamber p2 from the &# 34 ; last fill &# 34 ; bag ), while performing pump chamber p1 pump stroke ( expelling a volume of fresh dialysate from pump chamber p1 to heater bag ). ( i ) close inlet path f3 to pump chamber p1 , while opening inlet path f3 to pump chamber p2 . actuate valve d3 to supply high - relative negative pressure to valve actuator va5 , opening cassette valve station v5 . actuate valves c2 to c4 ; d4 ; and d5 to supply high - relative positive pressure to valve actuators va6 to va10 , closing cassette valve stations v6 to v10 . ( ii ) open outlet path f1 to pump chamber p1 , while closing outlet path f1 to pump chamber p2 . actuate valve c0 to supply high - relative negative pressure to valve actuator va1 , opening cassette valve station v1 . actuate valves c1 ; d1 ; and d2 to supply high - relative positive pressure to valve actuators va2 to va4 , closing cassette valve station v2 to v4 . ( iii ) flex the diaphragm underlying actuator pa1 in . actuate valve a4 to supply high - relative positive pressure to pump actuator pa1 . ( iv ) flex the diaphragm underlying actuator pa2 out . actuate valve b4 to supply high - relative negative pressure to pump actuator pa2 . once the last fill solution has been heated , it is transferred to the patient in a fill cycle as described above ( and as fig3 shows ). according to one aspect of the invention , every important aspect of the apd procedure is controlled by fluid pressure . fluid pressure moves liquid through the delivery set , emulating gravity flow conditions based upon either fixed or variable headheight conditions . fluid pressure controls the operation of the valves that direct liquid among the multiple destinations and sources . fluid pressure serves to seal the cassette within the actuator and provide a failsafe occlusion of the associated tubing when conditions warrant . fluid pressure is the basis from which delivered liquid volume measurements are made , from which air entrapped in the liquid is detected and elimination , and from which occluded liquid flow conditions are detected and diagnosed . according to another aspect of the invention , the cassette serves to organize and mainfold the multiple lengths of tubing and bags that peritoneal dialysis requires . the cassette also serves to centralize all pumping and valving activities required in an automated peritoneal dialysis procedure , while at the same time serving as an effective sterility barrier . various features of the invention are set forth in the following claims .

systems for performing peritoneal dialysis allow the user to chose from an array of peritoneal dialysis modalities and adjust one or more individual therapy parameters within a selected modality . still , the systems assure that the selected modality and therapy parameters satisfy preselected composite therapy criteria .

referring now to the drawings , fig1 depicts the overall flats bundle collator system of the present invention . the system includes the following components : a feeder assembly 10 ; a combined orienter / reader assembly including a transport conveyor tc , a flats orienter module 12 , a barcode reader module 14 ; a staging tower assembly 16 including multiple staging towers 16 - 1 , . . . , 16 - n ; and a containerizer module 18 including two containerizer assemblies 18 - 1 and 18 - 2 . bundles of mail in the united states postal system mail tubs t are loaded onto the feeder assembly 10 by an operator o . the mail is first oriented to having the mailing label up by the orienter module 12 . the address is then read by the barcode reader module 14 . all of the mailings f , except for the last , are staged in the staging tower assembly 16 . mail is removed from the multiple staging towers as the last mailing is fed from the feeder 10 in such a way as to make the mail stream in a desired final sequence . the mail is conveyed out of the staging tower assembly 16 to the containerizer module 18 , where it is stacked in selected ones of united states postal service ( usps ) tubs , not shown . multiple pre - sequenced mailings can be fed into the machine . each mailing can consist of several bundles of mail , each bundle containing several pieces . each mailing is in delivery point sequence ( dps ) or walk sequence ( ws ). the operator o places all but the last mailing in the feeder 10 with the lower number stop in the first position . the feeder 10 then removes one piece of flats mail f at a time from the stack and injects it into the flats orienter module 12 . the feeder 10 will feed all of the mail in this manner until it reaches the last mailing . the last mailing is loaded with the lowest number stop in the last position . if there is not a saturation mailing ( a mass mailing ) to be included in the sorting process , the operator notifies the system that loading is complete by pressing a button on the system control panel to be described hereinafter . however , if there is a saturation mailing , the operator notifies the system and begins loading the saturation mailing into the feeder 10 . the system compares the contents of the staging tower assembly 16 to the carrier &# 39 ; s walk sequence and calculates the output sequence to collate the system contents into the sequence . if there is not a saturation mailing , the system calculates the output sequence directly from the tower contents . if a saturation mailing is included , the system calculates the output sequence from the towers 16 - 1 , . . . , 16 - n and includes the feeder 10 saturation output in the collation calculation . the tower assembly 16 outputs the flats f , and the feeder 10 inputs saturation flats if they are present , such that they are transported into the mail tubs in the containerizer module 18 . the operator o then removes the tubs and prepares to input the next carrier route bundles into the system . a more complete description of operation follows in the description of fig1 . the flats bundle collator according to the preferred embodiment of the subject invention occupies about 75 square feet of floor space with a ten tower configuration . the system weighs about 8000 pounds , and exerts floor loading not to exceed 42 psi . the collator requires 3 - phase electric power for operation . the feeder module 10 , for use with the system of the present invention , is a commercially available component manufactured by alcatel , known in the industry as the “ alcatel top feeder ”. this feeder is highly reliable and easy to maintain . the feeder has a throughput of 3 flats per second ; a jam rate of 1 / 2500 flats ; a jam recovery in 5 seconds ; accepts all usps flats mail sizes ; feeds on demand with a 20 ms response time ; and is well accepted in the user community . as noted above , the flats orienter module 12 receives the output of the feeder module 10 . its operation is illustrated in fig2 a and 2b . referring now to fig2 a and 2b , as flats f exit the feeder module 10 , the orienter module 12 places them label up on the transport conveyor tc using one of two tiltable conveyor sections 12 a and 12 - b . flats f to be staged are processed on one path as illustrated in fig2 a and saturation mailings are processed on the other path illustrated in fig2 b . the flats orienter module 12 indexes conveyor section 12 a via a traversing carriage which moves in the direction of the double arrow in fig2 a and 2b to move the section 12 a between the respective left - hand and right - hand positions illustrated in these figures . the carriage remains in a “ home ” position for all mail to be staged in the towers , as illustrated in fig2 a and indexes to the position shown in 2 b only if the operator notifies the system that a saturation mailing is about to be fed . when ten towers comprise the towers 16 - 1 , . . . , 16 - n , saturation mailings ( mass mailings ) must be fed in reverse order relative to mailings staged in the towers . mail f enters the towers from the first stop to last , and because the towers are last in first out ( lifo ), the mail f leaves the towers , last stop to first , during the collation process . to process saturation mailings directly from the feeder 10 the saturation mailing must be fed last stop to first . this is accomplished by placing the bundles into the feeder 10 facing the opposite direction of the staged mail . the orienter module 12 then reorients the flats for reading by the reader 14 as they exit the feeder 10 . that is , all of the mail flats f but the last mailing leave the feeder 10 with the bound side of the flat ( assuming there is a bound side ) and the address label facing right . the orienter 12 tips the mail over to the left , so that mail leaves the orienter with the bound side to the right and the label side up . the mail in the last mailing leaves the feeder with the bound edge down , and the label facing the left side . the orienter 12 tips this mail over to the right , so that the mail leaves the orienter with the bound side to the left and the label facing up . the mail leaves the flat orienter section 12 and then enters the barcode reader module section 14 . the barcode reader module 14 is typically a reader , such as the accusort model no . av1200 . this type of barcode reader is a high quality off - the - shelf reader , which has proven to be very reliable in service to the usps . in this reader section , a barcode including the destination point sequence ( dps ), carrier walk sequence printed on the flats f is read by the reader 14 and the address is sent to the main computer controller to be subsequently described . the location that is assigned to the flat will be used later to determine the output order of the flats f with the lowest number on the top of the output stack . the flats mail then leaves the barcode reader section 14 and enters the staging tower assembly 16 . each piece of mail f is inducted into the staging tower 16 that has the closest , lower number flat , if there is no tower that fits this requirement , the flat is inducted into the first empty tower . when all but the last mailing has been staged in one or more towers of the tower assembly 16 , the last mailing is loaded in the feeder 10 as described hereinbefore . the mail f is processed normally until it reaches the staging tower assembly 16 . when the first piece of mail arrives at the staging towers 16 - 1 , . . . , 16 - n , a collation algorithm stored in the control system operates the unloading of the staging towers to form the final mail stream . the mail is fed from the barcode reader module 14 and / or the staging tower assembly 16 to achieve a final sequenced set of flats with the highest number stop first . the mail is sequenced , and the mail uniformly spaced . when the mail leaves the staging tower assembly 16 , it is fed into the containerizer assemblies 18 - 1 and 18 - 2 of containerizer module 18 . the containerizers 18 - 1 and 18 - 2 stack mail in the sequence in which it was received , and maintains that sequence . two containerizers 18 - 1 and 18 - 2 are preferably utilized so that when the operator is emptying one , the machine can continue to fill the other . referring now to fig2 c and 2d , the flats items are fed between the feeder 10 and the staging tower assembly 16 through the orienter module 12 and the reader module 14 via the transport conveyor tc . the details of the combined orienter / reader assembly is illustrated in the exploded view of fig2 c . the assembly includes an open frame structure f having four juxtaposed sections for receiving the orienter / diverter module 12 , the barcode reader module 14 , a power distribution module 11 and system input / output electronics assembly 13 . these components are enclosed within a top panel tp and two side panels sp in the upper two sections of the frame structure . side panels sp also include one or more observation windows ow therein so that the flats items can be observed as they pass through the modules 12 and 14 from the feeder 10 to the staging tower assembly 16 . observation windows , not shown , can also be provided in the sections of the staging towers 16 - 1 , . . . 16 - n . fig2 d depicts the orienter / reader modules 12 and 14 in an assembled condition . it can be seen that the path of flats items fed from feeder 10 to the staging tower assembly 16 via the orienter / reader modules 12 and 14 passes the items along a horizontal path via the conveyor tc at the output side of the module into the staging tower assembly 16 . any number of staging towers 16 - 1 , . . . , 16 - n may be utilized and any number of containerizers 18 - 1 , . . . , 18 - n without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention . in fact , an advantage of the system of the present invention is its modularity , which facilitates the addition or deletion of staging towers and containerizers as needed to satisfy the footprint requirement of the space in which it is to be utilized . details of one of the staging towers 16 - 1 is shown in fig3 . staging tower 16 - 1 includes a section of a roller conveyor tc , a shelving assembly s , a shelf drive system including a motor em , a chain and sprocket drive assembly 24 , and drive shafts 26 coupled to the elevator mechanism , timing belts 20 a , 20 b , 20 c . each tower also includes a housing h formed from the frame and body panels . the conveyor drive systems are designed to be “ daisy chained ” together allowing the system to function with a single drive motor and providing easy expansion by simply adding more towers 16 - m to the drive line through the use of universal joint couplings . the shelf drive system including motor em , chain and sprockets assembly 24 , and drive shafts 26 is located in a bottom section 16 m of the tower for easy access . each tower has an access door , not shown , that fully exposes the interior of the tower when open to provide easy access by an operator . the tower roller conveyors tc transport flats mail f through the staging tower 16 . the shelves s include outwardly projecting fingers 17 which are designed to interleave with and pass through a plurality of cantilever mounted rollers 28 of the conveyor tc as illustrated in fig6 allowing the shelves s to lift flats off the rollers 28 of the conveyor tc . this will place the flats f onto or off of the rollers as the shelves s are indexed down or up respectively . the rollers 28 of the conveyor tc - 16 are skewed to the direction of travel by 2 degrees , as illustrated in fig4 to facilitate edge justification of the flats f against a c - shaped channel 30 for reliable mail orientation . an alternative configuration for the interleaved numbers 17 and 28 is shown in fig5 where the finger members 17 a and roller members 28 a include transversely oriented projections p . tower shelves s are supported by a set of guides 31 as shown , for example , in fig7 which engage slotted arms 29 . guides 31 maintain orientation and the belts determine the vertical position of the shelves s . further as shown in fig3 each staging tower , such as tower 16 - 1 , has three zones 16 a , 16 b , 16 c through which the shelves s move . 16 a designates the shelf &# 39 ; s storage zone , 16 b the mail stream or transfer zone , and 16 c the mail staging zone . shelf position is determined by the operation of the respective endless timing belts 20 a , 20 b , 20 b in the respective zones . each shelf s is driven by a tooth or lug protruding from the endless timing belts in a manner illustrated in more detail in connection with fig7 to 9 . the timing belts 20 a , 20 b , 20 c collectively constitute an elevator mechanism for raising and lowering the shelves s and flats f thereon within each tower of the tower assembly 16 . each timing belt comprises an endless belt with protruding lugs l thereon spaced in predetermined pitches which differ between the respective vertical zones between the tower . these endless belts are wound around pulleys 22 . pulleys 22 are driven by the drive mechanism in zone 16 . as depicted in fig3 a , the drive mechanism includes an electric motor em coupled to drive shafts 26 via a chain and sprocket drive assembly 24 . the respective endless belts of the timing belts are wound around the drive shafts 26 and are selectively driven in response to rotation of those shafts , which are under control of the central computer of the system to be described further hereinafter . in the transition zones between the respective timing belts , the shelves s are moved up and down the support guides 31 and are transferred from one belt to another . the shelves s are engaged by the lugs l on the respective timing belts to effect movement and transfer of the shelves from one belt to another . when a shelf s comes to the top of a zone , its supporting belt curves around a pulley 22 . as the shelf s rises , its support tooth or lug l begins to disengage from the shelf s . there is a large window of time when the support tooth or lug is still supporting the shelf , but the tooth or lug above the shelf no longer restricts the shelf from traveling up . in this window , a tooth from the belt in the next zone rises to lift the shelf s from the first zone to the next within the tower 16 . this transition from one zone to another is depicted in fig8 and 9 . referring to fig9 timing belt 20 a in the shelf storage zone , is a low - speed timing belt with a narrow pitch to accommodate a plurality of shelves s in close , juxtaposed , stacked positions . the timing belt 20 b , in the transfer zone in the mail stream region of the towers 16 , is a high - speed timing belt with a coarse or wide pitch between the lugs l . the pitch of the timing belt 20 b is chosen to be wide enough to accommodate the maximum thickness of a piece of flat mail moving along the conveyor . the upper timing belt 20 c is not shown in fig9 for clarity , but it preferably includes a low - speed timing belt with a pitch wide enough to accommodate both the shelves s and flats mail f disposed thereon . as the staging towers are unloaded by the lowering of the shelves in the staging or storage zone 16 c by selective operation of the timing belts under control of the central computer , a stream of flats mail arranged in delivery point sequence emerges from the staging towers and approaches the containerizers 18 , which maintain the sequence of the stack . the flats may be stacked in mail tubs 40 , either as illustrated in fig1 a with the edges facing up , or in fig1 b with the edges extending horizontally and vertically stacked . fig1 a depicts the flats mail being stacked on edge in a usps mail tub 40 . this method is desirable because it is a preferred arrangement for letter carriers , since the mail standing on edge in the tub is similar to the arrangement of file folders in a filing cabinet and lets the carrier flip through the mail easily . optionally , the containerizer stacking arrangement illustrated in 10 b can be used . this type of output gives a tub of mail that looks similar to the tubs produced by popular flats sortation machines for other types of mail . as the flat mail f leaves the staging tower section 16 of the flats bundle collator , it enters the containerizer section 18 as shown in fig1 . flats f are diverted into either of two output tubs 40 - 1 or 40 - 2 . this diversion is achieved by movement of the pop - up conveyor sections 42 - 1 and 42 - 2 up or down in response to activation of fluid motors 44 - 1 or 44 - 2 . this up or down movement of the conveyor section 42 - 1 or 42 - 2 permits the flats f to slide down one of the respective angular shoots 46 - 1 or 46 - 2 , which communicate with the open sides of the mail tubs 40 - 1 , 40 - 2 . each mail tub 40 - 1 and 40 - 2 includes an angular guide flap 40 a - 1 and 40 a - 2 in order to capture and guide the flats entering the tub for assembly into a stack . the shoots 46 - 1 and 46 - 2 constitute acceleration ramps , which are shaped to justify the flat to one side of the ramp . there flats f are accelerated to the end of the ramp where they enter either the tub 40 - 1 or tub 40 - 2 , and slip onto the mail stack being formed therein as they are guided by the flaps 40 a - 1 and 40 a - 2 . the relative height of the stack at the end of the acceleration ramp 46 - 1 , 46 - 2 is controlled by sensing the stack height and indexing the tubs 40 - 1 , 40 - 2 downward as the stack height grows . this indexing of the tubs 40 - 1 and 40 - 2 is affected by an elevator mechanism including motors m 1 , m 2 and a plurality of belts 48 - 1 , 50 - 1 driven by the motors m 1 , m 2 . the tubs 40 - 1 , 40 - 2 are supported on movable platforms 52 - 1 , 52 - 2 projecting from the belts 48 - 1 , 48 - 2 , 50 - 1 and 50 - 2 . a third tub 40 - 3 is provided at the end of conveyor section 42 - 2 for system rejects , which is selectively loaded by operation of the pop - up conveyor sections 42 - 1 and 42 - 2 described herein before . edge justification of the flats within the tubs is preferably performed by justifying the unbound edges of flats , rather than the bound edges . as the mail stack grows in height in a tub 40 - 1 , 40 - 2 , the uniformity of the stack is maintained by the tilt of the tub , and the type of edge justification . it is a discovery of the present invention that a stack of mail quickly becomes lop - sided if it is edge justified with the bound edge of the mail , which tends to be thicker than any other part of the flats mail . this phenomenon is illustrated in the diagrammatic illustration of fig1 , wherein the left - hand portion of the figure shows “ bound edge justification ” and the right - hand portion of the figure depicts “ unbound edge justification ”. with the unbound edge justification the mail stack grows uniformly , as illustrated in fig1 , during testing stacks of mail which were 12 ″ tall with bound edge justification and had an average height of 10¾ ″ when justified by the unbound edge . therefore , a stack of flats mail justified by the unbound edge is more compact and less lop - sided than one stacked by bound edge justification . the operation of the flats bundle collator of the present invention is controlled by a combination of hardware and software described in connection with fig1 to 19 . referring first to fig1 , which depicts the hardware architecture of the system of the present invention ; a system controller 50 is the heart of the hardware and in a preferred embodiment is a commercially available ibm compatible , pentium class computer , with monitor and keyboard . the various control devices are coupled to the system computer 50 and include an operator interface 54 , and a power controller 52 . the other operative components of the system including the feeder 10 , barcode reader 14 , staging towers 16 , conveyor tc , containerizer 18 , reject tub 56 , and diverter module 12 are also operatively connected to system computer 50 . the system controller 50 is a computer containing the application programs and databases . it also contains a controller card for a commercially available high - speed daisy chain controlled bus . this bus is used throughout the system to activate and sense the other control components . for position tracking , the computer 50 also contains a counter card to interface with conveyor encoders to be described hereinafter . the operator interface 54 allows the computer 50 to display information on its monitor to the operator and to receive inputs . the computer also includes a standard keyboard . also included are emergency stop controls . these controls consist of buttons and indicators . the power controller 52 provides the 3 - phase electrical connection to the building power source . it includes power on / off indicators , circuit breaker protection , phase load balancing , and motor power emergency stop capability . the computer senses when an emergency stop has occurred . the components of the subsystem are located throughout the flats bundle collator modules , and will be described hereinafter with reference to fig2 to 23 . the feeder 10 , described hereinbefore , interfaces with the computer 50 through a control bus in order to synchronize the feeder operation with the other components of the system . the barcode reader 14 is a commercially available item as described hereinbefore . the computer 50 interfaces to the barcode reader 14 through the control bus . the computer controls the operation of the mail transport conveyors tc . there are two independently powered sections . the first section tc - 1 is located between the feeder 10 and the first staging tower 16 . the second section tc - 2 runs from the first tower 16 to the end of the system . to track mail position , the computer reads an encoder from each section . these encoders will be described further hereinafter with reference to fig2 to 23 . the staging towers 16 handle the insertion and extraction of mail pieces to the staging towers 16 - 1 to 16 - n , wherein n represents the total number of modular staging towers assembled for a given configuration . mail f is inserted or extracted by indexing the towers 16 up or down . because this is a modular system , where additional towers can be added , the controls interface to the computer 50 is a commercially available control bus described hereinbefore . the computer 50 controls the indexing of the shelves s within the towers 16 . it reads a sensor position on a conveyor and keeps track of the locations of mail pieces travelling on that section . the components of the staging tower 16 have been described hereinbefore and include a shelf lift motor , position sensors , limit switches , and override switches . the containerizer module 18 is also coupled through the control bus to the system computer 50 . this provides the controls for the loading of the mail pieces into the output tubs 40 - 1 , 40 - 2 . the computer 50 diverts the conveyor section to pass the mail into a tub 40 or allows it to continue along the conveyor through the use of the pop - up conveyor sections in containerizer 18 . the elevation of the mail tub is controlled locally and the operator has manual override controls . the computer 50 senses when an output tub is present and when it is full . the reject tub 56 , receives nonconforming mail pieces . it is similar to the mail tubs 40 and is illustrated at the output of the containerizer module 18 in fig1 . the elevation of the reject mail tub 56 is controlled locally and the operator has manual override controls . the computer 50 can sense when a reject tube is present and when it is full . the components include a tub elevation motor , position sensors and indicators , limit switches and override switches . all of the control hardware of the system , illustrated fig1 , is run by appropriate software architecture . the computer 50 runs under the standard microsoft nt operating system , with a commercially available real - time kernel . parts of the application software are interrupt driven , from the conveyor encoders , and need to be executed soon after they interrupt the curves . because nt is not a true real - time operating system , it does not have a consistent or fast capability in this area . the purpose of the real - time kernel is to provide this capability . application software is programmed using high - level microsoft c / c ++ language using standard coding practices . the operator o interacts with the system using the computer 50 , its associated keyboard and monitor , and the feeder control panel . there are also emergency stop buttons within easy reach . operator displace grains conform to standard usage guidelines and lead the user with appropriate prompts through the task to perform . the application software is grouped into modules illustrated in fig1 . these modules include a main control sequencer ( software of computer 50 ) 57 initialized by appropriate initialization procedures 58 , a data manipulation module 62 , operational process module 64 , and machine control interface modules 66 . after power on and computer initialization is effected by procedures 58 , the application program is automatically started . initialization includes the tasks such as reading hardware sensors , and setting actuators , setting software data tables and configurations . the main control sequencer software 57 is then started . the main control sequencer software 57 has primary control over all the tasks to be performed . it starts tasks , controls the sequence of events , and stops tasks . the type of tasks performed include ; user logon / logoff , accessing carrier route data for display or update , initiating carrier route sortations , generating reports , accessing machine performance statistics , and initiating maintenance tasks . the machine control interface software modules 66 are the interface and low level drivers for the system . these are used by the software to sense and control the operation of the hardware components of fig1 . examples of these operations include : feed a single mail piece ; start conveyor section one ; and check to see if the mail output tub is full . the data manipulation software 62 handles the storage and retrieval of various types of data . examples of this data include : number of stops on a route ; the dps code of each stop on a route , in order of delivery ; the number of pieces misread by the barcode reader ; and total number of mail pieces fed by the feeder . the operational processing software modules 64 handle the operations associated with several larger tasks . these are identified in each of the blocks within block 64 in fig1 , and include : flats insertion sort algorithms ; flats extraction sort algorithm ; error / jam handler ; maintenance trouble - shooting routines ; and report generation . as the main control sequencer software 57 executes , it calls functions in the various modules . the hardware 50 and software 57 work together to lead the operator through the completion of desired tasks . the overall operation of the flats bundle collator system of the present invention is illustrated in the block diagram of fig1 a and 15b . a typical carrier route sortation includes the following sequence of steps . at the start , in step 68 , the operator enters the route id and sets up an output tub 40 - 1 or 40 - 2 to be filled . this data is stored in database 86 and fed to the computer 50 for processing at step 94 to be described hereinafter . in step 70 , the operator loads the bundles of flats into the feeder 10 . the bundles are separated according to mailings . in step 72 , the operator tells the computer 50 to start the sortation . in step 74 , the feeder 10 singulates and feeds the flats f to the diverter module 12 . in step 76 , the barcode reader 14 reads the barcode on the flats f , including the delivery point sequence ( dps ), namely , the walk sequence of the route carrier ( ws ). in step 78 , the system computer 50 checks the barcode for validity and identifies the tower for staging . this information is stored in the database 88 for comparison with the database 86 at step 94 by the computer 50 . in step 80 , the flats f travel on the conveyor to the target tower 16 and are inducted therein . in step 82 , the system computer 15 waits for the last flat to be inducted into the towers 16 . in step 84 , the operator removes tub 56 of rejected flats , which have been processed in step 86 to include misreads on the conveyor placed in the reject tub . the process continues onto routine a in fig1 a and 15b . in step 90 of routine a , the operator loads saturation ( mass mailing ) bundles into the feeder 10 . in step 92 , the operator notifies the computer 50 to begin collation . in step 94 , as described hereinbefore , the computer 50 checks the inventory in the towers against the carrier sequence and determines the proper output sequence . in step 96 , the flats f are moved onto the conveyor tc in carrier walk sequence ( ws ). in step 98 , the flats f travel to a selected one of the output tubs 40 - 1 , 40 - 2 in containerizer module 18 . in step 100 , the system notifies the operator that the collation process for unloading tower 16 is complete . the operator in step 102 removes the tub of collated flats and substitutes the next tub to be filled . in step 104 , any rejected flats in the reject tub 56 are manually placed in proper sequence for the mailings . this completes a typical operational scenario for the collation of a carrier &# 39 ; s route of flats mail . there is a simple order in which the mailings are fed through the fbc of the present invention . if there is a mailing with pieces thicker than 0 . 375 ″, the operator feeds those first . the normal thickness mailings are fed next . if there is a saturation mailing , it is fed last . this provides better utilization of the tower capacity . the saturations are fed last , because they can be collated directly from the feeder 10 and do not have to be stored in the tower 16 . this increases the actual capacity of the system , as well as increasing the system throughput . the fbc system operation consists of two phases . during the induction phase , mail pieces are fed into the system and stored in tower locations 16 . during the collation phase , an algorithm determines the extraction sequence ; mail pieces are extracted from their storage locations in towers 16 and placed in a selected one of output mail tubs 40 - 1 , 40 - 2 , 56 . if a saturation mailing is to be sorted , it is fed into the system during the collation phase . as the regular pieces are extracted , the system intermingles the saturation pieces at the proper times to achieve the desired output sequence . this allows the system to handle a larger volume of mail and have higher throughput . a flowchart of the coordination of the induction and collation phases of the system of the present invention is illustrated in the flowchart of fig1 . at the start , in step 106 , mail induction is performed . at this point , the operator has selected the carrier &# 39 ; s route . the computer 50 has retrieved this route information from the internal databases and performed necessary utilizations . in step 106 , the operator places the mailings into the feeder . if there is a saturation or other large mailing , the operator will feed that during the performed mail extractions , step 114 , to be described hereinafter . as each piece of mail f is fed , it is read by the barcode reader 14 and its carrier stop is determined from the database . starting at the first upstream tower 16 - 1 , the computer 50 examines the carrier stops of the last piece in each tower . it determines the tower whose last piece is closest , but still earlier , to the fed piece and sends the pieces down the conveyor to be conducted into that tower . all barcode misreads and pieces that the system is unable to stage are sent to the reject tub 56 , as illustrated in fig1 . this operation continues for all non - saturation pieces . as pieces are fed , the computer 50 tracks where each piece goes and all other relevant information about it . when all of the non - saturation pieces have been fed , the operator informs the computer and loads the saturation , or large mailings , as illustrated in routine a of fig1 a and 15b . this is done at the beginning of the collation phase . returning to the description of the flowchart of fig1 , step 108 is a decision block as to whether or not a saturation mailing is being processed . if “ no ”, the process proceeds to step 112 to determine the extraction sequence . if “ yes ”, the process proceeds to perform mail feed at step 110 . in step 110 , this function is only performed if there is a saturation or large mailing . if a piece needs to be fed , the feeder will feed pieces until the barcode reader 14 has read a valid piece for the carrier &# 39 ; s route . this piece travels down the first conveyor connected to the output of the feeder 10 and stops just before the first upstream tower 16 . at this time , the feeder 10 will stop feeding the pieces . this piece remains stored at the end of the first conveyor tc - 1 , until the computer determines that it needs to be extracted , and placed on the second conveyor tc - 2 , to be sent directly to a selected one of the output tubs in containerizer module 18 . in step 112 , the determination of the extraction sequence consists of several steps . the end result is an ordered list describing the extraction and move events . this list begins with the current events and continues until the last piece is placed in the tub selected . a general indication of the flow of mail is illustrated in fig1 . this figure depicts only three towers for simplicity to provide a coherent overview of the collation of pieces of mail through the system . in the left - hand portion of fig1 , the three towers are indicated as tower 1 , tower 2 , and tower 3 . in each tower , the pieces of mail are inserted as designated mailings m , bundles b , and pieces , represented by a numeral , 1 , 2 , 3 , etc . as indicated , tower 1 includes mailings m 3 , bundles b 1 , and pieces 1 , 2 and 3 of those mailings and bundles . tower 2 stores mailings m 2 , bundles b 1 , and pieces 1 and 2 . tower 3 , stores mailings m 1 , bundles b 1 , and b 2 , and pieces 1 and 2 from the respective bundles . in the middle section of fig1 , the mailings , bundles , and pieces of the left - hand section are designated by the delivery point sequence numbers ( carrier walk sequence ) obtained from the zip code on the pieces of mailing as read by reader 14 . it can be seen that the pieces are stored in descending order from bottom to top in the respective towers in the walk or delivery point sequence . fig1 depicts the collation output sequence of the pieces of mail , which is in reverse of the delivery point or walk sequence in the center portion of the figure . returning to the flowchart of fig1 , in step 112 , the determination of the extraction sequence consists of several steps . the end result is an ordered list describing the extraction and move events . the list begins with the current events and continues until the last piece is placed in the output tub . in step 1 , the carrier &# 39 ; s walk sequence is stored in the system database . using this sequence and the known piece information , the algorithm calculates through all available pieces and creates an output sequence table illustrated in fig1 a . this table shows the sequence each piece will be in , in the final output stack and the pieces &# 39 ; current location . the collation rules are illustrated in the left - hand column of fig1 , the sequence number in the next column , the current time in the next column , the calculation in the next column , and the resulting feed time in the final column . the last piece to be delivered by the carrier will be the first piece into the selected mail tub . exactly what time to extract a mail piece from its storage location is dependent on several factors . if the current piece tower 16 is downstream from the previous piece tower , then the current tower has to postpone extraction until the previous piece has passed by . if the current piece tower is upstream from the previous piece tower , then the current tower may possibly extract before the previous piece is extracted , because current piece will be on the conveyor for some time before it reaches the previous piece &# 39 ; s tower . the algorithm steps through each piece in the output sequence table of fig1 a and calculates an extraction time for each piece . the extraction time computed is listed in the output sequence table of fig1 b . referring again to the flowchart of fig1 , the program proceeds to step 114 ; perform mail extraction . in this step , which is completely illustrated in the diagrammatic sequence of extraction steps of fig1 a to 19 l , the extraction events in the extraction time list of fig1 b are performed . this places one or more pieces of flats from the tower 16 on the second conveyor section tc - 2 , as illustrated in the steps of fig1 . the mail pieces are numbered in fig1 in correspondence to the numbers assigned in fig1 , 18 a , and 18 b described hereinbefore . in the final step of the flowchart of fig1 , the computer 50 at step 116 checks to see if there is more mail in the system to be processed . if there is , the computer needs to get ready to perform another extraction of mail . at this point , the routine is done and the collation of this particular carrier &# 39 ; s mailings is complete . the operator can then start another carrier &# 39 ; s route and the input associated bundles of mail therefor . referring to fig2 , there is illustrated in diagrammatic form , tracking information for the pieces of flats mail passing through the system ; and fig2 and 22 illustrate tracking data obtained from the system of fig2 . fig2 , in conjunction with fig2 to 22 illustrate how a jammed condition of flats mail can be detected in the system of the present invention . as pieces of mail travel along the conveyors tc - 1 and tc - 2 , the computer 50 needs to track where they are . it needs to know when a piece is at a tower 16 and can be inserted into that tower , when a piece is not at a tower and one can be extracted , and when a piece did not arrive when it was supposed to and may be jammed . there are two types of hardware in system of the present invention used for tracking mail , namely , pulse encoders pe and photo sensors ps . each conveyor section tc - 1 , tc - 2 has an encoder pe that generates a pulse as the conveyor system moves . there are a fixed number of pulses during an inch of conveyor travel . therefore , by counting pulses , the computer 50 can determine how far along the conveyor tc - 1 , tc - 2 a piece should have traveled . since the position is derived directly from the conveyor , instead of by timing the pieces based on a speed calculation , the system automatically accounts for start and stop accelerations , as well as running speed variations . several photo sensors ps are placed along the conveyor to detect when a piece f actually passes by . they are spaced such that only one mail piece f would be between them . the distance from the feeder 10 , for each sensor , can be determined and expressed as a number of encoder pulses from pulse encoder pe . this hardware provides information on where the piece should be and where it actually is or is not to the computer 50 . this tracking information is illustrated in the tables of fig2 and 22 . when a piece of mail is fed , the software adds information about the piece to a temporary tracking table . as the piece travels along the conveyor , the table in fig2 is updated . this is used to track the piece and detect abnormal conditions . the table in fig2 includes information such as the last known position of the piece , the next expected sensor position , the gap between adjacent pieces , and the destination tower for that piece . because the mail pieces are not physically constrained on the conveyors tc - 1 , tc - 2 , they may slip and move slightly slower than the conveyor itself . at a given sensor ps , this effect appears as a larger actual pulse . the system is very tolerant of slippage because it initiates tower motion based on the actual location of the piece . if the difference in pulse counts from the encoders is too large or the gap too small , then something significant must have happened to the piece , which is interpreted as a jam condition . the test threshold conditions for determining a jam are illustrated in fig2 . when a jam condition is detected , the computer 50 stops the system and describes the problem to the operator . in addition , there are a series of indicator lights along the length of the machine . these will light at the location of the jam . when the operator has cleared the jam condition , he / she notifies the computer to continue with the sortation . the present invention has been described for sorting flats mail , which are the preferred items to be collated . however , other items of manufacture requiring orderly sequencing could be sorted in accordance with the present invention , such as circuit boards , and other electrical components .

a method and an apparatus for collating a plurality of groups of mail items , such as flats mail , each group being pre - sequenced according to prioritized delivery addresses , into a final sequenced set of the mail items from the groups , utilizing the prioritized delivery addresses . each bundle of mail items is formed into a single input stream of the individual mail items . the mail items are transported along a conveyor system from the input stream to a staging station . the mail items are sorted at the staging station into a plurality of subsets of mail items re - sequenced as an intermediate step to achieving the final sequenced sets . the mail items are then collated and merged into a single output stream from the respective subsets of mail items in the final sequenced set . portions of the output stream from the staging station are collected in batches in a collection device which maintain the sequence consistent with the prioritized delivery order sequence of the mail for a given carrier route .

the novel ( tetrahydro - 3 - furanyl ) methylamine derivatives of the formula ( 1 ) have an excellent insecticidal activity even in the absence of a pyridylmethyl group or a thiazolylmethyl group in their molecular structure . according to the present invention , there are provided ( tetrahydro - 3 - furanyl ) methylamine derivatives represented by formula ( 1 ), where x 1 , x 2 , x 3 , x 4 , x 5 , x 6 and x 7 represent each a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms ; r 1 represents a hydrogen atom , an alkyl group having from 1 to 5 carbon atoms , an alkenyl group having 3 carbon atoms , a benzyl group , an alkoxyalkyl group having from 2 to 4 carbon atoms ( in its whole group ), an alkyloxycarbonyl group having from 1 to 3 carbon atoms , a phenoxy carbonyl group , an alkylcarbonyl group having from 1 to 6 carbon atoms , an alkenylcarbonyl group having from 2 to 3 carbon atoms , a cycloalkylcarbonyl group having from 3 to 6 carbon atoms , a benzoyl group , a benzoyl group substituted by alkyl group ( s ) having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms , a benzoyl group substituted by halogen atom ( s ), a 2 - furanylcarbonyl group or an n , n - dimethylcarbamoyl group ; r 2 represents a hydrogen atom , an amino group , a methyl group , an alkylamino group having from 1 to 5 carbon atoms , a di - substituted alkylamino group having from 2 to 5 carbon atoms ( in its whole group ), a 1 - pyrrolidinyl group , an alkenylamino group having 3 carbon atoms , an alkynylamino group having 3 carbon atoms , a methoxyamino group , an alkoxyalkylamino group having from 2 to 4 carbon atoms ( in its whole group ), a methylthio group or — n ( y 1 ) y 2 ( where y 1 represents an alkyloxycarbonyl group having from 1 to 3 carbon atoms , a phenoxycarbonyl group , an alkylcarbonyl group having from 1 to 6 carbon atoms , an alkenylcarbonyl group having from 2 to 3 carbon atoms , a cycloalkylcarbonyl group having from 3 to 6 carbon atoms , a benzoyl group , a benzoyl group substituted by alkyl group ( s ) having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms , a benzoyl group substituted by halogen atom ( s ), a 2 - furanylcarbonyl group , an n , n - dimethylcarbamoyl group , a ( tetrahydro - 3 - furanyl ) methyl group or a benzyl group , and y 2 represents a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group having from 1 to 5 carbon atoms ); and z represents ═ n — no 2 , ═ ch — no 2 or ═ n — cn ; insecticides containing the derivatives as an effective ingredient ; and intermediates for producing the compounds of the formula ( 1 ) represented by a formula ( 2 ): where x 1 , x 2 , x 3 , x 4 , x 5 , x 6 and x 7 represent each a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms ; r 10 represents an alkyl group having from 1 to 5 carbon atoms or a benzyl group ; and r 11 represents an alkyl group having from 1 to 5 carbon atoms or a benzyl group . the novel ( tetrahydro - 3 - furanyl ) methylamine derivatives of the formula ( 1 ) and formula ( 2 ) according to the invention are excellent compounds having a high insecticidal power and broad insecticidal spectrum . further , agricultural chemicals containing the novel ( tetrahydro - 3 - furanyl ) methylamine derivatives of the formula ( 1 ) and ( 2 ) according to the invention have outstanding characteristics as insecticides and hence are useful . specific examples of the alkyl group for x 1 , x 2 , x 3 , x 4 , x 5 , x 6 and x 7 in the above formulae ( 1 ) and ( 2 ) include a methyl group , an ethyl group , an n - propyl group , an iso - propyl group , a tert - butyl group , and the like , preferably a methyl group . specific examples of the alkyl group for r 1 include a methyl group , an ethyl group , an n - propyl group , an iso - propyl group , an n - butyl group , an iso - butyl group , a sec - butyl group , a tert - butyl group , an n - pentyl group , and the like . specific examples of the alkenyl group for r 1 include a 1 - propenyl group , a 2 - propenyl group , and the like . specific examples of the alkoxyalkyl group for r 1 include a methoxymethyl group , an ethoxymethyl group , an n - propoxymethyl group , an iso - propoxymethyl group , a methoxyethyl group , an ethoxyethyl group , and the like . specific examples of the alkyloxycarbonyl group for r 1 include a methyloxycarbonyl group , an ethyloxycarbonyl group , an n - propyloxycarbonyl group , an iso - propyloxycarbonyl group , and the like . specific examples of the alkylcarbonyl group for r 1 include a methylcarbonyl group , an ethylcarbonyl group , an n - propylcarbonyl group , an iso - propylcarbonyl group , an n - butylcarbonyl group , an iso - butylcarbonyl group , a sec - butylcarbonyl group , a tert - butylcarbonyl group , an n - pentylcarbonyl group , an n - hexylcarbonyl group , and the like . specific examples of the alkenylcarbonyl group for r 1 include a vinylcarbonyl group , a 1 - methylvinylcarbonyl group , and the like . specific examples of the cycloalkylcarbonyl group for r 1 include a cyclopropylcarbonyl group , a cyclobutylcarbonyl group , a cyclopentylcarbonyl group , a cyclohexylcarbonyl group , and the like . specific examples of the benzoyl group substituted by alkyl group ( s ) for r 1 include a 2 - methylbenzoyl group , a 3 - methylbenzoyl group , a 4 - methylbenzoyl group , a 4 - tert - butylbenzoyl group , and the like . specific examples of the benzoyl group substituted by halogen atom ( s ) for r1 include a 2 - chlorobenzoyl group , a 3 - chlorobenzoyl group , a 4 - chlorobenzoyl group , a 3 , 4 - dichloro - benzoyl group , a 4 - fluorobenzoyl group , and the like . although r 1 can take various substituents as described above , it is preferably a hydrogen atom , an alkylcarbonyl group having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms or a cyclopropylcarbonyl group . specific examples of the alkylamino group for r 2 include a methylamino group , an ethylamino group , an n - propyl - amino group , an iso - propylamino group , an n - butylamino group , an iso - butylamino group , a sec - butylamino group , a tert - butylamino group , an n - pentylamino group , and the like , preferably a methylamino group . specific examples of the di - substituted alkylamino group for r 2 include a dimethylamino group , a diethylamino group , an n - methyl - n - ethylamino group , an n - methyl - n - n - propylamino group , an n - methyl - n - n - butylamino group , and the like , preferably a dimethylamino group . specific examples of the alkenylamino group for r 2 include a 1 - propenylamino group , a 2 - propenylamino group , and the like . specific examples of the alkynylamino group for r 2 include a propargylamino group , and the like . specific examples of the alkoxyalkylamino group for r 2 include a methoxymethylamino group , an ethoxymethylamino group , an n - propoxymethylamino group , an iso - propoxymethylamino group , a methoxyethylamino group , an ethoxyethylamino group , and the like . specific examples of the alkyloxycarbonyl group denoted by y 1 for r 2 include a methyloxycarbonyl group , an ethyloxy - carbonyl group , an n - propyloxycarbonyl group , an iso - propyloxy - carbonyl group , and the like . specific examples of the alkylcarbonyl group denoted by y 1 for r 2 include a methylcarbonyl group , an ethylcarbonyl group , an n - propylcarbonyl group , an iso - propylcarbonyl group , an n - butylcarbonyl group , an isobutylcarbonyl group , a sec - butyl - carbonyl group , a tertbutylcarbonyl group , an n - pentylcarbonyl group , an n - hexylcarbonyl group , and the like , preferably a methylcarbonyl group , an ethylcarbonyl group , an n - propylcarbonyl group , an iso - propylcarbonyl group , an n - butylcarbonyl group , an iso - butylcarbonyl group , a sec - butylcarbonyl group and a tert - butylcarbonyl group . specific examples of the alkenylcarbonyl group denoted by y 1 for r 2 include a vinylcarbonyl group , a 1 - methyl - vinylcarbonyl group , and the like . specific examples of the cycloalkylcarbonyl group denoted by y 1 for r 2 include a cyclopropylcarbonyl group , a cyclobutylcarbonyl group , a cyclopentylcarbonyl group , a cyclohexylcarbonyl group , and the like , preferably a cyclopropyl - carbonyl group . specific examples of the benzoyl group substituted by alkyl group ( s ) denoted by y 1 for r 2 include a 2 - methylbenzoyl group , a 3 - methylbenzoyl group , a 4 - methylbenzoyl group , a 4 - tert - butylbenzoyl group , and the like . specific examples of the benzoyl group substituted by halogen atom ( s ) denoted by y 1 for r 2 include a 2 - chlorobenzoyl group , a 3 - chlorobenzoyl group , a 4 - chlorobenzoyl group , a 3 , 4 - dichlorobenzoyl group , a 4 - fluoro benzoyl group , and the like . specific examples of the alkyl group denoted by y 2 for r 2 include a methyl group , an ethyl group , an n - propyl group , an iso - propyl group , an n - butyl group , an iso - butyl group , a sec - butyl group , a tert - butyl group , an n - pentyl group , and the like , preferably a methyl group . in the formula ( 1 ), compounds in which r 1 and y 1 are concurrently an alkylcarbonyl group having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms or a cyclopropylcarbonyl group are preferred from the viewpoint of both insecticidal activity and production method . in the development of a formulation for use on animals , there are several parameters that must be considered . these are : ( a ) concentration high enough to minimize the volume of the topical applied to the animal ( one would not want to put 20 ml , e . g ., onto a small cat ). ( b ) the formulation should be stable for one month at 130 ° f ., 110 ° f ., 40 ° f ., room temperature and 0 ° f . this helps ensure that the formulation remains stable under the conditions that it could meet in commerce . ( c ) safe to use on the animal — particularly non - irritating since the product is applied to the skin . also safe if ingested by the animal ; ingestion can occur when cats groom themselves . ( d ) safe to use by the consumer . ( e ) efficacious in use — should kill greater than 90 % of the fleas up to 28 days . ( f ) efficacy would be reduced if crystallization occurred in the package . ( g ) needs to be aesthetically pleasing —“ no oily drop ” on the animal when applied . ( h ) fast drying to reduce the chance of the animal shaking off the liquid thereby reducing efficacy . ( i ) microbiologically stable . the above - referenced patents recognize different possible solvents , but do not provide information on how to formulate insecticide in a non - irritating manner . no examples were given in which the compounds were used on animals . additionally , in all of the examples given the compounds were dissolved into solvents that are undesirable to use on animals . specifically , acetone , used in all but one of the examples , is very irritating by both inhalation and skin contact , due to de - fatting action on skin and mucous membranes . it is also very irritating to the eyes . accordingly , there is a need to develop a different solvent for these compounds that can be used on animals . the present formulation satisfies the parameters detailed above . in one aspect of the current invention , the dinotefuran is dissolved in solvent containing pyriproxyfen to a concentration range of 5 - 25 %, more preferably 9 - 20 % and most preferably about 12 . 5 to 19 . 2 %, with 15 . 7 % as a preferred example . all percentages , unless otherwise evident , are on a weight basis . pyriproxyfen is advantageously included as over 0 . 1 %, advantageously about 0 . 1 to 3 %. the following examples are given for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to be construed in a limiting manner . a mixture comprising 10 . 0 g of ( tetrahydro - 3 - furanyl ) methanol , 29 . 5 g of trifluoromethanesulfonic anhydride , 10 . 0 g of pyridine and 200 ml of dichloromethane was stirred for an hour at room temperature . water was poured into the reaction solution to separate the organic layer , which was washed with 1 n hydrochloric acid , water and a saturated saline solution , dried , and concentrated to obtain 20 g of 3 - tetrahydro - furanylmethyl triflate . 3 . 25 g of 60 % sodium hydride were added to 12 . 5 g of 1 , 5 - dimethyl - 2 - nitroiminohexahydro - 1 , 3 , 5 - triazine and 60 ml of dmf at room temperature , followed by stirring for an hour . 20 . 0 g of the 3 - tetrahydrofuranylmethyl triflate were added thereto , and the mixture was stirred at 50 ° c . for 2 hours . after cooling the mixture to room temperature , 50 ml of 2n hydrochloric acid were added thereto , followed by stirring at 50 ° c . for 2 hours . the resultant mixture was neutralized with sodium bicarbonate and extracted with dichloromethane , and the extract was dried and concentrated . the residue thus obtained was purified by silica gel column chromatography ( eluent : ethyl acetate / hexane = 1 / 1 ) to obtain 7 . 8 g of 1 -{( tetrahydro - 3 - furanyl ) methyl }- 2 - nitro - 3 - methylguanidine ( dinotefuran ). 5 g ( i . e ., 5 . 6 % ( weight / weight )) of dinotefuran was dissolved into 100 ml of a mixture comprising 70 % ethanol and 30 % water . the resulting mixture can be spot applied to companion animals , such as dogs and cats and will kill fleas , ticks and other insects . 15 g ( i . e ., 12 . 5 % ( weight / weight )) of dinotefuran was dissolved into 100 ml of phenyl methanol . the resulting solution can be spot applied to companion animals , such as dogs and cats and will kill fleas , ticks and other insects . 20 g of dinotefuran was added to 100 ml phenyl methanol with stirring until it dissolves . 3 g of pyriproxyfen was added to the solution with stirring to produce a clear , homogeneous solution . 25 g of dinotefuran was added to 100 ml phenyl methanol with stirring until it dissolved . 1 g of pyriproxyfen was added to the solution with stirring to produce a clear , homogeneous solution of high insecticide concentration . the resulting solution can be spot applied to companion animals , such as dogs and cats and will kill fleas , ticks and other insects . table 1 demonstrates that an approximate 50 % increase in concentration can be achieved for dinotefuran by including pyriproxyfen at low levels in the formulation based on the criterion of no crystal formation at 0 ° f . during a 1 month period . eighteen cats were separated into three groups each containing 6 cats . group 1 ( 6 cats each weighing 9 lbs . or less ) remained untreated as non - treated controls . group 2 ( 6 cats each over 9 lbs .) were treated with 3 . 4 ml of the dinotefuran insecticide formulation ( 5 . 71 % w / w ). group 3 ( 6 cats each weighing 9 lbs . or less ) were treated with 1 . 5 ml of the dinotefuran insecticide formulation ( 5 . 71 % w / w ). approximately 18 hours prior to treatment the cats were infested with 100 cat fleas ( ctenocephalides felis ) which were applied to the animal &# 39 ; s back . cats in groups 2 and 3 were then treated with the indicated volume of insecticide by dispensing the liquid at skin level between the shoulder blades . flea counts were taken at day 1 ( i . e ., 24 hours post - treatment ), day 8 , day 15 , day 22 and day 29 . cats were re - infested with 100 fleas on days 7 , 14 , 21 , and 28 . to determine the efficacy of the dermal treatment , the number of fleas found on treated cats was compared to the number of fleas found on untreated cats . percent reduction was determined as follows and the results are summarized in table 2 : mean ⁢ ⁢ number ⁢ ⁢ of ⁢ ⁢ fleas ⁢ ⁢ on ⁢ ⁢ untreated ⁢ ⁢ cats - mean ⁢ ⁢ number ⁢ ⁢ of ⁢ ⁢ fleas ⁢ ⁢ on ⁢ ⁢ treated ⁢ ⁢ cats mean ⁢ ⁢ number ⁢ ⁢ of ⁢ ⁢ fleas ⁢ ⁢ on ⁢ ⁢ untreated ⁢ ⁢ cats × 100 ⁢ ⁢ % as shown in table 2 the results demonstrate that the dosages used on groups 2 and 3 are both effective at reducing the number of adult fleas on cats through at least 29 days and thus are effective as a one month dermal treatment . it will thus be seen that the objects set forth above , among those made apparent from the preceding description , are efficiently attained and , since certain changes may be made in carrying out the above method and in the composition set forth without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention , it is intended that all matter contained in the above description shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense . it is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described and all statements of the scope of the invention which , as a matter of language , might be said to fall therebetween . particularly it is to be understood that in said claims , ingredients or compounds recited in the singular are intended to include compatible mixtures of such ingredients wherever the sense permits .

a topical insecticide is provided which can be safe to use and avoids many common deleterious side effects of conventional topical insecticides . in one preferred embodiment of the invention , the active ingredient of the insecticide formulation is an amine derivative , having a nitro - methylene group , a nitroamino group or a cyanoamino group , which can be formulated to have low toxicity and excellent insecticidal activity . one particularly suitable insecticide is 1 - methyl }- 2 - nitro - 3 - methylguanidine , an aldulticide that will kill adult fleas combined with pyriproxyfen .

the following detailed descriptions of server system and cluster system using the same are mentioned below when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings . fig2 is a schematic view of a server system according to first embodiment of the present invention . the server system includes a power supply module 21 , an energy - storing module 22 , a power management module 23 , at least one motherboard 24 and an external memory module 25 . the power supply module 21 provides a first operation power and the energy - storing module 22 provides a stored power . the power management module 23 electrically coupled to power supply module 21 and energy - storing module 22 receives first operation power and provides a second operation power , or receives the stored power and provides a third operation power . the at least one motherboard 24 including the internal memory module 241 receives second operation power or third operation power . the internal memory module 241 stores the memory data . the external memory module 25 is electrically coupled to the at least one motherboard 24 . when the server system operates normally , the power management module 23 transforms the received first operation power into the second operation power to be provided to the at least one motherboard 24 . when the server system is powered off abnormally , e . g . a power down event of an external alternative current source , the power management module 23 instantly changes the received first operation power to the stored power and transforms the stored power into third operation power . a data backup module 261 installed in the operating system ( os ) is used to backup the data of internal memory module 241 and the operation tasks to the external memory module 25 . meanwhile , the data backup module 261 interrupts the electrical connection between the energy - storing module 22 and the power management module 23 . when the server system powers on again , the data backup module 261 restores the data in the external memory module 25 and operation tasks to the internal memory module 241 so that the server system returns the normal status before the server system is powered off abnormally . in this embodiment , the data backup module 261 is implemented by software program to backup the data and operation tasks . the energy - storing module 22 is supercapacitor , i . e . electrochemical capacitors or storage battery set . the external memory module 25 is implemented by solid state disk ( ssd ), which is a disk composed of a plurality of electronic storage chips . since the bandwidth of the ssd is wider , the storing speed is faster to backup the data in the internal memory module 241 and the operation tasks within a relatively short time . further , the internal memory module 241 only needs a ssd disk , which is easily implemented and causes the cost reductions . the time interval “ t ” is determined by the reliable power supply time of the energy - storing module 22 , the backup storing speed and the data content for ten or more seconds to perform the backup operation . in one embodiment , the power management module 23 includes a power distribution module 231 for transforming the power and a real - time power supply switch module 232 coupled to the energy - storing module 22 , power supply module 21 and the power distribution module 231 . when the power supply module 21 operates normally , the power supply module 21 is electrically coupled to the power distribution module 231 and the power distribution module 231 provides the second operation power . when the power supply module 21 is powered off abnormally , the real - time power supply switch module 232 changes the electrical connection of the power distribution module 231 from the power supply module 21 to the energy - storing module 22 so that the energy - storing module 22 utilizes the power distribution module 231 to provide the third operation power . the energy - storing module 22 is supercapacitor , i . e . electrochemical capacitors or storage battery . when the power supply module 21 operates normally , the power supply module 21 charges the energy - storing module 22 . for the purpose of controlling the charge process to prevent from inverse current , over - current , over - voltage and to protect the charging process of the power supply module 21 and the energy - storing module 22 , the power management module 23 further preferably includes a charge control module 233 coupled to the power supply module 21 and the energy - storing module 22 for protecting the charging process of the power supply module 21 and the energy - storing module 22 . fig3 is a schematic view of a server system according to second embodiment of the present invention . fig3 illustrates the power supply module 21 , energy - storing module 22 , the power distribution module 231 and the real - time power supply switch module 232 of the power management module 23 , and the connection relationship therebetween . other components and connection relationship of the server system are shown in fig2 . the real - time power supply switch module 232 includes a first switch unit 32 , inverse phase unit 34 and second switch unit 36 . when the power supply module 21 operates normally , the first signal is outputted and when the power supply module 21 is powered off abnormally , the second signal is outputted . the first and second signals are used to control the on / off statuses of the first switch unit 32 and the second switch unit 36 . in one embodiment , the first signal and the second signal are inversed signals or high / low level signals respectively , but not limited . in another embodiment , the real - time power supply switch module 232 in the server system of fig3 further includes a voltage division unit 31 , the dashed line representing the optional component , coupled to the power supply module 21 for dividing the output signal of the power supply module 21 into either the first signal or the second signal to be provided to the first switch unit 32 and the inverse phase unit 34 . in one case , when the outputting characteristic of the power supply module 21 is matched with the inputting characteristics of the first switch unit 32 and the inverse phase unit 34 , there is no need to divide the outputting signal of the power supply module 21 . the first switch unit 32 is electrically coupled to the voltage division unit 31 and the power distribution module 231 respectively and the first switch unit 32 is directly coupled to the power supply module 21 if the voltage division unit 31 is removed . when the power supply module 21 operates normally to provides the power , the power supply module 21 outputs the first signal to activate the first switch unit 32 so that the power supply module 21 controls the power distribution module 231 to provide the second operation power to the at least one motherboard 24 . in one embodiment , the first switch unit 32 may be metal - oxide - semiconductor field - effect transistor ( mosfet ) to be turned on / off based on the output signal of the power supply module 21 . for example , mosfet turns on by a triggering signal with a high level . when the power supply module 21 normally provides the power and outputs the high level signal ( i . e . first signal ), the first switch unit 32 is activated so that the power supply module 21 controls the power distribution module 231 to provide the second operation power to the at least one motherboard 24 . when the power supply module 21 is powered off abnormally and outputs the low level signal ( i . e . second signal ), the first switch unit 32 is inactivated so that the power supply module 21 controls the power distribution module 231 to stop to provide the second operation power to the at least one motherboard 24 . the inverse phase unit 34 is electrically coupled to the voltage division unit 31 for inversing the output signal of the power supply module 21 , and the inverse phase unit 34 is directly coupled to the power supply module 21 if the voltage division unit 31 is removed . when the power supply module 21 normally provides the power , the inverse phase unit 34 inverses the first signal from the power supply module 21 to generate an inversed first signal . when the power supply module 21 is powered off abnormally , the inverse phase unit 34 inverses the second signal from the power supply module 21 to generate an inversed second signal . the second switch unit 36 is electrically coupled to the energy - storing module 22 , the inverse phase unit 34 and the power distribution module 231 . when the power supply module 21 normally provides the power , the inverse phase unit 34 employs the inversed first signal to inactivate the second switch unit 36 . when the power supply module 21 is powered off abnormally , the inverse phase unit 34 employs the inversed second signal to activate the second switch unit 36 so that the energy - storing module 22 controls the power distribution module 231 to provide the third operation power to the at least one motherboard 24 . in one embodiment , the first switch unit 32 may be metal - oxide - semiconductor field - effect transistor ( mosfet ) to be turned on / off based on the inversed output signal by inversing the output signal of the power supply module 21 via the inverse phase unit 34 . for example , mosfet turns on by a triggering signal with a high level . when the power supply module 21 normally provides the power and outputs the high level signal ( i . e . first signal ), the inverse phase unit 34 inverses the high level signal and outputs the low level signal to the second switch unit 36 for inactivating the second switch unit 36 . when the power supply module 21 is powered off abnormally and outputs the low level signal ( i . e . second signal ), the inverse phase unit 34 inverses the high level signal and outputs the high level signal to the second switch unit 36 for activating the second switch unit 36 so that the energy - storing module 22 controls the power distribution module 231 to provide the third operation power to the at least one motherboard 24 . in one embodiment , the inverse phase unit 34 is further coupled to the energy - storing module 22 . when the power supply module 21 is powered off abnormally , the energy - storing module 22 provides the power to the inverse phase unit 34 . the inverse phase unit 34 inverses the low level signal into high level signal for controlling the second switch unit 36 to be activated wherein the output signal is divided into the low level signal because the power failure of the power supply module 21 occurs . in another embodiment , the inverse phase unit 34 may be adopts different power supplying modes . in one embodiment , when the power supply module 21 normally provides the power , the first switch unit 32 is activated and the second switch unit 36 is inactivated so that the power supply module 21 controls the power distribution module 231 to provide the second operation power to the at least one motherboard 24 . when the power supply module 21 is powered off abnormally , the first switch unit 32 is inactivated and the inverse phase unit 34 inverses the low level signal to activate the second switch unit 36 so that the energy - storing module 22 controls the power distribution module 231 to provide the third operation power to the at least one motherboard 24 . fig4 is a schematic view of a server system according to third embodiment of the present invention . fig4 illustrates the power supply module 21 , energy - storing module 22 , the power distribution module 231 and the real - time power supply switch module 232 of the power management module 23 , and the connection relationship therebetween . other components and connection relationship of the server system are shown in fig2 . the real - time power supply switch module 232 includes a first switch unit 42 , inverse phase unit 44 and second switch unit 46 . when the power supply module 21 operates normally , the first signal is outputted and when the power supply module 21 is powered off abnormally , the second signal is outputted . the first and second signals are used to control the on / off statuses of the first switch unit 42 and the second switch unit 46 . in one embodiment , the first signal and the second signal are inversed signals or high / low level signals respectively , but not limited . in another embodiment , the real - time power supply switch module 232 in the server system of fig4 further includes a voltage division unit 41 ( the dashed line representing the optional component ) coupled to the power supply module 21 for dividing the output signal of the power supply module 21 into the first signal and the second signal to be provided to the inverse phase unit 44 and the second switch unit 46 . in one case , when the outputting characteristic of the power supply module 21 is matched with the inputting characteristics of the inverse phase unit 44 and the second switch unit 46 , there is no need to divide the outputting signal of the power supply module 21 . the inverse phase unit 44 is electrically coupled to the voltage division unit 41 and the power distribution module 231 respectively and the inverse phase unit 44 is directly coupled to the power supply module 21 if the voltage division unit 41 is removed . when the power supply module 21 normally provides the power , the inverse phase unit 44 inverses the first signal from the power supply module 21 to generate an inversed first signal . when the power supply module 21 is powered off abnormally , the inverse phase unit 44 inverses the second signal from the power supply module 21 to generate an inversed second signal . the first switch unit 42 is electrically coupled to the inverse phase unit 44 and the power distribution module 231 respectively . when the power supply module 21 normally provides the power , the inverse phase unit 44 employs the inversed first signal to activate the first switch unit 42 so that the power supply module 21 controls the power distribution module 231 to provide the second operation power to the at least one motherboard 24 . in one embodiment , the first switch unit 42 may be metal - oxide - semiconductor field - effect transistor ( mosfet ) to be turned on / off based on the output signal of the inverse phase unit 44 . for example , mosfet turns on by a low level signal . when the power supply module 21 normally provides the power and outputs the high level signal ( i . e . first signal ), the inverse phase unit 44 inverses the high level signal into a low level signal which is provided to the first switch unit 42 for activating the first switch unit 42 so that the power supply module 21 controls the power distribution module 231 to provide the second operation power to the at least one motherboard 24 . when the power supply module 21 is powered off abnormally and outputs the low level signal ( i . e . second signal ), the inverse phase unit 44 inverses the low level signal into a high level signal which is provided to the first switch unit 42 for inactivating the first switch unit 42 so that the power supply module 21 controls the power distribution module 231 to stop to provide the second operation power to the at least one motherboard 24 . the second switch unit 46 is electrically coupled to the voltage division unit 41 , energy - storing module 22 and the power distribution module 231 and the second switch unit 46 is directly coupled to the power supply module 21 if the voltage division unit 41 is removed . when the power supply module 21 normally provides the power , the power supply module 21 outputs the first signal to inactivate the second switch unit 46 . when the power supply module 21 is powered off abnormally , the power supply module 21 outputs the second signal to activate the second switch unit 46 so that the energy - storing module 22 controls the power distribution module 231 to provide the third operation power to the at least one motherboard 24 . in one embodiment , the second switch unit 46 may be metal - oxide - semiconductor field - effect transistor ( mosfet ) to be turned on / off based on the output signal of the power supply module 21 . for example , mosfet turns on by a low level signal . when the power supply module 21 normally provides the power and outputs the high level signal ( i . e . first signal ), the inverse phase unit 34 inverses the high level signal and outputs the low level signal to the second switch unit 36 for inactivating the second switch unit 36 . when the power supply module 21 is powered off abnormally and outputs the low level signal ( i . e . second signal ), the second switch unit 46 is activated so that the energy - storing module 22 controls the power distribution module 231 to provide the third operation power to the at least one motherboard 24 . in one embodiment , the inverse phase unit 44 is further coupled to the energy - storing module 22 . when the power supply module 21 is powered off abnormally , the energy - storing module 22 provides the power to the inverse phase unit 44 . the inverse phase unit 44 inverses the low level signal into high level signal for controlling the first switch unit 42 to be inactivated wherein the output signal is divided into the low level signal because the power failure of the power supply module 21 occurs . in another embodiment , the inverse phase unit 44 may be adopts different power supplying modes . in one embodiment , when the power supply module 21 normally provides the power , the inverse phase unit 44 inverses the high level signal into low level signal to activate the first switch unit 42 and the second switch unit 46 is inactivated so that the power supply module 21 controls the power distribution module 231 to provide the second operation power to the at least one motherboard 24 . when the power supply module 21 is powered off abnormally , the first switch unit 42 is inactivated and the second switch unit 46 is activated so that the energy - storing module 22 controls the power distribution module 231 to provide the third operation power to the at least one motherboard 24 . fig5 is a schematic view of a server system according to fourth embodiment of the present invention . fig5 illustrates the power supply module 21 , energy - storing module 22 , charge control module 233 , and the connection relationship therebetween . other components and connection relationship of the server system are shown in fig2 . the charge control module 233 is electrically coupled to the power supply module 21 and the energy - storing module 22 for controlling the charging procedure . in this case , the charge control module 233 includes an over - current protection unit 52 , a voltage - detecting unit 54 , a third switch unit 56 and a power control chip 58 . the over - current protection unit 52 is electrically coupled to the power supply module 21 for detecting the current magnitude transmitted from the power supply module 21 and for sending the detecting result to the power control chip 58 which is one of control parameters for turning on the third switch unit 56 . the voltage - detecting unit 54 is electrically coupled to the power supply module 21 for detecting the over - voltage ( ov ) and the under - voltage ( uv ) statuses of the power supply module 21 and for sending the detecting result to the power control chip 58 which is one of control parameters for turning on the third switch unit 56 . the third switch unit 56 is electrically coupled to the over - current protection unit 52 and the energy - storing module 22 . the power control chip 58 is electrically coupled to the over - current protection unit 52 , voltage - detecting unit 54 , third switch unit 56 and the energy - storing module 22 . based on at least one of the detected current magnitude of over - current protection unit 52 , the over - voltage and the under - voltage statuses of the voltage - detecting unit 54 and feedback information of the energy - storing module 22 , the third switch unit 56 is controlled to be activated or inactivated so that the power supply module 21 enables or disables the charging procedure of the energy - storing module 22 . in one embodiment , the third switch unit 56 is composed of transistors . the power control chip 58 controls the third switch unit 56 to be activated or inactivated for turning on / off the charging power transmitted from the power supply module 21 to the energy - storing module 22 . in one embodiment , the charge control module 233 further includes a management information unit 57 where the dashed line represents the optional component . the management information unit 57 is electrically coupled to the power control chip 58 for sending the status information and controlling the power control chip 58 based on the received information . for example , the management information unit 57 employs the i 2 c ( inter - integrated circuit ) protocol including serial clock line ( scl ) and serial data line ( sda ) and system management bus ( smbus ) protocol for sending the status information and controlling the power control chip 58 based on the received information . in one embodiment , the charge control module 233 further includes an enabling signal unit 59 where the dashed line represents the optional component . the enabling signal unit 59 is electrically coupled to the power control chip 58 for controlling the power control chip 58 to be activated or activated wherein the enabling signal unit 59 is controlled by external signal . in first embodiment , the resistor is pulled up to the high level signal or pulled down to low level signal to activate the power control chip 58 . in second embodiment , the enabling signal unit 59 controls the power supply of the power control chip 58 to be activated or inactivated . in third embodiment , the power control chip 58 controls itself power supply based on state information . in one case , when the enabling signal unit 59 activates the power control chip 58 , the power control chip 58 controls the third switch unit 56 to be activated so that the power supply module 21 charges the energy - storing module 22 if the over - current protection unit 52 detects no current magnitude , the voltage - detecting unit 54 detects no over - voltage and under - voltage statuses , and the energy - storing module 22 detects no feedback information of over - charging status . fig6 is a schematic view of a cluster system according to one embodiment of the present invention . the cluster system includes a plurality of server nodes 62 and at least one storage server 64 . the at least one storage server 64 is electrically coupled to the server nodes 62 . each server node 62 includes a power supply module 621 , an energy - storing module 622 , a power management module 623 and at least one motherboard 624 . the power supply module 621 provides a first operation power and the energy - storing module 622 provides a stored power . the power management module 623 electrically coupled to power supply module 621 and energy - storing module 622 receives first operation power and provides a second operation power , or receives the stored power and provides a third operation power . the at least one motherboard 624 includes at least one internal memory module 625 for storing memory data . the at least one motherboard 624 receives the second operation power or third operation power wherein the energy - storing module 622 may be supercapacitor , i . e . electrochemical capacitors or storage battery set . when the server node 62 operates normally , the power management module 623 transforms the received first operation power into the second operation power to be provided to the at least one motherboard 624 . when the server node is powered off abnormally , the power management module 623 instantly changes the received first operation power to the stored power and transforms the stored power into third operation power . the third operation power is provided for a time interval “ t ”. during the time interval “ t ”, a data backup module 627 installed in the operating system ( os ) 626 is used to backup the data of internal memory module 625 and the operation tasks to the storage server 64 . meanwhile , the data backup module 627 interrupts the electrical connection between the energy - storing module 622 and the power management module 623 . a data restoring module 628 in the os 626 of another server node 62 receives and loads the backup data in the internal memory module 625 of the storage server 64 and the operation tasks . the another server node 62 continuously operates at the status when the server node 62 is powered off abnormal so that the application program executed in the cluster system is taken over seamlessly . the data backup module 627 is implemented by software program to backup the data and operation tasks . the data restoring module 628 is implemented by software program to take over and load the backup data . in the present invention , when the application program executed in one server of the cluster system malfunctions due to power failure , another application program in another server is capable of taking over the data in relative storage of the one server so that the function of application program in the one server works normally . conventionally , the taking over procedure includes three steps of detecting and confirming the application program malfunction , restarting the application program by the backup server , and taking over the data in the relative storage region . in this case , it takes a long time to re - execute the another application program , which depends on the execution scale of the application program . in the server system and the cluster system of the present invention , the backup server instantly takes over the data and operation tasks of the malfunction server and it is not required to load the application program again so that the application program executed in the cluster system is taken over seamlessly . as is understood by a person skilled in the art , the foregoing preferred embodiments of the present invention are illustrative rather than limiting of the present invention . it is intended that they cover various modifications and similar arrangements be included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims , the scope of which should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar structure .

a server system and cluster system using the same . the server system includes power supply module for providing first operation power , an energy - storing module for providing a stored power , power management module coupled to power supply module and energy - storing module for receiving first operation power and providing a second operation power , or for receiving the stored power and providing a third operation power , at least one motherboard having internal memory module for receiving second operation power or third operation power , and an external memory module coupled to the at least one motherboard . the present invention retains the data in the memory and the operating messages while a power failure occurs suddenly in the server so that server system is capable of restoring the data and the operating messages before the power failure to simplify the system and reduce the cost .

the present embodiment consists of a means for dialyzing species in microchannel devices that is based on the species &# 39 ; size . utility is achieved by polymerizing a thin porous polymer membrane across a channel intersection within the microchannel device . a membrane of about 0 . 5 μm to about 20 μm in thickness can be used for this purpose . because the shape and thickness of the membrane is controlled primarily by a uv light beam used to initiate a polymerization reaction in a solution contained within a microchannel , control of the excitation light beam focus and collimation can be used to control the membrane thickness . the thickness of the membrane is also negatively effected by photo - initiated radical diffusion , solvent - phase polymer diffusion , and bulk fluid motion within the fluid microchannel . these factors can be controlled by eliminating bulk fluid flow before initiating polymerization , and by the incorporation of polymerization inhibitors to minimize radical diffusion . in preparing the desired membrane , various monomers and solvents may be chosen to provide a polymerized membrane having a specific distribution of pore size and one which incorporates specific molecules into the membrane that impart a specific property to the membrane and therefore to the membrane pore structure . such membranes , therefore , can be adapted or “ engineered ” to pass molecules having a specific size or having a specific protein molecular weight cutoff ( as measured in dalton units ). moreover the choice of monomer / solvent combinations can be used to dictate polymer properties such as ( i ) pore size ; ( ii ) mechanical strength , which can be enhanced by using high polymer cross - linking density ( using for example , 1 % to 100 % of polyfunctional acrylates such as pentaerythritol triacrylate , polyfunctional methacrylate , such as 1 , 3 butanediol dimethacrylate , or polyfunctional acrylamide , such as methylene bisacrylamide ); ( iii ) hydrophobicity / hydrophilicity , which can be controlled through the choice of monomers , e . g ., ethylene glycol diacrylate , or zwitterionic molecules , for hydrophilicity , and alkyl - acrylates for hydrophobicity ; and ( iv ) polymer charge , which can be controlled through incorporation of charged monomers into the membrane , such as for example , [ 2 -( acryloyloxy ) ethyl ] ammonium methyl sulfate salt ( moe ) for positive charge , 2 - acrylamido - 2 - methyl - 1 - propanesulfonic acid ( amps ) for negative charge . of all of these properties , however , pore size is most common and most important . by utilizing carefully chosen appropriate combinations of monomers and solvents such as are shown in table 1 , pore sizes may be adjusted from small to large in the dialysis membrane . in particular , for a given concentration of solute , solvents that are characterized as “ strong ” with respect to the solute monomer provide for a smaller average pore size upon polymerization , while solvents characterized as “ weak ” provide for a larger average pore size . utilizing a monomer such as spe ( n , n - dimethyl - n -( 2 methacryloyl oxyethyl )- n -( 3 sulfopropyl ) ammonium betaine ) and a solvent such as water , an average pose sizes of 1 nm to 3 nm is achieved , while a monomer such as pentaerythritol triacrylate with a solvent such as 1 - propanol , the measured pore size is about 30 nm . this embodiment of the invention allows for two or more liquids ( one sample liquid and one or more perfusion liquids ) to be brought into contact on a microfluidic chip separated only by a thin ( 0 . 5 μm - 100 μm ) photopatterned porous polymer membrane ; concentration gradient - driven diffusion will cause those molecules whose size is smaller than the membrane pore size to be transported from sample through the membrane to the perfusion liquids . implementing this in a microfluidic chip format allows molecules having a size range of interest to be transported to analysis channels ( e . g ., chemical separation ), to reaction zones ( labeling , enzymatic ), or to off - chip sites for mass spectrometry . a variety of geometries may be used to implement on - chip dialysis , including co - flow and counter - flow operation , single - and multiple - membrane configuration , straight and tortuous path configuration , and both single - pass and recirculating configurations . in particular , fig5 illustrates an example of a counter - flow geometry wherein the dialysis is 1 cm in length . standard glass microchips having conventional cross - shaped channels were obtained from micralyne ; chemicals were obtained from aldrich and used as received . in order to facilitate bonding between the glass surfaces within the channels and the polymer membrane , the glass surfaces within the microchannels were first exposed to a 2 : 2 : 1 ( by volume ) mixture of water , glacial acetic acid , and 3 -( trimethoxysilylpropyl ) acrylate for a period of 30 minutes , covalently linking the silane to the wall and exposing the acrylate group for polymerization . following surface treatment , the microchannels are filled with a monomer / solvent / photo - initiator solution comprising the following formulation . a monomer mixture consisting of 95 % ( by weight ) of spe ( n , n - dimethyl - n -( 2 methacryloyl oxyethyl )- n -( 3 sulfopropyl ) ammonium betaine ) cross - linked with 5 % ( by weight ) n , n ′- methylene bisacrylamide is prepared . the monomer mixture is subsequently incorporated into a quantity of water to yield a 40 : 60 monomer : solvent solution and includes 0 %- 30 % ( by weight ) of an organic additive to help control pore size and a small amount of a buffer solution to control the ph of the solution mixture . in the present formulation , the organic additive was about 2 % ( by weight ) 2 - methoxyethanol , although c1 - c3 alcohols or acetonitrile could be used also ) and the buffer solution was about a 2 % ( by weight ) 10 mm concentration of a phosphate buffer solution to maintain the monomer / solvent solution mixture at a ph of 5 . 5 . lastly , a small quantity of a commercial grade photo - initiator is added to the monomer / solvent solution mixture to render the solution sensitive to uv light exposure . in the present case , the photo - initiator was 2 , 2 ′- azobis ( 2 - methylpropionamide ) dihydrochloride , purchased from wako chemicals usa , inc ., a division of wako pure chemical industries , ltd ., osaka , japan , under the trade name of v - 50 ®. this material is added to the monomer / solvent solution in concentrations of generally about 10 mg / ml of the monomer solution and complete the polymerizable solution formulation used to create the dialysis membrane of the present invention . the other monomer / solvent solution mixture formulations are , of course , possible , including each of those listed in table 1 . other photo - initiators are also possible , particularly [ 2 , 2 ′- azobis - isobutyronitrile ], also known as aibn or v - 40 ®, again purchased from wako chemicals usa , inc . however , the formulation recited above is preferred for practicing dialysis as described herein . after preparing the interior surfaces of the microchannel system and filling it with the single phase monomer / solvent solution the intersection region of the microchannels was then exposed to a focused , collimated beam of uv laser light , shown in fig2 . as this beam of light interacts with the single phase solution a phase - separation polymerization reaction is initiated ( and catalyzed by the presence of the photo - initiator ) within the cross - sectional region of the microchannel into which the laser light is imaged . the polymerization reaction eventually produces the desired porous membrane within the microchannel as shown schematically in fig1 . actual images of operational membranes are shown in fig3 b and 3c as well as fig4 b - 4 e . as shown in fig1 and 2 , a thin ( 4 μm - 14 μm ) porous polymer membrane is fabricated in - situ in glass micro channels by projection lithography ; shaping and focusing the 355 nm output of a 12 khz , 800 ps - pulse , 160 nj - pulse , frequency - tripled nd : yag laser into a 1 - 2 μm sheet and using this sheet to generate photo - initiated phase separation polymerization in the irradiated region . the thickness of the laser sheet was minimized by spatially filtering the focused laser output beam with a 2 μm slit and imaging the resulting diffraction pattern at ˜ 0 . 5 magnification onto the desired channel location into which the membrane is to be formed . as noted above , a related photolithography technique is described in commonly owned u . s . patent ser . no . 10 / 141 , 906 . however , this reference recites a contact photolithographic process that is inoperable in the present case . because the imaging light beam must propagate through roughly a millimeter of glass covering the embedded microchannel in which the membrane is to be formed , the incoming light is subject to degradation due to the effects of diffraction and dispersion . in order to overcome these problems the applicants have adapted projection photolithography techniques for focusing an image of the desired structure cross - section into the region of the microchannel and thus avoiding the problems of image integrity in the former technique as applied to the present embodiment . the process is described in greater detail in “ voltage - addressable on / off microvalves for high - pressure microchip separations ”, ( j . chromatography a ; 979 , pp . 147 - 154 , 2002 ), herein incorporated by reference . the final thickness of the membrane , however , is determined by factors that include more than just the optical properties of the incident laser beam sheet . the membrane thickness is also effected by diffusion of radical species , by solved - phase polymer diffusion , and by bulk fluid motion . effects of radical diffusion are reduced by retaining the natural polymerization inhibitors present in the system ( 15 ppm hydroquinone monomethyl ether , solved o 2 ); this effectively decreases the chemical lifetime and diffusion length of the radical products of photo - dissociation . laser excitation was terminated upon the onset of phase separation . phase separation was inferred from light scattering from the membrane - fluid interface . following polymerization , the system was flushed thoroughly with 1 - propanol and water to remove residual polymer / monomer / solvent material and then filled with aqueous solutions for testing . the nominal pore size of the present embodiment of porous polymer was established to be about 1 nm to about 3 nm as measured with mercury porosimetry , bet , and with sem . fig3 a - c illustrate one embodiment of the present invention . fig3 a shows a schematic of the channel configuration . the operation of the porous membrane is shown in fig3 c by filling the channel assembly on one side of the polymerized membrane with an aqueous solution of fluorescein ( mw = 0 . 33 kda , ø ≈ 1 nm ); or as shown in fig3 b with an aqueous suspension containing 200 nm , carboxylate - modified , fluorescein - impregnated latex spheres ( molecular probes ®), while filling the opposite side of each of these channel assemblies with water . both solutions were allowed to come to rest and the extent of species migration ( fluorescein or latex spheres ) across the membrane observed over a period of several minutes using 488 nm light to excite fluorescence in the fluorescein . as can be seen in fig3 c , fluorescein readily diffuses across the membrane while in fig3 b the 200 nm latex spheres do not , suggesting that the pore size cutoff for this membrane is below 200 nm since fluorescein molecules ( having a “ diameter ” that is about 1 nm ) pass freely through the membrane while the latex spheres are blocked . this observation is corroborated with sem , hg porosimetry , and bet porosimetry . a second embodiment is shown in fig4 a - f wherein the membrane , shown as element 40 diagonally separating intersecting fluid channels 41 and 42 , is subjected to a similar test as is illustrates in fig3 b and 3c . in the present case , however , the test was modified to improve the granularity of the attempt to determine the molecular weight cut - off of the spe membrane . in this case , the microchannel system was exposed to free dye ( rhodamine 560 , mw = 0 . 37 kda , ø ≈ 1 nm ) and a solution containing fitc - labeled proteins with different molecular weights . in particular , the response of insulin ( mw = 5 . 7 kda ), lactalbumin ( mw = 14 kda , ø ≈ 5 - 6 nm ), bovine serum albumin ( mw = 66 kda ), and anti - biotin ( mw = 150 kda ) in their ability to diffuse through the membrane was tested . fig4 a and 4b show the rapid permeation of the rhodamine dye through the membrane . as seen in fig4 b , at 20 seconds after its introduction the rhodamine dye has already migrated well into both arms of the fluid channels to the right of the membrane 40 . however , fig4 c and 4d show that insulin ( 5 . 7 kda ) experiences only barely measurable diffusion through the membrane , and fig4 e and 4f show that lactalbumin presents virtually no measurable diffusion across the membrane even after a residence time of over 12 minutes . the larger species , i . e ., those having mw & gt ; 14 kda , also show no diffusion and for brevity are not shown . these preliminary results , therefore , demonstrate that control of molecular weight cutoff through these porous polymer membranes is achievable by precisely engineering the constitution of water / 2 - methoxyethanol solutions . finally , because combinations of monomers and solvents may be chosen to provide specific pore size distributions ( as noted above ), those skilled in the art will realize that a dialysis device may be provided having a plurality of membranes each exhibiting a unique specific pore size which would allow for isolating particles in any specific size range for any specific application . moreover , the method described herein is applicable to many different geometries . fig2 and 3a illustrate a simple variation of the present technique wherein the membrane diagonally separates a junction made by two intersecting channels and is an example of cross - flow dialysis . fig5 illustrates a counter - flow geometry wherein the membrane divides a single channel that connects two widely separated channel junctions by interconnecting a series of intermediate spaced support posts . the geometry of fig5 has been successfully fabricated with membranes lengths of up to 1 cm . fig6 a - 6 d illustrate additional embodiments of the counter - flow geometry shown in fig5 wherein the membrane divides the separation channel 60 once , in the case of fig6 a or twice , as in the case of fig6 b . as before the dialysis structure is fabricated by interconnecting a series of intermediate spaced posts 62 which bisect fluid channel 61 with short segments 63 of the polymer membrane . it is also possible to construct a separation channel capable of selecting species having a graded series of molecular weights ( sizes ). as shown in fig6 c , wherein channel network 60 contains groups 67 and 68 of membrane segments 63 spaced out along the length of polymer membrane 69 . two groups are shown but it is obvious that more groups could be used . the structure achieves its utility for selecting particles having more than one range of molecular weights when each of the segments of a particular group of segments is fabricated with a polymer material that has a different average molecular cut - off pore size and when the groups are arranged in a logical order ( ascending or descending ) for its intended use . the particular configuration shown in fig6 c allows for molecular species with increasing molecular size to pass from the sample stream as the stream passes along the length of the membrane . while two sections are shown in fig6 c in principle any number of sections are possible . finally , as shown in fig6 d the length of the separation network of fig6 a can be increased by convoluting the fluid channel . this allows for compact structures while still allowing for sufficient dialysis length to achieve the intended separation result . it is , therefore , apparent that due to the flexibility of the present process other geometries are possible and are limited only by the routineer &# 39 ; s ability to provide the necessary lithographic tools .

laser - induced phase - separation polymerization of a porous acrylate polymer is used for in - situ fabrication of dialysis membranes inside glass microchannels . a shaped 355 nm laser beam is used to produce a porous polymer membrane with a thickness of about 15 μm , which bonds to the glass microchannel and form a semi - permeable membrane . differential permeation through a membrane formed with pentaerythritol triacrylate was observed and quantified by comparing the response of the membrane to fluorescein and fluorescently tagging 200 nm latex microspheres . differential permeation was observed and quantified by comparing the response to rhodamine 560 and lactalbumin protein in a membrane formed with spe - methylene bisacrylamide . the porous membranes illustrate the capability for the present technique to integrate sample cleanup into chip - based analysis systems .

embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings . fig1 is a diagram schematically illustrating the configuration of an automatic analyzer according to one embodiment of the present invention . the automatic analyzer according to this embodiment includes a sample rack loading unit 1 , an id reading unit 2 , a transfer line 3 , a reexamination transfer line 4 , analysis modules 5 , 6 , 7 , and 8 , a sample rack standby section 9 , a sample rack collecting unit 10 , a second reagent storing unit 100 , and an overall control computer 11 . the analysis modules 5 , 6 , 7 , and 8 and the sample rack loading unit 1 are equipped with control computers 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , and 16 , respectively . in addition , the overall control computer 11 is equipped with an operation unit 18 and a display unit 19 . the sample rack loading unit 1 is a unit used to load a plurality of sample racks , each of which holds one or more samples ( specimens ). the analysis modules 5 , 6 , 7 , and 8 are units which are capable of separately performing automatic analysis ; they are located along and detachably connected to the transfer line 3 . the transfer line 3 leads to the analysis modules 5 , 6 , 7 , and 8 through lead - in lines 20 , 21 , 22 , and 23 , respectively , so that a sample ( specimen ) can be transferred therebetween . the number of the analysis modules may be arbitrarily determined ; in this embodiment , that number is four . further , in this embodiment , all of the analysis modules are biochemical analysis modules . the analysis modules may also include a combination of a biochemical analysis module and another analysis module ( for example , an electrolyte analysis module ). each of the analysis modules 5 , 6 , 7 , and 8 is provided with a sample dispenser 30 for dispensing a sample ( specimen ) that has been transferred to the analysis module with the sample placed in a sample rack ; and a reaction vessel 31 in which the sample ( specimen ) is made to react . in addition , each of the analysis modules 5 , 6 , 7 , and 8 is further provided with a reagent dispenser 32 for dispensing a reagent into the reaction vessel 31 into which the sample has been dispensed ; and a first reagent storing unit 33 that holds a reagent cassette filled with a reagent to be dispensed into the reaction vessel 31 . in this embodiment , each of the analysis modules 5 and 6 is provided with one first reagent storing unit 33 ; each of the analysis modules 7 and 8 is provided with two first reagent storing units 33 . as above , the analysis modules can each have a single or multiple first reagent storing units 33 . the second reagent storing unit 100 is connected via a reagent transfer line 101 to the first reagent storing units 33 included in the analysis modules 5 , 6 , 7 , and 8 . however , one analysis system need not have only one second reagent storing unit 100 as above ; instead , each analysis module within the analysis system can have one second reagent storing unit 100 . alternatively , one second reagent storing unit 100 can be provided for analysis modules of the same kind such as biochemical analysis modules or electrolyte analysis modules . the second reagent storing unit 100 includes a reagent supply unit 102 to which a user supplies reagents ; and a reagent identification unit 103 for identifying the kinds of the supplied reagents . moreover , the second reagent storing unit 100 may also have the function of refrigerating the reagents so as to store them for a long period of time . when the user operates the automatic analyzer on the basis of , for example , operation set 1 used for periodic medical examinations shown in table 1 , the number of required analysis items is limited , for operation set 1 is used for periodic medical examinations . however , the number of analysis samples registered for each analysis item is large . in contrast , in operation set 2 for nighttime shown in table 1 , many analysis items need to be analyzed due to various night - time analysis requests . however , the number of samples to be analyzed is not larger than those in regular medical examinations , and the number of analysis samples to be registered is thus smaller . when analysis items and the number of analysis samples are registered as an operation set proper for each automatic analyzer operation as above , various operation modes can be supported . a method for changing the operation mode of the automatic analyzer using an operation set will be described in accordance with the process flowchart shown in fig2 . in step 201 shown in fig2 , an operation set is registered for each operation mode . each of the operation sets constitutes a combination of analysis items and analysis sample numbers for the analysis items . in step 202 shown in fig2 , an operation set is selected . reagents required for the selected operation set are then checked to identify analysis items that can be analyzed by all the reagents placed in the first reagent storing unit 33 and in the second reagent storing unit 100 and to calculate the number of tests for each of the identified analysis items . next , in step 207 of fig2 , the operation set is changed . in step 208 of fig2 , reagents are replaced between the first reagent storing unit 33 and the second reagent storing unit 100 . in step 212 of fig2 , relevant reagents are placed in the first reagent storing unit 33 ; the reagents are in agreement with the analysis items and the number of planned analyses for each of the analysis items in the operation set . hereinafter , means for selecting reagents used for the analysis operation based on an operation set is referred to as “ reagent selection means ,” in which operation set analysis items each combined with the scheduled number of analyses are registered . next , steps executed by the reagent selection means will be sequentially described in detail . registration of an operation set , which corresponds to step 201 of fig2 , will be described with reference to fig3 . an operation set name is registered in an operation set list 401 . next , an analysis item is selected from an analysis item list 402 , and the selected analysis item is then added by use of an “ add ” button 403 . unnecessary items can be selected from among analysis items registered in an operation - set item list 404 and deleted by use of a “ delete ” button 405 . radio buttons 406 for selecting a method for setting the number of tests can be used to select the manual setting mode or the automatic setting mode . in the manual setting mode , the user manually sets the number of analyses for each analysis item . after that , the settings which have been set by use of the “ add ” button 403 and the “ delete ” button 405 are fixed by use of an “ update ” button 407 . lastly , the above settings are registered by use of a “ register ” button 408 . the above settings can be cancelled by use of a “ cancel ” button 409 . here , data relating to the operation set includes analysis item names ; the number of tests ; reagent names ; data ( bar code ) used to identify reagent cassettes ; the validity dates of reagents ; and analysis logs . these are written onto recording media built into the overall control computer 11 or the control computers 12 , 13 , 14 , and 15 . this makes it possible to easily set / register an operation set and to easily control transfer of reagents . as step 202 of fig2 , how to select an operation set will be described with reference to fig4 . an operation mode required at a certain point of time is selected from all registered operation sets shown in fig3 ( this embodiment shows a case where “ normal analysis ” is selected by use of an operation - set selection combo box 501 ). a “ check placed reagents ” button 502 is then clicked to identify analysis items that can be analyzed by all reagents placed in the first reagent storing unit 33 and in the second reagent storing unit 100 , and to calculate the number of tests corresponding to each of the analysis items that can be analyzed . in step 203 shown in fig2 , the identified analysis items that can be analyzed by use of all reagents placed in the first reagent storing unit 33 and in the second reagent storing unit 100 , and the calculated number of tests corresponding to each of the analysis items that can be analyzed , both of which have been obtained according to step 202 shown in fig2 , are compared with the analysis items of the operation set selected in fig4 and the scheduled number of analyses corresponding to each of the analysis items respectively . if it is judged that reagents required for the analysis operation based on the operation set are placed , a confirmation screen as shown in fig5 is displayed in step 204 shown in fig2 . clicking a “ close ” button 601 completes the confirmation . however , as a result of the placed reagent check in step 203 shown in fig2 , if it is judged that the reagents required for the analysis operation based on the operation set are not placed , insufficient reagents are displayed as shown in fig6 . this corresponds to step 205 shown in fig2 . in the example shown in fig6 , for the analysis items specified in the selected operation set , and for the scheduled number of analyses corresponding to each of the analysis items , information is displayed in a reagent information list 701 . the displayed information includes : a name of an analysis item for which a reagent is insufficient ; the scheduled number of analyses ( a ) specified in the operation set ; the number of analyses ( b ) that can be made by use of currently placed reagents ; and the insufficient number of tests ( c ). additionally , the number of new reagents ( d ) is displayed . this is the number of additional reagents required to satisfy the scheduled number of analyses specified in the operation set when the user is required to add new reagents . the number of new reagents ( d ) enables the user to know the number of reagents that should be placed . here , as step 206 shown in fig2 , the user places the reagents in the second reagent storing unit 100 . in this case , step 206 shown in fig2 may also be omitted . more specifically , the user is allowed not to place reagents if necessary although the user knows that the reagents are insufficient . in step 207 shown in fig2 , in order to place , in the first reagent storing unit 33 , reagents required for the scheduled number of tests specified in the operation set , a “ change operation set ” button 503 shown in fig4 is clicked . as a result , in step 208 , a reagent is transferred between the first reagent storing unit and the second reagent storing unit . in this case , an insufficient reagent is transferred from the second reagent storing unit 100 to the first reagent storing unit 33 so as to enable analyses , the number of which is equivalent to the scheduled number of analyses corresponding to each analysis item registered in the specified operation set . if the first reagent storing unit 33 does not have empty space for a reagent to be placed therein , with the result that no reagent can be transferred to the first reagent storing unit 33 , a reagent , which is not required for analysis items specified in the operation set , and which is not required for the scheduled number of analyses corresponding to each of the analysis items , is transferred from the first reagent storing unit 33 to the second reagent storing unit 100 . as a result , the first reagent storing unit 33 is provided with empty space for a required reagent to be placed therein . until all reagents , which are required for the analysis items specified in the operation set , and which are required for the scheduled number of analyses corresponding to each of the analysis items , are placed in the first reagent storing unit 33 , reagents are transferred between the first reagent storing unit 33 and the second reagent storing unit 100 . hereinafter , means for , when the first reagent storing unit does not have empty space for a reagent to be placed therein , with the result that all reagents required for analysis operation based on the operation set cannot be completely transferred to the first reagent storing unit , keeping the required reagent waiting in the second reagent storing unit , and for , when the first reagent storing unit is provided with empty space for a reagent to be placed therein , making a judgment as to whether or not to transfer the reagent to the first reagent storing unit , is referred to as “ transferability judgment means ”. incidentally , when a “ cancel ” button 504 shown in fig4 is clicked , the process proceeds to a next step without checking placed reagents , and without changing the operation set . in the case of an operation set in which the scheduled number of analyses corresponding to each analysis item is large , a large number of analysis items may require that a plurality of reagents be placed in the first reagent storing unit 33 on an analysis item basis . in this case , however , in step 209 shown in fig2 , such a situation can also be thought to occur that all reagent , which are required for analysis items specified in the operation set , and which are required for the scheduled number of analyses corresponding to each of the analysis items , cannot be completely transferred to the first reagent storing unit 33 . in such a case , as step 210 shown in fig2 , when reagents which could not be transferred to the first reagent storing unit 33 are kept waiting in the second reagent storing unit 100 ; the reagents are kept waiting in the second reagent storing unit 100 with a higher priority placed on a reagent , the required number of which is two or more for an identical item , and in decreasing order of the scheduled number of analyses specified in the operation set . this enables the first reagent storing unit 33 to always contain at least one reagent required for each of the analysis items specified in the operation set . on the completion of the reagent transfer operation , in step 211 shown in fig2 , a judgment is made again as to whether or not the reagents required for the operation set are placed in the first reagent storing unit 33 and in the second reagent storing unit 100 . the user &# 39 ; s attention is then attracted . here , if it is judged that the reagents required for the operation set are placed , the placement has been completed in step 212 shown in fig2 , and a confirmation screen as shown in fig7 is displayed . clicking a “ close ” button 801 completes the confirmation . however , if it is not judged that the reagents required for the operation set are placed in the first reagent storing unit 33 and in the second reagent storing unit 100 ( for example , there is a case where although insufficient reagents are displayed in step 205 shown in fig2 , the reagents have not yet been placed in step 206 shown in fig2 ; or there is a case where although the reagents have been placed in step 206 shown in fig2 , the reagents are insufficient for the scheduled number of analyses ), then , in step 213 , information is displayed again in the reagent information list 701 as shown in fig6 . the displayed information includes : a name of an analysis item for which a reagent is insufficient ; the scheduled number of analyses ( a ) specified in the operation set ; the number of analyses ( b ) that can be made by currently placed reagents ; the number of insufficient tests ( c ); and the number of new reagents ( d ) required when new reagents are placed . when analysis is started in step 214 shown in fig2 , a reagent which cannot be used for the analysis may occur for some reasons ( for example , the validity time is expired ) in step 215 shown in fig2 , a judgment is made as to whether or not the second reagent storing unit 100 contains a reagent to be transferred to the first reagent storing unit 33 . if it is judged that the second reagent storing unit 100 contains a reagent to be transferred to the first reagent storing unit 33 , a judgment is made in step 216 in fig2 as to whether or not the first reagent storing unit 33 has empty space for a reagent to be placed therein , or whether or not the first reagent storing unit 33 has an area in which a reagent which cannot be used for the analysis is placed . if it is judged to be “ yes ” in step 216 , a reagent kept waiting in the second reagent storing unit 100 is transferred to the empty space or the area in question in step 217 shown in fig2 . in contrast , if it is judged that the first reagent storing unit 33 has empty space for a reagent to be placed therein , or it is judged that the first reagent storing unit 33 has an area in which a reagent which cannot be used for the analysis is placed , then in step 218 , a reagent required for the analysis is transferred to the first reagent storing unit by replacing the reagent which cannot be used for the analysis or a reagent excessively stored in the first reagent storing unit with the reagent kept waiting in the second reagent storing unit 100 . as described above , each reagent kept waiting in the second reagent storing unit 100 is transferred to the first reagent storing unit 33 every time the first reagent storing unit 33 is provided with empty space for a reagent to be placed therein . as a result , even in the case of an operation set in which the scheduled number of analyses corresponding to each analysis item is large ( for example , an operation set used for multi - sample analysis ), analyses can be continued by use of reagents prepared before the start of the analyses . in step 201 shown in fig2 , when the scheduled number of analyses to be specified in the operation set is determined , if “ automatic ” is selected , the user is prompted to specify the day of the week and the time at which analysis will be started , and the day of the week and the time at which the analysis will be ended . accordingly , the scheduled number of analyses corresponding to each analysis item , which are to be made within the specified period of time , is automatically determined on the basis of the number of analyses corresponding to each analysis item recorded as past analysis recording . the number of analyses corresponding to each analysis item within a specified past period of time can be calculated by recording the number of analyses as the analysis recording with the number of analyses linked with information including the measurement date and time of each analysis item , and the kind of examination . hereinafter , the means for automatically determining the scheduled number of analyses corresponding to each analysis item defined in the operation set on the basis of the number of analyses corresponding to each analysis item recorded as the past analysis recording is referred to as “ scheduled - number - of - analyses automatic determination means ”. as an example of a method for automatically determining the scheduled number of analyses , for example , if a period of time is specified at the time of registering an operation set , the average number of analyses corresponding to each analysis item , which have been made within the same time range in the past corresponding to the specified period of time , is automatically determined as the scheduled number of analyses for the specified period of time . the above method will be described with reference to table 2 . when a period of time during which analyses are made , and an analysis item , are specified ( in table 2 , a time range from monday 9 : 00 to monday 17 : 00 is specified as the period of time ; and ast is specified as the analysis item ), analysis recording covering analyses of the specified analysis item made during the specified period of time is extracted from the past analysis recording to calculate the number of analyses for the specified period of time ( table 2 shows the number of analyses measured within the specified period of time on a week basis ). therefore , the average number of analyses measured within the same time range in the past is determined as the scheduled number of analyses for the specified period of time . as another example of the method for automatically determining the scheduled number of analyses , for example , if a period of time is specified at the time of registering an operation set , the maximum number of analyses which have been made within the same time range in the past is automatically determined as the scheduled number of analyses for the specified period of time . in this case , even if requests for analysis accidentally increases , it is possible to minimize the possibility that insufficient reagent will occur . in the above - described embodiments , the above processes can be automatically executed by recording a program for instructing a computer to function as the above means , or a program for instructing the computer to execute the above processes , in a computer - readable storage medium that is built into the overall control computer 11 or the control computers 12 , 13 , 14 , and 15 .

disclosed herein is an automatic analyzer that is capable of reducing a user &# 39 ; s workload required when a reagent is placed , and thereby facilitating change of the operation mode of the automatic analyzer . an automatic analyzer comprises : a reaction unit including a plurality of vessels ; a first reagent storing unit that is capable of storing a plurality of reagent cassettes ; a sample dispenser for dispensing a sample into the reaction unit ; a reagent dispenser for dispensing a reagent corresponding to an analysis item from the first reagent storing unit into the reaction unit ; a second reagent storing unit that is capable of storing a plurality of reagent cassettes ; and reagent cassette transfer means that is capable of transferring a reagent between the first reagent storing unit and the second reagent storing unit , the automatic analyzer further comprising reagent selection means for selecting a reagent to be used for analysis operation based an operation set , wherein the operation set specifies a combination of an analysis item and the scheduled number of analyses corresponding to the analysis item .

referring now to the drawings , there is illustrated in fig1 a block diagram of a system 100 for producing an intimate emulsion of water in oil at the point of combustion , wherein like numerals represent like parts throughout the several views . the system 100 may be in the form a real time in - line fuel - water emulsion system . although the system may be in other forms , it may be in the form of a hydrosonic system , wherein the flow of liquid creates cavitation and sound . the system 100 may be comprised of a fuel supply 110 , a water supply 120 , a fuel and water mixing junction 126 , a reactor or emulsion apparatus 150 , which may be near a point of combustion 190 . in addition , the system 100 may comprise an emulsified fuel circulating loop 170 , which may include a high pressure side 171 , a valve or solenoid valve ( not shown ), and a low pressure side 173 . the system 100 may produce an emulsion 160 comprising oil 161 and water 163 . in particular , an emulsified fuel 160 may be formed from water droplets 163 in fuel oil 162 . the viscosity of the emulsified fuel 160 may be changed by introducing an atom , a molecule , or a particle at the center of the water droplets 163 , so as to form a three layer emulsified fuel , wherein the atom , molecule , or particle is surrounded by water 163 , which in turn is surrounded by fuel oil 162 to form a three layer emulsified fuel . for example , the introduction of a carbon atom may form a three layer hydrocarbon emulsified fuel . in fig2 , there is illustrated a schematic diagram of a system 200 comprising a fuel line 210 connected to a fuel supply , a fuel filter 212 , a fuel return 214 , a fuel metering valve 215 , a fuel diverter 216 , a fuel inlet valve 218 , a water line 220 connected to a water supply , a shut off valve 222 , a metering valve 225 . the fuel line 210 and the water line 220 may be connected to a mixing junction 226 ( e . g ., a tee junction ), which may be connected to a pump 230 and a reactor or emulsion apparatus 250 , which may be interfaced or connected with the fuel line 210 . additionally , the system 200 may comprise an emulsion circulating loop 270 having a high pressure side 271 , a low pressure side 273 , one or more static mixers 272 ( which may be optional ), a pressure bypass valve 279 and an emulsion delivery to combustion valve 274 . the system 200 may further comprise an emulsion return line 275 connected to a load ( e . g ., an engine , a boiler , turbine , furnace or other device ), a fuel return emulsion isolation valve 276 , an emulsion feed or combustion line 277 connected to the load , and an emulsion return valve 278 connected to the low pressure side 273 of the emulsion circulation loop 270 . when the fuel diverter 216 is closed and the valve 218 is opened , fuel flows through the metering device 215 , which may be controlled electronically or simply allowed to flow according to the demands of the load . water may be introduced via the water line 220 through the shut off valve 222 to the metering device 225 . this may be done proportionately . fuel and water , thus proportioned , may converge at the mixing junction 226 and may be delivered to the pump 230 . the pump 230 may pressurize and deliver the fuel and water mixture to the emulsion apparatus 250 where the fuel and water mixture may be constituted as an emulsion . from the emulsion apparatus 250 , the emulsion may enter the emulsion circulating loop 270 on the high - pressure side 271 of the emulsion circulating loop 270 and through the static mixer 272 and the pressure bypass valve 279 , which may maintain a desired delivery pressure through the emulsion to combustion line 277 via the fuel line 210 . the greater part of the emulsified fuel may be returned by the pressure bypass valve 279 to the low - pressure side 273 of the emulsion circulation loop 270 to the pump 230 to maintain stability of the emulsion in the emulsion circulation loop 270 , where the emulsion may be in a constant circulation at a rate that may be greater than the consumption rate of the load . the static mixers 272 may be desirable if the emulsion circulation loop 270 is sufficiently long . the emulsion that has been consumed may be constantly replenished by the proportioned mixture of fuel and water . the fuel return line 214 may be isolated from the main fuel supply by the fuel return emulsion isolation valve 276 , which when closed , may divert returned emulsion back to the low pressure side 273 of the emulsion circulation loop 270 to be maintained along with other unconsumed emulsion . the system 200 may be installed in parallel with an existing conventional fuel ( e . g ., a non - emulsified fuel ) delivery system in order to facilitate rapid changeover between the emulsion and the existing conventional fuel supply . the reasons for the dual parallel system are to flush the injector pump , the fuel delivery pump , and the fuel line to avoid contamination by water when the emulsion separates during extended shut down , and to avoid interruption of service during maintenance by incorporating certain redundancy . since the existing conventional fuel delivery system is still intact and the fuel - water emulsion system is in parallel and simply interrupts the existing conventional fuel supply and the return lines , the change over between the fuel - water emulsion and the existing conventional fuel supply may be accomplished easily as follows . during the emulsion mode of operation , the fuel inlet valve 218 , the metering valve 222 , and the emulsion return valve 278 are open . the fuel diverter valve 216 and the fuel return emulsion isolation valve 276 are closed . during conventional fuel mode , the fuel inlet valve 218 , the metering valve 222 , and the emulsion return valve 278 are closed and the fuel diverter valve 216 and the fuel return emulsion isolation valve 276 are open . the changeover from conventional fuel to emulsion fuel may be automated by using solenoids or other equivalent automation for controlling the valves 216 , 218 , 222 , 276 and 278 , instead of using the manual valves . the operation of the system 200 is described as follows . as the diverter valve 216 is closed and the fuel inlet valve 218 is opened , fuel flows through metering fuel device 215 , which may be controlled electronically or simply allowed to flow according to the demands of the load . water ( e . g ., tap water ) is introduced through the water line 220 through the shut off valve 222 to the metering valve 225 proportionately . the fuel and water , thus proportioned , converge at fuel and water mixing junction 226 and are delivered to the pump 230 to be pressurized and delivered to the reactor or emulsion apparatus 250 , where they are comprise an emulsion . from the emulsion apparatus 250 , the emulsion may enter the emulsion circulating loop 270 on high - pressure side 271 and through an optional static mixer 272 and pressure bypass valve 279 , which maintains the desired delivery pressure through emulsion to the combustion line 277 via the fuel line 210 . the greater part of the emulsified fuel is returned by the pressure bypass valve 279 to the low - pressure side 273 of the emulsion circulating loop 270 to the pump 230 to maintain stability of the emulsion in the emulsion circulating loop 270 , where it is in constant circulation at a rate greater than the consumption rate of the load . the static mixers 272 may be desirable if the emulsion circulating loop 270 is sufficiently long . the emulsion that has been consumed is constantly replenished by the proportional fuel and water supply . the fuel return line 214 is isolated from the fuel supply by the isolation valve 276 , which when closed , diverts returned emulsion back to the low pressure side 272 of the emulsion circulating loop 270 to be maintained along with the rest of the unconsumed emulsion . in fig3 there is illustrated a schematic diagram of a system 300 of this invention comprising a fuel line 310 , a fuel filter 312 , a fuel return 314 , a fuel metering valve 315 , a fuel diverter 316 , a fuel inlet valve 318 , a having a water line 320 having a shut off valve 322 and a metering valve 325 , a fuel water mixing junction 326 , a pump 330 , a reactor , such as the hydrosonic emulsion apparatus 350 , an existing fuel supply 360 , an emulsion circulating loop 370 , having a high pressure side 371 , a low pressure side 373 , one or more static mixers 372 , an emulsion delivery to combustion valve 374 , an emulsion return line 375 connected to a load , a fuel return emulsion isolation valve 376 , an emulsion combustion line 377 connected to the load , and an emulsion return valve 378 connect to the low pressure side 373 of the emulsion circulation loop 370 . fig3 also illustrates an open loop 370 , which may incorporate a float switch 368 in a production tank 369 . the float switch 368 may activate the fuel inlet valve 318 and the shut off valve 322 simultaneously ( e . g ., by solenoid or other suitable device ) in order to replenish the emulsion production tank 369 and emulsion circulating loop 370 at a substantially constant and proportional rate of flow . in fig4 , there is illustrated a cross - section of an exemplary reactor or emulsion apparatus 400 suitable for use in the systems 200 , 300 described above . the emulsion apparatus 400 may include a housing or casing 450 , an inlet 460 , an orifice 462 , an inlet end - cap 463 a , an outlet end - cap 463 b , an anvil 464 , a threaded or partially threaded shaft 465 , a spring 466 encased within the anvil 464 , an external adjustment 467 , an o - ring seal 468 , and an outlet 469 . fuel and water entering the inlet 460 may pass through the orifice 462 and impinge on the anvil 464 to create a substantially constant cavitation along the trailing surface of the anvil 464 sufficient to emulsify the water in the fuel . the emulsion may exit through the outlet 469 directly to the load via the emulsion loop . the anvil 464 may be attached on the threaded shaft 465 , which may or may not carry the o - ring 468 . the threaded shaft 465 may allow for adjustment in the compression of the spring 466 by means of a stop - nut 474 threadably engageable with a threaded shaft 480 in an end cap of the casing 450 . the shaft 480 is provided with a seal 479 . pressure , amplitude and frequency may be adjusted externally by the external adjustment 467 in order to obtain optimum cavitation . the anvil 464 does not vibrate on the spring 466 but rather the velocity of the liquid and pressure drop across the face combined with the shape of the anvil 464 creates a substantially constant cavitation , which may roll down the trailing surface of the anvil 464 . the spring 466 may maintain a constant pressure between the anvil 464 and inlet orifice 462 and act as a pressure relief in case blockage occurs . an exemplary process for assembling the reactor or emulsion apparatus 400 may comprise one or more steps selected from the group comprised of providing or machining a substantially cylindrical anvil having an opening near a working surface , adding an o - ring seal inside the opening in the anvil near the working surface , providing or machining a shaft that is at least partially threaded , installing a spring stop or adjustable nut on the threaded shaft , sliding a spring onto the threaded shaft , sliding the anvil over the threaded shaft and the spring , encasing the spring with the anvil , sealing the anvil and shaft with the o - ring , encasing the anvil in a chamber , providing an emulsion outlet port from the chamber , installing a threaded end of the threaded shaft in an outlet side of the chamber , providing or machining a low pressure side outlet end cap with a threaded hole , installing the end cap on the shaft at a low pressure side of the chamber , providing or machining a high pressure side inlet end cap with an inlet orifice machined to match the working surface of the anvil , installing the high pressure side inlet end cap onto the other end or a high pressure side of the chamber , connecting the inlet orifice to a pump discharge , and connecting the outlet port to an emulsion circulating loop . in fig5 a - 5c , there is illustrated a compact self - contained emulsion system 500 , which may be particularly suitable for smaller emulsion applications . the system 500 may be comprised to a fuel inlet 510 , a fuel return 514 , a water inlet 520 , a housing or casing 550 , an emulsion outlet 571 , an emulsion return 572 , and a pump pulley or other suitable pump drive 590 , which may be connected to the load . the pump may be electrical , hydraulic or magnetic . besides being compact and self - contained , the emulsion system 500 may be powered by the load on which it is installed . the system 500 may combine the pump 230 , 330 and the reactor or emulsion apparatus 250 , 350 in the housing 550 . the emulsion outlet 571 and the emulsion return 572 may respectively form the high pressure side and the low pressure side of an emulsion circulating loop . in fig6 a - 6b , there are illustrated cross - sections of a reactor or emulsion apparatus 600 suitable for use in the systems 200 , 300 described above . the apparatus 600 may be in the form of a piezoelectrically driven unit comprising an emulsifying chamber with an adjustable anvil or working surface 664 . the apparatus 600 may be comprised of a fuel inlet 610 , an adjustable fuel control valve 615 , a water inlet 620 , an adjustable water control valve 625 , a body or casing 650 , an emulsion outlet 661 , an adjustable anvil or working surface 664 , an external anvil adjustment 667 , an adjustment lock and seal 668 ( e . g ., a locking and sealing nut ), an emulsion return 675 , a mixing or emulsifying chamber 680 , an o - ring seal 682 , and an ultrasonic piezoelectric probe 685 ( e . g ., acoustic type probe ). this configuration may not require its own pressure pump , as it may be driven by the existing conventional fuel delivery system pump . in fig6 a , there is illustrated a side cross - section of the emulsion apparatus 600 taken along the line a - a in fig6 b , showing the fuel return 675 , the emulsion outlet 661 , and adjustable anvil or working surface 664 , the anvil adjustment 667 and adjustment lock and seal 668 , which together enable adjustment of the emulsifying chamber 680 . the piezoelectrically driven probe 685 may work against the adjustable anvil 664 , creating cavitation within the fuel and water sufficient to form a homogenous emulsion . the probe 685 may be sealed within the casing 650 by the o - ring seal 682 at its nodal point . in fig6 b , there is illustrated a top cross - section taken along the line b - b in fig6 a , showing the fuel inlet 610 controlled by the adjustable fuel control valve 615 and the water inlet 620 controlled by the adjustable water control valve 625 , the emulsion outlet 661 connected to the load , the emulsion return port 675 , and the anvil working surface 664 . a process for emulsifying fuel - water in accordance with any one of the system above may comprise one or more steps selected from the group comprised of diverting and metering and controlling a fuel line into an inlet , delivering metering and controlling water into the inlet resulting in proportioned mixture of fuel and water , pumping the proportioned mixture into an emulsion apparatus via a pump , impinging the mixture across an anvil causing cavitation which in turn results in emulsification of water - in - fuel . the method may further comprise the steps of circulating the water - in - fuel emulsion into an emulsion circulating loop in series with the pump and the emulsion apparatus , delivering the water - in - fuel emulsion to a load ( e . g ., an engine , a boiler , a turbine , furnace , or other device ), isolating a fuel supply return from the emulsion circulating loop , re - circulating and reprocessing any unused emulsion through the pump into the emulsion circulating loop in series with the emulsion apparatus . in fig7 a - 7b , there is illustrated a compact self contained piezoelectrically driven fuel - water emulsion injector system 700 , which may atomize and deliver emulsified fuel directly to a load , such as an engine combustion chamber 790 . the system 700 may be comprised of a fuel inlet 710 , a water inlet 720 , a piezoelectric metering valve 715 , a check valve 716 , a piezoelectrically driven ultrasonic injector tip 728 , a cup 730 formed , machined or otherwise integrated into a casing , housing or body 750 , an o - ring seal 782 , and an ultrasonic or piezo - electric crystal stack probe 785 . the combustion chamber 790 may be comprised of a cylinder head 792 , a cylinder wall 794 , a piston 796 , and a connecting rod 798 . the system 700 may include a configuration for the injection and atomization of fuel at low pressure and varying viscosities and volumes , via the piezo - electrically driven ultrasonic injector tip 728 , directly to the combustion chamber 790 . in fig7 a , there is illustrated a side view of the injector system 700 installed in relation to the combustion chamber . the piezo electric probe 785 of the injector system 700 vibrates the tip 728 . a vibration of approximately 20 , 000 cycles per second may emulsify the fuel - water mixture delivered through the fuel inlet 710 and the water inlet 720 through the check valve 716 to the cup 730 where the fuel and the water are simultaneously emulsified and atomized directly into the combustion chamber . the cup 730 may be formed in the body 750 and the probe 785 may be sealed within the body 750 by the o - ring 782 at the nodal point of the probe 785 . the cup 730 may be formed so as to protrude directly into combustion chamber 790 and the cylinder head 792 in the place of a conventional injector . due to more complete combustion , less carbon is built up and less wear and tear is experienced by the piston 796 and the cylinder wall 794 . the connecting rod 798 is illustrated in the interest of clarity . in fig7 b there is illustrated an enlarged view of detail b shown in fig7 a , showing the cup 730 formed into the injector body 750 , although it may be otherwise formed in the injector or the atomizing tip 728 . in diesel engine practice , the high injection pressures may necessitate very precise pumps and in order to atomize the fuel at a very high pressure . the injector system 700 may use low injection pressures and a method of atomization that would allow a wide range of fuel to be used . for instance , distillates , residuals , emulsions and slurries could all be used with equal facility . in fig8 , there is illustrated an emulsion fuel system 800 , similar to system 200 , utilizing three - way valves and a secondary bypass 803 in order to avoid any unburned emulsion returning to fuel supply 802 . the three - way valves replace the two - way valves 270 , 278 in the system 200 . the operation of the system 800 may be similar to the system 200 , except upon shutdown . when shutdown , the valves 817 , 879 are returned to the fuel position . a diverter valve 804 diverts returning emulsion in the fuel to a return line 814 . the system may be controlled automatically , for example , by a simple microprocessor , to the combustion device 803 via line 805 , which may be connected to the fuel inlet line 810 for a time sufficient for all emulsion to be consumed by the combustion device 803 , at which time the diverter valve 804 may return to the fuel position . this can be accomplished , for example , with the following logic . the load ( e . g ., the combustion device 803 ) starts . the emulsion unit 801 starts . the three - way valves 817 , 879 , 804 are in the fuel position . load running reactor pressure is achieved . the valves 817 , 879 , 804 switch to emulsion position , diverting fuel in line 810 through the emulsion unit 801 and isolating the fuel supply 802 from return line 814 . at this stage , the load 803 is running on emulsion . to shut down , the emulsion unit 801 shuts down . the three - way valves 817 , 879 return to the fuel position . the diverter valve 804 continues to divert the return line 814 back to load via the bypass 805 until all emulsion has been consumed and replaced by pure fuel entering the fuel inlet line 810 directly from fuel supply 802 . when all emulsion has been consumed , the diverter valve 804 returns to the fuel position and combustion device 803 shuts down . in hot weather conditions , the microprocessor may sense a predetermined temperature and diverts emulsion return line 873 through a heat exchanger ( not shown ). if fuel temperature reaches an unacceptable level , either hot or cold , the system reverts to regular fuel operation . in cold weather , system is heated by engines existing cooling system . the microprocessor will not allow the system to operate until a predetermined temperature has been reached . in fig9 , there is illustrated a cross - section of a reactor or emulsion apparatus 900 similar to the reactor 400 , without a spring and including a closed anvil 964 , eliminating the need for an o - ring seal , which may be used in the systems 200 , 300 , 800 , as well as other processing applications . the reactor 900 may include a tubular housing or casing 950 , an inlet 960 , an orifice 962 , an inlet end cap 963 a , an outlet end cap 963 b , a stationary anvil 964 with a cone - shaped end creating orifice 962 , and a lip 967 . the anvil 964 may be supported by a threaded rod 965 . the orifice 962 may be adjusted by means of external adjustment 967 . the seal 978 may prevent leakage between threaded rod 965 and end cap 963 b . one or more miscible or immiscible liquids or solids may pass through the orifice 962 . the orifice 962 may cone - shaped with an angle corresponding to the angle of a cone - shaped anvil 964 . the liquids or solids accelerate along the anvil 964 and around the lip 967 . this may create a pressure drop , which may create cavitation along trailing surface of the anvil 964 sufficient to create an emulsion or breakdown of solids within the liquid . the area of the space between the anvil 964 and the casing 950 may be at least as great as the area of the diameter of outlet 979 . once processed , material may exit the reactor through the outlet 979 . fig1 illustrates an emulsion fuel conversion 1000 that may be used on smaller combustion devices . a standard fuel , such as heating fuel or biodiesel , may flow through an existing fuel inlet line 1002 , which is fitted with check valve 1004 . the fuel may be mixed with water at mixing tee 1006 . the water may be introduced by means of line 1008 controlled by a solenoid valve 1010 , which may be normally closed , and check valve or back flow preventer 1014 . the water flow may be controlled by a fixed orifice or dole type flow control valve 1016 . the size of the control valve 1016 may be determined by the capacity of the combustion device . for example , if an oil burner has a one gallon per hour nozzle and 15 % emulsion is required , the control valve 1016 may be sized at 0 . 15 gallons per hour . the water thus metered may be introduced to the fuel stream at the mixing tee 1006 . the proportioned fuel - water mixture may flow into an existing pressure pump 1018 . if the flow rate of the pressure pump 1018 is greater than the burn rate of the combustion device , the mixture may be re - circulated many times . a shearing effect emulsifies the mixture . emulsified and pressurized , the emulsion fuel flows to the burner nozzle or injector 1020 . the shearing effect and pressure drop across the nozzle 1020 may serve to further reduce particle size and evenly distribute the water particles throughout the emulsion , whereupon it may be immediately combusted . the system 1000 may utilize a control 1012 , which may be connected to existing combustion device on / off controls . this may automatically open the solenoid valve 1010 after the combustion device starts and close solenoid valve 1010 a short time before combustion device stops . the ultrasonic probe 785 , in which a booster and a velocity transformer are engineered to withstand the compression pressure of a diesel engine , will atomize the fuel ultrasonically as it passes its tip , since the pressures of the fuel and the pressures in the combustion chamber are at or near equilibrium at the top of the stroke . the fine atomization and precise control afforded by this device should improve efficiency and reduce emissions . a process for emulsifying water - in - fuel may comprise one or more steps selected from the group comprised of assembling an emulsion chamber with plurality of inlet and outlet ports , diverting fuel from an existing fuel supply line to the inlet port of the emulsion chamber , introducing water from 5 % to 30 % volume with respect the fuel volume to the inlet port , cavitating the mixture in the emulsion chamber resulting in emulsification , circulating the emulsion in an emulsion circulating loop around the emulsion chamber , delivering a smaller part of the emulsion to a load on demand , re - circulating excess emulsion in the emulsion circulating loop at a rate greater than maximum demands of the load , replenishing the emulsion in the emulsion circulating loop from the emulsion chamber , and replenishing fuel and water supply at the inlet ports . the process for producing a fuel may comprise the step of delivering water and oil ( e . g ., hydrocarbon fuels , biofuels , or other fuels ) to an apparatus in the form of a reactor or emulsion apparatus , which may create sufficient substantially constant cavitation to create an emulsion without the use of chemical surfactants or emulsifiers . the emulsified fuel may be delivered directly to the burner or an injector pump , which may draw on demand , with excess emulsified fuel re - circulating back through the apparatus in a constant circulating loop at a greater rate than the maximum requirements of the load or application . the apparatus for creating cavitation may be comprised of a reactor or emulsion apparatus in which fuel and water enter an orifice and impinge on a specially shaped , spring loaded anvil , which encloses the spring so as not to interrupt the flow of cavitation bubbles . the emulsified fuel may be sent to a storage tank , which may feed the load ( e . g ., an engine , a boiler , a turbine , furnace , or other device ). if supply exceeds demand , the emulsified fuel may be re - circulated through the apparatus at reduced pressure and flow . due to the thixotropic nature of the emulsion and the cavitation effect of the apparatus , this process may also be used to reduce the viscosity of fuels in order to make the fuels more mobile . the apparatus may include a structure to agitate the fuel - water to create cavitation , which may include a chamber comprising two adjustable angled flat blades , which converge to form a flat aperture . pressurized fuel - water may cavitate along these blades due to the shape of the blades , the flow of the fuel - water through a flat aperture , and the impingement of the fuel - water on to a third adjustable flat blade , causing all three blades to vibrate , causing cavitation within the mixture to form a finely dispersed stable emulsion with reduced viscosity . the systems , apparatus and methods described above may produce an ultra fine droplet size that has a less dramatic an effect on the secondary atomization or micro explosions that may occur when the water turns to super heated steam in the combustion chamber . water droplets of ten plus microns inside a film of oil or other fuel are more effective in causing micro explosions or scattering and re - atomizing the fuel . this presents more fuel surface area for a more complete combustion , resulting in less unburned fuel which translates to reduced emissions and fuel consumption . these simple onboard or onsite apparatus may assure a constant supply of substantially uniform emulsion at the desired water and fuel ratio , water dispersion , or droplet size to the load ( e . g ., an engine , a boiler , a turbine , furnace , or other device ), which may otherwise be unstable but for the emulsion maintained in the circulating loop . it should be appreciated that the shape and size of the apparatus or system may be modified , as may the shape and size of the various components , including the anvil . additionally , the pressure across the anvil may be varied . further , the apparatus may be in the form of a hydrosonic or ultrasonic device , a colloid mill , a cavitating valve , a liquid whistle , or other suitable device that may produce cavitation or otherwise suitably change in character in a fuel - water mixture . the apparatus , system and process may be safe , secure , simple , elegant , sleek and aesthetically pleasing . they may be easy to manufacture , install , use or operate , and service or maintain . they may be efficient , affordable and cost effective . they may be long lasting and durable , and provide rugged reliability . they may have a low high mean time between failures . they may be easy to store and ship for portable applications . they may provide an alternative to costly exhaust side emissions management the apparatus , system and process may be universal in application for providing energy for all types of loads and incorporated into all types of loads , including engines , boilers , turbine , furnaces , and other devices . they may be easily scaled up or down in size . the emulsion may be operate or delivered to multiple loads . the apparatus , system and process may be user friendly so as to be suitable for a novice as well as sophisticated expert user . they may be intuitive and user transparent , such that it requires no additional training . the apparatus , system and process may mainly standard off the shelf modular parts and other components . they may be integrated in - line as an oem apparatus , system or process , or as an aftermarket or retrofit apparatus , system or process into the load environment . they may utilize existing parts , controls , modules and operating procedures , obviating any further training of the operators . they may be packaged as an integrated unobtrusive compact modular apparatus , system and method . they may be made of modular components . they may be manufactured and maintained with ease . they may be user friendly and use mainly standard off the shelf modular parts and other components . the apparatus , system and process may readily facilitate switching back and forth between a conventional fuel delivery system and an emulsified fuel system automatically so as to be operator transparent . additionally , they may facilitate an automatic switch in the case of a system failure . they may provide easy interruption free installation without substantially modifying the existing load with little down time and even zero down time in the case of redundant conventional fuel delivery systems . start - up , shutdown and emulsion flush cycles may be automated and also controlled by management system or computer of the load , or by simple timers , or by other suitable devices . water and fuel ratios may be controlled by the management system or computer of the load ( e . g ., an engine , boiler , turbine , furnace and other device ), or by real time emissions monitoring devices . the emulsion system pump may replace the existing or conventional fuel delivery system pump , which may function as redundant or back up pump . alternatively , pressure to create cavitation may be achieved by existing the fuel delivery system pump or the injector pump . in certain applications , the fuel and water may be emulsified by the fuel delivery system pump , or by an atomization device , once delivered by the emulsion circulating loop . the apparatus , system and process may provide uniform emulsification . they may provide emulsified fuel in real time on demand . they may circulate emulsified fuel in a loop at a rate greater or far greater ( e . g ., an order of magnitude ) than the demands of the load . all types of fuels , including hydrocarbon fuels ( e . g ., fossil fuels ), biofuels , and other fuels , any be emulsified by the apparatus , systems and processes . the apparatus , system and process may have the ability to adjust water ratio for special applications as balance between economy and environment . the fuel type or viscosity may be changed by introducing an atom , molecule or other equivalent particle at the center of the water droplet . other materials , such as powdered limestone , may be added to an aqueous phase to serve as a vehicle for sulfur , which may then be captured on the exhaust side . they may reduce fuel viscosity , for example , in the case of hydrocarbons , bitumen . the apparatus , system and process may use little additional energy when compared to the potential savings . they may reduce emissions , reduce fuel consumption of the load , and otherwise be environmentally friendly . they may reduce maintenance and hence reduce life cycle cost of the load . the apparatus , system and process may meet all federal , state , local and other private standards guidelines , regulations , and recommendations with respect to safety , environment , and energy consumption . they may be reliable , such that risk of failure is minimized , require little or no maintenance , and have a low mean time between failures . they may be long lasting made from durable material . they may be physically safe in a normal environment as well as in accidental situations . features and functions of the electronics and controls associated with the apparatus , systems or processes may also be modified . the apparatus , system and process may have multiple uses in a wide range of situations and circumstances . they may easily adaptable for other uses . for example , they may be adapted for use in applications , such as emulsifying food , paint , cosmetics , and the like . other changes , such as aesthetics and substitution of newer materials , as they become available , which substantially perform the same function in substantially the same manner with substantially the same result without deviating from the spirit of the invention may be made . in accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes , the principle and mode of operation of this invention have been explained and illustrated in its preferred embodiment . however , it must be understood that this invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically explained and illustrated without departing from its spirit or scope .

a water - in - fuel emulsion system comprises a reactor device , a fuel intake connected to said reactor device , a water intake connected to said reactor device , a pump connected to said reactor device , and a circulating emulsion reprocessing inline loop connected to said pump and feeding a load as needed in real time , wherein said reactor device comprises a non - vibrating anvil shaped to create cavitation sufficient to emulsify water - in - fuel from said water intake and said fuel intake .

in the general formula [ i ] or [ ii ], the transition metal atom represented by m 1 indicates a transition metal element of the group iv of the periodic table of the elements ( revised edition of iupac inorganic chemistry nomenclature 1989 ), and examples thereof include a titanium atom , a zirconium atom , a hafnium atom and the like . a titanium atom or a zirconium atom is preferable . examples of the atom of the group xvi of the periodic table of the elements indicated as a in the general formula [ i ] or [ ii ] include an oxygen atom , a sulfur atom , a selenium atom and the like , and an oxygen atom is preferable . examples of the atom of the group xiv of the periodic table of the elements indicated as j in the general formula [ i ] or [ ii ] include a carbon atom , a silicon atom , a germanium atom and the like , and a carbon atom or a silicon atom is preferable . examples of the group having a cyclopentadiene type anion skeleton indicated as the substituent group , cp 1 , include an η 5 -( substituted ) cyclopentadienyl group , an η 5 -( substituted ) indenyl group , an η 5 ( substituted ) fluorenyl group and the like . specific examples include an η 5 - cyclopentadienyl group , an η 5 - methylcyclopentadienyl group , an η 5 - dimethylcyclopentadienyl group , an η 5 - trimethylcyclopentadienyl group , an η 5 - tetramethylcyclopentadienyl group , an η 5 - n - ethylcyclopentadienyl group , an η 5 - propylcyclopentadienyl group , an η 5 - isopropylcyclopentadienyl group , an η 5 - n - butylcyclopentadienyl group , an η 5 - sec - butylcyclopentadienyl group , an η 5 - tert - butylcyclopentadienyl group , an η 5 - n - pentylcyolopentadienyl group , an η 5 - neopentylcyclopentadienyl group , an η 5 - n - hexylcyclopentadienyl group , an η 5 - n - octylcyclopentadienyl group an η 5 - phenylcyclopentadienyl group , an η 5 - naphthylcyclopentadienyl group , an η 5 - trimethylsilylcyclopentadienyl group , an η 5 - triethylsilylcyclopentadienyl group , an η 5 - tert - butyldimethylsilylcyclopentadienyl group , an η 5 - indenyl group , an η 5 - methylindenyl group , an η 5 - dimethylindenyl group , an η 5 - ethylindenyl group , an η 5 - n - propylindenyl group , an η 3 - isopropylindenyl group , an η 5 - n - butylindenyl group , an η 5 - sec butylindenyl group , an η 5 - tert - butylindenyl group , an η 5 - n - pentylindenyl group , an η 5 - neopentylindenyl group , an η 5 - n hexylindenyl group , an η 5 - n - octylindenyl group , an η 5 - n - decylindenyl group , an η 5 - phenylindenyl group , an 72 5 - methylphenylindenyl group , an η 5 - naphthylindenyl group , an η 5 - trimethylsilylindenyl group , an η 5 - triethylsilylindenyl group , an η 5 - tert - butyldimethylsilylindenyl group , an η 5 - tetrahydroindenyl group , an η 5 - fluorenyl group , an η 5 - methylfluorenyl group , an η 5 - dimethylfluorenyl group , an η 5 - ethylfluorenyl group , an η 5 - diethylfluorenyl group , an η 5 n - propylfluorenyl group , an η 5 - di - n - propylfluorenyl group , an η 5 - isopropylfluorenyl group , an η 5 - diisopropylfluorenyl group , an η 5 - n - butylfluorenyl group , η 5 - sec - butylfluorenyl group , an η 5 - tert - butylfluorenyl group , an η 5 - di - n - butylfluorenyl group , an η 5 - di - sec - butylfluorenyl group , an η 5 - di - tert - butylfluorenyl group , η 5 - n - pentylfluorenyl group , an η 5 - neopentylfluorenyl group , an η 5 n - hexylfluorenyl group , an η 5 - n - octylfluorenyl group , an η 5 - n - decylfluorenyl group , an η 5 - n - dodecylfluorenyl group , an η 5 - plenylfluorenyl group , an η 5 - diphenylfluorenyl group , an η 5 - methylphenylfluorenyl group , an η 5 - naphthylfluorenyl group , an η 5 - trimethylsilylfluorenyl group , an η 5 - bis - trimethylsilylfluorenyl group , an η 5 - triethylsilylfluorenyl group , an η 5 - tert - butyldimethylsilylfluorenyl group and the like . an η 5 - cyclopentadienyl group , an η 5 - methylcyclopentadienyl group , an η 5 - tert - butyloyclopentadienyl group , an η 5 - tetramethylcyclopentadienyl group , an η 5 - indenyl group or an η 5 - fluorenyl group is preferable . as the halogen atom in the substituent , x 1 , r 1 , r 2 , r 3 , r 4 , r 5 or r 6 , a fluorine atom , a chlorine atom , a bromine atom , and an iodine atom are illustrated . a chlorine atom or a bromine atom is preferable and a chlorine atom is more preferable . as the alkyl group in the substituent , x 1 , r 1 , r 2 , r 3 , r 4 , r 5 or r 6 , an alkyl group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms is preferred , and examples include a methyl group , an ethyl group , a n - propyl group , an isopropyl group , a n - butyl group , a sec - butyl group , a tert - butyl group , a n - pentyl group , a neopentyl group , a sec - amyl group , a n - hexyl group , a n - octyl group , a n - decyl group , a n - dodecyl group , a n - pentadecyl group , a n - eicosyl group and the like , and a methyl group , an ethyl group , an isopropyl group , a tert - butyl group or a sec - amyl group is more preferable . all of these alkyl groups may be substituted with a halogen atom such as a fluorine atom , a chlorine atom , a bromine atom or an iodine atom . examples of the alkyl group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms which is substituted with the halogen atom , include a fluoromethyl group , a difluoromethyl group , a trifluoromethyl group , a chloromethyl group , a dichloromethyl group , a trichloromethyl group , a bromomethyl group , a dibromomethyl group , a tribromomethyl group , an iodomethyl group , a tribromomethyl group , a triiodomethyl group , a fluoroethyl group , a difluoroethyl group , a trifluoroethyl group , a tetrafluoroethyl group , a pentafluoroethyl group , a chloroethyl group , a dichloroethyl group , a trichloroethyl group , a tetrachloroethyl group , pentachloroethyl group , a bromoethyl group , a dibromoethyl group , a tribromoethyl group , a tetrabromoethyl group , pentabromoethyl group , a perfluoropropyl group , a perfluorobutyl group , a perfluoropentyl group , a perfluorohexyl group , a perfluorooctyl group , a perfluorododecyl group , a perfluoropentadecyl group , a perfluorceicosyl group , a perchloropentyl group , a perchlorobutyl group , a perchloropentyl group , a perchlorohexyl group , a perchlorooctyl group , a perchlorododecyl group , a perchloropentadecyl group , a perchloroeicosyl group , a perbromopropyl group , a perbromobutyl group , a perbromopentyl group , a perbromohexyl group , a perbromooctyl group , a perbromododecyl group , a perbromopentadecyl group , a perbromoeicosyl group and the like . further , all of these alkyl groups may be partially substituted with an alkoxy group such as a methoxy group , an ethoxy group or the like , an aryloxy group such as a phenoxy group or the like or an aralkyloxy group such as a benzyloxy group or the like , etc . as the aralkyl group in the substituent , x 1 , r 1 , r 2 , r 3 , r 4 , r 5 or r 6 , an aralkyl group having 7 to 20 carbon atoms is preferable , and examples thereof include a benzyl group , a ( 2 - methylphenyl ) methyl group , a ( 3 - methylphenyl ) methyl group , a ( 4 - methylphenyl ) methyl group , a ( 2 , 3 - dimethylphenyl ) methyl group , a ( 2 , 4 - dimethylphenyl ) methyl group , a ( 2 , 5 - dimethylphenyl ) methyl group , a ( 2 , 6 - dimethylphenyl ) methyl group , a ( 3 , 4 - dimethylphenyl ) methyl group , a ( 3 , 5 - dimethylphenyl ) methyl group , a ( 2 , 3 , 4 - timethylphenyl ) methyl group , a ( 2 , 3 , 5 - timethylphenyl ) methyl group , a ( 2 , 3 , 6 - timethylphenyl ) methyl group , a ( 3 , 4 , 5 - timethylphenyl ) methyl group , a ( 2 , 4 , 6 - timethylphenyl ) methyl group , a ( 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 - tetramethylphenyl ) methyl group , a ( 2 , 3 , 4 , 6 - tetramethylphenyl ) methyl group , a ( 2 , 3 , 5 , 6 - tetramethylphenyl ) methyl group , a ( pentamethylphenylnmethyl group , an ( ethylphenyl ) methyl group , a ( n - propylphenyl ) methyl group , an ( isopropylphanyl ) methyl group , a ( n - butylphenyl ) methyl group , a ( sec - butylphenyl ) methyl group , a ( tert - butylphenyl ) methyl group , a ( n - pentylphenyl ) methyl group , a ( neopentylphenyl ) methyl group , a ( n - hexylphenyl ) methyl group , a ( n - octylphenyl ) methyl group , a ( n - decylphenyl ) methyl group , a ( n - dodecylphenyl ) methyl group , a naphthylmethyl group , an anthracenylmethyl group and the like , and a benzyl group is more preferable . all of these aralkyl groups may be partially substituted with a halogen atom such as a fluorine atom , a chlorine atom , a bromine atom or an iodine atom , an alkoxy group such as a methoxy group , an ethoxy group or the like , an aryloxy group such as a phenoxy group or the like or an aralkyloxy group such as a benzyloxy group or the like , etc . as the aryl group in the substituent , x 1 , r 1 , r 2 , r 3 , r 4 , r 5 or r 6 , an aryl group having 4 to 20 carbon atoms is preferable , and examples thereof include a phenyl group , a 2 - tolyl group , a 3 - tolyl group , a 4 - tolyl group , a 2 , 3 - xylyl group , a 2 , 4 - xylyl group , a 2 , 5 - xylyl group , a 2 , 6 - xylyl group , a 3 , 4 - xylyl group , a 3 , 5 - xylyl group , a 2 , 3 , 4 - trimethylphenyl group , a 2 , 3 , 5 - trimethylphenyl group , a 2 , 3 , 6 - trimethylphenyl group , a 2 , 4 , 6 - trimethylphenyl group , a 3 , 4 , 5 - trimethylphenyl group , a 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 - tetramethylphenyl group , a 2 , 3 , 4 , 6 - tetramethylphenyl group , a 2 , 3 , 5 , 6 - tetramethylphenyl group , a pentamethylphenyl group , an ethylphenyl group , a n - propylphenyl group , an isopropylphenyl group , a n - butylphenyl group , a sec - butylphenyl group , a tert - butylphenyl group , a n - pentylphenyl group , a neopentylphenyl group , a n - hexylphenyl group , a n - octylphenyl group , a n - decylphenyl group , a n - dodecylphenyl group , a n - tetradecylphenyl group , a naphthyl group , an anthracenyl group and the like , and a phenyl group is more preferable . all of these aryl groups may be partially substituted with a halogen atom such as a fluorine atom , a chlorine atom , a bromine atom , an iodine atom or the like , an alkoxy group such as a methoxy group , an ethoxy group or the like , an aryloxy group such as a phenoxy group or the like or an aralkyloxy group such as a benzyloxy group or tho like , etc . the substituted silyl group in the substituent , x 1 , r 1 , r 2 , r 3 , r 4 , r 5 or r 6 is a silyl group substituted with a hydrocarbon group , and examples of the hydrocarbon group include alkyl groups having 1 to 10 carbon atoms such as a methyl group , an ethyl group , a n - propyl group , an isopropyl group , a n - butyl group , a sec - butyl group , a tert - butyl group , an isobutyl group , a n - pentyl group , a n - hexyl group , a cyclohexyl group and the like , and aryl groups such as a phenyl group and the like , etc . examples of such substituted silyl group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms include mono - substituted silyl groups having 1 to 20 carbon atoms such as a methylsilyl group , an ethylsilyl group , a phenylsilyl group and the like ; di - substituted silyl groups having 2 to 20 carbon atoms such as a dimethylsilyl group , a diethylsilyl group , a diphenylsilyl group and the like ; and tri - substituted silyl groups having 3 to 20 carbon atoms such as a trimethylsilyl group , a triethylsilyl group , a tri - n - propylsilyl - group , a triisopropylsilyl group , a tri - n - butylsilyl group , a tri - sec - butylsilyl group , a tri - tert - butylsilyl group , a tri - isobutylilyl group , a tert - butyl - dimethylsilyl group , a tri - n - pentylsilyl group , a tri - n - hexylsilyl group , a tricyclohexylsilyl group , a triphenylsilyl group and the like , and a trimethylsilyl group , a tert - butyldimethylsilyl group or a triphenylsilyl group is preferable . all of the hydrocarbon groups of these substituted silyl groups may be partially substituted with a halogen atom such as a fluorine atom , a chlorine atom , a bromine atom or an iodine atom , an alkoxy group such as a methoxy group , an ethoxy group or the like , an aryloxy group such as a phenoxy group or the like or an aralkyloxy group such as a benzyloxy group or the like , etc . as the alkoxy group in the substituent x 1 , r 1 , r 2 , r 3 , r 4 , r 5 or r 6 , an alkoxy group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms is preferable , and examples thereof include a methoxy group , an ethoxy group , a n - propoxy group , an isopropoxy group , a n - butoxy group , a sec - butoxy group , a tert - butoxy group , a n - pentoxy group , a neopentoxy group , a n - hexoxy group , a n - octoxy group , a n - dodecoxy group , a n - pentadecoxy group , a n - eicosoxy group and the like , and a methoxy group , an ethoxy group or a tert - butoxy group is preferable . all of these alkoxy groups may be partially substituted with a halogen atom such as , a fluorine atom , a chlorine atom , a bromine atom , an iodine atom or the like , an alkoxy group such as a methoxy group , an ethoxy group or the like , an aryloxy group such as a phenoxy group or the like or an aralkyloxy group such as a benzyloxy group or the like , etc . as the aralkyloxy group in the substituent , x 1 , r 1 , r 2 , r 3 , r 4 , r 5 or r 6 , an aralkyloxy group having 7 to 20 carbon atoms is preferable , and examples thereof include a benzyloxy group , a ( 2 - methylphenyl ) methoxy group , a ( 3 - methylphenyl ) methoxy group , a ( 4 - methylphenyl ) methoxy group , a ( 2 , 3 - dimethylphenyl ) methoxy group , a ( 2 , 4 - dimethylphenyl ) methoxy group , a ( 2 , 5 - dimethylphenyl ) methoxy group , a ( 2 , 6 - dimethylphenyl ) methoxy group , a ( 3 , 4 - dimethylphenyl ) methoxy group , a ( 3 , 5 - dimethylphenyl methoxy group , a ( 2 , 3 , 4 - trimethylphenyl ) methoxy group , a ( 2 , 3 , 5 - trimethylphenyl ) methoxy group , a ( 2 , 3 , 6 - trimethylphenyl ) methoxy group , a ( 2 , 4 , 5 - trimethylphenyl ) methoxy group , a ( 2 , 4 , 6 - trimethylphenyl ) methoxy group , a ( 3 , 4 , 5 - trimethylphenyl ) methoxy group , a ( 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 - tetramethylphenyl ) methoxy group , a ( 2 , 3 , 4 , 6 - tetramethylphenyl ) methoxy group , a ( 2 , 3 , 5 , 6 - tetramethylphenyl ) methoxy group , a ( pentamethylphenyl ) methoxy group , an ( ethylphenyl ) methoxy group , a ( n - propylphenyl ) methoxy group , an ( isopropylphenyl ) methoxy group , ( n - butylphenyl ) methoxy group , a ( sec - butylphenyl ) methoxy group , a ( tert - butylphenyl ) methoxy group , a ( n - hexylphenyl ) methoxy group , a ( n - octylphenyl ) methoxy group , a ( n - decylphenyl ) methoxy group , a naphthylmethoxy group , an anthracenylmethoxy group and the like , and a benzyloxy group is more preferable . all of these aralkyloxy groups may be partially substituted with a halogen atom such as a fluorine atom , a chlorine atom , a bromine atom or an iodine atom , an alkoxy group such as a methoxy group , an ethoxy group or the like , at aryloxy group such as a phenoxy group or the like or an aralkyloxy group such as a benzyloxy group or the like , etc . as the aryloxy group in the substituent , x 1 , x 2 , r 1 , r 2 , r 3 , r 4 , r 5 or r 6 , an aryloxy group having 6 to 20 carbon atoms is preferable , and examples thereof include a phenoxy group , a 2 - methylphenoxy group , a 3 - methylphenoxy group , a 4 - methylphenoxy group , a 2 , 3 - dimethylphenoxy group , a 2 , 4 - dimethylphenoxy group , a 2 , 5 - dimethylphenoxy group , a 2 , 6 - dimethylphenoxy group , a 3 , 4 - dimethylphenoxy group , a 3 , 5 - dimethylphenoxy group , a 2 , 3 , 4 - trimethylphenoxy group , a 2 , 3 , 5 - trimethylphenoxy group , a 2 , 3 , 6 - trimethylphenoxy group , a 2 , 4 , 5 - trimethylphenoxy group , a 2 , 4 , 6 - trimethylphenoxy group , a 3 , 4 , 5 - trimethylphenoxy group , a 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 - tetramethylphenoxy group , a 2 , 3 , 4 , 6 - tetramethylphenoxy group , a 2 , 3 , 5 , 6 - tetramethylphenoxy group , a pentamethylphenoxy group , an ethylphenoxy group , a n - propylphenoxy group , an isopropylphenyl group , a n - butylphenoxy group , a sec - butylphenoxy group , a tert butylphenoxy group , a n - hexylphenoxy group , a n - octylphenoxy group , a n - decylphenoxy group , a n - tetradecylphenoxy group , a naphthoxy group , an anthracenoxy group and the like . all of these aryloxy groups may be partially substituted with a halogen atom such as a fluorine atom , a chlorine atom , a bromine atom or an iodine atom , an alkoxy group such as a methoxy group , an ethoxy group or the like , an aryloxy group such as a phenoxy group or the like or an aralkyl oxy group such as a benzyloxy group or the like , etc . the di - substituted amino group in the substituent , x 1 , r 1 , r 2 , r 3 , r 4 , r 5 or r 6 is an amino group substituted with two hydrocarbon groups and examples of the hydrocarbon group include alkyl groups having 1 to 10 carbon atoms such as a methyl group , an ethyl group , a n - propyl group , an isopropyl group , a n - butyl group , a sec - butyl group , a tert - butyl group , an isobutyl group , a n - pentyl group , a n - hexyl group , a cyclohexyl group and the like ; aryl groups having 1 to 10 carbon atoms such as a phenyl group and the like ; aralkyl groups having 7 to 10 carbon atoms , etc . examples of such di - substituted amino group substituted with the hydrocarbon group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms include a dimethylamino group , a diethylamino group , a di - n - propylamino group , a diisopropylamino group , a di - n - butylamino group , a di - sec - butylamino group , a di - tert - butylamino group , a di - isobutylamino group , a tert - butylisopropylamino group , a di - n - hexylamino group , a di - n - octylamino group , a di - n - decylamino group , a diphenylamino group , a bistrimethylsilylamino group , a bis - tert - butyldimethylsilylamino group and the like , and a dimethylamino group or an diethylamino group is preferable . all of these di - substituted amino groups may be partially substituted with a halogen atom such as a fluorine atom , a chlorine atom , a bromine atom or an iodine atom , an alkoxy group such as a methoxy group , an ethoxy group or the like , an aryloxy group such as a phenoxy group or the like or an aralkyloxy group such as a benzyloxy group or the like , etc . the substituent , r 1 , r 2 , r 3 , r 4 , r 5 and r 6 may be optionally combined with each other to form a ring . each of r 1 is preferably an alkyl group , an aralkyl group , an aryl group or a substituted silyl group , independently . each of x 1 is preferably a halogen atom , an alkyl group , an aralkyl group , an alkoxy group , an aryloxy group or a di - substituted amino group , independently . an alkoxy group is more preferable . examples of the atom of group xvi of the periodic table of the elements indicated as x 2 in the general formula [ i ] or [ ii ] include an oxygen atom , a sulfur atom , a selenium atom and the like , and an oxygen atom is preferable . examples of such transition metal compound [ i ] include μ - oxobis { isopropylidene ( η 5 - cyclopentadienyl )( 2 - phenoxy ) titanium chloride }, μ - oxobis { isopropylidene ( η 5 - cyclopentadienyl )( 2 - phenoxy ) titanium methoxide }, μ - oxobis { isopropylidene ( η 5 - cyclopentadienyl )( 3 - tert - butyl - 5 - methyl - 2 - phenoxy ) titanium chloride }, μ - oxobis { isopropylidene ( η 5 - cyclopentadienyl )( 3 - tert - butyl - 5 - methyl - 2 - phenoxy ) titanium methoxide }, μ - oxobis { isopropylidene ( η 5 - methylcyclopentadienyl ) ( 2 - phenoxy ) titanium chloride }, μ - oxobis { isopropylidene ( η 5 - methylcyclopentadienyl ) ( 2 - phenoxy ) titanium methoxide }, oxobis { isopropylidene ( η 5 - methylcyclopentadienyl ) ( 3 - tert - butyl - 5 - methyl - 2 - phenoxy ) titanium chloride ), μ - oxobis { isopropylidene ( η 5 - methylcyclopentadienyl )( 3 - tert - butyl - 5 - methyl - 2 - phenoxy ) titanium methoxide }, μ - oxobis { isopropylidene ( η 5 - tetramethylcyclopentadienyl )( 2 - phenoxy ) titanium chloride }, μ - oxobis { isopropylidene ( η 5 - tetramethylcyclopentadienyl )( 2 - phenoxy ) titanium methoxide }, μ - oxobis { isopropylidene ( η 5 - tetramethylcyclopentadienyl )( 3 - tert - butyl - 5 - methyl 2 - phenoxy ) titanium chloride }, μ - oxobis { isopropylidene ( η 5 - tetramethylcyclopentadienyl )( 3 - tert - butyl - 5 - methyl - 2 - phenoxy ) titanium methoxide }, μ - oxobis { dimethylsilylene ( η 5 - cyclopentadienyl )( 2 - phenoxy ) titanium chloride }, μoxobis { dimethylsilylene ( η 5 - cyclopentadienyl )( 2 - phenoxy ) titanium methoxide }, μ - oxobis { dimethylsilylene ( η 5 - cyclopentadienyl )( 3 - tert - butyl - 5 - methyl - 2 - phenoxy ) titanium chloride }, μ - oxobis { dimethylsilylene ( η 5 - cyclopentadienyl )( 3 - tert - butyl - 5 - methyl - 2 - phenoxy ) titanium methoxide }, μ - oxobis { dimethylsilylene -( η 5 - methylcyclopentadienyl )( 2 - phenoxy ) titanium chloride }, μ - oxobis { dimethylsilylene ( η 5 - methylcyclopentadienyl )( 2 - phenoxy ) titanium methoxide }, μ - oxobis { dimethylsilylene ( η 5 - methylcyclopentadienyl )( 3 - tert - butyl - 5 - methyl - 2 - phenoxy ) titanium chloride }, μ - oxobis { dimethylsilylene ( η 5 - methylcyclopentadienyl )( 3 - tert - butyl - 5 - methyl - 2 - phenoxy ) titanium methoxide }, μ - oxobis [ dimethylsilylene ( η 5 - tetramethylcyclopentadienyl )( 2 - phenoxy ) titanium chloride }, μ - oxobis { dimethylsilylene ( η 5 - tetramethylcyclopentadienyl )( 2 - phenoxy ) titanium methoxide }, μ - oxobis { dimethylsilylene ( η 5 - tetramethylcyclopentadienyl )( 3 - tert - butyl - 5 - methyl - 2 - phenoxy ) titanium chloride }, μ - oxobis { dimethylsilylene ( η 5 - tetramethylcyclopentadienyl )( 3 - tert - butyl - 5 - methyl - 2 - phenoxy ) titanium methoxide } and the like . examples of such transition metal compound [ ii ] include di - μ - oxobis { isopropylidene ( η 5 - cyclopentadienyl )( 2 - phenoxy ) titanium }, di - μ - oxobis { isopropylidene ( η 5 - cyclopentadienyl )( 3 - tert - butyl - 5 - methyl - 2 - phenoxy ) titanium }, di - μ - oxobis { isopropylidene ( η 5 - methylcyclopentadienyl )( 2 - phenoxy ) titanium }, di - μ - oxobis { isopropylidene ( η 5 - methylcyclopentadienyl )( 3 - tert - butyl - 5 - methyl - 2 - phenoxy ) titanium , di - μ - oxobis { isopropylidene ( η 5 - tetramethylcyclopentadienyl )( 2 - phenoxy ) titanium }, di - μ - oxobis { isopropylidene ( η 5 - tetramethyl cyclopentadienyl )( 3 - tert - butyl - 5 - methyl - 2 - phenoxy ) titanium }, di - μoxobis { dimethylsilylene ( η 5 - cyclopentadienyl )( 2 - phenoxy ) titanium }, di - μ - oxobis { dimethylsilylene ( η 5 - cyclopentadienyl )( 3 - tert - butyl - 5 - methyl - 2 - phenoxy ) titanium }, di - μ - oxobis { dimethylsilylene ( η 5 - methylcyclopentadienyl ) ( 2 - phenoxy ) titanium )}, di - μ - oxobis { dimethylsilylene ( η 5 - methylcyclopentadienyl )( 3 - tert - butyl - 5 - methyl - 2 - phenoxy ) titanium }, di - μ - oxobis { dimethylsilylene ( η 5 - tetramethylcyclopentadienyl )( 2 - phenoxy ) titanium }, di - μ - oxobis { dimethylsilylene ( η 5 - tetramethyl cyclopentadienyl )( 3 - tert - butyl - 5 - methyl - 2 - phenoxy ) titanium } and the like . the transition metal compound represented by the general formula [ i ] or [ ii ] can be produced , for example , by reacting a transition metal compound obtained according to the method described in the wo 97 / 03992 with 0 . 5 - fold by mole or 1 - fold by mole of water . wherein a method of directly reacting a transition metal compound with a required amount of water , a method of charging a transition metal compound in a solvent such as a hydrocarbon containing a required amount of water , or the like , a method of charging a transition metal compound in a solvent such as a dry hydrocarbon or the like and further flowing an inert gas containing a required amount of water , or the like , etc . can be adopted . the aluminum compound ( b used in the present invention is at least one organoaluminum compound rejected from ( b1 ) to ( b3 ) described below ; ( b1 ) an organoaluminum compound indicated by the general formula e 1 a alz 3 - n ; ( b2 ) a cyclic aluminoxane having a structure indicated by the general formula {— al ( e 2 )— o —} b ; and ( b3 ) a linear aluminoxane having a structure indicated by the general formula e 3 {— al ( e 3 )— o —} c ale 3 2 ( wherein each of e 1 , e 2 and e 3 is a hydrocarbon group ; all of e 1 , all of e 2 and all of e 3 may be the same or different ; z represents a hydrogen atom or a halogen atom ; all of z may be the same or different ; a represents a number satisfying an expression of 0 & lt ; a ≦ 3 ; b represents an integer of 2 or more ; and c represents an integer of 1 or more ). as the hydrocarbon group in e 1 , e 2 or e 3 , a hydrocarbon group having 1 to 8 carbon atoms is preferable and an alkyl group is more preferable . specific examples of the organoaluminum compound ( b1 ), indicated by the general formula e 1 a alz 3 - a include trialkylaluminums such as trimethylaluminum , triethylaluminum , tri - n - propylaluminum , triisopropylaluminum , triisobutylaluminum , tri - n - hexylaluminum and the like ; dialkylaluminum chlorides such as dimethylaluminum chloride , diethylaluminum chloride , di - n - propylaluminum chloride , diisopropylaluminum chloride , diisobutylaluminum chloride , di - n - hexylaluminum chloride and the like ; alkylaluminum dichlorides such as methylaluminum dichloride , ethylaluminum dichloride , n - propylaluminum dichloride , isopropylaluminum dichloride , isobutylaluminum dichloride , n - hexylaluminum dichloride and the like ; and dialkylaluminum hydrides such as dimethylaluminum hydride , diethylaluminum hydride , di - n - propylaluminum hydride , diisopropylaluminum hydride , diisobutylaluminum hydride , di - n - hexylaluminum hydride and the like , etc . specific examples of e 2 and e 3 in the cyclic aluminoxane ( b2 ) having a structure indicated by the general formula {— al ( e 2 )— o —} b and the linear aluminoxane ( b3 ) having a structure indicated by the general formula e 3 {— al ( e 3 )— o —} c ale 3 2 include alkyl groups such as a methyl group , an ethyl group , a n - propyl group , an isopropyl group , a n - butyl group , an isobutyl group , a n - pentyl group , a neopentyl group and the like . b is an integer of 2 or more , and c is an integer of 1 or more . preferably , each of e 2 and e 4 is a methyl group or an isobutyl group , b is 2 to 40 and c is 1 to 40 . the above - mentioned aluminoxane is prepared by various methods . the method is not specifically limited , and the aluminoxane may be prepared according to publicly known processes . for example , the aluminoxane is prepared by contacting a solution of a trialkylaluminum ( e . g . trimethylaluminum or the like ) dissolved in a suitable organic solvent ( e . g . benzene , an aliphatic hydrocarbon or the like ) with water . further , there is exemplified a process for preparing the aluminoxane by contacting a trialkylaluminum ( e . g . trimethylaluminum , etc .) with a metal salt containing crystal water ( e . g . copper sulfate hydrate , etc .]. as the boron compound ( c ) in the present invention , any one of the boron compound ( c1 ) represented by the general formula bq 1 q 2 q 3 , the boron compound ( c2 ) represented by the general formula g + ( bq 1 q 2 q 3 q 4 } − and the boron compound ( c3 ) represented by the general formula ( l - h ) + ( bq 1 q 2 q 3 q 4 ) − can be used . in the boron compound ( c1 ) represented by the general formula bq 1 q 2 q 3 , b represents a boron atom in the trivalent valence state ; q 1 to q 3 are respectively a halogen atom , a hydrocarbon group , a halogenated hydrocarbon group , a substituted silyl group , an alkoxy group or a di - substituted amino group and they may be the same or different . each of q 1 to q 3 is preferably a halogen atom , a hydrocarbon group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms , a halogenated hydrocarbon group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms , a substituted silyl group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms , an alkoxy group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms or a di - substituted amino group having 2 to 20 carbon atoms , and each of more preferable q 1 to q 3 is a halogen atom , a hydrocarbon group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms or a halogenated hydrocarbon group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms . each of the more preferable q 1 to q 2 is a fluorinated hydrocarbon group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms which contains at least one fluorine atom , and in particular , each of q 2 to q 4 is preferably a fluorinated aryl group having 6 to 20 carbon atoms which contains at least one fluorine atom . specific examples of the compound ( c1 ) include tris ( pentafluorophenyl ) borane , tris ( 2 , 3 , 5 , 6 - tetrafluorophenyl ) borane , tris ( 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 - tetrafluorophenyl ) borane , tris ( 3 , 4 , 5 - trifluorophenyl ) borane , tris ( 2 , 3 , 4 - trifluorophenyl ) borane , phenylbis ( pentafluorophenyl ) borane and the like , and tris ( pentafluorophenyl ) borane is most preferable . in the boron compound ( c2 ) represented by the general formula g + ( bq 1 q 2 q 3 q 4 ) − , g + is an inorganic or organic cation ; b is a boron atom in the trivalent valence state , and q 2 to q 4 are the same as defined in q 1 to q 3 in the above - mentioned ( c1 ). specific examples of g + as the inorganic cation in the compound represented by the general formula g + ( bq 1 q 2 q 3 q 4 ) − include a ferrocenium cation , an alkyl - substituted ferrocenium cation , a silver cation and the like , and the g + as the organic cation includes a triphenylmethyl cation and the like . g + is preferably a carbenium cation , and a triphenylmethyl cation is particularly preferred . as the ( bq 1 q 2 q 3 q 4 ), tetrakis ( pentafluorophenyl ) borate , tetrakis ( 2 , 3 , 5 , 6 - tetrafluorophenyl ) borate , tetrakis ( 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 - tetrafluorophenyl ) borate , tetrakis ( 3 , 4 , 5 - trifluorophenyl ) borate , tetrakis ( 2 , 3 , 4 - trifluorophenyl ) borate , phenyltris ( pentafluoroplenyl ) borate , tetrakis ( 3 , 5 - bistrifluoromethylphenyl ) borate and the like are mentioned . these specific combinations include ferrocenium tetrakis ( pentafluorophenyl ) borate , 1 , 1 ′- dimethylferrocenium tetrakis ( pentafluorophenyl ) borate , silver tetrakis ( pentafluorophenyl ) borate , triphenylmethyl tetrakis ( pentafluorophenyl ) borate , triphenylmethyl tetrakis ( 3 , 5 - bistrifluoro methylphenyl ) borate and the like , and triphenylmethyl tetrakis ( pentafluorophenyl ) borate is most preferable , further , in the boron compound ( c3 ) represented by the formula ( l - h ) + ( b ) q 1 q 2 q 3 q 4 ) − , l is a neutral lewis base ; ( l - h ) + is a brnsted acid ; b is a boron atom in the trivalent valence state ; and q 1 to q 4 are the same as q 1 to q 2 in the above - mentioned lewis acid ( c1 ). specific examples of ( l - h ) + as the brnsted acid in the compound represented by the formula ( l - h ) + ( bq 1 q 2 q 3 q 4 ) include a trialkyl - substituted ammonium , an n , n - dialkylanilinium , a dialkylammonium , a triarylphosphonium and the like , and examples of ( bq 1 q 2 q 3 q 4 ) − include those as previously described . these specific combinations include triethylammonium tetrakis ( pentafluorophenyl ) borate , tripropylammonium tetrakis ( pentafluorophenyl ) borate , tri ( n - butyl ) ammonium tetrakis ( pentafluorophenyl ) borate , tri ( n - butyl ) ammonium tetrakis ( 3 , 5 - bistrifluoromethylphenyl ) borate , n , n - dimethylanilinium tetrakis ( pentafluorophenyl ) borate , n , n - diethylanilinium tetrakis ( pentafluorophenyl ) borate , n , n - 2 , 4 , 6 - pentamethylanilinium tetrakis ( pentafluorophenyl ) borate , n , n - dimethylanilinium tetrakis ( 3 , 5 - bistrifluoromethylphenyl ) borate , diisopropylammonium tetrakis ( pentafluorephenyl ) borate , dicyclohexylammonium tetrakis ( pentafluorophenyl ) borate , triphenylphosphonium tetrakis ( pentafluorophenyl ) borate , tri ( methylphenyl ) phosphonium tetrakis ( pentafluorophenyl ) borate , tri ( dimethylphenyl ) phosphonium tetrakis ( pentafluorophenyl ) borate and the like , and tri ( n - butyl ) ammonium tetrakis ( pentafluorophenyl ) borate or n , n - dimethylanilinum tetrakis ( pentafluorophenyl ) borate is most preferable . in the present invention , the olefin polymerization catalyst is prepared by a process comprising contacting the transition metal compound ( a ) represented by the general formula [ i ] and / or [ ii ] and [ the above - mentioned ( b ) and / or the above - mentioned ( c )]. in case of an olefin polymerization catalyst prepared by using the transition metal compound ( a ) and the above - mentioned ( b ), the fore - mentioned cyclic aluminoxane ( b2 ) and / or the linear aluminoxane ( b3 ) is preferable as ( b ). further , as another preferable mode of an olefin polymerization catalyst , an olefin polymerization catalyst prepared by using the transition metal compound , ( a ), the above - mentioned ( b ) and the above - mentioned ( c ) is illustrated , and the fore - mentioned ( b1 ) is also easily used as said ( b ). in the present invention , the transition metal compound ( a ) represented by the general formula [ i ] and / or [ ii ] and the above - mentioned ( b ), or further the above - mentioned ( c ) can he charged in an arbitrary order during polymerization to be used , but a reaction product obtained by previously contacting an arbitrary combination of those compounds may be also used . the used amount of respective components is not specifically limited , and it is desirable to usually use the respective components so that the molar ratio of the ( b )/ transition metal compound ( a ) is 0 . 1 to 10000 and preferably 5 to 2000 , and the molar ratio of the ( c )/ transition metal compound ( a ) is 0 . 01 to 100 and preferably 0 . 5 to 10 . when the respective components are used in a solution condition or a condition in which they are suspended or slurried in a solvent , the concentration of the respective components is appropriately selected according to the conditions such as the ability of all apparatus for feeding the respective components in a polymerization reactor . the respective components are desirably used so that the concentration of the transition metal compound ( a ) is usually 0 . 001 to 200 mmol / l , more preferably 0 . 001 to 100 mmol / l and most preferably 0 . 05 to 50 mmol / l ; the concentration of ( b ) usually 0 . 01 to 5000 mmol / l converted to al atom , more preferably 0 . 1 to 2500 mmol / l and most preferably 0 . 1 to 2000 mmol / l ; and the concentration of ( c ) is usually 0 . 0001 to 500 mmol / l , more preferably 0 . 01 to 250 mmol / l and most preferably 0 . 05 to 100 mmol / l . as olefins which can be applied to the polymerization in the present invention , olefins having 2 to 20 carbon atoms such as , particularly , ethylene and an α - olefin having 3 to 20 carbon atoms , diolefins having 4 to 20 carbon atoms and the like can be used , and two or more monomers can also be used , simultaneously . specific examples of the olefin include straight - chain olefins such as ethylene , propylene , butene - 1 , pentane - 1 , hexene - 1 , heptene - 1 , octene - 1 , nonene - 1 , decene - 1 and the like ; branched olefins such as 3 - methylbutene - 1 , 3 - methylpenten - 1 , 4 - methylpentene - 1 , 5 - methylhexene - 1 and the like : vinylcyclohexane , etc ., but the present invention should not be limited to the above - mentioned compounds . specific examples of the combination of monomers in case of conducting copolymerization include ethylene and propylene , ethylene and butene - 1 , ethylene and hexene - 1 , ethylene and octene - 1 , propylene and butene - 1 and the like , but the present invention should not be limited thereto . the present invention can be effectively applied to the particular preparation of the copolymer of ethylene and an α - olefin such as in particular , propylene , butene - 1 , 4 - methylpentene - 1 , hexene - 1 , octene - 1 or the like . polymerization processes should not be also specifically limited , and there can be a solvent polymerization or slurry polymerization in which an aliphatic hydrocarbon such as butane , pentane , hexane , heptane , octane or the like ; an aromatic hydrocarbon such as benzene , toluene or the like ; or a halogenated hydrocarbon such as methylene dichloride or the like used as a polymerization medium . further , high pressure ionic polymerization in which the polymerization of an olefin is conducted without a solvent under which an olefin polymer is melt in a high temperature and high pressure olefin in a supercritical liquid condition , and further , a gas phase polymerization in a gaseous monomer and the like are possible . further , either of a continuous polymerization and a batch - wise polymerization are possible . the polymerization temperature can be usually adopted at a range of − 50 ° c . to 350 ° c . and preferably 0 ° c . to 300 ° c ., and in particular , a range of 50 ° c . to 300 ° c . is preferable . the polymerization pressure can be adopted at a range of atmospheric pressure to 350 mpa and preferably atmospheric pressure to 300 mpa , and in particular , a range of atmospheric pressure to 200 mpa is preferable . in general , the polymerization time is appropriately determined according to the kind of a desired polymer and a reaction apparatus , and the conditions are not specifically limited and a range of 1 minute to 20 hours can be adopted . further , a chain transfer agent such as hydrogen or the like can also be added to adjust the molecular weight of a copolymer in the present invention . the process for polymerizing the olefin polymer of the present invention is suitably carried out by a high - pressure ionic polymerization process , in particular . specifically , it is preferably carried out under a pressure of 30 mpa or more and at a temperature of 300 ° c . or more . it is more preferably carried out under a pressure of 35 to 350 mpa and at a temperature of 135 to 350 ° c . the polymerization form can be carried out in either a batch - wise manner or a continuous manner , but the continuous manner is preferable . as a reactor , a stirring vessel type reactor or a tubular reactor can be used . the polymerization can be performed in a single reaction zone . alternatively , the polymerization can also be performed by partitioning one reactor into a plurality of reaction zones or connecting a plurality of reactors in series or parallel . in case of using a plurality of reactors , a combination of a vessel reactor and a vessel reactor or a combination of a vessel reactor and a tubular reactor may be used . in a polymerization process using a plurality of reaction zones or a plurality of reactors , polymers having different characteristics can also be produced by changing the temperature , pressure and gas composition of respective reaction zones or reactors . the present invention is further illustrated in detail according to examples and comparative examples below , but the present invention is not limited thereto . properties of the polymers in examples were measured according to methods described below . ( 1 ) melt index ( mfr ) was measured at 190 ° c . according to the method defined in jis k - 6760 . ( unit : g / 10 min .) wherein the value of density described as density ( without annealing ) is a value obtained by measuring without an annealing treatment in jis k - 6760 . ( unit ; g / cm 3 ) it was measured under the following conditions using dsc7 manufactured by perkin - elmer co . heating : heating to 150 ° c . and maintaining until the change of calorie is stabilized cooling : 150 to 10 ° c . ( 5 ° c ./ min .) and maintaining for 10 minutes it was determined from the characteristic absorption of ethylene and α - olefin using an infrared spectrometer ( ft - tr7300 , manufactured by nippon bunko inc .) and was represented as a short - chain branch ( scb ) number per 1000 carbon atoms . ( 5 ) weight average molecular weight ( mw ), number average molecular weight ( mn ) and molecular weight distribution ( mw / mn ): they were determined under the following conditions using gel permeation chromatograph ( 150 , c , manufactured by waters co .). 100 mg of a copolymer obtained was dissolved in 50 ml of tetralin at 135 ° c . and the solution was set in an oil bath maintained at 135 ° c . using an ubbelohde viscometer , the intrinsic viscosity was determined by the falling speed of the tetralin solution in which said sample was dissolved . ( unit : dl / g ) in a schlenk tube , 0 . 131 g ( 4 . 1 mmol ) of methanol was dissolved in 10 ml of anhydrous diethyl ether and a diethyl ether solution ( 3 . 9 ml , 4 . 1 mmol ) of methyllithium having a concentration of 1 . 05 mol / l was added dropwise at − 78 ° c . thereto . the resulting mixture was heated to 20 ° c ., the formation of lithium methoxide was confirmed by gas generation , and the resulting reaction solution was again cooled to − 78 ° c . into the reaction solution , 20 ml of an anhydrous diethyl ether suspension liquid of 0 . 919 g ( 2 . 0 mmol ) of dimethylsilylene ( η 5 - tetramethylcyclopentadienyl ) ( 3 - tert - butyl - 5 - methyl - 2 - phenoxy ) titanium dichloride which was previously prepared in another schlenk tube was transferred , and then , the resulting reaction mixture was gradually heated to room temperature to obtain a reaction solution , after concentrating the reaction solution , 20 ml of toluene was added and an insoluble product was separated by filtration . the filtrate was concentrated to obtain dimethylsilylene ( η 5 - tetramethylcyclopentadienyl )( 3 - tert - butyl - b - methyl - 2 - phenoxy ) titanium dimethoxide of yellow crystals ( 0 . 86 g , 95 %). [ 0107 ] 1 h nmr ( 270 mhz , c 6 d 6 ); δ7 . 26 ( m , 2h ), 4 . 13 ( s , 6m ), 2 . 33 ( s , 3h ), 1 . 97 ( s , 6h ), 1 . 89 ( s , 6h ), 1 . 59 ( s , 9h ), 0 . 55 ( s , 6h ) [ synthesis example of transition metal compound : μ - oxobis { dimethylsilylene ( η 5 - tetramethyl cyclopentadienyl )( 3 - tert - butyl - 5 - methyl - 2 - phenoxy ) titanium methoxide ( compound 1 )] under a nitrogen atmosphere , 10 . 00 g of dimethylsilylene ( η 5 - tetramethylcyclopentadienyl )( 3 - tert - butyl - 5 - methyl - 2 - phenoxy titanium dimethoxide ( the compound obtained by the same method as in reference example 1 ) was dissolved in 50 ml of heptane , 0 . 30 g of distilled water was added thereto , and the mixture was stirred at the same temperature for 12 hours . the solid produced was separated by filtration , rinsed with 5 . 0 ml of heptane , and then dried under vacuum to obtain μ - oxobis { dimethylsilylene ( η 5 - tetramethyl cyclopentadienyl )( 3 - tert - butyl - 5 - methyl - 2 - phenoxy ) titanium methoxide } of a yellow solid ( 5 . 51 g , 56 %). [ 0110 ] 1 h - nmr ( c 6 d 6 ); δ7 . 25 ( d , j = 2 . 0 hz , 2h ), 7 . 16 ( d , j = 2 . 0 hz , 2h ), 3 . 99 ( s , 6h ), 2 . 37 ( s , 6h ), 2 . 30 ( s , 6h ), 2 . 06 ( s , 6h ), 1 . 86 ( s , 6h ), 1 . 71 ( s , 6h ), 1 . 27 ( s , 18h ), 0 . 83 ( s , 6h ), 0 . 63 ( s , 6h ) [ synthesis example of transition metal compound : di - μ - oxobis { dimethylsilylene ( η 5 - tetramethyl cyclopentadienyl )( 3 - tert - butyl - 5 - methyl - 2 - phenoxy ) titanium } ( compound 2 )] in a schlenk tube , 1 . 50 g ( 3 . 3 mmol ) of dimethylsilylene ( η 5 - tetramethylcyclopentadienyl )( 3 - tert - butyl - 5 - methyl - 2 - phenoxy ) titanium dimethoxide was dissolved in 20 ml of toluene , 1 ml of water was added thereto , and the resulting liquid mixture was stirred at 70 ° c . for 1 hour . after concentrating the organic layer which was obtained by phase separation , the concentrate was recrystallized from 10 ml of heptane to obtain di - μ - oxobis { dimethylsilylene ( η 5 - tetramethyl cyclopentadienyl )( 3 - tert - butyl - 5 - methyl - 2 - phenoxy ) titanium } of yellow crystals ( 0 . 40 g , 33 %). mass spectrum ( m / e ) 808 . calculated value : 808 [ 0112 ] 1 h - nmr ( 270 mhz , c 6 d 6 ); δ7 . 28 ( m , 4h ), 2 . 32 ( s , 12h ), 1 . 97 ( s , 6h ), 1 . 78 ( s , 6h ), 1 . 59 ( s , 6h ), 1 . 53 ( s , 18h ), 0 . 78 ( s , 6e ), 0 . 58 ( s , 6h ) using an autoclave type reactor having an inner volume of 1 liter equipped with a stirrer , polymerization was carried out by continuously feeding ethylene and hexene - 1 into the reactor . regarding the polymerization conditions , the total pressure was set to 80 mpa and the concentration of hexene - 1 based on the total of ethylene and hexene - 1 was set to 28 . 8 % by mole . a heptane solution ( which was adjusted to be the concentration of compound 1 of 0 . 185 μmol / g , the concentration of triisobutylaluminum of 18 . 5 μmol / g and a molar ratio of al atom to ti atom of 50 .) in which μ - oxobis { diethylsilylene ( η 5 - tetramethylcyclopentadienyl )( 3 - tert - butyl - 5 - methyl - 2 - phenoxy ) titanium methoxide } ( compound 1 ) and triiosobutylaluminum were mixed and a toluene solution ( 0 . 90 μmol / g ) of n , n - dimethylaniliniumtetrakis ( pentafluorophenyl ) borate were respectively prepared in separate vessels . each of the solutions was continuously fed in the reactor at a feeding rate of 100 g / hour and 140 g / hour . the polymerization reaction temperature was at 222 ° c ., and a molar ratio of boron atom to ti atom was set to 3 . 4 . as a result , an ethylene - hexene - 1 copolymer having mfr of 8 . 39 , a density ( without annealing ) of 0 . 883 g / cm 3 , scb of 36 . 0 , a weight average molecular weight ( mw ) of 62000 and a molecular weight distribution ( mw / mn ) of 1 . 9 was produced at a rate of 74 ton per 1 mole of ti atom . using an autoclave type reactor having an inner volume of 1 liter equipped with a stirrer , polymerization was carried out by continuously feeding ethylene and hexene - 1 into the reactor . the total pressure was set to 80 mpa and the concentration of hexene - 1 based on the total of ethylene and hexene - 1 was set to 34 % by mole . a hexane solution ( 0 . 7 μmol / g ) of dimethylsilylene ( η 5 - tetramethylcyclopentadienyl )( 3 - tert - butyl - 5 - methyl - 2 - phenoxy ) titanium dichloride , a heptane solution of triisobutylaluminum ( 33 μmol / g ) and further a toluene solution ( 1 . 2 μmol / g ) of n , n - dimethylaniliniumtetrakis ( pentafluoroplenyl ) borate were respectively prepared in separate vessels and continuously fed into the reactor at feeding rates of 290 g / hour , 350 g / hour and 580 g / hour , respectively . the polymerization reaction temperature was set at − 215 ° c ., and a molar ratio of boron atom to ti atom was set to 3 . 3 . as a result , an ethylene - hexene - 1 copolymer having mfr of 4 . 2 , a density ( without annealing ) of 0 . 881 g / cm 3 , a melting point of 67 . 3 ° c ., scb of 40 . 4 , mw of 66000 and mw / mn of 1 . 8 was produced in a rate of 14 ton per 1 mole of ti atom . after replacing the atmosphere of an autoclave type reactor having an inner volume of 0 . 4 liter equipped with a stirrer with argon , 185 ml of cyclohexane as a solvent and 15 ml of hexene - 1 as an α - olefin were charged and the reactor was heated to 18 ° c . after the elevation of temperature , ethylene was fed while adjusting at an ethylene pressure of 2 . 5 mpa . after the system was stabilized , 0 . 2 mmol of triisobutylaluminum , 0 . 5 ml ( namely , 0 . 5 μmol of compound 1 and 25 μmol of triisobutylaluminum ) of a heptane solution ( which was adjusted to be the concentration of compound 1 of 1 μmol / ml , the concentration of triisobutylaluminum of 50 μmol / ml and a molar ratio of al atom to ti atom of 25 .) in which μ - oxobis { dimethylsilylene ( η 5 - tetramethylcyclopentadienyl )( 3 - tert - butyl - 5 - methyl - 2 - phenoxy ) titanium methoxide } ( compound 1 ) and triisobutylaluminum were mixed , were charged and successively , 1 . 5 μmol of n , n - dimethylaniliniumtetrakispentafluorophenyl ) borate was charged as a slurry in heptane . polymerization was carried out for 2 minutes . as a result of the polymerization , 2 . 53 g of an ethylene - hexene - 1 copolymer having [ η ] of 0 . 85 dl / g , scb of 31 . 4 and melting points of 78 . 6 ° c . and 90 . 8 ° c . was obtained . polymerization activity per 1 mole of ti atom was 2 . 53 × 10 4 g polymer / mol - ti atom per 2 minutes . after replacing the atmosphere of an autoclave type reactor having an inner volume of 0 . 4 liter equipped with a stirrer with argon , 185 ml of cyclohexane as a solvent and 15 ml of hexene - 1 as an α - olefin were charged and the reactor was heated to 180 ° c . after the elevation of temperature , ethylene was fed while adjusting at an ethylene pressure of 2 . 5 mpa . after the inner of system was stabilized , 0 . 2 mmol of triisobutylaluminum , 0 . 5 ml ( namely , 0 . 5 μmol of compound 1 and 25 μmol of triisobutylaluminum ) of a heptane solution ( which was adjusted to be the concentration of compound 1 of 1 μmol / ml , the concentration of triisobutylaluminum of 50 μmol / ml and a molar ratio of al atom to ti atom of 25 .) in which μ - oxobis { dimethylsilylene ( η 5 - tetramethylcyclopentadienyl )( 3 - tert - butyl - 5 - methyl - 2 - phenoxy ) titanium methoxide } ( compound 1 ) and triisobutylaluminum were mixed , were charged and successively . 3 μmol of n , n - dimethylanilinium tetrakis ( pentafluorophenyl ) borate was charged as a slurry in heptane ( a slurry concentration of 1 μmol / ml ). polymerization was carried out for 2 minutes . as a result of the polymerization , 5 . 33 g of an ethylene - hexene - 1 copolymer having [ η ] of 0 . 67 dl / g , scb of 35 . 0 , melting points of 74 . 2 ° c . and 88 . 6 ° c ., mw of 43000 and mw / mn of 2 . 7 was obtained . polymerization activity per 1 mole of ti atom was 5 . 33 × 10 6 g - polymer / mol - ti atom per 2 minutes . after replacing the atmosphere of an autoclave type reactor having an inner volume of 0 . 4 liter equipped with a stirrer with argon , 185 ml of cyclohexane as a solvent and 15 ml of hexene - 1 as an α - olefin were charged and the reactor was heated to 180 ° c . after the elevations of temperature , ethylene was fed while adjusting at an ethylene pressure of 2 . 5 mpa . after the system was stabilized , 0 . 2 mmol of triisobutylaluminum , 0 . 5 ml ( namely , 0 . 5 μmol of compound 2 and 25 μl mol of triisobutylaluminum ) of a heptane solution ( which was adjusted to be the concentration of compound 2 of 1 μmol / ml , the concentration of triisobutylaluminum of 50 μmol / ml and a molar ratio of al atom to ti atom of 25 .) in which di - μ - oxobis { dimethylsilylene ( η 5 - tetramethylcyclopentadienyl )( 3 - tert - butyl - 5 - methyl - 2 - phenoxy ) titanium } ( compound 2 ) and triisobutylaluminum were mixed , were charged and successively , 1 . 5 μmol of n , n - dimethylanilinium tetrakis ( pentafluorophenyl ) borate was charged as a slurry in heptane ( a slurry concentration of 1 μmol / ml ). polymerization was carried out for 2 minutes . as a result of the polymerization , 2 . 55 g of an ethylene - hexene - 1 copolymer having [ η ] of 0 . 84 dl / g , scb of 30 . 7 and melting points of 80 . 2 ° c . and 93 . 0 ° c . was obtained . polymerization activity per 1 mole of ti atom was 2 . 55 × 10 6 g - polymer / mol - ti atom per 2 minutes after replacing the atmosphere of an autoclave type reactor having an inner volume of 0 . 4 liter equipped with a stirrer with argon , 195 ml of cyclohexane as a solvent and 15 ml of hexene - 1 as an α - olefin were charged and the reactor was heated to 180 ° c . after the elevation of temperature , ethylene was fed while adjusting at an ethylene pressure 2 . 5 mpa . after the system was stabilized , 0 . 2 mmol of triisobutylaluminum , 0 . 5 ml ( namely , 0 . 5 μmol of compound 2 and 25 μmol of triisobutylaluminum ) of a heptane solution ( which was adjusted to be the concentration of compound 2 of 1 μmol / ml , the concentration of triisobutylaluminum of 50 μg mol / ml and a molar ratio of al atom to ti atom of 25 .) in which di - μ - oxobis { dimethylsilylene ( η 5 - tetramethylcyclopentadienyl )( 3 - tert - butyl - 5 - methyl - 2 - phenoxy ) titanium } ( compound 2 ) and triisobutylaluminum were mixed , were charged and successively , 3 μmol of n , n - dimethylanilinium tetrakis ( pentafluorophenyl ) borate was charged as a slurry in heptane ( a slurry concentration of 1 μmol / ml ). polymerization was carried out for 2 minutes . as a result of the polymerization , 3 . 92 g of an ethylene - hexene - 1 copolymer having [ η ] of 0 . 73 dl / g , scb of 33 . 0 , melting points of 78 . 9 ° c . and 91 . 5 ° c . mw of 48000 and mw / mn of 2 . 5 was obtained . polymerization activity per 1 mole of ti atom was 3 . 92 × 10 6 g - polymer / mol - ti atom per 2 minutes . as described above in detail , according to the present invention , a transition metal compound useful an a highly active olefin polymerization catalyst component at an efficient reaction temperature in the industrial process of an olefin polymerization , and a highly active olefin polymerization catalyst using said transition metal compound and a process for producing an olefin polymer using said olefin polymerization catalyst are provided . further , the transition metal compound of the present invention is also effective as an olefin polymerization catalyst component having a high comonomer reaction rate in compolymerization and providing an olefin polymer with a high molecular weight , and has a remarkable value for utilization .

a specified transition metal compound having two transition metals and two cyclopentadiene type anion skeletons in its molecule and said metals are linked through an atom of group xvi of the periodic table of the elements , an olefin polymerization catalyst component comprising said transition metal compound , an olefin polymerization catalyst comprising said transition metal compound , a specific organoaluminum compound , and a specific boron compound , and a process for producing an olefin polymer using said olefin polymerization catalyst .

the polymerizations of this invention will typically be carried out as solution polymerizations in a hydrocarbon solvent which can be one or more aromatic , paraffinic , or cycloparaffinic compounds . these solvents will normally contain from 4 to about 10 carbon atoms per molecule and will be liquids under the conditions of the polymerization . some representative examples of suitable organic solvents include isooctane , cyclohexane , normal hexane , benzene , toluene , xylene , ethylbenzene , and the like , alone or in admixture . the halogenated phenols of this invention will also act as molecular weight reducing agents in bulk polymerizations which are carried out with nickel based catalyst systems containing ( a ) an organonickel compound , ( b ) an organoaluminum compound , and ( c ) a fluorine containing compound . such bulk polymerizations are described in detail in british patent 2 , 186 , 880 . the teachings of british patent 2 , 186 , 880 are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety . in the solution polymerizations of this invention , there will normally be from about 5 to about 35 weight percent monomers in the polymerization medium . such polymerization media are , of course , comprised of the organic solvent and the 1 , 3 - butadiene monomer . as the polymerization proceeds , monomer is converted to polymer and accordingly the polymerization medium will contain from about 5 to about 35 weight percent unreacted monomers and polymer . in most cases , it will be preferred for the polymerization medium to contain from about 10 to about 30 weight percent monomers and polymers . it is generally more preferred for the polymerization medium to contain from 20 to 25 weight percent monomers and polymers . polymerization is typically started by simply adding the nickel based catalyst system and the halogenated phenol to the polymerization medium . such polymerizations can be carried out utilizing batch , semi - continuous , or continuous techniques . in a continuous process additional 1 , 3 - butadiene monomer , catalyst , halogenated phenol , and solvent are added to the reaction zone at the same rate as polymer , solvent , and residual reactants are removed from the reaction zone . the halogenated phenols which are utilized in accordance with this invention have the structural formula : ## str1 ## wherein r 1 , r 2 , r 3 , r 4 , and r 5 can be the same or different and represent hydrogen or a halogen , with the proviso that at least one member selected from the group consisting of r 1 , r 2 , r 3 , r 4 , and r 5 is a halogen . the halogen will typically be selected from the group consisting of fluorine , chlorine , bromine , and iodine . however , the halogen will typically be selected from the group consisting of fluorine , chlorine , and bromine . some representative examples of halogenated phenols which can be employed include pentafluorophenol , pentachlorophenol , pentabromophenol , para - fluorophenol , para - chlorophenol , para - bromophenol , meta - fluorophenol , meta - chlorophenol , ortho - chlorophenol , ortho - bromophenol , ortho - fluorophenol , and meta - bromophenol . for economic and environmental reasons , para - chlorophenol is typically preferred . the organoaluminum compound that can be utilized has the structural formula : ## str2 ## in which r 1 is selected from the group consisting of alkyl groups ( including cycloalkyl ), aryl groups , alkaryl groups , arylalkyl groups , alkoxy groups , hydrogen and fluorine ; r 2 and r 3 being selected from the group consisting of alkyl groups ( including cycloalkyl ), aryl groups , alkaryl groups , and arylalkyl groups . some representative examples of organoaluminum compounds that can be utilized are diethyl aluminum hydride , di - n - propyl aluminum hydride , di - n - butyl aluminum hydride , diisobutyl aluminum hydride , diphenyl aluminum hydride , di - p - toly aluminum hydride , dibenzyl aluminum hydride , phenyl ethyl aluminum hydride , phenyl - n - propyl aluminum hydride , p - tolyl ethyl aluminum hydride , p - tolyl n - propyl aluminum hydride , p - tolyl isopropyl aluminum hydride , benzyl ethyl aluminum hydride , benzyl n - propyl aluminum hydride , and benzyl isopropyl aluminum hydride , diethylaluminum ethoxide , diisobutylaluminum ethoxide , dipropylaluminum methoxide , trimethyl aluminum , triethyl aluminum , tri - n - propyl aluminum , triisopropyl aluminum , tri - n - butyl aluminum , triisobutyl aluminum , tripentyl aluminum , trihexyl aluminum , tricyclohexyl aluminum , trioctyl aluminum , triphenyl aluminum , tri - p - tolyl aluminum , tribenzyl aluminum , ethyl diphenyl aluminum , ethyl di - p - tolyl aluminum , ethyl dibenzyl aluminum , diethyl phenyl aluminum , diethyl p - tolyl aluminum , diethyl benzyl aluminum and other triorganoaluminum compounds . the preferred organoaluminum compounds include triethyl aluminum ( teal ), tri - n - propyl aluminum , triisobutyl aluminum ( tibal ), trihexyl aluminum , diisobutyl aluminum hydride ( diba - h ), and diethyl aluminum fluoride . the component of the catalyst which contains nickel can be any soluble organonickel compound . these soluble nickel compounds are normally compounds of nickel with a mono - dentate or bi - dentate organic ligands containing up to 20 carbon atoms . a ligand is an ion or molecule bound to and considered bonded to a metal atom or ion . mono - dentate means having one position through which covalent or coordinate bonds with the metal may be formed . bi - dentate means having two positions through which covalent or coordinate bonds with the metal may be formed . the term &# 34 ; soluble &# 34 ; refers to solubility in butadiene monomer and inert solvents . generally , any nickel salt or nickel containing organic acid containing from about 1 to 20 carbon atoms may be employed as the soluble nickel containing compound . some representative examples of soluble nickel containing compounds include nickel benzoate , nickel acetate , nickel naphthenate , nickel octanoate , nickel neodecanoate , bis ( α - furyl dioxime ) nickel , nickel palmitate , nickel stearate , nickel acetylacetonate , nickel salicaldehyde , bis ( cyclopentadiene ) nickel , bis ( salicylaldehyde ) ethylene diimine nickel , cyclopentadienyl - nickel nitrosyl , bis ( π - allyl nickel ), bis ( πcycloocta - 1 , 5 - diene ), bis ( π - allyl nickel trifluoroacetate ), and nickel tetracarbonyl . the preferred component containing nickel is a nickel salt of a carboxylic acid or an organic complex compound of nickel . nickel naphthenate , nickel octanoate , and nickel neodecanoate are highly preferred soluble nickel containing compounds . nickel 2 - ethylhexanoate , which is commonly referred to as nickel octanoate ( nioct ) is the soluble nickel containing compound which is most commonly used due to economic factors . the fluorine containing compound utilized in the catalyst system is generally hydrogen fluoride or boron trifluoride . if hydrogen fluoride is utilized , it can be in the gaseous or liquid state . it , of course , should be anhydrous and as pure as possible . the hydrogen fluoride can be dissolved in an inert solvent , and thus , can be handled and charged into the reaction zone as a liquid solution . optionally , butadiene monomer can be utilized as the solvent . inert solvents include alkyl -, alkaryl -, arylalkyl -, and aryl - hydrocarbons . for example , benzene and toluene are convenient solvents . the boron trifluoride component of the catalyst can be gaseous boron trifluoride . it should also be anhydrous and as pure as possible . the hydrogen fluoride and / or boron trifluoride can also be utilized as complexes in the catalyst system as the fluorine containing compound . hydrogen fluoride complexes and boron trifluoride complexes can readily be made with compounds which contain an atom or radical which is capable of lending electrons to or sharing electrons with hydrogen fluoride or boron trifluoride . compounds capable of such associating are ethers , alcohols , ketones , esters , nitriles and water . the ketone subclass can be defined by the formula ## str3 ## wherein r &# 39 ; and r are selected from the group consisting of alkyl radicals , cycloalkyl radicals , aryl radicals , alkaryl radicals , and arylalkyl radicals containing from 1 to about 30 carbon atoms ; and wherein r &# 39 ; and r can be the same or different . these ketones represent a class of compounds which have a carbon atom attached by a double bond to oxygen . some representative examples of ketones that are useful in the preparation of the ketone - hydrogen fluoride complexes or boron trifluoride complexes of this invention include dimethyl ketone , methylethyl ketone , dibutyl ketone , methyl isobutyl ketone , ethyl octyl ketone , 2 , 4 - pentanedione , butyl cycloheptanone , acetophenone , amylphenyl ketone , butylphenyl ketone , benzophenone , phenyltolyl ketone , quinone and the like . the preferred ketones that can be used to form the ketone - hydrogen fluoride compounds and the ketone - boron trifluoride compounds of this invention are the dialkyl ketones of which acetone is most preferred . the nitrile subclass can be represented by the formula rcn where r represents alkyl groups , cycloalkyl groups , aryl groups , alkaryl groups or arylalkyl groups that contain up to about 30 carbon atoms . the nitriles contain a carbon atom attached to a nitrogen atom by a triple bond . representative but not exhaustive of the nitrile subclass are acetonitrile , butyronitrile , acrylonitrile , benzonitrile , tolunitrile , phenylacetonitrile , and the like . the preferred hydrogen fluoride - nitrile complex or boron trifluoride nitrile complex is the hydrogen fluoride benzonitrile complex or the boron trifluoride benzonitrile complex . the alcohol subclass can be defined by the formula roh where r represents alkyl radicals , cycloalkyl radicals , aryl radicals , alkaryl radicals , or arylalkyl radicals containing from about 1 to about 30 carbon atoms . these alcohols represent a class of compounds which have a carbon atom attached by a single bond to oxygen which is in turn attached to a hydrogen by a single bond . representative but not exhaustive of the alcohols useful in the preparation of hydrogen fluoride complexes and boron trifluoride complexes are methanol , ethanol , n - propanol , isopropanol , phenol , benzyl alcohol , cyclohexanol , butanol , hexanol and pentanol . the preferred hydrogen fluoride - alcohol complex or boron trifluoride alcohol complex is hydrogen fluoride phenolate complex or boron trifluoride phenolate complex . the ether subclass can be defined by the formula r &# 39 ; or where r and r &# 39 ; represent alkyl radicals , cycloalkyl radicals , aryl radicals , alkaryl radicals , and arylalkyl radicals containing from about 1 to about 30 carbon atoms ; wherein r and r &# 39 ; may be the same or dissimilar . the r may also be joined through a common carbon bond to form a cyclic ether with the ether oxygen being an integral part of the cyclic structure such as tetrahydrofuran , furan or dioxane . these ethers represent a class of compounds which have two carbon atoms attached by single bonds to an oxygen atom . representative but not exhaustive of the ethers useful in the preparation of the hydrogen fluoride complexes or boron trifluoride complexes of this invention are dimethyl ether , diethyl ether , dibutyl ether , diamyl ether , diisopropyl ethers , tetrahydrofuran , anisole , diphenyl ether , ethyl methyl ether , dibenzyl ether and the like . the preferred hydrogen fluoride - ether complexes or boron trifluoride - ether complexes are hydrogen fluoride diethyl etherate , hydrogen fluoride dibutyl etherate , boron trifluoride diethyl etherate , boron trifluoride dibutyl etherate complexes . the ester subclass can be defined by the formula ## str4 ## wherein r and r &# 39 ; are selected from the group consisting of alkyl radicals , cycloalkyl radicals , aryl radicals , alkaryl radicals and arylalkyl radicals containing from 1 to about 20 carbon atoms . the esters contain a carbon atom attached by a double bond to an oxygen atom as indicated . representative but not exhaustive of such esters are ethyl benzoate , amyl benzoate , phenyl acetate , phenyl benzoate and other esters conforming to the formula above . the preferred hydrogen fluoride - ester complex is hydrogen fluoride ethyl benzoate complex . the preferred boron trifluoride - ester complex is boron trifluoride ethyl benzoate complex . such complexes are usually prepared by simply bubbling gaseous boron trifluoride or hydrogen fluoride into appropriate amounts of the complexing agent , for instance , a ketone , an ether , an ester , an alcohol , or a nitrile . this should be done in the absence of moisture , and measures should be taken to keep the temperature from rising above about 100 ° f . ( 37 . 7 ° c .). in most cases , boron trifluoride and hydrogen fluoride complexes are prepared with the temperature being maintained at room temperature . another possible method would be to dissolve the hydrogen fluoride or the complexing agent in a suitable solvent followed by adding the other component . still another method of mixing would be to dissolve the complexing agent in a solvent and simply bubble gaseous hydrogen fluoride or boron trifluoride through the system until all of the complexing agent is reacted with the hydrogen fluoride or boron trifluoride . the concentrations can be determined by weight gain or chemical titration . the three component catalyst system utilized can be preformed . if the catalyst system is preformed , it will maintain a high level of activity over a long period of time . the utilization of such a preformed catalyst system also results in the formation of a uniform polymeric product . such preformed catalyst systems are prepared in the presence of one or more preforming agents selected from the group consisting of monoolefins , nonconjugated diolefins , conjugated diolefins , cyclic nonconjugated multiolefins , acetylenic hydrocarbons , triolefins , vinyl ethers and aromatic nitriles . some representative examples of olefins that can be used as the preforming agent in the preparation of stabilized catalysts are trans - 2 - butene , mixed cis - and trans - 2 - pentene , and cis - 2 - pentene . some nonconjugated diolefins that can be used as preforming agents are cis - 1 , 4 - hexadiene , 1 , 5 - heptadiene , 1 , 7 - octadiene , and the like . representative examples of cyclic nonconjugated multiolefins that can be used include 1 , 5 - cyclooctadiene , 1 , 5 , 9 - cyclododecatriene , and 4 - vinyl cyclohexene - 1 . some representative examples of acetylenic hydrocarbons which can be used as the preforming agent are methyl acetylene , ethyl acetylene , 2 - butyne , 1 - pentyne , 2 - pentyne , 1 - octyne , and phenyl acetyene . triolefins that can be used as the preforming agent include 1 , 3 , 5 - hexatriene , 1 , 3 , 5 - heptatriene , 1 , 3 , 6 - octatriene , 5 - methyl - 1 , 3 , 6 - heptatriene and the like . some representative examples of substituted conjugated diolefins that can be used include 1 , 4 - diphenyl butadiene , myrcene ( 7 - methyl - 3 - methylene - 1 , 6 - octadiene ), and the like . ethyl vinyl ether and isobutyl vinyl ether are representative examples of alkyl vinyl ethers that can be used as the preforming agent . a representative example of an aromatic nitrile that can be used is benzonitrile . some representative examples of conjugated diolefins that can be used include 1 , 3 - butadiene , isoprene , and 1 , 3 - pentadiene . the preferred preforming agent is 1 , 3 - butadiene . a method of preparing the preformed catalyst so that it will be highly active and relatively chemically stable is to add the organoaluminum compound and the preforming agent to the solvent medium before they come into contact with the nickel compound . the nickel compound is then added to the solution and then the fluoride compound is added to the solution . as an alternative , the preforming agent and the nickel compound may be mixed , followed by the addition of the organoaluminum compound and then the fluoride compound . other orders of addition may be used but they generally produce less satisfactory results . the amount of preforming agent used to preform the catalyst may be within the range of about 0 . 001 to 3 percent of the total amount of monomer to be polymerized . expressed as a mole ratio of preforming agent to nickel compound , the amount of preforming agent present during the preforming step can be within the range of about 1 to 3000 times the concentration of nickel . the preferred mole ratio of preforming agent to nickel is about 3 : 1 to 500 : 1 . these preformed catalysts have catalytic activity immediately after being prepared . however , it has been observed that a short aging period , for example 15 to 30 minutes , at a moderate temperature , for example 50 ° c .. increases the activity of the preformed catalyst greatly . in order to properly stabilize the catalyst , the preforming agent must be present before the organoaluminum compound has an opportunity to react with either the nickel compound or the fluoride compound . if the catalyst system is preformed without the presence of at least a small amount of preforming agent , the chemical effect of the organoaluminum upon the nickel compound or the fluoride compound is such that the catalytic activity of the catalyst is greatly lessened and shortly thereafter rendered inactive . in the presence of at least a small amount of preforming agent , the catalytic or shelf life of the catalyst is greatly improved over the system without any preforming agent present . the three component nickel catalyst system can also be premixed . such premixed catalyst systems are prepared in the presence of one or more polymeric catalyst stabilizers . the polymeric catalyst stabilizer can be in the form of a monomer , a liquid polymer , a polymer cement , or a polymer solution . polymeric catalyst stabilizers are generally homopolymers of conjugated dienes or copolymers of conjugated dienes with styrenes and methyl substituted styrenes . the diene monomers used in the preparation of polymeric catalyst stabilizers normally contain from 4 to about 12 carbon atoms . some representative examples of conjugated diene monomers that can be utilized in making such polymeric catalyst stabilizers include isoprene , 1 , 3 - butadiene , piperylene , 1 , 3 - hexadiene , 1 , 3 - heptadiene , 1 , 3 - octadiene , 2 , 4 - hexadiene , 2 , 4 - heptadiene , 2 , 4 - octadiene and 1 , 3 - nonadiene . also included are 2 , 3 - dimethylbutadiene , 2 , 3 - dimethyl - 1 , 3 - hexadiene , 2 , 3 - dimethyl - 1 , 3 - heptadiene , 2 , 3 - dimethyl - 1 , 3 - octadiene and 2 , 3 - dimethyl - 1 , 3 - nonadiene and mixtures thereof . some representative examples of polymeric catalyst stabilizers include polyisoprene , polybutadiene , polypiperylene , copolymers of butadiene and styrene , copolymers of butadiene and α - methylstyrene , copolymers of isoprene and styrene , copolymers of isoprene and α - methylstyrene , copolymers of piperylene and styrene , copolymers of piperylene and α - methylstyrene , copolymers of 2 , 3 - dimethyl - 1 , 3 - butadiene and styrene , copolymers of 2 , 3 - dimethyl butadiene and α - methylstyrene , copolymers of butadiene and vinyltoluene , copolymers of 2 , 3 - dimethyl - 1 , 3 - butadiene and vinyltoluene , copolymers of butadiene and β - methylstyrene , and copolymers of piperylene and β - methylstyrene . in order to properly stabilize the catalyst system by this premixing technique , the polymeric catalyst stabilizer must be present before the organoaluminum compound has an opportunity to react with either the nickel compound or the fluorine containing compound . if the catalyst system is premixed without the presence of at least a small amount of polymeric catalyst stabilizer , the chemical effect of the organoaluminum compound upon the nickel compound or the fluoride compound is such that the catalytic activity of the catalyst system is greatly lessened and shortly thereafter rendered inactive . in the presence of at least a small amount of polymeric catalyst stabilizer , the catalytic or shelf life of the catalyst system is greatly improved over the same system without any polymeric catalyst stabilizer present . one method of preparing this premixed catalyst system so that it will be highly active and relatively chemically stable is to add the organoaluminum compound to the polymer cement solution and mix thoroughly before the organoaluminum compound comes into contact with the nickel containing compound . the nickel compound is then added to the polymer cement solution . alternatively , the nickel compound can be mixed with the polymer cement first , followed by the addition of the organoaluminum compound . then the fluorine containing compound is added to the polymer cement solution . this is not intended to preclude other orders or methods of catalyst addition , but it is emphasized that the polymer stabilizer must be present before the organoaluminum compound has a chance to react with either the nickel containing compound or the fluorine containing compound . the amount of polymeric catalyst stabilizer used to premix the catalyst system can be within the range of about 0 . 01 to 3 weight percent of the total amount monomer to be polymerized . expressed as a weight ratio of polymeric catalyst stabilizer to nickel , the amount of polymeric catalyst stabilizer present during the premixing step can be within the range of about 2 to 2000 times the concentration of nickel . the preferred weight ratio of polymeric catalyst stabilizer to nickel is from about 4 : 1 to about 300 : 1 . even though such premixed catalyst systems show catalytic activity immediately after being prepared , it has been observed that a short aging period , for example 15 to 30 minutes , at moderate temperatures , for example 50 ° c ., increases the activity of the preformed catalyst system . a &# 34 ; modified in situ &# 34 ; technique can also be used in making the three component nickel catalyst system . in fact , the utilization of catalysts made by such &# 34 ; modified in situ &# 34 ; techniques results in more uniform control of the polymerization and the polymeric product . in such a &# 34 ; modified in situ &# 34 ; technique , the organoaluminum compound is added to neat 1 , 3 - butadiene monomer with the nickel containing compound being added later . the butadiene monomer containing the organoaluminum compound and the nickel containing compound is then charged into the reaction zone being used for the polymerization with the fluorine containing compound being charged into the reaction zone separately . normally , the organoaluminum compound and the nickel containing compound are charged into the reaction zone soon after being mixed into the butadiene monomer . in most cases , the organoaluminum compound and the nickel containing compound are charged into the reaction zone within 60 seconds after being mixed in the butadiene monomer . it will generally be desirable to utilize organoaluminum compounds and nickel containing compounds which have been dissolved in a suitable solvent . the three component nickel catalyst systems utilized in the practice of the present invention have activity over a wide range of catalyst concentrations and catalyst component ratios . the three catalyst components interact to form the active catalyst system . as a result , the optimum concentration for any one component is very dependent upon the concentrations of each of the other two catalyst components . furthermore , while polymerization will occur over a wide range of catalyst concentrations and ratios , the most desirable properties for the polymer being synthesized are obtained over a relatively narrow range . polymerizations can be carried out utilizing a mole ratio of the organoaluminum compound to the nickel containing compound within the range of from about 0 . 3 : 1 to about 300 : 1 ; with the mole ratio of the fluorine containing compound to the organonickel containing compound ranging from about 0 . 5 : 1 to about 200 : 1 and with the mole ratio of the fluorine containing compound to the organoaluminum compound ranging from about 0 . 4 : 1 to about 10 : 1 . the preferred mole ratios of the organoaluminum compound to the nickel containing compound ranges from about 2 : 1 to about 80 : 1 . the preferred mole ratio of the fluorine containing compound to the nickel containing compound ranges from about 3 : 1 to about 100 : 1 , and the preferred mole ratio of the fluorine containing compound to the organoaluminum compound ranges from about 0 . 7 : 1 to about 7 : 1 . the concentration of the catalyst system utilized in the reaction zone depends upon factors such as purity , the reaction rate desired , the polymerization temperature utilized , the reactor design , and other factors . the three component nickel catalyst system can be continuously charged into the reaction zone utilized in carrying out continuous solution polymerization at a rate sufficient to maintain the desired catalyst concentration . in continuous polymerizations , the halogenated phenol is continuously charged into the reaction zone at a rate sufficient to maintain the desired concentration of the halogenated phenol in the reaction zone . even though the halogenated phenol is not consumed in the polymerization reaction , a certain amount of the halogenated phenol will need to be continuously added to compensate for losses . the total quantity of the 1 , 3 - butadiene monomer , the catalyst system , the solvent and the halogenated phenol charged into the reaction zone per unit time is essentially the same as the quantity of high cis - 1 , 4 - polybutadiene cement withdrawn from the reaction zone within that unit of time . the three catalyst components can be charged into the reaction zone &# 34 ; in situ &# 34 ;, or as has been previously described , as a preformed or premixed catalyst system . in order to facilitate charging the catalyst components into the reaction zone &# 34 ; in situ &# 34 ; they can be dissolved in a small amount of an inert organic solvent or butadiene monomer . preformed and premixed catalyst systems will , of course , already be dissolved in a solvent . the amount of halogenated phenol that needs to be employed as a molecular weight reducing agent varies with the type of halogenated phenol being employed , with the catalyst system , with the polymerization temperature , and with the desired molecular weight of the high cis - 1 , 4 - polybutadiene rubber being synthesized . for instance , if a high molecular weight rubber is desired , then a relatively small amount of halogenated phenol is required . on the other hand , in order to reduce molecular weights substantially , a relatively large amount of the halogenated phenol will need to be employed . generally , greater amounts of the halogenated phenol are required when the catalyst system being utilized contains hydrogen fluoride or is an aged catalyst which contains boron trifluoride . extremely effective halogenated phenols , such as pentafluorophenol , can be used in lower concentrations than less effective halogenated phenols and will nevertheless suppress molecular weights to the same degree . as a general rule the molar ratio of the halogenated phenol to the organoaluminum compound will be within the range of about 0 . 01 : 1 to about 1 : 1 . the molar ratio of the halogenated phenol to the organoaluminum compound will more typically be within the range of about 0 . 05 : 1 to about 0 . 8 : 1 . in most cases desired molecular weights can be attained by employing a molar ratio of the halogenated phenol to the organoaluminum compound which is within the range of about 0 . 1 : 1 to about 0 . 6 : 1 . higher ratios of the halogenated phenol to the organoaluminum compound reduces molecular weights to a greater extent . however , larger ratios of the halogenated phenol to the organoaluminum compound also reduce yields . high yield can generally be attained with the molar ratio of the halogenated phenol to the organoaluminum compound is less than about 0 . 5 : 1 . however , yields diminish substantially as the molar ratio of the halogenated phenol to the organoaluminum compound is increased above a ratio of about 0 . 6 : 1 . for this reason , a molar ratio of the halogenated phenol to the organoaluminum compound of greater than about 0 . 8 : 1 will not normally be employed . the temperatures utilized in the polymerizations of this invention are not critical and may vary from extremely low temperatures to very high temperatures . for instance , such polymerizations can be conducted at any temperature within the range of about - 10 ° c . to about 120 ° c . the polymerizations of this invention will preferably be conducted at a temperature within the range of about 30 ° c . to about 90 ° c . it is normally preferred for the polymerization to be carried out at a temperature which is within the range of about 55 ° c . to about 75 ° c . such polymerizations will normally be conducted for a period of time which is sufficient to attain a high yield which is normally in excess of about 80 % and preferably in excess of about 90 %. the high cis - 1 , 4 - polybutadiene rubber made utilizing the techniques of this invention typically has a cis content in excess of about 95 %. for example , the high cis - 1 , 4 - polybutadiene rubber made utilizing the techniques of this invention will typically have a cis content of about 97 %, a trans content of about 2 %, and a vinyl content of about 1 %. after the polymerization is completed , the high cis - 1 , 4 - polybutadiene rubber may be recovered from the resulting polymer solution ( rubber cement ) by any of several procedures . one such procedure comprises mixing the rubber cement with a polar coagulating agent , such as methanol , ethanol , isopropylalcohol , acetone , or the like . the coagulating agent can be added at room temperature or below whereupon the liquified low molecular weight hydrocarbons will vaporize . if desired , gentle heat may be applied to hasten the removal of low molecular weight hydrocarbons , but not sufficient heat to vaporize the polar coagulating agent . the vaporized low molecular weight hydrocarbon solvents can then be recovered and recycled . the coagulated rubber is recovered from the slurry of the polar coagulating agent by centrifugation , decantation or filtration . another procedure for recovering the high cis - 1 , 4 - polybutadiene rubber is by subjecting the rubber solution to spray drying . such a procedure is particularly suitable for continuous operations and has the advantage that heat requirements are at a minimum . when such a procedure is used , the recovered polymer should be washed soon after recovery with a polar solvent in order to destroy the remaining active catalyst contained in the polymer . in such procedures the vaporized organic solvents are also easily recovered , but will normally require purification before being recycled . the practice of this invention is further illustrated by the following examples which are intended to be representative rather than restrictive of the scope of the subject invention . unless indicated otherwise , all parts and percentages are given by weight . dilute solutions viscosities were determined in toluene at 30 ° c . in this series of experiments pentafluorophenol was evaluated as a molecular weight reducing agent . in this series of experiments 500 grams of a 15 % solution of 1 , 3 - butadiene monomer in hexane was added to a series of quart ( 946 ml ) polymerization bottles under a nitrogen atmosphere . the bottles were capped using a self - sealing gasket with a teflon liner . triisobutylaluminum was added with a hypodermic syringe followed by the addition of nickel octanoate . the molar ratio of the triisobutylaluminum to nickel octanoate was 40 : 1 . after about 2 to 3 minutes the pentafluorophenol was added in the amount shown in table i was added as a 0 . 12m solution . after allowing 2 or 3 minutes for the pentafluorophenol to react with the triisobutylaluminum , a hydrofluoric acid solution was added . a sufficient amount of hydrofluoric acid was added to attain a molar ratio of hydrofluoric acid to nickel octanoate of 100 : 1 . the polymerization bottle was then placed in a constant temperature bath which was maintained at a temperature of 65 ° c . after a polymerization time of 1 - 2 hours , a short stop solution containing 1 phm ( parts per hundred parts by weight of monomer ) of rosin acid , 1 phm of 2 , 6 - di - tertiary - butyl - para - cresol , which is also known as butylated hydroxy toluene ( bht ), and 0 . 5 phm of triisopropanolamine was added . the polymer cement made was then hot air oven dried overnight . the rubber samples which were recovered were evaluated to determine number average molecular weight , weight average molecular weight , and dilute solution viscosities . these results as well as yields and molecular weight distributions are reported in table i . table i______________________________________ cold dsv flow ( dl / ( mg / ex pfp : al yield mn mw mwd g ) min ) ______________________________________1 0 99 % 163 , 000 703 , 000 4 . 3 3 . 83 0 . 262 0 . 12 97 % 133 , 000 529 , 000 4 . 0 3 . 03 0 . 683 0 . 24 93 % 80 , 000 457 , 000 5 . 8 2 . 44 1 . 454 0 . 36 87 % 57 , 000 333 , 000 5 . 8 2 . 05 1 . 765 0 . 48 81 % 38 , 000 293 , 000 7 . 7 1 . 83 3 . 186 0 . 60 73 % 29 , 000 263 , 000 9 . 0 1 . 63 5 . 23______________________________________ pfp : al = molar ratio of pentafluorophenol to triisobutylaluminum mw = weight average molecular weight mn = number average molecular weight cold flow was measured at 50 ° c . inspection of the results presented in table 1 show pentafluorophenol to be an extremely efficient molecular weight regulator . the number average molecular weight of the high cis - 1 , 4 - polybutadiene produced dropped sharply with increasing levels of pentafluorophenol , while the molecular weight distribution became broader . the molecular weight distribution of high cis - 1 , 4 - polybutadiene synthesized with conventional nickel based catalyst systems is typically within the range of about 4 . 3 to about 4 . 8 . however , by utilizing the halogenated phenol as a molecular weight reducing agent the molecular weight distribution of the rubber produced could be increased to well over 4 . 8 . in fact , in examples 3 and 4 molecular weight distributions of greater than 5 . 0 were attained . in examples 5 and 6 molecular weight distributions of greater than 7 . 0 and 9 . 0 were attained . in this series of experiments para - fluorophenol was evaluated as a molecular weight reducing agent . the polymerizations were conducted in a series of four ounce ( 118 ml ) polymerization bottles . the polymerization bottles were filled with 100 ml of a 13 % solution of 1 , 3 - butadiene monomer in hexane under a nitrogen atmosphere . then triisobutylaluminum was added utilizing a hypodermic syringe followed by the addition of 0 . 02 phm of nickel octanoate . a sufficient amount of triisobutylaluminum was added to realize a molar ratio of triisobutylaluminum to nickel octanoate of 40 : 1 . after 2 - 3 minutes , the para - fluorophenol was added as a 0 . 1m solution in hexane . after allowing another 2 - 3 minutes for the para - fluorophenol to react with the triisobutylaluminum , a solution of hydrofluoric acid was added . the molar ratio of hydrofluoric acid to nickel octanoate was 100 : 1 . the polymerization bottles were then placed in a constant temperature bath which was maintained at 65 ° c . with the bottles being rotated end - over - end . the polymerization was allowed to proceed for 90 minutes . then , the polymerization was short - stopped by the addition of 1 . 0 phm of rosin acid , 1 . 0 phm of bht , and 0 . 5 phm of triisopropanolamine . the rubber cements prepared were subsequently dried overnight in a hot air oven . the molar ratio of para - fluorophenol to triisobutylaluminum , yield , and dsv is reported in table ii . table ii______________________________________example pfp : al yield dsv ( dl / g ) ______________________________________ 7 0 92 % 4 . 10 8 0 . 05 92 % 3 . 92 9 0 . 10 91 % 3 . 8010 0 . 15 94 % 3 . 7811 0 . 20 92 % 3 . 6812 0 . 25 90 % 3 . 3113 0 . 50 87 % 3 . 0314 1 . 00 6 % nd______________________________________ pfp : al = molar ratio of parafluorophenol to triisobutylaluminum dsv = dilute solution viscosity as can be seen by inspecting table ii , parafluorophenol is not as efficient as pentafluorophenol . however , some of this difference may be attributable to temperature differences because the quart polymerization bottles probably run somewhat hotter . in a preferred embodiment of this invention , the trialkylaluminum component of the catalyst system is preformed with the halogenated phenol . by preforming the organoaluminum component of the catalyst system with the halogenated phenol , higher conversions can typically be attained . better reproducibility of conversions and mooney viscosities is also realized when the catalyst is preformed . the preforming of the catalyst can be carried out by slowly adding a solution of the halogenated phenol to a solution of the organoaluminum compound . the preformed organoaluminum / halogenated phenol component of the catalyst system can then be further diluted with additional organic solvent to the desired concentration . in this series of experiments , the triisobutylaluminum component of the catalyst system was preformed with para - chlorophenol . the molar ratio of the para - chlorophenol to the triisobutylalumimum is shown in table iii . in polymerizations where the triisobutylaluminum component is preformed with the halogenated phenol , it is typically desirable to reduce the level of hydrofluoric acid employed in the catalyst . as a rule of thumb , the amount of hydrofluoric acid employed is reduced by one mole for every mole of para - chlorophenol employed . these polymerizations were conducted in a series of quart ( 946 ml ) polymerization bottles under a nitrogen atmosphere . the polymerization bottles were filled with 500 ml of 16 . 1 % solutions of 1 , 3 - butadiene monomer in hexane . the polymerization bottles were capped using a self - sealing gasket with a teflon liner . the preformed triisobutylaluminum / para - chlorophenol component was added with a hypodermic syringe followed by the addition of nickel octanoate and hydrofluoric acid . nickel octanoate was employed in all the experiments in this series at a level of 0 . 01 phm . the molar ratio of the triisobutylaluminum to the nickel octanoate was 40 : 1 . the ratio of hydrofluoric acid to the triisobutylaluminum is shown in table iii . the polymerization bottles were placed in a constant temperature bath which was maintained at a temperature of 65 ° c . after a polymerization time of about 90 minutes , a short stop solution was added at such a level to give 1 phm ( parts per hundred parts by weight of monomer ) of rosin acid , 1 phm of 2 , 6 - di - tertiary - butyl - para - cresol , which is also known as butylated hydroxy toluene ( bht ), and 0 . 5 phm of triisopropanolamine was added . the polymer cement made was then hot air oven dried overnight . the rubber samples which were recovered were evaluated to determine yields and mooney ml1 + 4 ( 100 ° c .) viscosities . as can be seen , the mooney viscosities of the polymers made were reduced with increasing amounts of the para - chlorophenol modifier . table iv______________________________________ex - ample p - cl -- p : al hf : al yield (%) ml1 + 4 ( 100 ° c .) ______________________________________15 0 2 . 50 93 7916 0 . 70 1 . 80 88 5417 0 . 80 1 . 70 80 5618 0 . 90 1 . 60 60 4619 1 . 00 1 . 50 54 36______________________________________ p - cl -- p : al = molar ratio of parachlorophenol to triisobutylaluminum hf : al = molar ratio of hydrofluoric acid to triisobutylaluminum while certain representative embodiments and details have been shown for the purpose of illustrating the subject invention , it will be apparent to those skilled in this art that various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention .

high cis - 1 , 4 - polybutadiene can be synthesized by polymerizing 1 , 3 - butadiene monomer with a three component nickel catalyst system containing an organonickel compound , an organoaluminum compound , and a fluorine containing compound . however , the molecular weight of the high cis - 1 , 4 - polybutadiene prepared is typically too high to be utilized as a non - oil extended rubber . this invention is based upon the discovery that halogenated phenols act to reduce the molecular weight and to increase the molecular weight distribution of high cis - 1 , 4 - polybutadiene prepared with such nickel based catalyst systems . the use of halogenated phenols as modifiers in such polymerizations does not change the microstructure of the high cis - 1 , 4 - polybutadiene produced . accordingly , the present invention specifically discloses a process for producing high cis - 1 , 4 - polybutadiene having a reduced molecular weight and broad molecular weight distribution which comprises polymerizing 1 , 3 - butadiene in the presence of an organonickel compound , an organoaluminum compound , a fluorine containing compound , and a halogenated phenol .

fig1 and 2 show a cylindrical drill shaft 11 that , at the front part thereof , is provided with two insert seatings 12 and 13 placed on both sides of the center line cl of the drill . axial recesses or channels formed for the chip release are designated 14 and 15 . the two insert seatings 12 , 13 are centrally hole provided for receipt of locking screws ( not shown ) for locking of cutting inserts in the seatings . each insert seating comprises a tangential support surface 16 , an axial support surface 17 as well as a radial support surface 18 . the support surfaces are arranged with additional gaps 19 in order to house a plurality of the corners of the cutting insert . the tangential support surfaces 16 are substantially parallel to radial planes through the centre line cl . each axial support surface 17 is broken so that it forms a substantially v - shaped profile , the tip of which is directed axially rearwards towards the fastening part of the shaft . a surface 20 in the centre seating 12 , which surface is opposite the radial support surface 18 , has no supporting function of the cutting insert but only aims to prevent wedging of chips between the shaft and the centre cutting insert . the section transition between the radial support surface 18 and the tangential support surface 16 is designated 21 . at said section transition 21 , the maximal stress concentration in the insert pocket arises upon full engagement with a workpiece . therefore , here it is desirable to be able to improve fatigue strength and as far as possible reduce the risk of crack initiation and propagation . according to exemplary embodiments disclosed herein , a surprisingly improved fatigue strength of materials in the tool body is obtained by submitting the material to a surface hardening and a surface treatment following thereafter , which can build in compressive stresses into the surface at the same time as the risk of crack initiation and crack propagation can be significantly reduced , on one hand in and adjacent to the insert seatings , and on the other hand at portions axially behind the insert seatings of the tool holder body . the surface hardening means that the material is submitted to a method that gives compressive stresses in the surface , e . g ., by nitrocarburizing . other methods for giving the corresponding compressive stresses may , for instance , be used , such as nitriding or ion nitriding in the way that has been described by way of introduction . the subsequent surface treatment has the purpose of modifying / machining or removing parts of or the entire phase - transition layer . this is done in order to remove initiated cracks and pores in the phase - transition layer , which are formed during the surface hardening and simultaneously build in additional compressive stresses . according to an exemplary method , said surface treatment is made in the form of shot peening , which means that a number of small balls are bombarded against the surface of materials that are to be treated . according to an alternative exemplary method , the surface treatment may be made in the form of a micro blasting , which means that the surface of the material is bombarded with small particles in such a way that a part of the material is removed . by the micro blasting , a certain plastic deformation of the holder body is achieved , whereby the compression residual stresses are increased . simultaneously , parts of or the entire phase - transition layer developed previously by the first treatment are modified / machined or removed . in the micro blasting , for instance , small balls of suitable steel material were used . the structural picture shown in fig3 shows the effect of the surface hardening . the surface zone obtained by the surface hardening comprises an outer phase - transition layer , which extends approximately 3 to 10 μm under the surface . inside this phase - transition layer , a zone has been formed having a decreasing quantity of precipitates , which zone extends to approximately 100 to 200 μm under the surface . thereby , the surface hardening has been obtained to a depth where the hardness has dropped to the same hardness value as of the base material in the tool body . the duration of the surface hardening in this first step is a time such that compressive stresses amount to a considerably higher value than the original base material . in fig3 , also the hardness profile according to the above has been illustrated more closely . in fig4 to 5 , the difference of a surface of a cutting seat before and after the disclosed exemplary treatment is shown . fig4 shows the surface of a cutting seat before the treatment and fig5 shows the surface of a cutting seat after the treatment . as is seen from this , substantially all scratches and crack initiations are gone in fig5 , which of course improves the fatigue strength . a test bar of a steel material of type ss2242 has been produced and then surface treated according to the embodiments disclosed herein . subsequently , the test bar has been subjected to a fatigue test . the result of the test is seen in fig6 , which shows the number of load cycles as a function of the applied force . in fig6 , a test bar that has been treated according to embodiments disclosed herein has been designated a ; a test bar that only has been subjected to shot peening is designated b ; a test bar that solely has been surface hardened by means of nitrocarburizing to a depth of 0 . 14 mm is designated c ; and d is an entirely untreated test bar , i . e ., a commonly hardened tool material . as is clearly seen from this , an improved strength has been obtained by a treatment first comprising nitrocarburizing followed by micro blasting / shot peening , which confirms that in this way a surprisingly synergistic improvement is achieved beyond what has been found reason to expect in the form of the sum of each one of the same treatments . after a surface hardening , for relevant tool cutting data , which is approximately 2700 n in fig6 , an increase of the fatigue service life is normally obtained by approximately 20 % by virtue of provided compressive stresses . after shot peening alone , the fatigue service life increases by approximately 100 %, by virtue of provided compressive stresses as well as a surface showing fewer crack initiations . if the material first is submitted to a surface hardening according to the above followed by a surface treatment by , e . g ., shot peening , an increase of the fatigue service life by approximately 500 % is , however , surprisingly obtained by virtue of major provision of compressive stresses and by parts of or the entire phase - transition layer having been modified / worked so that microcracks and pores in the layer have been removed . thus , the surface receives a more even geometry without cracks and scratches . the difference between a surface - treated and a not surface - treated tool is seen in fig4 and 5 . the surface treatment , preferably micro blasting / shot peening , gives a contribution of the surface tensions to a level being higher than after the surface hardening alone . by the surface hardening , followed by a separate surface treatment , the possibility is given to manufacture the product in a softer state , which no longer needs to be particularly good from a wear point of view , since the only purpose thereof is to hold the nitrocarburizing layer . this results in the fact that the same desired high level of precision can now be obtained that previously only could be attained by machining in a hardened state , in machining in this softer material . no subsequent hardening giving great deformations is needed . now , it is enough with the basic material having sufficient bearing strength . this means , in turn , that mill cutting a finished product in , e . g ., 33 hrc instead of 45 hrc is possible , which makes a great difference from a workability point of view . nitrocarburizing and shot peening give a very small deformation to the product . another risk of tool breakdown , usually is that the material in a tool handle , at the portions that are located a distance axially behind the insert seatings , may be subjected to too unfavorable bending and torsion stresses , which may lead to breakage . it has turned out that also against this type of crack initiations and risk of breakage , a clearly improved material strength has been attained by the disclosed surface treatment . the described embodiments of the present invention are intended to be illustrative rather than restrictive , and are not intended to represent every possible embodiment of the present invention . various modifications can be made to the disclosed embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims , both literally and in equivalents recognized in law .

a cutting tool and a method for the production of cutting tools for metalworking characterized in that the holder body of the tool first is submitted to a surface hardening that results in the formation of compressive stresses in the surface and then submitted to a surface treatment that gives additional contribution of compressive stresses in the surface . in this way , it is allowed to , on one hand , be able to modify / machine or remove parts of or the entire phase - transition layer obtained in the surface hardening at the same time as additional compressive stresses are built up in the surface of a hardened steel material in the tool body .

referring now to fig1 a green sheet 10 having an array of layer sites thereon is illustrated . green sheet 10 may be formulated from ceramic powder and organic binders in a conventional manner . as illustrated , green sheet 10 includes an array of nine layer sites thereon although more or less may be employed . each layer site includes a pattern of conductive vias which may be interconnected by a surface conductive pattern in a well known manner . it will be recognized by those having skill in the art that the maximum size of a layer site is dictated by the dimensional distorion between the most distant vias in the layer site , e . g ., the distance a between vias 12 and 13 on upper right layer site 11 . it will also be recognized that the maximum green sheet size and the maximum number of layer sites which may be fabricated on a green sheet are dictated by the dimensional distortion between the most distant vias on green sheet 10 , e . g ., the distance b between the upper right via 12 on the upper right layer site and the lower left via 14 on the lower left site . if the deviation of distance b from its nominal value is on the order of a via diameter , then the vias in corresponding layer sites on superimposed green sheets will not line up . thus , prior art multiple layer site green sheet fabrication processes had to limit green sheet size so that the worst case dimensional distortion introduced by the punching and metallizing steps was sufficiently small to permit via alignment on superimposed green sheets . according to the invention , the dimensional tolerances between layer sites on a large area green sheet are eliminated by aligning individual layer sites on the large area green sheet with respect to a die cavity and punching the aligned layer site into the die cavity . referring now to fig2 an apparatus for forming a multilayer ceramic substrate according to the present invention is shown . apparatus 20 includes a green sheet handling carriage 22 which is moveable along base 23 , to convey a green sheet 18 from green sheet input station 21 past green sheet mapping station 27 and green sheet punching station 29 . at mapping station 27 , the dimensional deviation of each fiducial mark 30 on respective green sheet layer site 19 from its nominal position is measured . the measured deviation is then employed for offsetting x - y table 35 at punching station 29 so that each layer site 19 is aligned to punch 31 regardless of the shrinkage and distortion in green sheet 18 . the detailed operation of multilayer ceramic substrate fabricating apparatus 20 will be described for a large area green sheet having nine identical layer sites per green sheet , each of which includes a single fiducial mark . multilayer ceramic substrate fabrication proceeds as follows : carriage 22 proceeds to the right from the position shown in fig2 and left carriage station 26 picks the top green sheet 18 from green sheet input station 21 , using vacumm or other known mechanical means . carriage 22 moves to the left , and left carriage station 26 drops the top green sheet onto the right station 36 of x - y table 35 . simultaneously , right carriage station 24 picks up the next green sheet at input station 21 . carriage 22 continues moving left so that hole 25 therein is aligned with right station 36 of x - y table 35 , as shown in fig2 . x - y table 35 sequentially indexes each layer site 19 under head 37 of mapping station 27 . the mechanical design of an x - y table is well known in the art and may be as described in ibm technical disclosure bulletin , vol . 21 , no . 11 , april 1979 , pages 4473 - 4475 , entitled &# 34 ; x - y positioning system for punching &# 34 ;. mapping station head 37 includes an array 28 of line scanning linear photodiodes , e . g ., as supplied by eg & amp ; g reticon , sunnyvale , california , for measuring the offset or deviation δx , δy , of each fiducial 30 on green sheet 18 , from its nominal or undistorted location x , y . for example , array 28 may be arranged so that when x - y table 35 indexes to the nominal position x , y of each fiducil 35 , the nominal position is located at the datum ( i . e ., the origin ) of the array . then , the detected location of the fiducial 35 corresponds to the offset δx , δy . it will be understood by those having skill in the art that other photodiode arrays , vidicon cameras or other optical or non - optical detection means may be employed . the values of δx and δy for each layer site 19 are recorded in mapping station 27 . details of the deviation calculation and recording are not described herein , as such operations are commonly employed in optical detection or recognition systems . after the x and y deviation of all the layer sites have been measured , left carriage station 26 picks up top green sheet 18 from under head 37 of mapping station 27 and deposits it in the left station 33 of x - y table 35 under punching station 29 . simulaneously , the next green sheet is dropped from right carriage station 24 and deposited under head 37 of mapping station 27 . x - y table 35 indexes a layer site 19 over punch 31 , with the previously recorded δx and δy offsets being applied so that the layer site is aligned to punch 31 . then , punch 31 punches the aligned layer site into a die cavity 48 lying under punch 31 . after punching , another layer site is indexed , aligned and punched into another one of cavities 48 so that after an entire green sheet is punched , one layer site is punched into each of die cavities 48 . it will also be noted that simultaneous with the punching of topmost green sheet 19 , the next green sheet may be mapped at station 27 . in order to properly calculate the δx and δy offsets for the next green sheet while the first green sheet is being aligned and punched , the previously calculated δx and δy offsets for the first green sheet must be algebraically added to the measured offsets for the next green sheet . after punching , the punched green sheet is placed in output station 39 . referring now to fig3 the details of punching station 29 are illustrated . punching station 29 includes a punch 31 having a vacuum port 43 for holding the punched layer site 19 thereon , and a die block 44 having a carbide insert 46 for providing a punching surface . an appropriate layer site 42 on green sheet 41 is indexed under punch 31 by x - y table 35 , with the proper δx and δy offset being applied . the punch then punches the aligned layer site through die block 44 and deposits the punched layer site into a first die cavity 48 of die assembly 32 . this cavity is located directly under punch 31 in fig2 . punching station 29 also includes a debris catching shutter 52 which may be a roll of polyester or the equivalent having a plurality of cavities 51 spaced thereon . on the downward stroke of punch 31 , shutter 52 is positioned so that it blocks die cavity 48 and prevents any debris released from green sheet 18 during punching from entering die cavity 48 . then , as punch 31 approaches shutter 52 on the downward stroke , the shutter moves to the position shown in fig3 so that the punch and layer site pass through cavity 51 therein . on the return stroke , after the punch clears shutter 52 , the shutter moves , e . g ., to the right , so that die cavity 48 is blocked . thus , when punch 31 returns to its fully retracted position , any debris released from green sheet 41 is caught on shutter 52 . on the return stroke , stripper 47 retains green sheet 41 . it will also be noted that after a first layer site is punched into a cavity 48 , die assembly 32 moves , e . g ., to the right , so that the next layer site is punched in the next cavity 48 . a plurality of layer sites 49 are thus stacked in each cavity 48 . the stacked layer sites are then laminated and sintered to form a multilayer ceramic substrate . it will be noted by those having skill in the art that the above descirbed method and apparatus punches each layer site from a green sheet having an array of identical layer sites thereon into a separate die cavity , where the number of cavities are equal to the number of layer sites on the green sheet . however , it will be recognized that each green sheet may include an array of different layer sites which are used for a single multilayer ceramic substrate so that all of the layer sites may be punched into a single die cavity in the proper order . it will also be understood that since the apparatus punches individual layer sites , it is possible to preinspect each layer site on a green sheet and skip defective layer sites . a second green sheet having the same type of layer sites thereon may then be inputted to the apparatus and punched into the appropriate die cavity in place of the defective layer sites . all good layer sites on a green sheet may thus be used . this provides a yield improvement over the prior art fabrication method of superimposing multiple layer site green sheets , wherein a single defective layer site renders the entire green sheet unusable . the above described yield improvement is obtained for all multiple layer site green sheets , regardless of green sheet size . the multilayer ceramic substrate fabrication apparatus described above employs automatic green sheet handling , a separate mapping and punching station and is capable of simultaneously punching one green sheet and mapping another green sheet . it will be understood that the green sheet handling can be manual , one sheet at a time , and that the mapping and punching functions can be combined at a single station . it will also be understood that the mapping function can be combined with a well known green sheet inspection function , as they both involve green sheet feature detection . in connection with the mapping function , it will be understood that the reference mark may be a fiducial specifically placed on the layer site for mapping purposes , or that a via ( filled or open ) or other existing layer site feature may be employed . it will also be understood that more than one reference mark may be employed for alignment purposes , with the average dimensional deviation being calculated . finally , it will be understood that other alignment apparatus may be employed , e . g ., the alignment apparatus disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 342 , 090 to caccoma et al ., entitled &# 34 ; batch chip placement system &# 34 ; and assigned to the assignee of the present invention . while the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to a preferred embodiment thereof , it will be understood by those having skill in the art that various changes in form and details may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention .

a method and apparatus for forming multilayer ceramic substrates from large area ceramic green sheets , each having an array of layer sites thereon , by serially aligning each individual layer site with respect to a die cavity and punching the aligned layer site into the die cavity to thereby stack the requisite number of aligned layer sites . individual layer site alignment ensures that each layer site is aligned with respect to the die cavity so that the dimensional tolerances between layer sites on the large area green sheet are eliminated . thus , as large a green sheet as is cost effective may be employed , notwithstanding the fact that dimensional distortions on the large area green sheet would preclude alignment of corresponding layer site vias on superimposed large area green sheets .

the principles of the present invention may most clearly be understood with reference to the two dimensional schematic of fig1 . a fuel column , a fragment of which is shown generally at 10 , includes a plurality of vertically stacked and aligned upper nuclear fuel elements 13a , 13b and 13c in an upper portion 14 and a plurality of lower nuclear fuel elements 13d , 13e and 13f in a lower portion 16 . for expository purposes , it is assumed that when the reactor environment is in operation the fuel elements 13a , 13b , 13c , 13d , 13e , and 13f include a hotter vertical region 18 which is subjected to more heat than a cooler vertical region 20 for the fuel elements . accordingly , an upper portion 14 , constituted by fuel elements 13a , 13b and 13c , includes a hotter upper region 22 and a cooler upper region 24 , and a lower portion 16 , constituted by fuel elements 13d , 13e and 13f , includes a hotter lower region 26 and a cooler lower region 28 . the present invention is applicable to htgrs employing both upwardly and downwardly flowing coolant . however , the present description will be described in connection with a downwardly flowing coolant . when the reactor is in operation , coolant flowing through the hotter upper region 22 heats more rapidly than coolant flowing through the cooler upper region 24 . by the time coolant exits the bottom of the upper portion of the column a significant temperature differential has already been established between coolant in the hotter upper passageway 30 and that in the cooler upper passageway 32 . without the flow exchange element , the hotter coolant would flow into the hotter lower region 26 , and the cooler coolant would flow into the cooler lower region 28 , aggravating the differential to an detrimental magnitude . in accordance with the present invention a means 12 for effecting a flow exchange between the hotter region 18 and the cooler region 20 is disclosed . with the flow exchange means 12 in place , coolant from the cooler upper region 24 flows into the hot - shift exchange passageway 38 and exits the exchange element so as to enter the hotter lower region 26 . likewise , coolant from the hotter upper region 22 flows into a cool - shift exchange passageway 40 and exits the exchange element so as to enter the cooler lower region 28 . once the exchange is effected , the temperature differential decreases as coolant flows toward the base of the column . of course , if the differential reaches zero before the coolant exits the core , the differential can increase once again . however , the flow exchange means may be positioned at a point where the power generated above the flow exchange means is equal to the power generated below the flow exchange means , thereby effecting a negligible exit temperature differential . thus , horizontal gradients across the column 10 are limited and maximum local temperatures are severely reduced . a coolant flow exchange element 100 , corresponding to the flow exchange means 12 of fig1 in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown in fig2 . the environment for the preferred embodiment is a hexagonal column comprising fuel blocks such as those disclosed in fortescue et al ., u . s . pat . no . 3 , 413 , 196 , which is incorporated herein as though quoted in full . the exchange element is externally similar to the adjacent fuel elements except that it includes no fuel chambers , and , preferably , is of lesser height than the fuel elements to economize on reactor space . entrances 102 to the coolant passageways 104 are arranged in concentric hexagonal rows 107 , 108 , 109 , 110 , and 111 , about center 106 . exits 103 to the passageways shownn in fig3 are arranged identically on the bottom face of the exchange element . passageways with entrances on the center 106 or the inner of the concentric hexagonal rows 107 and 108 extend axially through the block . each passageway with an entrance on one of the outer of the concentric hexagonal rows 109 , 110 , and 111 extends parallel to the perimeter 112 of the exchange element along a downward slope as shown in fig3 . the slope is selected to effect a 180 ° passageway rotation from top to bottom face . the 180 ° rotation may be effected where the magnitude of the slope is equal to the height of the exchange element divided by one - half the perimeter of the hexagonal row containing the entrance to the passageway . horizontal lines 114 result from the method of manufacture to be described subsequently . a three dimensional schematic indicating the internal structure of the preferred embodiment is presented in fig4 . the coolant flow exchange element shown generally at 100 has a top face 116 , a bottom face 118 , and six sides : hot side 120 , second clockwise side 122 , third clockwise side 124 , cool side 126 , fifth clockwise side 128 and sixth clockwise side 130 . for the purposes of the description , hot side 120 is assumed to be along the hotter region of the environmental column , and since the coolest region will be opposite in most cases , cool side 126 is assumed to be along the cooler region of the column . the preferred embodiment would have the same number of coolant passageways as the adjacent fuel elements and column portions . the locations of three such exchange passageways are indicated in fig4 . a cool - shift passageway 140 is shown extending from its entrance 142 adjacent edge 131 on the top face , parallel to the hot side 120 , to an upper vertex 144 one - third down the vertical extent of the exchange element and located 60 ° clockwise of the entrance position . from the upper vertex the cool - shift passageway extends parallel second clockwise side 122 to a lower vertex 146 two - thirds down the vertical extent of the exchange element and located on a vertical 120 ° clockwise of the entrance position . from the lower vertex the cool - shift passageway extends parallel third clockwise side 124 to an exit 148 position located 180 ° clockwise of the entrance position . hot - shift passageway 150 extends from an entrance position 152 near the center of the cool side 126 along the same side to an upper vertex 154 adjacent an edge 127 less than one - third down the vertical extent of the exchange element . from the upper vertex 154 the hot - shift passageway extends along the fifth clockwise side 128 to a central vertex 155 adjacent an edge 129 between one - third and two - thirds down the vertical extent of the exchange element . from the central vertex the passageway extends to a lower vertex 156 adjacent an edge 131 more than two thirds down the vertical extent of the exchange element . from the lower position , the hot - shift passageway extends to an exit 158 position on the bottom face 118 midway along the hot side 120 which is 180 ° from the entrance position of the hot - shift passageway 150 . a no - shift passageway 160 extends vertically through the exchange element 100 . since the temperature gradients are less between the more central coolant passageways , there is less to gain from exchanges among them . practically , only the one , two or three most peripheral hexagonal rows of coolant passageways need be exchanged . in the preferred embodiment three rows 109 , 110 and 111 , shown in fig2 are exchanged . the center passageway 106 and the passageways of the two centermost hexagonal rows 107 and 108 are vertical . generally , for a hexagonal exchange element with concentric hexagonal rows of passageways , the passageways of any given hexagonal row are either all shift passageways or all no - shift passageways . no - shift passageways extend axially through the exchange element . each shift passageway extends parallel to the perimeter of the exchange element with a downward slope equal to the height of the flow exchange element divided by the perimeter of the hexagonal row containing the entrance to the shift passageway . each exchange passageway has three or four straight segments 162 , and two or three vertices therebetween where the passageway makes its closest approach to an edge . the exit position of the passageway on the bottom face 118 will be rotated one - half circle from the entrance position on the top face 116 . in other words , each end face position is the reflection of the other through the center point of the exchange element . the above structure poses a problem in manufacture with regard to the segments 162 of the passageways between the internal angles of the exchange element 100 . one novel solution is to manufacture the exchange element in three hexagonal slices 200 , 202 , and 204 as shown in fig5 . preferably , each slice has the same cross section as the exchange element 100 , and has one - third the height of the exchange element . if the exchange element has the preferred 120 ° rotational symmetry , the slices can be identical . as shown in fig5 each passageway has at most one vertex 144 , 146 , 154 , 155 , or 156 per slice . passageways originating adjacent an edge of the exchange element , such as cool - shift passageway 140 , may be drilled straight ; other shift passageways , such as hot - shift passageway 150 , may be formed by drilling an upper leg 206 through the top of each slice and a lower leg 208 through the bottom of each slice , the legs to be joined within each slice at the vertices . of course , vertical passageways require only a single straight drilling . the slices may then be joined by suitable means to form the novel flow exchange element . the slice manufacturing approach can be extrapolated to other forms of exchange elements : for instance , an exchange element with a square cross section could be manufactured in two slices . in operation , the preferred embodiment functions as follows . the flow exchange element 100 is inserted into a column ( not shown ) at or near the half power point . this means that the power generated above the exchange element equals the power generated below the exchange element . coolant flows downwardly from the upper portion of the column into the passageways of the flow exchange element . for the sake of description , we are assuming that the cool - shift passageway entrance 142 is within a hotter vertical region of the column , that the hot - shift passageway entrance 152 is within a cooler vertical region of the column , and that no - shift passageway 160 is within an intermediate vertical region of the column . coolant flowing down a passageway axially adjacent hot - shift passageway entrance 152 and within the cooler upper region of the column enters the hot - shift passageway 150 through the top face 116 of the exchange element 100 . the coolant flows down and around the segments of the hot - shift passageway 150 , exiting through a hot - shift exit 158 . the coolant then flows down a passageway in a hotter region of the lower portion of the column . in this way the relatively effective coolant is diverted to the region most needing cooling . coolant flowing down the hotter region of the upper portion of the column flows into the cool - shift passageway 140 at its entrance 142 . from there , coolant flows down and around the segments of the cool - shift passageway , exiting at its exit 148 . the coolant then flows down a passageway through the cooler region of the lower portion of the column . since the hotter coolant of the upper portion of the column is subjected to less heat in the lower portion of the column the gradient between the hotter and cooler passageways is reduced as coolant progresses downwardly through the lower portion of the column . in this way hot spots within the core can be alleviated and hot streams can be virtually eliminated . coolant flowing down the intermediate region of the upper portion of the column flows into a no - shift passageway 160 and then into the intermediate region of the lower portion of the column . gradients within the intermediate region are considered too small to justify the expense of exchanging flow among passageways therein . analyses performed utilizing such an element resulted in the following data . without the flow exchange element the column resulted in maximum temperature differentials of about 200 ° c . at the exit plenums at the bottom of the column . with the flow exchange element at the half power point in the column the maximum temperature differential was about 80 ° c . ; the location of the maximum was at the half power point . the temperature differential at the column exit was negligible ; in other words , hot streams were practically eliminated . it is apparent that the flow exchange element presented is a flexible nuclear reactor design tool . if placed at the one - third power point , the flow exchange element can further reduce maximum temperature gradients within the column . adding a second fuel exchange element at the two - thirds power point would enable retaining the negligible gradient at the column exit . different internal structures are possible in connection with a hexagonal column and the invention is adaptable to other column types . in accordance with the above description , a flow exchange element is presented which is adapted to use in nuclear reactors comprising columns , particularly hexagonal columns , of stackable fuel elements . as described , the flow exchange element may be manufactured in slices which may be easily drilled and then joined by suitable means . the flow exchange element serves as a means for reducing or eliminating hot spots and hot streams within a reactor column . as a result of more even temperatures , and concomitantly , lower local temperature maximums , nuclear reactor cores and the surrounding materials are subject to less radiation and stress . thus , repairs or replacements are more infrequent and the inherent safety of the reactor is enhanced . many possible modifications in the structure , mode of use , and method of manufacture have been suggested above , and others are possible without going beyond the spirit and scope of the present invention .

a flow exchange element is presented which lowers temperature gradients in fuel elements and reduces maximum local temperature within high temperature gas - cooled reactors . the flow exchange element is inserted within a column of fuel elements where it serves to redirect coolant flow . coolant which has been flowing in a hotter region of the column is redirected to a cooler region , and coolant which has been flowing in the cooler region of the column is redirected to the hotter region . the safety , efficiency , and longevity of the high temperature gas - cooled reactor is thereby enhanced .

fig1 a illustrates a side view of a clip 10 of the present invention . the clip 10 comprises a plurality of jaws 12 , further comprising a frame 14 and a pad 16 , a main hinge 18 , a plurality of main struts 20 , a plurality of opening tabs 22 , a plurality of grasping detents 24 , and a plurality of optional serrations 26 on one or more of the pads 16 . the clip 10 further comprises an optional secondary hinge 28 , a plurality of optional secondary struts 30 , a plurality of main pivot points 32 , an optional spring 34 , an optional lock 36 , an optional hinge bracket 38 , and a plurality of optional secondary pivot points 40 . referring to fig1 a , the jaws 12 of the clip 10 are shown in their open configuration . the frame 14 provides rigid support and orientation for the pads 16 . the top and bottom frames 14 are connected to a main hinge 18 through a plurality of main struts 20 . each of the main struts 20 is rigidly affixed to the opening tab 22 with the grasping detent 24 formed into the opening tab 22 . in this embodiment , the main hinge 18 is connected to the secondary hinge 28 by a plurality of hinge brackets 38 . the main struts 20 are rotationally connected to the main hinge 18 and the main pivot points 32 . the secondary struts 30 are connected to the secondary hinge 28 and the secondary pivot points 40 . the serrations 26 are formed on the surface of the pads 16 . the spring 34 is affixed between the main pivot points 32 and causes both of the frames 14 to be forced toward each other . further , referring to fig1 a , the clip 10 utilizes a parallelogram hinge design to facilitate parallelism in the jaws 12 in the open , closed and partially open configurations . the clip frame 14 , the main struts 20 and secondary struts 30 as well as the main pivot points 32 , secondary pivot points 40 , the main hinge 18 , the secondary hinge 28 , the plurality of hinge brackets 38 and the opening tabs 22 are fabricated from generally rigid materials such as , but not limited to , stainless steel , cobalt - nickel alloys , nitinol , tantalum , titanium , polylactic acid , polyglycolic acid , platinum , polypropylene , polyethylene , polyimide and the like . where resorbable or materials such as polylactic acid and polyglycolic acid are used , the clips will disintegrate within the body over a period of time , thus obviating the need to remove the clip 10 , and preventing or limiting ingrowth or overgrowth of body tissue over the clip components , thus facilitating removal . the pads 16 are fabricated from non - rigid materials such as open or closed cell foam , low durometer elastomers , resorbable compliant materials , and the like . the foams may be fabricated from a variety of polymers including but not limited to polyurethane , polyvinyl chloride and the like . the frame 12 or at least one other component of the clip 10 is preferably radiopaque and visible under fluoroscopy or x - ray . all or most components of the clip 10 are fabricated from resorbable materials such as pla or pga so that the clip 10 eventually erodes or dissolves and goes away ( preferably after healing is complete ). the opening tabs 22 are rigidly affixed to the main struts . inward force applied to the opening tabs 22 causes a moment arm to rotate the main struts 20 around the main hinge 18 to the open position . the grasping detents 24 permit an instrument , such as forceps , allis clamp , kocher clamp , or the like , to grasp the opening tabs 22 in such a way that they do not slip off inadvertently . the spring 34 is , preferably , a leaf spring and is fabricated from materials such as , but not limited to , stainless steel 316l , titanium , elgiloy , nitinol and the like . the spring 34 is affixed between the two jaws and is pre - loaded to force the jaws toward the closed position . the spring 34 is designed to compress the pads 16 around the body vessel or lumen with enough force to close the lumen of the vessel but not enough force to close the vasculature within the body vessel wall . for example , a bowel can be closed with a distributed pressure of 20 mm hg or less while a blood vessel would be closed with a pressure exceeding blood pressure . typical diastolic blood pressures in a shock patient may be as low as 50 mm hg so this would be the typical upper limit of the pressure generated by a clamp designed to compress a section of bowel . thus , the bowel clamp spring system will provide pressures in the range of 2 to 50 mm hg and more preferably between 10 and 20 mm hg . the pressure may be calculated as the force applied by the spring 34 divided by the surface area of one of the pads 16 . the spring characteristics , such as the spring material , size , thickness , etc ., are selected to achieve the desired spring force and resultant clamping force applied by the clip . when used to close a blood vessel , the clamping force is preferably much higher . a vascular clamp system is required to seal off a blood vessel at a systolic blood pressure of 100 to 300 mm hg in hypotensive and hypertensive patients , respectively . accordingly , clamps intended for use on blood vessels are provided with springs of sufficient strength such that the clamps can apply a force of 100 to 300 mm hg on the vessels to which they are applied . the pads 16 are soft and distribute the applied pressure evenly over the surface of the body vessel . the pads 16 comprise optional serrations 26 that prevent slippage of the pads on the surface of the body vessel . the serrations 26 may be configured so as to impinge on each other tip to tip or they may be configured to interlock with each other . the pads 16 preferably comprise a central opening so that they provide a line of tissue compression , not a broad plane of compression . the supporting frame 14 is , also , preferably hollow and provides exposure to the tissue in its central region when looking in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the frame 14 . fig1 b illustrates a side view of the clip 10 with the jaws 12 in their closed position . the opening tabs 22 are rotated apart and the serrations 26 on the pads 16 are in parallel touching contact . the maintenance of the parallel position of the jaws 12 permits closure of the vessel between the pads 16 without pinching and overcompression at one point and under - compression at another point . this feature of the clip 10 may be termed force parallelism and refers to an even force distribution on the tissue along the entire hinge - to - tip length of the clip . the total projection of the non - jaw parts of the clip 10 with the jaws 12 in the closed position does not extend a distance greater than the distance d between the exterior of the closed frames 14 of the jaws 12 . thus , if the clip jaws 12 open to a maximum outside frame 14 distance of 15 mm , the maximum total projection of any non - jaw 12 structure along a given axis when the jaws 12 are in the closed position will not be greater than 15 mm . such non - jaw 12 projections include opening tabs 22 , struts 20 and 30 and the like . fig1 c illustrates a top view of the clip 10 comprising the jaws 12 , further comprising the plurality of frames 14 , the main pivot points 32 , the secondary pivot points 40 , the main hinge 18 , the secondary hinge 28 , the plurality of main struts 20 ( not shown ), the plurality of secondary struts 30 ( not shown ), the plurality of opening tabs 22 , the spring 34 ( not shown ), and the plurality of grasping detents 24 . the plurality of pads 16 are not visible in this view as they are on the other side of the frame 14 . referring to fig1 c , the jaws 12 , further comprising the frames 14 and the pads 16 , are of a circular or donut configuration . in the preferred embodiment , the center of the frame 14 is open . in another embodiment , the center of the frame 14 could advantageously be closed . the jaws 12 project along a major axis ( line 19 ), generally leading perpendicularly away from the main hinge 18 . the jaws 12 project also along a minor axis ( line 21 ) leading generally parallel to the direction of the main hinge 18 . the jaws 12 are broad and are designed to encompass a large amount of tissue and , therefore have substantial jaw 12 major and minor axes . the minor axis ( along line 21 ) of the jaw 12 should be no smaller than 25 % of the major axis of the jaw 12 and , preferably no smaller than 40 % of the distance subtended by the major axis . in another embodiment , the minor axis and the major axis are switched , such that the major axis is parallel to the hinge and the longitudinal axis of the vessel to be closed . in fig1 c , the opening tabs 22 are aligned so that the main hinge 18 is located between the opening tabs 22 and the main struts 20 . in yet another embodiment of the clip 10 , the opening tabs 22 are positioned between the main hinge 18 and the frames 14 . in this embodiment , the main struts 20 are forced open by force applied to the opening tabs 22 . however , the projection of the opening tabs 22 beyond the main hinge 18 is eliminated , thus minimizing the projection of the clip 10 and minimizing its profile . such minimized profile is advantageous when leaving the clip 10 implanted within the patient . referring to fig2 a and 2b , depending on the position of the opening tabs 22 , the grasper jaws 52 on the graspers will be closed or overlapped closed to open the jaws 12 on the clip 10 . the opening tabs 22 can also be positioned so that the grasper jaws 52 are open when the clip 10 jaws 12 are open . in a further embodiment , the grasper jaws 52 grab the main hinge 18 on the clip 10 . a central shaft ( not shown ) is then advanced or retracted , pushing the opening tabs 22 to open jaws 12 . fig2 a illustrates a side view of a clip 10 of the present invention in the open position and aligned around a blood vessel 70 . a grasping instrument 50 is positioned to open the clip 10 . the grasping instrument 50 comprises a plurality of grasper jaws 52 , a hinge 54 , shafts 56 , a ratchet lock 58 and a plurality of finger loops 60 . referring to fig2 a and 1a , the grasper jaws 52 of the grasping instrument 50 are positioned within the grasping detents 24 on the opening tabs 22 of the clip 10 . by applying inward pressure to close the two finger loops 60 , the grasper jaws 52 are closed , thus closing the opening tabs 22 on the clip 10 and rotating the clip jaws 12 open against the force exerted by the spring 34 . the ratchet lock 58 maintains closure of the grasper jaws 52 , until such time as release is desired . the opened clip 10 is positioned around a blood vessel 70 , further comprising a vessel wall 72 and a vessel lumen 74 . in fig2 a , the vessel lumen 74 is open . fig2 b illustrates a side view of the clip 10 of the present invention with its jaws 12 in the closed position and aligned around and occluding or closing the lumen 74 of the blood vessel 70 . the ratchet lock 58 further comprises a ratchet lock top 62 and a ratchet lock bottom 64 . in this illustration , the ratchet lock top 62 on the grasper 50 has been separated from the grasper lock bottom 64 , the finger loops have been rotated open and the grasper jaws 52 are open . the opening tabs 22 on the clip 10 are opened , allowing the spring ( not shown ) to bring the jaws 12 of the clip 10 into contact with and compress the vessel wall 72 . referring to fig2 a and 2b , such graspers 50 may be forceps or other commercially available instruments such as a kocher clamp , an allis clamp , or the like . in order to fully utilize the benefits of the invention , however , specialized graspers 50 may be desirable . this is especially true in the embodiment where the opening tabs 22 on the clip 10 are located between the main hinge 18 and the jaws 12 . in this embodiment , a grasper jaw 52 that specifically mates with the internal opening tabs 22 and forces the opening tabs 22 open will be advantageous . the long shafts 56 are advantageous for all applications since they extend the reach of the surgeon into tight spaces not normally accessible with the fingers . in addition , the long shafts 56 help apply a large moment around hinge 54 to move the jaws 52 against substantial spring force . referring to fig1 a , 1 b , 1 c , 2 a and 2 b , the diameter of the jaws 12 of the clip 10 ranges from about 0 . 1 cm to 10 cm depending on the tissue being compressed . more preferably , the diameter of the clip 10 ranges from about 0 . 2 cm to 5 cm . fig3 a illustrates a longitudinal section of a bowel , blood vessel , or other body vessel 70 . the bowel , blood vessel , or other body vessel comprises the wall 72 and the lumen 74 . a plurality of wounds 76 further comprise this section of bowel , blood vessel , or other body vessel 70 . these wounds 76 project into the lumen 74 but do not transect the entire vessel 70 . fig3 b illustrates the section of the bowel , blood vessel or other body vessel 70 with clips 10 applied over the wounds 76 . the clips 10 are applied to the vessel wall 72 so as to completely seal off the lumen 74 from leakage . however , a through passage is still present within the lumen 74 of the vessel 70 . for example , this configuration would permit perfusion of vasculature and tissue downstream of a blood vessel while stopping hemorrhage though the wounds 76 . fig4 illustrates a top view of a packaging system 80 for the clips 10 . the packaging system comprises the plurality of clips 10 , a carrier 82 , a plurality of dividing walls 84 , a sliding seal 86 , a draw tab 88 , a sterile barrier 90 , an optional secondary sterile barrier 92 , a plurality of guiding detents 94 , and a plurality of notches 96 . referring to fig4 , this embodiment shows five clips 10 located within the carrier 82 and separated by dividing walls 84 . the optional secondary sterile barrier 92 is removed prior to accessing the sterile barrier 90 as part of double aseptic technique . the sterile barrier 90 is typically a polymer tray fabricated from thermoformed pvc , petg , polystyrene , or the like . the secondary sterile barrier 92 is typically a heat sealed polyethylene or tyvek bag or polymer tray with a heat sealed tyvek lid , or the like . the carrier 82 further comprises a plurality of guiding detents 94 to facilitate positioning of the graspers 50 on the clips 10 . the sliding seal 86 maintains sterility of each unused clip 10 while allowing access to one or more clip 10 at a time . the sliding seal 86 slides along the carrier 82 and seals against the dividing wall 84 to provide such sterile barrier . optional notches 96 in the carrier and sterile barrier 90 provide tactile feel for locating the sliding seal 86 correctly on the dividing walls 84 . fig5 a illustrates the clip 10 of the present invention with the elliptical jaw 12 configuration . in this embodiment , the ellipse is oriented with its major axis parallel to the axis of the main hinge 18 . the jaws 12 of the present invention project substantially in a direction lateral to the major axis of the jaws 12 , which is generally perpendicular to the axis of the main hinge 18 . the major axis of the jaws 12 can be defined as the axis moving away from the main hinge 18 or other moving part of the clip 10 . fig5 b illustrates the clip 10 of the present invention with the elliptical jaw 12 configuration . in this embodiment , the ellipse is oriented with its major axis perpendicular to the axis of the main hinge 18 . fig5 c illustrates the clip 10 of the present invention wherein the jaws 12 are of circular configuration . fig5 d illustrates the clip 10 of the present invention wherein the jaws 12 are of a rounded triangular configuration . the pointed side of the triangle is on the side of the clip 10 away from the main hinge 18 . in another embodiment , the pointed side of the triangle is on the same side as the main hinge 18 . other geometric configurations may also be appropriate for the jaws 12 . fig6 a illustrates an enteral vessel 70 in cross - sectional view . the enteral vessel 70 further comprises the wall 72 , the lumen 74 and wall vasculature 78 . the enteral vessel 70 is typically a bowel such as the esophagus , small intestine or large intestine but may also include other body lumens that are highly vascularized . the vasculature 78 includes arteries , veins and capillaries . fig6 b illustrates the enteral vessel 70 with the clip 10 applied to the exterior of the wall 72 so as to completely collapse and seal the lumen 74 . the pressure exerted by the clip 10 is sufficient to close the lumen 74 but not enough to cause collapse of the vasculature 78 . fig6 c illustrates the enteral vessel 70 with the clip 10 applied to the exterior of the wall 72 so as to completely collapse and seal the lumen 74 . the pressure exerted by the clip 10 is sufficient to not only close the lumen 74 but is also sufficient to cause collapse of the vasculature 78 . fig7 a illustrates a top view of a section of vessel 70 with a clip 10 applied so as to completely occlude the lumen 74 all the way across the width of the vessel 70 . fig7 b illustrates a top view of a section of vessel 70 comprising the wound 76 partially severing the vessel wall 72 . the clip 10 applied so as to completely occlude the lumen 74 around the wound 76 but still allowing some flow through lumen 74 in the region not collapsed by the clip 10 . the large width of the clip 10 facilitates completely encircling and sealing the wound 76 to the vessel . fig7 c illustrates a top view of a section of vessel 70 comprising the wound 76 that completely transects the vessel wall 72 . the clip 10 is applied to the vessel wall 72 of both of the severed ends of the vessel 70 so as to completely occlude the lumen 74 of both sections of the severed vessel 70 . the large width of the clip 10 facilitates completely sealing the transecting wound 76 to both ends of the vessel . fig8 a illustrates another embodiment of a clip 10 of the present invention wherein one or more of the jaws 12 move along a linear bearing 90 . in the preferred embodiment , the clip 10 comprises the jaws 12 , the linear bearing 90 , a plurality of linear ratchet teeth 92 , a release 94 , a ratchet lock 96 , a spring 100 , and an optional damper 102 . the clip 10 of the present embodiment is shown with the jaws 12 in the open position . one of the jaws 12 is permanently affixed to the base of the linear bearing 90 . the other jaw 12 is permanently affixed to and moves with the ratchet lock 96 over the linear bearing 90 . the plurality of linear ratchet teeth 92 are permanently affixed along the linear bearing 90 with the ramped ends toward the immovable jaw 12 and the flat ends away from the immovable jaw 12 . the spring 100 is connected between the two jaws 12 so that the jaws are placed under the correct tension . the spring 100 pulls the jaws 12 together . the ratchet lock 96 engages the plurality of linear ratchet teeth 92 with a spring - loaded tooth and may be easily moved away from the immovable jaw 12 . the ratchet lock 96 cannot move toward the immovable jaw 12 unless the release 94 is depressed . at this time , the spring 100 forces the jaws together . the optional damping system 102 ( not shown ) may be used to prevent too quick a movement of the movable jaw 12 toward the immovable jaw 12 . referring to fig1 a and 8a , the jaws 12 of this embodiment of the clip 10 are fabricated from the same materials and in the same configuration as the jaws 12 of the clip in fig1 a . fig8 b illustrates the clip 10 of fig8 a with the jaws 12 in the closed position . fig8 c illustrates another embodiment of the clip 10 of the present invention . the clip 10 comprises the jaws 12 , a locking , telescoping linear bearing 104 , a spring 100 , an optional damper 102 ( not shown ) and a release 94 . the jaws 12 are held apart by the locking , telescoping linear bearing 104 against the compression force of the spring 100 . the release 94 engages features within the telescoping , locking , linear bearing 104 to prevent compression until such time as the release 94 is depressed or otherwise activated . at this time , the spring 100 brings the jaws 12 together . the optional damper 102 controls the rate of jaw 12 movement . fig8 d illustrates the clip 10 of the embodiment shown in fig8 c with the jaws 12 in the closed position . the telescoping , locking , linear bearing 104 is fully compressed and does not project beyond the perimeter of the clip 10 jaws 12 . this embodiment minimizes the projections from the implantable clip 10 , a particularly advantageous feature . fig9 a illustrates another embodiment of the clip 10 of the present invention with its jaws 12 in the fully open position . the clip 10 comprises the jaws 12 , a plurality of ratcheting hinges 110 , a telescoping locking linear bearing 104 , a release 94 , a spring 100 and an optional damper 102 ( not shown ). referring to fig9 a , this embodiment of the clip 10 utilizes multiple opening mechanisms of rotation and linear separation . the plurality of ratcheting hinges 110 are affixed to the jaws 12 . the telescoping locking linear bearing 104 is rotationally connected to the ratcheting hinges 110 . the spring 100 is connected between the jaws 12 and acts to force the jaws 12 toward the closed position . the optional damper 102 ( not shown ) is affixed between the jaws 12 and controls the rate of jaw 12 closure . the ratcheting hinges 110 are manually opened by rotation to allow for maximum separation of the jaws 12 so as to surround a large vessel . fig9 b illustrates the clip 10 of fig9 a with the jaws 12 in an intermediate position . the jaws 12 are closed manually on the ratcheting hinges 110 . following complete rotation , the jaws 12 are in the parallel position . the spring 100 is pre - loaded under tension in this configuration . the telescoping linear bearing 104 is in its fully open position . fig9 c illustrates the clip 10 of fig9 a with the jaws 12 in the fully closed position . the spring 100 forces the jaws 12 closed after the release 94 is activated . the release 94 or a separate release ( not shown ) can optionally be used to unlock the jaws 12 for rotation about the ratcheting hinges 110 . the telescoping linear bearing 104 is fully compressed in this configuration and does not project beyond the general envelope of the jaws 12 . in practice , the spring 100 and the optional damper 102 are affixed inside the telescoping linear bearing 104 . fig1 a illustrates yet another embodiment of the clip 10 of the present invention . the clip 10 is shown with the jaws 12 in the open position . the clip 10 , in this embodiment , comprises a plurality of jaws 12 that are further comprised by a frame 14 and a pad 16 . the jaws rotate around a main hinge 18 . a plurality of opening tabs 22 are rigidly affixed to the frames 14 . a spring 34 biases the jaws 12 toward the closed position . referring to fig1 a , by bringing the opening tabs 22 into close proximity , the jaws 12 are separated maximally . the pads 16 are designed with greater thickness toward the hinge 18 . these variable thickness pads 16 help distribute the force on the tissue being clamped . the frames 14 are further apart toward the hinge than toward the outside of the jaws 12 . this extra separation near the hinge helps prevent pinching the tissue and maximizes force distribution over the tissue . the pads 16 are fabricated from the same materials as those used in the clip 10 shown in fig1 a . in yet another embodiment of the clip 10 of fig1 a , the pads 16 may be of constant thickness but of decreasing hardness approaching the hinge 18 . in this embodiment , the frames 14 of the jaws 12 could be roughly parallel to each other in the closed position . fig1 b shows the clip 10 of fig1 a with its jaws 12 move to the closed position by the spring 34 . note that the interface between the pads 16 is even and parallel , even though the frame 14 of one jaw 12 is not parallel to the frame 14 of the opposing jaw 12 . the opening tabs 22 are rotated apart around the hinge 18 . while this embodiment of the clip 10 provides for approximately even ( but not completely even ) force distribution on the tissue with less complexity than the other clip 10 embodiments . the design relies on a very soft material in the construction of the pads 16 . the serrations 26 are shown in an interlocking configuration . fig1 a shows an open clip 10 , comprising a plurality of opening tabs 22 and jaws 12 , further comprising a plurality of frames 14 and pads 16 , which are disposed around a vessel 70 , and a clip applier 50 , according to aspects of another embodiment of the invention . optionally , a spring ( not shown ) is used to bias the jaws open or closed as required . in this embodiment , the opening tabs are angled apart when the clip jaws 12 are in the open position . the clip applier is open enough to grab the opening tabs 22 . fig1 b shows a closed clip 10 , comprising a plurality of opening tabs 22 and jaws 12 , which are clamped to close the vessel 70 . the clip applier 50 is closed sufficiently to force the opening tabs 22 closed , thus forcing the jaws 12 closed . the opening tabs 22 are now aligned parallel to the jaws 12 and have minimal or no projection out of the plane of the jaws , thus facilitating implantation . the clip applier 50 may also be configured to be closed when the jaws 12 of the clip 10 are open and open when the jaws 12 of the clip 10 are closed . this requires that the operator expand the clip applier 50 to close the jaws 12 of the clip 10 , potentially an easier motion on the part of the operator . a ratcheting mechanism or locking mechanism ( not shown ) maintains the jaws 12 of the clip 10 in the closed position once positioned there by the clip applier 50 . referring to fig2 a , 3 a , 3 b , 4 , 6 a , 6 b , 7 a , 7 b , 7 c , and 11 a , the methodology for implanting these clips 10 , also known as clamps , is to place them through an open wound or incision . they are generally grasped by a grasping tool 50 and removed from their sterile package with the jaws 12 in the open position . the clips 10 are located properly over the vessel 70 or wound 76 . at this point , the grasping tool 50 is opened and the jaws 12 of the clip 10 are allowed to close . readjustment may be required in order to obtain the desired hemostasis or leakage control . the clips 10 are left implanted and the wound is covered appropriately until such time as the patient is stabilized and the wound can be correctly and permanently repaired . fig1 a illustrates another embodiment of the clip 10 comprising a plurality of opposing jaws 12 , further comprising a frame 14 and a pad 16 , a hinge mechanism 18 , an upper folding tab 80 , a lower folding tab 82 , and a spring ( not shown ). the jaws 12 rotate around the hinge mechanism 18 and are constrained radially by the hinge mechanism 18 . the jaws 12 are fabricated using the frame 14 and the pad 16 which are permanently affixed to each other . the spring is affixed to the jaws 12 and is biased to force the jaws 12 together into the closed position . the upper folding tab 80 is radially constrained around the hinge mechanism 18 and is free to fold inward until it is essentially flush with the frame 14 . the upper folding tab 18 has a projection that engages with the jaw 12 in the region of the hinge mechanism 18 so that when the upper folding tab 80 is forced downward by manual pressure , the upper jaw 12 is forced to rotationally open around the hinge mechanism 18 . the lower folding tab 82 is radially constrained by the hinge mechanism 18 and rotates freely around the hinge mechanism 18 between pre - set limits . the lower folding tab 82 , when forced upward , engages with a projection on the jaw 12 in the region of the hinge mechanism 18 and causes the lower jaw 12 to open . fig1 b illustrates the clip 10 of the embodiment shown in fig1 a , with the jaws 12 in their open configuration . the upper folding tab 80 and the lower folding tab 82 have been compressed together forcing the jaws 12 to open . fig1 c illustrates the clip 10 of the embodiment shown in fig1 a with the tabs 80 and 82 released and the jaws 12 closed by action of the spring ( not shown ). the upper tab 80 and the lower tab 82 have each been folded inward to be essentially flush with the respective frame 14 of the jaw 12 . an optional locking detent or lock ( not shown ) is preferable to ensure that the folding tabs 80 and 82 remain in place once folded inward and until such time as release is desired . when release of the tabs 80 and 82 is desired , manual force is preferably used to overcome the lock and allow the tabs 80 and 82 to be folded outward so that they can be compressed to open the jaws 12 . the folding tabs 80 and 82 enable the clip 10 to be configured without any projections or with minimal projections so that they may be left in the body for a period of time , temporarily or permanently , and will not erode surrounding tissues . in a further embodiment , the tabs 80 and 82 do not fold out but pull out from the clip 10 like a drawer . once the tabs 80 and 82 have been used to open and then allow the clip 10 to close , the tabs 80 and 82 of this embodiment , are pushed inward so that they now comprise minimal or negligible projections . the tabs 80 and 82 slide on rails or slots in the clip 10 , in this embodiment , and optionally comprise detents or interference locks to prevent unwanted outward expansion after the tabs 80 and 82 are pushed in . fig1 a through 13c illustrate a clip 10 constructed without rearwardly extending opening tabs . fig1 a and 13b are side views of a clip 10 with no tab projections beyond the hinge . the jaws are shown in the open configuration in fig1 a and in the close position in fig1 b . the jaws 12 , frame 14 and a pad 16 are constructed as described above in relation to other embodiments of the clips . the hinge spring 18 , which biases the clip to the closed position , is covered by a hinge housing 112 . in this embodiment , the clamp jaws 12 are forced open by force applied to the opening tabs 22 with the specially adapted grasping instrument shown in fig1 a and 14b . the opening tabs are positioned between the hinge 18 and the distal extent of the jaws . the projection of the opening tabs 22 beyond the main hinge 18 is thus eliminated , minimizing the projection of the clip 10 and minimizing its profile . this minimized profile is advantageous when leaving the clip 10 implanted within the patient . fig1 c is a top view of hinge shown in fig1 a . though the spring is shown in this view , it will typically be covered by the hinge housing to provide a uniform rounded outer surface to the clip . the spring is concentrically wound around the hinge , having one end embedded in the lower jaw and one end embedded in the upper jaw . the spring biases the clip closed with a predetermined , controlled force determined by the size and material of the spring . the spring characteristics are chosen to limit the force applied to the vessel , as described in relation to the leaf spring of fig1 a through 1c . grasping tabs 22 are visible between the hinge and the jaws . preferably the tabs are arranged to avoid torsion on the clip , and the illustrated arrangement includes two spaced apart tabs attached one jaw , and a single tab on the opposite jaw , disposed under the gap established by the other tabs . the clip of this embodiment has rounded exterior surfaces and rounded edges . fig1 a the clip applier or grasping instrument 50 to be used with the clips of fig1 a through 13c . the clip applier exerts force on tabs or surfaces between the hinge and the center of the jaws . the grasping instrument is constructed as described above , with the hinge 54 , shafts 56 , ratchet lock 58 and finger loops 60 described above . the grasper jaws 52 include bosses 114 which extend inwardly toward the opposite grasping jaw , leaving a hinge accommodating space 116 between the grasping jaw hinge 54 and the bosses . with the grasping instrument open , it can be positioned to place the clip hinge 18 into the hinge accommodating space , as shown in fig1 a , with the bosses in apposition to the tabs of the clip . as shown in fig1 b , when the grasping instrument is closed , the bosses force the tabs apart , thereby forcing the jaws open against the bias of the spring . fig1 c is a top view of the clip and clip applier of fig1 a and fig1 b . in this view , prongs 118 of one grasping jaw 52 are visible . the prongs of the clip applier project beyond the hinge of the clip so that they may exert force on pads or tabs located inward of the hinge . application of the implantable vessel clipping system provides improved speed of hollow organ , blood vessel and enteral trauma repair and minimizes the amount of hemorrhage and infection . the implantable nature of these clips facilitates damage control procedures wherein the patient can be allowed to stabilize prior to definitive repair of the injuries . such damage control procedures have been shown to improve patient outcomes and save lives . the present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics . for example , the spring - loaded clamps or clips can , instead , be closed on ratcheting mechanisms to a specific amount of compression , rather than by spring action . the spring - loaded clips may also be forced closed under the attraction force of opposite pole permanent or electronic magnets . permanent magnets manufactured from neodymium iron boron are suitable for this purpose . the described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive . the scope of the invention is therefore indicated by the appended claims rather than the foregoing description . all changes that come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope .

devices and methods for achieving hemostasis and leakage control in hollow body vessels such as the small and large intestines , arteries , and veins as well as ducts leading to the gall bladder and other organs . the devices and methods disclosed are especially useful in the emergency , trauma surgery or military setting , and most especially during damage control procedures . in such cases , the patient may have received trauma to the abdomen , extremities , neck or thoracic region . the devices utilize removable or permanently implanted , broad , soft , parallel jaw clips with minimal projections to maintain vessel contents without damage to the tissue comprising the vessel . these clips are applied using either standard instruments or custom devices that are subsequently removed leaving the clips implanted , on a temporary or permanent basis , to provide for hemostasis or leakage prevention , or both . these clips overcome the limitations of clips and sutures that are currently used for the same purposes . the clips come in a variety of shapes and sizes . the clips may be placed and removed by open surgery or laparoscopic access .

specific exemplary embodiments of the inventive subject matter now will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings . this inventive subject matter 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 inventive subject matter to those skilled in the art . in the drawings , like numbers refer to like elements . it will be understood that when an element is referred to as being “ connected ” or “ coupled ” to another element , it can be directly connected or coupled to the other element or intervening elements may be present . as used herein the term “ and / or ” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items . the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the inventive subject matter . as used herein , the singular forms “ a ”, “ an ” and “ the ” are intended to include the plural forms as well , unless expressly stated otherwise . it will be further understood that the terms “ includes ,” “ comprises ,” “ including ” and / or “ comprising ,” when used in this specification , specify the presence of stated features , integers , steps , operations , elements , and / or components , but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features , integers , steps , operations , elements , components , and / or groups thereof . unless otherwise defined , all terms ( including technical and scientific terms ) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this inventive subject matter belongs . it will be further understood that terms , such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries , should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the specification and the relevant art and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein . fig2 illustrates a ups 200 according to some embodiments of the inventive subject matter . the ups 200 includes a frame 210 . the frame 210 supports at least one ac input 201 for connection to at least one external ac power source and at least one ac output 202 for connection to at least one external load . such connections may be provided using , for example , plug - in type connectors , terminal strips , wire lugs or the like . the ups 200 also includes a power conversion circuit including a rectifier 211 and an inverter 212 , also supported by the frame 210 . the ups 200 further includes a dc / dc converter 213 , first static switch 215 , second static switch 216 and associated control circuit 217 supported by the frame 210 . the rectifier 211 is coupled to the at least one ac input 201 , and is configured to produce a dc voltage on a dc link 214 from ac power provided at the at least one ac input 201 . the inverter 212 is coupled to the dc link 214 and to the at least one ac output 202 and is configured to generate an ac voltage at the at least one ac output 202 from a dc voltage on the dc link 214 . the dc / dc converter 213 is also coupled to the dc link 214 and is configured to interface to a battery 10 , here shown as located external to the ups 200 . in some embodiments , the dc / dc converter 213 may be omitted , and a direct connection between the battery 10 and the dc link 214 may be provided . in some embodiments , the battery 10 may be included in the ups 200 , i . e ., may be supported by the common frame . the first static switch 215 is coupled to the at least one ac input 201 and to the at least one ac output 202 and provides a switchable path therebetween under control of the control circuit 217 . similarly , the second static switch 216 is coupled to the at least one ac input 201 and to the at least one ac output 202 and provides a switchable path therebetween under control of the control circuit 217 . as shown , the first and second static switches 215 , 216 may be implemented using anti - parallel connected thyristors ( e . g ., silicon - controlled rectifiers ( scrs )), but it will be understood that the first and second static switches 215 , 216 may be implemented using other arrangements of semiconductor and / or mechanical switching devices . although the ups 200 of fig2 may provide respective external connections for the rectifier 211 , inverter 212 and the first and second static switches 215 , 216 it will be appreciated that common external connections may be provided for subsets of these components . for example , the rectifier 211 and the first static switch 215 may be internally connected such that a single external connection may be used for both the rectifier 211 and the first static switch 215 . similarly , the inverter 212 and the first static switch 215 may be internally connected such that a single external connection may be used for both the inverter 212 and the first static switch 215 . a control circuit 217 is configured to control the rectifier 211 , inverter 212 , dc / dc converter 213 and the first and second static switches 215 , 216 in a coordinated manner . for example , in the event of a failure of the rectifier 211 , the inverter 212 or an ac power source coupled to the rectifier 211 , the control circuit 217 may operate one of the first and second static switches 215 , 216 to provide an alternate path for power flow to the load 20 . the control circuit 217 may also operate one of the first and second static switches 215 , 216 to support an increased efficiency mode of operation in which the rectifier 211 and the inverter 212 are bypassed to provide power directly to the load 20 , with the inverter 212 operating in a standby or active filter mode to provide battery backup power and / or power conditioning . it will be understood that , in general , the control circuit 217 may be implemented using analog circuitry , digital circuitry or combinations thereof . the control circuit 217 may include , for example , one or more data processing devices , such as a microprocessor or microcontroller , along with circuitry for driving power conversion components of the rectifier 211 and inverter 212 and the first and second static switches 215 , 216 . as described herein , a ups , such as the ups 200 of fig2 , is a unitary , discrete assembly configured as a single unit , as opposed to a collection of physically separated units interconnected by wiring external to the units ( e . g ., cables run loosely or in conduits or cable trays ). in fig2 , the ups 200 is shown as including a frame 210 conceptually illustrated using a bounding rectangle . in some embodiments , the frame 210 may be a supporting structure , such as an enclosure or housing or a set of housings conjoined or otherwise attached in a manner that provides a unitary structure . the enclosure or housing may be open , closed or may have open and closed portions and / or portions that may be accessible via doors or similar features . the enclosure or housing may contain components , such as support struts , support rails , interior shelves , etc ., that are used to support electrical components of the ups , such as the rectifier 211 , inverter 212 , dc / dc converter 212 and other electrical components of the ups 200 of fig2 . an example of such a frame is illustrated in fig8 , which shows a ups 800 with a unitary frame 810 including multiple cabinet - like sections 812 a , 812 b , 814 , 816 a , 816 b , 816 c conjoined to form a structural unit . the ups 800 is provided for purposes of illustration , and it will be appreciated that other frame arrangements may be used in some embodiments . fig3 illustrates an exemplary use of the ups 200 of fig2 to provide source redundancy according to some embodiments . first and second upss 200 a , 200 b have their rectifiers 211 coupled to a first ac power source a and their inverters 212 coupled to respective loads 20 a , 20 b . the first static switches 215 of the first ups 200 a and the second ups 200 b are also coupled to the first ac power source a , while the second static switches 216 of the first ups 200 a and the second ups 200 b are coupled to a second power source b . it will be appreciated that coupling between the first static switches 215 and the rectifiers 211 and inverters 212 may be external and / or may be internal to the upss 200 a , 200 b , as discussed above with reference to fig2 . some upss having a static bypass may be operated to provide a high efficiency mode wherein the bypass path is closed , allowing power to be transferred directly from the ups input to the ups output without passing through a rectifier / inverter chain , thus reducing losses associated with the operation of those components . such a mode may be used , for example , when the ac input meets power quality criteria , with the rectifier / inverter chain being placed in a standby and / or active filter state . in such a state , the rectifier / inverter chain may be re - engaged should the ac input cease to meet those power quality criteria . examples of such high - efficiency operating modes are described , for example , in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 295 , 215 to faria et al . an arrangement along the lines shown in fig3 may be particularly advantageous for providing redundant sourcing while also supporting a high efficiency mode . referring to fig3 , when operating the first ups 200 a or the second ups 200 b in an on - line mode , the first and second static switches 215 , 216 are open . if it is desired to transfer to a high - efficiency bypass mode , the control circuit 217 may close the first static switch 215 , thus bypassing the rectifier 211 and inverter 212 . in this mode , the inverter 212 may operate in a standby and / or active filtering mode , along the lines discussed above . the second static switch 216 provides the capability for the control circuit 217 to transition from the high - efficiency mode to the alternative second ac source b in the event the first ac source a fails . because control of the first and second static switches 215 , 216 is integrated with control of the rectifier 211 and the inverter 212 in a single ups , this operation may be performed more smoothly and / or reliably , as coordination with external switches or other downstream devices may not be required . upss according to some embodiments may also be used advantageously in isolated redundant and other power system arrangements . for example , as shown in fig4 , a power system may include first , second and third upss 200 a , 200 b , 200 c , each including a rectifier 211 , inverter 212 , dc / dc converter 213 and first and second static switches 215 , 216 . the rectifiers 211 and first static switches 215 of the upss 200 a , 200 b , 200 c are coupled to a first power source a . the second static switches 216 of the upss 200 a , 200 b , 200 c are coupled to the output of a fourth ups 300 . a rectifier 311 of the fourth ups 300 is configured to be coupled to the first power source a such that , in the event of the failure of the rectifier 211 and / or inverter 212 or one or more of the first , second and third upss 200 a , 200 b , 200 c , power may be passed via the rectifier 311 and inverter 312 of the fourth ups 300 and the second static switch 216 of the affected one or more of the first , second and third upss 200 a , 200 b , 200 c . if the first power source a fails when in this configuration , power may be supplied from the battery associated with the fourth ups 300 via the inverter 312 of the fourth ups 300 and the second static switch 216 of the affected one or more of the first , second and third upss 200 a , 200 b , 200 c . should the rectifier 311 and / or inverter 312 of the fourth ups 300 fail , a static switch 315 of the fourth ups 300 may be closed , allowing power to pass from an alternative power source b to the second static switches 216 of the first , second and third upss 200 a , 200 b , 200 c . it will be appreciated that upss according to some embodiments of the inventive subject matter may be advantageously used in other power system arrangements , for example , to enable provision of power to separate loads from a single ups . fig5 illustrates an application in which a first ups 200 as discussed above with reference to fig2 is coupled to a first power source a and to a first load 20 a . a second ups 500 , which includes a rectifier 511 and an inverter 512 and a dc / dc battery converter 513 coupled to a dc link 514 , is coupled to a second power source b and a second load 20 b . a static switch 515 is configured to bypass the rectifier 511 and the inverter 512 . the second power source b is coupled to the rectifier 511 and the static switch 515 , and the second load 20 b is coupled to the inverter 512 and the static switch 515 . the rectifier 211 of the first ups 200 is coupled to the first power source a , while the inverter 212 is coupled to the first load 20 a . a first static switch 215 of the first ups 200 is coupled connected to the first power source a and to the first load 20 a and a second static switch 216 of the first ups 200 . the second static switch 216 of the first ups 200 is also coupled to the second load 20 b . this arrangement allows the first ups 200 to provide power to the second load 20 b from the inverter 212 or from the first power source a via the second static switch 216 . the second static switch 216 may also be used to provide power to the first load 20 a from the second ups 500 , i . e ., from either the inverter 512 or via the static switch 515 . fig6 illustrates a further application of a ups 200 along the lines discussed above with reference to fig2 . a rectifier 211 is coupled to a power source a , while an inverter 212 is coupled to a first load 20 a . a first static switch 215 is connected between the power source a and the first load 20 a , while the second static switch 216 is coupled between the power source a and a second load 20 b . the first load 20 a may be , for example , a critical load for which ups redundancy is desirable , while the second load 20 b may be , for example , non - critical load that does not require ups protection . fig7 illustrates yet another application of a ups 200 along the lines discussed above with reference to fig2 . a rectifier 211 is coupled to a power source a , which an inverter 212 is coupled to a first load 20 a . a first static switch 215 is coupled between the power source a and the first load 20 a . a second static switch 216 is coupled between inverter 212 and first static switch 215 and a second load 20 b . this arrangement may allow for shedding of the second load 20 b under certain circumstances , for example , when the ups 200 is operating in an on - line and / or on - battery mode and has insufficient capacity to power both the first load 20 a and the second load 20 b . it will be appreciated that the power system arrangements of fig3 - 7 are provided for purposes of illustrations , and that upss according to further embodiments may be used in other ways . in the drawings and specification , there have been disclosed exemplary embodiments of the inventive subject matter . although specific terms are employed , they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation , the scope of the inventive subject matter being defined by the following claims .

an uninterruptible power supply includes a frame , at least one ac input supported by the frame and configured to be coupled to at least one external power source and at least one ac output supported by the frame and configured to be coupled to at least one external load . the ups also includes a power conversion circuit supported by the frame and having an output coupled to the at least one ac output , the power conversion circuit configured to selectively provide power from first and second power sources . the ups further includes first and second static switches supported by the frame and configured to couple and decouple the at least one ac input to and from the at least one ac output and a control circuit supported by the frame and configured to cooperatively control the power conversion circuit and the first and second static switches .

the invention is a composite thin film electrode material useful in fabricating electrochemical biosensors . it is composed of a conducting or semiconducting hydrous metal oxide . disposed in the bulk or on the surface of the oxide is one or more biomolecules and cofactors . the biomolecules react with analytes or substrates to give electroactive products which can be measured electrochemically , either amperometrically or potentiometrically . the metal oxide matrix mediates the electron transfer from these products to the electrode surface and into the external measuring circuit . the hydrous metal oxide is derived substantially from ir , ru , pd , pt , zr , ti and rh , or mixtures thereof . these oxides are both electrically conductive / semiconductive and stable over a wide range of electrochemical polarizations and ph conditions , including those supportive of biomolecules . the preferred oxide is ir oxide because it has ideal electronic and morphological properties and because it is readily grown on the native metal under physiological and other biocompatible conditions . it is also a well - known physiological electrode . hydrous ir oxide may be formed by cycling an ir electrode between positive and negative potential limits in aqueous electrolytes . electrochemical oxide growth is observed in acid , neutral and basic solutions . oxide growth is typically monitored by cyclic voltammetry , which reveals an increasing charge capacity during activation . this capacity results from at least a 1 electron ir ion valence change throughout the bulk of the oxide . the reaction is related to the interconversion of the ir hydrous oxides with structures tentatively assigned by burke and whelan , journal of electroanalytical chemistry v . 162 , pp . 121 - 141 ( 1984 ): 2 iro . sub . 2 ( oh ). sub . 2 . 2h . sub . 2 o !. sup . 2 - + 2e . sup .- ⃡ ir . sub . 2 o . sub . 3 ( oh ). sub . 3 . 2h . sub . 2 o !. sup . 3 - + 3oh . sup .- the open circuit potential of the oxide films undergo a ph dependence of ˜ 50 - 90 mv / ph unit indicative of a dynamic acid - base equilibrium that may include several oxide species . the low density , spongy , amorphous morphology of the films reflects a hydrous structure with hydroxylated inner surfaces . the ir atoms are connected along some directions by bridging oxygen bonds , while in other directions they are terminated by -- o - , oh and oh 2 + . this forms a polyoxometallate network with voids shown by transmission electron microscopy to range from 25 å to 100 å . the presence of microvoids throughout the film , observed in published work using transmission electron microscopy ( mcintyre et al ., journal of the electrochemical society vol . 127 , pp . 1264 - 1268 , 1984 ), provides a feasible means for inclusion of large biomolecules at all stages of growth , i . e ., that the molecules can become adsorbed , then further hydrous oxide can grow around it . this could occur by dissolution / precipitation of the oxide , or by field - assisted diffusion of the macromolecules into the low density hydrous oxide matrix . the mechanism of microvoid formation in ir oxide has not been determined . in addition , hydrous oxides frequently have a very low density and high internal surface area which can promote molecular incorporation by adsorption or ion exchange . oxides of ir and related metals formed by processes such as anodization , electrodeposition , thermal decomposition of precursor salts , sol gel and vacuum evaporation can be made to exhibit a porous low density morphology by appropriate variation of the conditions of formation . the porosity and hydroxylated inner surfaces of these layers are conducive to enabling large biomolecules to enter into the matrix by adsorption . adsorption may be further assisted by application of an electrode potential of polarity opposite from the net surface polarity of the biomolecule . thin film hydrous , conductive / semiconductive oxides , exemplified by ir oxide , serve as highly effective and stable matrices for encapsulating enzymes and other biomolecules . the trapped enzyme is shown schematically in fig1 . the oxide matrix may be used to oxidize or reduce the primary product of the enzyme - substrate reaction , e . g ., h 2 o 2 in the case of the enzyme glucose oxidase ( gox ) and many other oxidases . the small molecule product is produced within the protein globule , but then can easily diffuse out . a three dimensional conductive matrix contacting both the electrode and the protein surface provides a means of immediate interception of the oxidizable species . it is a feature of this invention in this regard that ir oxide and the other subject oxides provide a highly inert conductive matrix that does not degrade in the presence of oxidizing products like h 2 o 2 , a problem noted for conductive polymer matrices employed in prior art . thus , ir oxide can be used to encapsulate enzymes that react with the substrate and oxygen to produce an oxidized product and h 2 o 2 . these enzymes include oxidases of glucose , hexose , cholesterol , aryl alcohol , gluconolactone , galactose , glycoxylate , lactate , glutamate , pyranose , sorbose , pyridoxine , primary alcohols , catachol , 1 , 2 hydroxyacids , ecdysone and choline . a more complete listing of oxidoreductase enzymes is to be found in enzymes by m . dixon et al ., 3rd edition , academic press , 1979 . thus , sensors for these substrates can be fabricated with the subject oxide / enzyme composites operating at greater than about 0 . 6v versus ag / agcl . thus , the following representation of the redox behavior is consistent with the mixed valence hydrous oxide structure , using the ir oxide example : 1 . in reduction , an electron is injected into the oxide network from the electrode . 2 . the electron is transported through the polyoxometallate network by a hopping mechanism from ir + 3 to ir + 4 sites . 3 . the electron becomes localized as an ir + 3 site . 4 . anions and cations move freely through the porous matrix to compensate the charge , which may also be accompanied by changes in the ir -- o -- ir bonding . a reverse scenario occurs for oxidation . the electrode is highly reversible . note that in the case of ir oxide , ir + 3 or ir + 4 sites near to the enzyme active region can act as donors or acceptors , respectively . this is illustrated in fig2 . an ir + 4 acceptor , which is placed at about 0 . 2v versus ag / agcl in a typical hydrous oxide at neutral ph , can thus under some conditions take the place of o 2 or other co - factor in a reaction involving an oxidoreductase enzyme . thus , in cases where the active site is sufficiently close to the enzyme surface for electron tunneling to occur to the surrounding metal oxide matrix , the oxide also acts as the electron transfer mediator . this transfer is shown in fig2 as an electron transfer from a reduced acceptor , a - , to an ir + 4 site . it is well established in prior art that the ir + 3 / ir + 4 redox reactions in ir oxide films are both rapid and reversible for many cycles in physiological stimulation electrodes , so highly reversible enzyme electrodes are possible . co - immobilization of two or more enzymes can be brought about by growing the oxide in contact with the appropriate enzyme mixture . for example , ir oxide can be grown in a mixture of acetylcholinesterase ( ache ) and choline oxidase to sense acetylcholine . in this case , acetylcholine interacts with the esterase to produce choline . the choline then interacts with the oxidase to produce betaine aldehyde and h 2 o 2 when o 2 is an acceptor , or another quantifiable reduced species when another co - factor is used . as indicated above , the co - factor can be the matrix itself . additional electron transfer mediators can be co - immobilized into the oxide matrix by electrostatic binding . useful electron transfer shuttles need to be reversible redox moieties . they must further be capable of transferring electrons to or from the active redox site of the oxidoreductase enzyme . active redox centers within these enzymes are typically fad / fadh , nad + / nadh , nadp + / nadph and porphyrin derivatives . electron transfer mediators useful for these centers are ferrocenes , quinones , and metal complexes of ir , ru and os . derivatives of these mediators may be prepared to enhance the ionostatic binding in the metal oxide matrix , for example ferrocene with carboxylate substituents . similarly , electron transfer shuttle bearing polymers or oligomers can be formed in situ electrochemically in the electrode &# 39 ; s porous matrix . amperometric sensors based on oxidoreductase enzymes have numerous applications . for example , glucose oxidase electrodes can be used to monitor glucose concentration in the blood of diabetics . cholinesterase electrodes can be used to assay for acetylcholine activity and inhibition by nerve agents used in chemical warfare or by pesticides . serum cholesterol can be determined using cholesterol oxidase electrodes . blood alcohol level is able to be measured by an amperometric response of blood or blood plasma to an alcohol oxidase electrode . the electrodes may be used in many of the electrochemical biosensor apparatus described in prior art . one preferred arrangement is for the enzyme electrode to be the working electrode member of a three electrode configuration in an electrochemical cell . the cell also contains a counter electrode and a reference electrode such as saturated calomel or ag / agcl . in one mode of operation the working electrode is held at a fixed potential versus the reference using a potentiostat . a sample containing the analyte is added to the electrolyte and a current is registered in the external circuit that is proportional to the analyte concentration . in order for this current to be measured , the potential must be fixed at a value sufficient to oxidize ( or reduce ) the electroactive product of the enzyme - substrate reaction . the enzyme can also be provided in a two electrode configuration in which the second electrode is both the counter and the reference electrode . such a configuration is convenient for analysis of a drop of solution , such as blood , which may be placed to bridge two electrodes , as in glucose test strips for blood glucose monitoring . the metal oxides also function as ph electrodes with their open circuit potentials varying monotonically with ph . enzymes which give products that alter the ph of the local environment may also be trapped within the oxide matrix . the potential of the electrode may then be calibrated as a function of substrate concentration , providing a potentiometric enzyme electrode . enzymes reacting with substrate to yield acidic or basic products that are suitable for potentiometric analysis include acetylcholinesterase , butyrylcholinesterase , uricase , urease , penicillinase , adenosine deaminase and methionine lyase . a more complete listing of such enzymes is to be found in enzymes by m . dixon et al ., 3rd edition , academic press , 1979 . in principle , the hydrous oxides can be used to immobilize any biomolecule in the hydrous metal oxide , such as antibodies . an immobilized antibody will attract an antigen in solution forming a strongly bound complex . in one scheme , a &# 34 ; sandwich assay &# 34 ;, the antibody is exposed to a solution containing an unknown concentration of an antigen , thus blocking some fraction of the antibody binding sites . next the electrode is exposed to a solution of the antibody that binds specifically to the antibody - antigen complex and which is labeled with an electroactive group such as an oxidoreductase enzyme . the surface concentration of the labeled complex may then be read out amperometrically or potentiometrically by exposing the electrode to a solution of the substrate specific to the label , e . g ., glucose in the case of a gox label . other schemes for electrochemical immunosensing are possible , for example allowing labeled antigen to compete for binding sites with the unlabeled antigen of unknown concentration (&# 34 ; competitive binding immunoassay &# 34 ;). immobilizing enzyme substrates in the hydrous metal oxide matrix is also possible . thus , an electrode for detecting the concentration or activity of an enzyme in solution may be made by interaction with the electrode - bound substrate to form a detectable product ( amperometric or potentiometric ). for example , a potentiometric sensor for acetylcholinesterase activity in blood may be made using a hydrous metal oxide electrode impregnated with a acetylcholine . the amount of acetic acid formed , and thus the potentiometric response , will be a function of the amount of active enzyme in the blood analyte solution . nucleic acid strands may also be immobilized onto the oxides , thus forming highly specific recognition sites for strands of complementary bases . when electrochemically active labels are used to detect the double strands such sensors may be used in dna - based diagnostics . the following specific examples illustrate how the invention may be exercised but should not be construed to limit the scope of the invention as delineated in the claims . glucose oxidase / ir oxide electrode for determining glucose . a three electrode electrochemical cell with 10 ml of electrolyte was employed for oxide growth and for sensor measurements . a 1 mm diameter ir wire encapsulated in epoxy and polished flat was used as the working electrode . a bioanalytical systems ag / agcl single junction reference electrode and a 2 cm 2 pt flag counter electrode were also employed . potential control was achieved with a solartron si 1287 electrochemical interface and associated data acquisition and control software . oxide growth was carried out in 0 . 1m phosphate buffered saline ( pbs , ph 7 . 2 ) by pulsing between - 0 . 6 v and 0 . 8 v at 1 hz for 800 cycles . this procedure provides a layer with a charge capacity of 30 - 35 millicoulombs / cm 2 . enzyme incorporation into the electrode was achieved by dissolving the enzyme into the electrolyte immediately before activation . after activation and impregnation , electrodes were rinsed several times with distilled deionized water and stored at 4 ° c . in 0 . 1m pbs . glucose oxidase ( sigma , 15 - 25 u / mg solid ) was dissolved to the level of 1000 u / ml in 0 . 1m pbs and the electrode activated according to the above protocol . amperometric measurements of electrode activity were conducted in 0 . 1m pbs which had been purged for 10 minutes with ar . the electrode was maintained at the measurement potential , typically 0 . 7v versus ag / agcl in these studies , and the electrode &# 39 ; s capacitative current allowed to decay to & lt ; 1 μa / cm 2 . the analyte was then added incrementally and the steady state current measured after each addition . as shown in fig3 this electrode responded with a calibration curve that increases at low substrate concentration , then levels off to a saturation value . this behavior can be described with simple michaelis - menton enzyme kinetics and is typical of gox enzyme electrodes . the dynamic range for the electrode and the saturation current densities obtained ( 180 - 200 μa / cm 2 ) are large compared to many other gox electrodes reported in prior art . this is a direct result of the uniquely high surface area ir oxide morphology . the closest analogy to the present system is the use of conductive polymers to entrap gox , e . g ., polypyrrole . a report by cho et al . ( sensors and actuators b 30 , 137 ( 1996 )) on gox / polypyrrole electrodes formed by electroadsorption of gox into the preformed polypyrrole matrix exhibited a saturation current of 11 μa / cm 2 at 100 mm glucose , 0 . 7v polarization . since o 2 was removed from the electrolyte , the results in this example indicate that reduced fadh 2 in the enzyme is transferring its electron directly to the metal oxide matrix . direct transfer between adsorbed gox ( fadh 2 ) and an electrode surface has been observed in prior art ( lin and bocarsley ( 1996 ), anal . chem . 68 : 796 - 806 ). if the electrolyte is purged with o 2 , then h 2 o 2 is formed as the end product , which can also be detected amperometrically by the ir oxide matrix electrode . electrodes impregnated with gox were stored in 0 . 1m pbs at room temperature . these conditions are more extreme than the usual storage conditions of 4 ° c . frequently reported in the prior art for gox electrodes . before each measurement a blank was recorded to establish any residual background current . responses were then measured to 100 mm glucose . in the electrode tested there was an initial decline in activity over the first 14 days , followed by some regaining of response . after one month of storage the electrodes are still active but only with about 20 % of the fresh electrode response . nevertheless , the current densities of the aged electrodes are close to or exceed those reported for many gox electrodes in prior art . an interpretation is that some of the gox is buried deeper in the ir oxide matrix and is more protected . also , there is some evolution of the oxide morphology which may enhance the access of the enzyme by glucose . table 1______________________________________storage of gox impregnated ir oxide electrode in 0 . 1 m phosphatebuffered saline ( pbs ) at room temperature . response to 90 . 9mm glucose at 0 . 7 v . electrode area = 7 . 85 × 10 . sup .- 3 cm . sup . 2 days na______________________________________ 0 190 1 60 2 48 3 35 9 32 10 34 14 12 16 19 21 47 23 37______________________________________ table 2 presents several electrode loading procedures for preparing gox - impregnated electrodes . activities of each different electrode were measured in ar - purged solutions by polarizing the electrode at 0 . 7v in 0 . 1n pbs electrolyte , allowing the capacitative current associated with the porous electrode structure to minimize , then adding glucose to 100 mm . the responses for the different preparations in table 2 are summarized in table 3 . responses to glucose in the absence of enzyme were negligible . all protocols in table 2 produced enzyme - active electrodes . the most active electrodes were produced by growing the oxide in the presence of the gox . table 2______________________________________protocols for incorporating enzymes into ir oxide electrodes . scheme procedure______________________________________a activate electrode in a solution containing the enzyme . p polarize the activated electrode at 0 . 7 v for 20 minutes in an electrolyte containing the enzyme to permit anodic adsorption of the negatively charged enzyme . c cycle the activated electrode in an electrolyte containing the enzyme between - 0 . 6 v and 0 . 8 v versus ag / agcl reference . w wet the dried , activated electrode with an enzyme solution and allow water to evaporate . rinse electrode with distilled h . sub . 2 o . d dip the activated electrode in an enzyme solution for 10 minutes , then rinse with distilled h . sub . 2 o . e electrodeposit ir oxide in solution containing enzyme . ______________________________________ table 3______________________________________results for limiting response of several oxidase electrodes ( 1 mmdiameter disks ) prepared by trapping the enzyme in an anodiciridium oxide matrix . the background current is given as i . sub . 0and the current density above background is given as δi . sub . sat . all measurements made at 0 . 7 v . solutions purged for 15 min in arbefore measurements . adsorption charge capacity gox ! protocol ( mc / cm . sup . 2 ) u / ml i . sub . 0 , μa / cm . sup . 2 δi . sub . sat , μa / cm . sup . 2______________________________________ 1a 30 1000 9 120c 14 1000 2 25p 29 100 1 . 66 6 . 24w 16 7116 21 24 . 5d 35 1000 5 12 . 1e 16 . 3 1000 7 12 . 9______________________________________ the experimental evidence indicates that the enzyme gox becomes trapped in the oxide matrix if the ir is activated in its presence at ph 7 . the enzyme has a 60 × 52 × 77 å spheroid shape , within the range of the anodic oxide void size . the isoelectric point of gox is 4 . 2 , so it is negatively charged at ph 7 . ellipsometric investigations in prior art have shown that gox absorbs at au electrodes as the potential is swept positive of the metal isoelectric point (˜- 0v / nhe ) ( szucs et al ., journal of the electrochemical society 136 ( 12 ), 1989 , pp . 3748 - 3754 ). similarly , the enzyme should be attracted to the positively charged sites at the ir oxide surface during anodization , enhancing the enzyme loading effect above that which would be expected from simple physical trapping . proteins are generally negatively charged in neutral aqueous solution . however , the metal oxides can absorb either anions or cations , depending on their direction of polarization . ache / chox electrode for determining acetylcholine . an amperometric electrode sensitive to acetylcholine was fabricated by co - incorporating acetylcholinesterase ( ache ) and choline oxidase ( chox ) into anodically formed ir oxide . the formation electrolyte contained 1000 u / ml and 100 u / ml of the respective enzymes dissolved in 0 . 1m pbs . activation proceeded as in example 1 . the amperometric response curve ( 0 . 7v ) for the activated chox / ache dual enzyme electrode to solution additions of acetylcholine is shown in fig4 . neither enzyme alone gave a responded amperometrically to acetylcholine . choline oxidase singly immobilized in the electrode gave an amperometric response to choline at this potential . hence , the dual - enzyme electrode is detecting the internal fadh 2 or h 2 o 2 produced by the choline oxidase catalyzed oxidation of choline derived from the interaction of acetylcholine with ache : ## str1 ## acetylcholinesterase potentiometric electrode for determining acetylcholine . a thin film composite acetylcholine sensor was made by activating a 1 cm 2 ir film in 1000 u / ml ache . the ir film was prepared by dc magnetron sputtering onto a glass microscope slide with an intermediate ti adhesion layer . an unbuffered or weakly buffered electrolyte was used to maximize the ph change at the electrode . fig5 shows the potentiometric response of the composite electrode to additions of acetylcholine to unbuffered saline . a positive change in potential was observed which varied with acetylcholine concentration . the positive response indicates that acidic products are being formed at the electrode surface , in agreement with the formation of acetic acid by the enzymatic hydrolysis of acetylcholine . the shape of the calibration curve ( fig5 ) in dicates that michaels - menton kinetics are followed . the largest response is achieved in unbuffered media ( e . g ., 0 . 1m nacl versus 0 . 1m pbs ) or in low buffer concentrations ( e . g ., 2 . 5 - 5 mm hepes buffer ). fig6 shows the rate of response on addition of a 1 mm increment of acetylcholine during the measurement sequence to generate fig5 . it is seen that the full scale response in about 35 seconds . note that this is very short compared to similar experiments reported by tran - minh et al . ( biosensors & amp ; bioelectronics 5 : 461 - 471 ) for ir oxide electrodes coated with polymer layers containing acetylcholinesterase ( 5 - 8 minutes ). electrode for cholinesterase inhibitors . to evaluate the ache electrode response to cholinesterase inhibitors , a 1 cm by 0 . 125 mm ir wire electrode was activated 1000 u / ml ache / 0 . 1m pbs . the charge capacity following activation was 34 mc / cm 2 . the electrode was then rinsed with distilled , deionized water and introduced into an electrochemical cell equipped with a magnetic stirrer , 2 . 5 mm hepes buffer ( ph 7 . 8 ) and a ph electrode . acetylcholine was then added to produce a final concentration of 5 mm . as seen in fig7 a potential response due to the production of acetic acid from the reaction of the electrode - bound enzyme with the solution is observed . the potential response is complete within seconds compared to minutes for ir oxide ph electrodes coated with enzyme - bound polymer layers of prior art , as also seen in fig6 . this is a result of the intimate contact between the product - generating enzyme and the ph sensitive electrode matrix . the electrodes were then rinsed in distilled water and incubated for 12 hours in a 10 - 6 m paraoxon inhibitor solution in 2 . 5 mm hepes buffer . the incubated electrodes were then retested for response to 5 mm acetylcholine . it is seen from fig7 that an instantaneous response is observed , but on mixing the response is suppressed . the total ph change in solution was negligible . then 10 - 3 m pyridine 2 - aldoxime methiodide ( pam ) antidote was added to the solution . the ph of the solution was observed to drop by ˜ 0 . 2 units over a period of 2 hours , indicating a partial reactivation of the electrode . further modifications or alterations to the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art ; the particular forms of the invention described are to be taken as preferred embodiments . the scope of the invention should be determined solely by the appended claims .

a thin film matrix for biomolecules , suitable for forming electrochemical and biosensors comprising a general class of materials known as hydrous metal oxides which are also conductive or semiconductive of electrons and which have been shown to have excellent stability against dissolution or irreversible reaction in aqueous and nonaqueous solutions . the composites are bifunctional , providing both amperometric and potentiometric transduction . the thin film composites of the oxides and biological molecules such as enzymes , antibodies , antigens and dna strands can be used for both amperometric and potentiometric sensing . hydrous ir oxide is the preferred matrix embodiment , but conducting or semiconducting oxides , of ru , pd , pt , zr , ti and rh and mixtures thereof have similar features . the hydrous oxides are very stable against oxidation damage .

fig1 is a block diagram of a communication system 1 constructed according to the invention . the communication system 1 comprises a communication line 10 , which extends to both sides of fig1 , as shown by the dashed extensions of the communication line 10 . as shown further in fig1 , three participating devices branch off from the communication line 10 , which are shown here as control devices a , b and c above the communication line 10 , which are connected by means of the respective intervening connecting lines 11 a , 11 b , 11 c with the communication line 10 . the arrangement of the branch lines 11 a , 11 b , 11 c above the connection line 10 is of course arbitrary and serves only to simplify the illustration . in the same manner the intervening connecting lines 11 a , 11 b , 11 c to the participating devices a , b , c could be shown branching laterally or downward from the communication line 10 , or the participating devices a , b , c could be shown coupled directly to the communication line 10 without intervening connecting lines . also more or less participating devices can be coupled to the communication line 10 . the participating devices a , b , c of the communication system 1 shown in fig1 are control means or control devices , for example of one or more machines , or a manufacturing unit or a robot plant . the purpose of the control devices can be control of motions or running process , especially the travel processes of one or more adjusting motors of a robotic unit . thus the operation and / or running behavior of a manufacturing robot can be controlled by means of one or more control devices . often several such manufacturing robots are arranged in a group near each other in manufacturing units , so that they can perform manufacturing process steps that are closely connected with each other . the programming and monitoring of control devices occurs usually by means of programming and monitoring devices not shown in fig1 , for example by means of a processor , which is connected with the control devices a , b , c by means of the communication line 10 and communicate with each other by means of that communication line 10 . however if problems occur during operation of one of the control devices , it is partly unavoidable , that control programs and control behavior in the concerned control device must be tested at the site or location of the control device . for this purpose the connection devices 15 a , 15 b 1 , 15 b 2 15 c are coupled to the communication line 10 , so that a signal from one of the connection devices 15 a , 15 b 1 , 15 b 2 , 15 c can be conducted into the communication line 10 and picked off or received from the communication line 10 . the connection devices 15 a , 15 b 1 , 15 b 2 , 15 c are however not directly connected , but only indirectly connected , with the control devices a , b , c . furthermore the connection devices 15 a , 15 b 1 , 15 b 2 , 15 c are constructed so that an interface device 20 acting as interface for the operator , so - called hmi (“ hmi ”= human machine interface ), can be connected to the respective connection devices 15 a , 15 b 1 , 15 b 2 , 15 c . for this purpose the connection devices are constructed as multi - pole connector plugs . the connection devices can be unoccupied , i . e . one or more or all the connection devices can be connected to no interface device . thus an operator can connect an interface device to a connection device or remove it from this connection device according to need . a portable operation and / or display unit , e . g . a lap top computer , can especially be the interface device . a portable operation and / or display unit 20 is shown connected by a connecting line 21 in fig1 . another portable operating and display unit was connected to the connection device 15 b 2 , again as shown in fig1 with 20 ′ and the connecting line 21 ′ shown with a dashed line . each connection device 15 a , 15 b 1 , 15 b 2 , 15 c is associated , above all , with exactly one control device a , b or c . the connection device 15 a is associated with control device a . the connection devices 15 b 1 and 15 b 2 are both associated with the control device b . the connection device 15 c is associated with the control device c . of course , communication of all participating devices of the communication system 1 with each other is possible by means of the common communication line 10 . however in order to prevent erroneous or faulty operation , it is not possible to communicate with one and the same connection device with all control devices , in which the control program of the concerned control device or the control process itself is activated . such communication , which is directed to activating the control program or the concerned control device or the control process itself , can only be started and conducted by the one of the control device definitely associated with the particular connection device . however more than one connection device can be provided and associated with one control device . the connection devices are advantageously arranged so that a lap top computer can be connected to it with a conventional cable length to the connection device and the lap top computer can be placed in a satisfactory accessible location for an operator . the association of a connection device to exactly one control device is especially required in order to prevent erroneous operation of the control devices . for this purpose suitable safety elements are provided in the connection device , for example a safety line or a safety circuit . this safety element can be provided on the one hand for preventing an erroneous operation of the control device by the operating and display unit , for example so as not to exceed a maximum travel range of a rotor arm . for example , an emergency shut down can be activated by safety elements provided in the connection device , also immediately in a safety circuit or safety element of the control device . also activation of only the control device associated with the connection device and no other control device can be guaranteed by safety elements provided in the connection device , which are designed as redundancy elements for testing and verifying access authorization . for this purpose an additional connecting line is provided in the connection device as a safety line , which makes a wired connection between the control device and / or an active safety circuit of the control device , at one end , and the operating and display unit , at the other end , as soon as the operating and display unit is connected . these safety features are especially appropriate when the communication line 10 , as shown in fig1 , is constructed as an ethernet cable as part of an ip network , in an especially preferred embodiment of the invention . the control devices acting as participating devices in the ip network are then associated with respective ip addresses , by which the control device are definitely callable from all parts of the network . since each connection device 15 a , 15 b 1 , 15 b 2 , 15 c is indeed associated with one control device a , b or c and the connection devices 15 a , 15 b 1 , 15 b 2 , 15 c are however not exclusively connected hardwired with the associated control device a , b or c , but are connected by communication line 10 with all control device a , b and c connected to the communication line , it is necessary to provide or establish an association of each connection device 15 a , 15 b 1 , 15 b 2 , 15 c to a single control device . according to the invention each connection device 15 a , 15 b 1 , 15 b 2 , 15 c comprises , for this purpose , readable means for identification of the particular participating device defined as associated with the connection device . the readable means is readable by the interface device 20 connectable to the connection device . in the embodiment shown in fig1 the readable means is designed as a memory device and arranged in the respective connection devices 15 a , 15 b 1 , 15 b 2 , 15 c . the ip address of the respective control device a , b or c is stored in the memory device . an operating and display unit 20 , which is connected to the respective connection devices 15 a , 15 b 1 , 15 b 2 , 15 c , reads the ip address from the memory device and makes a connection for data communication with the associated control device a , b or c . in the embodiment of fig2 the connection device 15 is shown connected with a portable operating and display unit 20 . the connection device 15 comprises a ethernet terminal 35 connected with an ethernet line 30 , a microcontroller 31 with a microcontroller terminal 36 , a voltage supply line 32 with a voltage supply terminal 37 and a safety line 33 with a safety terminal 38 . the safety line 33 is connected as a connecting line with a safety element or a safety circuit for associated control . all terminals 35 , 36 , 37 and 38 are assembled in a connector , for example a plug connector . if a portable operating and display unit 20 is connected , thus , as shown in fig2 , all four terminals 35 , 36 , 37 and 38 are each connected with the opposing terminals or connecting elements 40 , 41 , 42 and 43 of the portable operating and display unit 20 . also the connecting elements 40 , 41 , 42 and 43 are appropriately assembled in a similar plug connector . for identification of the participating device defined as associated with the connection device 15 the microcontroller 31 includes a memory device not shown in fig1 , which can be embodied as an e 2 prom and in which the ip address of the associated participating device , here the control means , is stored in a readable form . if the portable operating and display unit 20 is now connected to the connection device 15 , a software program or programs 50 is started in the operating and display unit 20 as shown in block 51 . the connection data is read out in the first program step 52 , especially in a preferred embodiment the ip address is read out from the e 2 prom of the microcontroller 31 . in a second program step 53 a connection to that participating device a , b or c , which is associated with the connection device 15 and identified by means of the ip address , is established on the basis of the read - out connection data read out by means of the ethernet communication line 30 and 10 ( 10 in fig1 ). to establish the connection usually a connection making protocol is executed . next the operating and display software for operating and displaying the running of the participating device is started in a further program step 54 . the e 2 prom of the microcontroller 31 is appropriately programmable in an initialization step of a configuring menu displayed on the portable operating and display unit 20 . in this way the ip address of the associated participating device is stored in the e 2 prom . the operational convenience of an operator is increased by means of the embodiment of the communication system according to the invention shown in fig1 and 2 , since the identification of the associated participating device takes place completely automatically and no manual control selection is necessary . furthermore protection against erroneous or possible faulty operation can be provided , since only parts of the manufacturing plant can be operated , which are reliably connected with the respective connection device . in addition , the safety line can be connected so that one or more safety circuits , for example an emergency shut - off device , in the control device can be activated immediately . the disclosure in german patent application 102 45 465 . 5 - 31 of sep . 28 , 2002 is incorporated here by reference . this german patent application describes the invention described hereinabove and claimed in the claims appended hereinbelow and provides the basis for a claim of priority for the instant invention under 35 u . s . c . 119 . while the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in a communication system with a connectable interface device and to a method of identification of a participating device connected with the interface device in the communication system , it is not intended to be limited to the details shown , since various modifications and changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention . without further analysis , the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can , by applying current knowledge , readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that , from the standpoint of prior art , fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention . what is claimed is new and is set forth in the following appended claims .

the communication system includes multiple participating devices connected with each other by a data line . at least one connection device for connection to a corresponding participant device defined as associated with it is connected to the data line . the communication system is preferably an ip network and with respective connection devices defined as associated with corresponding participating devices , which are used to connect portable operating and display terminals with the participating devices . for definite identification of the corresponding participating device associated with the respective connection devices , the connection devices include readable means of identifying the corresponding participating device , e . g . including a stored ip address , which is readable by the connected interface device , i . e . the terminal .

fig3 shows in diagrammatic form a cross - sectional structure of a top emitting oled according to the invention . an anode material 32 such as ito may be situated on a metal mirror 35 which is positioned over an active matrix back plane 31 . a layer hole transporting material 36 is pedt / pss and is situated between the anode 32 ( ito ) and an emissive layer 33 . optionally , a further intermediate layer 37 may be applied between the electron - injecting layer and the light emitting layer . a low work function metal ( ba ) layer 34 is deposited over the light emitting layer 33 by electron beam evaporation or thermal evaporation . over this layer is deposited a silver layer 38 , also by electron beam evaporation or thermal evaporation . optionally , sio 2 or zns is deposited over the silver layer to form a transparent encapsulation layer so as to protect the device from ingress of oxygen and moisture . the encapsulation layer is generally a dielectric or polymer - dielectric composition . according to a first measurement technique , the bilayer is deposited onto a cleaned 0 . 7 mm blank glass substrate by evaporation of each layer . following evaporation , the substrate is transferred to a glove box associated with the evaporation apparatus to avoid any exposure of the oxygen and moisture - sensitive ba metal to the atmosphere . transparency of the bilayer on glass is measured in the glove box using a he - ne 635 nm laser diode and silicon photodiode detector . transparency of the blank glass is also measured and transparency of the bilayer alone is calculated as a ratio by dividing the transparency of the bilayer on glass by the transparency of the blank glass . according to a second measurement technique , the first measurement technique is followed except that a layer of silicon dioxide is evaporated over the bilayer in order to further minimize any exposure of the bilayer to oxygen or moisture , and transparency of a layer of silicon dioxide on glass is measured instead of transparency of blank glass for the purpose of the ratio calculation . poly ( ethylene dioxythiophene ) / poly ( styrene sulfonate ) ( pedt / pss ), available from h c starck of leverkusen , germany as baytron p ® is deposited over an indium tin oxide anode supported on a glass substrate ( available from applied films , colorado , usa ) by spin coating . a hole transporting layer of f8 - tfb ( shown below ) is deposited over the pedt / pss layer by spin coating from xylene solution to a thickness of about 10 nm and heated at 180 ° c . for one hour . a blue electroluminescent polymer as disclosed in wo 03 / 095586 is deposited over the layer of f8 - tfb by spin - coating from xylene solution to form an electroluminescent layer having a thickness of around 65 nm . a 5 nm thick layer of ba is formed over the electroluminescent layer by evaporation of ba until the desired thickness is reached . a 5 nm thick layer of ag is then similarly formed over the ba layer . finally , the device is sealed from the atmosphere by placing a glass plate over the device such that the device is located within a cavity formed within the center of the glass plate and gluing the glass plate to the substrate . in order to maximise light output through the cathode , a reflective layer may also be provided on the substrate . devices may be prepared in accordance with the process of example 1 , except that the electroluminescent layer is formed from a red electroluminescent polymer comprising 50 mol % 9 , 9 - di - n - octylfluorene - 2 , 7 - diyl , 17 mol % “ tfb ” repeat units ( illustrated below ), 30 mol % 1 , 3 , 2 - benzothiadiazole - 4 , 7 - diyl , and 3 mol % 4 , 7 - bis ( 2 - thiophen - 5 - yl ) - 1 , 3 , 2 - benzothiadiazole . materials of this type are disclosed in wo 00 / 46321 and wo 00 / 55927 . devices may be prepared in accordance with the process of example 1 , except that the electroluminescent layer is formed from a green electroluminescent polymer as disclosed in , for example , wo 00 / 55927 and wo 00 / 46321 . a full color device may be prepared according to the method of example 1 except that the pedt / pss and f8 - tfb layers are deposited by inkjet printing into inkjet wells formed by photolithography defining red , green and blue subpixel areas followed by inkjet printing the aforementioned red , green and blue electroluminescent polymers fig4 a shows a plot of transmission vs thickness of ba and al . this illustrates how sensitive transmission of light through the cathode is to al thickness . if the minimum acceptable ba thickness is taken to be 5 nm , this plot indicates that al must be kept below 1 nm to keep the transmission above 75 %. each additional nm of aluminum thickness drops the transmission by an additional 5 % approximately . fig4 b shows an analogous plot replacing the al with ag . according to this plot , silver thicknesses of up to 7 nm give an acceptable transmission of 75 %. the transmission is much more tolerant to small changes in the thickness of ag as compared to that of al . the results in fig4 a and 4 b were obtained for light at the red end of the visible spectrum ( 633 nm ). fig5 shows the difference between transmission of a device with a ba : al cathode compared to one with a ba : ag cathode . in each case , the cathode has a bilayer , each component of which having a layer thickness of 5 nm . the figure demonstrates that significantly greater light transmission across the entire visible range may be achieved using a ba : ag cathode . this demonstrates the suitability of such cathodes for full color displays and their potential for use as common cathodes . fig6 shows a plot of transparency vs resistance for ba / ag cathodes as compared with ba : al cathodes . it will be apparent from this figure that a ba : al cathode can give a suitable combination of transparency and resistance whereas the ba : al system suffers from low transmission and moderate resistance . devices according to the invention therefore use silver to provide full cathode transparency control over achievable and sensible thickness ranges . this allows tuning of the cavity strength to suit different device requirements such as color gamut , angular color shift and outcoupling efficiency . thicker metal capping layers may be used to achieve adequate transparency and this may provide more protection for the underlying light emissive layers if further layer deposition is required . by allowing a greater metal thickness for a given transparency , there is a greater tolerance during manufacture to errors in cathode thickness for achieving a desired transparency .

an organic light emissive device including a cathode ; an anode ; and an organic light emissive region between the cathode and the anode , wherein the cathode includes a transparent bilayer comprising a layer of a low work function metal having a work function of no more than 3 . 5 ev and a transparent layer of silver .

a first embodiment of applicant &# 39 ; s novel heat reduction device ( 10 ) is found in fig1 a , 1 b and 2 . with reference to these figures and those that follow , it is seen that applicant provides a heat reduction system ( 10 ) comprising an insulated container , typically a six sided rectangular box ( 12 ), the box including a lid ( 14 ), typically insulated . the walls of the box ( 12 ) including where the removable lid ( 14 ) is fitted as part thereof are sealed except as provided with the vents , etc ., as set forth below . the box ( 12 ) may be manufactured from one or more of the following : plastic , foam or any other suitable insulating material . the box may have any number of shapes including the rectangular shape illustrated . typical dimensions for a rectangular box are approximately 15 ″ in width , 17 ″ in height and . applicant &# 39 ; s novel invention includes providing for placement within the box ( 12 ) ( typically by removing the lid and placing it therein ), an endothermic substrate ( 15 ). the endothermic substrate ( 15 ) is a mass of a composition which will absorb heat in undergoing a phase change , for example from a solid to a liquid or from a solid to a gas , which phase change and heat absorption typically occurs at temperatures below about 70 ° f . illustrated as one such endothermic substrate in fig1 and 1a is a mass of ice , here illustrated as a multiplicity of ice cubes . water typically freezes at 0 ° c . ( 32 ° f .) and , one gram of ice at 0 ° c . will absorb 80 calories of heat in a phase change to water at 0 ° c . the water so formed , will in turn continue to absorb heat at the rate of one calorie per gram until equilibrium with the environment is reached . thus , applicant provides an endothermic substrate ( 15 ) which may be placed inside the insulated box ( 12 ) and will absorb heat undergoing a phase change . substrates other than ice may be used , for example : “ dry ice ” ( co 2 which will sublimate , or change from a solid directly to a gas ), “ blue - ice / gel packs ” or other similar substrates . it is noted that box ( 12 ) includes walls defining air intake vents or slots ( 16 ). in the embodiment illustrated in fig1 a , 1 b and 2 , it is seen that air intake slots ( 16 ) are incorporated into lid ( 14 ) of box . however , other walls of the box including the side walls may be used to define air intake slots ( see for example fig6 ). the function of the air intake slots ( 16 ) is to provide a means for air outside of the container to enter the container . see fig6 a for use of a quarter cylinder door ( 59 ) for use in conjunction with lid and slots 16 . here door ( 59 ) includes hinges ( 59 a ) on which door member ( 59 b ) hangs , which optionally may have a weight ( 59 c ) to help it maintain vertical or closed position when the blower motor ( 30 ) is off . typically , endothermic substrate ( 15 ) is supported within the interior of the insulated container or box ( 12 ) through the use of a frame ( 18 ). for example , with reference to fig1 a , and 3 , it is seen that frame ( 18 ) is made up of a number of components . these include duct work / support legs ( 20 ) and a number of grid platforms here , upper and lower grid platforms ( 22 ) and ( 24 ), respectively . it is seen that frame ( 18 ) comprises an assembly that can support grid platforms ( 22 ) and ( 24 ) bearing an endothermic substrate ( 15 ) while allowing air to pass through , and , in the embodiment illustrated in these figures , also incorporates duct work engageable with the insulated container ( 12 ) to guide air entering the container through the air intake slot ( 16 ) ( see fig1 and 1 a ). different types of frames may be used to hold the endothermic substrate ( 15 ) within the box ( 12 ). typically , a frame will provide the longest possible path for contact between the air and the substrate ( 15 ). turning now to fig3 for further details of the frame , it is seen that duct work / support legs ( 20 ) include depending members ( 20 a ) for holding and maintaining the grid platforms ( 22 / 24 ) above the bottom surface of the interior of the container . the depending leg members ( 20 a ) also have an opening therebetween defining a primary intake vent ( 20 b ) through which intake air may circulate ( see fig1 ). it is seen with reference to fig1 a and 3 that frame ( 18 ) also defines a secondary intake vent ( 20 c ). this is an opening through which air may move as seen in fig1 a when water ( from the melted ice ) blocks the primary intake vent ( 20 b ). the secondary intake vent ( 20 c ) is controlled by a secondary intake valve ( 26 ) which is mounted on valve mounting stubs ( 20 d ) so as to hang vertically under the weight of gravity against the inner walls of duct work / support legs ( 20 ). it is seen then that if the air pressure is lowered inside of the frame such as would be the case if the air were evacuated from the interior space of the frame ( as seen in fig1 a ), the secondary intake valve ( 26 ) will move inward or away from the walls of the duct work / support legs ( 20 ) ( assuming no ice is blocking this movement ). finally , it is seen that walls of duct work / support legs ( 20 ) also define grid platform support stubs ( 20 e ). these will engage a portion of the grid platforms ( 22 / 24 ) to support the grid platforms above the floor of the interior of the box or container ( 12 ). a blower ( 29 ) is provided for engagement with the box ( 12 ) to remove air from the interior of the box as seen in fig1 and 1a . blower ( 29 ) may consist of a blower motor ( 30 ) such as an electrical powered motor , the motor ( 30 ) attached to a blower prop or fan ( 32 ). the blower ( 29 ) may be attached to the box ( 12 ) at any point , but illustrated here is the incorporation of the blower to a portion of the lid which contains a lid cutout ( 31 ) here shown with a protective screen ( 31 a ). the blower fan ( 32 ) is positioned in the plane of lid cutout ( 31 ) and with motor ( 30 ) engaged , it is seen that blower ( 29 ) will evacuate air from the interior of the box ( 12 ) out a blower duct ( 34 ) into one or more cool air distribution ducts ( 40 ) ( see fig2 ). note that blower motor ( 30 ) is typically provided with aircraft electrical system interface or connector ( 38 ) which in turn is connected to the blower motor ( 30 ) to one or more blower motor leads ( 36 ). aircraft electrical system interface ( 38 ) may be a commercial off the shelf unit which is designed to engage a cigarette lighter as an electrical energy source port or any auxiliary energy source port of the aircraft electrical system . blower motor ( 30 ) is typically supported in the blower duct ( 34 ), centrally located and axially aligned therewith via the use of blower motor mount slots ( 35 ) ( see fig4 ). note with reference to fig1 b and 2 that cool air distribution ducts ( 40 ) may include cool air duct elbows ( 42 ), cool air outlet nozzles ( 44 ), and cool air directional adjusters ( 46 ). both the cool air duct elbows ( 42 ) and outlet nozzles ( 44 ) are also designed to physically adjust both vertically and horizontally to the user needs . specifically cool air duct elbows ( 42 ) enables a user to position outlet nozzles ( 44 ) by rotating the air duct elbows ( 42 ) on its axis to direct air flow . outlet nozzles ( 44 ) are designed to be raised and lowered on a vertical axis to also direct air flow , by using telescoping air distribution ducts ( 40 a / 40 b ) ( see fig2 ). both embodiments are designed to allow the heat reduction system ( 10 ) to remain functional while positioning the outlet nozzle ( 44 ). the cool air ducting system may be either spiral wound tubing or made from high density polyethylene plastic ( hdpe ) or any other suitable material . turning now to the interior of the box or container ( 12 ), it seen that ice or other endothermic substrate ( 15 ) may be provided on one or more of the elevated grid platforms ( 22 ) and ( 24 ). turning to fig1 for example , ice is provided on both platforms , the upper and the lower , and with ice on the lower platform when the motor ( 30 ) is energized and air is directed through the air intake slots ( 16 ) and through the primary intake vent ( 20 b ), it will go through the openings in the grid platform around the ice and cool as it moves through the ice in both platforms and out the motor duct . therefore , it is seen that the interior of the box of a preferred embodiment illustrated in fig1 a , 1 b , 2 and 3 may be categorized into three sections or zones , a warm air zone ( 28 a ) which represents the zone or location in the interior of the warm air coming in from outside of the box ( 12 ) before striking any ice . a second zone is a transition zone ( 28 c ) where warm air is in the process of being cooled . for example , in fig1 the transition zone is located from the bottom of the lower grid ( 24 ) to the top of the ice on the upper grid ( 22 ). this air is actively being cooled as opposed to being below ( or downstream ) or above ( or upstream ) the ice . the third zone within the chamber is cool air zone ( 28 b ) which is above or upstream of the last of the ice or other endothermic substrate ( 15 ). note that as heat is absorbed by the phase change occurring in the melting of the ice , the warmest air will be first striking the ice on the lower grid ( 24 ). as the ice melts , water will drip to the bottom of the box ( 12 ) and will rise to a point where it may occlude primary intake vent ( 20 b ) ( see fig1 a ). with the motor ( 30 ) running , this will allow secondary intake valve ( 26 ) to open and air to flow through secondary intake vent ( 20 c ). this air will then proceed through the ice or other endothermic substrate ( 15 ) located on the upper grid platform ( 24 ) and be exhausted out of the interior of the box ( 12 ) through motor duct ( 34 ). the arrangement and number of the grids and air intakes within the interior of the box ( 12 ) may be several . the function , however , is to provide for the passage of air from vents or slots ( 16 ) into the interior and across or adjacent an endothermic substrate ( 15 ) such that there may be a heat exchange between the endothermic substrate absorbing heat ( and typically undergoing a phase change ) and the air adjacent the endothermic substrate ( 15 ) losing heat ( cooling off ) as it moves through the box and , eventually leaves through duct work or other arrangements . turning now , for example , to fig5 it is seen that in lieu of frame ( 18 ) there may be a drop - in box ( 48 ) which will fit within the interior of box ( 12 ), which drop - in box ( 48 ) includes walls ( 48 a ) and at the bottom thereof lower intake vents ( 50 ). the drop - in box ( 48 ) also includes between walls ( 48 a ) substrate support members ( 52 ) upon which may be placed an appropriate endothermic substrate ( 15 ) for elevation above lower intake vents ( 50 ). however , with the lower intake vents ( 50 ) in the position illustrated in fig5 this embodiment would typically provide for an endothermic substrate ( 15 ) which is self - contained and does not drip to leave a liquid phase at the bottom of the box ( 12 ) so as to occlude or block lower intake vents ( 50 ). such substrates may include dry ice or blue ice gel packs . with the blue ice gel pack , when the liquid contained therein undergoes a phase change from solid to liquid , it will not drip to the bottom of the box ( 12 ) because it is contained in a pouch or other membrane . dry ice on the other hand , will sublimate directly from the solid phase to the gaseous phase . fig6 illustrates an alternate preferred embodiment of applicant &# 39 ; s heat reduction system ( 10 a ). this embodiment has , in place of or in addition to the air intake slot ( 16 ) ( see fig1 ) located in or as part of lid ( 14 ), side air intake slots ( 16 a ) ( upper ) and / or ( 16 b ) ( lower ). if the endothermic substrate ( 15 ) to be used is one which does not release the liquid for accumulation in the bottom of the box ( 12 ), then the lower air intake slots ( 16 b ) may be used and frame ( 18 ), of whatever configuration , or drop - in box ( 48 ) will hold or maintain the endothermic substrate ( 15 ) above or upstream of the lower slots . on the other hand , upper slots ( 16 a ) represent a preferred alternative to slots ( 16 ) which are found in the lid ( 14 ). however , if upper slots ( 16 a ) are to be used , then it is typical that a liquid forming endothermic substrate ( 15 ) will be used which will accumulate a liquid in the bottom of the box ( 12 ). moreover , if upper slots ( 16 a ) are used , then it is likely that there is either flue or duct work inside of the box ( 12 ) that will direct air entering upper slots ( 16 a ) down to or near the bottom of the box ( 12 ) and vents to allow the same air to go up and through the endothermic substrate ( 15 ). fig6 also illustrates the use of a drain ( 54 ). a drain is an accessory feature that will allow a liquid accumulating on or near the bottom of the lid to be drained . an additional optional feature illustrated in fig6 are handles ( 56 ) or tie - down points ( 56 a ) which may be provided on one or more sides of the exterior of the box ( 12 ) for convenience in handling and carrying the unit or securing the unit in a vehicle . fig6 illustrates the flaps ( 57 ) which may be used with the side air intake slots ( 16 a ) and / or ( 16 b ) as set forth in fig6 . flaps ( 57 ) include wall member ( 57 a ) for sealing off the slot when the motor ( 30 ) is not energized . the wall member ( 57 a ) pivots on a pair of hinge ends ( 57 b ) mounted on the interior wall of the cabinet just above the top of the side wall mounted intake slots to allow the flaps ( 57 ) to hang vertically and close slot when the motor ( 30 ) is off . while the air intake slots ( 16 a ) and ( 16 b ) may be left open , a flap ( 57 ) is desirable in order to minimize exposure of the air outside the box ( 12 ) to the endothermic substrate ( 15 ) when the unit is not in operation . note that the lid ( 14 ) located air intake slots ( 16 ) ( see fig1 ) may also have a variation of the flap ( 57 ), namely one that may be normally closed via spring loaded , hydraulic or even electric means , in conjunction with the motor ( 30 ) such that when the motor ( 30 ) is running the flap ( 57 ) is at least partially open . see fig6 a for use of a quarter cylinder door ( 59 ) for use in conjunction with lid and slots 16 . here door ( 59 ) includes hinges ( 59 a ) on which door member ( 59 b ) hangs , which optionally may have a weight ( 59 c ) to help it maintain vertical or closed position when the blower motor ( 30 ) is off . the gravity mounted flaps , of course , can respond to the change in pressure between the outside of the box ( 12 ) and the inside that is created when the motor ( 30 ) is energized by opening . applicant &# 39 ; s unit is powered by a blower motor ( 30 ). this motor is attached to a high speed fan or prop ( 32 ) which is responsible for sucking outside air through vents , then substrate and blowing out the resulting cool air through the ducting system to cool the user or cabin air mass . each heat reduction unit typically has at least one motor , but , depending on the size of the unit &# 39 ; s substrate mass and the heating requirements , may have multiple motors . these motors may be mounted in the lid ( see fig7 ), but other mounting locations on and off the box ( 12 ) may be used . applicant &# 39 ; s blower motor ( 30 ) may be electrical , either ac or dc . pneumatic motors are also possible . ac motors may be 110 volts , 220 volts or other available ac voltage . dc motors may be 6 volts , 12 volts , 24 volts , 28 volts or any workable voltage , depending upon the power availability in the environment in which it is used . pressures for a pneumatic or hydraulic motor will also depend on availability by may be available from a duct mounted on the aircraft exterior . the motor is sized to deliver sufficient air flow through the endothermic substrate sufficient to cool the user or intended target . for example , applicant has tested 3 ″- inch 12 volt or a 24 volt dc motor capable of delivering 140 standard cubic feet per minute and a 4 ″- inch 12 volt or 24 volt dc motor capable of delivering 245 standard cubic feet per minute which it both proved satisfactory . in an alternate preferred embodiment , applicant provides a multiplicity of individual motors either mounted in the lid , ( see fig7 ) or at the outlet end of the duct work ( see fig1 and 14 ). with such an embodiment , each user may have a switch to turn on his or her motor and a rheostat or other fan motor speed control device to control the velocity of the air through the duct . the motor still functions the same , however , sucking air through the intake slots past a substrate and through duct work to be directed at a user or intended target . fig7 illustrates a system of duct work comprising spiral wound tubes ( 58 ) which attach to the blower duct ( 34 ) and may include splitter t &# 39 ; s ( 60 ) for splitting the airflow between a number of branches ( 58 a , 58 b , 58 c or 58 d ). at the removed end of the spiral wound tubes are typically provided cool air outlet nozzles ( 44 ) that may or may not include directional adjuster ( 46 ). in the embodiment illustrated in fig7 attached to the tubes ( 58 ) at or near the removed and thereof is a flat positioning member ( 62 ) that is intended to extend , part way across a seat as illustrated such that an occupant may sit with the positioning member between his body and the seat and therefore maintain a position adjacent the seat with the nozzle directed anywhere ( see fig1 b ), as for example across the occupant &# 39 ; s crotch , abdomen , torso and even face if the user so desires . fig8 illustrates variable outlet valve ( 64 ) with a selector switch ( 64 a ) with a control knob ( 66 ) incorporated therewith that may direct air between either one or both of a pair of cool air outlets ports ( 68 a ) and ( 68 b ). the selector switch may be mounted to the end of the spiral wound tube or tubing ( 58 ). fig9 illustrates applicant &# 39 ; s heat reduction system ( 10 ) being used in the cabin of a light aircraft . the cool air outlet nozzle ( 44 ) is pointed at the seated pilot &# 39 ; s head and shoulders to provide relief thereto . the unit is placed in the seat next to the pilot and strapped in with the aircraft &# 39 ; s seatbelt system . fig1 illustrates a unit having an anti - backflow valve ( 69 ) situated adjacent to blower motor ( 29 ). the purpose of the anti - backflow valve ( 69 ) is such that when one or more of a multiplicity of motors ( see fig7 ) are not in use while the rest are operating , the anti - backflow valve prevents air from flowing backward through that motor &# 39 ; s duct to bypass the substrate and go out to the unit uncooled . anti - backflow valve ( 69 ) has flap ( 71 ) that will normally lay across blower motor outlet ( 73 ) when the motor ( 30 a ) is not running . in this position , air cannot be secluded through out ( 73 ) when another motor is running , yet when motor ( 30 a ) is turned on , flap ( 71 ) will allow cool air to the ductwork downstream . note anti - backflow valve ( 69 ) will work even with one motor , if the motor is off , to prevent warm air from entering the box through the motor duct . fig1 illustrates a floor mounted cooler unit ( 10 c ) with housing ( 77 ) that is similar to the earlier embodiment except that each outlet nozzle has its own blower motor and fan 30 b , 30 c , 30 d , 30 e . each motor typically has its own on / off switch ( 73 a , b , c and d ) and rheostat ( 75 a , b , c and d ) to control the motor speed . these motors may run off the electrical system of the vehicle or will be provided with their own power such as a battery ( not shown ). this embodiment typically does not use an endothermic substrate . fig1 a shows that housing ( 77 ) of the cooling unit ( 10 c ) illustrated in fig1 may include a plenum chamber ( 79 ) with an hepa filter ( 81 ) filtering the air coming from outside container ( 77 ) through the plenum and out into the tubing ( 83 ). the unit should be set on the floor where typically the coolest air in the enclosure will be located , and the container may be used without a cooling substrate . the unit may be used for keeping surgeons cool in the operating room of a hospital . fig1 b illustrates a variation of applicant &# 39 ; s alternate preferred cooling device ( 10 d ) illustrated in fig1 and 11a . in this unit , the remote individually operated motors , ( 30 b - e ) draw air through container ( 77 ) which has a pair of plenums ( 79 a ) and ( 79 b ), both drawing filtered air from the room or cabin with a mixing slide ( 85 ) in the wall of the unit for mixing air coming from the two plenums . in one of the plenums is mounted a standard commercial off - the - shelf refrigeration or cooling coil ( 83 ) of an air conditioning or cooling unit . while plenum ( 79 a ) pulls uncooled air in through the filter , the other ( 79 b ), has air passing the cooling coil ( 83 ) as it goes to the user . each motor is connected to the tube which connects to the slides ( 85 ) or mixing valves allowing individual settings based on a desired percentage of cooled and noncooled air . this mixing combined with the rheostat control of the air velocity allows a number of individual users to adjust their microenvironment to their own individual comfort level . applicant also provides herein , with reference to fig1 , yet another use of an invention related to cooling devices of the type anticipated herein or of any other type that will provide cool airflow through a cool air duct ( 72 ). the embodiment of the invention set forth in fig1 provides for a cool air duct ( 72 ) to be attached between an article of clothing ( 70 ) of an individual , such as a shirt , wherein the outlet or mouth ( 74 ) of the cool air duct is inserted between the body of the individual and the shirt or other article of clothing ( 70 ). applicant refers to this new invention as microenvironment cooling and is intended to provide cool air in that layer of air immediately adjacent the skin of the user . it is that layer of air that requires cooling and , where cooling capacity of a unit providing the cooling is limited , it is important that this air boundary immediately adjacent the skin of the user is cooled . it is important in microenvironmental cooling to cool the air layer directly adjacent the skin as compared to an entire airmass in which an occupant is located . there are a number of places in which microenvironment cooling may be effective . these include the cabin of an aircraft or other vehicle and the operating room in a hospital , where often a surgeon ( see fig1 ) must work under hot lights . in fig1 a , 14 and 15 , applicant illustrates the use of custom designed microenvironmental nozzles ( 80 ) for insertion beneath an article of clothing ( 70 ). fig1 provides one such custom nozzle ( 80 ) which nozzle includes a belt hook ( 82 ) for engagement with a belt of the user as well as , optionally , a blower ( 29 a ) with blower motor and fan incorporated within the nozzle ( 80 ). note that this nozzle ( 80 ) also includes a tongue ( 84 ) which tongue may be used to keep the clothing such as the shirt off the skin of the user and provide a ready path for the cool air coming out of the outlet ( 86 ) of nozzle ( 80 ). fig1 . illustrates applicants heat reduction system 10 including cool air distribution ducts ( 40 ) used with a custom nozzle ( 80 ) and custom designed shirt ( 70 a ) wherein the nozzle and shirt are positively engaged to one another as by elastic ( 81 ) or stitching or any other means . fig1 illustrates another aspect of applicant &# 39 ; s invention which may be used by a firefighter . in this aspect of the invention , applicant provides a metallized protective suit ( 90 ) which covers the entirety of the body of the user , such as a firefighter . the firefighter wears an oxygen mask ( 92 ) and oxygen bottle ( 94 ) beneath the suit ( 90 ). there is a dry ice pack ( 96 ) within the suit with a blower motor ( 98 ) to circulate air around the dry ice ( 100 ) which is located within the container ( 102 ) of the dry ice pack ( 96 ). there are pressure differential releasing valves ( 104 ) that may be located at the neck , wrist or ankles to keep pressure in the suit constant and prevent it from overblowing as well as for keeping a constant flow of fire suppressing gas , such as co 2 , emanating around the firefighter . although the invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments , this description is not meant to be construed in a limited sense . various modifications of the disclosed embodiments , as well as alternative embodiments of the inventions will become apparent to persons skilled in the art upon the reference to the description of the invention . it is , therefore , contemplated that the appended claims will cover such modifications that fall within the scope of the invention .

a portable air chiller for providing air conditioning in a variety of environmental circumstances . the portable air chiller includes an insulated container capable of effectively containing a endothermic substrate , an in - flow vent and out - flow vent positioned to communicate air flow from the exterior of the container to the interior of the container . a fan located in the out flow vent facilitates conditioned air movement out of the interior of the portable air chiller . the interior of the portable air chiller houses a endothermic substrate holder which practically traverses the length and width of the interior .

to create one electrolyte solution we add to water cobalt cation at around 1 mm , such as by adding coso 4 , cocl 2 , co ( no 3 ) 2 or the like . we also add a fluoride anion at a concentration of about 0 . 1 m . we preferred providing the fluoride anion in the form of a ph buffered mixture of kf and hf . in our experiments with varied phs the ph was adjusted by the addition of khf 2 or naoh as needed . in other electrolyte solutions we added to water cobalt cation at around 1 mm , such as by adding coso 4 , cocl 2 , co ( no 3 ) 2 or the like . we also added our selected buffering electrolyte , typically at a concentration of about 0 . 1 m or 1 m . all potentials are given relative to the nhe reference electrode . in the fig2 - fig6 experiments we causes electrolytic film deposition of our catalyst by operating the fig1 device using the aforesaid electrolytic solution at about 1 . 48 volts ( e . g . 1 . 33 volts to 1 . 58 volts ). once the anode has been coated with our catalyst , it is no longer critical that the electrolyte solution contain both the cobalt or fluoride . it could continue to be operated with fluoride . fig2 depicts the results of cyclic voltammetry scans of an indium tin oxide substrate anode in 0 . 1 m kf electrolyte with and without 1 mm coso 4 at ph 5 . the vertical axis is the log current density . the horizontal axis is voltage . in the presence of cobalt ions ( 11 ) there was an abrupt production of catalytic current . as the voltage is scanned back , there was a broad cathodic peak centered at e p , c = 1 . 07 v . subsequent to electrodeposition we ran the fig3 experiments . continued controlled - potential ( cpe ) electrolysis at 600 s 1 . 48 v , in 0 . 1 m fluoride at ph 5 with 1 mm coso 4 , and following a subsequent 600 s . cpe at 1 . 48 v in cobalt - containing buffer led to deposition of a film of material that showed increased catalytic current on subsequent cyclic voltammetric scans . these ( 13 ) experiments showed an anodic wave at ˜ 1 . 2 v that blended into the catalytic current . a subsequent cyclic voltammetric scan following rinsing of the electrode and electrolysis in fresh ph 5 fluoride buffer for 10 min at 1 . 48 v confirmed that even without cobalt in the electrolyte solution the coated anode retained essentially the same activity ( 14 ). note that in our experiments the catalytic effect was noted unless the electrode is held at potentials more reducing than the cathodic wave at ˜ 1 v , below which dissolution of the catalyst is observed . as depicted in fig4 , we then compared the effect of different phs using a graphite anode . we found that even at phs around neutral the catalytic effects are quite efficient . we then sought to compare the efficiency of our catalyst with catalytic results using another anion besides fluoride , with cobalt . these experiments are depicted on fig5 . the fig5 experiments confirm the superiority of the fluoride anion ( 23 )/ 1 m or ( 24 )/ 0 . 1 m versus phosphate ( 25 ) or ( 26 ) at those molarities . we compared the log of the current density versus overpotential . we then ran an experiment involving constant - potential electrolyses of fluoride - buffered cobalt solutions in a stirred , undivided cell ( without the diaphragm 8 ). these experiments were not focused on the collection of the gases . fig6 experiments were run at an initial ph of 5 , and showed the pattern of current increase reflecting deposition as graphed . with the increase in current there was formation of increased visible deposit on the electrode and bubbling . fluoride results ( 20 ) were superior to phosphate ( 21 ), and vastly superior to sulfate . in prolonged electrolyses in cobalt - free buffer at lower ph , we noted that there was a decrease in current over time . we attribute this to slight dissolution of the visible coating on the anode . this suggests that the pka of hf is close to that of the solid . however , steady state is achieved at approximately 0 . 1 mm co ++ . alternatively , increasing the fluoride concentration in the electrolyte solution after anode coating formation was found to lead to a more stable deposit . in the fig7 experiment we used 0 . 1 m fluorophosphate presented as sodium monofluorophosphate adjusted with sulfuric acid or sodium hydroxide to a ph of 4 . 8 . catalyst was deposited at about 1 . 3 v and the resulting cell then worked efficiently at about 1 . 6 v . in the fig8 experiment we used 0 . 1 m of trifluoromethyl sulfonamide adjusted with sodium hydroxide to a ph of about 6 . 3 . catalyst was deposited on the anode at 1 . 05 v and the resulting cell then worked efficiently at about 1 . 55 v . in the fig9 experiment we used 1 m sulfate presented at a 50 / 50 mix of sodium sulfate and sodium bisulfate adjusted with sulfuric acid and sodium hydroxide to a ph of 2 . 2 . catalyst was not deposited on the anode . our preliminary experiments with chromate indicate similar utility . thus , as yet another alternative we are proposing 1 m chromate presented as a mix of sodium chromate and chromium trioxide adjusted with sodium hydroxide to a ph of about 6 . 5 . as a further alternative we are proposing 1 m trifluoromethyl phosphonate or other perfluoroalkyl phosphonate presented as the perfluoroalkyl phosphonic acid adjusted with sodium hydroxide to a ph of about 6 . 5 . as yet another alternative we are proposing 1 m perfluoro - tert - butoxide or other perfluorinated tertiary alkoxides , deprotonated hexafluoroacetone hydrate or other anions of perfluorinated dialkyl ketone hydrates presented as the perfluorinated alcohol or ketone adjusted with sodium hydroxide to a ph of about 4 . 5 . the cathode ( 6 ) can be any cathode suitable for use in water electrolysis under the conditions we are exposing the cathode to . particularly preferred cathodes are platinum or platinized graphite cathodes . the anode ( 4 ) begins with a substrate ( 5 ), which again can be any anode suitable for use in water electrolysis under the conditions we are exposing the anode to . particularly preferred substrates for the anode are materials such as tin oxides , particularly indium tin oxide or fluorine tin oxide . once the anode has been coated with our catalyst , it is no longer critical that the electrolyte solution contain both the cobalt and the anion . it could continue to be operated without the cobalt , using the anion . one can generate oxygen gas using our improved anode ( along with hydrogen at the cathode ). an electrode prepared by the constant - potential deposition can be placed in 0 . 1 m - 1 m anion , in a closed , divided cell like that of fig1 , and linked to a pressure transducer . the presence of gas generation at both the anode and cathode can be confirmed . further , we note that we ran some studies of the nature of the catalysts . in one experiment we determined that the catalyst contained cobalt , oxygen , and fluorine , in about the ratio of one fluorine , to 4 . 24 cobalt , to about 8 . 9 oxygen . we believe that the fluorine is present as fluoride in the material . sem images of the deposit show a layer of fused spherical nodules . the catalyst appears yellow - brown . we believe that with this catalyst f acts as a proton acceptor during oxidation of cluster sites bearing either a co ( h 2 o ) or cooh moiety en route to o — o bond formation , with either subsequent proton transfer to or exchange of the formed hf with f in solution . the inability of catalytically competent deposits to form anywhere near as well in sulfate electrolyte solutions at low cobalt concentration suggests that so 4 2 − is too weak of a base . our experiments with fluoride suggest that the fluoride is acting in some more complicated role than phosphate does . we believe that it is not just acting as a base . fluoride can act as a ligand on cobalt , and fluoride is also a strong hydrogen - bond acceptor that may play a role in activating water molecules towards reaction with the catalytic center . as cobalt oxyfluoride compounds are readily produced , we favor the explanation that a cobalt oxide cluster containing at least one fluoride ligand is formed to create the claimed catalyst , and that this undergoes exchange with water to form an aqua - complex which engages in electron - coupled proton transfer to outer - sphere fluoride to yield clusters containing a co ( o ) species which produces the observed water oxidation . while a number of embodiments of the present invention have been described above , the present invention is not limited to just these disclosed examples . there are other modifications that are meant to be within the scope of the invention and claims . thus , the claims should be looked to in order to judge the full scope of the invention . the present invention provides catalytic materials for use in water electrolysis and other reduction reactions , where the catalyzed reaction can be conducted at mildly acidic conditions . it also provides anodes useful in these methods , methods of forming these anodes , and methods of generating a fuel and oxygen gas using them , thereby providing a more practical way of storing renewable energy .

disclosed are electrolysis catalysts formed from cobalt , oxygen and buffering electrolytes . they can be formed as a coating on an anode by conducting an electrolysis reaction using an electrolyte containing cobalt and an anionic buffering electrolyte . the catalysts will facilitate the conversion of water to oxygen and hydrogen gas at a range of mildly acidic conditions . alternatively , these anodes can be used with cathodes that facilitate other desirable reactions such as converting carbon dioxide to methanol .

as described above , using a manual override or reset tool an operator can reset a lock cylinder by putting it into a learn mode without requiring a valid key . this reset operation could sometimes prove challenging because of the number of actions to perform while holding a compact lock cylinder . the present invention is a reset cradle for manually resetting a quick rekey cylinder without need of a valid key , thereby allowing easier manual reset thereof , and especially for recovery of a blown cylinder of a rekeyable lock assembly . fig2 is a perspective exploded view of the reset cradle 2 according to one embodiment of the present invention . the reset cradle 2 includes a housing 22 with central recess 24 extending there through configured to receive and seat the lock cylinder 10 . as seen in fig3 the housing 22 further comprises an annular hub 124 rotatably attached to a base 126 . annular hub 124 is a hollow cover that flares outward from a central aperture 125 . the annular hub 124 rotatably seats against a peripheral groove 128 formed in the base 126 , thereby enclosing an upwardly protruding tubular post 130 formed integrally on the base 126 . the post 130 forms a hollow cylinder that defines the central recess 24 for receiving the lock cylinder 10 . post 130 protrudes axially from base 126 so that when hub 124 is seated in groove 128 the cylindrical walls of post 130 conform to the aperture 125 in hub 124 . the base 126 is formed with a recess 127 ( obscured in fig3 , see fig6 ) in its underside immediately beneath the post 130 . a spring - loaded annular driver 160 is rotatably journalled in the recess 127 in base 126 . the driver 160 is a hollow annular member having an inwardly - directed radial pin 161 for engaging the lock cylinder when inserted into the reset cradle 2 . the driver 160 has a flange 168 at the bottom for anchoring an extension spring 166 . the other end of extension spring 166 is connected internally to the base 126 for biasing rotation of the driver 160 with respect to the base 126 , providing a spring - return to a home position . the driver 160 also has an outwardly protruding arm 163 that engages a cam as described below . a washer 162 and screw 164 are secured to the bottom of the base 126 to trap driver 160 within the bottom recess . the driver 160 is held captive in the base 126 by a washer 162 screwed into the bottom of the base 126 . fig4 is an isolated view of the driver 160 with flange 168 there beneath . a compression pin 169 is inserted into a bore hole in the flange 168 for anchoring the extension spring 166 for spring - return to a home position . fig4 also provides perspective of the outwardly protruding arm 163 that engages the cam described below . the inwardly - directed axial pin 161 is inserted into a bore - hole in the wall of driver 160 for engaging the lock cylinder once inserted into the reset cradle 2 . the axial pin 161 fits into a notch formed in the lowermost edge of the lock cylinder for turning the cylinder . the bore - hole may be formed as a slot to give the axial pin 161 a limited degree of freedom in order to accommodate lock cylinders of different lengths . referring back to fig3 , a two - section cam 132 formed of halves 132 a and 132 b is rotatably seated on the post 130 inside base 126 . the cam 132 can move rotationally along with hub 124 with respect to the base 126 . the inner surface of cam 132 comprises a camming surface that radially displaces two operative components mounted in the post 130 of base 126 . as the cam 132 rotates around the post 130 of base 126 to a first position , it radially displaces , within a particular order and timing , the two working components both being housed inside the base 126 as will be described . these working components engage the lock cylinder , and are generally spring biased outward so they will return to their starting position once their particular functions are completed . the cam 132 is also formed with a downwardy - protruding finger 133 for engagement with the arm 163 of driver 160 . note also that the finger 133 protrudes laterally from the cam 132 to key the cam 132 to the hub 124 for rotation therewith . as the cam 132 rotates past the first position to a second position the finger 133 of cam 132 engages arm 163 of driver 160 and rotates the driver , which in turn rotates , the plug 40 ( see fig1 ) with respect to the cylinder body 12 . rotation of the plug 40 by 90 degrees with respect to the cylinder body 12 moves the locking bar 94 into the recess inside the cylinder body 12 , which releases the locking bar 94 , allowing a learn tool 200 to be inserted . fig5 is an enlarged illustration of the bottom of the reset cradle 2 showing the downwardly - protruding finger 133 of cam 132 which , at a predetermined angle of rotation , engages the outwardly protruding arm 163 of driver 160 . the driver 160 wields the inwardly - directed axial pin 161 that engages the edge of the lock cylinder ( here inserted into the reset cradle 2 ). consequently , turning the hub 124 of housing 22 past the first position causes the cam 132 to begin to drive the driver 160 , which in turn engages the pin 161 to rotate the lock cylinder seated therein . the cam 132 is formed with an interior camming surface . as mentioned above , as the cam 132 rotates around the post 130 of base 126 , this camming surface radially displaces , within a particular order and timing , two working components both being housed inside the base 126 . referring back to fig3 , one of these components is a reset member 150 comprising a shoulder with a plurality of protruding prongs . the reset member 150 generally fulfills the function of the rekeying tool 310 described in the background section with regard to fig1 , and the protruding prongs insert into the cylinder body to manually position the cylinder racks and pins to release the locking bar of the lock cylinder . however , in the context of the reset cradle 2 the operation of the reset member 150 becomes automatic . the shoulder of the reset member 150 is rounded and seats within an alcove 137 formed along the inner wall of the cam 132 . the forefront of the reset member 150 is slidably seated in a notch formed through the post 130 in base 126 , and is spring - biased outward by a pair of springs 152 that engage the post 130 . this way , as the hub 124 , and hence cam 132 and alcove 137 are rotated the sidewalls of the alcove 137 will engage the reset member 150 and displace it radial into the post 130 . upon radial displacement the prongs of reset member 150 are inserted through the apertures of the cylinder body , such that the prongs of the reset member 150 engage the racks 92 ( see fig1 ) of the rekeyable lock cylinder 10 . the reset member 150 thereby relocates the plurality of racks 92 , such that the racks are aligned at a common level . at about the same time that the reset member 150 engages , a detent pin 140 also begins to engage to depress the locking bar 94 and allow the plug body to rotate in the cylinder body to the rekeying position . the detent pin 140 is likewise slidably seated in a through bore formed through the post 130 in base 126 , and is spring - biased outward by a spring 142 seated inside the post 130 . referring back to fig3 , the outward end of the detent pin 140 is formed with a rounded cap that engages an arcuate bearing surface 139 protruding inward along the inner wall of the cam 132 . this way , as the cam 132 and bearing surface 139 are rotated the bearing surface 139 will engage the detent pin 140 and displace it radially into the post 130 and into the detent ball 36 ( fig1 ) of the lock cylinder 10 . upon radial displacement the pin 140 displaces the locking bar 94 , thereby fulfilling the function of the bracing tool ( described in the background section ) and allowing the plug body 40 to rotate . with the lock cylinder racks 92 aligned by the reset member 150 as above , the detent pin 140 ( of fig3 ) moves the locking bar 94 into engagement with cut - outs in the racks 92 , thereby preventing relative movement among the racks , and consequently , relative movement between the pins 113 engaged with the racks 92 . this effectively frees the plug body 40 for rotation within the cylinder body 20 and readies the rekeyable lock cylinder 10 for insertion of the learn tool 200 . in the presently - preferred embodiment , the alcove 137 and arcuate bearing surface 139 are formed along the inner wall of the cam 132 in order to move both the reset member 150 and detent pin 140 into the lock cylinder 10 at approximately 33 degrees , and then allow spring - biased retraction of the reset member at approximately 54 degrees while detent pin 140 remains displaced . fig6 is a cross - section of the of the reset cradle 2 of fig2 - 3 with rekeyable lock cylinder 10 removed from the central recess 24 of housing 22 . the hub 124 is rotatably seated on the groove 128 of base 126 , thereby enclosing post 130 of base 126 . the extent of the post 130 is visible as well as its central recess 24 for receiving the lock cylinder 10 . here only cam half 132 a is visible . as well as the detent pin 140 which is slidably seated in the through bore formed through the post 130 in base 126 . the spring 142 encircles the detent pin 140 and abuts a constriction inside the through - bore in post 130 . in use , the user should first ensure that the arrow on the front annular hub 124 is in the starting ( 0 degree ) position , as shown in fig7 . if not , then the front hub 124 should be returned clockwise until it bottoms out ( indicating the starting position shown in fig7 ). the user then rotates the hub 124 of reset cradle 2 from the home position to a first position ( 54 degrees ) which displaces detent pin 140 and reset member 130 into the lock cylinder as described above , and then retracts the reset member 150 , followed by 90 degree rotation to a second 146 degree position which rotates the plug 40 within the cylinder body 20 and readies the rekeyable lock cylinder 10 for insertion of the learn tool 200 . the learn tool 200 may then be inserted and the lock cylinder rekeyed . fig7 - 15 are sequential illustrations of the operation of the reset cradle 2 . specifically , fig7 - 9 are a front view of the reset cradle 2 in the home ( 0 degree ) position , a lower cross - section showing the position of driver 160 , and an upper cross - section showing the positions of the reset member 150 and detent pin 140 relative to post 130 and cam 132 , respectively . an arrow 12 embossed in the front face of the hub 22 of the reset cradle 2 tells the user that the assembly is in the home ( 0 degree ) position , as shown in fig7 . a second arrow 14 tells the user the direction to turn . while in the starting position the rekeyable lock cylinder 10 may be inserted frontally into the reset cradle 2 ( already done so as shown ). thus , as seen in fig8 , the arm 163 of driver 160 is not engaged since the hub 124 must be rotated approximately past the first ( 54 degree ) position before the finger 133 protruding downward from cam 132 engages the arm 163 of the driver 160 . likewise , as seen in fig9 , the reset member 150 remains seated in the alcove 137 of cam 132 and is spring - biased fully outward so as not to engage the lock cylinder , and the detent pin 140 has not yet engaged the cam surface 139 of cam 132 and is spring - biased fully outward so as not to engage the lock cylinder . further rotation to the first ( 54 degree ) position extends both the reset member 150 and the detent pin 140 into the lock cylinder , then retracts the reset member 150 . fig1 - 12 are a front view of the reset cradle 2 in the first ( 54 degree ) position , a lower cross - section showing the position of driver 160 , and an upper cross - section showing the positions of the reset member 150 and detent pin 140 relative to post 130 and cam 132 , respectively . the arrow 12 on the reset cradle 2 tells the user that the assembly has been rotated 54 degrees to the first position , as shown in fig1 , where the arrow 12 is 54 degrees offset from the keyslot of the lock . as seen in fig1 , this rotation turns the cam 132 and at approximately 54 degrees of rotation engages the arm 163 of driver 160 with the finger 133 of the cam 132 . the lock cylinder does not rotate . meanwhile , as seen in fig1 , at approximately 22 degrees the reset member 150 engages the walls of the alcove 137 of cam 132 and is urged inward to engage the lock cylinder . at approximately 33 degrees the detent pin 140 begins to engage the cam surface 139 of cam 132 and is radially extended through the post 130 to engage the lock cylinder . this in turn moves the locking bar 94 ( fig1 ) into engagement with cut - outs in the racks 92 , thereby preventing relative movement among the racks , and consequently , relative movement between the pins 113 engaged with the racks 92 . by full rotation the first 54 degree position the cam 132 frees the reset member 150 . which retracts , but the detent pin 140 remains engaged . while in this configuration it is now necessary to rotate the plug 40 ( fig1 ) approximately 90 degrees within the cylinder body 12 in order to move the locking bar 94 into the recess inside the cylinder body 12 , which in turn releases the locking bar 94 , allowing learn tool 200 to be inserted . this rotation is implemented by operation of the driver 60 . fig1 - 15 are a front view of the reset cradle 2 in a second ( 146 degree ) position , a lower cross - section showing the position of driver 160 , and an upper cross - section showing the positions of the reset member 150 and detent pin 140 relative to post 130 and cam 132 , respectively . the arrow 12 on the reset cradle 2 tells the user that the assembly has been rotated 146 degrees to the third position , which puts the lock cylinder in the learn mode , as shown in fig1 , where the arrow 12 is 146 degrees offset from the starting position . as stated above , at 54 degrees of rotation the arm 163 of driver 160 is engaged with the finger 133 of the cam 132 . consequently , this segment of rotation between 54 - 146 degrees turns the cam 132 as well as the plug along with the hub 124 . this can be seen in fig1 where the plug 40 itself is rotated approximately 90 degrees within the lock cylinder body 12 . meanwhile , as seen in fig1 , as the cam rotates to the third position the cam 132 opens up again for the detent pin 140 , the detent pin 140 falling back into the recess of the cam surface 139 and retracting from the post 130 . this backs the locking bar 94 ( fig1 ) out of engagement with cut - outs in the racks 92 , thereby allowing relative movement among the racks , and consequently , relative movement between the pins 113 engaged with the racks 92 . this effectively readies the rekeyable lock cylinder for insertion of the learn tool 200 . referring back to fig1 , the learn tool 200 may next be inserted into the keyslot in the face of the lock cylinder to configure the lock cylinder to the learn mode . once in the learn mode , the lock cylinder can be removed from the reset cradle 2 and a valid key inserted in the keyway of the lock cylinder . the new key is inserted and rotated clockwise 90 ° to key the lock cylinder 10 to the new key ( the cylinder pins correlating to the new key ). thus , rotating the key back 90 degrees to the home position effectively keys the lock cylinder 10 to the new key . any previously valid key no longer operates the lock cylinder 10 . thus , via the reset cradle 2 , without requiring a valid key , the lock assembly can be rekeyed without removing the plug assembly from the cylinder body . once the lock cylinder is removed from the reset cradle , then the reset cradle is returned to its home position , and indeed the return - bias spring 166 promotes this return . by using the reset cradle 2 the process of rekeying the lock cylinder 10 becomes easier to handle . first the reset cradle 2 holds the lock cylinder 10 in place thereby freeing up one hand of the operator . also , the reset cradle 2 automatically operates the reset member 150 and the bracing bar , thereby eliminating the need for manual manipulation of these components . this facilitates both the operation of engaging the prongs of the reset member 150 against the racks 92 ( fig1 ) and the action of using the bracing bar to move the locking bar 94 ( fig1 ) into engagement with the racks 92 . having now fully set forth the preferred embodiment and certain modifications of the concept underlying the present invention , various other embodiments as well as certain variations and modifications of the embodiments herein shown and described will obviously occur to those skilled in the art upon becoming familiar with said underlying concept . it is to be understood , therefore , that the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically set forth in the appended claims .

a reset cradle with integral reset tool assembly , that automatically positions the lock cylinder , the reset tool assembly , and all associated components , and choreographs the operations that need to be performed in the right sequential order . the reset cradle generally comprises a two - section housing including a base section with centrally - protruding tubular post into which the lock cylinder may be inserted , and a separate hub section rotatably seated on the base . inside the housing , a cam is engaged against the post and is rotatable thereabout along with relative rotation of the two - section housing . a reset member is also operative inside the housing , and is engaged by rotation of the cam for axial displacement into the lock cylinder . similarly , a detent pin is slidably seated in the post and is engaged by the cam for axial displacement into the lock cylinder . relative rotation of the two - part housing resets the lock cylinder via the reset member and detent pin , and allows the lock cylinder to be placed in a learn mode for rekeying without a valid key .

the present invention achieves its desired aim by integrating the functions of the flow meter 128 and the choke 132 . in a “ live ” well ( i . e . one not requiring pumping in order to lift the oil to the surface ) the oil / water / gas mixture will leave the well at a pressure dictated by the properties of the reservoir that the well is tapping into , the reduction of pressure due to the hydraulic pressure head of the fluids in the well , and frictional losses , and may be in the region of 1 , 000 psi . this needs to be reduced for the flowline to about 300 psi or less , which is usually achieved by way of a choke 132 ( fig1 ). this is simply a flow restriction that serves to reduce the pressure of the fluid released from the well 108 to the flowline 130 to a level that is sufficient to ensure adequate flow and yet low enough to avoid damage . fig2 shows a multiphase flowmeter ( mpfm ) 1 according to the present invention . it includes a fluid inlet 2 , and fluid outlet 3 connected by a suitably pressure - rated conduit . the fluid flow within the mpfm 1 from the inlet 2 to the outlet 3 is controlled by an inlet valve and an outlet valve . the inlet valve consists of an inlet actuator 6 that controls an inlet valve stem 5 , and an inlet valve seat 4 towards and away from which the inlet actuator 6 can move the inlet valve stem 5 so as to impose a variable flow restriction , the outlet valve likewise consists of outlet actuator 9 , outlet valve stem 8 and outlet valve seat 7 , acting in a like fashion . the inlet valve and the outlet valve are both continuously and precisely variable from closed to fully open , controlled by the pfm controller ( not shown ). the valves are monotonic , so that at all points of their movement , a small opening movement of the valve stem will cause a small decrease in flow resistance . all sensor information ( to be described below ) is also sent to the mpfm controller . combined pressure / temperature sensors , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 and 15 monitor the pressure and temperature of the fluid in the various parts of the flowmeter from the inlet 2 to the outlet 3 . generally , there is a combined pressure / temperature sensor after each flow - affecting element within the mpfm 1 so that the fluid flow can be monitored throughout the device . this enables remote diagnostics of developing problems , such as scaling , wax or sand contamination within the various sections . fluid entering via the fluid inlet 2 thus passes through inlet valve seat 4 and its pressure may be reduced to a greater or lesser extent depending on the position of the inlet valve . this is followed by fluid mixer 16 , intended to mix the fractions within the fluid flow in order to create a homogenous mixture . such fluid often separates when allowed to flow freely , into gaseous fractions at the top ( etc .) and the fluid mixer 16 comprises a series of baffles and vanes aimed at preventing this . this is followed by a series of sequential flow straighteners 17 , 19 , 22 which aim to establish or restore axial flow in the fluid . the fluid then exits the mpfm 1 through outlet valve seat 7 to the fluid outlet 3 , with its pressure again being reduced to a greater or lesser extent depending on the position of the outlet valve . the pressure and temperature change across the inlet valve can be obtained by the difference between sensors 10 and 11 , the pressure and temperature change across the fluid mixer 16 can be obtained by the difference between sensors 11 and 12 and the pressure and temperature change across the outlet valve can be obtained from by the difference between sensors 14 and 15 . the pressure and temperature change across the inlet valve , along with the precise position of the inlet valve may be used to monitor and quantify the stability of flow into the device over time . this can be achieved if the mpfm controller has knowledge of the relationship between the inlet valve position and the flow resistance of the valve at that position . this information , along with the pressure drop across the inlet valve , enables an approximate gross flowrate to be calculated . this gross flowrate can be used to check the other flowrates calculated at various points in the meter and at various stages during the measurement process . significant errors or discrepancies might indicate an error or fault condition , while small discrepancies can be used to provide correction factors . the region of the flowmeter 1 between the straighteners 17 and 19 has a homogenous axial flow . the fluid velocity in this region is determined by an ultrasonic flowmeter 18 . this will typically be a doppler meter of known construction , although time - of - flight or correlation instruments may also be used . the pressure / temperature sensor 13 measures the pressure and temperature of the fluid in this region , which is at the heart of the measurement system . between straighteners 19 and 22 , the fluid passes through an orifice plate 20 , across which the differential pressure is measured by differential pressure sensor 21 . in the preferred embodiment , where the flowmeter is used for accurately measuring 3 - phase flow ( oil , water , gas ) from a production well 108 , the well 108 providing the source of the fluid will typically be fitted with standard safety equipment such as a subsurface shut - in valve and surface shut in valves . the well production fluid is then routed to the inlet 2 of the mpfm 1 , will flow through the mpfm 1 , and out of the outlet 3 , which is connected to a surface flowline 130 leading to a remote processing facility 126 . it will be noted that pressure / temperature sensor 10 will now read the wellhead pressure , and pressure / temperature sensor 15 will now read the flowline pressure at the wellhead end of the flowline 130 . it should be noted that mpfm 1 performs the function of the traditional fixed “ choke valve ” 132 in regulating the well production flowrate , as well as measuring the 3 - phase flow , so the choke may be removed , or alternatively set to a size that limits the well to the highest safe rate . in routine use the mpfm controller is commanded to maintain a certain flow resistance equivalent to a certain size of traditional choke valve as required for the optimum production of the well . it should be noted that the mpfm controller may achieve this by setting the inlet valve fully open , and the outlet valve to the required flow resistance . alternatively , the mpfm controller could achieve the same overall effect by setting the outlet valve fully open , and setting the inlet valve to the required flow resistance . furthermore , the mpfm controller can smoothly change the valves from the first combination to the second combination by gradually closing the inlet valve and opening the outlet valve in such a way that the flow resistance of the valve combination remains unchanged during the transition . during this time , the pressure in the mpfm between the inlet valve and the outlet valve will smoothly change from the inlet pressure ( wellhead pressure ) to the outlet pressure ( flowline pressure ). as the total flow resistance of the mpfm is constant during this transition , the well flow will be substantially constant , the wellhead pressure will remain constant and the flowline pressure will remain constant . only the pressure inside the mpfm will change . in this way , the mpfm 1 of fig2 ( comprising two variable choke valves ) is able to establish a flow restriction equivalent to a traditional choke valve 132 , while establishing any desired fluid pressure in the flow path between the two variable choke valves . so far as the flowline 130 is concerned , the situation is identical to a single choke valve 132 as shown in fig1 . however , the mpfm controller is able to manipulate the pressure within the mpfm 1 to any desired level falling between the wellhead pressure and the flowline pressure . the mpfm 1 may also be used to shut the well in . fig3 shows the outlet valve closed , and the inlet valve fully open . in this configuration , pressure / temperature sensors 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 will all be reading the same pressure as there is no flow through the mpfm . this pressure will be wellhead pressure . fig4 also shows a fully shut - in well , but this time the inlet valve is closed and the outlet valve is fully open . in this case , pressure / temperature sensors 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 will all read the same pressure , which will be the flowline pressure ( with no flow in the flowline ). it is important to note that in these cases , the pressure sensors can be auto zeroed / auto calibrated , a process where differential offset errors are eliminated by comparing readings when all sensors are known to be exposed to the same pressure . in this case , the ability to set a low pressure ( the flowline pressure ) and a high pressure ( the wellhead pressure ) enables both zero and gain auto alignment to be performed , thus adjusting the calibration as necessary . in practice , this allows differential pressures to be adequately measured with a pair of absolute pressure sensors rather than an additional differential sensor in most parts of the mpfm . referring again to fig2 , under normal operation , when the mpfm is controlling at the optimum well flowrate , the inlet valve and the outlet valve are preferably set at a similar flow resistance . this central setting provides half the total pressure drop across each valve , and hence equalizes and minimizes erosion of the valves . to perform a measurement cycle , the mpfm controller gradually opens the outlet valve and closes the inlet valve in a smooth transition to a setting which establishes a lower pressure in the mpfm 1 , which is then held . a set of measurements are then taken ( see below ). the mpfm controller then gradually returns the inlet and outlet valve to the central setting which is then held , and another set of measurements are taken . in this way , a set of measurements are taken at two pressures . the flow through the mpfm all the time remains constant , because the mpfm controller is maintaining a constant flow resistance for the overall mpfm during the measurement cycle . it is possible to confirm that the flowrate has not changed during a measurement cycle by monitoring the pressure drop across the inlet valve with respect to the inlet valve position as described above . a complete set of measurements thus consists of : pressure p from pressure / temperature sensor 13 temperature t from pressure / temperatures sensor 13 , fluid velocity v from ultrasonic flowmeter 18 differential pressure dp from differential pressure sensor 21 there are thus two sets of measurements from the same sensors , designated central measurement set ; pi , tl , vi , dp 1 lower measurement set : p 2 , t 2 , v 2 , dp 1 the calculations to be carried out are therefore as follows , based on the following parameters : in addition , certain parameters need to be calculated in a straightforward manner , i . e . ; volumetric flow rate at p 1 , q 1 = fv 1 · ax ( ax being the conduit cross - sectional area ) for the purposes of describing the system , we define p 2 as being the lower of the two pressures , p 1 and p 2 . assuming that the mass flowrate is constant , the volumetric flow rate at p 2 will therefore be greater than at p 1 . the increase in the volumetric flowrate is therefore qd = q 2 − q 1 . for the purpose of illustration and clarity , it is assumed in these calculations that liquids are incompressible , that the gas fraction behaves as a perfect gas , and the reduction in volume of crude oil when gas is released is negligible . those skilled in the art will be aware of how such second order corrections may be applied in order to reflect the actual fluid properties . v 1 = ke /( 1 − k ), where expansion factor , e = v 2 − v 1 -- ( 1 considering one second of flow ( so we can equate volumes and flowrates ), we can write : volumetric flowrate of gas fraction at p 1 , qg 1 = k · qd /( 1 − k ) hence the liquid volumetric flowrate at p 1 , ql 1 = q 1 − qg 1 the densities of the gas , oil and water fractions at different temperatures and pressures are measured when a reservoir is first produced , and then updated from time to time . this process , known as pvt analysis , is well known . from pvt analysis , the density of the oil and water fractions , do , dw are stored in the mpfm controller , and the exact gas density at p 1 and p 2 , dg 1 and dg 2 is calculated , using the perfect gas equation from the gas density at standard pressure and temperature . the total fluid density can be obtained from the differential pressure across the orifice plate . c d is the discharge coefficient , typically of the order of 0 . 6 the density of the liquid fraction dl 1 can now be calculated from the equation : where d 1 , dg 1 , fg 1 and fl 1 are now known . finally , the oil fraction , fo 1 , can be calculated from the equation : and the water fraction is given by fw 1 = fl 1 − fo 1 . now that fractions and the volumetric flow rates for all three phases have been computed , the mass flow rates for each phase can be computed as the phase densities are known . hence a total mass flow rate can be computed . the entire procedure above can then be repeated , reducing all the results to the p 2 environment . comparing results between the p 1 environment and the p 2 environment , clearly the fractions and volumetric flowrates will differ , due to the different pressures . however , the mass flowrates should be the same . in particular , the total mass flowrate computed should be the same for the two sets of computations . the sensitivity of the computation to instrumentation errors from the absolute sensors ( p and t ) are largely eliminated in the above computation , due to the invention allowing the same pressure and temperature sensor to be used in both p 1 and p 2 measurement sets . the calculations are still sensitive to errors in the fluid velocity , fv 1 and fv 2 , and the differential pressure , dp 1 and dp 2 . these errors can largely be eliminated via a normalization method . in this method , a correction velocity is speculatively added to fv 1 ( for example ), and the two calculation sets are computed , and the two total mass flowrates calculated are compared . the process is then repeated , using the newton - raphson method adjusting the correction velocity until the two computed mass flowrates are the identical . this process dramatically increases the accuracy of the calculated volumetric fractions and velocities . other parameter could be corrected in a similar manner , and other correction methods will be apparent to those skilled in the art . fig5 shows a possible pressure / time profile for the apparatus . the pressure shown is of course the pressure within the measurement region , i . e . between the inlet and outlet valves 6 , 9 as will be sensed by the sensors 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 . the pressure prior to the inlet valve and the pressure subsequent to the outlet valve 9 are of course dictated by the combined flow resistance imposed by the two valves 6 , 9 collectively , and are controlled to remain within the desired limits by adjustment of that collective flow resistance . the balance between the flow resistance imposed by the inlet valve and that imposed by the outlet valve 9 can be varied , and this allows the pressure in the fluid between them to be adjusted as desired between the upper and lower pressures either side of the device . thus , the default state is one in which the pressure 50 within the device is approximately midway between the higher pressure 52 at which the fluid arrives from the well , and the lower pressure 54 in the flowline 130 after the multiphase flowmeter . as mentioned , this places both the inlet and the outlet valves at an approximate midway position in which wear is minimized . when a measurement is to be taken , the pressure , temperature , and flow rate readings can be taken . then , the inlet valve 6 can closed slightly and the outlet valve 9 opened slightly , causing the pressure within the device to drop to the reduced level 56 . a second set of pressure , temperature and flow measurements can be taken . the inlet and outlet valves can then be returned to their previous positions and the default state 58 will be resumed . if desired , the pressure can then be set at a higher value 60 in a corresponding manner , to provide a third set of pressure , temperature and flow values . these can be used to check the results calculated from the first set and provide a confidence level for the results . once this is done , the pressure can then be returned to the default value 62 where it will remain until the next measurement cycle 64 . further confirmatory measurements could be taken at the same pressures or at different pressures , as desired . of course , the pressure could be raised instead of being increased as shown and as described above . where multiple pressure readings are taken , these could be taken in any desired order . in a context where there is plenty of excess pressure , the well could be designed with a conventional choke valve to drop the pressure , followed by the mpfm operating between a reduced upper pressure and the desired flowline pressure . such as arrangement still has the advantages of significantly lower instrumentation cost , and also benefits from the other advantages set out above . alternatively , the valves 6 , 9 could be replaced with on / off valves , each in combination with a fixed choke valve in parallel with the respective on / off valve . in such an arrangement , there would always be flow through the meter , which would operate over a narrow pressure range . it could comprise a simplified ( and therefore reduced cost ) valve set due to the lower pressures . the on / off valves can be simple ball valves , which could be connected together on a single shaft driven by one actuator . if the ball valves are placed 90 degrees out of phase , so either one or the other is on , while the other is off , then this will enable quite rapid toggling between the two pressures , allowing the system to react quickly if the flowrate is trending quickly . indeed , such a device could toggle pressures as frequently as every second . the invention can also be used with a coriolis - type meter , arranged between the inlet valve and the outlet valve , a coriolis meter measures both massflow and density . in the manner described above , the invention derives both p 1 ( and t 1 ) and p 2 ( and t 2 ), and the density at pressures p 1 and p 2 gives the gas fraction , from which it is possible to extract the fluid density , and hence the oil / water fractions ( assuming that the individual oil and water densities are known . this leaves one redundant reading , i . e . the mass flow at p 1 and at p 2 . as we know these are the same , they can be used to normalize the results . other momentum flowmeter devices can be used in substitution for the orifice plate , such as a venturi or cone . the system is flexible as to its design and could be re - engineered to a physical arrangement suited to use on the surface , or in a subsea context , or in a downhole location . the above - described system could of course be deployed in an alternative context ( i . e . other than that of hydrocarbon extraction ) where it was desired to measure the relative fractions in a multi - phase fluid flowing through a conduit . the high - speed variant mentioned above could be particularly appropriate for such use . embodiments of the invention may be implemented in part in any conventional computer programming language such as vhdl , systemc , verilog , asm , etc . alternative embodiments of the invention may be implemented as pre - programmed hardware elements , other related components , or as a combination of hardware and software components . embodiments can be implemented in part as a computer program product for use with a computer system . such implementation may include a series of computer instructions fixed either on a tangible medium , such as a computer readable medium ( e . g ., a diskette , cd - rom , rom , or fixed disk ) or transmittable to a computer system , via a modem or other interface device , such as a communications adapter connected to a network over a medium . the medium may be either a tangible medium ( e . g ., optical or analog communications lines ) or a medium implemented with wireless techniques ( e . g ., microwave , infrared or other transmission techniques ). the series of computer instructions embodies all or part of the functionality previously described herein with respect to the system . those skilled in the art should appreciate that such computer instructions can be written in a number of programming languages for use with many computer architectures or operating systems . furthermore , such instructions may be stored in any memory device , such as semiconductor , magnetic , optical or other memory devices , and may be transmitted using any communications technology , such as optical , infrared , microwave , or other transmission technologies . it is expected that such a computer program product may be distributed as a removable medium with accompanying printed or electronic documentation ( e . g ., shrink wrapped software ), preloaded with a computer system ( e . g ., on system rom or fixed disk ), or distributed from a server or electronic bulletin board over the network ( e . g ., the internet or world wide web ). of course , some embodiments of the invention may be implemented as a combination of both software ( e . g ., a computer program product ) and hardware . still other embodiments of the invention are implemented as entirely hardware , or entirely software ( e . g ., a computer program product ). although various exemplary embodiments of the invention have been disclosed , it should be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made which will achieve some of the advantages of the invention without departing from the true scope of the invention .

a multi - phase flow meter includes a flow conduit leading from an inlet to an outlet and including a variable inlet restriction , a variable outlet restriction , a pressure sensor and a volumetric flow meter , located between the variable inlet restriction and the variable outlet restriction . the flow meter further includes a controller adapted to receive data from the pressure sensor and the volumetric flow meter , and to adjust the variable inlet restriction and the variable outlet restriction in accordance with at least one program . the program causes the controller to adjust one of the variable inlet restriction and the variable outlet restriction .

fig1 shows a lateral section of a device in for the protection of pipes against rupture 2 , which includes a housing 4 having an inflow 6 and an outflow 8 , a locking element 10 that is arranged in a movable manner in a bushing section 12 , a front face 14 and a closing face 16 . in the housing 4 , there is also a retaining element 18 , which is supported through a spring 20 against the housing in the vicinity of the outflow . between the locking element 10 and the retaining element 18 there are number of orifices 22 , which produce a pressure drop in one of the fluids flowing from the inflow 6 to the outflow 8 . between the inflow 6 and the orifices 22 , two flow channels 24 and 26 can be seen in this drawing , although more flow channels can also be arranged in the housing 4 . if fluid flows through the inflow 6 into the two flow channels 24 and 26 , it passes through the orifices 22 and in so doing it undergoes a pressure drop . effectively , this pressure drop increases quadratically in relation to the flow speed within the flow channels 24 and 26 with the result that , for example , if the volume flow is doubled , a four - fold pressure drop can be expected through the orifices 22 . along the plane of the drawing , the locking element 10 can move to the right towards the outflow 8 , whereby , when it reaches the edges 28 , it reaches a closing position in which the orifices 22 are closed , so that the flow of fluid between the inflow 6 and the outflow 8 is completely interrupted . the movement of the locking element 10 into this closing position is brought about by the increasing pressure difference between the pressure level at the inflow 6 and the pressure level at the outflow 8 . if the force at the front face 14 of the locking element 10 exceeds the resetting force acting on the closing face 16 produced by the pressure at the outflow 8 and the spring 20 , the closing element is forced into its closing position . this position may be left again if the fluid pressure is interrupted at the inflow 6 . for compensating pressure or flow peaks caused by rapid opening and closing movements of valves or the like in a hydraulic system , a cover 32 comprising a choke system is arranged on the bushing section 12 . if the locking element 10 is forced into its closing position , the hollow space located between the locking element 10 and the cover 32 must fill up with fluid in order to preserve the volume constancy in order to permit a movement of the locking element 10 . the choke 30 can be designed in such a way that a damping effect on the movement of the locking element 10 can be achieved very easily and , in an ideal case , this can compensate for pressure or flow peaks at the inflow 6 . in order to enable the device in accordance with the present disclosure to be tested , a test closure 34 is arranged on the housing 4 which can close the upper flow channel 26 . this is effected by the test closure 34 having a closing face 36 , which in an opening position of the test closure lies flush with a wall 38 of the flow channel . when the test closure 34 is rotated in its opening position through 180 ° through its own axis , the closing face 36 , depending on the corresponding geometric design of the test closure , turns in such a way that the flow channel 26 is completely closed . for this purpose , the flow channel 26 could have a section , the central axis of which forms an angle of 45 ° with the longitudinal axis of the device in accordance with the present invention , so that the closing face 36 is also at an angle of 45 °. when rotated through an angle of 180 °, the closing face 36 extends vertically to the wall 38 and then covers the entire cross - section of the respective flow channel 26 . if the test closure 34 is moved into a closing position , the volume flow in the upper flow canal 26 comes to an end , with the result that the entire fluid flow passes through the lower flow channel 24 . this assumes that the device 2 comprises only two flow channels , 24 and 26 . the pressure loss at the orifices 22 increases by a factor of four because the flow speed has now doubled . given an appropriate design of the spring force , this significantly higher pressure loss could be sufficient to build up a force excess at the front face 14 of the locking element 10 , leading to the locking element 10 being moved into its closing position . the drawing is only intended to be an example , so that the number of flow channels arranged in the housing 4 could be increased . similarly , any number of test closures could be distributed along the flow channels and these could even function on the basis of different operating principles . in this way , test closures could be imagined that are pressed into a corresponding flow channel 22 . fig2 illustrates an exemplary method in accordance with an embodiment in the form of a block diagram . after the initiation 40 of the operation of a higher level system , for example a hydraulic system , all existing test closures 34 will be closed 42 one after another and the reaction of all devices 2 that are arranged in the higher level system will be tested 44 . after this test has been completed , the operation of the higher level system will be interrupted 46 , so that the locking element 10 of each of the devices 2 will be moved in the direction of the inflow 6 . subsequently , a new initiation 48 of the operation of the higher level system can take place . furthermore , fig3 shows an aircraft 50 that is equipped with at least one hydraulic system 52 , on the pipe system of which 54 a device for the protection of pipes against rupture in accordance with one embodiment has been arranged . fig4 a illustrates a test closure 56 having a bevelled and rotatably mounted closing body 58 , which can be rotated into either an opening or a closing position . this principle corresponds to the test closure 34 shown in fig1 . a further special feature is a slotted bushing 60 , which protects an operating end 62 of the test closure 56 from any unauthorized or unintentional operation . with the use of an appropriate tool 90 , the operating end 62 can be engaged and the test closure 56 can be operated . in one example , the test closure 56 is constructed in such a manner that it can only be brought into a closing position through the use of the special tool 90 and this special tool 90 can only be removed when the test closure 56 is in an opening position . fig4 b shows a further possible test closure 64 , which has a closing element 66 that can be pressed into position . the test closure 64 can be operated by an operating end 68 in the form of a button , for example . in one example , the test closure 64 is spring - mounted with a spring 92 and without any external influence reverts independently from its closing position to its opening position . furthermore , fig4 c shows an addition test closure 70 , which , by being rotated over a milled recess 72 , into which a pin 74 engages , pivots a closing element 76 in an axial direction . all these examples are to be understood as being exemplary . it is understood that appropriate sealing rings 78 or the like are used for sealing purposes . finally , it must be stressed that the terms “ comprising ” are not intended to preclude other elements or steps and that “ a ” or “ an ” do not preclude a plural form . it is also stressed that features or steps , described by means of references to one of the above embodiments , can also be used in combination with other features or steps of other embodiments described above . reference marks contained in the claims are not to be seen as being a limitation . moreover , while at least one exemplary embodiment has been presented in the foregoing summary and detailed description , it should be appreciated that a vast number of variations exist . it should also be appreciated that the exemplary embodiment or exemplary embodiments are only examples , and are not intended to limit the scope , applicability , or configuration in any way . rather , the foregoing summary and detailed description will provide those skilled in the art with a convenient road map for implementing an exemplary embodiment , it being understood that various changes may be made in the function and arrangement of elements described in an exemplary embodiment without departing from the scope as set forth in the appended claims and their legal equivalents .

a device for the protection against the rupture of pipes carrying a fluid includes two or more flow channels and a closing element which interrupts the flow of fluid if a predetermined permissible volume flow is exceeded . at least one of the flow channels can be closed by a test closure in order to increase the flow speed in the remaining flow channels and for test purposes to bring about a movement of the closing element into the closing position . in this way , devices for the protection against the rupture of pipes integrated into complex systems carrying a fluid can be tested in situ to verify their proper functioning .

while any diacid is useful in forming the polyester prepolymer reactant , satisfactory materials can be produced using such readily available acids as phthalic acid , adipic , succinic , sebacic or dimer acid . similarly , common dihydric alcohols can be employed , including ethylene glycol , propylene glycol , butylene glycol , neopentyl glycol , cyclohexane diol , hexane diol , or the polyethers derived from these components . polymerization occurs as a polycondensation reaction and is generally carded out at a temperature of from about 190 ° c . to about 250 ° c . and in an inert atmosphere of nitrogen , carbon dioxide or the like . the water formed in the condensation reaction may be removed by distillation under reduced pressure , azeotropic distillation , etc . the diacid is used in excess so as to provide the prepolymer with an acid number in the range of 20 to 100 and preferably 30 to 70 , and a number average molecular weight in the range of 1100 to 5600 . esterification catalysts such as p - toluene sulfonic acid may be used . any diepoxide resin may be used , but the most useful for food packaging application are based on bisphenol a and epichlorohydrin , since these epoxy resin compounds are regulated in the united states by the food and drug administration . the preferred epoxy resins are liquids at room temperature and have epoxy values ( referred to as &# 34 ; ev &# 34 ; values in the mathematical treatment below ) ranging from about 5 . 5 to about 1 milliequivalents of epoxide per gram . the 1 , 2 - diepoxide resin desirably has a number average molecular weight ranging from about 360 to about 3 , 600 and more preferably from about 360 to about 2000 . a 1 , 2 - diepoxide resin product of shell chemical co . sold under the trademark epon 828 having a number average molecular weight of approximately 385 and an epoxide equivalent weight of 185 - 192 has given good results . low molecular weight epoxy resins such as epon 828 may be chain extended by reaction with , e . g ., bisphenol a . in its preferred embodiment , the invention makes use of a 1 , 2 - diepoxide resin having an epoxy functionality of 1 . 8 to 2 and an epoxy equivalent weight of 180 to 1800 and more particularly 180 to 1000 . the important properties of the block copolymer that need to be controlled include glass transition temperature ( tg ), solubility parameter , viscosity and molecular weight . solubility parameter and tg are controlled by selecting components that are more or less polar , and that contribute hardness or softness to the polymer , as is well known to those skilled in the art . for example , selection of components having long aliphatic carbon chains lowers tg , while selection of components having ring structures or bulky side chains raises tg . tg can be measured by well known techniques such as differential scanning calorimetry or torsion braid analysis . solubility parameter is not normally measured , but components should be selected based on their known effect and selected to provide a value that is as far removed as practical from the solvents that will be contacted with the polymer during its useful life . for example , if water is the principal solvent , components should be selected having as low a value of solubility parameter as practicable . thus , components that are water soluble should be used sparingly . for metal coating applications requiring a high degree of extensibility , the tg should be controlled below 100 ° c ., preferably below 60 ° c . in general , the lower the tg , the lower the probability of brittle failure of the coating during fabrication of the finished article but the more likely is the tendency of the coating to block ( i . e ., to adhere to another surface ) when the coated metal is stacked in sheets or rolled as a coil . the lower limit of tg thus is chosen to be sufficiently high so as to avoid blocking of the coating . tg preferably is not lower than about 25 ° c . the viscosity of the epoxy - polyester block copolymer is controlled principally by its weight average molecular weight . the weight average molecular weight is controlled by the number average molecular weight and the polydispersity of the molecular weight distribution . for linear polyesters , the weight average is about 2 times the number average . thus , in order to control the viscosity of linear polyesters , it is sufficient to control the number average molecular weight . both the number and weight average molecular weights can be measured most conveniently by gel permeation chromatography . the number average molecular weight of linear polyester - epoxy block copolymers used in the present invention may be calculated and controlled by use of the following definitions and relationships . p = fractional conversion of acid or epoxy groups , whichever is present in lesser amount . in the calculation for mn , the numerator represents the mass of ingredients in the charge while the denominator measures the end groups due to unreacted hydroxyl groups in the prepolymer , the unreactive groups present in the diepoxide , and the residual epoxy and acid groups left over due to incomplete reaction and inexact stoichiometry of the reactant charge . as an example , consider a prepolymer having an acid number of 50 that is reacted with a diepoxide having an epoxy value ( ev ) of 5 . 35 meq / gm under stoichiometric conditions where r = 1 . 0 . the numerator in the molecular weight expression is equal to 130 , 692 . thus , if we desire a molecular weight ( mn ) of 30 , 000 , we must control the number of end groups to 130 , 692 / 30 , 000 = 4 . 36 . proceeding further with this example , the target number of end groups can be achieved by controlling the hydroxyl number at a level of 2 , by using a diepoxide of functionality 1 . 95 , and by carrying out the reaction to 9955 completion . substituting bn = 2 . 0 , e = 1 . 95 and p = 0 . 99 into the expression for r = 1 gives a value of 4 . 28 which is close to the value of 4 . 36 desired . in general , the closer r is to 1 . 0 , the lower the acid number of the polyester and the closer the functionality of the epoxy resin is to 2 . 0 , then the higher the molecular weight of the polymer will be when all other conditions remain the same . while there is no theoretical upper limit on molecular weight , a practical limit of about 60 , 000 appears likely . in metal coating applications , number average molecular weights of the block copolymer in the range of 7 , 000 to 30 , 000 are sufficient to meet the current requirements of extensibility and are consequently preferred so as to keep the amount of organic solvent required to a minimum . the acid number of the prepolymer may be used to effect molecular weight as described above . in addition , the acid number may be used to control the amount of diepoxide required . this is evident from the following relationship which gives the weight fraction of diepoxide ( w e ) in the polymer : ## equ2 ## thus for an = 50 , ev = 5 . 35 , and r = 1 . 0 , then w e = 0 . 143 . repeating the calculation for an = 100 , then w e = 0 . 25 . similarly , the weight fraction diepoxide can be controlled by varying the epoxy value of the diepoxide . for example , for an = 50 , r = 1 . 0 , ev = 1 . 0 , then w e = 0 . 47 . repeating the calculation for an = 100 , then w e = 0 . 64 . the values of an and ev employed are not critical in the present invention and thus are controlled by practical considerations . for ease of handling , liquid diepoxides are preferred . in the case of diepoxides based on bisphenol a and epichlorohydrin , an epoxy value of about 3 to about 5 . 5 is most convenient since this provides an easily handled liquid . the an value also is controlled by practical considerations . for example , if the targeted acid number is too low , the reaction time required to achieve a sufficiently low hydroxyl number ( bn ) becomes excessively long and more difficult to achieve . if , on the other hand , the acid number is too high , then the amount of diepoxide required increases . since the diepoxide component is generally more expensive than the polyester prepolymer component , the cost of the product may thus be increased . another difficulty that is encountered through the use of prepolymers having high acid numbers is the difficulty of solubilizing the diacid reactant when using sparingly soluble acids such as terephthalic acid . thus , the practical range of an lies between about 20 and 100 , with the most preferred range between 30 and 70 . in addition to minimizing the residual hydroxyl groups present in the prepolymer , it is important to minimize the amount of water introduced into the reactor during the reaction of prepolymer with the diepoxide . while any method may be used to ensure that all materials are dry , it is most convenient to react any water present with a diacid anhydride such as phthalic anhydride . diacid anhydrides are also useful to remove the last traces of hydroxyl groups present in the prepolymer . careful attention to purity of materials , control of end groups during reaction , and elimination of water all lead to successful preparation of the high molecular weight polymers essential to the practice of this invention . with regard to crosslink density , any of the well known hydroxyl - reactive curing resins can be used . phenoplast and aminoplast curing agents are preferred , as are curing agents derived from phosphoric acid . aminoplast resins are the condensation products of aldehydes such as formaldehyde , acetaldehyde , crotonaldehyde , and benzaldehyde with amino or amido group - containing substances such as urea , melamine and benzoguanamine . useful alcohols include the monohydric alcohols such as methanol , ethanol , propanol , butanol , hexanol , benzyl alcohol , cyclohexanol , and ethoxyethanol . urea - formaldehyde and esterified melamine - formaldehyde curing agents are preferred . particularly preferred are the ethoxy methoxy melamine formaldehyde condensation products , exemplary of which is american cyanamid &# 39 ; s cymel ® 325 curing agent . phenoplast resins include the condensation products of aldehydes with phenol . formaldehyde and acetaldehyde are preferred aldehydes . various phenols can be employed such as phenol , cresol , p - phenylphenol , p - tert - butylphenol , p - tert - amylphenol , and cyclopentylphenol . as examples of other generally suitable curing agents are the blocked or non - blocked aliphatic , cycloaliphatic or aromatic di -, tri - or polyvalent isocyanates such as hexamethylene diisocyanate , cyclohexyl - 1 , 4 - diisocyanate and the like . the level of curing agent required will depend on the type of curing agent , the time and temperature of the bake , and the molecular weight of the polymer . generally , curing agent levels will fall in the range of 8 to 40 wt . % of the combined weight of the epoxy - polyester block copolymer and the curing agent . as noted earlier , we have found that the crosslink density of the cured coating controls what we believe to be the loss of free volume upon aging , and that the crosslink density hence also is related to the ability of a coating of the invention to withstand subsequent drawing or other fabrication procedures to which coated substrates are subjected . although a variety of metal drawing tests may be employed , we prefer a reverse impact test of 16 inch pounds performed at room temperature and as described generally in american society for testing materials test designations astm d 1709 and astm d 3029 . in this test , a weighted projectile having a hemispherical striking surface is dropped upon a coated metal panel that is supported coating side down on a suitable anvil . the coated test panels are aged at room temperature for various periods and are periodically subjected to the reverse impact test . the thus tested specimens exhibit a dome - shaped deformation where they are struck , and the coating at the apex of the dome is carefully visually examined and is rated from 1 to 10 . a rating of 10 indicates that the coating at the apex is visually identical to the surrounding , unstressed coating . a rating of 1 indicates that the coating on the dome - shaped deformation has turned white due to crazing . a coating having a very slightly perceptible haze at the apex of the dome earns a rating of 9 . the hydroxyl - reactive crosslinking agent is employed in sufficient quantity to provide a sufficiently high crosslink density so that the craze resistance of the cured coating as measured above by reverse impact testing , diminishes by no more than 20 % when aged at room temperature for a ten day period or under equivalent time and temperature aging conditions . preferably , the molar ratio of hydroxyl - reactive functional groups in the crosslinking agent to the reactive hydroxyl groups of the block copolymer is at least 2 . 0 , preferably is in the range of 2 . 5 to 10 and most preferably ranges from 3 to 7 . for metal coating applications , the preferred embodiment of the present invention employs a carboxyl - functional prepolymer having an acid number between 20 and 100 most preferably between 30 and 70 . the glass transition temperature of the block copolymer preferably is less than 60 ° c . and its number average molecular weight is between 7 , 000 and 60 , 000 , and most preferably between 7 , 000 and 30 , 000 . the coating composition includes a crosslinking agent at a concentration of from about 8 to about 40 wt % but in any event in sufficient concentration to provide a crosslink density high enough so that its resistance to crazing upon being drawn ( as may be measured by reverse impact testing ) decreases by no more than 20 % over a ten day period at room temperature . most preferably , the molar ratio of hydroxyl - reactive functional groups in the crosslinking agent to the reactive hydroxyl groups of the block copolymer is between 3 and 7 . further , the epoxide value of the epoxy resin precursor preferably is between 5 . 5 and 3 . 0 . the coating compositions of the invention may contain such common ingredients as pigment , solvent , fillers , dyes , leveling agents and other surface active agents and the like . in a preferred embodiment , the composition is free from pigment and other opacifying ingredients and forms a clear coating . the following examples are provided to illustrate the invention . the components listed below were charged to a 5 liter round bottom reaction flask equipped with steam and water condensers , heating mantle , mechanical stirrer , thermometer , and inert gas source . the polycondensation reaction was carded out at 200 °- 240 ° c . under an inert nitrogen atmosphere . water was removed by atmospheric distillation until reflux terminated . at this point the reactor contents were cooled to 200 ° c . and xylene , item # 5 , was charged to the reactor . heat was reapplied and azeotropic distillation was continued until an acid value of about 50 was achieved and no further water could be removed from the reaction vessel . ______________________________________item # material grams______________________________________1 terephthalic acid 14472 isophthalic acid 14473 diethylene glycol 16654 fascat 4201 . sup . 1 65 xylol 100 4665______________________________________ . sup . 1 a product of atochem company approximately 543 grams of distillate were removed from the reactor during the distillation procedure . the resultant polyester prepolymer had an acid number of 54 . 1 mg koh / gm . and a determined solids of 94 . 7 %. the components listed below were charged to a 1 liter two piece reaction flask equipped with water condenser , heating mantle , mechanical stirrer , thermometer , and inert gas source . ______________________________________item # material grams______________________________________1 polyester prepolymer 415 from example # 12 der 383 . sup . 2 693 tributylamine 24 cyclohexanone 1705 xylol 113______________________________________ . sup . 2 a product of the dow chemical company the reactor contents were heated to 125 ° c . under an inert nitrogen atmosphere until essentially all epoxy was consumed and a final acid value of 5 or less was determined . the resultant polymer solution had a determined solids of 65 . 3 %, a determined acid number of 3 . 1 mg koh / gm ., and final measured molecular weights of 45 , 600 ( mw ) and 16 , 700 ( mn ). the resin prepaxed in sample 2 was blended with several levels of cymel 325 3 crosslinking agent and applied at 7 . 5 mg / in 2 to treated aluminum panels . the panels were baked for 9 seconds to a peak metal temperature of 450 ° f . and were immediately water quenched upon exiting the oven . the effect of crosslinking agent level is shown in the following table , in which the weight percent of the crosslinking agent is based on the combined weight of the crosslinking agent and the polyester resin : ______________________________________wt % cross - linkingagent craze rating atpoly - mole 0 1 1 5 10mer ratio w /% hrs hr day days days______________________________________100 0 0 9 4 5 2 295 1 . 17 5 10 9 7 4 390 2 . 35 10 10 10 9 7 685 3 . 5 15 10 10 10 8 880 4 . 7 20 10 10 10 9 9______________________________________ from the data above it is clear that for the crosslinking agent and cure condition chosen , the crosslinking agent level preferred is ≧ 15 %.

a liquid coating composition particularly adapted for coating cans . the composition comprises a curable , hydroxyl functional block copolymer which is the reaction product of a 1 , 2 - epoxy resin and a carboxyl functional polyester resin , and a hydroxyl - reactive crosslinking agent providing desirably at least 2 . 0 equivalents of hydroxyl reactive functional groups per hydroxyl equivalent of the block copolymer . the block copolymer desirably has a number average molecular weight in the range of 7000 to 30 , 000 . also disclosed is a method for formulating a coating composition utilizing craze resistance testing over an aging period to enable the choice of the quantity of curing agent to be used in the coating composition .

in fig1 the number 1 indicates a pneumatic tire comprising , in a known way , a casing of toroidal shape , having a crown portion , shoulders 3 , sidewalls 4 and beads 5 , each incorporating a bead core 6 , a bead filler 7 , applied in a radially external position to the said bead core , and a reinforcing tape 8 in a position axially outside the bead core . the casing is preferably of the radial type and comprises a casing ply formed by a rubberized fabric 9 incorporating in the elastomeric material a plurality of reinforcing cords 10 disposed in meridian planes of the tire . a tread band 2 is disposed on the crown of the said casing , and a breaker structure 11 is disposed between the tread strip and the casing . the breaker structure comprises at least three belts of rubberized fabric , of which the first two 12 , 13 , radially innermost , incorporate in the elastomeric material metal cords 14 disposed parallel to each other in each belt , and crossing over those in the adjacent belt , inclined to the equatorial plane at angles of preferably between 5 ° and 35 ° to the said plane . a third belt 15 in a radially outermost position incorporates polyamide cords 16 orientated substantially as the equatorial plane , the whole being done in a known way . in the following examples of embodiments of the invention , the rubberized fabric of the casing ply incorporates cords made from polyethylene naphthalene 2 , 6 - dicarboxylate , more commonly known as pen material ; the elastic modulus of the fabric is calculated by multiplying the value of the modulus of the individual cord , measured between 20n and 45n , by the density of the cords . table 1 shows the data defining the fabric 9 of the casing ply according to the invention , while fig2 shows the corresponding geometrical dimensions of the fabric seen in partial transverse section , namely the values “ d ” ( diameter of the cord ), “ t ” ( total thickness of the fabric ) “ x ” ( thickness of the rubber sheet which covers the layer of the said cords on both surfaces ) and “ y ”, in other words the interval between adjacent cords . in a second embodiment , the casing fabric 9 is made with cords of the same material ( pen ) and of the same diameter , and with the same elastomeric composition as those of the preceding example , but with a decrease of the cord density as compared with the fabric of example 1 , and consequently of the percentage by volume of the strong material in the fabric , as shown in table 2 , giving the results shown therein . in a third embodiment , the casing fabric 9 is made with cords of the same material ( pen ) and of the same diameter , and with the same elastomeric composition as those of the preceding example , but with a cord density and consequently a percentage by volume of the strong material , having values intermediate between those cited previously , as shown in table 3 below , giving the results shown therein . in the preceding examples , the composition of the fabric rubberizing compound is not specified , since it has no effect for the purposes of the present invention . in any case , the rubberizing compound is always the same in all the cited examples of embodiments and in the control fabric which will be described subsequently . further embodiments of the invention may comprise rubberized fabrics reinforced with cords of aramid and other textile materials , such as polyethylene terephthalate , known by the abbreviation pet , polyvinyl alcohol , known by the abbreviation pva , and similar . the cords may have counts different from that cited in the preceding examples , preferably not less than 420 / 2 dtex and not more than 840 / 2 dtex . fabrics having cords made from aramid , particularly poly -( p - phenylene - terephthalamide ), and having counts of 420 / 2 dtex and 840 / 2 dtex , may have the values shown in tables 4 and 5 respectively , the symbols used in the said tables being the same as those in the preceding tables : a comparison will now be made , in table 6 below , of the data and results for a casing fabric made according to the present state of the art , in other words from rayon with a count of 1840 / 2 dtex , and the data and results of the fabrics according to the invention found in examples 1 , 2 and 3 . the table also shows the percentage variations ( δ %) of the parameters of the fabrics of the examples with respect to the known fabric : in all these fabrics , the thickness “ x ” is identical , being 0 . 16 mm . the data in table 6 show particularly clearly the reduction of the percentage by volume of strong material , in other words of the cords , in each of the three embodiments of a fabric according to the invention by comparison with the control fabric . it can easily be seen that the reduction of the percentage by volume , pc %, of cord with respect to the known fabric varies quantitatively in a very significant way , ranging from 26 % to 57 %. despite this reduction , the values of the elastic moduli of the fabrics according to the invention are either substantially equal to or far greater than those of the known fabric , and therefore the deformations of the fabrics according to the invention , for equal tensile stress , are of the same order of magnitude as those of the known fabric or advantageously significantly smaller . in particular , the values of the cord density of the invention in the fabrics of the three preceding examples have been selected in such a way as to provide rubberized fabrics which have , respectively , the same breaking load ( example 1 ), the same elastic modulus ( example 2 ) and the same density , in other words the same interval y between the reinforcing cords ( example 3 ) as the known control fabric . it can be seen in table 6 that the fabric of example 1 , for equal breaking load , shows an increase of 71 % in the elastic modulus , while the fabric of example 2 , with a substantially equal elastic modulus (− 2 %), shows a decrease of 45 % in the breaking load . finally , the fabric of example 3 , in which the reinforcing cords are the same distance apart as those of the control fabric , shows an increase of 50 % in the elastic modulus and a simultaneous decrease of 12 % in the breaking load . it is important to note that in each of the preceding examples the elastic modulus of the fabrics according to the invention is advantageously between 100 , 000 mpa / cm and 200 , 000 mpa / cm . it should also be noted that the reduction of the values of the breaking load in the fabrics according to the invention does not entail any particular problems in relation to the product in which they are used because , since the breaking load values have to conform to high safety margins , they are very different from the values required in use . in other words , in the operating conditions of the article and specifically of the pneumatic tire , the tensile stresses to which the rubberized reinforcing fabric is subjected are specified within the first part of the stress - strain curve of the fabric ; in other words they are selected to vary between approximately ⅙ and { fraction ( 1 / 10 )} of the breaking load of the fabric . the operating loads therefore show a reduction varying between 84 % and 90 % with respect to the value of the breaking load . on the basis of this consideration , it will be clear that even reductions of the order of 45 % of the said load with respect to the known fabric do not constitute an element of risk . however , it is possible to make casing fabrics according to the invention with a breaking load equal to or greater than 1800 n / cm , and therefore with values comparable with those of known fabrics , by suitable selection of the count and density of the cords , as shown in example 1 . according to a preferred embodiment of the invention , the applicant uses fabrics with aramid cords , with a count of 550 / 2 dtex and with a density of between 200 and 210 cords / dm , which show a decrease in the breaking load of the order of 5 - 10 % with respect to the breaking load of known fabrics . a further example is provided by the fabric which is shown in the last row of table 5 and which comprises aramid cords with a count of 840 / 2 , disposed with a density of 190 cords / dm . preferably , the breaking load of the fabrics according to the invention will be between 900 n / cm and 2000 n / cm . as stated previously , the counts of the cords according to the invention are preferably between 420 / 2 and 840 / 2 dtex . it is important to note that it has been found that cords with a count of more than 840 / 2 generally have breaking loads which are higher than necessary , with consequent needless over - design of the materials . cords with a count of less than 420 / 2 may cause problems in the preparation ( rubberizing ) of the corresponding fabrics in relation to the possibility of obtaining the high values of density necessary to provide the requisite strength loads , in other words the requisite values of the elastic modulus of the material . in this respect , the interval between adjacent cords in the fabrics according to the invention is preferably between 0 . 05 and 0 . 50 mm . within the range of counts from 420 / 2 to 840 / 2 dtex , the invention offers a range of reinforcing fabrics in which , while there is a significant reduction in the percentage by volume of strong material ( in other words , cords ), the values obtained for mechanical performance in use are equal to values advantageously greater than those for known fabrics . the fabrics described in examples 1 - 5 with reference to the construction of the casing 9 in fig1 may also be advantageously applied in other reinforcing structures ; for example they may constitute the outermost belt of the belt assembly 16 comprising cords circumferentially oriented with respect to the tire . in a different embodiment of the preceding breaker structure , it is possible to replace a single belt of the fabric with circumferential cords , extending over the whole width of the belt assembly , with at least two tapes of the same fabric , of smaller width , disposed laterally . in other embodiments of the pneumatic tire according to the invention , the said fabrics may constitute a reinforcing tape 8 disposed in an axially outermost position with respect to the bead cores 6 , and a circumferential tape wound in a loop around the bead core . according to the invention , the maintenance or improvement of the mechanical performance in operation is achieved with a remarkable reduction of the weights concerned , as may immediately be appreciated by a comparison of the numerical data relating to the cords and to the corresponding fabrics of examples 1 - 5 , with particular reference to the reduction of thickness of the fabric , substantially between 30 % and 40 %, achieved in the fabrics according to the invention . in this respect , in the said fabrics the thickness “ x ” of the sheet of rubber compound which covers both sides of the layer of cords has a value which is preferably between 0 . 1 and 0 . 2 mm . in particular , it should be noted that the weight per square meter of the known fabric is 1100 g / m 2 ( grams per m 2 ), while the weights of the fabrics of examples 1 , 2 and 3 are between 500 g / m 2 and 900 g / m 2 ( 840 g / m 2 , 540 g / m 2 , and 820 g / m 2 respectively ). more particularly , among radial pneumatic tires of the size 235 / 40zr18 , 215 / 45zr18 , 275 / 40zr18 , 225 / 40zr18 and 265 / 35zr18 , those of known types have a total weight of the casing plies between 1400 g and 1970 g , while those according to the invention , constructed with the materials stated in the preceding examples , have casing plies with a total weight of between 970 g and 1480 g . in general , therefore , radial casings made for pneumatic tires according to the invention provide the advantage of a weight reduction of between 25 % and 30 % compared with conventional casings . all this provides the advantage of a reduction of the rotating mass for equal performance , by simultaneously providing a considerable weight reduction and an improvement of the mechanical performance , as stated below . the result is entirely unexpected in that the reduction in the percentage by volume of the cords in the fabric , producing a decrease in the strong material and an increase in the less strong material , in other words the rubberizing compound , should have caused a worsening , rather than an improvement , of the mechanical characteristics . it has also been found that the fabrics according to the invention show an improvement in fatigue resistance compared with the fabrics according to the known art . the applicant considers that the reasons for this improvement may be found in the explanations which are given below , although these do not constitute any restriction or limit on the present invention . to elucidate these explanations , fig3 shows , in transverse section , the known fabric having a thickness t n of 1 mm and provided with 0 . 7 mm diameter cords , and an example of an embodiment of the fabric according to the invention , having a thickness t i of 0 . 65 mm , in which the cord diameter is 0 . 35 mm . the values of the distance “ x ” between the surfaces delimiting the fabric and the adjacent surfaces tangent to the layer of the said cords which are parallel and adjacent to each other , in other words the thickness of the rubberizing sheet of the layer , and of the interval “ y ” between adjacent cords , described previously , are maintained at 0 . 15 mm in both fabrics . it should be noted that the reinforcing fabrics of a pneumatic tire , in particular the casing ply and the belts of the belt assembly , when changing from the non - deformed to the deformed state in the area of the footprint of the tire , undergo a cyclical flexing deformation which affects both the reinforcing cords and the rubber of the fabric . the flexing resistance of the cords increases with the diameter , and the flexing resistance of the fabric also increases with its thickness . the cords of the fabric according to the invention , owing to the lower count , have a smaller diameter than those according to the known art , and the rubber layer of the rubberized fabric as a whole has a smaller thickness than normal fabrics , as may be seen in the preceding tables and in the corresponding explanations provided . consequently , it is considered that , owing to their smaller size , the fabrics according to the invention and their reinforcing cords more easily withstand the repeated flexion due to the flattening of the tire in the area of the footprint , with consequently reduced hysteresis losses in the textile material and in the rubber . this also causes less development of heat in the structure , providing an improved fatigue resistance overall . the invention may also be extended to textile cords orientated in a different way than in radial casings ; in particular , the cords according to the invention may be applied to casings known as “ cross - ply ” casings as well as to casings of tubular type , in other words those without bead wires or at any rate not wrapped around the bead wires .

a rubberized reinforcing fabric for articles made from elastomeric material includes a plurality of textile cords having at least tensile strength , parallel and adjacent to each other in a same direction , and incorporated in an elastomeric material the cords have a count between 420 / 2 dtex and 840 / 2 dtex , a diameter between 0 . 33 mm and 0 . 47 mm , and are embedded in the fabric . the fabric has a thickness of not more than 0 . 8 mm and a density between 125 cords / dm and 280 cords / dm . the cords constitute a maximum of 40 % of a volume of the fabric . an article made from elastomeric material , including at least one rubberized reinforcing fabric made from elastomeric material , is also disclosed .

fig1 shows a schematic building 2 that comprises a utility room 4 with a heat source 6 accommodated therein on the basement floor , and three heated floors 8 a - 8 c , namely a first floor 8 a , a second floor 8 b and a third floor 8 c . three partial sections 12 a - 12 c installed in the building 2 form part of a central heating system 10 and act as first heating circuits . the partial section 12 a is installed on the first floor 8 a , the partial section 12 b is installed on the second floor 8 b and the partial section 12 c is installed on the third floor 8 c . the partial sections 12 a - 12 c respectively include a flow conduit 18 and a return conduit 20 that extend separately from one another . the partial sections 12 a - 12 c are connected to the heat source 6 by means of risers 14 and 16 that also have a flow conduit and a return conduit . three heating sections 32 - 36 that act as second heating circuits are connected to the respective partial sections 12 a - 12 c on each heated floor 8 a - 8 c . each heating section 32 - 36 is connected to the flow conduit 18 of the assigned partial section 12 a - 12 c with a supply conduit 24 and to the return conduit 20 of the assigned partial section 12 a - 12 c with a return conduit 30 . the first two heating sections 32 and 34 respectively feature only one consumer in the form of a radiator 22 , while two radiators 22 are arranged in series in the third heating section 36 shown . the flow conduit 18 and the return conduit 20 of a partial section 12 a - 12 c have the same conduit diameter . a valve 28 arranged in the supply conduit 24 of each heating section 32 - 36 serves to regulate the room temperature and can be respectively actuated by means of an actuator 26 . one respective temperature sensor is arranged upstream 38 a and downstream 38 b of each radiator 22 if hydraulic balancing between the individual heating sections 32 - 36 needs to be achieved . temperature sensors 38 a , 38 b are only provided for the series - connected radiators 22 in the partial section 12 c , and in this case in the third heating section 36 , upstream of the first radiator 22 and downstream of the last radiator 22 of this heating section 36 . naturally , only one temperature sensor 38 in the flow conduit and the return conduit of a partial section 12 a - 12 c would also suffice to provide hydraulic balancing between the individual partial sections 12 a - 12 c . the temperature sensors 38 a , 38 b cooperate with a control unit 40 and deliver the corresponding flow and return temperatures of the heating sections 32 - 36 or 12 a - 12 c , respectively . the servomotors 26 are controlled by the control unit 40 . the temperature sensors 38 , the control unit 40 having a regulator 48 , and the servomotors 26 with the valves 28 form part of a control circuit for hydraulically balancing the central heating system 10 . other conventional sensors 42 are also provided and customarily form a control circuit for regulating the temperature in the rooms on the floors 8 a - 8 c , together with the control unit 40 which has another regulator 46 , the servomotors 26 , and the valves 28 . for example , different flow speeds of the heat transfer medium normally occur in the central heating system 10 if the majority of valves 28 are open . an essentially constant flow speed is adjusted in the central heating system 10 due to the hydraulic balancing control circuit . since the flow speeds are now essentially constant , pressure fluctuations are prevented within the conduit network of the central heating system 10 , particularly in the supply conduits 24 and the return conduits 30 of each heating section 32 and therefore at the valves 28 . consequently , the hysteresis of the valves 28 relative to one another remains unchanged . this provides the advantage that the room temperature is controlled isochronously . fig2 shows the schematic sequence of the hydraulic balancing control in cooperation with the temperature control , with fig2 showing only the control of one room 8 and a circuit 74 - 78 , described further below , in order to provide a better overview . the temperature control is obtained conventionally : the sensor in the form of a temperature sensor 42 cooperates with the temperature regulator 46 . the actual temperature t ist in the room 8 is delivered to the temperature regulator 46 by the temperature sensor 42 . the desired nominal temperature t soll for the room 8 is adjusted beforehand and stored in the control unit 40 . this nominal temperature t soll is made available to the temperature regulator 46 by a memory of the control unit 40 . a nominal value / actual value comparison results in an assigned control signal 50 for the servomotor 26 of the valves 28 . for example , if the nominal temperature t soll is higher than the actual temperature t ist during a heating process , the valve 28 needs to be opened such that the volumetric flow of the heat transfer medium and therefore the heat emission of the radiator 22 into the room 8 are increased . in addition to the temperature regulator 46 , another regulator 48 is also provided for hydraulic balancing on the floors 8 a - 8 c and in the circuit 74 - 78 described further below , as well as between the floors 8 a and 8 c . in this case , each temperature sensor of a flow conduit 38 a and a return conduit 38 b is assigned to a device 52 that determines the temperature difference between the heat transfer medium upstream and downstream of the radiator 22 or upstream and downstream of the consuming device based on the temperatures delivered by the temperature sensors 38 . this temperature difference corresponds to an actual differential temperature t ist diff . the nominal differential temperature t soll diff results from a characteristic that refers to a preadjusted temperature difference between the flow conduit and the return conduit of the radiator 22 or of consumers as a function of the opening position of the valve 28 and the flow conduit temperature . the nominal value t soll diff is subject to a certain tolerance . the tolerance decreases proportionally with an increase in the number of active consumers and therefore the number of radiators 22 in operation , and increases proportionally with a decrease in the number of active consuming devices and therefore the number of radiators 22 in operation . the hydraulic balancing control signal of the regulator 48 is identified by the reference symbol 54 . if the differential temperature value t ist diff lies within the tolerance value t soll diff , the control signal 54 corresponds to a value at which the flow cross section of the valve 28 is 100 % open . if the differential temperature value t ist diff lies outside the tolerance value t soll diff , the control signal 54 corresponds to a value that ensures hydraulic balancing , i . e ., a value that must be smaller than the value of the control signal 50 of the temperature regulator 46 . the value of the control signal 54 of the regulator 48 for achieving hydraulic balancing therefore either corresponds to 100 % of the opening cross section of the valve 28 or is smaller than the value of the control signal 50 of the temperature regulator . the control signals 50 and 54 are then fed to a minimum selector 44 such that only the lower value 56 of a control signal 50 or 54 is fed to the servomotor 26 of the valve 28 . the control unit 40 ensures that hydraulic balancing is adjusted in increments such that overshooting is prevented and the system is able to enter the transient state . fig3 schematically shows another embodiment of the invention . in this case , a valve 96 acts as a section gate and is controlled in accordance with the valve 28 thus far described by means of a servomotor , not shown , in order to achieve hydraulic balancing , wherein the valve in the circuit 74 is identified by the reference symbol 88 and is provided in the form of a three - way valve . fig3 shows a supply unit 58 that forms part of a central cooling and heating system 60 . only one supply unit 58 is shown for reasons of simplicity . however , the cooling and heating system 60 is composed of several supply units 58 that are designed in accordance with the supply unit 58 shown , and each supplies one building . the main supply line 62 features a main flow conduit 64 and a main return conduit 66 . a distribution unit 72 is connected to the main supply line 62 by means of the supply conduit 68 and the return conduit 70 . the distribution unit 72 forms part of the supply unit 58 . the supply unit 58 furthermore comprises , for example , three circuits 74 , 76 and 78 , namely a ventilation circuit 74 , a heating circuit 76 and a domestic water circuit 78 . each of the three circuits 74 , 76 and 78 features a flow conduit 80 , a pump 82 and a return conduit 84 . the circuits 74 , 76 and 78 each form different hydraulic circuits . however , the circuits 74 , 76 and 78 are generally known , so that a more detailed description seems unnecessary . only the heating circuit 76 is described in an exemplary fashion below . in the detailed illustration of the heating circuit 76 , the heating circuit is provided in the form of an injection circuit and provided with several radiators 22 . a valve 28 is assigned to each radiator 22 in the supply conduit 86 . the supply conduit 86 of the radiator 22 is connected to the flow conduit 80 of the heating circuit 76 , and the return conduit 90 is connected to the return conduit 84 of said heating circuit . the flow conduit 80 and the return conduit 84 of the heating circuit 76 are connected to one another by a bypass 92 , into which a mechanical slide valve 94 is integrated . the position of the slide valve is not pre - adjusted , i . e ., the valve is completely open and not adjusted . another valve 96 for regulating the volumetric flow and therefore the flow temperature is arranged in the return conduit 84 of the heating circuit 76 downstream of the bypass 92 . hydraulic balancing in accordance with the above - described embodiment is achieved between the individual circuits 74 - 78 by regulating / controlling the valve 96 . temperature sensors 38 that cooperate with a control unit 40 realized analogously to the control unit described above are arranged in the flow conduit 80 and in the return conduit 84 for this purpose . the other valves 28 may — but do not necessarily have to — also be provided with sensors in the supply conduit 86 and return conduit 90 in order to achieve hydraulic balancing . it also suffices if hydraulic balancing is achieved between the circuits 74 , 76 and 78 .

a cooling and / or heating device for use in the cooling and / or heating of one or more units includes a conduit network containing flow and return conduits , with several circuits connected to the flow and return conduits . valves are located in each circuit and used to regulate or control the volumetric flow through the circuits . a heat transfer medium or coolant circulates through the conduit network , with at least one consuming device disposed in each circuit . sensors are provided in each circuit , the sensors sending signals to a control unit and forming part of a control circuit . the control unit adjusts the valves of each circuit as a function of the signals transmitted from the sensors so as to hydraulically balance the individual circuits .